“You’re right,” he replied as he nodded. “He would have. I’m sorry if I startled you, but I’ve never slept in this late before. You wore me out last night.”
He added a smile, hoping to assure her he didn’t regret being with her for he most certainly didn’t. Their encounters the night before were the hottest he’d ever experienced and he sure hoped she was game for more. Many more.
“Last night,” she repeated with a broad smile, “then again around midnight, and again around two.”
“Yep, told you I’d be good for three rounds.”
Her eyes settled on his morning wood. “It looks like you’re up for round four. Or does the clock reset at dawn?” She snort-giggled.
Weird as it seemed, it turned him on, just like everything else about her did. She was freaking sensational, and he couldn’t wait to be inside her again.
“Oh darling, you can be sure I’m up for more.”
“You certainly are up,” she confirmed, her eyes glued to his erection. When she licked her lips, he swelled more. Her wanton eyes met his and she dipped her head to regard him through her lashes. “Come back to bed, cowboy, I’m gonna ride you ‘til the cows come home.”
Before he could oblige, a noise sounded on the stairs. At her uncertain frown, he sighed deeply. “Shit, I completely forgot. That’s Zandra, she’s come to clean the house. She probably thinks I’m outside because I always am by now.” Looking toward the doorway, he called out loudly. “Zandra, I’m in the bedroom. I’ll be a few minutes.”
When the creaking of the stairs continued, he panicked. He scanned the floor but couldn’t remember where he’d kicked off his pants last night. At the sound of the footfalls on the floorboards in the hallway, he reached for one of the pillows on the bed. Zoë snatched them both up and held them against her chest, laughing.
“I’ll be out in a minute,” he shouted and turned to head to the dresser again.
Zandra walked in the room and emitted a surprised yelp. His hands flew to cover his package but, forgetting his erection, he banged into the side of it instead. As he fumbled to hold it down and cover it, he saw the earbud cords trailing from Zandra’s ears. That certainly explained why she hadn’t heard him. She took a step back and covered her open mouth with one hand as her other pulled one of the earbuds out.
“Oh my God! I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said as pleasantly as he could, “you didn’t know we were in here. We slept in. Together. But we weren’t ... we just woke up.” He heard Zoë’s stifled laughter at his awkward response. “Can you please give us a few minutes?”
“Of course, yeah, I don’t know why I’m still standing here. I’m sorry. Okay, I’ll, uh, reverse my usual routine and start on the main floor and then work my way up.”
“Up,” Zoë croaked, and then laughed loudly.
His cheeks afire, he looked to Zandra imploringly. She turned to leave, and relief spread through him. His respite was short-lived however, as Zoë’s voice rang out, halting Zandra.
“Wait.” As he watched in stunned silence, Zoë left the bed and, naked, strode up to Zandra, extending her hand. “Hi, I’m Zoë. I’m the new cook here.”
Zandra shook her hand. “The cook?” She looked between Zoë and Ethan, her brow furrowed.
“Is it the naked thing?” Zoë questioned. “We’re both women, I didn’t think you’d mind.”
“No, it’s not that,” Zandra said, and then glanced between the pair again. “Um, the cook. Okay.”
Unable to endure another moment of torture, he shuffled toward the bathroom, hoping he could inconspicuously slip into it. His movement caught Zoë’s eye and she turned to him. To his horror, so did Zandra. A wicked grin spread across Zoë’s lips.
“Gotta pee, huh?”
He backed into the bathroom, stumbled when his heel caught the doorframe, and had to let go of his bits to steady himself. With a widening of his eyes, he jumped back into the room and slammed the door shut. As the sound of twin peals of laughter filled his ears, he leaned against the door and sighed deeply. Yep, Zoë was trouble all right.
21
Sitting at the dining room table with Zoë and Zandra, whom Zoë had talked into joining them for breakfast, Ethan was still thrown-off by how his day had begun. While Zandra didn’t eat, saying she had before leaving the house she shared with her brothers, she sipped from a mug of coffee and chatted pleasantly with Zoë. He could hardly believe they shared such a normal conversation after all that had occurred. Indeed, only the incident upstairs was more embarrassing to him than the one he’d endured in the kitchen a little while ago.
