Carly Phillips - Summer Lovin’

He clenched his fists, then turned to his uncle. "Excuse us for a minute, won't you?" Ryan stood, grasped Zoe's hand and pulled her into the kitchen.

The door swung shut behind them and he immediately turned, backing her toward the counter. He stared into the green eyes capable of bringing him to his knees.

He couldn't afford to lose focus now. "Care to tell me what that was all about back there?"

"What was what all about?" She braced her hands against the Formica and leaned back. Away from him.

"That nonsense about Sam. The cold way you're deliberately distancing yourself from me. When we need to help each other most."

She blinked. "Are you for real? You show up on my doorstep right after I had to break my parents' hearts, wearing your stuffy suit and bringing your equally stuffy uncle in what has to be a show of power and- "

Ryan didn't know what possessed him, but one minute she was hurling accusations that clearly told him how scared and hurt she really was, and the next minute all he could think about was kissing her. He watched those full, sensual lips moving and all he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears propelled by the desire coursing through his veins.

He'd missed her and now he had to taste her or go completely insane. He grabbed her forearms and pulled her close, then pressed his lips against hers. He was hard and demanded everything and she immediately responded, kissing him back, her mouth willing and open, all the pent-up passion and desire and need spilling forth.

He tangled his hands in her hair and angled her head so he could get deeper access into the warm, wet recesses of her mouth. She trembled under his assault and he turned his head so he could trail moist kisses down her cheek and slender neck, inhaling her fragrant scent.

Zoe loved the taste and feel of him. Sensually he lit her on fire, and emotionally he filled the cold, scared places. The intensity between them grew stronger each time they laid eyes on one another. Not even distance or anger could remain between them for long.

His impulsive, take-charge kiss was obviously meant to be a resolution of sorts. She'd seen it with her parents too often to be wrong, and she reluctantly pulled out of his embrace.

"We can't do this." Shaking, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms. "Especially not now."

"Because?" He inclined his head, obviously confused.

She combed her fingers through her hair, trying to smooth the messy strands. "A kiss can't fix our problems. There's too much between us."

A muscle ticked in his jaw and she had to stifle the urge to stroke his skin. "It's a start."

"Sam ran away."

He reared back, her words obviously hitting him hard. "Dammit," he growled, his initial shock giving way to palpable anger.

He swung around and walked toward the kitchen sink. Bracing his hands on the counter, he glanced out the window overlooking the yard. "Because she found out the truth?"

"Yes. She came home unexpectedly and overheard us talking. She stormed off to her room. She was there at bedtime- I know because I checked on her- but this morning she was gone."

"What about that state-of-the-art alarm system your mother promised she'd use?"

Zoe touched his shoulder lightly when she really wanted to grab him and pound him for his innuendo.

He swiveled around to face her.

"Sam likes cool air when she sleeps so my mother bypasses her window so she can open it at night. Would you like to arrest her for making Sam more comfortable?" she asked, her sarcasm deliberately biting.

"I didn't mean it that way."

"The hell you didn't."

"I don't think your fighting is going to help find Samantha."

Zoe turned, shocked to see Ryan's uncle standing in the kitchen doorway. She wondered how much he'd witnessed, then decided she didn't care.

"He's right." Ryan threaded his fingers through his hair.

"My family's out looking for Sam." Zoe didn't want either of these men thinking her family wasn't worried about the teen, or worse, that they were neglectful in caring for her.

"I'm sure they are. Tell me, has anyone checked her room for clues to her whereabouts?" Uncle Russ asked.

Zoe narrowed her gaze. "Well, no. We immediately spread out to check places she's gone to before or might be likely to go to now." Zoe hated that this smug man thought of something her family, including Quinn, had missed. But he had a good point. "I'll go up to Sam's room now."

At that moment, the telephone rang and Zoe jumped to grab it, in case someone had found Sam. "Hello?"

"Hi, Zoe. It's Connor."

"Hey. Any news?" Since Connor had the emergency rooms on his list, she fervently hoped not.

"Not a thing."

Zoe let out a deep breath of air. Covering the phone, she glanced at Ryan. "She's not in any of the local hospitals," she reassured him.

"Thank God." He lowered himself into the nearest chair, looking too pale for her peace of mind.

"Would it help if I gave her room a cursory glance?" Uncle Russ asked.

Zoe waved him away. Let him do whatever he wanted as long as he stayed out of her way. "Connor, thank you for calling. Let me know if you hear from Quinn."

"Will do."

"Thanks." Zoe hung up the phone and strode over to where Ryan sat. "Are you okay?" She was hesitant to touch him in a way that offered support or comfort.

One minute they were adversaries, the next desperate lovers and after that uncertain allies, both concerned about Sam. Zoe wasn't certain what category they fell into right now.

"Did I ever tell you about the day Faith ran away?" Ryan asked, taking her by surprise.

Zoe shook her head. Until this moment, the parallels hadn't occurred to her. But Zoe understood now that Ryan was reliving a painful time in his life.

She pulled a chair up beside him and covered his hand with hers. "I'm listening." Not only because she relished details of his life, but because it gave her something to focus on while she manned the house.

"Faith was a typical older sister. She rarely wanted me around. That is, until the night before she left." His eyes clouded over and Zoe could tell he was remembering vividly.

"Ari and I were twins and sometimes we didn't want each other around," she said, laughing.

