Blaze a Trail (The Flanagan Sisters, #3)

by Claire Boston

  He didn’t get it. “So I’m to be even more reliant on her than I already am? I don’t think so.” She shook her head. Her chest ached. Both her sisters were so successful. If she failed, she’d be the loser of her family. She couldn’t bear the pity. She shifted in her seat. Enough talking about herself. She wanted to learn about him. “What about you? The other day you didn’t sound all that enthusiastic about taking over Dionysus.”

  “It’s always been assumed that I would.”

  She smiled. “Do you want to?”

  He was silent a moment. “I’m proud of the company my family has built.”

  “That’s not what I asked.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “Hell, I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t working at Dionysus.”

  “There must be plenty of accounting jobs out there.”

  He grimaced. “I never really enjoyed crunching numbers.”

  “I can understand that,” Zita said. “So what do you enjoy?”

  He shrugged. “I helped my friend Garth set up his business and worked on a strategic plan for Colin. That was fun.”

  She knew very little about that kind of thing. “Could you make that into a business – setting up companies and helping them improve?”

  “Probably, but it’s too late now.”

  “Why?”

  “Dad’s considering going into politics.”

  “How will that affect you?”

  “I’ve got to take over as CEO. There’s always been a Randall in charge at Dionysus.”

  She frowned. “Do you have any siblings who would like to take over?”

  He shook his head. “Grant’s happy in maintenance and Lorelei has never been interested in the business.”

  “But that doesn’t mean you should forgo what you want to do. It’s your life, not your father’s.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Like you’re standing up to your mother to become a lawyer?”

  “Touché.” It was far easier to help others than herself.

  He stretched his arm over the backrest. “Will you talk to Carly? Ask if the charity can afford to hire another caregiver?”

  Zita tensed. “It’s fine. I’ve made a New Year’s resolution to do something. So I’ve got all year.”

  “What are your target dates?”

  “What?”

  “There’s no point having goals without setting targets and a date of completion. So what steps are you taking to reach your goal?”

  She shifted further away from him, resisting the urge to get up and pace. It was easy to say she was going to do it this year — she still had three hundred and fifty days — but if she set specific dates it would become all too real.

  “Zita?”

  “I don’t know.” She clenched her hands.

  He ran a hand over her arm. “I don’t mean to push you. I’d like to help if I can.”

  She breathed out, trying to calm her heart rate. He was right. If she was serious about her dreams, she needed to make them happen. Needed to ignore her fear.

  No matter how difficult it was.

  Zita turned to him. “Where should I start?”

  ***

  Together, they brainstormed her plan of action until Zita had specific steps to complete to become a lawyer. It was scary having it all written down with dates next to each step, though part of her felt lighter.

  “You’ve got until the end of the month to talk to Carly and research admission to college,” David said, handing her the plan.

  She winced. “All right.”

  “That gives you two weeks to work up the nerve.” He grinned at her.

  She laughed. She couldn’t help it. He looked so cheeky. “So what about you?”

  “Me?”

  “Are you going to talk to Bob about not taking over Dionysus?”

  He hesitated. “I don’t know. Dad wouldn’t understand.”

  “How about your mom?”

  He shook his head. “Let me think about it some more.” David got to his feet and grabbed their empty mugs from the table. “Do you want another drink?”

  “No thanks.” She’d bring up the subject another time. He’d helped her, and she wanted to repay the favor.

  David disappeared into the kitchen. He looked good. Zita had never considered sweat pants sexy, but he pulled it off. The pants were slung low on his hips, and his woolen sweater clung to his torso. She wanted to run her hands under his clothes and feel just how firm his chest was.

  He returned with a packet of chips, which he offered her. “So, now you’ve decided to make this huge change in your life, what should we tackle next?”

  She envisioned herself tackling him on to the sofa and straddling him. She forced herself to focus. “That’s enough for now,” she said with a smile. She checked her phone for the time — already four o’clock. She should probably head home to check if anyone needed help. But she was having fun hanging out with David.

  “Do you have plans?” he asked.

  She glanced up. “No. I was just thinking maybe I should check in to see if Mama’s all right.”

  “Would she call you if she wasn’t?”

  “Probably not.” Her mother was very self-sufficient.

  “Then why don’t you call her?”

  “All right.” She dialed her mother’s number. “Hola, Mamá.”

  “Zita. Is everything all right?”

  “Of course. Do you need me home to help with dinner? Do the girls have any homework they need help with?”

  “No, everything is fine. Are you having a nice time with David?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then don’t worry about anything. Will you be home tonight? The weather is awful for driving.”

  She cringed. There had been no suggestion from David about staying the night. “I don’t know. Probably.”

  “Well text me if you’re not going to be, so I don’t worry.”

  “All right, Mama. I’ll talk to you later.” She ended the call. “All quiet on the western front?” David asked.

  “Yeah. She doesn’t need me tonight.”

  “Great. Do you want to stay and watch a movie? We could order takeout. It’s too wet to go out to eat, don’t you think?”

  He wanted to spend more time with her. Her body tingled. She was incredibly snuggly in the clothes that smelled like him, and the dryer was probably still running. “You’re right. Takeout sounds great. What do you want to watch?”