When he and Zoë had joined Zandra downstairs, the trio entered the kitchen and Ethan began to make breakfast as he’d promised. He’d completely forgotten about Zoë’s discarded clothing from the night before and watched in horror as Zoë had retrieved her shorts from the floor and slipped them on. She’d only been wearing the T-shirt he’d given her upstairs and, with her height, it had just barely covered her tantalizing parts. That wasn’t the bad part, as the true terror hit when she then examined her torn top as Zandra looked on in interest. He swore his dick had shriveled at the sight. His best friend’s little sister had, in short order, been subjected to the sight of him naked, then Zoë, and then saw the evidence of his and Zoë’s wild night together, one she now knew had started in the kitchen she would soon clean. It was enough to have him blushing again but the women hadn’t seemed affected by it at all, and were now chatting like old friends.
“I met your brothers at the bar last night,” Zoë informed Zandra.
“Oh yeah? They came in late last night and were still sleeping when I left, so they didn’t tell me. I bet you guys had a good night though.”
“It was fun. I like your brothers.”
“Did Boone put the moves on you?”
“Yep.”
“I thought he might have.”
“Wait, what?” he interrupted. The women looked to him and he frowned. “Boone hit on you last night?”
“It was nothing,” she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “He got a little handsy, I informed him I wasn’t interested, and that was it. It’s no big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” he shot back. “He knew I was interested in you.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t have me,” she countered. “And it’s not like we’re in a committed relationship or anything so don’t go all caveman over it. I dealt with it, it’s over.”
Boone had broken the guy-code as far as Ethan was concerned and it was a big deal. He had no business hitting on Zoë when Ethan had made his interest in her obvious. What the fuck had Boone been thinking? While normally it was Boone who set his sights on a woman, the pair had an understanding, one developed over years of friendship. If one of them was interested in a woman, she became off-limits to the other. It was simple, and it worked. He wasn’t sure what was running through Boone’s mind last night, but he certainly intended to have words with his friend when he saw him next.
“Rory seems really sweet,” Zoë said, drawing his attention back to the conversation, “I like him. Is he seeing anyone in town?”
“No, he’s a little shy.”
“Yeah, I saw that. He doesn’t seem to have Boone’s, well, um, boisterous nature.”
“No, he doesn’t. And Boone can come off as a little overbearing sometimes but he’s a pussycat at heart. I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by his flirting with you. He’s had his fair share of women but he’s a gentleman with them.”
“He’s had my share too, and probably Rory’s,” Ethan grumbled.
“Ha!” Zoë returned. “I bet you’ve had your fair share.” Unwilling to be pulled into a conversation about how many women he’d bedded, he remained silent as Zoë turned her attention back on Zandra. “How about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
He couldn’t help but tense as he wondered what Zandra’s reaction to that question would be like. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem off-put at
all as she shook her head.
“No, I’m not.”
“Well, we’re planning on heading back to The Goose at some point. You should come along the next time. I mean, I had fun last night with the guys, I did, but I’d love to have you there. It’s not always easy being the only girl at a sausage fest.”
Zandra chuckled, but then her face fell. “Oh, um, I don’t really have anything to wear there. I, uh, I don’t go out much.”
Ethan knew the reason for her not going out wasn’t a lack of wardrobe but Zandra’s continuing trust issues with men. While he’d told Zoë of the assault on Zandra, he hadn’t told her of the aftermath and how Zandra had suffered. Now, he wished he had as he hoped Zoë didn’t push Zandra. For years after the rape, Zandra had been little more than a recluse. In fact, it had only been since moving to Bison Bluffs, upon Rory’s release from jail, that Zandra had begun venturing out on her own. It was a slow and painful process and he’d been proud of how far she’d come. However, healing came in baby steps and he feared Zoë, with her forceful nature, might try to push Zandra into taking a leap.
