by Lori Foster
“Fanatical,” Conan supplied, toasting her with his coffee cup. “She likes to keep an immaculate, organized house. Drives me crazy.”
“Dad’s fatical, too,” Dani told them. “Mick and Josh tell him he’ll make a good husband for some lucky woman some day.”
“Is that right?” Amused, Conan eyed Zack.
Wynn drank more coffee, cleared her throat as if embarrassed, and finally put her cup aside. “Well, I can’t stand having things thrown just anywhere. Busy people need to be organized.”
Since Zack felt the same way, he could empathize with her. Other than Dani’s toys, which he left scattered around so Dani wouldn’t feel stifled, he liked to have a place for everything and everything in its place. He kept the house clean and once a month a service came to do a more thorough job, getting the baseboards and the ceiling and the air ducts—all the places he seldom had time to tend to.
The idea that they might have something in common was a little alarming, so he didn’t belabor the point.
Dani slid off his lap to sit beside Wynn. She situated herself in the exact same pose as the neighbor, shoulders back, spine straight, head tilted just so. Except that Dani’s legs hanging over the edge of the padded settee didn’t even come close to touching the ground, while Wynn’s not only touched, they folded so sharply her knees were practically in her face. Zack shook his head. He’d never seen legs so long. Or so nicely shaped.
Dani gave Wynn a toothy grin, then picked up her bowl of cereal and dug in.
“Conan falls into the slob category.” Wynn handed Dani a napkin almost without thought. Zack wondered if she was around children often, then decided it didn’t matter to him one iota. “Which is probably why my folks decided to spend their two weeks with me. It’s far too easy to get lost in his cluttered apartment. He keeps newspapers around for weeks, and there’s always something rotting in his refrigerator.”
Zack couldn’t stop his shudder of revulsion. Watching him, Wynn nodded in perfect accord. “It’s disgusting,” she confirmed.
To change the subject, Conan asked, “What do you do for a living, Zack?”
Both he and his sister stared at Zack with expectant expressions.
Dani answered for him, saying around a mouthful of cereal and milk, “He saves peoples. He’s a hero.”
Settling back in her seat, Wynn slowly nodded. “Mmmm. I can see that.” She eyed Zack up and down…and up again, letting her gaze linger here and there. He felt that interested gaze like a lick of fire and wanted to groan.
“Your dad,” she said, “has all the right makings of a hero. Big, muscular, handsome and kind.” And then with an impish, very intimate and inviting smile, “I’m glad he’s my neighbor.”
* * *
IT WAS THE most curious sensation, Wynn thought, as if her heart had started to boil the second she’d seen him. Then, when he’d held his daughter on his knee and patiently brushed her hair, her heart outright melted. She’d never felt anything like it. She’d never seen anyone like him.
And she was all but bowled over with a mixed jumble of emotions.
Dani herself caused part of the effect; Wynn couldn’t imagine a more adorable little girl than the one sitting primly beside her, milk on her upper lip and her riotous hair neatly contained in a bouncy ponytail. The child had an impish demeanor that proved she was both smart and precocious.
Most of the effect, though, came from Zack Grange. Wowza. She hadn’t believed one man could carry such a sizzling emotional and physical wallop, but Zack did. He stood the smallest bit taller than she, maybe an inch at most. Which meant he must stand a flat six feet. Her height, however, apparently didn’t distress him.
No, before he’d recalled himself, Zack had looked at her with male appreciation, and she liked it. A lot.
She wished she hadn’t worn the bulky sweatshirt with the stretched out neckline and the hem that hung midway down her shorts. Her upper body was as toned as the rest of her, and she wondered how he’d look at her there.
When she’d first dressed, the early morning air had carried a nip, but she was nowhere near cool now. In fact, she felt a little overheated. Maybe downright hot.
She guessed Zack to be around thirty, given the age of his daughter and his overall physique. It was his physique that had her doing more than her fair share of ogling. The man was put together just fine.
He wasn’t a muscle-bound behemoth like her brother, but lean and toned, with an obvious strength that was partly innate male, partly specialized training. His chest was wide, his shoulders wider. He had narrow hips, long straight legs and large, lean hands and feet. There was no fat on his middle, no slouch in his stance.
