Page 41 of Treat Her Right

“Your, ah, manhood?” Her gaze skipped down his body to his lap. He lifted her chin, keeping her from that erotic perusal while making a “tsking” sound.

“My machismo,” he explained, “my masculinity.” He tipped her face up and kissed her throat, the soft spot beneath her ear.

Wynn’s toes curled inside her gym shoes.

“One of these days,” he added while licking her ear and driving her insane, “I’m going to prove it to you.”

“Yes.”She had no idea what he wanted to prove, but whatever it might be, she was all for it.

His laugh was a little more robust this time. He looked at her, studied her dazed eyes and nodded. “All right. So, the challenge is made. What am I to do? I’m just a man after all, and I can only take so much without caving in.”

He said all that with a wicked smile.

She said, “What?”

“Will you be at your hammock tonight?”

Thatcaught her attention. Hope and excitement flared inside her. “Yes. Sure, of course.”

“So anxious.” He grinned and kissed her bottom lip. “I know this is wrong, I swear I do. But damn I want you. You’re making me nuts, woman.”

His machismo sounded just fine to her attuned ears. She smiled dreamily. “You’re making me nuts, too. I tried to leave you alone, to let you get used to the idea of me…”

“Ha!” Shaking his head, smiling, Zack said, “That’d take a lifetime.”

She liked the sound of that. A lifetime with Zack. With each day, with every damn minute, she was more attracted to him, in a million different ways.

Seeing her expression, his hands gentled and he waggled her head. “Wynn, I’m not making any promises about anything. If we meet tonight, it’s strictly for sex.”

Her hopes plummeted, but the excitement was still there. She bit her lip, undecided what to do. On the one hand, she’d never been one for casual sex.

But on the other, she’d never wanted a man like she wanted Zack.

And then suddenly there was a shrill yell from the yard and Zack moved with a blur of speed. He was outside before Wynn could catch her breath. Recognizing Dani’s squeaky little voice, now filled with sobs, she quickly followed.

They found Dani held in Josh’s arm, screaming her heart out. Josh, a study of frantic concern, blurted, “She got stung by a bee!”

Bo and Marc and Clint stood in a circle around Josh, wringing their hands and fretting like old women. The sight would have been laughable if it hadn’t been for the fat tears streaming down Dani’s cheeks.

Zack took Dani and cradled her close to his chest. “Shh, honey, it’s okay.”

Josh lifted her foot and peered at it. “The stinger is out,” he said, and his voice shook.

It amused Wynn that five large overgrown men would quake at a child’s cry. Good grief, their panic would feed her own and the whole yard would soon be bawling.

“Is she allergic to stings?” Wynn asked, and both Zack and Josh said, “No.”

She walked up to Dani and touched her tiny foot. In soft, soothing tones, she said, “If you think you’re hurt, just think how the poor bee feels.” She began steering Zack toward the patio. He hugged Dani so close she could barely get her head off his shoulder.

“I don’t care about the dumb bee,” Dani said, and hiccuped over her tears.

“That’s good,” Wynn told her, “because he’s a goner now. Once they sting someone, that’s all she wrote.”

Dani looked mollified by that notion. “Really?”

“Yep. They can’t grow a stinger back, and what good is a bee without a stinger? Zack, sit down here with her and I’ll turn on the hose. The cold water will make it feel better.” And to Dani, “You feel like soaking those little pink toes?”

Dani smiled and nodded, but her bottom lip still quivered.

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