Page 43 of Deceit & Desire

I wrapped my arm around her waist again and didn’t even bother to look back at Michael as I steered Zoe toward the truck. I waited until we were on the road home to speak again.

“Thank you.”

Zoe, who’d been staring out the window at the landscape, lost in thought, frowned over at me, her brow furrowed with confusion. “What for?”

“For knowing exactly what to do to keep me from losing my shit on that obnoxious little prick.”

Zoe smiled faintly, shaking her head. “He was trying to poke the bear, honey. Best not to let him.”

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, my knuckles going white as I spoke through clenched teeth. “Easier said than done when he’s calling my wife all kinds of names?—”

Zoe shrugged and offered me a palms-up, like it was nothing. “They’re nothing I haven’t heard before from every Tom, Dick, and Harry in Miami who never lived up to you, or who didn’t like it when I worked harder and got promoted when they didn’t, or any number of other reasons?—”

I cut her off, my voice rising, my words pulsing with anger and disbelief.

“There is never a good reason for a man to talk to a woman like that, Zoe. I don’t give a shit if you’re used to hearing it. That doesn’t fucking mean it’s okay.”

When Zoe stayed silent, I glanced over at her and sighed, softening my tone, my chest aching for her as I spoke again.

“You don’t deserve that, and it makes me sick thinking about anyone who’s ever made you feel like you had to just stand there and take it.”

Zoe bit her lip, but her eyes crinkled at the corners and her expression softened as she reached over and touched me, her fingers curling lightly around my forearm. “I know, baby, and that’s part of why I love you. But I’m not just taking it anymore. I’ve got you in my corner now, and that makes all the difference in the world.”

I blew out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and relaxed my grip on the steering wheel, a small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. “Damn right you do, baby.”

* * *

Two days passedin relative quiet before Mr. Brandt’s new live-in nurse arrived at the big house to move in the day before Zoe’s dad was supposed to come home from the hospital.

“Are you Zoe Brandt?” The young woman asked, reaching her hand out to shake Zoe’s.

“Actually, it’s Zoe York, now. We got married a few days ago. This is my husband, Roman.” Zoe motioned to me and the nurse nodded, reaching out to shake my hand as well. “I’m Olivia Smith, the live-in nurse who’ll be caring for your father, Mrs. York. I have a lot of equipment we need to get moved in today, including a hospital bed that the hospice company sent. Is there any chance your husband and a few of the cowboys could help out with moving the bed in and getting all the supplies I might need into the house?”

Zoe paled a little and swallowed hard as she looked over at me, but gave a resolute nod. “We can do that, right Rome? Whatever Dad needs, we’ll take care of it, and whatever his insurance doesn’t cover, you bill me directly for it, okay? Money is no object when it comes to taking care of him and making him comfortable. Whatever the bill is… I’ve got it.”

I shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly a little ill at ease, wondering just how Zoe was going to manage to cover all those expenses and bail the ranch out, too. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she shot me a look that told me she’d explain later.

I cleared my throat. “Sure, baby. We can do that. There isn’t a guy on this ranch who wouldn’t be happy to do anything to help your daddy out, except maybe that lazy, good-for-nothing Cody.”

Zoe rolled her eyes and sighed. “If he’s really that lazy and worthless, why don’t you just fire the guy and be done with it?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to quell my frustration and jealousy. “Because it’s not my business to hire and fire folks. Ultimately, it’s up to your daddy to decide who stays and who goes, and everybody likes that slippery fucker but me.”

Zoe grinned and shook her head at that. “Therein lies your problem, honey. Everybody likes him but you. Sometimes I think you look for reasons not to like the guy just because he rubs you the wrong way.”

I growled under my breath, hooking a finger in one of the belt loops on her jeans and pulling her close. “I just wish you’d do me a favor, as my wife, and find a reason to like him a little less. Just ‘cause he’s pretty and charming doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. He’s not a hard worker, that’s a plain and simple fact, and he’s a man whore who used to delight in flirting with you for the express purpose of pissing me off?—”

Zoe fisted a hand in my shirt and closed the space between us, kissing me hard enough I worried her lips might bruise before she pulled away and glared up at me. “When are you gonna get it through your head that I’ve never been interested in Cody romantically, and I never will be? I married you. I love you. I’m doing my damndest to make a baby with you, for god’s sake. I even threw my fucking birth control pills in the garbage after we went to see my father at the hospital that first time?—”

I stared down at Zoe, heat flaring low in my core. “You did what now?”

Zoe shrugged, green eyes spitting fire as she held my gaze. “You heard me. I told you that day in the elevator that you were getting more than you bargained for, you were getting a wife. Did you think I was shitting you?”

“Christ, baby, when you go in for a penny, you go in for a pound.” I wrapped my arms around her, hugging her tight, pressing a kiss against her temple. “Do you know how often I’ve dreamed about having a family with you? How often I’ve dreamed about you carrying my baby, having my child?”

Zoe peered up at me through those thick, dark eyelashes of hers and licked her lips. “I have no idea, baby, but I’ll be more than happy to hear about it sometime when we don’t have an audience of one who needs our help to bring in medical supplies for my father.”

A cold shower couldn’t have worked better for bringing me back down to earth and reining in the desire that had been quickly spiraling out of control between us. Stealing one more quick kiss from Zoe, I took a step back and re-focused on the nurse who’d been observing us like we were the most interesting soap opera on television, and she offered us both a shameless smirk.

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