The Cowgirl's Chosen Love - Vivian Arend Page 0,48
the picnic basket. “I’m starved.”
Him too. Not just for food.
Zach pushed down his lust and forced a carefree smile. “Let’s eat.”
She steered the conversation back to his family, which meant by the time they’d eaten, she knew how many of his sisters were married (three), how many nieces and nephews he had (seven, with one on the way), and how often he saw them all (often, but in small doses).
They were riding back, and her chatterbox conversation had trickled to nothing. It didn’t seem awkward, though. Just two people sharing a companionable silence, thinking their own thoughts.
His were about how right spending time with her was. Also, to be honest, more than a few thoughts focused on how soon he could convince her there was no use waiting to get intimate—
The heat between them was undeniable.
“I’m not used to having family around.”
Her words interrupted a very steamy daydream. Zach blinked to attention. “What brought that up?”
She shrugged. “My sisters have had each other forever. You’ve had lots of people as well.”
“The more to torment me, you mean.”
Julia laughed. “Torment, tease, play with, bounce ideas off… It was only me and my mom forever. Sometimes it feels as if you’re all speaking a foreign language I don’t understand.”
Interesting point. “You’re right. Although, the best kind of family is the type you pick for yourself. Sometimes that means the one you’re born into, and sometimes it means the people you choose to have in your life. Finn is my brother in every way except blood.”
Her eyes brightened. “That’s sweet.”
“Don’t tell him I said that,” Zach insisted. “I don’t need him hitting me up for a family loan.”
She snickered. “Please. From the sounds of it, you two have all the money you need…”
Her words trailed off.
He didn’t make her clarify. He felt it. The reason why they were going through with this whole farce was to keep the money intact. He wanted to rant that it was more than that already, but it was far too soon for those kinds of reassurances.
Instead, Zach grinned. “Enough money to have splurged for dessert. There are two kinds of pie in the fridge. Since I didn’t know your favourite.”
“Pie is my favourite pie,” she joked back, and the awkward moment vanished.
But it was a reminder that he had to work for this. The roots of a relationship were there, but it wasn’t going to be a slam dunk moving forward.
He had to be very patient and deliberate to make it clear their relationship was of far more value than any bank bottom line.
It was a nice enough cabin, and until now, Julia had considered it roomy. She had her space, he had his, and the shared bathroom between their rooms was massive and comfortable.
But even moving the coffee table aside hadn’t created enough open space in the living room to allow them to stretch out on their yoga mats without being very close.
Intimately close, as in bumping limbs occasionally.
More annoying was the fact every breath he took echoed through her as if she had sonar and was picking up his frequency.
They’d only been at it for ten minutes, and she was already flushed.
She glanced to the side. Zach remained in the twisted seated position she’d guided them into. His eyes were shut, and while his flexibility wasn’t anything to scream about, he was trying. Inhale. Exhale and twist farther, just the way she’d told him.
While he was occupied, it was too tempting to resist a leisurely look. He wore a loose pair of sweats and a grey T-shirt that stretched over his chest and biceps. As he twisted, the shirt rode up, coming untucked far enough to show a thin sliver of tanned skin.
Bare feet. Nice bare feet—which was a weird thing to notice, but she’d been around enough guys in shower houses and medical situations to know some people had good, solid, but ugly, support systems.
His feet were…sexy.
Dammit, brain, stop taking me there.
“Okay, let’s move to the next thing.” Julia tore her gaze off his body, toes and all, and stood.
Zach copied her. “So far, so good,” he teased. “I haven’t gotten stuck once.”
She laughed. “No pretzel moves, I promise.”
“You go right ahead. I don’t mind watching.” His gaze drifted over her, and she felt it like a caress. He adjusted position, feet braced on the mat. Those sweatpants didn’t look nearly as loose anymore…
Shit. Staring at his junk and trying to figure out if he was really getting turned on from looking at her