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Chapter One

The Costas backyard was packed with people all circling the capuchin monkey, who was performing on a makeshift stage set up on the green grass. Though a party would always draw a crowd, these folks couldn't wait to see Spank, a monkey with a fondness for mooning anyone in sight. Zoe Costas stood with her twin sister Ari and watched the capuchin perform in honor of their foster sister Sam's fourteenth birthday.

Sam missed the monkey since Spank had been forced to move out of the Costas family home after they discovered that owning a pet monkey violated the law. Since Sam had lost too many people and things in her young life, they still tried to maintain her strong bond with the animal she loved. Zoe kept in touch with the trainer who'd taken the monkey and made sure he arrived on special occasions like today.

Zoe glanced at her foster sister and smiled. They were celebrating Sam's first birthday as part of the family and Zoe was glad the teenager would get to experience this kind of spirited celebration surrounded by people who cared about her. The young girl had come to Zoe's parents through Quinn Donovan, Ari's husband. They'd taken the young girl in and now they were on the road to adoption.

But Sam had been in foster care for six years, unwanted for too long and so distrustful, she acted out and tested the family in every way possible. Only lately had she begun to trust and settle into the crazy Costas clan.

Someone in the audience whistled and Spank dropped her pants, then the monkey smacked her bottom with both of her hands.

Ari groaned and covered her eyes.

Zoe chuckled. "You lived with Spank last year. I would have thought you were way past being mortified," she said, unable to hold back a grin.

Ari shrugged. "What can I say? Spank always takes me by surprise."

"That's because you still expect everyone around to be sane and calm." Zoe waved a finger in front of her twin's face. "It's your shrink training," she said to Ari who was a psychologist.

"You say that like expecting normalcy is a crime."

Zoe laughed. "Shame, shame, Ariana. You ought to know better than to expect the ordinary from anyone named Costas."

"Frankly, accepting the family's unique qualities has done wonders to help my own sanity."

After a period of estrangement, they could finally talk and joke about Ari's saner tendencies. Her twin had always been the straight-laced sister, the one who felt she didn't fit into their eccentric family. As a result she'd moved to Vermont, far from the Jersey Shore and kept her distance from the Costas clan, Zoe included. But it was Zoe's recent so-called disappearance that had brought Ari home to stay. Zoe welcomed the chance to renew a sense of closeness they'd shared as young children.

Suddenly Ari nudged her sister in the side and pointed towards Spank who was spitting into the crowd.

Zoe cringed. "Like I said, ordinary and the name Costas do not go hand in hand."

"Would it do any good to remind you that Spank the monkey is not a relative?" Ari ran a hand through the long, black hair she'd grown back after trying a bob a few months back. Now the twins looked even more alike again, something Zoe loved, since she felt it helped strengthen their bond.

"Look Ari, the family may no longer perform their Atlantic City Boardwalk Addams Family Act, but dad is still as bald as Uncle Fester, Mom still wiggles her hips like Morticia, and Aunt Dee swears that Great Aunt Deliria was engaged to a chimp, which means Spank could very well be a long lost relative."

Ari sighed. "Spank's a capuchin not a chimp."

"And your last name once was Costas. Nothing is as it seems," Zoe said, laughing.

"She's got a point," their mother Elena said, joining her daughters just as Spank's first act ended.

"Hi, Mom," Ari said.

"Hi," Zoe echoed.

"My beautiful girls." Elena enveloped them in a hug, made more suffocating by the long, flowing sleeves of the Kimonos she favored now that she'd packed away her Morticia Addams' black dresses.

Zoe supposed the outfits had something to do with owning a spa and working as a licensed masseuse. But she wasn't certain what that connection was any more than she knew why her mother had decided to wear her Geisha girl outfit to Sam's birthday party. And darned if she'd ask. Nobody could stop Elena's wacky ways and in truth, nobody tried. In their small hometown of Ocean Isle, New Jersey everyone expected the Costas family to act, well, odd. Zoe had long since stopped trying to figure out their eccentric mother. She'd rather just love her instead.

"I've come up with the perfect name for your new business," Elena said to Zoe, referring to the leap she was making in her professional life.

After years of working for the secret service protecting government officials visiting New Jersey, she'd begun to chafe under the tight rules and regulations. No surprise there since she was a Costas and liked to do things her own way. Her new business would give her the opportunity to do just that. She and her partners would be protecting visiting stars and dignitaries on their trips to Atlantic City's casinos.

