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Sam walked over to the phone, picked up the receiver and handed it to hiht"

Ryan shook his head and laughed because if he hadn't known that they needed hiet Zoe to her party, he'd think the kid and Elena were actually

Chapter Five

AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOURS in a shopping mall with a fourteen-year-old, Ryan had been spent First he'd taken Sam for ice cream as promised, where she'd ducked behind him every time she'd seen a boy she knew froht was a brainstorift for Zoe

Saed him into an all-natural beauty store that smelled ultrafe his ht, he'd stood back as Sam had chosen Zoe's favorite scents in body scrub, body wash, body splash and he was sure there were more items he couldn't remember He couldn't very well tell the kid that they were in way too intimate territory when she was so pleased with her selections, so he'd gone ahead and purchased her choices

The store clerk had insisted on wrapping the a loofah sponge he couldn't stop envisioning running over every part of Zoe's body, inch by tantalizing inch His desire for her grew each tiain, to possess her body and learn her secrets, ith hi Zoe to a surprise destination for their date His nerves were on edge as he waited for the phone call redirecting them to her aunt's diner Each ti hi about Zoe and sex Sleeping with her would comprooal to take Sam to Boston with hi Saone back to the ift for Zoe One that had a purpose, but wasn't in the least bit roes in order to protect Sas, he hoped the more simple one would take away from the innuendo iling as if she'd used that loofah sponge on him, then followed it up with her hands, and then those luscious lips he'd tasted the other day

Zoe placed a hand on his shoulder, her soft touch doing nothing to help him repress his desire to sleep with her as soon as possible

"It was so nice of you to ask me out for my birthday, even if I'rinned "The kid has a way about her, that's for sure It's true she ht have told me it was your birthday, but I would have asked you out, anyway"

"Really?"

"Eventually," he adot enda between theht to hi as his "Settled isn't necessarily going to be a good thing, so let's just enjoy nohy don't we?"

He nodded "Good thinking"

A glance at the road signs told him they were only five ested for their "date" and he wondered when the hell Zoe's cell phone would ring and put the real plan into motion

As if by co co She answered, spoke to the person on the other end, argued so asked of her

"I said I'll be right there," she gru wrong?" he asked

"Only adolescent angst"

He glanced at her questioningly

"We call it the old sto set Sam off and she stormed into another room and slammed the door"