Out Of The Blue (The Wrong Bed #12)(15)

Tara came dancing into the kitchen then, the only one of them a confirmed morning person. She looked perfect as always, every hair in place, impeccably dressed in a fashionable lime-green sleeveless sweater and matching suede miniskirt. She took one look at Alexi's jean shorts, then Hannah's casual sundress, and grimaced. "Have neither of you learned anything from me over the years? Clothes make the woman, ladies. And your clothes won't make anything but the thrift shop."

"Hey, and good morning to you, too," Alexi said cheerfully.

Tara poured herself some coffee, took a grateful sip and moaned with pleasure. "Darling, never mind your clothes. Your coffee will get you into heaven for certain."

"Oh, good. I was so worried." Alexi rolled her eyes and turned back to the range. "Don't you have something more important to do than diss our clothing?"

"Yep." Tara took another happy sip from her mug. "Tons. Oh, and I just saw your brother stagger out of Hannah's room."

Hannah, who'd just taken an unfortunate bite of her apple, choked.

Both Tara and Alexi stared at her odd reaction and she tried gamely to look innocent. "Sorry," she gasped, hitting her chest as the bite burned all the way down. "It went down the wrong pipe."

"I didn't expect him to be up so early," Alexi said with a frown, putting down a spatula. "Did he look okay?"

"Doesn't he always?" Tara sighed dreamily. "He wasn't wearing much, just a pair of jeans—and please let me break in here and say that man absolutely has the finest looking ass—"

"Hold it!" Alexi looked disgusted. "Jeez, that's my brother you're talking about."

"Sorry." Not looking in the least bit sorry, Tara calmly sipped at her coffee.

"Did he seem … well, still beat half to death?" Alexi was frowning over the stove. "I'm so worried about him, the way he pushes himself."

"He did look beat. A very gorgeous beat I might add." Casually Tara looked at Hannah over her steaming coffee. "He was looking for you, by the way."

Hannah managed, barely, not to choke again. He was looking for her. Probably wanting to know what the heck last night had been about. And when she decided how to tell him, she would. Probably. With careful precision, she smoothed her dress and studied her sandals.

"Everything all right?" Tara asked.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Not meeting anyone's gaze, she leaped off the stool she'd been sitting on and headed toward the door. On the off chance he was going to come looking for her, she needed to hightail it out of the kitchen.

She hadn't given up on her goal, not by a long shot, but she really needed a new plan. "Better run. Got lots of stuff to do."

"But what about your breakfast?" Alexi set down her wooden spoon and eyed her strangely. "You're starving, remember?"

"I just remembered … a thing I have to do."

"What thing?"

"Lots of things. Tons of things—" As she whirled to escape, she plowed into a hard wall.

Zach's chest.

"Hey there," he said, steadying her with his big, warm hands, hands she wanted all over her body. "Where's the fire?"

"We were just trying to figure that out ourselves," Alexi said, still eyeing Hannah oddly. "But I'm glad you're here. A room should open up today or tomorrow at the latest. In the meantime you can have my room or the office couch, okay?"

Zach, whose gaze hadn't left Hannah's, nodded. "No problem."

"I've got breakfast going," Alexi said. "Your favorites, on the house, just because. Have a seat."

He couldn't have a seat, though, because Hannah blocked the door. Unless she moved, he couldn't get past her. But she couldn't move, couldn't look at him.

She'd get all hot inside, probably turn red. Maybe start stuttering like an idiot. Dammit, what was the matter with her? This was to have been so simple.

Only ever since she'd first seen him, there hadn't been anything simple about it. Whether she liked it or not, she felt something for him, and yes she'd always felt it, even ten years ago. Only now it was intensified.

"Sorry," she murmured, backing up, giving Zach room to move past her.

But he didn't budge, and oh Lord, he was looking at her with that look, the one she'd discovered last night could melt her insides to butter and made her knees weak. "Stop that," she whispered.

"Stop what?" Alexi - the - super - hearing - woman wanted to know. "And why are you just standing there, Zach? I'm not going to serve you way over there."

Zach didn't take his eyes off Hannah. "We should talk, don't you think?"

"Talk?" Tara's eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. "About what?"

"Let me get you something to drink," Hannah said quickly. She headed toward the counter for a mug. She picked up the pot of coffee, mind racing. What was protocol for this morning-after stuff, because though they hadn't actually done it, they had slept together, and she was clueless.

Was there some special ritual? Some special code?

She could ask Michael, but she was beginning to think he didn't have a clue about his own species. Music, candles and a condom? That was all he'd had to offer? And anyway, she could have figured out the condom part by herself.