Summer Lovin'

Chapter Five

AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOURS in a shopping mall with a fourteen-year-old, Ryan had been spent. First he'd taken Sam for ice cream as promised, where she'd ducked behind him every time she'd seen a boy she knew from school. Then he'd had what he thought was a brainstorm and he'd asked her to help him shop for a birthday gift for Zoe.

Sam had dragged him into an all-natural beauty store that smelled ultrafeminine and too seductive for his peace of mind. Clenching his mouth shut tight, he'd stood back as Sam had chosen Zoe's favorite scents in body scrub, body wash, body splash and he was sure there were more items he couldn't remember. He couldn't very well tell the kid that they were in way too intimate territory when she was so pleased with her selections, so he'd gone ahead and purchased her choices.

The store clerk had insisted on wrapping them in a gift basket with some courtesy products, including a loofah sponge he couldn't stop envisioning running over every part of Zoe's body, inch by tantalizing inch. His desire for her grew each time he saw her. His need to taste her again, to possess her body and learn her secrets, was with him day and night.

Now hours later, he was driving Zoe to a surprise destination for their date. His nerves were on edge as he waited for the phone call redirecting them to her aunt's diner. Each time he inhaled, he took in her fresh-like-summer scent, forcing him to shake his head in an attempt to stop thinking about Zoe and sex. Sleeping with her would compromise his emotions, he knew, and in turn he'd jeopardize his goal to take Sam to Boston with him.

Instead he focused on the trip he'd made after taking Sam back to Elena's. He'd gone back to the mall to purchase another, more practical gift for Zoe. One that had a purpose, but wasn't in the least bit romantic. Though he knew he'd have to give both wrapped packages in order to protect Sam's feelings, he hoped the more simple one would take away from the innuendo implied by the bath and body basket- even if his skin were tingling as if she'd used that loofah sponge on him, then followed it up with her hands, and then those luscious lips he'd tasted the other day.

Zoe placed a hand on his shoulder, her soft touch doing nothing to help him repress his desire to sleep with her as soon as possible.

"It was so nice of you to ask me out for my birthday, even if I'm certain Sam put you up to it," she said, laughing.

He grinned. "The kid has a way about her, that's for sure. It's true she might have told me it was your birthday, but I would have asked you out, anyway."

"Really?"

"Eventually," he admitted. "When these things between us got more settled." When there was no agenda between them.

Which might be never, he thought to himself.

She raised an eyebrow, her understanding as strong as his. "Settled isn't necessarily going to be a good thing, so let's just enjoy now, why don't we?"

He nodded. "Good thinking."

A glance at the road signs told him they were only five minutes away from the restaurant Elena had suggested for their "date" and he wondered when the hell Zoe's cell phone would ring and put the real plan into motion.

As if by command, he heard the distinctive sound of a cell-phone ring coming from her bag. She answered, spoke to the person on the other end, argued some and then finally agreed to do whatever was being asked of her.

"I said I'll be right there," she grumbled before she hung up and looked over at Ryan.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Only adolescent angst."

He glanced at her questioningly.

"We call it the old stomp, stomp, slam. In other words, something set Sam off and she stormed into another room and slammed the door."

He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, which faced the water and where they supposedly had an outdoor table reserved.

"I'm sure she'll come out of her room eventually." He put the car into park and turned toward her.

Zoe sighed. "She's not in her room, she's at Aunt Kassie's restaurant. Apparently, she's locked herself in the ladies' room and won't come out."

Ryan tried not to laugh at Sam's shenanigans to get Zoe to her surprise party. "Is this normal behavior for her?" he asked, playing along.

To his shock, she nodded. "It's normal teenage, hormonal behavior. That's why we call it stomp, stomp, slam, as in, stomp out of the room, then stomp down the hall and finally slam the door shut behind her."

"I have vague recollections of my sister acting the same way."

"So you understand why we have to head on over there?" She sounded truly disappointed and something inside him lifted with the knowledge that she really had wanted to go out on a date with him.

"Your parents can't handle it?"

She shook her head. "Sam yelled through the closed door that she'd only talk to me."

"You think it's a good idea to indulge her tantrums?" Although Ryan knew this particular episode was faked, he wondered how often Sam pulled such extreme stunts to get attention.

"I'll explain on the way, okay?"

