“Yep.”
“Where Elena’s daffodils bloom in the spring.” She leaned closer to inspect his handiwork. “Interesting choice,” she said, looking into Ryan’s stunned eyes.
“Sam said that was an empty spot.” He blanched. “She said that nobody would care if I dug here. In fact, young lady, you begged for me to dig in this very place.” He raised his voice at Sam, obviously caught himself, then moderated his tone. “You said it would be fine.”
Sam flung her arms in the air, typical teenager style. “Hey I didn’t know, okay?”
The muscle in his jaw that ticked when he was agitated started up again. “Then maybe you should have asked for permission first.”
“Hey—”
“Is for horses,” Zoe said in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
Not that Ryan would know, but Sam wouldn’t put up with yelling or discipline from a stranger. In her mind, an adult had to earn the right to reprimand her by first proving they cared. The Costas family had already been down that road. Sam had tested them, retested them and now finally believed she belonged. If they punished her, she understood it was because they loved her, not because they were worried the state would take away their monthly foster stipend.
Zoe placed a hand on his arm. She’d meant her touch to calm him, but it had the opposite effect, at least on her. His skin was hot from a combination of the sun’s rays and his body heat. Heat she wanted desperately to share in the most intimate way possible, and those butterflies came to life in her stomach once more.
But she couldn’t just ignore everything going on around her. “It’s okay,” she reassured him. “We can replant the daffodil bulbs in the fall and the flowers will bloom again next year. They’ll look just as pretty over there.” She pointed to a spot a few feet away.
Ryan still looked like he was about to be sick and Zoe was certain the reasons had to run deeper than the fact that he’d messed up Elena’s flower garden.
Zoe glanced at Sam. “Honey, why don’t you go check on Ima? Take her leash and walk her. She needs to get used to training.”
“Cool! I’m gonna take her to meet old Mrs. Morton next door.”
Zoe laughed. “Okay, just avoid the spa area, okay? I don’t think the clients would appreciate seeing a pig during their visit.”
“Okay.” Sam started for the house, then turned and ran back to Zoe, throwing her arms around her neck. “This was the best birthday ever.”
Zoe’s heart melted a bit more and she hugged Sam tightly. Sometimes, despite that Sam was fourteen and nearly as tall as Zoe, her hugs and touches seemed younger, somehow. Sweeter. A lump rose in Zoe’s throat as it did each time Sam felt comfortable enough to express her emotions.
As the young girl blossomed, Zoe came to understand just how much she valued her family and why. As a child she hadn’t realized how lucky she was to have parents who loved unconditionally and she’d assumed all families were the same way. Sam’s background showed just how untrue Zoe’s adolescent assumptions had been. Through Sam, Zoe appreciated her clan even more.
Before Zoe could find her voice and reply, Sam continued speaking. “It’s been even better than the few I remember with my mom.” Her hand shifted to the necklace at her throat.
In six years, Sam’s memories of her mother were faded. Because the necklace was the last link Sam had to her mother, she never took it off. Only recently had Sam admitted she’d been with her mother when she’d died from a gunshot meant for the man who’d been her father, a drug dealer Sam never asked about and refused to see. No matter how bad her own choices had been, obviously Sam’s mother had done something right in raising her daughter.
Sam fingered the old-looking keys that hung from a silver chain. “Does saying that make me a bad person?” she asked softly.
Zoe shook her head. “No, honey. Just an honest one.”
Sam seemed satisfied with that and stepped back, transferring her gaze to Ryan. “You’re pretty cool, too, Ryan. Thanks for the books and stuff.”
“You’re welcome,” he said gruffly.
Zoe didn’t know which had affected him more, Sam’s comments about her mother or the compliment she’d just directed at him.
With a wave, Sam took off for the house, leaving Zoe and Ryan alone.
She didn’t know where to begin with him, so she started with the first shock of the afternoon. “You weren’t supposed to be here until noon.”
