Summer of Love - Carly Phillips Page 0,7
a time or two at her jokes. And all the while, she couldn’t shake the heat his touch generated or the sense that his big hand had imprinted itself on her smaller one. She hadn’t liked the other social worker’s unexpected visits, but she could get used to this guy hanging around.
They ended their tour in the kitchen, and Zoe hopped up to sit on the counter. “So what do you think?”
He nodded in what seemed reluctant approval. “It’s a different setup, but you’ve definitely made sure the family is separate and protected from spa guests. The cowbell was a unique touch.”
She rolled her eyes. It figured. Zoe had pointed out their high-tech protection, the video cameras and the alarm system and he’d focused on Elena’s personal method of ensuring nobody entered the private part of the house unnoticed—a cowbell hanging over the door, virtually impossible to move or disable. She’d used the same technique on Zoe and Ari when they were younger to make sure neither sneaked out of the house or came in too late.
Zoe shrugged. “What can I say? Mom and Dad have got their own ways. But they did their job as parents and did it well.”
He strode closer. So close she smelled his rich, musky scent and a warm, tingling feeling arose in her chest.
“Your family is certainly different,” he said.
“I take it you’re from a more conservative bunch?” She laughed and yanked on his tie playfully before remembering who he was. The social worker who would determine Sam’s fate.
She started to pull back but he touched her hand, stilling her movement, and his eyes locked on hers. The air around them grew heavy, pulsing with anticipatory awareness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this drawn to a man on first meeting.
Zoe had a healthy sex life but not a love life. That description she reserved for soul mates, people like her parents, or Quinn and Ari. In fact, she reserved the description for many people, really, with the exception of herself. She didn’t know how people made a lifetime commitment and kept it. She hadn’t even been able to accomplish that with a job.
She understood these things about herself, and though she accepted them, she was taking steps to lead a more adult life. Her sister’s marriage had made her realize it was time to make changes. Zoe supposed it was a good thing that love had never happened for her. One less decision she’d had to make and stick with, she thought wryly.
And since she was approaching her thirtieth birthday in a matter of days, she had long since stopped expecting love at all. Besides, she enjoyed her freedom too much to give it all up for one man.
She glanced at the good-looking man before her and realized that her sex life had been status quo for so long even this overwhelming chemistry came as a surprise. As a woman who liked excitement, she welcomed the rush of adrenaline in her veins, and she had no trouble acting on their mutual attraction.
As long as she didn’t jeopardize Sam’s future in the process. Thankfully, the ringing of the telephone interrupted their prolonged silence, and she reached for the phone. “Hello.”
“Elena?” a voice asked.
“No, this is Zoe.”
She gave Ryan an apologetic look and held up one finger, asking him to wait a minute while she took the call.
“It’s Katherine Farr, Samantha’s social worker,” the voice on the other end of the phone said. “I just wanted to apologize that neither myself nor my colleague could make it to Sam’s party today.”
Zoe narrowed her gaze. “But…”
“I know you’re disappointed and so is Samantha, but it can’t be helped. My mother needs me for another few weeks, and my colleagues will be tied up with urgent cases. I hope you understand.”
“Sort of.” Zoe shot a covert glance at Ryan beneath her lashes.
“It’s a compliment and a testament to your family’s skills with Samantha. She’s come such a long way. I know she’s safe and in good hands, so I have no problem with the final evaluation being postponed for a few weeks until I’m back.”
“Okay.” She didn’t want to give anything away to her companion who stood with is back to her, staring at the photographs on the refrigerator.
“My colleagues will need to focus on the more problematic cases in order to cover my absence,” Katherine explained.
“I understand. And I hope things work out for your mother.”
“Thank you, dear. You’ll relay the message to your