She held her hand up, stopping my protest.
“Just hear me out … You know nothing about her other than what she’s told you. You’re a rich and powerful man, Gabe, and it wouldn’t be the first time that a woman has pulled out all the stops to try and capture you. Yes, I agree that if that’s what she’s doing, Zoey’s using a much different approach than the others, and I give her props for style, but, Gabe, I just want you to know what you’re getting into before it goes too far and you’re seriously attached to this woman.”
I looked her in the eye and admitted, “It may already be too late for that…”
“C’mon, you just met.”
“I know, but there’s something about her, Rena. She makes me laugh. She’s sexy as hell without even trying. She brings out this side of me that wants to take care of her … I’m not totally off my rocker and saying I’m in love, but, Serena, I haven’t been this intrigued by a woman in a long time. I want to see where it goes.” I put my hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I love that you’re looking out for me, but I think Zoey’s legit. I don’t think she came here with a secret plan to make me fall for her so she could take all my money.”
“Okay,” Serena said with a frown. “I trust your instincts. But I’ll be watching her.”
I chuckled at her and pulled her in for a hug, feeling utterly content when her small arms came around me.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
“Thanks for the beer,” I said, pulling back and dropping a kiss on her forehead.
As she was walking back around the front of the cabin, Reardon turned the corner and headed my way.
“It’ll be done in a few minutes,” I called before he could ask.
Reardon patted his flat stomach and grinned.
“Not trying to be a pain, but I need to fill this sucker up.”
Being the tallest of us by far, Reardon had always eaten more than your average man. When he’d hit puberty and began the first of three growth spurts, my aunt used to complain that she had to take out a second job just to keep him fed.
“I’ve got two brats and a burger with your name on ‘em.”
“Good man,” Reardon said with a grin. “So … things seem to be progressing with Zoey, huh?”
“Jesus, what is this? Are you all taking turns? It’s fine. She’s a nice woman and I like her, that’s all.”
Reardon held up his hands in surrender and said, “Whoa!” He turned his head back toward the direction Serena had just left in, then back to me. “Is that what Rena was back here about?” At my nod he said, “I was just making an observation. I like Zoey, and I’m glad that you two seem to be hitting it off. That’s all I meant.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to bite your head off,” I said sheepishly.
“No worries, and don’t worry about Rena, you know what a mother hen she is. She’s just looking out for you. I’m sure she and Zoey will hit it off; she just needs to get to know her a bit.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right,” I replied as I placed the meat on a platter and turned off the grill.
We walked around and took the food to the picnic table, where the others were waiting with the buns, sides, and condiments. I was happy to see Serena sitting down with Jasmine and Zoey. They were all talking and everyone looked at ease.
When Serena looked up, I gave her a grateful smile and said, “Dinner is served.”
Everyone busied themselves making their plates, then sat around the table, talking in between bites.
I noticed Zoey eating quietly and watching the group intently, and was going to try and pull her into the conversation when her eyes widened and she stood up abruptly.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said absently, then picked up her plate and started backing away. “I just thought of something I have to do. Please excuse me.”
I watched, confused, as she stumbled her way down toward her cabin, the door slamming behind her as she went inside.
“What was that?” Dillon asked, his face reflecting the same concern I was feeling.
“I’ll go check on her,” Jasmine said, rising from her spot.
“Me too,” Serena added, following after our cousin.
“Should I go?” I asked, unsure how to handle Zoey’s abrupt departure.
“Nah, let us girls handle it,” Jasmine replied from over her shoulder. “We’ll let you know if you’re needed.”
Chapter Ten ~ Zoey
I was scribbling fiercely, the plate of food I’d brought with me forgotten.
Watching Gabe and his cousins … the way they interacted, communicated, and obviously felt about each other, had given me an epiphany. There was something missing in the book I was currently finishing up, and inspiration had struck over dinner.
I grinned excitedly as I wrote. My editor was going to lose her mind!
A knock on the screen door had my grin fading as I looked up to see who was disturbing my train of thought.
“Can we come in?” Jasmine asked.
I really wanted to say no, but realized Jasmine and Serena might take it wrong, not understanding the intense need I had to put pen to paper.
“Of course,” I said instead, allowing my desire to be polite to overrule my desire to be alone.
I went back to writing, trying to get down the ideas that I had before I lost them, and Jasmine sat down on the bed while Serena walked around the room.
“So … I was just telling Serena that she needn’t be worried that you have some sordid underlying plan to trap our cousin and use him for your own gain…”
Still half in a daze, the gist of Jasmine’s words penetrated my brain and I looked up, confused.
“What? Why would I use him?”
Jasmine waved her hand, as if waving away my question.
“But I told her, the last person that would need to use our cousin for anything, would be Zoey Zahn…”
My brain cleared immediately and I dropped my pen.
“How long have you known?” I asked, my stomach dipping as I worried that she’d be upset with me. I liked Jasmine, and didn’t want her to think I had any sort of negative reason for keeping my identity to myself.