Light brown hair, bone straight and disheveled from being roused out of bed, complemented gentle, intense blue eyes. His brows and beard stubble were darker, his jaw hard and stubborn.
But it was when he looked at his daughter that his gorgeous blue eyes held the most impact.
Only seconds after seeing Zack, she’d wanted him. The man exuded raw sexuality tempered with gentleness and caring. A highly potent combination.
Being around him felt…comfortable, in a dozen different ways.
With an acquaintance not quite an hour long, she knew enough to respect him. She’d already learned that he loved his daughter, was a natural defender of women, and showed politeness even when rude neighbors pulled him from a much-needed sleep.
She sighed, earning a strange look from both men and Dani.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, wishing she could crawl over onto his lap now that Dani was no longer in it. But a big hulking girl like herself didn’t sit in laps. In fact, she couldn’t remember the last time a man had held her. “So what title applies to your heroic deeds, Zack?”
He rubbed his hands over his tired eyes while explaining. “I’m an EMT paramedic. Dani thinks Mick, Josh and I are all heroes. Actually I believe she has Mick’s wife, Delilah, in that category now, too.”
“They’re heroes,” Dani insisted with a child’s love and devotion.
And Zack responded, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, sweetheart.”
“So you drive an ambulance, huh?” Conan leaned forward with interest. “Who do you work for?”
“The fire department. Josh is a fireman there. We’ve known each other forever.”
Wynn tipped her head, recalling the other name he had mentioned. “And Mick? What does he do?”
“Mick is a cop. His wife, Delilah Piper-slash-Dawson is a—”
“Novelist!” Conan finished for him, surging to the edge of his seat with excitement. “Are you kidding me? You know Delilah Piper?”
“Don’t forget the ‘slash-Dawson’ part or Mick will have your head.” Zack grinned, showing even white teeth and a dimple in his left cheek. A dimple! Wynn’s melting heart thumped so hard, she nearly missed the rest of Zack’s explanation. “Since she and Mick married, he’s been understanding about her name already being well known. He’s proud of her career, but insistent that those of us who are familiar remember she’s a married woman now.”
“Possessive, is he?” Wynn asked.
And Conan said, “Are you nuts? She’s Delilah Piper.” He snorted. “I’d be possessive, too.”
“You always are,” Wynn said with a shake of her head. Her brother drove his present girlfriend crazy with his possessive, overbearing ways.
“I take it you’re a fan?” Zack asked.
“I just finished her newest. That scene at the river was incredible.”
“I can get your books signed for you if you want.”
Wynn watched in disgust as her muscle-bound brother looked ready to get up and dance a jig. She glanced at Dani, and they shared a woman-to-woman smile. Dani even shook her head and rolled her big blue eyes, causing Wynn to chuckle.
While the men continued to work out the details of the books, Wynn turned to Dani. “So you’re close to Josh and Mick and Delilah?”
“She wants to be called Del, only Mick won�
��t. I think it’s jus’ to tease her.”
“And Mick and Josh?”
“They’re fun. Josh has lots of ladies, but he says none of ’em are prettier than me so he can’t marry ’em.”
“Smart man.”
“Yeah.” She nodded with a look of pity for the poor unwed Josh and the not-pretty-enough women. “Dad wants to get married, too, but he’s gotta find a wife first.” Dani scrunched up her face, studying Wynn.
Wynn squirmed under such close scrutiny. From a child! Luckily, Dani whispered to her father that she had to go in to the potty. After she went in, Zack returned to his conversation about Del Piper, keeping Conan enthralled.
Wynn looked at Zack. So, he wanted a wife, huh? Or was that something Dani had misconstrued?
How in the world was it that he hadn’t already remarried? A man like Zack probably had women by the dozens. But then…she rethought that and shook her head at herself. Zack was very dedicated to his daughter, and she knew EMTs worked long shifts, sometimes up to sixty hours a week. That wouldn’t leave him much time for dating, much less cultivating a lasting relationship.
