Kiss Me (Fool's Gold series) (19 page)

Zane bent toward her just as Chase burst through the bushes. He took in the scene and lunged for his brother.

“What did you do to her?” he demanded, grabbing Zane by his shirtfront. “What is wrong with you?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

P
HOEBE
FELT
AS
if Manny had plopped down on her chest. After a couple of seconds of ineffectual gasping, she managed to draw air into her lungs. When she was breathing regularly, she realized that Zane and Chase were scrambling around together. On the ground!

Maya rushed over with Thad right behind her. Cookie followed. Seconds later, Zane had Chase pinned. Both brothers were breathing hard, glaring at each other.

“What the hell?” Maya demanded.

Cookie threatened both of them with a frying pan to the head if they didn’t stop. Phoebe still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Nor did she understand what was happening or why.

“Do it,” Chase taunted from his place flat on the ground. “Hit me. You know you want to.”

Zane’s tight expression was unreadable. Tension crackled in the air.

“Dammit all to hell, hit me!”

Zane released his brother and stood up. Then without saying anything, he stalked away. Maya dropped to her knees next to her stepbrother.

“What’s going on? Why are you two fighting?”

Chase pointed at Phoebe. “Ask her.”

Everyone turned to stare. Phoebe scrambled to her feet and brushed off her fanny. “Me? I didn’t do anything.” She pointed at the log. “Okay, I tripped and fell and got the wind knocked out of me. What does that have to do with anything?”

Chase’s mouth dropped open. “You tripped?”

Phoebe sighed. “So I’m not the most graceful person here. Why is that such a big deal?”

Maya stood and put her hands on her hips. “Kid, you just screwed up big-time.”

Chase groaned and flopped back on the ground. “No. I thought... She was on her back and upset and he was bending over her.”

Thad and Cookie backed away from the scene. Phoebe looked from them to Chase as all the pieces fell into place.

“You thought he’d hurt me? Zane? Your brother? Has he ever once in his entire life touched a woman?”

Maya shook her head. “Not in a bad way. According to Sally, he was pretty decent in—”

Phoebe held up her hand. She did not want to hear about Zane’s lovemaking skills through the grapevine.

She turned back to Chase. “You’re always complaining that Zane doesn’t see the good in you, but you’re just as guilty. Why would you assume something like that about him? He’s your brother. You should know he’d never hurt a woman.”

Chase sat up and dropped his head to his chest. “I do. It’s just—I can’t explain it. You were on the ground, and Zane looked, I don’t know. Different. Furious.”

“He’s not the only one,” Phoebe told him, before heading off. “You owe your brother an apology.”

She crashed through the bushes, hoping Zane hadn’t suddenly changed direction. If he had, she would get lost before finding him. On the bright side, maybe she would stumble upon the raccoon thieves and be able to bargain for the release of her pen.

* * *

Z
ANE
HEARD
THE
thrashing long before anyone appeared in the clearing. After a couple of minutes he figured out who it was by the soft bits of conversation during which Phoebe apologized to the trees and bushes she trampled.

“Over here,” he called, taking pity on her. And maybe himself. For once he didn’t want to be alone.

He still couldn’t believe Chase had come after him like that. He’d known what his brother was thinking the second he saw his face. That shocked him. Did Chase really think he was such a monster?

Phoebe broke through the underbrush and stepped into the clearing. Twigs and leaves stuck in her hair and on her shirt. She came to a stop when she saw him and began brushing off her clothes.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she said.

Zane offered a humorous smile. “He didn’t get a shot.”

Phoebe crossed to the log and sat next to him. “I’m more concerned about your emotional spirit than whether you were hit.”

He looked at her face—at the big eyes and full lips, at the concern. In his world of ranching and outdoor life, Phoebe was useless if decorative. From what he could tell, she hadn’t been very monetarily successful in her career, and according to Maya, she was a disaster at relationships.

But to him, she was probably the strongest person he’d ever known. She led with her heart, coming back again and again, regardless of how the organ got bruised. She had a well of courage that left him in awe.

“Nobody worries about me,” he told her.

“I do.” She took one of his hands in hers. “You’d never hurt me, or any woman. I don’t know why Chase jumped to that conclusion.”

Zane did his best to ignore the heat pouring into him. Just the light touch of her small fingers was enough to get him hard. He had to get this under control.

“You were on the ground and hurt. I was just standing there. It looked bad.”

She dismissed his statement. “I don’t care how it looked. I care about how it was.”

“Thanks.” He squeezed her fingers, then pulled free before he did something stupid like ripping off her jeans and making love to her right there on the ground.

“Oh, Zane.”

Phoebe sighed his name in a way that made him want to spill all the dark secrets of his soul. While he couldn’t risk that, he was willing to bring one to the light of day.

“If he’d been anyone else, I would have taken him on.”

She looked at him. “You would have fought him?”

He nodded. “Right now I could use a good fight.”

He expected her to bolt for safety or at least disapprove. Instead she leaned against him, resting her head on his upper arm.

“It’s the stress, isn’t it?” she asked softly. “You have all of us to worry about. I know why you wanted to teach Chase a lesson, but once you saw everyone and realized all the stuff that could go wrong, I’m sure you figured grounding him for ten years would have been a better option.”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

She raised her head and smiled at him. “We’re doing okay, and for what it’s worth, I think everyone is having a really good time.”

“I worry about Chase, too.”

He couldn’t believe he’d said that. What was wrong with him? But there was something about being around Phoebe. Something that made him relax inside.