"That's what made that last night so strange. But I didn't know it at the time. She called me into her room and I hung out with her awhile. She paced around the room, talking quickly. I don't know if she was high at the time or completely lucid and just excited, knowing she planned to run away the next day."

He would never know, but Zoe wasn't about to say so aloud.

"The only thing I really remember was that she kept talking to me about staying true to myself. Being myself. Doing what I wanted with my life and not what was expected of me."

"She cared."

He swallowed hard, his eyes damp, visibly shaken by the memories. "It was probably the only time she showed it. The rest of my memories revolve around her fights with my parents, slamming doors to get away from them."

"Like mother like daughter." Zoe shook her head. "But it's typical teenage behavior. We expect it."

"My parents didn't." His fist clenched at his side. "Whoever told them to expect perfection from children had definitely steered them wrong," he muttered.

"What happened the morning Faith left?"

"I can answer that."

Zoe stiffened as Uncle Russ, a man she'd come to view as an intruder, walked back into the room. She wanted time alone with Ryan and he'd taken that from her.

Zoe wondered what else Ryan's family would take away.

ZOE WAITED FOR RYAN'S UNCLE to speak. The muscles in the back of her neck hurt from nerves and stress and she rolled her head from side to side, trying to ease the tension.

"Faith liked to stir things up," Russ said at last. "She had obviously planned to run away because she knew I kept petty cash in my briefcase and she stole that money before she took off."

"From the business?" Zoe asked, surprised any teenager would take that kind of risk.

Russ shook his head. "She stole money from the home office, actually."

"Uncle Russ lives in a gatehouse on the property," Ryan explained. "He and my father have an office there. Wasn't that also during the days when there were mob-related truck hijackings?" Ryan asked his uncle. "I remember Dad talking about those days when J.T. was ready to come into the business."

His uncle nodded slowly. "Yes, yes. Those were chaotic times in every sense of the word," he said.

"And why is it you never tried to find Faith?" she asked, turning the subject back to what was important. She met the older man's gaze and waited for an answer.

He cleared his throat. "I beg to differ, young lady. I did try to find my niece. Unfortunately her trail grew cold rather quickly."

Ryan rose from his seat. "Uncle Russ is my main ally and supporter. I've seen his paperwork and the detective I hired worked off of any trail he'd managed to find."

Zoe glanced at the older man. "Speaking of trails, did you find anything in her room?"

"Beyond all those candles, stuffed animals, magazines and books?" He shook his head laughing softly. "She's obviously been treated well."

"Here," Zoe reminded him. "She's been treated well here." She pointed to the floor of her home. "Before that it was the foster-care shuffle and nobody bought her a damn thing unless she absolutely needed it."

Ryan placed a calming hand on her arm. "Let's try to hold it together until she comes home, okay?"

Zoe nodded. Another half an hour passed during which she thought she'd go mad, mostly from the feeling that Ryan's uncle was watching her and her actions around his nephew. She hated being under a microscope and this man made studying and examining an art form.

Ryan and his uncle spoke in hushed tones in the corner of the family room, yet every so often she'd catch Ryan's compelling gaze on her and she'd heat up, knowing they still had unspoken feelings and desires between them.

Zoe was lying on the couch nearby with one arm covering her eyes when the phone finally rang. She jumped up and grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Francesca at the spa. I think I have someone here you might be looking for," the woman said in a lowered voice.

Zoe swallowed hard, her relief so profound her legs began to shake. "How long has Sam been there?"

"I found her outside the entrance this morning and she followed me inside. She said she was wondering if I could fit her in for a manicure."

She'd been right next door the entire time? Good Lord.

Nobody had thought to check the spa because since they'd opened, Sam had never once shown an interest in beauty treatments of any kind. Manicures, pedicures and facials weren't her thing, she'd often said. Sam was more of a tomboy, so looking for her at the spa had never dawned on any of them who knew her well.

So much still didn't make sense. Even if Sam had changed her mind about more girlie things, why not just ask Elena for an appointment? Why sneak out the window for something so innocent? Especially the morning after she'd received devastating news.

Zoe shook her head. There was much more going on, of that Zoe was certain. "What happened next?" she asked Francesca.

"I told her I was booked for the early appointment, but if she didn't mind waiting an hour or so I could fit her in. She sat and watched me most of the morning. But just now, when I said I needed to check on Elena and see why she hadn't come in today, she freaked out. She begged me not to call and it was obvious something was going on. She thinks I'm in the ladies' room now."

"Keep her there for me. I'll be right over. And thank you so much for calling."

Zoe exhaled a huge breath of air.

"Well?" Ryan stood towering over her.

"She's at the spa and please don't ask why we didn't realize it before now. I don't have time to explain."

"Thank God," he muttered. "Thank God."

She wanted to hug him and join in his relief, but she had to stay focused on Sam. Zoe grabbed a pad and jotted down a bunch of cell-phone numbers. "Please call my parents, Quinn and Ari, and Connor, with the news." She handed the pad to Ryan.

"Sure thing."

"I'm going next door to get her. And Ryan?"

"Yes?" He gazed at her with those gorgeous brown eyes.

Zoe paused, knowing her next words would sound cruel. She truly wasn't looking to hurt Ryan; she just wanted to look out for Sam. "Could you…could you not be here when we get back? I promise to call you this afternoon. Just let me get Sam here and talk- "