  “I’ve got cable.”

  “Then we should be set for the night.” Her stomach wiggled in anticipation. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said that. She could hardly invite herself to stay.

  He flicked on his huge flat-screen television, pressed a few buttons and handed her the remote. “Do you want to choose something?”

  “Sure. Got a preference?”

  “As long as it’s not horror, I’m good. Shall we order dinner before we start? There’s a nearby Thai restaurant, or pizza, or Chinese.”

  “I don’t care. Whatever you like.”

  “You’re my guest,” David smiled. “You choose.”

  Zita hesitated. She didn’t want to get it wrong. “How about pizza? I haven’t had that for a while.”

  “Great. Any preference on toppings?”

  “I eat anything.”

  David ordered food while she flicked through the movie options. When he returned, she said, “We could go old school and watch Labyrinth or Dark Crystal, or we could go modern and watch The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings.”

  “Labyrinth,” he said with a grin. “I haven’t seen it in years.”

  She flicked through the menu and pressed play.

  ***

  This was the most casual date Zita had ever been on. It was nice, relaxed, almost like hanging out with one of her friends. David flashed her a smile before concentrating back on the movie.

  Almost. None of her friends’ smiles made her body tingle. She wanted to take things further. Explore this man’s body. Being cocooned in h
is clothes all afternoon had left her wanting more.

  As the credits rolled, David turned to her. “That was great.”

  She nodded. “It’s one of my favorite movies.”

  He switched off the television. “What shall we do now?”

  She knew exactly what she wanted to do, but was he interested? There was only one way to find out. She shuffled a little closer to him. “We could make out on the sofa.”

  His eyes widened and his grin shot heat straight to her core. She leaned forward and kissed him.

  His lips were firm. She deepened the kiss, wanting to taste him, and his arms came around her, one hand cradling the back of her head as they kissed. There was an intensity that sang to her. She climbed on to his lap, straddling him, wanting to get closer, to have better access.

  David groaned as he ran his hands over her back. Her body was hot and she broke the kiss only long enough to shed her sweater and T-shirt.

  Air flowed over her breasts and her nipples puckered. She’d forgotten she wasn’t wearing a bra. Oh well.

  “Jesus, Zita,” David groaned and caressed her breasts. “You’re so beautiful.” He pulled her closer so he could kiss her breasts and her head fell back as sensations zipped through her body. He was damn good with his tongue.

  His erection was hard against her crotch. She wanted to see him. “You’re overdressed,” she murmured in his ear, her hands sneaking under his sweater.

  “You’re right.” He shed his shirt and his bare chest pressed against hers. He was so warm, so luscious. She trailed kisses down his neck, her body throbbing more with each of his caresses. It was time for some more fun. She stood up, reached for her purse on the coffee table and slipped out the emergency condom she’d put there, before losing her sweat pants. David’s eyes widened and he quickly took off his pants as well.

  She straddled him again, kissing him firmly. “You ready for this?” She ground her crotch against his length.

  “Hell, yes.”

  Zita grinned, and took hold of him, running her hand against his smooth, hard erection. He closed his eyes, his head back. “You’re killing me.”

  She was killing herself as well. She wanted him inside her. Ripping open the condom packet, she sheathed him and then slowly lowered herself onto him. She closed her eyes. This was better. This is what she needed. She moved, setting a rhythm as he squeezed her bottom, moving with it. This was what she loved about sex — the closeness, the flow and the gorgeous build of tension before the release.

  She rode him, pleasing herself as she pleased him. The sensations rose until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She threw back her head, and together they came.

  ***

  David’s senses were slow to return to him. His body was hot, relaxed, and feeling oh, so fine. He hadn’t been expecting sex. Not that he was complaining, no way at all. It had been incredible.

  Zita kissed him slowly and then slid off, collapsing on the couch next to him. She was amazing, so sensual and not the least bit self-conscious about her body or what they’d done. He stirred again, and he got to his feet to clean up and slip on his pants. When he returned to the couch, she was still lying there, naked. She sat up to give him room to sit and he did, not quite sure what to say.

  “That was fun,” she said, kissing him again. “What do you want to do now?”

  He was at a loss for words as she parroted what he’d said earlier. What did he want to do? He wanted to get her into his bed and explore her body, spend the rest of the night with her. He pulled her onto his lap, cradling her, and kissed her again. Thunder cracked and he glanced out the window at the rain continuing to fall. “It’s awful out there. Do you want to stay the night?” He nuzzled her neck, wanting to be close. He didn’t often invite women to stay, but he wasn’t ready for her to go.

  “Sure. Let me text Mama.”

  A glow went through him.

  After she’d sent the message, he said, “I’ve got a television in my bedroom,” he said. “Why don’t we head in there?”

  “Which way?” she asked, holding out her hand.

  She walked hand in hand with him, naked, to his bedroom. She stopped at the entrance. “Feck, your bed is huge.” With a whoop, she ran and jumped onto it.

