Treat Her Right (2018 Reissue)

by Lori Foster

  They found Dani held in Josh’s arm, screaming her heart out. Josh, a study of frantic concern, blurted, “She got stung by a bee!”

  Bo and Marc and Clint stood in a circle around Josh, wringing their hands and fretting like old women. The sight would have been laughable if it hadn’t been for the fat tears streaming down Dani’s cheeks.

  Zack took Dani and cradled her close to his chest. “Shh, honey, it’s okay.”

  Josh lifted her foot and peered at it. “The stinger is out,” he said, and his voice shook.

  It amused Wynn that five large overgrown men would quake at a child’s cry. Good grief, their panic would feed her own and the whole yard would soon be bawling.

  “Is she allergic to stings?” Wynn asked, and both Zack and Josh said, “No.”

  She walked up to Dani and touched her tiny foot. In soft, soothing tones, she said, “If you think you’re hurt, just think how the poor bee feels.” She began steering Zack toward the patio. He hugged Dani so close she could barely get her head off his shoulder.

  “I don’t care about the dumb bee,” Dani said, and hiccuped over her tears.

  “That’s good,” Wynn told her, “because he’s a goner now. Once they sting someone, that’s all she wrote.”

  Dani looked mollified by that notion. “Really?”

  “Yep. They can’t grow a stinger back, and what good is a bee without a stinger? Zack, sit down here with her and I’ll turn on the hose. The cold water will make it feel better.” And to Dani, “You feel like soaking those little pink toes?”

  Dani smiled and nodded, but her bottom lip still quivered.

  Zack sat, rocking his daughter in his arms.

  Wynn shook her head and fetched the hose. After about half a minute of freezing cold water running over her tiny foot, Dani struggled to sit up. She took one look at Zack, and patted his chest. “I’m ’kay.”

  He hugged her close, half-laughing, but still shaken. He also kissed her foot, then had to move so Josh could kiss it, too. Dani accepted the healing kisses as her due.

  Zack kissed her one more time, then asked, “Dani, why did you have your shoes off?”

  Evidently, this was something forbidden, for Dani summoned a pathetic, apologetic look, and then pointed at Bo. “I was tryin’ on his shoes.”

  Bo took an appalled step back and his entire face darkened with guilt. “My shoes!”

  “They’re so big,” Dani explained, looking down at her lap and giving another little sob. “Even bigger than Daddy’s.”

  Everyone looked at Zack’s feet. He muttered, “Size twelve.”

  Bo, still flushed with guilt, shrugged. “Thirteens,” he admitted. “She’s right, they are bigger.”

  Wynn had been stationed by the hose, watching the byplay, the way everyone looked from Zack’s feet to Bo’s and then to Dani’s, doing some sort of bizarre comparison.

  Her emotions had been on a roller-coaster ride since meeting Zack, keeping her on edge. Now the idea of a bunch of gargantuan men comparing foot sizes with a child who was so petite she barely reached any of their knees, just struck Wynn funny. She burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. When everyone stared toward her, she laughed even harder.

  On the edge of embarrassment, no doubt afraid he was the object of hilarity, Bo chuckled, too. Of course, that made Clint and Marc laugh. Dani finally started to giggle, drawn to the sound of the hilarity, though likely her humor wasn’t for the same reasons. And with laughter being so contagious, within minutes everyone roared. Dani bounced on Zack’s lap, her sting totally forgotten.

  Watching Zack laugh was a special delight. Wynn had the feeling he didn’t often give in to great displays of any kind of outward emotion. He wasn’t, according to Josh, a man who lost his temper or his control.

  Yet, with her he’d gone from one extreme to another. Surely, that counted for something. What, she didn’t know, but perhaps she’d find out tonight.

  Now that she’d made up her mind, she could hardly wait.

  CHAPTER 8

  ZACK CHECKED on Dani one last time. Her tiny foot stuck out from under the sheet, and from the glow of the hall light he could just make out the rainbow print bandage she’d insisted on putting over her bee sting. He bent and kissed her toes, then tucked the foot away.