"I heard that." Quinn, Ari's ex-cop husband came up beside his wife and pulled her against his side. "What wacky idea entered your mind this time?" he asked his mother in law.

Elena raised her arms, clearly on stage. "Safe Sex - protection is our business," she said, punctuating each word with her hands. "So what do you think?" her mother asked, smiling and proud of her idea.

Quinn blinked. His hazel eyes focused on Elena as if she were insane, although he knew better. He'd married Ari knowing full well the family was merely eccentric.

Connor Brennan, who Zoe hadn't realized had joined them, choked on his cola. Connor was Quinn's best friend. They'd grown up together in foster care and had been partners while working as detectives for the police department. As partners with Zoe in their new venture, both Connor and Quinn had a vested interest in the business Elena wanted to name.

Zoe knew better than to dignify her mother's idea or she'd start expanding on it and before she knew it a Safe Sex sign would be hanging over their new office space and the cops would arrive to shut them down.

"Mom, don't you have more important things to do? Like corralling Sam's friends for cake?" She pointed to the group of teenage girls gathered in the yard.

"Good idea. I'll get the kids," Ari said, escaping while she had the chance.

Elena patted Zoe's cheek. "Okay I can see you aren't ready to talk business. Later, then. But you should think about registering the name before somebody else takes it."

"Like who? A porn shop?" Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow.

Quinn shook his head and laughed. He'd always enjoyed his in laws much more than any man should. "I think I'll go help Ari gather the troops."

"Not yet." Elena waved an arm in the air, her long sleeve blowing in the summer breeze. "I have one more game for the girls to play before we sing happy birthday and open presents," Elena said.

Connor adjusted his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. "What game is that?"

"You'll be sorry you asked," Quinn promised his friend.

Zoe nodded.

Undeterred, Elena pulled out a red cut out heart from one of her Kimono pockets. "Since they're too old for Pin the Tail on the Donkey, they're going to Pin the Heart on Orlando Bloom," she said, pronouncing heart on so quickly the phrase sounded like hard-on.

This time Connor spit out his drink. "Pin the what on who?"

Thankfully, his fiancee, Maria came up behind him and pulled him away, rescuing the poor man from any more of Zoe's mother's antics.

"They're happy," Zoe said of the couple.

Quinn nodded. "Connor was a goner first time he laid eyes on Maria working as a cocktail waitress at the casino. I was just amazed he accepted the fact that she had a kid so easily."

Foster care and their rough upbringing had scarred both Connor and Quinn, Zoe thought sadly. But both had come around in the end, accepting that the future could be much better, if only they gave it a chance.

"The things people do for love," she said lightly. More lightly than she actually felt.

After all, she really wouldn't know what love would do to a person. She'd never fallen hard for any man. After growing up witnessing the intensity of her parents' relationship, their love and their fights, she was often glad Cupid had passed her by. Experience showed her that her mother often caved in to make her father happy and Zoe couldn't imagine sacrificing her independence for any man. As for a family of her own, Zoe remained career oriented and focused because without love, there would be no family. No babies. It wasn't something she gave much thought to, perhaps because her immediate family took up so much of her time and energy. She was never alone unless she wanted to be.

"You'll see for yourself one day," Quinn said, an amused smirk on his face. "In the meantime, why don't we meet tomorrow morning at the new office and discuss business there," he suggested.

"Sounds like a good plan." Better they talk when there were no prying eyes or ears and nobody to offer their well meaning, off the wall suggestions on how to run their new venture.

Zoe had been out of work for almost a year, having quit her position as a federal secret service agent because in true Costas form, she didn't like to follow the rules.

It'd been Costas meddling that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. To help her mother, Zoe had taken a job as a show girl for a casino owner to whom Elena owed money. Within a few hours, she'd realized her mother was up to one of her tricks, this time matchmaking between Zoe and said casino owner. Unfortunately, despite his good looks, the man oozed slime and Zoe's instincts had kicked in. In no time she'd discovered a money laundering scheme that put her in danger and the cops already investigating the case - namely Quinn - in a foul mood. He'd forced her into protective custody until their investigation was over and they'd told her family she was missing and presumed dead. Not Zoe's finest hour.

