Couldn’t think.
She kept her eyes down, reminding herself that these were her friends. Four friends and one ex-lover.
Except he was no longer an ex.
Brittany’s studied contemplation of the table was disturbed by a clatter and a gasp as Emily stepped forward to pass a bowl and almost fell over Cocoa.
Ryan’s hand shot out and he caught the bowl with one hand and Emily with the other. “She isn’t used to having so many people in the house at once. I’ll put her in the kitchen.”
“No.” Finally Zach spoke and he snapped his fingers gently to attract the dog’s attention. “Come.”
He’d said the same thing to her, Brittany thought. Right in the middle of the most mind-blowing sex of her life, he’d said the same thing. And she’d obeyed without hesitation.
Apparently Cocoa was equally seduced by his charms. Or maybe she was equally lacking in willpower. Sensing an ally, the dog went to him instantly, pressed her face to his palm and looked up at him hopefully.
Zach smiled at her.
Brittany felt the breath jam in her throat.
He smiled so rarely that when he did, she found it impossible to look away.
“You need to calm down or someone is going to fall over you.” He spoke quietly to the dog, his tone gentle. “You stay here with me.”
Cocoa pressed closer to him and the moment he tried to withdraw his hand she nudged him, so he continued to stroke her ears with gentle, casual rubs of those long, strong fingers.
Brittany’s heart started to pound a little harder.
He’d always been good
with animals. Animals and vulnerable people.
Ryan looked amused. “From now on you’re in charge of animal taming.”
Zach’s fingers continued to stroke and soothe. “She’s tame enough.”
“She’s usually pretty good.” Emily carried on serving the chowder. “She gets overexcited sometimes, that’s all.”
Who wouldn’t? Keeping that thought to herself, Brittany reached for the bowl Emily handed her. If Zach were stroking her like that, she’d be overexcited, too.
Heat spread through her body and pooled in her pelvis.
That first time they’d had sex, he’d been so careful with her. So gentle.
Her mouth felt dry and her mind woolly.
“I was speaking to Rachel today.” Ryan picked up his spoon. “She said they could do with help up at the camp. They’ve lost a couple of counselors and one instructor who had a wilderness first-aid certificate.”
“Can’t they recruit?” Alec gave an appreciative sniff. “Smells good, Emily.”
“Too late in the season to recruit. They’re managing to cover water sports, but they lost their archery instructor last week and they’re short of people to help with outdoor adventure activities.”
Brittany was only half listening. She kept reliving the moment Zach had slid his hand into her hair and stared down into her eyes.
Her breathing grew shallow.
She couldn’t take her eyes off his hand, hypnotized by the slow stroke of his fingers as he calmed the dog.
Cocoa was in a coma of ecstasy.