Feigning resignation, he placed the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. "I need directions, though. It was enough of a challenge memorizing the way to this place from the map." He treated her to what he hoped looked like a forced smile, doing his bit for the charade.

"Make a left out of here and get back onto the GardenState."

As he followed her directions, he listened to her insight into his niece. "We don't indulge Sam. It's just that we're aware of how hard she's had it, and we do our best to balance discipline and understanding. Sam responds best to a reaction from us that acknowledges her behavior."

"Why is that?"

"Because in her experience, if she ran away or did something wrong, the family she was living with wouldn't report it to Social Services, not because they were being compassionate, but because they were afraid if Sam was taken away, they'd lose their monthly stipend from the state."

Her distaste for those past foster families and the system was evident in her tone. His heart squeezed tight as he acknowledged the difficult life Sam had led since her mother's traumatic death.

"This is the exit." She pointed and he followed her directions to her aunt Kassie's restaurant.

The teenager was fortunate she had the Costas family in her corner and no matter what happened, Ryan would never cut these people out of her life completely, he thought. He could never be that cruel.

"I really admire how well you understand what Sam has been through and what she needs now."

"I can't take the credit. Ari's the one with the psychology degree. She met Sam first and they just bonded."

"Sam obviously adores you, too."

Zoe grinned. "That's because I'm the more unorthodox sister. Also, I live at home with her, at least for now."

He raised an eyebrow. "Moving somewhere?"

"I think it's about time I got a place of my own, but I haven't started looking yet. I need to get the business off the ground first."

"I can understand wanting to stand on your own."

"I've always done that," she said somewhat defensively. "I just haven't…" She shook her head. "Whatever. Sam loves both me and Ari," she said, picking up the original thread of conversation.

Because he'd touched a nerve about her standing on her own? he wondered. He didn't know, but he'd let her change the subject since he was equally interested in what she had to say about Sam.

"I do think it was Ari's psych background that helped her to realize that Sam liked to test my parents. It was Sam's way of finding out what would happen. She wanted to know that even if she misbehaved, they wouldn't give her away."

He groaned. "She's really had it tough." And he was determined to make it better for her.

The challenge would be in accomplishing his goal without hurting this incredible woman in the process.

THE PARKING LOT to Paradeisos was less crowded than usual, Zoe thought as she stepped out of the car. She planned on talking Sam out of her snit and the restroom and then returning to her date as soon as possible. With Ryan right behind her, she pushed through the glass doors. Her mother was waiting for her in the vestibule.

"What happened?" Zoe asked. "Did it have something to do with the pig?" She couldn't imagine anything else that would set Sam off so badly.

"Ask her yourself." Her mother waved a hand and Zoe walked farther inside.

"Surprise!" The entire Costas clan from up and down the JerseyShore greeted her in an excited frenzy and she stepped back in shock.

This morning, she'd attributed the fact that everyone had forgotten her birthday to the fear and commotion over the break-in. She'd called Ari and they'd wished each other a happy birthday, promising to exchange gifts during the week. Ari was supposed to be going out for dinner with Quinn tonight, while Zoe hadn't had any special plans until Ryan had called earlier today. She didn't believe in playing hard to get, not when she really had wanted to go out with him. And, she admitted, she hadn't wanted to be alone on her thirtieth birthday.

Once in the car with Ryan, she'd enjoyed his company despite the sometimes serious conversation. In truth, she'd been so enticed by his cologne and swept away by thoughts of kissing him again that by the time they'd arrived at the exclusive restaurant he'd chosen, she'd put the birthday out of her mind completely. Then when her mother had called, she'd turned her focus to more important concerns, like Sam.

But she should have known she couldn't escape a celebration. In her family, every birthday was a big event. Turning thirty was a milestone, more for Zoe than for Ari because Ari was thirty and married. Zoe was the proverbial old maid- something her relatives reminded her with every kiss on the forehead and every loving slap on the cheek, each accompanied by a birthday wish for a handsome young man.

Meddling and all, Zoe loved these people. She hugged the last of her cousins, Daphne who'd stood last in line.

"Happy big one, Zoe."

She squeezed her cousin tight. "Thanks, Daph," she said, then glanced around, looking for her twin. No way would the family throw a party for just one of them.

"Where's Ari?" Zoe asked.

"Right here waiting for my hug." Ari grinned.

