They sat in stunned silence. Zoe couldn’t do anything but blink and stare. Her brain tried to catch up as her heart beat faster, harder. After all this time? She hadn’t believed he’d loved her then because she hadn’t thought she was good enough for a guy like Byron. She wasn’t that girl anymore. She didn’t view life through the lens of battered self-confidence and shame. She saw him fully now. Even more so, she saw herself fully. Saw the things she wanted and was no longer afraid to go after. That was why the attraction she’d tried to brush aside before refused to be pushed aside now.
He looked away first. “I’ll let you relax alone now.” He moved to sit up.
Zoe shot forward and grabbed his wrist. “Don’t.”
Byron watched her hesitantly. “Don’t what?”
She licked her lips. “Don’t go.”
“Why?” He didn’t look as if he wanted to stay longer after that huge confession. His shoulders were rigid. His eyes wouldn’t quite meet hers. “I don’t want to just be your savior. I’ll always help you and protect Lilah without asking anything in return. So don’t go there with me if gratitude or pity is involved. We both deserve better.”
She understood why he’d think that. A big part of their friendship had been about her turning him down or laughing off his confessions of having feelings for her. Then she’d gone to him and asked for something huge, and he’d done it without question. She didn’t want to think about all of the screwed-up emotions that made her turn away from Byron before. Not right now. Right now she only knew she didn’t want him to leave. If she let him go now, they may never get this moment back. He’d get elected, maybe pick another Yolanda to pretend to be happy with. She’d have to watch and remember this day, this moment, when she let him walk away.
Zoe didn’t have the perfect answer as to why he should stay, but she did have the answer to the question of whether or not she wanted him. She slid onto his lap before she could think about what she was doing. “Don’t go.”
His gaze never left hers as she moved. She couldn’t look away if she wanted to. Her heart was lost in the bright depths of his eyes. Her knees settled on either side of him. Their skin gliding easily over each other in the warm water.
Byron’s hands grabbed her waist. “Zoe?” Her name was a question on his lips. His eyes burned with need and desire. The proof of what his body wanted grew long and hard against her sex. Yet, he hesitated. This was her call.
She answered the question by pressing her lips against his. The feel of their lips together filled something in her she hadn’t known was empty. Not once had she and Byron kissed before, yet she felt as if she were coming home. She placed her hand on the side of his face, angled his head to the side and slid her tongue across his oh so kissable lips. Byron immediately opened to her, and her tongue slid over his.
She tried to get closer. The hard tips of her breasts were flattened against the solid planes of his chest. His hips pressed up as his strong hands pushed her hips down. The hard ridge of his dick pushed against her core. Zoe gasped. Desire rushed through her bloodstream, heightening her senses and making her light-headed.
Their bodies slid and glided against each other. Water spilled over the sides of the hot tub onto the deck below as they urgently kissed and twisted to get closer. Byron jerked on the string of her top before pulling it down to reveal her breasts. He cupped her breast, lifted the full mound and wrapped her hard nipple in the soft heat of his enticing lips. Each firm tug of his mouth against her sensitive nipple sent an answering demand to her brain. Closer. Harder. More.
Get closer. Kiss harder. Take more. Zoe’s trembling hands reached down and slipped beneath the waistband of his shorts. Her fingers wrapped around his rigid length. The warm water eased her movements as her hand caressed up and down before her thumb circled the top.
Byron’s lips slipped away from her breast. His head fell back and he gasped. Satisfaction filled Zoe like a balloon. As if feeling her gaze, Byron’s head popped up. His hand grasped the back of her head and he pulled her in for another soul-claiming kiss. Wet fingers slid into her hair and opened her up to him. She relaxed and gave everything he demanded. Her trust in him and her comfort almost as much of an aphrodisiac as the thought of his hands on her body.
His other hand lowered to the edge of her bathing suit and pushed it aside. Warm water caressed her swollen folds before his skilled fingers spread her open to his touch. Her hips bucked. Her legs spread farther. The tips of his fingers skated across her sensitive clit. The water, her desire, they both had her more than ready when two of his fingers pushed slow and deep inside her.
Zoe gripped his shoulders. She bit her lower lip, but when his mouth claimed her other breast she cried out. Her pleasure echoing in the stillness of the mountains. Byron shuddered. A low moan rumbled through his chest. Her body shook. Her brain blanked out and the only focus was the wonderful things he did to her body. Closer. Harder. More.
Zoe’s eyes cracked open just as his lips slipped away from her hard nipple. He sucked his full lower lip between his teeth as he watched her with open adoration. Emotions squeezed her heart so tightly she knew this moment would stay with her for the rest of her life. The warmth of the water, his fingers inside her, the glide of his skin across her, and the devotion in his eyes took her over the crest almost instantly. Pleasure burst across her skin, through her veins and within her soul. She convulsed around him as a short cry burst from her lips. Byron silenced her cry with another searing kiss.
They held each other. Panting as the steam of the hot tub rose around them. The hum of the motor and the background sounds of nature the only noise as the realization of what they’d just done hit her. Zoe’s mind tried to process the implications, but it was mush and her body still buzzed from the aftermath of her orgasm.
