Her eyes widened. “Nate…”
Lifting one shoulder in a shrug, he grinned. “I might as well put it all out there, so you know.” Another kiss, shorter than the others by necessity, and he stepped back with her hand in his. “You give that some thought and let me know how you feel about it.”
He took in the state of her well-kissed lips, flushed cheeks, disheveled hair, and that she still had one hand gripping his shoulder.
“Walking away from you right now is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, Zoe. Do you understand?” She shook her head slowly. “Then I’ll show you the first time I have you naked in my bed. A long, thorough explanation.”
She exhaled roughly, a soft sound of need escaping.
He picked up her hand and pressed his lips to the palm before bending to claim her mouth one more time. Staring into her eyes, he took a moment to memorize the first day he kissed Zoe, touched her. Let all of it sink deep into his mind so it was never lost.
Dragging his hands over her shoulders, down her arms to her hands, he held them as he took a necessary step back. “Get some sleep and I’ll see you tomorrow, Zoe.”
He watched her swallow hard. “Goodnight, Nate.”
“I love the sound of your voice.” Smiling, he added, “Not surprising. There’s nothing I don’t like about you.”
“Thank you.” Her blush was clear even in the low light. “I-I like everything about you, too.”
He dropped a final kiss on her smiling lips and almost deepened it before he caught himself. Straightening, he turned and jogged to his vehicle before he threw her over his shoulder and hauled the poor woman back to his house like a caveman.
Mandy didn’t say anything when he got in the truck. She did release a soft snicker and it made him grin.
“Not one word, brat.”
“I wouldn’tdreamof it, Dad,” she shot back sassily.
It had been a lot of damn years since a woman made Nate feel like a sex-crazed teenager. Miss Zoe Green was hell on his control.
* * *
Zoe watched Nate and Mandy drive away before she closed her front door and locked up the house.
In a daze, she fed Maximus and showered him with attention after being gone all day. Her whispers to him made him look at her in confusion for several minutes before he jumped up on the counter and rammed his body against her until she picked him up completely.
“A bit of a shock for you, sweet boy?” He responded by dragging his face over hers. “We have our ways of communicating no matter what, don’t we?”
She carried him with her as she walked the house the way she always did before bed. Placing him on her bed, she smiled and scratched him behind the ears.
“I’ll be back.”
Stripping down to get in the shower, she replayed her day with the Langs. A family of two who went out of their way to make her feel welcome and valued.
Wrapped in a towel, she returned to her bedroom and grinned at Maximus curled up at the corner of the bed, waiting for her.
Noticing her phone notification blinking, she picked up her cell and smiled at the text from Nate.
It was an incredible day, Zoe. The first of many. All the rest, if I have anything to say about it.
Blinking several times, trying to decide if she should talk herself down about what the good-looking contractor implied, Zoe received another text.
Sleep well and dream about me. I guarantee I’ll be dreaming about you. Before and after I fall asleep.
She released a sharp gasp and managed to respond despite the shaking of her hands.
It makes my heart race and my mind scramble a bit when you say such things. It’s not that I don’t like it. I think I like it too much.
Tugging her lower lip between her teeth, she decided to send another.