The Heart Of The Game (22 page)

Chloe helped Scotty drag open a sliding wooden door at the front of the well-built barn.

Zoe’s thoughts stuttered. “I love all animals.”

The scent of fresh hay rose, enveloping her as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light inside. The barn was amazing. Heat lamps took the chill off the cool afternoon, and the paved floor sloped perfectly toward artfully crafted floor drains. The wooden stalls lining both sides outclassed even the fine woodwork of her family’s barn back home.

“Liza’s down with Jackie in the last stall,” Scotty said.

At the far end of the barn Jackie leaned against the door of the stall. She threw her head back and laughed. So... evidently not only was Liza beloved and beautiful, she also had a good sense of humor. Zoe tried to shove down the jealousy that stabbed a determined course through her belly.

She had no right to be jealous.

None.

But she was.

Cody came jogging up beside them. “Got the ghost out of the machine,” he said with a look of triumph. “WD-40 works every time.”

Zoe felt lost. Not only with the strange lingo and words that made no sense, but lost in the dissolution of the dream she hadn’t even known she’d knitted for herself.

“You two are going to hit it off,” Cody said with a bright smile. “Liza’s the best.”

The prospect of being introduced to Cody’s girlfriend had Zoe dragging her feet. She tried to smile, but the feeling of loss wove through her like a cold stream of icy water. Yet she hadn’t even had Cody, so how could she feel that she’d lost him?

Zoe mustered a smile. Inwardly, she felt like she was grimacing.

“Who won?” Jackie asked as they approached the stall.

Evidently Zoe’s attempt at projecting a carefree mask was working. No one seemed concerned about her trauma in meeting Liza. And why would they worry? After all, no one knew the depth of the feelings she’d developed for Cody. How could they, when she hadn’t even known herself until a few minutes ago? What a joke. To realize the truth about her feelings and then, before she could even appreciate what they meant to her, have them washed out from under her like sand from under a cliff.

“Alex and Cody tied for first place,” Chloe said. “Scotty took last place. But Ryan and Matt will have to take the lead on the menu for Thanksgiving dinner since Scotty knows next to nothing about cooking.”

“I’m
very
good with pasta,” Scotty protested.

“When is the last time you had pasta for Thanksgiving dinner?” Jackie teased. “Zoe, you
must
come to Trovare for Thanksgiving; we need you there.
I
need you there for another European perspective at the table. In fact, bring the whole family. We’ll outnumber the Americans.” She glanced at Cody. “And Cody’s coming, aren’t you?”

Zoe felt that she’d dropped into some kind of farce. Were they all trying to torture her? She couldn’t sit at a table with Cody, not now. Maybe never. Her feelings were too raw at the prospect of meeting Liza.

“Well, I think I have to—”

“Oh, just come,” Jackie said. “We won’t make you cook. You can help Cody with the dishes.”

“Where’s Matt?” Scotty asked.

“He went off with Alana to pick up Sophie from school. Half day today or something,” Jackie said.

Jackie motioned to Zoe. “Time for introductions. You’ll wish you never met her; she’ll steal your heart too.”

Zoe doubted that. She took a deep breath and plastered a smile on her face. She could handle this. She’d say hello to Liza and then flee. Her mind began to race with excuses.

A small donkey looked up at them as they entered the stall.

The lithe blond supermodel with the sense of humor that Zoe had pictured in her mind’s eye was nowhere in sight.

“Can you
believe
how much she’s filled out?” Jackie said. “I warned Ryan. If he keeps giving her treats, she’ll be the fattest donkey on the planet.”

Cody took Zoe’s hand and dragged her over to the shiny-coated donkey. “Zoe, meet Liza. I told you you’d love her.”

Zoe stood staring, too stunned to feel foolish, her heart too shocked to respond.

“Liza’s a donkey.” Zoe’s words were barely a whisper.

“The best,” Cody crooned. “She won’t bite you.” He grabbed Zoe’s hand and touched it to Liza’s back.

Zoe knelt down to the little donkey’s eye level, unsure whether her legs would’ve held her upright. Cody knelt with her.

“God!” Chloe said, bolting for the door. “I promised Cara I’d help with Casey. A toddler on the loose isn’t very helpful when trying to do paperwork.” She grasped Scotty’s hand, pulling him from the stall. “C’mon. We might need you for entertainment purposes.”

“I haven’t seen Casey in weeks,” Jackie said as she turned to follow them. “Do
not
give that little rascal any treats,” she ordered over her shoulder as she left.

Liza nudged Cody with her nose.

“Sorry, girl, you heard Jackie—no treats.” He turned to Zoe. “Unless you have apples hidden in places I can’t see.”

The bulky sweater Zoe wore hid plenty, but he’d studied her enough to know exactly what was under it. She shook her head. Her lips were trembling.

“You okay?”

“Fine,” she said.

She sure as hell didn’t look anything close to fine. Her hand trembled as she stroked Liza. He wrapped his hand around hers. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“I’m good with embarrassing.”

“Scotty said Liza was your girlfriend.”

Her blush had him stifling his laugh. He realized how things must’ve sounded. Had forgotten that she didn’t know about Ryan’s passion for the little donkeys. Or his. He’d grown fond of the little rascals during his visits to Ryan and Cara’s. But that Zoe cared enough to fret over the possibility of him having a girlfriend made him feel warm in ways it probably shouldn’t. No one had meant to tease her.

“I missed you,” he said as he stroked his thumb along her palm, hoping to change the subject.

