Page 15 of Treat Her Right

“Okay.” She searched his face. “I just wanted to be sure.”

Together they started back toward Dani. Zack could feel the heat of Wynn at his side, could smell the intensified scent of sun-kissed feminine skin, of shampoo and lotion and woman.

“How long’s it been?” she asked with unparalleled nonchalance, as if that wasn’t the most personal topic around.

Of course, he’d brought it up. He didn’t look at her. “Long enough.”

“For me, too.” She smiled toward Dani and waved. “Although I don’t think that’s why you turn me on.” She glanced at him, her long lashes at half-mast, her lips slightly curled. She leaned closer and breathed into his ear, “I think it’s your gorgeous bod that’s doing the trick.”

Zack stumbled over his own feet, which left him standing behind Wynn. She walked over to his yard, took Dani’s hand, and together they marched around front to the porch. He heard Dani say, “I can show you my new clothes!”

And Wynn replied happily, “Right after we eat. I’m starved.”

* * *

WYNN FINISHED OFFher fourth slice of pizza and sighed. She hadn’t realized she was so hungry until she’d taken the first bite. Then she’d had to be careful not to make a glutton of herself. “That was heavenly. Thank you.”

Zack just grunted, but Dani said, “You ate as much as Dad.”

“Not true! He had one piece more than me.” Then, eyeing Zack, she added, “But he has a lot more muscle so he naturally needs more to eat.”

Zack choked on the drink of cola he’d just taken, and slanted her an evil look. It was all she could do not to laugh.

He wanted her.

He didn’t want to want her, but he did. That was a good start. She could work with that.

On her end, she was crazy-nuts about him already. Not only was the man handsome and well built, but he had a soft streak for his daughter, an outrageous honesty, and his house was spotless. She’d never known a bachelor who enjoyed cleanliness as much as she did.

“Your house is set up different from mine.” She looked around, admiring the orderliness of it.

Zack lounged back in his seat. “It’s basically the same, I just had a few walls taken out to open things up.”

She’d have done the same if she could afford it, but for now, having her own home more than satisfied her. “It’s bigger, too.”

He shrugged. “Not by that much. I added on to the dining room when I got the hot tub, and had the patio doors put in.”

Wynn had noticed the large hot tub right away. It sat outside his dining room, to the left of his kitchen at the edge of the patio, and was partially shielded by a privacy fence.

The sliding doors really made the dining room bigger and brighter. Her house only had the one kitchen door that opened to the side yard. Wynn had noticed that from Zack’s kitchen or his patio doors, he could look at the entire side view of her house, and see into her front and backyard. The only thing that would obstruct his view were the trees.

This topic didn’t have him grinding his teeth, so she pursued it. “The landscaping in the back is gorgeous.” He had as many mature trees as she had, with one especially large tree close to the house. Long branches reached over the roof and shaded the kitchen from the afternoon sun. Zack had hung a swing from one of those sturdy branches for Dani.

Around the patio, he had a lot of lush ground cover and shade-loving flowers bright with color. It took a remarkable man to plant flowers, but then she’d already made that assessment about him.

“Thank you. I needed the covered deck so we could get to the tub in the winter without plodding through the snow.”

“You use it when it’s cold?” Imagining Zack mostly naked and wet made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth. It’d be great if he offered to share, but she wouldn’t hold her breath.

He shrugged. “Off and on all year.”

Wynn cleared her throat and steered her mind to safer imaginings. “I like the way you’ve decorated. It’s nice and casual and comfortable.” Everything was done in mellow pine with shades of cream and greens. There were a few plants, lots of pictures of Dani, and a couple of photos she assumed to be of his deceased wife. The woman was pretty, fair like Dani, but with longer hair. She looked very young, and Wynn made a point of not looking at the photos too long, despite her curiosity; she didn’t want to dredge up bad memories for Zack. When she asked him about his wife, it would be without Dani listening.

“Can Wynn and me be excused now?”

Zack said, “May Wynn and I. And yes, you may. Wash your hands first, though.”

Dani ran to the sink, used the three-step stool in front of it, and turned on the water. Over her shoulder, she said to Wynn, “My stuff’s in my room.”

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