One Week with her (Ex) Stepbrother (Eden Manor #2) by Noelle Adams Page A

dreams,” he murmured. “And they have nothing to
do with Silas.”
    “Things
like what?”
    He
didn’t answer with words, but he showed her.
    And
it was real—better than any dream she’d ever had.
    ***
    That
evening, Missy and Zach were in his truck, on the way to have dinner in the
Italian restaurant one town over. There weren’t very many restaurants in the
area, so people got used to driving from town to town if they wanted to eat out
or shop.
    Missy
was exhausted after the emotional upheavals of the week, but she was also so
happy she couldn’t stop smiling.
    She
was grinning again as she looked over at Zach, who was focused on taking the truck
around a curvy road that went up a hill.
    When
she saw he was frowning, she said, “What’s wrong?”
    “Nothing.”
He looked over at her, his face breaking out in a smile that matched hers.
“Nothing is wrong in the world.”
    She
giggled, relieved that he was just as happy as she was. “Then why were you
frowning?”
    “No
reason. I was just thinking about dinner.”
    “I
thought you liked this place.”
    “I
do.”
    “I
can call Vanessa and tell them to meet us somewhere—”
    “I
said I like it.”
    “Then
why were you frowning. You like Vanessa, don’t you?”
    “Of
course, I do.”
    “Really?”
Missy looked at him closely and saw nothing but sincerity on his face.
    “Yes.
I like her a lot. I’d like her just because she’s been such a good friend to
you, but I like her anyway. She’s a real powerhouse, taking on that business
the way she did.”
    Now
it was Missy’s turn to frown. “A powerhouse? Just how well do you like
her?”
    With
a chuckle, Zach reached over to rub his hand along her thigh. “Not anywhere
close to the way I like you.”
    After
a minute of mushy gazing, Missy pulled herself together. “So, if you like
Vanessa, then what’s the problem with dinner? You like Joe, don’t you?”
    “Sure.”
    She
noticed a particular nuance to the word. “You don’t like Joe? Everyone likes
Joe.”
    “I
know they do.” He smiled at her blandly. “Joe’s a great guy.”
    “You
don’t like him? Tell me the truth. Do you know something bad about him?” She
was starting to worry. If there was some dark secret to be revealed about Joe,
poor Vanessa would be heartbroken. “You have to tell me, Zach.”
    Zach
cleared his throat. “There’s nothing bad. Seriously. I like him fine.”
    “Then
what’s your thing about him? Don’t tell me there’s nothing. I know you too
well, remember?”
    “I
know you do,” he murmured. “It’s occasionally a little inconvenient.”
    When
Missy just waited with a significant look on her face, he cleared his throat
again and admitted, “It just bothered me sometimes. That he could come on so
strong with Vanessa—do all that flirting and stuff.”
    Her
brows drew together, trying to follow his train of thought. “He was in love
with her. What’s wrong with that?”
    “Nothing.
Nothing. It doesn’t make sense, but I just…I just wished I could do it too.
With you, I mean. It was so easy for him—and here I’ve been waiting for ages,
trying to hide what I feel for you, so you wouldn’t freak out.”
    “Oh.”
She thought about that for a long time as Zach drove in silence. “I was into
you too.”
    “Yeah,
but I figured it out long before you did. And I couldn’t say anything. I wanted
to. So much. But I was always having to hold back until finally I couldn’t any
longer. It just started to spill out.”
    Missy
smiled, unable to stop herself from being a little thrilled at the depth and
strength of his feelings for her. “I’m glad it did.”
    “Me
too. But it was a real risk. There was a good chance you would totally freak
out about your ex-stepbrother coming on to you and then never want to see me
again.”
    She
had to admit he was right, so she gave him a rueful smile as she said, “Yeah. I
guess so. It worked out, though, so you shouldn’t resent Joe.”
    “I
don’t.” At