Summer Lovin'

everything she held dear. Which, he thought, wasn't far from the truth.

He drew a deep breath. 'The pig's fine. I just thought that we could go for ice cream and I could ask you some questions.' Deceit wasn't a comfortable fit for him and he tried to keep his answers as honest as possible.

Elena nodded. 'That's a wonderful idea.'

Sam merely glared. 'No matter what you say to me, I still want to be adopted and live here forever.'

A slicing pain ripped through his gut. 'I understand what you want, Sam. I just want to get to know you better. That's all.'

'Can I get a sundae?' she asked.

'If I say yes, will you come with me?'

Sam walked over to the phone, picked up the receiver and handed it to him. 'After you ask Zoe for a date tonight.'

Ryan shook his head and laughed because if he hadn't known that they needed him to get Zoe to her party, he'd think the kid and Elena were actually matchmaking.

Chapter Five

AFTER SPENDING A FEW HOURS in a shopping mall with a fourteen-year-old, Ryan had been spent. First he'd taken Sam for ice cream as promised, where she'd ducked behind him every time she'd seen a boy she knew from school. Then he'd had what he thought was a brainstorm and he'd asked her to help him shop for a birthday gift for Zoe.

Sam had dragged him into an all-natural beauty store that smelled ultrafeminine and too seductive for his peace of mind. Clenching his mouth shut tight, he'd stood back as Sam had chosen Zoe's favorite scents in body scrub, body wash, body splash and he was sure there were more items he couldn't remember. He couldn't very well tell the kid that they were in way too intimate territory when she was so pleased with her selections, so he'd gone ahead and purchased her choices.

The store clerk had insisted on wrapping them in a gift basket with some courtesy products, including a loofah sponge he couldn't stop envisioning running over every part of Zoe's body, inch by tantalizing inch. His desire for her grew each time he saw her. His need to taste her again, to possess her body and learn her secrets, was with him day and night.

Now hours later, he was driving Zoe to a surprise destination for their date. His nerves were on edge as he waited for the phone call redirecting them to her aunt's diner. Each time he inhaled, he took in her fresh-like- summer scent, forcing him to shake his head in an attempt to stop thinking about Zoe and sex. Sleeping with her would compromise his emotions, he knew, and in turn he'd jeopardize his goal to take Sam to Boston with him.

Instead he focused on the trip he'd made after taking Sam back to Elena's. He'd gone back to the mall to purchase another, more practical gift for Zoe. One that had a purpose, but wasn't in the least bit romantic. Though he knew he'd have to give both wrapped packages in order to protect Sam's feelings, he hoped the more simple one would take away from the innuendo implied by the bath and body basket- even if his skin were tingling as if she'd used that loofah sponge on him, then followed it up with her hands, and then those luscious lips he'd tasted the other day.

Zoe placed a hand on his shoulder, her soft touch doing nothing to help him repress his desire to sleep with her as soon as possible.

'It was so nice of you to ask me out for my birthday, even if I'm certain Sam put you up to it,' she said, laughing.

He grinned. 'The kid has a way about her, that's for sure. It's true she might have told me it was your birthday, but I would have asked you out, anyway.'

'Really?'

'Eventually,' he admitted. 'When these things between us got more settled.' When there was no agenda between them.

Which might be never, he thought to himself.

She raised an eyebrow, her understanding as strong as his. 'Settled isn't necessarily going to be a good thing, so let's just enjoy now, why don't we?'

He nodded. 'Good thinking.'

A glance at the road signs told him they were only five minutes away from the restaurant Elena had suggested for their 'date' and he wondered when the hell Zoe's cell phone would ring and put the real plan into motion.

As if by command, he heard the distinctive sound of a cell-phone ring coming from her bag. She answered, spoke to the person on the other end, argued some and then finally agreed to do whatever was being asked of her.

'I said I'll be right there,' she grumbled before she hung up and looked over at Ryan.

'Something wrong?' he asked.

'Only adolescent angst.'

He glanced at her questioningly.

'We call it the old stomp, stomp, slam. In other words, something set Sam off and she stormed into another room and slammed the door.'

He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, which faced the water and where they supposedly had an outdoor table reserved.

'I'm sure she'll come out of her room eventually.' He put the car into park and turned toward her.

Zoe sighed. 'She's not in her room, she's at Aunt Kassie's restaurant. Apparently, she's locked herself in the ladies' room and won't come out.'

Ryan tried not to laugh at Sam's shenanigans to get Zoe to her surprise party. 'Is this normal behavior for her?' he asked, playing along.

To his shock, she nodded. 'It's normal teenage, hormonal behavior. That's why we call it stomp, stomp, slam, as in, stomp out of the room, then stomp down the hall and finally slam the door shut behind her.'

'I have vague recollections of my sister acting the same way.'

'So you understand why we have to head on over there?' She sounded truly disappointed and something inside him lifted with the knowledge that she really had wanted to go out on a date with him.

'Your parents can't handle it?'

She shook her head. 'Sam yelled through the closed door that she'd only talk to me.'

'You think it's a good idea to indulge her tantrums?' Although Ryan knew this particular episode was faked, he wondered how often Sam pulled such extreme stunts to get attention.

'I'll explain on the way, okay?'

Feigning resignation, he placed the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking spot. 'I need directions, though. It was enough of a challenge memorizing the way to this place from the map.' He treated her to what he hoped looked like a forced smile, doing his bit for the charade.

'Make a left out of here and get back onto the GardenState.'

As he followed her directions, he listened to her insight into his niece. 'We don't indulge Sam. It's just that we're aware of how hard she's had it, and we do our best to balance discipline and understanding. Sam responds best to a reaction from us that acknowledges her behavior.'

'Why is that?'

'Because in her experience, if she ran away or did something wrong, the family she was living with wouldn't report it to Social Services, not because they were being compassionate, but because they were afraid if Sam was taken away, they'd lose their monthly stipend from the state.'

Her distaste for those past foster families and the system was evident in her tone. His heart squeezed tight as he acknowledged the difficult life Sam had led since her mother's traumatic death.

'This is the exit.' She pointed and he followed her directions to her aunt Kassie's restaurant.

The teenager was fortunate she had the Costas family in her corner and no matter what happened, Ryan would