The back door opened. Byron stiffened. Zoe’s heart jumped into her throat, and she looked over her shoulder.
Grant stood frozen in the doorway. Dressed in a robe, eyes wide and a towel in hand. He glanced from her to Byron then shook his head. “Get yourselves cleaned up. The rest of the family will be here soon.” He went back in and firmly closed the door.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“SO I HEAR we have to clean the hot tub.”
Byron closed his eyes and shook his head. He straightened from the pool table in the game room and glared at Elaina at the door. She only stared back as she leaned against the door frame with a glass of wine in her hand and a smirk on her face.
“You can leave now,” Byron said.
Elaina’s smirk morphed into a sly smile. “It’s true,” she said gleefully. “You did.” She hurried into the room and rested her hip on the edge of the pool table. She wore dark leggings, a burgundy tunic and black flat shoes. She looked more relaxed than he’d expected with her spending the days strategizing with the family. She sipped her wine, and Byron realized the wine was probably the reason for his sister’s improved mood.
“Why do you care what I did or didn’t do?” He wasn’t going to confirm or deny anything. Even though heat spread through his cheeks.
Zoe had rushed out of the hot tub and upstairs to her room without a backward glance at him. By the time he’d gone inside, his dad was pacing back and forth in the living room while Patricia sat solemnly on the couch. Travis and India returning was the only thing that saved him from whatever lecture Grant had prepared. By the time Lilah and Elaina were back in the house it was easy for Byron to avoid his father altogether. He guessed Zoe was doing the same thing with him since she hadn’t come out of her room.
“Normally, I wouldn’t care who you have your fun with,” Elaina said.
“Then why are you here?”
Elaina raised a finger. “I will care about where you have your fun, if that fun is taking place in a shared space.”
Byron gripped the pool stick and pushed back his frustration. “Again, why are you here? Is it to tea
se me? Okay, you’ve succeeded. Go do something else.”
“Plus, I kind of care now,” she said begrudgingly.
Byron ran a hand over his chin and swallowed a sigh. “If you’re here to tell me I shouldn’t be with Zoe then tell me something I don’t already know.”
He’d had time to think about things after the embarrassment of getting caught by his dad in a hot tub had time to settle. He’d spilled his emotions out to Zoe, she’d kissed him and they’d come close to having sex. Not once did she admit her feelings for him. Once again, his feelings were out there waiting for her to accept them.
That was one of several reasons he shouldn’t be with Zoe. The breakup with Yolanda was too new. He wanted to win this election. His entire life had been dedicated to getting here. Serving the public. Furthering the family legacy. A scandalous relationship could ruin that.
Still, he didn’t regret what happened, nor could he say his body didn’t ache to do more.
Elaina blinked and her head shot back. “That’s not what I’m here to tell you.”
“You’re not?” He’d avoided the confrontations with his family. He already knew what they were going to say. Or at least he thought he’d known.
“No. I’m here to say you’ve finally made the right choice. Yolanda was good on paper, but I never liked her. Obviously, my instincts were right. She left as soon as things got hard.” Elaina sounded pleased with herself for knowing Yolanda wasn’t the right one for him. “You still need a wife and family to make you more palatable to the voters. Go with the woman you actually want.”
Byron put down the pool stick and rested his hands on the edge of the table. “Hold up. Are you telling me to marry Zoe?”
“Not right away, of course,” Elaina said as if he was being silly. “You’ve got to introduce your relationship with her over time. Maybe a few more public appearances together, with Lilah there, obviously. You both talk about how great things are now that you’re reunited. Play up the years of regret and how happy you are with your family. Make the public fall in love with you two, so that by the time you’re officially together they’ll cheer.”
Byron brought a hand to his temple. Disappointed but not surprised at the suggestion. That was the family way. Find a way to spin a negative into a positive. “You want me to exploit our relationship for the win?”
Elaina tapped the edge of the pool table with a long, manicured nail. “I want you to use what’s happening to your advantage. Don’t be naive. You wanted to marry her years ago. Mom realized it wasn’t right and separated you two. Now you’re back with her and you both obviously want to be together. This way you get the best of both worlds.”
“I’m not going to do that. If Zoe and I decide to be together then it’ll be because we both want it. Not because it’ll help me win.”
A disgusted grunt came from the door. They both turned. Grant shook his head before coming in and closing the door behind him. He’d changed into a cream-colored short-sleeved linen shirt and matching pants. His hair looked wet and curly as if recently showered. Byron guessed Grant had to settle for a relaxing shower instead of a stint in the hot tub.
“You always were the romantic of the family,” Grant said in a noncomplimentary way.
“Excuse me?” Byron asked.
Elaina took her glass of wine and crossed the room. She sat in one of the leather chairs along the wall and watched with a slight smirk on her lips. Guess he’d be getting no help from her.
“You always thought the world was a good place and that as long as you did good then things would work out. Your mom fed into that fantasy and you sopped it up.”