He must have felt her gaze, for he glanced at her while Conan waxed poetic about Ms. Piper’s remarkable talent. Their gazes met and held and Zack frowned. He glanced away, then back again. Wynn blinked at him, feeling soft and hot and excited.
She stared, knew she stared, and couldn’t seem to help herself. Zack shifted, glaring at her then crossing one ankle over a knee.
He had thick ankles. And wrists. And long fingers and…one thought led to another and she couldn’t keep herself from peeking at his lap. His jeans were old and faded and appeared very soft. They cupped him lovingly, outlining a bulge that proved most noticeable, even without him being aroused.
Her heart dropped into her stomach and began jumping erratically. Her palms tingled, craving to touch him, to weigh him in her hands—
“Stop that!”
She blinked hard and looked up at him. Conan went silent, confused. A red flush crept up Zack’s neck. He cleared his throat and stood.
“The coffee and muffins were great. Thanks.”
As dismissals went, it wasn’t the least bit subtle, but Conan didn’t seem to find anything amiss. He shook Zack’s hand, saying, “I’ll bring the books to you soon, if you’re sure she won’t mind signing them.”
“Delilah’s great. She won’t mind.” Zack didn’t look at Wynn at all, and she had the feeling his avoidance was deliberate. But then, he’d caught her staring at his crotch, all but salivating.
She blushed. She’d known the man one hour, and already she’d behaved like a shameless hussy. Or worse, like a desperate spinster.
Oh God! Maybe that was how he saw her. After all, she was twenty-eight and single. The only male helping her move in was her brother; no fiancé, not even a boyfriend. He couldn’t know that it was by choice, because she hadn’t yet met a guy who…made her blood sing, not like he did.
Damn, damn, damn.
Not being of a shy or withdrawn nature, she stuck out her hand, daring him to continue ignoring her. She wouldn’t allow it.
His jaw locked. With a false smile pinned to his tired face, he took her hand. His touch, his look, was beyond impersonal, and she hated it. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Wynn.”
“Thanks.” He tried to take his hand back, but she held on. “I’m sure we’ll be seeing each other again.”
After she said it, she winced. It sounded like a threat! Then she realized he was trying to tug his hand free and here she was, doing the macho ‘grip’ thing. Good God, she was making things worse by the second.
She turned him loose and put her hands in her pockets so she wouldn’t be tempted to get hold of him again. Conan gathered up the carafe and the muffin plate.
Feeling like an idiot, she said, “Well, thanks again. And really, I am sorry we woke you.”
Dani bounded back outside, then skidded to a disappointed halt. “You can’t leave.”
Zack put his hand on the top of her silky head. “I’m sure Wynn wants to finish unpacking, sweetheart. And you and I are going shopping.”
Dani groaned, wilted, all in all acting like a child being sent to the woodshed.
Barely hiding a smile, Zack said, “None of that. We’ll have lunch out and it’ll be fine. You’ll see.”
Conan gave a crooked grin. “I gather she doesn’t like shopping?”
“Not for clothes, no. But she’s about worn out everything warm she has.”
“Sounds like Wynn. She hates shopping, too.”
Dani’s eyes widened. “You do?”
Wynn shrugged. “I know it’s supposed to be a girl thing, but I’ve never understood it. Thank goodness I don’t need a lot of clothes.”
Conan leaned forward. “She used to outgrow her wardrobe daily, but we’re hoping she’s done growing by now.”
Wynn elbowed him, caught Zack’s look of disapproval, and wanted to throttle her brother. Zack didn’t approve of their physical sparring, and she’d meant to cease it in front of him. But Conan had a way of egging her on. “I quit growing ten years ago. And with my job, casual clothes are perfect.”
“What do you do?” Zack asked, then looked like he wanted to bite his tongue off.
“I’m a physical therapist. I work two days a week at the high school, two days a week at the college.” She nodded toward her brother. “Conan owns a gym and I sometimes help out there, too, when the bodybuilders overdo it.”
Zack looked dubious, but nodded. He said to Conan, again ignoring her, “A gym, huh?”