  Dani stirred and stretched. “Daddy?”

  A lump in his throat nearly strangled him. She only called him “daddy” when she was very tired, or hurt. He sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed her cheek. “Yeah, sweetie. It’s me.”

  She yawned hugely, then reached for his hand. “We had a swell time today.”

  Smiling at the way she consistently phrased everything as a statement, Zack said, “Yes, we did.”

  “I really like Wynn.”

  “Do you?”

  She nodded against her pillow. “You do, too.”

  Zack hesitated. His daughter had never played matchmaker in her life, so this particular statement totally took him by surprise. He said finally, “I like her fine.”

  “I like her more than fine. She’s the funnest.”

  “Brat,” Zack teased, and asked, “More fun than me?”

  “The funnest woman,” she clarified, and yawned yet again. “I’m gonna keep her.”

  Her voice had been faint, on the edge of sleep, but still he heard. “Dani? What do you mean you’re going to keep her?”

  “I want her to be mine,” his half-awake daughter announced.

  This was something totally new, like the feminine napkin discussion and Zack just knew he was going to start running into more of these torturous episodes. Heart pounding, he asked, “Yours, like as a friend?”

  “Uh-huh. And a rela…retal…”

  “Relative?”

  “Yeah. That.”

  “She’s not our relative, Dani. Remember, I explained relatives to you.”

  “I know. But she could be a wife and a mommy.”

  Zack stared at his daughter, and if he hadn’t been sitting, he’d have fallen down. Dani’s eyes were closed, her cheek nestled into her pillow.

  Her sweet little mouth curled into a pleased smile when she said, “And we could have a brother.” She peeked one eye open. “I want a brother.”

  “Honey…”

  “A brother like Conan.”

  God forbid!

  “I’d help with diapers and stuff.”

  “I know you would, sweetheart. But things like brothers take a lot of time.”

  She closed her eyes again and sighed. “Josh likes Wynn, too.”

  Zack froze, and found himself asking, “You think so?”

  “Maybe he wants a brother.” Her brow puckered. “I mean a son.”

  Zack had tried to talk to Josh about his interest in Wynn, but he hadn’t had the chance. By the time Wynn’s friends had left, which would have afforded some privacy, Josh had been ready to go, too.

  He sat there thinking, recalling what Bo had told him. Wynn didn’t date, and she very seldom showed sexual interest in men. Her reaction to Zack, according to those who knew her best, was extreme. Zack had been a little disconcerted to realize they all knew of Wynn’s pursuit, but they said it was because she acted so differently with him. In the normal course of things, she pretended to be one of the guys.

  Marc had warned him that Wynn was an uncommon woman, who looked at the world in an uncommon way.

  As if he’d needed the warning! He’d already figured that out firsthand. Her flirting skills were nonexistent. She said what she wanted, and left Zack to deal with the shock.

  Clint had added that she was a good sport, but still hated to lose. At anything. If she wanted Zack, then it’d be difficult to dissuade her.

  And they all agreed, she wanted Zack.

  He smiled. Wynn’s approach was bold, but also refreshing. And now that he believed the reaction was as unique for her as it was for him, his resistance had disappeared.

  Zack sat quietly, contemplating all he’d learned today, along with his daughter’s
sentiments until he heard her breathing even into a light snore. He kissed her forehead and stood. Her bedroom window was open, letting in a cool breeze and plenty of fresh air.

  Zack went to the window and looked out. As she’d promised, Wynn sat in the hammock, waiting. At the sight of her, he felt the rush of his blood and the swelling of muscles.

  There was a lot to consider, especially his daughter’s growing attachment to a woman totally unsuitable for any type of permanency. But for now, none of that seemed to matter.

  For now, he had to have her.

  He left his daughter’s room in a silent rush, closing the door softly behind him. He’d already removed his shoes so his bare feet made no sound as he moved through the house and out the back door. The grass felt soft and cool as he crossed through the darkness to Wynn. As he went, he unbuttoned his shirt, letting the evening breeze drift over his heated flesh.

