Chapter 18
“And where have you been all night?” Zoe demanded with her arms folded over her chest as he came sauntering into her kitchen like it didn’t matter that she’d spent half the night, okay, the last hour, worried sick about him.
“Well?” she demanded when he tried to look innocent. He gave her his most adorable expression, but she wasn’t having it.
“Relax, he was with me,” Trevor announced as he stepped into the kitchen, giving Toby an affectionate rub behind the ears as he passed him.
“All night?” Zoe asked, hoping that she didn’t sound as nervous as she felt. A little over three hours ago, she’d been sitting on top of this man, fulfilling five years of fantasies. Not that she regretted a moment of it.
Oh, God, no.
After five years of going without real human contact, last night had been perfect. The sex was great and instead of taking her chances on a total stranger, it was with Trevor, who she trusted more than any person she’d ever met, she suddenly realized.
That didn’t mean there wasn’t going to be a little awkwardness the next morning.
They went from having a very informal, semiprofessional relationship to being buck-naked and doing a hundred different things that just thinking about made her knees wobble and her stomach flutter with anticipation.
Then again, just because she was happy with last night didn’t mean that he was, Zoe realized, instantly killing any lingering happy thoughts about last night.
He said the sex was incredible, but maybe that was just something he said after sex? Zoe thought, making herself depressed. Maybe it was pity sex, she thought, horrified by the very idea. Pity sex was worse than no sex!
If it was pity sex, then she wouldn’t be getting anymore anytime soon and she desperately wanted more. It wasn’t just about sex, she realized, but she wanted to spend time with Trevor. Even though it had no chance in hell of going anywhere, it was still more than she’d had in years.
“He ate with me,” Trevor pointed out as she reached for a can of dog food.
Sighing, Zoe closed the cabinet door and washed her hands. “Thank you for taking care of him,” she said, not knowing what else to say or really how to act right now.
“No problem,” Trevor said, leaning back against the counter the same way he did every morning as he sorted through her fruit bowl, looking for something to snack on while he waited for his lunch.
It hit her then that this truly was only an arrangement for Trevor and she could relax and be herself.
She didn’t have to try and impress him or keep his interest because once the sex was over, they could go right back to this and not have to worry about any of the drama that came from dating, Zoe realized as she did her best to hide her smile. This could work for her.
“How many sandwiches today?” she asked, already knowing the answer.
“Four,” Trevor said around a mouthful of something, probably fruit.
She opened the refrigerator door and nearly groaned.
“I might be able to stretch out three. I was supposed to go shopping yesterday,” Zoe muttered pathetically.
She could cry. She really could. She was exhausted and sore in the most delicious places and had been looking forward to coming home to a hot bath, her bed, and a book after work, but now, it looked like she had to hit the grocery store first.
“That’s fine,” Trevor said, placing his hand on her hip as he reached past her and grabbed the gallon of orange juice she kept for him.
“I have a few things I need you to pick up anyway.” He slid his hand from her hip to her bottom and gave it a light squeeze that reminded her of something else that she was really hoping to do tonight.
“Okay, just add whatever you need to the list. It’s on the counter,” Zoe said, trying to sound relaxed and not ready to jump him. After last night, she shouldn’t be able to move never mind be anxious for round two, but she was.
Five long years will do that to a woman.
“I can’t remember what they are just now. I’ll probably remember when I’m at work,” he told her as he stepped away from her. She wasn’t that surprised. He usually remembered what he needed to tell her at work. He’d stop by the office or call her to tell her what he needed.
“That’s fine. As long you remember before I leave for the day, otherwise, I’ll probably forget that you needed something,” Zoe said, grabbing all the food required to feed a Bradford and stepped around him to unload everything onto the counter.
“I’m going to ask the guys at work today if anyone wants a dog,” Trevor said as she started the long assembly line of condiments and fillers.
She tried not to look at the puppy that she’d started to think of as her baby and forced herself to focus on the task at hand, but she couldn’t help but look down at the adorable furry face that was silently pleading for a slice of Trevor’s ham.
“Don’t even think about it, woman,” Trevor warned.
