“I help when I can. I teach basic wilderness survival skills.”
A fact that raised his hot factor another few notches. “So we’ll be spending the night in the forest together.”
His gaze didn’t shift from hers. “Us, a camp director, four other counselors and eighteen kids.”
That should have killed the rush of lust but it didn’t. She still wanted to press her mouth to his and kiss him until they were both starved of air. She wanted to slide her fingers into his glossy dark hair and strip off the T-shirt that fitted so snugly over all that hard muscle.
“Philip didn’t mention you’d be going.”
“No.” Zach’s tone was short. “I don’t suppose he did.”
“He probably didn’t think it was relevant, as we’ve been working together anyway.” Or perhaps he was meddling. Would he do that? No, Philip was camp director, not Cupid. But suddenly it all seemed too complicated. Swamped with feelings she didn’t understand, she stepped away. “I’d better go. I’ll see you back at camp.”
“Wait.” He cursed softly. “How are you getting there?”
“I was going to call Pete.”
“I’ll take you.”
It was obvious from the grim set of his jaw he would rather have stuck pins in himself.
“Forget it.” Pride took precedence over convenience. “I know it’s a nuisance for everyone having to help me out all the time. I can do this myself.”
“You think that’s what’s going on here?” He planted his arm against the wall of a shop behind her, caging her so that she couldn’t walk away. “You think you’re a nuisance?”
His mouth was close to hers, his eyes dark pools of sexual promise.
“Zach—”
“Yeah, I’m finding this tough. You are, too. But that doesn’t mean you need to take a cab. We’re adults. Just because the feelings are there, doesn’t mean we have to do anything about them. We can make a choice, and that’s what we’re doing.”
His arm was next to her cheek, her lips a breath away from the brutal swell of his biceps. All she had to do was turn her head. “So what was the other night?”
“Random sex.” His voice was low and rough around the edges. “It’s not going to happen again.”
“Do you often have random sex with people? Because I don’t.”
His eyes darkened to a dangerous shade of black. “I don’t want to know about your sex life.”
“Good, because I don’t intend to talk about it.” And suddenly the whole thing seemed ridiculous. Of all the men she’d met in her life, the only one who made her feel this way was her ex-husband.
There was no justice.
He eased away from her. “Get in the car, Brittany. I’ll take you back to camp.”
“Thanks. And, by the way, I don’t like possessive men.”
A smile flickered at the corner of his mouth. “And I don’t like smart-ass women.”
“So we’re fine, then. Nothing to worry about.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
ZACH FINISHED LOADING life jackets and canoes on to the trailer.
One of the camp directors would be driving the gear up to Heron Pond so that it would be waiting for them when they arrived. Each of the children would carry a small backpack with waterproof clothing, lunch and a drink.
Excitement hummed in the air and the children were talking, swapping stories of their camp adventures so far. All except Travis, who lurked close by, slightly apart from the other children, making no connection with anyone.