* * *
ZANE WAS UP before sunrise, mostly because he hadn’t slept more than a couple of hours. He told himself the reason was his concern over the greenhorns in his care, which was about 60 percent true. The other 40 percent had a whole lot more to do with a big-eyed brunette with full lips that could drive a man to insanity and back with a single kiss.
He finished storing his gear and stood in the quiet morning. He was tired, on edge and horny. His body ached, his mind raced and he couldn’t stop thinking about how Phoebe had felt in his arms mere hours before. Intense longing gripped him. He did his best to remind himself that wanting her had nothing to do with liking her. He didn’t know her, although he would admit what he did know, he liked.
He sighed. A man shouldn’t have to deal with women or even sex before coffee.
He headed toward the cook fire. Cookie already had a pot bubbling. Zane poured himself a mug, then gulped down two mouthfuls of the steaming liquid. Heat and caffeine jolted his system.
The old man shuffled around from the side of the wagon. “We’re having eggs this morning,” Cookie announced. “Hell if I know if them tree huggers are gonna eat. I made pancakes yesterday, but we’re on the trail. I’m not Emeril Lagasse. I can only do what I can do.”
Zane drank more coffee. “Don’t sweat it. Andrea will eat when she gets hungry enough. Martin, too, although he seems like less trouble than his wife.”
Cookie grinned. “Less like a pain in the ass, you mean.”
“They’re our guests,” Zane reminded him warningly.
“That don’t change what they are.” He set down the big fry pan he’d been carrying and held up both hands. “I’ll be good.”
Zane didn’t believe that for a second, but he hoped Cookie would at least keep his opinions to himself.
Fifteen minutes later, everyone was up and moving around the camp. Zane sent Chase to make sure no tent poles or stakes were left behind. Involuntarily, he found himself glancing over at Phoebe’s tent, as if he were waiting for her to appear. When the flaps finally opened, he was rewarded for his patience in a big way. She chose to back out.
That perfect, curved fanny he’d been fondling the previous night wiggled into sight, followed by the rest of her. The hand not holding the coffee mug curled slightly as he remembered the feel of her bare skin against his palm and the sound of her rapid breathing. She’d been hot, ready and wet. When he’d slid his fingers between her legs, it had been like going home. Under other circumstances, namely them being alone, he would have lowered her to the ground and eased both their aches. As it was, he’d been left to wonder if she’d had as much trouble sleeping.
He drained his mug and took a step toward her. But before he could get there, Chase appeared.
His younger brother grinned at Phoebe, then took her saddlebags from her and slung them over his shoulder.
“So you’re one of those special women who looks even more beautiful in the outdoors,” Chase said with a wink. “I should have guessed.”
Phoebe laughed. “Maya already warned me that you shamelessly flatter women and that it doesn’t mean anything.”
“Sometimes that’s true, but in this case, I’m simply stating the obvious.”
Zane turned back to the fire and poured himself another cup of coffee. Chase’s ability to charm the opposite sex was an innate talent, like being good at math or having a great singing voice. Most of the time Zane found his brother’s machinations amusing. But not this morning. Instead something dark swirled inside of him. He wasn’t jealous—that would imply an interest in Phoebe that wasn’t there. Besides, Chase’s talk was cheap. But he couldn’t seem to make the twisting go away, nor could he find a reason to move to the far side of camp.
“How’d you sleep?” Chase asked.
“Okay. Everyone talks about how quiet it is in the wilderness at night, but I thought there was a ton of noise.”
Zane wanted to turn around and look at Phoebe’s face as she spoke, but he forced himself to stay by the fire.
“Ready to take your tent down?” his brother asked.
Phoebe sighed. “I wanted to check my sleeping bag one more time. I’m missing an earring.”
“Is it shiny?”
“Of course. You’re going to tell me it’s raccoons, aren’t you? I’ve already heard about them. The thing is, if they took my earring, should I go ahead and leave them the other one so they have a matched set?”
One corner of Zane’s mouth twitched as he pictured a raccoon with Phoebe’s earrings dangling fashionably.
“It’s your call,” Chase said.
“I want to make sure I keep my cell phone tucked away. With my luck, it would be taken by a raccoon family with relatives in Madagascar.”
Chase laughed. “Come on. I’ll help you look for your earring.”
Zane turned to tell his brother that he would take care of that and that Chase could move on to another tent, but just then Maya strolled up. She reached for his mug and took it from him. After draining it, she handed it back.
“So how’s the head cowboy this morning?” she asked. “Are we dealing with friendly Zane or crabby Zane?”
He poured more coffee. “I’m always friendly.”
“If only that were true.”
There was something about her words and the way she didn’t look at him as she spoke that got to him. He sighed. “I never disliked you.”