Zoe turned, happy to see her twin and share the party with her. Gone were the days when a little voice in her head wished that just once she could be the center of attention without splitting it with her sister. Those had been her teenage years, but once Ari had left for Vermont, Zoe had come to realize just how much she hated having that particular wish come true.

It wasn't a birthday if she didn't celebrate with her twin, Zoe realized now and met her sister's gaze. "So they ambushed you first?" Zoe asked.

Ari nodded. "Five minutes before you. They wanted to try and manage the surprise at the same time, but Quinn got me here early, just in time to share your surprise. I'm so glad I'm home to celebrate this birthday with you."

"I was just thinking the same thing." Zoe's heart filled as she looked at her twin. If not for Zoe's fake death last year, Ari might not have come home and healed old wounds at all, Ari might not have met Quinn, Quinn wouldn't have introduced them to Sam…

Apparently Zoe's troublemaking had led to many positive things, she thought with amusement. "None of our birthdays were the same while you were gone."

"Mine were so lonely," Ari said softly, then shook her head as if ridding her mind of the past. "But no longer." She stepped back and grinned. "I've got my family, I've got you, and I've got Quinn. And you've got the hottie social worker who isn't a social worker," she said, lowering her voice. "Be careful, Zoe."

She nodded, appreciating her twin's concern. Despite their time apart, Ari still knew Zoe well and she obviously sensed the truth- that her attraction to Ryan was potent and overwhelming, even though the fact of his presence alone could have a negative effect on the family.

Zoe drew her tongue over her lower lip. "I'll watch myself. I have to." She only hoped she'd heed her words when faced with temptation, she thought, glancing at the man himself.

He waited off to one side, standing by himself, a man alone in a crowd of people. Not an easy feat in her family. Just watching his solitary presence caused her heart to skip a beat. She wanted to help ease his discomfort and assimilation into the clan. The attraction was strong, but so was the emotional pull.

Unable to explain it and unable to ignore him and leave him suffering alone, Zoe told Ari she'd catch up with her later and headed to join Ryan.

"Hi there," she said, coming up beside him.

"Hi." He shoved his hands into his pants pocket.

Sexy khakis that, although neatly pressed and probably expensive, still gave him a more casual look than usual and she couldn't help but admire the fit. Wondering if his thighs were as strong as she thought or how they would feel pressed hard against her own.

At her thoughts, she didn't just swallow hard, she gulped. "I guess some thanks are in order," she said, opting for the safe subject of his role in bringing her to the party.

Though aware all prying eyes of her family were on them, she stepped closer, anyway. His musky scent enveloped her, reminding her of the sensual dreams he'd inspired lately.

He grinned. "If you want to say a proper thanks, I can't say I'd stop you," he said, his voice husky and deep.

Zoe was so far gone with thoughts of being alone with Ryan that she immediately took his words as sexually charged innuendo and her body responded. Heat spread through her belly, and dampness pooled between her thighs.

"You're cute, Baldwin, but I'm not dumb enough to make out with you in front of the whole clan."

"Not even a quick peck on the cheek?" he asked.

"How about later?" She spoke quickly, before she could think it through or change her mind.

"Be sure," he warned her, sounding like a man on the edge.

"I am." The man might be trouble of the deepest kind. He might represent a heartbreak to her family. Yet Zoe was so drawn to him, so mentally involved already, she couldn't control what she now believed was inevitable.

In her mind, she was making a promise she absolutely intended to keep.

At her reply, a low groan reverberated from deep in his throat, cut off because at that moment the jukebox began to play and her family began to clap and dance, drowning out any chance at conversation.

She exhaled hard, aware of the break they'd just been given, knowing it was just a temporary reprieve. Still, she wasn't about to let the relatives separate her from Ryan. He'd asked her out on a date and she wanted to spend the evening with him. Before one of her cousins could drag her off, she grabbed Ryan's hand. They spent the night in true Costas style, eating, dancing and eating some more.

Her male relatives pulled Ryan aside and although she pitied him, she decided to let them have some fun. Ryan could handle any question they threw at him and since they believed him to be Sam's social worker, he wouldn't be subjected to questions about his manliness, as Zoe's and Ari's past boyfriends had been, she thought wryly.

Stifling a laugh, she turned to find her mother standing by her side.

"It's so good to see you happy," Elena said.