“I know he makes mistakes, but basically he’s a good kid,” she told him. “Trust him, and trust yourself.”

She looked so earnest, he thought, as aroused as he was amused.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t be trusting me,” he told her, right before he kissed her.

As he lowered his mouth to hers, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. She leaned into him, her slender body warm and supple in his embrace. Her lips clung, then parted. When he swept inside, she was hot, sweet and more than willing to take him on.

The second his tongue touched hers, she moaned. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, and he felt a shudder ripple through her body. He went from hard to ready to explode in two seconds.

The way they were next to each other on a log didn’t allow him to explore her the way he wanted, so he broke the kiss and pulled her to her feet.

Phoebe went willingly, if a little unsteadily. When they were both standing, he pressed his mouth to her jaw before sliding to her neck.

She moaned and leaned back her head. Their lower bodies brushed against each other. When her belly came in contact with his erection, it was his turn to groan.

He slid one hand from her waist up to her breast and cupped the feminine curve. Even through the layers of her shirt and bra, he could feel her tight nipple. One sweep of his thumb against it had her gasping.

She touched his head and guided his mouth back to hers. This time when he entered her, she closed her lips around his tongue and sucked. He dropped his free hand to the small of her back, holding her in place so he could rub against her.

The thick ropes of his control began to unravel. When she curled both arms around his neck, it seemed natural to place his around her waist and pick her up. She wrapped her legs around his hips, bringing herself in direct contact with his hard-on.

It was paradise. It was pure torture.

He swore. She broke the kiss and smiled at him.

“So you find me annoying, but you still want me,” she whispered.

“I don’t find you annoying.” He pushed against her crotch.

“I don’t find you annoying, either.”

He read the passion in her eyes and knew she was more than willing to take things to the next level.

He glanced around, searching for a soft, private spot, only to realize they were out in the open and likely to be discovered any second. It wasn’t romantic, it wasn’t smart, and he didn’t have a condom with him. Phoebe deserved a whole lot better.

“I want you,” he told her.

She tightened her legs around him. “Me, too.” Color stained her cheeks. “I’ve never said that to a man before.”

Zane realized he hadn’t told a woman, either. He’d shown her, but he’d never actually spoken the words. Phoebe was changing him in all kinds of ways.

He wanted her with a desperation he’d never felt before. And yet...

“We can’t,” he said gently, ignoring the hardness and the pain in his groin. “You deserve better than something hot and fast up against a tree.”

She swallowed. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“I am.”

“Oh.”

She sounded disappointed. Had she been anyone else, he would have said the hell with it and taken what she offered. But she was Phoebe.

From behind them came the sound of a car horn honking, and then another. They couldn’t see anything through the trees, but they heard laughter drifting toward them as at least a couple of off-road vehicles drove slowly past.

“Sounds like we have company,” he said. “We’re close to Stryker land. Guess they decided to say hi. You go on ahead. I need a few minutes.”

When he pointed at the front of his jeans, she blushed. “Oh. I see your problem. Well, you could walk right behind me and no one would notice.”

He chuckled. “I’ll wait it out. Go on.”

“Okay.”

She headed toward camp. Zane watched her go, taking in the sway of her hips and the wave she gave him right before she disappeared.

Getting involved with her would be stupid. He doubted Phoebe understood about easy, short-term affairs. But how was he supposed to resist those big eyes and that mouth of hers? Just touching her made him want her more than he’d ever wanted in his life. He’d walked away from so many things in the name of getting it right, but he wasn’t sure he could walk away from her.

* * *

P
HOEBE
EMERGED
FROM
the trees to find people pouring out of four rugged-looking vehicles. She stopped counting when she got to twenty, then stepped toward the laughing guests.

After a couple of days on the range with their small group, the noise level was a little shocking. It seemed like organized chaos as the people called out to each other, setting up two portable picnic tables and loading them with food.

The sun was still visible low on the horizon, painting the Western sky in warm purples and reds. The soft light on a summer night in the mountains filled Phoebe with a feeling of contentment.

“Reese!” Chase called out in a voice about an octave lower than normal. He and a gangly teen did a complicated handshake that devolved into fake punches.

“Phoebe, over here!” Maya said. “I want to introduce you to my bestie from tenth grade. This is Dellina Hopkins.”

She had her arm around the shoulders of a pretty woman with long, brown hair.

“Dellina Ridge now,” her friend said.

Maya grabbed Dellina’s left hand and whistled at the beautiful ring set flashing on her fourth finger.

“My husband’s over there,” Dellina said, pointing toward a black Jeep with flames on the side, where two men were lifting out a heavy cooler from the back.

Eddie and Gladys were behind the men. Gladys was holding up a lantern while Eddie was getting close-up video of their butts.

“That’s Ford Hendrix,” Maya said. “So you must be married to the other guy— Wait a minute! Is that—? You’re married to Sam Ridge? The football player? I’ve done a couple of stories about him and that tell-all his ex-wife wrote.”

Dellina laughed. “We don’t talk about that.”

“Ohmigosh,” Maya said breathlessly. “Is that Mayor Marsha?”

She grabbed Phoebe’s hand and pulled her toward a lovely silver-haired woman who was standing with Andrea near one of the tables. The woman was dressed with casual elegance in lightweight gray slacks and a teal-colored sweater set. Around her neck, she wore pearls, and Phoebe wondered whether she should warn her about the raccoons.