Sam shook her head and snapped the phone closed as Zack came into the room, his hair dusted with snow, carrying a stack of wood that he carefully laid in the holder on the hearth. He'd taken off his shoes before coming through the house, and the gray socks hugged long, well-formed feet.
Jesus Christ. When had she ever been into a man's feet?
"How cold out is it?" she asked to distract herself.
"Not bad. Might have to drag you out for a snowball fight later." He tipped his head to look over his shoulder. She couldn't see his mouth, but his eyes crinkled at the corners.
"Drag, nothing." She sipped her coffee and straightened the blanket over her legs while she watched him work. "I am the neighborhood snowball fight champion, I'll have you know."
"Sounds like a challenge."
"It is."
"Then I'll take you up on it."
He finished setting up the small pyramid of logs on the grate. Sam watched his hands as he crumpled newspaper. When he reached to tuck it under the logs, the play of muscles in his back, clearly defined under the hugging material of his long-sleeved Henley, caught her attention. The shirt pulled up above his waistband when he stretched, without standing, to reach the fireplace matches on the mantle. His skin was smooth, the dip of his spine above his butt just the right curvature. He had long, long legs that folded up under him, one knee bent up against his chest. He laid match to paper, and the fire flared. He tended it quietly for a few minutes. Then he closed the doors most of the way, turned to rise, and caught her staring.
He didn't tease her, only smiled. She smiled back. The voice that had niggled at her all the night before had fallen silent. Maybe all she'd needed to stop resisting was her mother's blessing.
God forbid.
"You're not reading," Zack observed. His voice was lower, husky, and Sam let her gaze drop to his crotch. Just to check. Sure enough, his button fly strained just a bit more than it should have. He'd felt her watching him that whole time.
Awareness blazed to a new level, and attraction made an abrupt left turn into desire. Samantha's body flushed from toe to scalp and went moist in places that hadn't been moist in a very long time.
)