“Small, but it’s all mine and I’m a good trainer. I do a lot of private stuff.” He winked. “The clientele is as much female as male.”
Bristling at Zack’s disregard and her brother’s caveman attitude, Wynn said, “Rachael will get you if she hears that particular leer in your tone.”
Conan shrugged, unconcerned with the warning. “Rachael is my current girlfriend, not my wife. And speaking of Rachael, I should get going.” He gave one last wave and headed off.
Wynn gazed after him, watching him go down the steps and then around the porch toward her new house. She sighed. “Me, too. I’ve got a lot of unpacking to do yet.” She turned to Zack, who appeared anxious to finish the goodbyes. “Being as we’re neighbors,” she thought to say, “feel free to borrow if you ever need to. You know, the proverbial cup of sugar or whatever.”
“Thanks.” Zack’s tone was dry. “I’ll keep that in mind. And thanks for the coffee and muffins. They were…great.”
With nothing left to say, Wynn stepped off the porch with a lagging step. “Okay, well…bye.”
“Goodbye, Wynn.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see Zack escaping into his house. He closed the door behind him, and she heard the lock click. Well, hell. His goodbye had sounded entirely too final.
That just wouldn’t do. She wanted him. One way or another.
CHAPTER 3
“LOOK DAD!”
Zack pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park. He didn’t want to look. Because of the direction Dani pointed, he already knew what—or rather who—he’d see. And he wanted to keep her out of his mind, not dwell on her further. He’d done enough dwelling.
All day long, his mind had wandered to her, and he didn’t like it. Even while buying miniature jeans with butterflies sewn on the pockets, and lace-up brown boots meant for a boy that had his daughter begging for them, he’d thought of Wynn. While hauling armloads of shopping bags filled with pastel sweatshirts and soft sweaters and long sleeved T-shirts, he’d remembered the way Wynn had stared at him—where she’d stared at him—and he’d been distracted.
Not just distracted, but edgy with a sort of vague arousal.
Well, not really vague, either. More like…acute.
Damn, damn, damn.
He’d been forced to fight himself all day. And all that did was add to his exhaustion and detract from the pleasure he usually enjoyed while spe
nding special time with Dani.
He’d pictured Wynn in his mind as they ate lunch in the food court, and he’d missed most of the matinee movie because his brain not only conjured what had already transpired, but what might yet come if he were to be friendlier to her.
And that wouldn’t do! She was a neighbor living right behind him, so anything casual, like hot gritty, satisfying sex, was out of the question. And anything less casual, like friendship, would only make him want the sex more.
Wynn came nowhere near meeting his requirements for involvement, so it’d be best if he stayed clear of her altogether.
“Dad, look.”
Dani, with her insistent, squeaky voice, gave him little choice. Zack glanced up to where she pointed, even as he said, “We need to get all these clothes put away…” His words died as he took in the sight of Wynn, now wearing a soft beige halter top, struggling with a long flat box. His driveway was at the side of his house, leading to an attached garage, which gave him a clear view of her house. Her yard was now empty of the packing boxes; it was the huge department store box that held her attention. Zack couldn’t see the picture on the box to determine what she’d bought, but then, he wasn’t exactly focused on the box.
Beneath the hot early-evening sun, Wynn’s broad, toned shoulders looked dewy with perspiration and flexed with feminine muscles. Her belly… He swallowed hard. Her belly was flat, taut with her straining efforts, her waist lean and supple, dipping and curving. She looked sexy and healthy and strong and so utterly female his muscles cramped.
The effect of those long legs had nearly been his undoing that morning. Now seeing her upper parts more bare than covered was enough to make him sweat along with her. He just adored female bellies, and hers was especially enticing.
He felt Dani’s hand on his arm and managed to wipe away the gleam of lust before looking down at her.
“You should help her,” Dani declared.
Oh, no. Zack had no intention of getting anywhere near Wynn. He shook his head and finished undoing Dani’s car seat. By age, Dani was old enough to forego the special seat, but by size… His daughter was so petite it’d probably be another year before he felt comfortable with only a seat belt for her protection. “We’ve got our own work to do, Dani.”