Meanwhile her superiors had been royally ticked that she hadn't come to them as soon as she'd uncovered the illegal operation and had suspended her. She'd quit instead. She hated the rules and restrictions that were a fact of government work so as soon as the case ended, she returned home alive and settled back into her life surrounded by her chaotic family. All her time in the safe house had made her realize she didn't enjoy her job as much as she should. Not when the job was all she had. For awhile she'd helped her parents in their new spa business venture but playing bookkeeper and receptionist didn't suit her. She missed the action and day to day surprises on the job.

The action had drawn her to the FBI to begin with and the training at Quantico along with her job had more than filled her need for excitement. Too bad rules and regulations had come with it. She hoped her new business would give her back the satisfaction excitement on the job along with working for only herself and her partners, planning and implementing security detail.

Once the business was established, she could turn her attention to finding a place of her own. She'd turn thirty next week and at her ripe old age, she couldn't continue living with her parents. The arrangement had worked while she'd been on the road on assignment, living out of hotels more often than being home. But it was past time for her to grow up and move out.

Her parents accused her of being afraid of commitment to anything, any man or any place. She didn't like to think of herself as afraid of anything.

"We'll talk tomorrow. Right now I'm going to find Ari," Quinn said, interrupting her thoughts.

Zoe cleared her throat. "Good idea. Maybe she can talk Mom out of embarrassing Sam with this pin the hard-on game or at least get it over with before the social worker gets here."

Despite the seriousness of the case worker's visit, she and Quinn both couldn't help but laugh. They both found the Costas clan uniquely amusing. Only Ari had always been the voice of reason. The sane one, so afraid she didn't fit in that she put barriers between herself and those she loved most. But those issues and feelings were behind them now. They were one big family, intent on protecting Sam and making her happy.

Zoe understood how important it was for Sam to feel loved and she had to admit, for all their oddball tendencies, love was what the Costas family did best.

***

Almost there. Ryan Baldwin glanced at the directions supplied by the private investigator and turned right. Two more blocks and his search for his runaway sister's child would finally be at an end. A bittersweet end after a long, nearly fruitless search.

Faith had left home when she was seventeen but Ryan hadn't been able to begin searching for her until five years later, when he'd turned eighteen. By then her trail had turned cold. He hadn't given up looking, but Faith had changed her name so many times that the P.I. had one hell of a time finding out what happened to her.

Only recently had his P.I. stumbled onto information from a convict who had some link to Faith, and more facts came to light. Ryan was still reeling from the painful discovery that his sister had been shot and killed six years ago by a bullet meant for her drug dealer boyfriend, a guy now serving a life sentence. Ryan was also floored by the news that Faith had had a child.

He glanced down and realized he clenched his fists too tightly around the steering wheel and loosened his grip. Thinking of Faith was always difficult. More so now that he understood what happened after she'd run away.

Growing up, Ryan had alternated between missing his older sister and envying her the freedom he felt sure she'd finally found. Their conservative upbringing in an elite suburb of Boston, Massachusetts had never matched his sister's wilder, freer personality. Her running away had left him as the only child living at home while his older brother, J.T., had already moved out, then followed tradition and gone into the family department store business as expected. His parents had disowned Faith and Ryan had caught on quick, always behaving as expected.

Since the family had J.T. to help his father and uncle run the department stores, Ryan had become an attorney with their blessing. He was a partner in a firm downtown, distancing himself in ways his sister couldn't while living home.

That distance had given him the strength to continue the search for his sister and it had finally paid off. He was on his way to meet his niece, a fourteen year old girl named Samantha who had been in and out of foster care since her mother's death six years ago. He planned to rescue his niece from that hellish fate and bring her home where she belonged.

He pulled up to a well-kept house in a suburban Jersey neighborhood. The clapboard siding was painted a cheery yellow with white trim and on the front lawn was a sign that read: Costas Day Spa. Evening hours available.

He shrugged at the absurdity of the sign and turned off the ignition. The investigator had given him background information on the current family Samantha resided with and they were an odd bunch. Just a year ago, they made their living performing a Jersey shore comedy act based on the Addams family. Now they ran a spa with clients coming in and out, not the most ideal place to raise a child.

Surely his niece would be thrilled to find out she had a sane and stable uncle and family who wanted her. Well, he wanted her. Even if the rest of the family with the exception of his Uncle Russ, wasn't keen on bringing his delinquent sister's child back into the fold. He'd have to deal with his uptight parents later. In the meantime, he drew a deep breath, stepped from the car and straightened his tie before heading towards the house.

