Sand Angel Page 0,19

in their party happened to notice as they whistled. Possessiveness gnawed at his gut.

She was his woman.

“Zoë, leave that thing alone and come eat,” Josh said, playing the concerned big brother.

She snorted.

Drew had never heard her make the unladylike sound before, but it suited the new her. No, the woman before him was hard, carved from a difficult life, one that he had inadvertently caused.

Dammit. This wasn’t only his fault. He had written. He had offered to come back home.

A set of headlights blinded him as a sand rail revved up its engine and tore down Gecko Road. Several people on quads followed. Night riding was legal but dangerous. Add to that drinking and you had a combination for disaster.

When Zoë slipped her helmet on, Drew closed the distance between them. She was already on the quad as he reached her.

“Not tonight, baby.” He placed his hand on her arm. She stared at his hand for a moment, then slid her gaze up his arm until their eyes met. He didn’t see anger, only sadness.

Had she cried after he left her? Did she still have feelings for him?

Her tongue swiped across her lips. “Drew, I don’t want to fight. Besides I’m just checking my quad.”

The smell of soap and shampoo and something uniquely Zoë, that soft powdery scent, assailed his senses. “Talk to me instead.” Her skin was cool beneath his palm as he smoothed it up her arm and over her shoulder. Slowly he caressed her collarbone with his thumb. “I need to talk to you, Zoë.”

She looked away. “I’m tired, Drew.”

“I know, baby.” He wanted to hold her. Tell her what she meant to him. Ask her to forgive him.

“I need to ride.” She replaced one pair of colored-lens goggles for clear ones and tugged them on.

“You’re not dressed for riding.”

“I know, but— I just need to ride.” Ignoring him, she reached for the key.

He cupped her hand. “If you’re going, I’m tagging along.” He slid on behind her. His crotch fit snug against her ass. Bare thighs hugged bare thighs. Immediately, his cock hardened. This wasn’t going to be easy.

“Riding double is illegal in California.” Her voice cracked as she scooted forward, attempting to put distance between them.

He almost laughed. There was no way she was getting away from him. “Then we’ll have to stay one foot ahead of the rangers.”

“You don’t have a helmet, goggles.” The minute the words left her mouth, Josh was there with Drew’s headgear. “Thanks, bro.” The endearment from Zoë held a hint of sarcasm.

Drew settled the helmet and goggles in place. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”

“Then hold on.” She gassed it.

By the grace of God he didn’t fall off as the bike lurched forward. Instead he wrapped his arms around her bare midriff. She felt good in his arms, even if they were moving quickly through the sand. They hit a bump and his hands slid up her rib cage, discovering she wore no bra.

“Nice,” he hissed in her ear, but he doubted she heard because of her helmet. Or maybe she did hear. She spun the quad into a turn that nearly dumped both of them off the bike. He moved his hands back along the defined muscles of her abdomen. The damn woman had a six-pack. He traced the line of muscles, playing a moment with the bellybutton ring that slid back and forth.

The front brakes grabbed and she applied pressure to perform a stoppie. The back tires rising from the ground threw them forward. She dipped low against the gas tank.

Damn her. She was intentionally trying to throw him over the handlebars.

“Good try, sweetheart,” he said as she topped a ridge, stopped and killed the engine. The headlights died, leaving them bathed in moonlight.

In the distance the roar of engines filled the night. Dancing headlights were all around them. Laughter and hoots and hollers joined the chaos. It was an all-out free-for-all.

“Why’d we stop?” he asked. She was up to something, he knew it.

She gave him a little push with her shoulder. “I need some breathing room.”

He slid off the bike and she followed. As a second thought, he reached for the keys and pocketed them. No way in hell was she leaving him stranded at night in the desert.

Her laugh was weak at best. “Afraid?” She removed her headgear and set it on the quad’s seat.

He followed suit. “Always with you, baby.” And that was the truth. His feelings for her scared him to death. He