Zoe shot her mother a sideways glance. "I'm always happy." She paused. "Aren't I?"

Her mother shrugged. "I suppose, but you have a light in your eyes I haven't seen in quite some time. Maybe never. I like to see it and I bet that nice Mr. Baldwin has something to do with putting it there."

Zoe shuffled her feet and did her best not to look around for Ryan, lest she give credence to her mother's innuendo. "Maybe it's just turning thirty. It's a good age."

"Ha." Elena waved a hand dismissively. "Now come with me. I have something special for your birthday."

She followed her mother to the back of the restaurant where there was a small party room. "What's going on?" Zoe asked.

"Just a game to make the party more fun."

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Ari and I are too old for games."

"Not this kind." Elena held a scarf in front of Zoe's face.

"Isn't that from Sam's party? Orlando Bloom's not quite my speed, Mom."

"That's because he was too flat." Her mother wrapped the scarf around Zoe's eyes. "Your surprise is real."

Zoe tried to pull the scarf off, but her mother slapped her hands, then turned her around three times, making her dizzy by the time she stopped.

"Okay, now go." Elena kissed Zoe's cheek and pushed her forward.

From behind her, Zoe could have sworn she heard Elena tell her to "Go pin the hard-on Ryan Baldwin."

ZOE'S AUNT KASSIE had walked Ryan into the back room in the guise of showing him the rest of the restaurant. She left him there and asked him to wait a minute and she'd be right back because she needed his help with Zoe's birthday gift. Enough time had gone by that he figured he'd been had, when a blindfolded Zoe stumbled inside and the door slammed shut behind her.

He grabbed Zoe before she could fall, then he heard Elena and Kassie's voices beyond the door. And finally, one of them opened the door, flipped off the light and closed them inside once more.

He shook his head and laughed. "They can't be serious."

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Zoe said as she pulled the blindfold off and shook out her hair. "They're over the top to begin with, but add me turning thirty to the mix and I think they've lost their collective minds."

"Don't they realize that the light switch is inside the room so we can turn it on ourselves?"

She laughed.

"Or that it's not quite dark out yet and there's light coming through the window?"

She laughed again. "You don't get my family, Ryan. They really just want you and me together. Scratch that. Me and anybody together."

"Now that hurts my feelings."

She stepped closer, her body language and sultry tone making it clear she was fully aware of the sexually charged air around them. They had been set up by her family yet Zoe obviously didn't mind.

"I wouldn't want you to feel insulted," she murmured. "Especially when you could be feeling so much more."

She had a point and the bulge in his pants and desire pulsing through him proved it.

He met her gaze and let his hand caress the soft skin of her cheek. "I think we should get out of here."

"You're reading my mind." Her gorgeous green eyes sparkled with desire, but her serious expression indicated the time for jokes was over. "Unfortunately I live with my parents. The same people we're looking to avoid."

He chuckled at the reminder. "Fortunately I've got a motel room," he said, knowing full well the step they were about to take. Zoe Costas was many things, but a one-night stand wasn't one of them.

"You know you're the first guy who could use that line on me and not end up flat on his back."

"Can I take that to mean you're sure about this?" There were too many issues and feelings for either of them to take this lightly.

She nodded and he released the breath he hadn't been aware of holding. "Think we can get out the front door without too much of a fuss made by the posse?" he asked.

"No chance in hell." She stepped on the chair and then climbed onto the tabletop and unlocked the window. "I know you're a by-the-book kind of guy, but how would you feel about sneaking out the back way instead?"

ZOE COULDN'T REMEMBER the last time she'd had to sneak around with a guy in order to avoid her family, but she didn't want an audience nor did she want to provide more ammunition for their questions tomorrow. She'd have enough questions for herself come morning.

Somehow they made it out of the restaurant, through the parking lot and into Ryan's car without being seen. He drove to his motel like someone who knew the area, already comfortable with the New Jersey highways and cloverleaf turns. And now, holding hands, they made their way along the catwalk to his small motel room.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, her desire for him as strong as her determination to be with him tonight. She just didn't understand how a man like this affected her so deeply. She didn't get how she felt so good around a guy who represented the opposite of the unstructured life she enjoyed. Oh she knew he was sexy, but that wasn't enough to explain the reason she'd come to his motel room after knowing him such a short time.