Music and laughter sounded from behind the home and when nobody answered the doorbell, he followed the path which led to the back yard. He looked around, taking in the sights. A disc jockey played loud music while a monkey - - he blinked, certain he was seeing things and looked again. Damn, it was a monkey dancing on stage with a pretty blonde teen.

He wondered if the girl was his niece and his heart twisted tight in his chest. A bunch of kids ran by him, laughing and giggling. He glanced up at the clear blue sky and for the first time he noticed the banner draped between two large trees that said, Happy Birthday, Sam and Welcome to the Family.

A sick feeling of unease settled in his gut as he realized he wouldn't be waltzing in and rescuing his sister's child from an unfit, uncaring environment. Certain he needed to rethink and devise a new approach, he turned to leave when a light touch on his arm stopped him.

"You're here!" A female voice said.

He turned to see an attractive woman dressed in a bright red Kimono with long black hair flowing over her shoulders. Her outfit was unique and inexplicable. Where he came from women dressed in designer dresses and suits. He didn't know what to make of the middle aged Geisha woman appraising him with frank, interested green eyes that made him squirm.

"I'm Elena Costas." She treated him to a welcoming smile. "You must be the new man from Social Services. I know our case worker is on vacation but she promised she'd send someone in her place to wish Sam a happy birthday, which you can do in a minute but first come and meet my husband."

A hint of Greek accented her speech and she spoke quickly without taking a breath, giving him no time to insert a thought until she finished.

He wasn't the man from Social Services and it was best she knew it up front. "I think you're confusing me -"

Ignoring his protest, she grabbed his hand, pulling him further into the crowd.

He groaned aloud but resigned himself to going along. Short of digging in his heels, nothing could stop this determined woman, but that didn't ease his sense of guilt. Trained by his parents, Ryan typically behaved above reproach. He preferred not to lie or cheat but this woman had given him the idea and continued to reinforce the notion. If Sam's foster family thought he was a social worker, they wouldn't turn him away.

Besides he had no idea how Sam would react to him showing up in her life and he appreciated the opportunity to observe his niece and figure out a plan that would benefit them both. He assuaged his conscience by promising himself he'd correct the Costas family's wrong assumption before any real damage was done.

Unfortunately they didn't get far before they were stopped again.

"Halt," demanded a beautiful woman, a younger version of the one holding his hand.

Ryan couldn't help but stare. Her silky black hair twisted around shoulders bared by a lime green halter top tucked into a pair of faded jeans. The shirt's bright color complemented her Mediterranean skin tone which glowed beneath the afternoon sun. She completely entranced him.

And he wasn't the only one she affected because to his amazement, the older woman he'd begun to think of as a tornado came to a stop and uttered a few words in Greek that he didn't understand before switching to perfect English.

"Zoe, this man is the replacement from social services, so make nice. I want him to meet your papa. Have you seen him?"

"He's inside getting the cake." She gestured toward the house with a shake of her head.

"Mama, why don't you go round up Sam and her friends and get ready to sing." She possessed a deep voice that reminded him of hot sex and he sweat beneath the afternoon sun.

Her mother nodded. "I forgot to defrost the cake so I hope your father remembers to bring hot water to dip the knife. And I hope your Aunt Kassie behaves because you know how badly she wanted to bake the cake, but we have to please Sam on her special day." She glanced at Ryan and smiled broadly. "Carvel is Sam's favorite. Do you like ice cream cake, Mr. ...?"

"Baldwin. Ryan Baldwin." His head was already spinning from his dealings with Elena Costas and he opted to use his real name for fear he'd confuse himself with an alias. With his sister's myriad name changes, he had no fear they'd connect him to Sara Morgan, Faith's last known name.

He forced a comfortable smile. "I love cake. Especially Carvel."

"Then let's do it so we can get to the gifts. I can't wait for Sam to see what we bought for her," Elena said.

"Maybe we should wait until tonight when we're alone." Zoe shot a pointed glance at Ryan.

Her mother shook her head. "Nonsense. Mr. Baldwin seems like the kind man who'd want a young girl to be happy. I'm right, yes?" she asked.

"Uh, of course." But he wondered what kind of gift Sam would be receiving that had Zoe uncomfortable.

"You see?" Elena took his hand once more, grabbed Zoe and headed deeper into the yard.

They came to a stop by a picnic table and while Elena busied herself gathering the girls, Zoe turned to Ryan, her eyes intense and serious. "You'll have to excuse my mother but she's so excited about this party. She just adores Sam and wants everything to be perfect. You'll like my family," she assured Ryan, her need for his acceptance blatant.