“It’s not a fantasy. I do try to make things better if I can and I try to live my life in a way that I can be proud of.” Yes, those were lessons his mom taught him, but they were lessons he still believed in. He appreciated what his family built for him and wanted to make a way for others to build their own legacies while also preserving his. He would never feel bad about that.
“Were you proud when you decided to marry Yolanda when you didn’t love her?” Grant asked casually.
“Don’t bring Yolanda into this.” Byron picked up the pool stick and circled the table. He couldn’t focus on the balls or practicing his shots. He just needed to hit something instead of lashing out at his dad.
“The hell I wont,” Grant argued. “You chose her because she was most likely to clean up your image as the guy who could get any woman he wanted. You didn’t love her, and you made a political decision. Now, when your sister is making a smart suggestion, that you build a family image with the woman you want a family with, you decide to claim a moral high ground. Step off that high horse, Byron. You’re a Robidoux and you want to win. Stand there and tell me that you don’t see the value in using your relationship with Zoe to get you to the Senate.”
Byron aimed at the green ball. He could hit it into the hole with no problem. An easy shot. Almost as easy as his dad tried to make marrying Zoe sound. “It won’t work.” He hit the ball and watched it roll smoothly into the pocket.
“Why not?” Elaina asked casually before taking a sip of her wine.
Byron clenched his teeth. He shouldn’t have said anything. He’d absorbed his mom’s lessons, but he’d also absorbed his father’s. Already the pros and cons of marrying Zoe were drifting through his mind. “People will view her as the other woman.”
Grant pointed at him. “Not if you play this right. Slowly introduce her to the public. Start by focusing on being a father to Lilah and then let it gradually grow.”
Elaina snapped a finger. “That’s what I said.”
“Will you two stop talking about my life like you’re winning points in a political game?”
Grant stepped forward and placed his hand on the end of the pool stick, stopping Byron from aiming at another shot. “Your life is a political game. The moment you announced you were running for Senate you put your life on a game board. Every move you make is up for scrutiny and debate. You know this is a good idea. You know it makes sense and it’ll win you political points if we work it right. So why don’t you tell me the real reason you’re hedging.”
The real reason. He couldn’t put political hopes on a situation that was too close to him. With Yolanda it was one thing. He wasn’t in a position of being hurt.
Byron left the pool stick on the table and stood. “I don’t have time for this.”
They didn’t try to stop him from walking out. His dad probably thought it was just another emotional decision. It was, but not for the emotions his dad would suspect. Grant probably didn’t realize how unsure Byron felt after what happened that afternoon. That he wasn’t sure if he wanted to put too much of himself into this.
He rounded the corner and stopped suddenly. Zoe leaned against the wall. Her arms were crossed. She stared down at the floor. He said her name and she looked up at him.
“Well, what did you all decide?” Her voice was calm, but there was a guarded look in her eye.
Byron ran a hand over his head. “We didn’t decide anything.”
She pushed away from the wall. Her arms still crossed tightly over her chest as if shielding herself from him. “It sounds like your family has the perfect way to deal with the Zoe problem. Just like before.”
“It’s not like that.” Except it was. In a matter of a few hours his family had already crafted a plan to deal with the latest threat. If he didn’t take the upper hand, his dad would take control and push Byron and Zoe together without a thought to all the baggage between them that needed unpacking.
“Look, forget them and what they said,” Byron said. “This is something you and I need to figure out. No one else.”
Zoe opened her mouth then shut it. She ran a hand over her hair, which was twisted into a curly puff at the back of her head. She nodded and waved a hand. “Fine.”
The heavy disappointme
nt in that single word settled like a boulder on his chest. “Let’s go somewhere and talk?” She was not fine.
“Mom.” Lilah’s voice came up the stairs. “Want to play Uno with me and Auntie India and Uncle Travis?”
Byron shook his head. They needed to finish this. Now.
Lilah called again. Zoe took a step toward the stairs. “I’m coming,” she said then turned back to Byron. “We’ll talk later. When there isn’t so much going on.”
She turned and hurried down the stairs. The sound of Lilah and India greeting her drifted up. Byron cursed and rubbed his temples. He took a long breath. There were too many damn people in the house. He didn’t know how he’d get her alone again, but before the night was over he and Zoe were going to talk. There was too much between them that they couldn’t keep ignoring. He did like to win, and right now he wanted to win her heart.
* * *
ZOE TOSSED BACK the covers and reached for her phone on the nightstand. She clicked the power button on the side. Bright light illuminated the room. She flinched and blinked until her eyes adjusted. One fifteen in the morning.
She put the phone back on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed. She’d feigned a headache and gone to bed immediately after the Uno game. She was procrastinating and she knew it. A character flaw that she kept saying she’d correct but knew she never would.
Sighing, Zoe stood, slid on the slippers next to the bed and left the bedroom. The house was quiet. She’d listened as everyone had gone to their rooms and settled in for the night an hour before. She tiptoed down the stairs. Her heartbeat faster with each step she took.
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