Out Of The Blue (The Wrong Bed #12)(17)

They were talking about him, Zach realized, stunned.

"Hey, that dress you're wearing is pretty terrific," the young woman told Hannah. "Good, soft material. Very clingy in all the right places. Has he seen you in it yet?"

"This morning, but I didn't exactly get the reaction I wanted."

"Make sure he feels the material, with his fingers. Guys are really into the physical."

The physical part of Zach's existence was beginning to make itself known. He just couldn't absorb it all quickly enough. Hannah—a virgin, but not wanting to be a virgin, and not wanting to be one with him.

"He needs to touch the dress?" Hannah asked her doubtfully. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. And make sure you send all the right signals while you're doing it. Give him the dreamy eyes and soft sighs and everything."

"That part won't be difficult."

Zach didn't know whether to be flattered, annoyed or stunned. So he settled for all three.

That was the exact moment Hannah caught sight of him. "Oh…" was all she said, blushing. She surged to her feet, tripping awkwardly over the skirt of her dress. "Hey, would you look at that? It's break time already, Karrie."

"But I just got here." Karrie peered at her black, spiked watch.

"Yeah, well, this is National Take - A - Break - Every - Five - Minutes Day. Enjoy it."

"You're making that up."

"Five minutes," Hannah said firmly, still staring at Zach. She continued to stare at him while Karrie left. "Hi."

"Hi back," he said. "I'm not sure what to say."

"Well, that would depend on how much you heard." She looked mortified. "Feel free to lie and tell me you heard nothing."

"I heard everything."

She took that in with a little nod. "And here I thought it couldn't get worse."

A woman in her midtwenties walked by. She didn't have green hair, but was so beautiful, she looked almost unreal. When she saw Hannah, she stopped short and … giggled, ruining the effect.

"So … did any of those tips we gave you work for you last night?" She glanced sideways at Zach, sizing him up.

Hannah looked as if she wanted a hole to open up and swallow her. "Maybe we could discuss this another time," she suggested to the woman.

The woman grinned at Zach. "Sure."

Zach waited until they were alone again. "Let me get this all straight. Last night … you were trying to…"

"Yes," she said miserably. "And to tell you the truth, I'd rather you didn't tell me how ridiculous it was."

"I … wouldn't do that."

"Really?" She smiled a little. "You're awfully kind."

That made him laugh. "Hannah, kind is about the last thing I'm feeling at this moment."

"What are you then?"

Turned on, dammit. "I'm not sure."

She thought about that. "Well then, I guess I have nothing to lose…" With that, she moved closer, then closer still, until the skirt of her sundress touched his thighs.

Around them, the air thickened. Her scent came to him, light and pretty. Sensuous. Her eyes were huge, and despite her bold move, very uncertain.

A complete opposition to the way her body swayed toward his. She took his hand in her much smaller one and brought it to … her stomach?

Make sure he feels it.

Karrie's words came back to him, and he didn't know whether to laugh or groan. "She was wrong," he whispered, his voice hoarse with the desire he was fighting with his every breath. "It's not the material a man wants to feel."

"No?"

She sounded breathless, too, and in contrast to his words, his fingers spread wide to touch as much of her as he could, feeling her belly tighten. "No. It's skin I want. Bare skin."

Her mouth formed a perfect little O at that. "I … see."

"Hannah…" She seemed so vulnerable, yet unbearably sexy at the same time, and now that he knew she'd never been with a man, that she was yearning and burning for just that, he could hardly breathe. "What's going on?"

"I thought you already knew."

"I mean other than you're asking your clerk and guests for hints on how to…"

"Seduce you?" She winced. "I asked my brother, too."

"Michael? God.'" He let out a slow breath. "But why?"

"Why am I asking for tips?"

"Why everything. Why me? Why are you a…"

"Virgin." Her eyes went sad. "It's that awful, huh?"

"No. No," he said again, then shoved his fingers in his hair as if that could help him think. "Hannah … why are you doing this?" To me, he wanted to add, but better him than some other guy, right? At least he could resist her.

Probably.

Okay, maybe he was going to have trouble in that department.

The phone rang, and he'd never been so relieved in his life.

With a small sound of frustration, Hannah backed away and answered it. Then her shoulders sagged almost imperceptibly, and her smile went tight. "Mom? Everything okay?" She listened intently, and while she did, Zach backed up and pretended interest in a selection of T-shirts to give her some privacy.