  What he planned, what they planned, felt wicked and enticing and so sexual he was already hard.

  She stood with her back to him, her arms wrapped tight around her middle when he finally reached her. “Wynn.”

  Whirling so fast she almost lost her balance, she gasped, “I didn’t hear you!” and in the next breath, with relief, “I was afraid you’d changed your mind.”

  Her lack of self-protection shook him; she put her heart on the line without reserve, and he felt her trust like a deep responsibility—a responsibility he didn’t want. “I had to get Dani settled down.”

  Her eyes a faint glow in the light of the moon, Wynn looked toward his house. “Will she be all right in there alone?”

  “Dani sleeps like a bear hibernating. But if she should wake up, she’ll look in the hot tub for me. We’d see the patio light.”

  With her arms still squeezed around herself, she nodded. “That’s good.”

  “Are you nervous?”

  “A little.” She shifted her feet, moving a tiny bit closer to him. “I’ve never had a sexual assignation before.”

  Zack smiled. “Me, either.”

  “No?”

  “I don’t bring women to the house because of Dani. This is her home and I would never do that. My work schedule is crazy enough that when I get time to be with her, I don’t generally like to waste it with women.”

  “Waste it with women,” she repeated slowly, as if figuring out the meaning to his words. “You haven’t dated much since your wife died?”

  “More recently than ever before.” He’d been bride hunting, so it had been necessary. “Not that more means very much.”

  “I know you haven’t been celibate.”

  He laughed at her incredulity. “What is it about you, Wynn, that you can amuse me at the most awkward times?”

  She frowned. “I didn’t mean to amuse you. And what’s awkward about now?”

  Zack touched her cheek, let his fingers trail down to her throat and her bare shoulder. She wore a dark sleeveless cotton dress—like a long shirt—and she felt warm and very soft. “This is awkward because I’m so turned-on I can barely breathe.”

  “Zack.” She rushed against him, clinging to him, her hands strong on his shoulders, her body pressed full length against his own. “How…how are we going to manage this? Not only haven’t I had any assignations, but I’ve never made love in a hammock before either.” She lifted her head and he felt her gentle breath on his jaw. “Have you?”

  “No, but it doesn’t matter.” He kissed her, a light kiss to her temple, the bridge of her nose, the corner of her mouth. “Are you one hundred percent certain of this, Wynn?”

  She offered a slight hesitation that just about made his heart stop, then nodded. “Very certain.”

  “Thank God.” He kissed her, tasting her excitement and her urgency, which almost mirrored his own. Her lips were soft, and they parted for his tongue. Kissing Wynn was…well, it was definitely exciting. But it was more than that. Kissing her affected him everywhere, making his head spin and his abdomen cramp and his thighs ache.

  He slid one hand down her back to her lush behind and pulled her in close, then groaned when she rubbed herself against his erection.

  They both panted.

  Wynn went to work on getting his shirt pushed off his shoulders. He shrugged it off, letting it land in the grass. With a sound of approval her fingers spread wide over his chest, tangling in his body hair, caressing his muscles, teasing over his nipples.

  He backed her into the tree and briefly pinned her there with his hips, grinding himself into her. He filled his hands with her breasts and their mouths meshed hotly, licking and sucking. Zack felt her pointed nipples, felt the lurch of her body as he gently rolled one sensitive tip. It wasn’t enough. He caught the narrow shoulder straps and pulled them down to her elbows. She slipped her arms free and the dress bunched at her waist.

  Moonlight made her breasts opalescent, made her nipples look dark and ripe. Shuddering with lust, he bent his head and drew her right nipple deeply into the heat of his mouth.

  “Zack!”

  “Shhh….” He licked and tasted and plucked with his lips. The husky sounds she made, hungry and real and encouraging, fired his lust. He lifted her dress.

  She wasn’t wearing panties.

  “Damn.” Zack stared at her wide eyes while his hands moved over the silky skin of her bottom. He closed his eyes, exploring her, relishing the feel of her, the carnality of the moment. “Damn, Wynn,” he said again.

