Out Of The Blue (The Wrong Bed #12)(35)

Tara stood. "Well, I'd love to stay but I have … stuff to do. Yeah, stuff." She shot Alexi a long look, smiled weakly at Zach, and left.

"Chicken," Alexi muttered. She forced a bright smile at Zach. "Hey, good morning. How about breakfast?"

"Hold on. I see that look in your eyes, and I know it all too well. You're up to something, and unfortunately for me, it apparently involves my life. So spill it."

"Are you kidding? And risk life and limb?"

"I've never hurt you."

"What about the time you whacked me with a baseball?"

"I was nine and you'd just happened to wobble out on the back porch just as I hit it. I didn't mean to!"

"Uh-huh." She crossed her arms. "And how about the time you nearly lost me at Disneyland?"

"Hey, it's absolutely not my fault you fell asleep behind a rock on Tom Sawyer's island. I searched everywhere!"

Alexi smiled. "That was fun—you should have seen the look on your face when I popped up. You cried."

"I did not!"

"It's okay for a man to cry, Zach. In fact, it makes them sexy."

"I was twelve! And you're still doing it, you're still driving me crazy."

"That's why you love me so much."

"Yeah." And because he was in a good mood, and also because he knew she hated it, he ruffled her hair.

She growled and made him laugh. "Love you, too," he said with a grin.

"Oh, Zach." With a sudden fierceness, she grabbed him close in a hug. "And you're leaving again. I'll miss you so much. Why can't you be tired of the big city life by now? Avila really is a terrific place. You could be happy here if you tried."

Slowly, gently, he untangled himself and helped himself to a glass of iced tea, which he downed in two swallows because suddenly his mouth was dry.

And his heart heavy.

In a matter of days he'd be back in Los Angeles, on a new case.

Back to the grind.

Only he didn't think he was ready. For one thing, he was still tired. And for another…

Oh, who the hell was he kidding?

He was no longer tired.

He no longer hurt.

He was even in decent shape. There was no reason why he couldn't go back to work—except that he didn't want to.

He didn't want to leave Hannah.

A longer leave might temporarily solve the problem, but as Hannah had pointed out, that would only make it worse when he did go back.

Way worse.

He turned away from his sister's questing, worried gaze and looked out the window, which happened to overlook Hannah's beautiful gardens.

She was out there on her knees, bent over a small pot of daisies. Probably talking to them, he thought with a reluctant smile. She was beautiful out there, with the wind in her hair, the ocean at her back.

And from deep within him came an unrelenting yearning for … for what? And wasn't that just the problem? He couldn't put a name to this terrible aching need, and because he couldn't, he had no idea how to solve it

"She's very special."

Zach turned his head to look at Alexi, who was standing solemnly beside him, looking out the same window at the same woman.

"I can see how you look at her," Alexi said. "And the funny thing is, I just knew it would be this way between the two of you."

"I belong in Los Angeles, Alexi. And Hannah…" He looked out the window again, saw the slight smile carving her lips as she tended to her beloved plants. "She belongs here."

"No, she belongs with her heart. Which will be with you wherever you are."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Love," Alexi said simply. "I'm talking about love."

"Alexi—"

"Okay." She sighed. "Fine. We'll do this your way and pretend nothing is happening. Tell me you haven't felt an attraction for her. Tell me you haven't kissed her, not even once, not even to lick off strawberry pie from her shoulder."

"You've been spying on us!"

Alexi merely smiled smugly. "Well, really, Zach. How else do you expect me to help you?"

Zach groaned and turned back to the window.

Hannah was gone.

"Tell me," his sister pressed. "Tell me there's nothing between you two."

"Alexi—"

"Ah-ha! So you have been sleeping together!"

"I absolutely did not say that."

"Damn, you know what that means, don't you? Lots of toilet cleaning in my future." But she looked immensely pleased about it. "So … when do you move her down to Los Angeles? I'll miss her, of course, but—"

"She's not moving," Zach said flatly.

"Why?"

"Because I work undercover, for one. I couldn't see her anyway."

"Ever thought about not working undercover?"

All the time, lately. "Yes, actually. But she'd hate it there."

"Oh, right. Too much action and excitement, right?"

"It's not her style. I would never ask her to leave here. Her whole life is here."

"How do you know that for certain until you ask her?"