“I finished up early at the bookstore. I couldn’t see the point in driving around in circles for an hour when I could just come by here.” His gaze locked with hers. “I didn’t tell her anything.”
Zoe nodded. “I know.” Sam’s happy mood made it clear she hadn’t been the recipient of Ryan’s news. But that wasn’t the only reason Zoe was sure Sam remained in the dark. “I guess I trust you a little,” she admitted.
He raised an eyebrow. “I can tell by the way you came barreling out of the house that you weren’t at all concerned about me being alone with her,” Ryan said wryly.
She laughed at being caught red-handed. “Yeah, well, I think I decided I trusted you about the time I found out you bought Sam the book on pigs.”
“If she wants to keep a pet, she should learn how to care for it properly.”
Zoe had a hunch she knew where this was heading. “You mean she should follow the rules.”
He nodded. “Exactly.”
Zoe dug her sneakered toe into the mound of dirt and grass he’d excavated and searched for a diplomatic reply. “Look, Ryan, I realize you mean well and everything, but you should know, the chances of that pig being well trained while living in this house are slim to none.”
“That’s the wrong attitude to take. You can’t go into a long-term commitment like pet ownership on a negative note.”
“I’m not. It’s just that to train an animal, you need consistency. Everyone who has daily contact with the pig has to do the same thing and in this insane asylum, it’s better not to hold out false hope.” She shook her head and laughed at herself, realizing she was beating around the point she wanted to make. “Look at it this way. Ari and I turned out just fine. Ima Pig will survive, too.” She gave him a direct look. “But I’m really not talking about Ima.”
He met her gaze, his brown eyes serious. “I figured that.”
“You need to know that Sam’s not a follow-the-rules type of kid. And you need to respect who she is as a person.” At that moment, Zoe realized she was, in a way, preparing Ryan in case he should end up with Sam.
The thought caused a sharp pain in her heart along with a gaping hole she couldn’t cope with right now. But she’d be doing a disservice to both Sam and Ryan if she didn’t face the possibility of losing her.
He walked over to a bench and sat down, leaning back against the white iron. “Five minutes alone with her and I knew she was more like her mother than I’d expected.” He gazed up at the sky as if there were answers and explanations there. “My family stifled Faith.”
Zoe had suspected as much. “And that can’t happen to Sam.”
Ryan nodded. “I know.” He understood what Zoe meant, so much more than she realized.
His sister had stepped out of the bounds of what his family considered proper and she’d paid for her so-called crime by being disowned. Often he had wondered if his father had been glad Faith had disappeared because that way he wouldn’t have to acknowledge her problems and addiction. But then he’d heard his mother’s muffled crying and known he didn’t comprehend as much as he’d thought.
For fear of being cut off from the only life and family he’d known, Ryan had walked the straight and narrow long after Faith had gone. Though his sister had been weak and an addict, she’d had the strength to stand on her own until the end. In an absurd way, he admired her for it.
“Ryan?” Zoe’s hand on his arm and her soft voice called to him.
He knew he shouldn’t be affected by her, knew he was lying to her family about being a social worker while plan
ning to take his sister’s child away with him. He didn’t want to want her, yet he did. He couldn’t deny the attraction and had a hunch he couldn’t avoid acting on it, either.
“Ryan?” she called him again.
“Hmm?”
“I asked why you reacted so strongly to the mistake with the daffodils.”
He laughed because he wasn’t sure this subject was any easier to tackle than his growing desire for Zoe.
Standing, he walked back toward the patch of dirt. “My grandmother Edna grows roses. She has a garden that I suspect means more to her than any of her children.”
“And heaven help the little heathen who hits a baseball into the bushes and tramples the flowers to retrieve it?” She waggled her eyebrows in an attempt to soften the blow of her words, something Zoe seemed to accomplish with ease.
“That about sums it up.”
“Trust me, Elena won’t bat an eyelash at her lost bulbs. In November, she’ll just wake me at dawn to replant.”
He grinned. “Thank you for that.”