“I wasn’t going to give him a slice?” Zoe lied, sounding as though she was asking a damn question.
Seriously, why did she do that? She’d been thinking about it and might have decided to wait until Trevor turned his back so that she could sneak Toby a piece of ham, but she’d in no way given herself away.
At least, she didn’t think she had. Then again, he was a Bradford and probably had some special connection with his food.
He snorted his disbelief. “Yeah, right.”
She glared at him only to end up laughing when he glared right back at her. “Alright, so I was going to give him one slice, but it’s not as though you would have noticed,” Zoe said, already knowing it wasn’t true before the last word left her mouth.
He cocked an eyebrow in disbelief. “You’re shortchanging me on a sandwich, woman. Trust me, I would know.”
“Fine,” Zoe mumbled, returning her attention back to making his lunch and not the puppy whimpering pathetically and nudging her pajama-clad knee with his muzzle, making her feel bad.
Worrying her bottom lip, Zoe shot a look down at the dog and met big, round, sad puppy eyes. Damn it! Her eyes shot up to find Trevor rummaging through the cabinet she kept filled with his snacks.
Maybe he really wouldn’t notice, Zoe thought as she reached for the last slice of ham, never taking her eyes away from Trevor, and slipped it to the dog, who just had to go and give her away by smacking his lips together.
Trevor gasped as he turned around, narrowing his eyes accusingly on her. “Zoe,” he snarled her name as he dropped the package of snack cakes on the table and stalked after her. “What did you do?”
“Umm, nothing?” Zoe said, backing away as he slowly advanced on her. As he passed the counter, his eyes shot to the empty deli packages and then to her.
“Where’s the last slice of ham?” Trevor casually asked as though he wasn’t currently stalking her around the kitchen island.
She worried her bottom lip as she considered her choices and kept moving her ass away from Trevor, who looked really determined.
That was understandable, Zoe thought. He was a Bradford that she’d just screwed out of food.
Her eyes shot to the open kitchen door, but she really didn’t think she’d make it there in time and judging by the expression on Trevor’s face, he knew it too.
“It’s gone,” Zoe said, swallowing nervously.
“I see,” he said, following her at a leisurely pace. “You gave my ham to the dog, didn’t you?”
“Maybe,” she mumbled.
Trevor sighed heavily. “I guess there’s no choice but to punish you,” he said in an offhanded tone.
“What do you mean?” Zoe asked, already knowing that he would never hurt her, but really, when a man well over six feet tall with an insane amount of muscle says that he’s going to punish you, it’s natural to get a little nervous.
He simply shrugged. “I guess I’m going to have to spank your ass.”
Zoe blinked and then blinked again before she burst out laughing. “You’re kidding, right?” Zoe asked as she slowed her pace so that she could catch her breath.
“I’m afraid not, Zoe,” Trevor said, sounding serious, really serious, but she noted the amusement in his eyes and the way his lips twitched as he stopped on the opposite side of the kitchen island.
She paused mid-stride and jumped back to what she deemed at that moment was safety, the opposite side of the kitchen island.
“Y-You’re going to be late for work,” Zoe stammered as the thought of what Trevor had in mind both intrigued and excited her.
Never in a million years would she have thought this man had a playful side.
He always seemed so serious as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
It was nice to see him smile about something other than food.
“I think I can make time for this,” Trevor said, winking.
She swallowed hard as she looked around for any excuse to save her ass from a sound spanking. When her eyes landed on the half-made sandwiches, she nearly sighed with relief. “I have to finish making your sandwiches,” she pointed out.
“Okay,” Trevor said slowly, nodding as he leaned back against the sink. “Go ahead,” he said, gesturing lazily towards the piles of food. “I can wait.”
She was afraid of that.
As she finished making his lunch and packing everything, she kept her eyes on him, noting the amused expression on his face and wondered if she could talk him out of this.
Not because she thought he’d hurt her. No, she was afraid he was turning her into a slut and she’d attack him to finish the job.
This was bad. She never remembered being this turned on by any of her old boyfriends. Then again, none of them had looked like Trevor Bradford. The man was a walking advertisement for sex and good god, did the man know his way around a woman’s body.