In her mind he was the social worker whose opinion would help determine whether they were an appropriate home for his niece. They needed to impress him. He needed for them to fail any inspection.

But as he took in her expressive face and the obvious pleasure she took in this entire day, he realized this was no act for a social worker. Zoe's love for his niece was so real, he couldn't help but like her for it.

"I'm sure I'll like your family," he told her. Even if what he'd seen so far showed him a carnival atmosphere he couldn't possibly understand.

Zoe's shoulders eased and she seemed to relax. "How's Katherine's mother? We were all so sorry to hear she couldn't make it today because of her mother's fall."

The missing social worker, he realized, the moment of panic passing. "She'll be okay." He hoped he was telling the truth.

"OK, cake time," a male voice boomed through the loud speakers. "Everyone gather." He spoke slowly and with a more distinct accent than Zoe's mother had possessed.

"Where's Samantha?" Ryan asked, nerves jumbled together inside him.

"There," Zoe said, pointing.

Ryan followed her direction and once again felt sure he was hallucinating. The monkey he'd seen earlier stood on the back of a large dog, balancing with ease. The animals came to a halt when a bald man carrying a huge ice cream cake stepped forward. By his side walked a beautiful blonde teenager, her hand tight in the crook of his elbow.

"Faith," he said aloud.

"Sam. That's my soon to be sister, Samantha," Zoe said with pride. "Of course we already think of her as part of the family," she quickly assured him.

He nodded but couldn't speak any more than he could take his eyes off the girl who was the spitting image of his sister. At fourteen, Sam was three years younger than Faith had been at the time she ran away. Sam possessed the same long, blonde hair and similar features with one marked difference. Where Faith had been morose, constrained by their conservative family's demands and expectations, Sam appeared vibrant, happy and full of life.

He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "She's a beautiful child."

"Yes, she is. I'm sure the picture in social services files don't do her justice," Zoe said.

He muttered a noncommittal reply.

Their conversation ended when the Happy Birthday song began. The monkey blew out the candles before Sam could get to them. Laughing, she gave the animal a high five and in turn the monkey blew her a raspberry and then shot her a huge grin followed by a kiss.

The routine seemed practiced and rehearsed. "She seems like she knows the monkey," he said, wondering if he sounded as stupid as he felt.

"She does," Zoe said, unfazed. "Spank lived here for awhile."

"Spank?"

"The monkey." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Please don't ask, okay? She's gone. She lives with her trainer and we're not violating any laws or rules and we would never, ever put Sam or any other child in danger." Zoe's once self confident voice took on a pleading tone as she obviously realized she'd slipped with her admission.

Once more, he sought to reassure her. "I can see that you wouldn't." Unable to stop himself, he reached out and touched her hand.

The spark of awareness was instant and energizing. His gaze immediately flew to hers and in those green eyes, he saw equal doses of surprise and pleasure.

He felt the same and knew he shouldn't. Because of who he was and the information he possessed, the attraction shook him to his core. And still he let his fingertips linger. Her skin was soft, the texture as intriguing as the woman herself. He'd never felt such instant desire. How ironic it would be with a woman he couldn't allow himself to get close to.

She met his gaze and smiled, a full, honest, I'm interested kind of smile. Ryan didn't find trouble often, but he'd found it with Zoe Costas.

"Do you want to meet Sam? See for yourself how happy she is with my parents?" She spoke of his niece, but her voice was a touch hoarser than before. The desire and awareness between them might be unspoken but it was now a tangible thing.

He nodded. "I'd like to meet her."

"Sam!" Zoe called and the girl came running.

Her eyes lit up as she reached Zoe. "Hey, Sis. Having fun?"

Sis. He shuddered at the memory the word evoked and the fact that his niece already found herself so familiar with Zoe and her family.

"The best. I want you to meet someone." Zoe gestured toward Ryan.

He straightened his shoulders and suddenly felt stiff and uncomfortable as Sam looked him over from head to toe, then frowned. "I hope he's not your boyfriend." She wrinkled her nose in the disgust only a teenager could demonstrate.

Clearly he'd come up lacking. He tried not to let it bother him since she didn't know him yet.

"Sam, that's not nice," Zoe chided. "And Mr. Baldwin happens to be Katherine's replacement. He's your social worker, not my boyfriend."

