“Out with you?” With a frown, Zack studied her. “What for?”

“We went to the movies, had a pizza. I wanted to get him to talk a little—informally—so when he called I said sure.”

“One step at a time. Nick called you and asked you out on a date.”

“It wasn’t a date. I didn’t think it was a damn date.” Since she didn’t see anything handy to kick other than Zack’s shin, she stalked a circle around his office again. “It seemed to me if we could develop a relationship— A friendship,” she corrected hastily. “It would make things easier all around.”

Considering, Zack took a drag of his cigarette. “Sounds reasonable. So you took in a flick and had a pizza. What’s the problem? Did he get into a fight, give you a hard time?” He stopped, alarmed. “You didn’t run into any of the Cobras?”

“No, no, no…” Incensed, she whirled around the room. “Aren’t you listening to me? I said he was thinking about me as a woman…as a date. As a… Oh, boy.” She let out a long breath. “He kissed me.”

Zack’s eyes turned into dark, dangerous slits. “Define kiss.”

“You know damn well what a kiss is. You smack your lips up against somebody’s.” She spun away, then back. “I should have seen it coming, but I didn’t. Then, before I realized what he was thinking, wham!”

“Wham,” Zack repeated, trying to stay calm. He took his own turn around the room, bumping his shoulders against hers. “Okay, listen, I think you’re making a big deal out of nothing. He kissed you goodnight. It’s a gesture. He’s just a kid.”

“No,” Rachel said, and her tone had Zack turning back to her. “He’s not.”

Temper was clawing to gain freedom. As a result, Zack’s voice was deadly calm. “Did he try to—”

“No.” Recognizing the signs, she cut him off. “Of course he didn’t. He just kissed me. But it was the way… Listen, Zack, I know the difference between a casual kiss good-night between friends and—and, well, a move. And I can tell you Nick has a very smooth move.”

“Glad to hear it,” Zack said between his teeth.

Suddenly drained, she dropped down onto the corner of his desk. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll straighten him out.”

“How?”

“I don’t know how,” he shot back, crushing out his cigarette. “I’ll be damned if I’m going to be competing with my kid brother.”

The muttered aside had her narrowing her eyes. “I’m not a trophy, Muldoon.”

“I didn’t mean—” With a shake of his head, he leaned on the desk beside her. “Look, this throws me off course, okay? I figured Nick was out making time with some pretty little teenager whose daddy would want her home by midnight, and now I find out he’s coming on to you. If he wasn’t my brother, I’d go knock him around a little.”

“Typical,” she muttered.

He ignored that and tried to think. “It’s probably normal for him to develop—or think he’s developed—feelings for you. Don’t you think?”

“Maybe.” She tilted her head to slant Zack a look. “I don’t want to hurt him.”

“Me either. You could back off, stay unavailable—the way you’ve tried to be with me.”

“I’ve been busy.” All dignity, she lifted her chin. “And we’re not talking about you. In any case, I considered that, but I’m supposed to be his co-guardian. I can’t do that long-distance. Besides, he talked to me tonight. He really talked, and relaxed, and showed me a little of what’s underneath all that defiance. If I cut him off now, just when he’s beginning to open up and trust me, I don’t know what damage I might do.”

“You can’t string him along, Rachel.”

“I know that.” She wanted to lay her head on Zack’s shoulder, just for a minute. She looked down at her hands instead. “I need to find a way to let him know I want to be his friend—just his friend—without crushing his ego.”

Zack took her hand, and when she didn’t pull it away he twined his fingers in hers. “I’ll talk to him. Calmly,” he added when Rachel frowned at him.

“Actually, I wanted to dump the whole business in your lap, but the more I think about it, the more I’m sure he’d only resent it coming from you. How can you tell him I’m not interested without letting him know we discussed his feelings behind his back?” She shut her eyes. “And I’m not feeling very good about that, either.”

“You had to tell me.”

“Yeah, I think I did, just like I think I’m going to have to figure out what to do.”

He ran his thumb over her knuckles. “We’re in this together, remember?”

“How can I forget? But you and Nick are just getting your balance. This is bound to tilt the scales, Zack. I think it’s best if I try to handle it.” A smile played around the corners of her mouth. “I guess I should apologize for coming here and jumping on you.”

“At least it got you here. We’ll handle it.” He brought her hand to his lips, enjoying the way her eyes darkened and became cautious. “You let him down easy, and I’ll let him take it out on me. After all, I can’t blame the kid for trying, when I’m doing the same myself.”

“One has nothing to do with the other.” She pushed away from the desk, but he continued to hold her hand.

“I’m glad to hear it. Feeling better?”

Her lips quirked. “Fighting always makes me feel better.”

“Then, sugar, by the time we’re through with each other, you should be feeling like a million bucks. I don’t suppose you’d like to hang around for a couple of hours until I can close the bar.”

“No.” Her heart picked up a beat at the thought. A dark, empty bar, blues on the juke, the world locked outside. “No, I have to go.”

“I’m shorthanded tonight, or I’d see you home. I’ll put you in a cab.”

“I can put myself in a cab.”

“Okay. In a minute.” He caught her by the hips, lifted her, then set her on the desk. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured, nuzzling her neck.