“I thought you looked familiar that first day, and it kept bugging me, but I didn’t know why,” she answered, flipping her flaming hair over her shoulder then giving a small shrug. “I went to Comic Con last year and saw you on a panel, but that was the only time I’d really seen your face, so it didn’t register right away. I woke up last night and it came to me.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I figured you had your reasons, and you weren’t hurting anyone by not announcing that we had one of the most popular writers in the world sleeping in the next cabin.”
“Well … I wouldn’t go that far. I was just enjoying the privacy, and the chance to be a regular person, you know? It was nice to have you all like me just for me,” I admitted.
Jasmine got up and crossed to me, her arms reaching out to take my hand in hers.
“We do like you for you, Zoey.”
“I like you guys too, and I’m sorry I didn’t say anything.”
“I get it,” Serena chimed in, speaking up for the first time since entering. “And I’m sorry I assumed the worst.”
“That’s okay … I get it too. Your cousin’s a very handsome and likeable guy, and I actually love the fact that you guys are all so close that you’d look out for him that way.” I smiled at the younger woman, then gestured to my notes. “That’s actually why I rushed back here …Watching you guys and the dynamics you share helped me figure out what’s been missing with the story I’m writing.”
“Is it the third book in the trilogy?” Jasmine asked, clapping her hands excitedly.
I laughed and answered, “Yes. Have you read them?”
“Are you kidding?” she replied, her voice raising an octave. “Who hasn’t? I love this series and cannot wait to read book three. I?
??m so excited that they’re being made into movies. Do you get to decide who plays your characters? When do they start filming? Will you get to be there?”
“Jasmine,” Serena said, quietly chastising her cousin, but I just giggled at Jasmine’s enthusiasm.
“Sorry,” Jasmine said, blushing slightly.
“That’s okay,” I replied, squeezing her hand. “I really appreciate the fact that you love my books so much. Um … no, I don’t get to decide who will play each part, but they are asking for my input. They start filming next month, and I get to stop by the set, but I probably won’t be there the entire time. I’m a little nervous about the stories translating well to film, but I’m also really excited, and beyond honored that they’re being made.”
“That’s so cool,” Jasmine breathed, and I had to laugh. She sounded exactly like my teenaged fans, and I kind of loved that about her.
“It is pretty cool,” I agreed, then added, “I’m sorry if my running off came off as strange. You didn’t have to come check up on me. There’s nothing wrong, I just got an idea that I had to get down.”
“I totally get that,” Serena said, surprising me. “When I get inspiration for a painting, I have to start working on it right away. One time we were all together for Thanksgiving, and I was suddenly struck with the burning need to paint … I left before dinner and drove six hours back to my studio.”
Jasmine chuckled and said, “Your mom was so mad.” She turned to me and added, “She’d invited this guy over. He was new in town and didn’t have any friends or family. She was hoping he and Serena would hit it off and give her lots of grandbabies.”
Serena groaned and threw herself backward on the bed.
“My mom is crazy for grandbabies.”
Another knock on the door had all of our heads swiveling.
“Am I interrupting?” Gabe said as he eased the door open, revealing a bottle of wine and two glasses in his hand.
“Nope, we were just leaving,” Serena replied, jumping off the bed and walking toward her cousin.
Jasmine crossed over to me and leaned in, whispering, “You don’t have to worry, we won’t tell anyone your secret. It should be up to you…”
“Thanks,” I replied, smiling back at her. “I really appreciate that.”
“You two be good,” she said loudly, then kissed Gabe on the cheek before following Serena out of my cabin and leaving Gabe and me alone.
Chapter Eleven ~ Gabe
“You sure I’m not interrupting?” I asked when Zoey stood unmoving, her eyes wide as she watched me come in. “I can come back another time…”
My words seemed to shake her out of her reverie, because she shook her head and answered, “No, please, come in.”
I grinned at her stilted movements, wondering if my being in her space made her nervous, and hoping, just a little bit, that it did.
“I’m sorry if I seemed strange, running off from dinner like that, but I had an idea for the book that I’m working on, and I had to get it down while it was still fresh.”
Zoey brushed stray stands off her face, and I noticed her hand was trembling slightly.
“Not strange,” I replied, with what I hoped was a reassuring grin. “I was just worried that something was wrong. I’m glad it had to do with your work, and not something one of us said or did.”
“No, no, not at all,” she replied, bringing her wide eyes up to mine, finally looking at me.
“Good,” I said softly as I poured the wine I’d already uncorked into the goblets. Handing her one I asked, “Want to sit, or do you want to go back out and join the group?”
“We can sit,” she said softly, holding the goblet in two hands as if it were a lifeline.
“So,” I began once we were settled a slight distance apart, knees touching. “What are you working on?”
Zoey’s face flushed as she replied, “Just the third book in a series I’m doing … no big deal.”
“O-kay,” I replied, taking the hint that she didn’t want to talk about work and changing the subject. “What made you decide to come here, to the camp with your nephew?”
Zoey visibly relaxed, so I knew the redirect had been a good idea. If she didn’t want to talk about her writing, I certainly wasn’t going to force her to. I hoped we had time enough to get to that at a later date.