She narrowed her gaze, a small crease forming between her eyebrows. “For what?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. For being you maybe? Here we are, two people who couldn’t have more at stake or be more at odds and yet you seem to care about my feelings, anyway.”
To his surprise, she actually blushed. “It’s one of my shortcomings I guess. I blame those Costas genes. We’re suckers for people we like.”
He stepped closer. “And you like me.”
Her lips curved in a reluctant smile. “Yeah. More so when you forget you’re a conservative suit-and-tie kind of guy. Like now.” Her gaze fell to his bare chest and remained.
Her stare was obvious and seductive, making him feel like he was bathed in light, and not because the summer sun shone hot above them. Zoe managed to brighten his life during what should be a dark time. She confused and confounded him because she was the opposite of everything he was taught to value in life.
But here they were and he wasn’t walking away. Neither was she, and her approving gaze became the permission he needed to take the kiss he desired.
Ryan brought his hands up, cupping her face between his palms. “I like you, too.”
“Oh.” Her tongue darted out and swept across her lower lip, moistening her mouth.
Unable to resist, he lowered his head and captured her lips with his. He immediately discovered the chemistry between them from the moment they’d met paled in comparison to the passion that flared to life now. She tasted sweet and his desire for her grew. He slid his tongue over the seam of her lips and demanded she let him inside.
With a welcoming groan, she gave what he asked for, his tongue touching and tangling with hers. He wanted to possess her completely, to learn the deep secrets she kept and he explored thoroughly with his tongue to accomplish that goal. Needing to feel her against him, he moved his hands from her face, down her back, pausing on her behind as he pulled her close until her body was flush with his.
She came willingly and nestled into the V of his legs, fitting like she belonged. He was rock hard, something she clearly recognized when she shifted her hips so his erection nestled in even more snugly between her thighs.
Her heat beckoned to him, making him want to toss her onto the ground and make love to her right here, outside, damn whoever might see.
He couldn’t imagine anything more out of character. He couldn’t imagine anything he wanted more. Since he couldn’t act on that particular desire, he groaned and deepened the kiss, using his mouth to mimic making love.
Zoe trembled and held on to Ryan’s bare shoulders. Reveling in the feel of his hot skin beneath her hands, she pressed her body closer to his, his heat seeping through her clothes and into her pores. Her breasts grew full and heavy, her nipples puckering tight against his chest.
He shuddered, groaned and continued the incredible assault on her senses.
Never before had a kiss so rocked her world as this one did. The man was an expert at taking possession. Every sweep and swirl of his tongue pulled a matching whirlpool of need from deep inside her. Nor did he keep his feelings hidden as a deep groan reverberated in his chest.
The man was complex. The uptight facade he presented on first meeting was a better cover than any she’d seen. Because his cool exterior hid a powder keg of emotion, and now that she’d tapped into it, she wasn’t likely to forget. She threw herself into the moment, and continued to kiss him back.
“Ahem.”
Ryan jumped back immediately.
Zoe faced her twin. “Hi, Ari,” she said, blinking, her voice slightly hoarse.
Her sister nodded. “Hi. Do you really think this is the right place for that?”
Zoe caught the teasing note in her sister’s voice. “And who appointed you the kissing gestapo?”
Ari laughed, then leaned closer to Ryan. “I don’t believe we were formally introduced yesterday.” She extended her hand. “I’m Ariana Donovan.”
“Ryan Baldwin. I’d shake your hand, but I’ve been digging in the dirt.”
“If Zoe didn’t mind your hands all over her, I think I can handle a simple shake.”
Ryan felt a rush of heat rise to his face. “I think I’m going to make myself scarce,” he muttered.
“Ryan spent the morning with Sam,” Zoe told her twin. “They were making the pig feel more at home.” She gestured toward the patch of dirt.
“In Mom’s daffodils, I see. It’s gonna be a pain re-planting those.”
Ryan groaned. The sisters were more alike than they realized. He grabbed his shirt, which hung over the back of the bench. “It was nice to meet you, Ari,” he said.