  Her voice was a breathless, uncertain murmur. “I…I thought underwear might just be in the way, and I didn’t know if…”

  Zack went to his knees and pushed the dress higher.

  Startled, Wynn tried to step away, but the tree was at her back and Zack held her securely. “What are you doing?” She sounded frantic as she pulled at his shoulders.

  “It’s dark.” Zack glanced up, saw her embarrassment even in the night shadows and asked gently, “No man’s ever kissed you here?”

  She smacked at his shoulder. “Zack,” she hissed, and to his amazement, she looked around.

  He couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s a little late to be worrying about voyeurs, Wynn.”

  “But…” She held his shoulders securely, as if she could keep him away. “You can’t do that out here!”

  “We can have intercourse, but not oral sex?”

  She gasped, thoroughly scandalized by his words, and quickly looked around the deserted yard again. Zack loved it. For once he had the upper hand and no way in hell would he give it up. Especially since he was dying to taste her, to hear her moan out a climax.

  He taunted her, saying, “You’ll like this Wynn. And so will I.”

  “I don’t know…”

  Knotting the dress in a fist, he anchored it high at the small of her back. He cursed the clouds that made the moon insufficient light. He wanted to see all of her, not just hints of her, curves and hollows exaggerated by the shadows. He wanted to see each soft pink inch of her sex, the dent of her navel, the dimples in her knees.

  He groaned; what he could see was spectacular. Her thighs were beautiful, sleek and firm and now pressed tightly together as he stroked them each in turn. He looked up at her breasts, as large as the rest of her, full and white.

  He couldn’t tell the color of the hair on her mound, but he guessed it to be the same as her eyebrows, slightly darker than the honey brown hair on her head. He sifted his fingers through her curls and heard her indistinct whimper of excitement. Leaning close, he pressed his cheek to her belly as he touched her.

  Her belly…well he’d always loved female bellies. To Zack, they epitomized femininity, soft and slightly rounded and smooth. Wynn’s belly was extremely sexy. He felt her quiver and turned his face, kissing her, licking her navel; all the while his fingers continued to pet her. Nothing more, just petting, but it made him so damn hot he felt burned.

  Night sounds closed in around them, the hum of insects, the rustle of a soft breeze through the treetops. Clouds crossed the moon repeatedly, first soften
ing the light, then obliterating it. The air felt thick, charged, damp.

  “Zack, I don’t know if I like this…”

  “You’ll like it,” he assured her in a rough whisper. He trailed his fingers lower, cupping her, then working his fingertips between her clenched thighs. Her buttocks pressed back against his fist holding her dress. Zack urged her forward again.

  He felt her. Her lips were swollen, warm and slick. He touched her gently, sliding back and forth until she grew even wetter, then he pushed one finger deep inside.

  Her knees locked and she made a long, raw sound of surprised pleasure. “This,” she rasped, “isn’t at all what I expected.”

  Had she expected him to be sweet, Zack wondered? Had she thought to be the aggressor? The idea tormented him. Her misconceptions about him could be alternately amusing and enraging.

  “Open your legs, Wynn.”

  Her head tipped back against the tree and she said, “The way you say that…” She looked down at him. “It really turns me on.”

  Zack stared up at her, his finger still pressed deep into the heat of her body, clenched by her muscles, and she wanted to talk? “Open them, Wynn.”

  After a long look and a shuddered breath, she obliged him. Zack damn near came watching her long legs shift apart—for him.

  “What will you do?” she asked, and she sounded almost as excited as he felt.

  “This,” he told her, sliding his finger deeper, then slowly pulling it out. Her muscles gripped him, held on tight. He worked a second finger into her. “You’re tight, Wynn.”

  She reached above her head and clasped a branch for support, then moved her legs wider apart. “You expected something else from a big girl like me?”

  “I never know what to expect from you.” That was certainly the truth. Tired of talking, Zack kissed her thigh, her hipbone. “You smell incredible.”

  She groaned a protest when he pulled his fingers from her, until he began petting her again, spreading her wetness upward, over her clitoris.