this mountain.”
“Oh my God!”
“I couldn’t have saidit better myself.”
He shifted his gaze to the television and Zoe knew the conversation was over. Fine. She’d endured a weekend of him already. She could do another two days.
She checked on Daphne, who continued to sleep soundly in the drawer on the floor of the bedroom, but when she walked into the hall again she realized she had absolutely nothing to do. Except straighten the kitchen. Though they continually tidied up their messes, it wouldn’t hurt her to do a little extra cleaning. Maybe dust out a cupboard. Wipe down the refrigerator.
Because the owner of the house was a basically neat person—or family—arranging the cupboards and wiping out the refrigerator took only an hour. When Zoe was done, she paced behind the sofa so Cooper couldn’t see her, but she was beginning to get annoyed with the way he hogged the television. She understood that he was angry with himself for kissing her, probably angry with himself for being nice to her, and even angry with himself for insisting she come along with him Friday afternoon to find shelter, but that didn’t give him the right to make her miserable.
Luckily before she could say anything to him Daphne woke. Without taking her from the bedroom, Zoe changed her and played with her. When the timer on the stove rang, she came out, turned off the oven, fed Daphne some baby food, then served dinner for herself and Cooper. But rather than eat at the table, he fixed himself a plate and took it into the great room where he continued to watch TV. With Daphne in her travel seat, Zoe cleaned the kitchen. When that was done, she bathed the baby, put her in fresh pajamas, fed her a bottle and put her to sleep.
She almost lay down on herbed too, but she wasn’t tired. And, damn it, she was bored and that stupid Cooper had hogged the one and only form of entertainment long enough.
She stormed into the great room. “Give me the remote!”
Drowsy, Cooper raised his gaze to meet Zoe’s. He knew she was bored. He’d deliberately squandered the television. He’d not spoken. He’d eaten alone. All so she would realize he was an inconsiderate, selfish guy who wasn’t going to change.
If he kissed her now, she’d probably slap his face.
He sat up on the sofa. “Sorry,” he said a tad arrogantly, as if he were clueless to the fact that he’d been rude. He tossed the remote at her, then patted the sofa cushion beside him.
Looking as if she hadn’t expected his easy acquiescence, Zoe cautiously caught the remote and even more cautiously sat. She hit a few buttons, bypassing the nightly news, two sitcoms and a movie in favor of an hour-long drama that she probably suspected they both would enjoy.
Even when she was mad at him she couldn’t help being nice.
She was such a babe in the woods that Cooper almost felt guilty for what he was about to do, but not quite. He wanted to kill her infatuation. He didn’t want her thinking he was something he wasn’t. He didn’t want her sympathy. He didn’t want her affection. If she could make love without any of those, then he was her guy. If not, he wanted that out in the open, too, so she didn’t accidentally tiptoe back to her crazy ideas about him.
As she became engrossed in thetelevision show, he slowly raised his arm along the back of the sofa, resting it behind her. She appeared not to notice.
He inched closer. This time she shifted uneasily and glanced at him in her peripheral vision. Jerking his eyes in the direction of the television, he pretended not to see her looking at him. When she returned her attention to the show, he lifted his hand from the sofa back and gently dropped it on her shoulder.
For that she turned and stared at him. He frowned as if someone in the television show had done something confusing. When she glanced away, it was all he could do to hold back a smile. He’d never known that slowly making a pass at someone could be so amusing.
A
“Oh my God!”
“I couldn’t have saidit better myself.”
He shifted his gaze to the television and Zoe knew the conversation was over. Fine. She’d endured a weekend of him already. She could do another two days.
She checked on Daphne, who continued to sleep soundly in the drawer on the floor of the bedroom, but when she walked into the hall again she realized she had absolutely nothing to do. Except straighten the kitchen. Though they continually tidied up their messes, it wouldn’t hurt her to do a little extra cleaning. Maybe dust out a cupboard. Wipe down the refrigerator.
Because the owner of the house was a basically neat person—or family—arranging the cupboards and wiping out the refrigerator took only an hour. When Zoe was done, she paced behind the sofa so Cooper couldn’t see her, but she was beginning to get annoyed with the way he hogged the television. She understood that he was angry with himself for kissing her, probably angry with himself for being nice to her, and even angry with himself for insisting she come along with him Friday afternoon to find shelter, but that didn’t give him the right to make her miserable.
Luckily before she could say anything to him Daphne woke. Without taking her from the bedroom, Zoe changed her and played with her. When the timer on the stove rang, she came out, turned off the oven, fed Daphne some baby food, then served dinner for herself and Cooper. But rather than eat at the table, he fixed himself a plate and took it into the great room where he continued to watch TV. With Daphne in her travel seat, Zoe cleaned the kitchen. When that was done, she bathed the baby, put her in fresh pajamas, fed her a bottle and put her to sleep.
She almost lay down on herbed too, but she wasn’t tired. And, damn it, she was bored and that stupid Cooper had hogged the one and only form of entertainment long enough.
She stormed into the great room. “Give me the remote!”
Drowsy, Cooper raised his gaze to meet Zoe’s. He knew she was bored. He’d deliberately squandered the television. He’d not spoken. He’d eaten alone. All so she would realize he was an inconsiderate, selfish guy who wasn’t going to change.
If he kissed her now, she’d probably slap his face.
He sat up on the sofa. “Sorry,” he said a tad arrogantly, as if he were clueless to the fact that he’d been rude. He tossed the remote at her, then patted the sofa cushion beside him.
Looking as if she hadn’t expected his easy acquiescence, Zoe cautiously caught the remote and even more cautiously sat. She hit a few buttons, bypassing the nightly news, two sitcoms and a movie in favor of an hour-long drama that she probably suspected they both would enjoy.
Even when she was mad at him she couldn’t help being nice.
She was such a babe in the woods that Cooper almost felt guilty for what he was about to do, but not quite. He wanted to kill her infatuation. He didn’t want her thinking he was something he wasn’t. He didn’t want her sympathy. He didn’t want her affection. If she could make love without any of those, then he was her guy. If not, he wanted that out in the open, too, so she didn’t accidentally tiptoe back to her crazy ideas about him.
As she became engrossed in thetelevision show, he slowly raised his arm along the back of the sofa, resting it behind her. She appeared not to notice.
He inched closer. This time she shifted uneasily and glanced at him in her peripheral vision. Jerking his eyes in the direction of the television, he pretended not to see her looking at him. When she returned her attention to the show, he lifted his hand from the sofa back and gently dropped it on her shoulder.
For that she turned and stared at him. He frowned as if someone in the television show had done something confusing. When she glanced away, it was all he could do to hold back a smile. He’d never known that slowly making a pass at someone could be so amusing.
A
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