It was the combination of all of Ryan's decent qualities that attracted her. Like how he tried his best to understand Sam, a kid who meant nothing to him except a continuation of bloodlines. He treated Zoe's whole nutty family with respect, when in reality, he probably had every right just to pick up Sam and walk out, and would likely win against the Costas clan in any court. And then there was the tenderness and desire she saw in his gaze each time he looked at her. The same way he was looking at her now.

She sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he pulled off his jacket and shut off the overhead lights, leaving on only one bedside lamp. She swallowed hard and extended one hand toward him.

Ryan strode forward, tall, imposing and breathtakingly male. When he pushed her onto the bed and came down over her, she appreciated the breadth of his shoulders and the strength in the muscles normally hidden beneath his suit jacket. And when his lips came down hard on hers, all the pent-up passion they'd held in check since their first meeting rose to the surface.

Her entire body trembled as she returned his kiss. Letting her eyes shut and her mind go blank, she focused on feeling- his lips nibbling at hers, his tongue tangling and swirling inside the deep recesses of her mouth, and his teeth taking light nips as he devoured her every way he could.

She worked at the buttons on his shirt with shaking hands, eager to get him naked as soon as possible. Apparently he shared a similar goal because at the same time he pulled her shirt upward. She sat back and helped, lifting her top over her head and tossing it to the floor.

Within minutes they were both free of clothing and once more his body covered hers. "Damn but you feel good."

He nipped at her earlobe and tremors shot straight to her core. Liquid heat trickled between her legs, making her even hotter for him than she already had been.

"You're pretty impressive yourself. Who knew you hid such a fantastic body beneath those fancy suits," she said.

He chuckled, then taking her off guard, he rolled so he was on his back and she lay atop him, her breasts heavy against his chest and their lower bodies perfectly entwined.

Skin against skin, his heat seeped into her pores and as he laced his fingers through hers and raised her arms above her head, she suddenly became aware of the intimacy of the moment- the intensity, which she'd never experienced to this degree with another man. Something else she just couldn't explain away as pure physical attraction.

"Can I ask you something?"

"I don't see why not," he said, his breath against her ear.

"Does your need to follow the rules extend to the bedroom?" As she asked, she rose until she straddled his hips, wanting to see his face during this particular conversation.

He burst out laughing, his grin causing somersaults in her stomach. "Are you trying to tell me you're kinky?"

She shook her head, hoping her cheeks weren't bright red by now. "I just want to know whether I need to be…restrained."

A part of her worried that his more conservative past would lead him to want a sedate woman in bed, yet she had a feeling that sex with Ryan would be nothing short of mind-blowing. If so, there was no way she'd be able to maintain any type of pretense. Nor did she want to. With the emotions this man aroused, she needed him to accept her for the expressive, open woman she was.

His warm gaze held hers. "Aah, Zoe, I think I'd be disappointed if you were restrained." He cupped her breasts with his hands and her nipples grew hard beneath his touch. "In fact, if I didn't hear loud moans, I'd worry that I wasn't pleasing you."

His seductive stare never wavered as he began to slowly massage both nipples between his thumb and forefingers, teasing and arousing her with his deft touch. The desire he built traveled directly from her breasts straight to the damp place between her thighs, making her want to clench her legs together until the sensations built higher and higher. She had to force her eyelids to remain open so she could see his face and absorb his eager expression as he worked his magic on her.

He leaned up on his elbows until his face was level with her chest and without warning, he tasted her breast. His tongue swept over her nipple in luxurious laps, ending with him suckling her until a low purring sound rose from the back of her throat.

"I take it I have nothing to worry about?" he asked in a raspy, but certain voice.

Though she didn't want him to think she was that easy or he was that good, they both had their answers. She didn't need to concern herself with covering her reactions or not being herself. He truly did accept her and the relief she felt knowing that was huge. And more emotionally frightening than she'd bargained for.

"Well?" he asked, still grinning.

She focused on the ceiling as she replied. "Arrogant as you may be, no, you have nothing to worry about."

"Then I think it's time we stop talking, don't you?" He leaned back against the pillows.

She followed so she could kiss him, taking unbelievable pleasure in the taste, texture and feel of his mouth. He kissed her back, tangling his hands in her hair and running his fingers through the long strands. The tugging sensation at her scalp had a rippling, erotic effect in her body. Her throat swelled and her back arched of its own volition, her body seeking deeper contact with his hard erection.

