It took a minute before he realized Zoey had gone still. Shit. Her dad had been gone less than a year. And they’d just had sex on his desk.

“I keep putting my foot in my mouth, don’t I?”

She pursed her lips. “It’s okay. You’re not wrong. I’m sure my dad never imagined us here. But...”

“Are you starting to worry again? Old worries, or something new?” He traced a random pattern on her stomach with his fingers and smiled when he felt her shiver. “Look, neither one of us wants this to end anytime soon. We’re gonna stay friends. We’ll keep it quiet. We can do this. We’re both having fun, right?” His fingers moved lower, and her back arched when he found his target. “Are you having fun, Zoey?”

“I’m having fun.” She took in a shaky breath. “I just don’t know if I should be.”

His fingers continued to move. “This isn’t some random hookup. This is me. You know I’ll never hurt you.” His fingers were still moving, and she let out a moan that sent electricity racing through his veins. He kissed her, soft and slow, then smiled against her mouth. “I can’t keep my hands off you. I don’t want to keep my hands off you.”

She huffed out a soft laugh. “Then don’t.”

He reached for another condom. All he had to do was keep telling himself this was nothing more than casual, dirty little fun between friends. He already knew that was a lie—it was much, much more than that—but he’d try his damnedest to believe it. For Zoey’s sake.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

“YOU WERE WORKING late last night.” Hazel spoke around the spoonful of cereal she’d just put in her mouth. “Big project or something?”

Zoey was glad her back was to her daughter, because she was sure her face had just drained of color. She cleared her throat, her eyes firmly on the coffee maker in front of her.

“Why? Did you come out to the shop?” Had Hazel discovered the locked door? Mike had locked it, hadn’t he?

“Duh,” Hazel answered. “You’d have seen me if I’d come out there. I heard you come upstairs, and it was late.”

Zoey blew out a silent sigh of relief and finally turned around, her coffee cup in hand. “Let me guess—you were in bed, but not asleep. Maybe video-chatting with Sienna?”

The sparkle of guilty humor in Hazel’s eyes told Zoey all she needed to know. She’d successfully moved the conversation away from her sneaking up the stairs—apparently badly—close to midnight. Between her brief desktop nap and Mike tempting her into a second round of lovemaking, and then more napping... Well, she was lucky Mike had nudged her awake when he did.