Summer of Love - Carly Phillips Page 0,36

first and then I’ll take a quick one and drive you home?” he asked.

She glanced up, last night’s clothing hanging from her arms. Just looking at the man made her hungry for him all over again. “Wouldn’t it be quicker if we showered together?” She fluttered her lashes at him too innocently, her suggestive tone all too obvious.

Zoe didn’t know how much time they would have together once his secret was revealed. Once he ripped Sam from their lives. She didn’t know how to cope with all her conflicting emotions, and yet somehow she managed to focus only on the here and now. On Ryan and this moment in time.

He obviously felt the same way because he laughed and they did as she suggested. Then they drove back to Zoe’s house, where despite her protests, Ryan walked her to the front door.

Even if she wouldn’t admit it aloud to him, she appreciated that he was brought up to be a gentleman because she was grateful for the few extra minutes alone with him. Unfortunately, she had something to tell him before they parted that would definitely kill the mood. “Zoe…”

“Ryan…”

They spoke at the same time, and she laughed.

“Ladies first.”

She hugged her arms close to her chest. “I really don’t deserve for you to be so nice to me.”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but if you’re feeling insecure, I can assure you that you were amazing in bed.” A teasing grin twitched at his lips, his dimples showing when he allowed a full-blown smile.

She flushed hot, remembering the feeling of making love with him, his body buried deep inside hers, filling her completely.

“Did you know you’re adorable when you blush? Which I’ve managed to get you to do quite often.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

“I’m very anti-Mediterranean that way. My olive complexion should protect me from giving myself away,” she muttered.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to be able to hide your real feelings from me. Now, what’s on your mind?”

She shifted on her feet. The summer sun had yet to reach its peak, yet she was blistering hot, both from nerves and from being around Ryan.

When it came to a guy or a relationship, she was usually the one in control. But she couldn’t get a handle on her feelings for this man. “I…We…Last night was amazing,” she said first, not wanting to gloss over something so important to them both.

“Yes, it was.” His voice dropped an octave. “But I hear a but coming.”

She shook her head. “Not a typical but.”

“What then?”

“Look…” She exhaled hard and forced her gaze up from her shoes to his face. “We met because of Sam. Because you’re her uncle and you want her in your life. And we didn’t tell her about you because I needed to be sure of you and your character.”

He propped his shoulder against the screen door. “And now you are?”

“Unfortunately, I am.” He was a good man. The best kind, really. She reached for his hand, holding it tight. “We need to tell Sam the truth.” Her stomach hurt just saying the words.

She couldn’t begin to imagine the fallout from the actual revelation. But it was time. She no longer had any justification to keep the truth from her family and Sam. They all had to stop living a lie, especially Zoe herself. She had to stop pretending Ryan could actually be a part of her life. She was becoming too attached to a man who was just passing through and who would leave nothing but spiraling upheaval in his wake.

Ryan glanced down at their intertwined hands. He opened and closed his mouth, unsure of what to say. He’d been so focused on last night and on Zoe, he hadn’t seen this one coming. True, he wanted Sam to know he was her uncle, but he’d been content to wait until the time was right. He and Zoe had been so close, the last thing he’d considered doing was putting a wedge between them.

Which made him wonder about her motives for doing so now. Could she be using his relationship with Sam to keep him at a distance? It was possible. After all, he’d seen her wariness this morning. He’d watched her wake up, stiffen and take too long to figure out how to handle the situation. No doubt, if she’d awakened before him, she would have bolted. For reasons he didn’t yet understand, he sensed Zoe