“That’s not a problem,” Zoë announced airily. “We could go shopping or you could borrow something of mine. We’re about the same size.”
“Sure then, that sounds great. I’d love to go. I haven’t been out in ages. I bet it’ll be fun.”
“It’s going to be a blast,” Zoë assured a smiling Zandra.
Clenching his jaw to prevent his mouth from falling open, he was amazed at what he’d witnessed. Boone and Rory had tried repeatedly to get Zandra to go to The Scruffy Goose with them and had failed. Zoë had just effortlessly accomplished the task. He marvelled at her ability to read Zandra and know just how to approach her. He’d inwardly cringed when Zoë hadn’t treated Zandra with kid-gloves as he’d expected after learning of Zandra’s past. If asked, he would’ve said such a tactic would have proved disastrous, but Zoë had just proven him wrong. Again. She was amazing, and he couldn’t help but wonder where her abilities originated. With even more questions about her, he had to solve the mystery of her, he needed answers. You promised not to delve into her background. Nope, he corrected himself, I promised not to push her for information. I never promised I wouldn’t investigate on my own. You’re splitting hairs, Collins, you know she meant for you to promise to keep your nose out of her business. That may well be, but he’d given her his word he wouldn’t push her. As far as he was concerned, he wasn’t going against his word and that’s all that mattered. While still uncertain how, he had to find out about her past and, despite his current irritation with Boone, he figured his friend had just the resources he needed.
22
Rounding the house to the main entrance, Zoë smelled grilling meat and figured Ethan must be barbecuing their dinner. True to his word, he’d insisted on preparing the meal and she was looking forward to it, curious as to what he’d serve. After breakfast, when Zandra began cleaning the house, he’d pulled Zoë aside for a furtive kiss. It was deep, sensual, and promised future encounters like the ones they’d shared so far. Then he informed her that he had work to do but would prepare dinner as promised.
After letting herself in the house, she entered the dining room to see Ethan placing cutlery on the table. A bottle of red wine and two goblets sat out. He looked to her and smiled his lop-sided smile.
“Great, you’re here. Take a seat, I’ll be back in a flash with our food.”
“What are we having?”
“Steak, mashed potatoes, and a salad. I’m not much of a cook so the mashed potatoes came from a box. That’s okay, right?” As she tried to prevent her nose from scrunching in disdain, he laughed. “I’m kidding, I’m not that incompetent. I also didn’t make mashed potatoes. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them on the grill, too.”
Smiling at his ongoing playful mood, she then asked a question she dreaded hearing the answer to. “How did you prepare my steak?”
“Rare.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“Well, I figured if you wanted it cooked more I could toss it back on the grill.”
“Good thinking, but my preference is rare.”
“It’s the only way to eat steak as far as I’m concerned. Okay, get comfy, I’ll be right back.”
In complete agreement with his views on steak, she took a seat at the table. He was back in a few minutes with their plates. As he placed the food before her, she looked over the plate. The steak had perfect cross-hatched grill marks on it, the split potato was slathered in butter, and the salad contained more seasonal vegetables than she’d expected. Huh, maybe she was rubbing off on him. Breathing in the scent of the meal, she detected the wondrous smells of grilled beef, butter, which he’d also spread on the steaks—a steakhouse trick she was impressed he knew—and she smelled garlic, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and dill seed, all components of a popular steak seasoning blend. While she wasn’t surprised he’d employed it, she was a little shocked by the cumin and coffee she detected. Apparently, he knew a bit about cooking too, in addition to everything else he excelled at. He really was an impressive man.
When she’d tasted everything on her plate, she met his eyes. He wore a curious but guarded expression. She smiled sweetly, glad to alleviate his apparent worry. “This meal is lovely, truly. I really like it. You grilled the steak perfectly, and everything is seasoned well. Kudos on the made-from-scratch salad dressing, it’s great.”