"Oh man, I'm sorry." The young girl's hands went to her neck. She glanced down and began fingering old keys that dangled from a chain.

Scared? Chastised? He wasn't sure but finally she looked up again, meeting his gaze.

"Hey Mister, I bet I can tell you where you got them shoes," Sam, said, her joke an obvious attempt at bravado in the face of her mistake.

He shot Zoe a questioning look.

She grinned, clearly amused but not giving away any of Sam's secrets.

He shrugged. "Okay I'll play. Where'd I get my shoes?"

"You got ‘em on your feet," Sam said and burst into belly-aching laughter at her own joke.

He didn't catch on immediately and when he did, he realized Zoe was laughing along with Sam.

Zoe shook her head and tried to control herself. Sam's old, tired joke wasn't what had her laughing but poor Ryan Baldwin and his blank, lost stare. She wondered if it was painful to be that uptight and straight laced. Oh, well. As Sam's new social worker, a couple of days with the Costas clan would cure him in no time.

Besides, she had to admit that his sandy blonde hair and brown eyes made for a darn cute package, considering he was a social worker and by definition a stickler for rules. She reminded herself that he was a man who would no doubt make her feel strangled and constrained way more than even the safe house had done. Still she found herself tempted to test the waters and wondered how he'd react if she reached out and pinched his -

"He's got a stick up his butt -" Sam said in a stage whisper.

Ryan's eyes opened in shock.

Zoe refrained from laughing and instead leveled Sam with a stern glare. Thankfully Sam got the message and gazed downward, appearing contrite for Ryan's sake. Zoe knew she was probably anything but.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"That's okay," Ryan said.

"I've got to go talk to Stacey." Sam mentioned a school friend who'd been invited to her party.

Zoe nodded. "That's a good idea."

Before leaving, Sam glanced at Ryan. "Nice meeting you, Mr. Baldwin. You're gonna let me stay with Elena and Nicholas, right?"

Zoe's heart clenched, not just at Sam's plea but at her sudden polite tone. That wasn't who Sam was and Zoe hated the anxiety and insecurity Sam was forced to live with every single day.

"Go have fun. Nobody's making any decisions today." Zoe ruffled the girl's long hair and after Sam had sped away, she turned to Ryan.

"If there's anything you can do to speed this process along, it'll be better for everyone, believe me. The best interest of the child," she said, parroting Katherine and everyone else in the government bureaucracy. "I mean since that's what you're all about, and we are what Sam wants ..." Zoe trailed off as Ryan's expression shut down.

Apparently she'd crossed the line. The Costas clan tended to do that too often. Pleasing the social worker and worrying about conforming to someone else's standards was the one thing that had the entire family on edge. They were an out of the box sort of group and nothing, not even adopting a child, could change that.

Thankfully Social Services had agreed to the foster placement and the last few months had been uneventful. Now if she could just get her mother to stall Sam's birthday present until Ryan Baldwin left, she'd feel much better.

"I'm sorry. No more pushing. I promise. So, how about a tour of the house?" she asked with forced cheer, recalling that had been one of the first things the other social worker requested.

He seemed to relax and even crack a smile. "Has anyone ever told you you're just like your mother?"

She cocked her head to one side. "If you mean because I'm pushy, tend to ramble, and usually get what I want, then yeah, people do think my mother and I are alike."

"I was thinking that you're both like a tornado of sorts, but I have to admit, you two can be somewhat refreshing."

"That's one way of putting it and coming from someone more ... how shall I say this delicately ... Coming from someone more stuffy than I am, I think I'll even consider it a compliment."

He laughed at that, two dimples suddenly becoming evident. With his guard down and his smile genuine and unstrained, Zoe was struck again by how handsome he truly was. It was strange that she'd notice him at all, since a suit kind of guy was the last man she'd normally be attracted to, but what the heck. The rush of adrenaline proved she wasn't dead, as her mother liked to say.

"I'd like to take that tour now," he said, changing the subject back to business.

"Come." Zoe grabbed his hand, and pulled him toward the house.

She kept things light as she pointed out the spa and how it was completely apart from the house. With separate entrances on opposite sides of the property, nobody could get in or out of the house from the spa. She showed him all the safety precautions they'd taken and she took pride in the business her family had undertaken and made a success in such a short time.

He asked questions and she answered. He even laughed a time or two at her jokes. And all the while, she couldn't shake the heat his touch generated or the sense that his big hand had imprinted itself on her smaller one. She hadn't liked the other social workers' unexpected visits but she could get used to this guy hanging around.

