Page 8 of Slow Burn


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Shark expert, bullshitter, and God’s gift to women, Zoe thought as Adam took her hand in more of a welcoming grasp than a shake. He had the kind of bright blue eyes that cut through the logic sections of a woman’s brain and went straight to her instinct, whether dormant or not, to bear beautiful babies. Fortunately, Zoe’s instincts were wrapped up in the man three feet away, but she couldn’t help being charmed around the edges when Adam continued to hold on to her hand and put his other one at her waist as she stepped onto the boat.

When Adam finally let go, reassuring her the whole time that she would do just fine at the fish pursuit, Zoe caught Cooper staring at them. Not smiling. When he realized she was looking back at him, he quickly glanced away and forced a too-jolly smile as he helped Zoe’s mom onto the boat. Zoe couldn’t deny his veiled jealousy stoked a glimmer of satisfaction. Enough of a glimmer that she didn’t stop Adam when he insisted on helping her with her lifejacket and on her joining him at the bow as the captain finalized preparations and a woman with a matching Shark Whisperer T-shirt worked onshore to send their private fishing party off.

5

Forty-five minutes later, the captain cut the engine, and he and Adam sprang into action readying supplies. Zoe was still by herself in the front, thankful for the illusion of physical separation from Cooper, who was in the back of the boat with the others, and grasping it for as long as she could get away with it. Which turned out to be less than five minutes.

“Beautiful Zoe, come choose your weapon,” Adam called.

The inappropriate thrill at the compliment died instantly when Zoe caught the expression on Cooper’s face as she made her way to the main part of the deck, where everyone else was gathered. Not anger or jealousy. Just … sadness in his downcast eyes as he avoided her and stepped to the opposite side.

She was such a sap. She shouldn’t let him get to her so easily. They were over, over, over. Biting her lip and summoning her protective shell so he wouldn’t get to her, she went over to Adam and listened as he briefly explained the pros and cons of each fishing pole. And here she’d thought they were just poles.

“Which one has caught the most sharks?” she asked.

Adam took a hard look at her, his sea-blue eyes sparkling in amusement.

“Bringing in a shark can wear a two-hundred-fifty-pound muscle man out. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

Zoe wasn’t sure she was up for anything now, but she nodded. “Bring it.”

“I’d suggest this pole. Strong yet light.”

Penn and their mom selected poles, and Adam helped them bait them and choose a spot. Zoe went to one of the back corners of the boat and cast her line out, drawing on vague memories of fishing with her best friend, Lisa, as a kid in Colorado.

Cooper came over and sat on the bench seat across from hers.

“You’re not fishing?” she asked, wondering why the heck he’d come if he wasn’t going to put a line in.

He shook his head. “I’m Penn’s backup. He’s worried his back won’t take it if he gets something big.”

Alarm shot through Zoe. She hadn’t considered that fishing could be tough on the back. “Good idea.” She glanced over at her brother with concern. “Do you think these seats will be okay for him? We’ll be out here for a long time.”

“He’ll be fine. He’s a big boy.”

“With a bad back.”

“He knows how to take care of himself.”

She nodded and turned back toward the water, knowing Cooper was right. Thankful someone was in tune with her brother’s weakness.

The gulf was calm this far out — San Amaro Island was barely visible and only if you knew where to look — and the boat was fairly steady, with only a periodic dip here and there. There were no clouds in the sky, and the sun beat down directly, making Zoe glad she’d slathered on sunscreen before putting on her swimsuit, tank top, and shorts. She felt a drop of sweat trailing down between her breasts and pulled her tank over her head, fighting to ignore that Cooper was so close and staring at her bikini top. It was too hot to be modest with an ex. He’d seen it all before in every possible way.

When he walked away, she breathed a little more deeply, but her relief was short-lived. He returned and held out a bottle of ice-cold water for her and opened a can of beer for himself.

“Thank you,” she said as she twisted the lid off and closed her eyes at the coolness of the liquid on her tongue. She could feel Cooper still watching her from the side.

“You really are beautiful, Zoe,” he said in a low voice only she could hear.

She paused with the bottle halfway to her lips. Squeezed her eyes shut as so many different emotions nailed her at once. Trying to cut off the longing that compressed her heart, she took a drink and searched her brain for a strategy. A way to cope, to get through this day. She felt trapped. Water stretched out around them in every direction, as far as she could see, and there was no way to avoid Cooper’s sneak attack, no place to hide, other than the compact restroom in the cabin of the boat that Gully had mentioned earlier.

Her gaze trained on the distant horizon, she said through clenched teeth, “Friends, Cooper. Nothing more.”

“Yeah, that’s not really working for me.”

“You have to make it work. We agreed. For Penn.”

His brows contracted, and he shook his head, and though he tried to hide it, the hurt was there in his eyes again before he took a gulp of beer and walked away.