A huge grin spread across his face. “Well, coming from you that’s a huge compliment. Thank you.”
After they’d both finished their meals, he motioned to her wineglass. “Let’s enjoy our wine and relax a bit. Then, I’m taking you out for dessert.” At the inquisitive cock of her head, he shook his. “Don’t worry, it’s not a date. I just thought you might like to grab an ice cream cone in town. The ice cream festival starts today and runs through the entire summer. Each year, Dean and Cookie Patton, who own the diner, offer handmade ice creams. I thought you might be keen to try one. Besides, it’s the event of the year in town.”
She couldn’t suppress an amused snort. “Ice cream is the event of the year?”
“In Bison Bluffs, yes.”
His lop-sided smile was back, coupled with a bemused twinkle in his eyes. While she would have welcomed just heading to his bedroom for a repeat of last night’s fun, her curiosity over the ice cream won out. It was her weakness, and homemade ice cream appealed to her chef side. Hoping there would be an ambitious offering, she nodded.
“Yeah, I’d like to do that. It sounds like fun.”
He seemed pleased with her acquiesce as he sipped from his glass. While she enjoyed his new gregarious nature, she hoped he didn’t view their outing as an actual date. She’d been serious about the sex-only arrangement and had thought he was as well. His actions tonight were a bit concerning but maybe she was overreacting. Having a lovely dinner with wine wasn’t necessarily a date. Neither was heading into town for some ice cream. He was just being friendly. After all, it would be weird if they slept together and then completely ignored one another, considering they were the only two in the house.
Heading into town brought a slight risk of exposure but she believed it was nominal. She’d researched Bison Bluffs before responding to Ethan’s ad and hadn’t seen anything that would place it on Rosati’s radar. She was sure it was safe. Besides, she’d already been to the grocery store and would undoubtedly be making many trips to town at some point. It made sense she’d end up checking out more of the town, so why not tonight? She couldn’t think of a better way of seeing the sights than with Ethan at her side.
23
As Ethan drove through Bison Bluffs, Zoë took in the crowded downtown area in awe. Well, downtown was truly only the intersection of the two largest roads in town, but Ethan hadn’t been kidding when he said the ice cream festival was an event. It seemed everyone in the area was present, enjoying the balmy spring evening, walking, and talking with others, many of them doing so with
ice cream cones in hand.
Ethan found parking more than a block away from the diner and, as they began to walk toward the building, he surprised her by taking her hand in his. She’d thought he’d want to keep their arrangement a secret but, apparently, he wasn’t concerned about gossip. He touched the brim of his hat and nodded to a few people they passed and, while some eyed her curiously, no one stopped them.
Taking in the building, she smiled broadly at the name on its sign, That Diner in Town. It had a definite 1950s look to it, pleasing her tremendously. There was nothing like an old-fashioned diner, complete with period décor, and well-made comfort food.
“I love that name,” she said, still smiling.
“Yeah, story goes Dean and Cookie named it what they figured it would end up being called anyway.”
“That’s genius,” she enthused, “truly. I can’t wait to meet them.”
As they took their place at the end of a line of people that stretched from the diner’s entrance, a tap on her shoulder startled her and she spun to see Zandra and Rory standing behind them. After the four exchanged greetings, during which she couldn’t help but notice Rory stare at her and Ethan’s conjoined hands, Zandra smiled broadly at her.
“I’m glad you two came out tonight. I’m sure you needed a break from the ranch.”
She shrugged. “I like it there. It’s so peaceful. Ethan suggested we grab a cone though, and I love ice cream, so I figured why not?”
“You’re gonna love the ice cream here then,” Zandra assured her. “The Pattons go all out. There’ll be a new flavour available tonight and I can’t wait to try it.”
Still amazed everyone was so damn excited over ice cream, Zoë smiled, and then tilted her head questioningly. “Boone didn’t join you two tonight?”
“No, he had a date.”
Done a Runner (Wanted Men of Bison Bluffs Book 1) Page 9