“Chloe was originally going to come, but said that something came up with work at the last minute,” she replied with a half-shrug. “That’s not uncommon for her, she works hard to provide for Christopher … but, she didn’t want him to come to camp alone. He’s never been away from home for that long before, and although I’m sure he would have done just fine, she’s a bit of a worrywart. Chris called me, pleading for me to come along so that he didn’t have to cancel. Of course I said yes. It’s only a week, and with my job, it’s easy for me to work from anywhere. Of course, then I had to go and get the dates wrong…”
“I’m glad you did,” I admitted, smiling when she grinned at me over her glass.
“Me too.”
I took a sip then eased back, getting more comfortable before saying, “So, tell me about Christopher.”
Zoey’s expression grew animated, and I could see the love she felt for her nephew written there.
“Chris is great! Smart, funny, and a huge football fan,” she began. “He’s been talking about coming to this camp since it opened. This is the first year he’s old enough, so that’s another reason why I agreed to come right away, I know how much it means to him.” She took another sip of wine, her tongue darting out to catch a stray drop, causing my focus to waiver. “I know next to nothing about football, but Christopher has loved watching it since before he could talk. It’s something that he and Chloe share, and if there’s a game happening, you can bet they’re watching it.”
“But you don’t watch with them?” I prodded, thinking that would explain why she had no idea who I was.
“No,” she admitted with another shrug. “If there’s a game on while I’m there, I’ll usually pick up a book and read. I’ve tried to get into the game, for their sake, but I just don’t get it. I don’t know why … I usually pick things up quickly, but I cannot get a grasp on the rules of football. What about you, do you like it?”
I didn’t want to lie, but I wasn’t ready to lose my anonymity yet, so I replied honestly, “Yes, I love football. I played in high school and college. Reardon, Dillon, and I take in games whenever we can.”
“I’ll have to introduce you to Chris,” she said.
“I’d love that.” Unable to hold back any longer, I brought my hand up to her face, running my fingers along her soft skin before playing with a strand of her hair.
Zoey closed her eyes and held her breath. I leaned over and brushed my lips gently across the place my fingers had just touched.
I leaned back slightly, looking into her upturned face, before placing my glass, then hers, on the end table, and coming back to see her watching me. All trace of nerves gone, she surprised me by placing her hand behind my head and pulling me back toward her.
She met my lips with a fervor, opening her mouth and sweeping her tongue along my lower lip, pulling a groan from me before I took over. I leaned her back slightly, loving the feel of her soft breasts against my chest, her hand tightly grasping the hair at the nape of my neck, as I teased her with my mouth.
I broke away from her lips, kissing down her exposed neck and flicking my tongue along the base. She tasted sweet and salty, like a decadent desert, and I wondered if I’d ever get my fill.
Realizing that my body was drawn tight, and I was reaching the point where necking on the couch wouldn’t be enough, I pulled away and sat down a foot farther than I’d been moments before.
I’d told her I was coming over just to talk, and didn’t want to overstep my bounds or take more than she was willing to give so soon in our budding relationship.
She looked unbelievable sexy, her chest heaving as she watched me with eyes half-lidded with
desire. Her lips were swollen from my kiss, and I had to dig my fingernails into my hands to stop from reaching out and pulling her to me.
I was mentally telling myself all the reasons we needed to take things slow, when Zoey shocked me by straddling me swiftly, bringing her lips back to mine as she ground against the desire that I had no hope of disguising. It looked like taking it slow wasn’t on Zoey’s agenda, and who was I to deny this woman anything?
Chapter Twelve ~ Zoey
I’m not sure what came over me … I was like some sort of hot and bothered vixen who was going to take what she wanted.
I wasn’t usually so forward, leaving the guy in my life to make the first move, but when it looked like Gabe was going to stick to his guns on taking it slow, my libido took over. I was tired of taking it slow. For once, I wanted to go after what I wanted, and right now, what I wanted was writhing beneath me.
I pulled the rubber band out of my hair and let my long hair hang loose around us, covering our faces like a thick curtain in what I hoped was a sexy move. Gabe’s large hands immediately came up and sunk into the dark strands, so I figured I was on the right track. I rocked slowly, my eyes nearly rolling back in my head as I felt his hard length rubbing just where I needed him.
My lips were roaming of their own free will, memorizing every inch of his face … forehead, cheekbones, and finally, those full, luscious lips.
I could write an entire book about his lips…
I reached down and grasped the hem of his tank top, lifting it, then pulling, frustrated when his arms were in my way.
“Thanks,” I breathed when he took the shirt all the way off, and I was finally able to put my hands on all of that delicious skin.
I started with his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles beneath my soft palms. Down his biceps, then crossing over to pay homage to his defined chest. I bent lower and touched the tip of my tongue to his nipple, softly at first, but when his groan rumbled against my lips, the fire in me caught and I began to suck and bite. First one nipple, then the other, before kissing and licking a trail to his perfectly sculpted abs.