"I want you, Ryan Baldwin." Her hand snaked between them, slowly trailing down his chest and stomach, ending at his groin. Her fingertips gently teased the head of his erection.

He clenched his jaw and fought not to allow the physical need pummeling him to become overpowering. No woman had ever made him come so close to losing control.

She did. He wondered if it was because she openly challenged every notion of propriety and behavior that had been ingrained in him since childhood or because she wanted him despite it all.

Yet he was going to have to be that by-the-rules man she'd mentioned earlier. "As much as I hate bringing up reality, I don't have protection. I wasn't prepared for this." He should have stopped at a drugstore on the way back here.

She brushed his hair off his forehead. "Not a Boy Scout, huh?" she asked, laughing. "Would you settle for the fact that I'm on the pill and I've been tested annually? I'm safe."

She was hardly that, Ryan thought as he looked into her green eyes. "It works for me if you can accept my word that I'm safe, too." Never in his past had he had sex without a condom.

He wasn't lacking for women when he needed a date for an occasion and he knew who to turn to when he desired sexual release. But no woman had ever become a priority in his life, made him shift his focus from his work. No woman had made him stop and take notice.

Then there was this one, who'd caught his eye despite that she stood between him and the end of a long journey- his search for Sam, the young girl who was the answer to his long-held dreams of family.

Zoe threaded her fingers through his. "I accept."

Which was all he needed to hear. The time for foreplay and talk was over. He eased his hand between her legs, feeling the slick wetness and damp heat that moistened his fingertips. She moaned and clenched her thighs around his hand.

She trembled and sighed, her need aching and obvious. Somehow he managed to roll her onto the mattress and continue what he started, caressing her slick outer folds as she writhed beside him. He came over her and spread her thighs, his thick, hot erection poised at her dewy entrance. Then, placing his hands on her thighs, he locked his gaze with hers and thrust deep inside her waiting body.

She gasped and let out a load moan of satisfaction, tightening around him. He found her slick, warm and snug, everything he'd dreamed of even when he hadn't known her at all. Unable to wait, he began to move, sliding in and out, a motion she met by grinding her pelvis into him, hard. Her inner walls contracted, milking him with every thrust of his body into hers. They were in sync and each motion brought him closer and closer to release. Zoe's vocal moans told him she was right there with him.

Seconds before he reached his peak, she locked her legs around his back, bringing him so deeply into her body, he thought he saw heaven. Then he exploded, his orgasm more powerful than he'd expected and lasting longer than he thought possible.

Zoe came at the same time with a succession of cries that ended with her calling out his name and pulling every last bit of energy and emotion from him, as well.

He collapsed on top of her, completely spent and satisfied in a soul-deep way.

"Wow," she said, her voice muffled beneath him.

"Yeah." He couldn't manage more than one word in agreement.

They lay that way for what felt like a long while until the jarring ring of the motel telephone broke into the sound of their heavy breathing.

"Who could that be?" he muttered.

"There's only one way to find out."

With a groan of complete regret, he rolled off her to the cold side of the bed and answered the phone. He spoke to the motel operator, trying like hell to suppress a laugh at what the person said on the other end.

"I'm sorry and it won't happen again." He somehow spoke in a serious tone. Hanging up, he turned to Zoe.

She lay on her side, spent and still breathing deeply. Her dark hair tangled around her face in stark contrast to the standard white sheets. She was so damn beautiful. He reached down for the blanket they'd somehow kicked off the bed and pulled it over her in case she was cold.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He looked into her eyes as he explained. "The front desk said the people in the next room would appreciate it if we'd keep the noise level down and be a bit…How did the man put it? A bit more restrained." This time Ryan burst out laughing.

"I'm mortified." Zoe's cheeks turned a deep shade of pink and she smothered her face in a pillow.

He propped himself up on his side with one arm. "Yeah? You could have fooled me." He pulled the pillow off and tossed it onto the floor.

"That phone call doesn't bother you?"

He shook his head.

She raised an eyebrow and studied him in a way that made him look deep inside himself. At any other time, under any other circumstances, being chastised for inappropriate behavior would have put him on edge, but not here. Not with Zoe. She helped him to loosen up.

To his never-ending surprise, the change didn't upset him as much as it should have.