Sand Angel Page 0,40
tried—” She narrowed her eyes on Zoë. “She’s into it.”
For a moment, Drew couldn’t speak. The thought of Zoë with another man was enough to make his stomach churn. To think of her with two men at once nearly sent the heat in his face to a raging fire.
Damn it. He had no right to tell her what she could and couldn’t do, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to do everything in his power to try. Right now was as good a time as any. He walked away from Kari, heading toward the dancing pair. Before he reached them a strong hand folded around his biceps, stopping him in his tracks.
“She doesn’t need a scene tonight.” Josh looked drawn, tired. “Just back off. Give her a little room. Zoë knows how Kari is. They’ve played this game before. Kari wants what Zoë has. That means men too.” He released his hold on Drew. “Word of warning, don’t try to make Zoë jealous. It will turn on you badly.” He pressed something into Drew’s hand. “It’s her trailer key.”
Drew nodded his thanks as he slipped the key into his jeans pocket. Perhaps Josh was right. Although it went against his better judgment, maybe he was better off taking it slowly. He pinpointed his gaze on the dancing couple. “I don’t think I can stand by and let her sleep with him.” The mere thought of her wrapped in Trent’s arms made Drew break out in a cold sweat.
Josh slapped Drew on the back, drawing his attention. “Give her a little credit. She doesn’t want him.” He paused, looking like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. “All I ask is that you make her happy. She deserves that.”
Again, Drew nodded. If she gave him a chance, he’d work a lifetime at seeing to her happiness.
As the night waned, the crowd got louder, more riders turning in their quads for a beer. Drew was glad to see that Zoë wasn’t drinking. She refused the fourth drink offered her tonight, but not the attention of nearly every man in camp who wanted to dance with her. Of course, that only drove Kari to make a couple more attempts at seducing him. He fought her off admirably, but it was wasted energy if he expected Zoë to notice his efforts.
Not once did Zoë look his way. Even where she stood, she kept her head turned. Trent rose, trying to pull her into an embrace. With a sidestep she dodged his grasp. Drew couldn’t make out their words, but he knew exactly what Trent was up to as he glanced toward his trailer, trying to pull her in its direction. She shook her head, jerked loose and walked away. When he began to follow her, Drew fought the urge to intercept him. Instead, he took a breath, not releasing it until she was safely in her trailer, alone.
“Hey, man, how about some help here,” Josh called out to Drew. He and several others were rounding up the quads, putting them nose to nose, before stringing chain through their handlebars to lock them up for the night. Drew slid a quad into neutral and rolled it over to where Josh was working. “I told you so,” Josh muttered, placing a lock around the chain and securing the ends. “She still loves you.”
If only that were true, Drew thought. “How do you know?”
Josh looked up at him with sincerity in his expression and voice. “If she didn’t, she’d be in Trent’s arms right now.” He brushed the sand off his hands. “Now how about another beer?”
Parties at Glamis always rolled into the wee hours of the morning. It was one o’clock before the lights in Zoë’s trailer blinked out. Another hour before Drew got up the nerve to use the key in his pocket.
The floor moaned beneath each of his steps as he entered. He didn’t want to frighten her so he whispered her name. When there was no response, he slipped farther inside. Her soft, powdery musk filled his senses as he moved toward her bedroom. A slit in the curtains bathed her in moonlight. She slept hugged tightly to a pillow. Her features were tight, rigid.
Slowly he backed away. She needed to sleep. But he couldn’t leave. Toeing one shoe off and then the other, he stretched out on her couch, his feet hanging over the side. Just being near her was enough for him. There would be other nights