  He laughed at her exuberance. He’d never jumped on his bed, but it looked like fun. “Look out,” he called and leaped after her. He landed with a soft thud and Zita grabbed a pillow, swatting him with it. He couldn’t let it pass. Reaching for the other pillow, he was distracted by the way her breasts jiggled as she bounced on the bed. Instead, he pulled her on top of him and kissed her.

  She grinned at him and murmured, “Something tells me we’re not going to be watching any television.” She slid her hand under his waistband and rubbed his already erect penis.

  David closed his eyes. “I think you’re right.” He flipped their positions so he was on top. “But it’s my turn to be in charge.”

  ***

  Zita stretched as she awoke the next morning, enjoying the pull on her muscles and the glorious limpness of her body after a night of great sex. Opening her eyes, she saw the bed next to her was empty. She hadn’t felt David get up. She walked naked out of the bedroom and grabbed the sweater and pants she’d discarded the night before in the living room. She dressed, before moving toward the noises coming from the kitchen. David was wearing his sweatpants, frying eggs and bacon on the stove.

  “Morning,” she said.

  He glanced over and grinned. “Morning. I hope I didn’t wake you with all my racket. I wanted to make you breakfast in bed.”

  Her heart swelled. No guy had ever made her breakfast in bed. “No, you weren’t noisy. What time is it anyway?” She kissed him.

  “Ten.”

  She never slept that late. “It’s Sunday, isn’t it?” She ran a hand through her hair, thinking.

  “Yes.”

  Damn it. “I’m supposed to be helping Mama prepare lunch. Carly and Bridget will be there soon.” For the first time she really didn’t want to go to the family lunch. She wanted a break from her commitments. David had proven to be more than a cute rich guy and she wanted to spend more time getting to know him. But it wasn’t possible.

  He frowned. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you had plans.”

  “It’s a regular thing. Every second week is family lunch. I completely forgot.” It was not surprising, considering his shirtless state was distracting her again. Zita took a deep breath to calm herself. It was all right. One of the girls would help, she was sure, and she could see David another time. But she would need to head back if she was going to beat her sisters.

  David dished up two plates of bacon and eggs. “Sit down and eat something. I’ll fetch your clothes.” He bent over and kissed her and her worries seemed insignificant.

  “All right.”

  A couple of minutes later, he returned, handing Zita her folded clothes. “They’re dry.”

  “Thank you.” Now she’d eaten something and was more alert, she asked, “Have you got any plans for the day?”

  “Nothing so far. I might go sailing.”

  “That sounds like fun.” She wasn’t ready for their date to end. She’d enjoyed herself yesterday and had been looking forward to spending more time with him today. But what would the girls say if she invited him to a family lunch? She wasn’t ready for their inquisition yet. She wanted to keep this new, fresh and shiny relationship to herself for a while. If she exposed Casa Flanagan to him in all its glory, it might scare him off. She finished her breakfast and stood up. “Can I have a shower?”

  “Of course.”

  She kissed him. “I won’t be long.” She had the quickest shower on record and dressed in her clothes from yesterday. When she came out, David was cleaning up the kitchen. “I’m sorry to eat and run.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I should have woken you earlier.”

  “You didn’t know.” Her sisters were definitely going to beat her home. “Thanks for a great day yeste
rday.”

  “It was fun.” He walked her to the door. “I’ll call you later. Maybe we can do something next weekend?”

  “I’d like that.” A lot. She enjoyed being with him. It was so easy. She was able to talk to him about things that really mattered to her and he listened. It was a new experience for her. She kissed him again slowly. “I’ll see you later.”

  As Zita walked to the elevator, she smiled. Maybe she did have time for a relationship after all.

  Chapter 7

  Zita groaned as she pulled up at her mother’s house to see Carly and Bridget’s cars already there. She was bound to get some teasing. Bess and Saint started barking and ran to the car to greet her, foiling her hope to sneak inside and get changed without anyone noticing. She should train them not to do that.

  After greeting her two lovable mutts, she let herself into the house and was met by a living room full of people. OK, so no hiding.

  “Hey ZZ, did you run to the shop?” Carly asked, kissing her cheek.

  “Ah, no.”

  “What do you call it in America?” Alejandra asked. “The walk of shame?”

  The girls laughed as Zita’s face heated up. “Nothing shameful about it,” she said and then muttered to Alejandra, “Your English is too good.”

  Alejandra beamed at her and joined in the laughter.

  “Who’d you go out with?” Bridget asked.

  “I took David to the flea market,” she answered, edging toward the staircase.

  “Did you get lost?” Jack asked with a grin.

  “Enough,” Carmen said. “The weather was too dreadful to drive home, right niñita?” She winked at her youngest daughter.

  Zita sighed. “Yes, Mama. Excuse me, I’m going to get changed.”

  There was more laughter as she hurried upstairs.

  ***

  When she returned, her mother called them into the dining room for lunch. The topic of today’s discussion was Carly and Evan’s wedding.

  “Yesterday we went to check out the venue Hayden found,” Carly said. “It’s perfect for what we need.”

  “What’s it like?” Zita asked.

  “It has a room for the ceremony, kind of like a chapel, with big glass windows that look out on to the garden.” Carly smiled. “It will be almost as good as being outside, without the heat.”