“Same here.” Ari gave him a brief nod.
“Bye, Ryan.” Zoe treated him to a wave. “I’ll be seeing you.”
At her blatant stare at his still-bare chest, he had a hunch she meant that in a very literal sense, too.
ZOE WATCHED AS RYAN STRODE around the side of the house. He couldn’t get away fast enough and she found his embarrassment endearing. His kiss, on the other hand, had been explosive.
“Well, well, well.” Ari studied her twin, piercing her with a knowing stare.
Zoe shoved her hands into her front jeans pockets. “Well what?”
“I can’t believe I caught you making out with the social worker,” she said, laughing.
Obviously Ari hadn’t seen Quinn yet today because she was acting as if everything were normal. They might keep the truth about Ryan from the rest of the family, but Quinn and Zoe wouldn’t keep Ari in the dark. She’d been the only family member who’d finally known Zoe was alive back when everyone had thought she’d disappeared and had probably died. On her return, Zoe had promised herself no more lies between herself and her twin. But they couldn’t talk here and run the risk of Sam overhearing.
“That social worker is hot. Or hadn’t you noticed?” Zoe asked.
Focusing on the more positive aspects of Ryan wasn’t difficult after that heated kiss. Of course she couldn’t entirely ignore the discomfort she felt at enjoying Ryan when he didn’t have her family’s best interest at heart.
Ari raised an eyebrow. “I hadn’t actually. I have my own guy at home, but I’m glad to see you’ve got your eyes open.”
Zoe shrugged. Her feelings about Ryan and their first kiss were too new for her to want to discuss them even with her sister.
“He’s definitely different than anyone you’ve been attracted to before.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“He’s much more…How shall I put this delicately? He’s much more like me than like you. Which makes sense since opposites attract. Just look at me and Quinn.”
Ari and Quinn were the ultimate in love couples. Comparing Zoe’s lust for Ryan to her twin’s love for her husband didn’t make a lick of sense. Also not a conversation Zoe intended to have now.
“If you mean Ryan’s uptight, conservative, and he loves rules and regulations, then, yes, I ca
n definitely see why you’d think you two had something in common.” Zoe met her sister’s gaze and they laughed, a true testament to how far their relationship had come since Ari’s return last year.
“Where’re Mom and Sam?” Ari asked. “I want to drop off a blouse I borrowed.”
Zoe glanced around. “Good question. My guess is that Mom has spa appointments and I know Sam went next door for a little while.”
Ari shifted her purse strap higher onto her shoulder. “I left the blouse on the kitchen table. Can you just let her know?”
Zoe nodded.
“Oh and by the way, I got the guidance position at Ocean Isle High,” she said casually, but Zoe knew how much she’d wanted the job.
“That’s amazing!” She hugged her sister.
“The hours are perfect for me and it’s so close to home.”
“You don’t miss Vermont at all?”
“Not at all. It was a place I ran to. It wasn’t home.”
Zoe stepped back and grinned. “Home is where Quinn Donovan is, huh?”
“And you, too. And Mom and Dad, and Sam and…”
“Speaking of Quinn, have you spoken with him?” Zoe asked, interrupting.
“Not since he left this morning, but he called earlier and we’re meeting for lunch in a little while.”
Zoe nodded. “Okay good. Good,” she said, relieved all would be out in the open between them soon.
“Good? Why good? What’s going on?” Ari asked, suddenly more alert.
Zoe swung her arm over her sister’s shoulder. “Go talk to Quinn and we’ll catch up later.”
“I’m not going to like this, am I?”
Zoe shook her head and Ari shivered.
But it wasn’t Ari’s reaction that had Zoe the most concerned. What bothered her most was that after a lifetime of nonthreatening relationships, she was starting to fall for a man who was most definitely a threat—to the freespirited world she’d grown up in and the close-knit family she adored.
AFTER THE KISS, Ryan retreated to his hotel room. He needed a cold shower, but first he wanted to call the private investigator he’d hired and ask him to get more information on the Costas clan.
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