She shivered. “I missed you too.”

He reached the fingertips of his other hand under her chin and tipped her face up. “I want more than anything to kiss you.”

Liza nudged him again, harder this time.

“Not you, girl.” He laughed softly but didn’t move his hand from where he cradled Zoe’s face. “She’s jealous. She’s had me to herself these past few weeks.” He stroked his thumb along the curve of Zoe’s jaw. “I really do want to kiss you.”

She sucked in her bottom lip and bit it. For a moment he thought she was going to burst into tears.

Then she nodded.

Once. Twice.

And he couldn’t hold back.

He pulled her against him. He had every intention of sharing a gentle kiss. But as his lips met hers, he plundered. She moaned softly as his tongue teased hers. That quiet sound flicked off the lid he’d kept on his control. He cupped his hand against her backside and deepened the kiss, his erection going hard as she melded her body to his.

Liza nudged him hard in the side, enough to knock them both into the hay. Cody pressed himself up, away from Zoe. “You okay?”

She didn’t answer. Instead she reached her hand up and pulled his lips to hers. Her other hand traced fire up his back, tracking a searing path of
yes
straight to his groin. He inched his hand up under her sweater. And moaned when his fingers met the bare flesh of her breast. He cupped the warm weight of it in his palm. She arched and gasped against his mouth. Her nipple went pebble hard. He couldn’t resist rolling it between his finger and thumb.

“Cody,” she murmured.

He smiled against her lips and then slowly tracked kisses down her throat. The throb of her pulse under his lips, her scent and the feel of her skin peeled away his reserve, his plans to go slow. He slid his hand from her breast and lifted her sweater. It was his turn to moan. Her breasts were full, creamy white, and the dark rose nipples begged to be tasted. He bent over her and sucked, brushing his tongue over and over against the tips as she writhed under him.

He put a hand on her bared stomach and kneaded gently. She shivered as he ran kisses up her throat and met her lips again. He slipped his hand lower and found the button at the top of her jeans.

Breaking off the kiss, he looked into her eyes for a sign. He wasn’t going any farther without her full-on permission.

She knitted her brows.

“Tell me you want me,” he whispered as he fingered the zipper of her jeans.

“I do, Cody. I do.”

Infused with passion and coming from her lips, the words sounded foreign, like a password to a secret world. Her world. A world he hungered to enter.

He inched the zipper of her jeans down and slid his fingers below the lace of her panties. He nearly came when he touched her slick, wet sex and she arched into his hand. He stroked her hard nub with one finger, his own body thrilling as he watched pleasure begin to take her.

The sound of footsteps coming toward them had him pulling his hand away and tugging up her zipper. Puzzlement clouded her eyes. Maybe she hadn’t heard the footsteps, but he had. He had the ears of an owl, his brother used to say.

“Someone’s coming,” he whispered.

He knelt, taking one last look at her soft belly and enticing, perfect breasts before he pulled down her sweater to cover her.

A moment more with her and the someone coming would’ve seen them in the proverbial compromising position. He pulled straw from her hair as she sat up. They didn’t even have a chance to stand before Ryan loomed at the door of the stall.

It was the second time that Cody had been so engulfed by the hunger Zoe whipped up that he’d lost track of his surroundings. That wasn’t like him. But hell, neither was losing his mind with wanting a woman.

“Oh... bad timing,” Ryan said, red creeping into his cheeks as he backed away from the door.

Liza darted for Ryan and nuzzled his pockets when she reached him.

“We were just headed out,” Zoe said as she jumped up and tugged at her sweater. She wasn’t a convincing liar, and Cody found he liked her more for it.

“I was just bringing Liza her treats.” Ryan patted Liza and rubbed behind her ears.

Zoe darted a glance at Cody and then at Ryan. “Jackie said no treats.”

Ryan gave a nervous laugh. “Dr. Jackie’s not the animal law around here, but never let on.” He reached into his pocket. “Besides, these treats contain vitamins.” He looked Cody in the eye. “Have you shown Zoe the back pasture?”

“Not yet.”

Ryan knew full well that he and Zoe hadn’t made it out of the stall, but his diversion at least helped them save face. Not that it was a crime to be kissing in the hay, but getting caught made him feel like a school kid. Hell, they weren’t naked or anything, just copping a kiss. At least he hoped that was how it appeared. If either Zoe or Ryan looked into his soul right then, he’d be hard pressed to explain the hungry turbulence they’d find.

“I’d love to see your place,” Zoe said in a stronger voice that had Cody almost believing her.

“I’ll give you the fifty-cent tour then,” Ryan said. He didn’t have to halter Liza; the little donkey followed Ryan like a puppy.

Zoe’s eyes went wide as they exited the back of the barn. Thirty donkeys were spread out over a three-acre pasture. A group of them trotted over to Ryan.

“Looks like Liza’s not the only treat princess,” Zoe said.

Cody was glad to hear the steadier tone of her voice. Being caught in an embarrassing position was never comfortable. But the flicker of her pulse in her neck betrayed the effort she was making to pull off a calm front. He wanted to press his lips to where her neck throbbed. To pull her back into his arms. But now was not the time.

“What are those?” she asked, pointing to four paddocks open to the sky but closed in on three sides.

“Isolation stalls,” Ryan answered. “These are all rescue donkeys. Some of them have been so badly abused that it takes time to settle them in and introduce them to the others. Even longer to get them comfortable with people once again.”