They ended their tour in the kitchen and Zoe hopped up onto the counter. "So what do you think?"

He nodded in what seemed reluctant approval. "It's a different setup but you've definitely made sure the family is separate and protected from guests. The cowbell was a unique touch."

She rolled her eyes. It figured. Zoe had pointed out their high tech protection, the video cameras and the alarm system and he'd focused on Elena's personal method of insuring nobody entered the private part of the house unnoticed - a cowbell hanging over the door, impossible to move or shut up. She'd used the same technique on Zoe and Ari when they were younger to make sure neither snuck out of the house or came in too late.

Zoe shrugged. "What can I say? Mom and dad have got their own ways. But they did their jobs as parents and they did it well."

He strode closer. So close she smelled his rich, musky scent and a warm, tingling feeling arose in her chest.

"Your family is certainly different," he said.

"I take it you're from a more conservative bunch?" She laughed and yanked on his tie playfully before remembering who he was. The social worker who would determine Sam's fate.

She started to pull back but he touched her hand, stilling her movement and his eyes locked on hers. The air around them grew heavy, pulsing with anticipatory awareness. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been this drawn to a man on first meeting.

Zoe had a healthy sex life but not a love life. That description she reserved for soul mates, people like her parents, or Quinn and Ari. In fact, she reserved the description for many people, really, with the exception of herself. She didn't know how people made a lifetime commitment and kept it. She hadn't been able to accomplish it with a job nor had she ever moved out on her own.

She understood these things about herself and though she accepted them, she was taking steps to lead a more adult life. Her sister's marriage had made her realize it was time to make changes. Zoe supposed it was a good thing that love had never happened for her. One less decision she'd had to make and stick with, she thought wryly.

And since she was approaching her thirtieth birthday in a matter of days, she had long since stopped expecting love at all. Besides she liked her life simple and as she'd seen from her parents' intense relationship, love was never simple, especially when you had Mediterranean blood. She understood that kind of heat and intensity could compromise her independence and she enjoyed her freedom too much to give it all up for one man.

She glanced at the good looking man and realized that her sex life had been status quo for so long even this overwhelming chemistry came as a surprise. As a woman who liked excitement, she welcomed the rush of adrenaline in her veins and she had no trouble acting on their mutual attraction.

As long as she didn't jeopardize Sam's future in the process. Thankfully, the ringing of the telephone interrupted their prolonged silence and she reached for the phone. "Hello."

"Elena?" a voice asked.

"No, this is Zoe."

She shot Ryan an apologetic glance and held up one finger, asking him to wait a minute while she took the call.

"It's Katherine Farr, Samantha's social worker," the voice on the other end of the phone said. "I just wanted to apologize that neither myself or my colleague could make it to Sam's party today."

Zoe narrowed her gaze. "But ..."

"I know you're disappointed and so is Samantha, but it can't be helped. My mother needs me for another few weeks and my colleagues will be tied up with urgent cases. I hope you understand?"

"Sort of." Zoe shot a covert glance at Ryan Baldwin beneath her lashes.

"It's a compliment and a testament to your family's skills with Samantha. She's come such a long way. I know she's safe and in good hands so we can comfortably put off the final evaluation for a few weeks until I'm back."

"Okay." She didn't want to give anything away to her companion who stood with his back to her, staring at the photographs on the refrigerator.

"My colleagues will need to focus on the more problematic cases in order to cover my absence," Katherine explained.

"I understand. And I hope things work out for your mother."

"Thank you, dear. You'll relay the message to your parents?"

"I certainly will." Zoe hung up the phone and focused on the stranger in her kitchen.

A man who'd stirred something inside her that had been dormant for too long. But a man who obviously had an agenda.

She walked up behind him and tugged on his arm.

"Is this you and Sam?" He gestured to the picture of Zoe, Ari and Sam with orange ready-tan on their faces and arms, smiling for the camera.

"We were recreating an old childhood memory," she said laughing, before she caught herself. "Never mind that."

He narrowed his gaze. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"You're wrong, Ryan Baldwin, if that's even your name. Since I just spoke to Sam's social worker on the phone and I know she couldn't get someone to replace her, I'd like to know just who the hell you are. And what the hell you're doing snooping around my family and my house."

Excerpted from Summer Lovin' © Copyright 2005 by Carly Phillips. Reprinted with permission by HQN Books. All rights reserved.

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