Out of the Blue

by Jill Shalvis

“Well, we do have guests,” Hannah said, smoothing down her sundress self-consciously because she rarely wore dresses and had no idea why she’d worn one today.

  Okay, she did know, but refused to attribute it to Zach. “I could hardly come down in my p.j.’s. Have you met that older couple—”

  “Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz. Oh yeah. We had to switch them with another guest, that quiet young woman, Katie Minor. The Schwartzes were...uh, making noises all night, disturbing Mr. and Mrs. Peterman. Can you imagine? They must be at least seventy, right? Anyway, they’re in room six now, so they can knock it out all they want, scream at the top of their lungs, swing from the rafters if they like, and they won’t be able to disturb anyone.”

  Hannah shook her head. “Could have done without that image this early in the morning, thanks.”

  “Hmm.” Alexi studied her until Hannah squirmed. “My brother snoring?”

  “Snoring? Uh...no.”

  Alexi, who never missed a thing, set down a bowl of fruit and came closer, eyes narrowed. “What’s up with that anyway? I would’ve put him in my room.”

  What was up?

  Well, wasn’t that just the question of the day?

  Hannah could have told Alexi everything. Right then she could have explained that their silly little toilet challenge had started her thinking. That she was feeling inexplicably lonely, even in a lodge completely full of people. That she needed more, needed to know what it was like to share intimacy with someone. That she wanted to know, for once in her life, that she was completely, totally irresistible to a man.

  She wanted that man to be Zach Thomas. Strange how much she wanted that, but she couldn’t hide from it.

  And after last night, she doubted he’d be able to either.

  She knew Alexi would have wanted to help Hannah sort this all out, but she didn’t share her thoughts.

  How could she when she didn’t fully understand them herself?

  “Hannah?”

  “Nothing’s up,” she said as lightly as she could. “Just hungry. Can’t a girl be hungry first thing in the morning?”

  “Yes, but first thing in the morning is not usually before ten for you.”

  “I’m changing my ways.” To prove that, she grabbed an apple out of the bowl and bit in. “Where’s Boss?”

  Boss was a sixty-five-year-old mislocated cowboy, who just happened to cook with amazing talent. They’d hired him one morning after giving him a handout, and in the nine months since, he’d been a godsend, trading off restaurant duty with Alexi.

  “There’s a rodeo coming to town, he’s all excited. Wanted the day off to go check it out.” Alexi didn’t take her eyes off Hannah. “And you’re changing the subject.”

  “It worked.”

  “Okay, fine. Be mysterious. I’ll figure it out for myself.” Alexi hopped up on the counter, crossed her arms and gave her a long look. “Let’s see now...something’s different about you...what is it?”

  Hannah nearly laughed, but since it would have been a half-hysterical one, she managed to keep it to herself. “Don’t be silly. Nothing’s different.” Not yet anyway.

  “If I didn’t know you better, I’d say that something happened between you and Zach last night.”

  Yeah, something happened—exactly nothing! “But since you do know me,” Hannah said, surprisingly hurt, “you know that would be ridiculous, right?”

  “Right,” Alexi said quietly. “Because you’re not the type to go for a one-night stand. And while my brother isn’t a saint by any means, Mrs. Schwartz said he was nearly unconscious with exhaustion. So that couldn’t be it.”

  Of course not. She wasn’t exactly the type of woman to inspire enough wild passion to overcome exhaustion.

  But she wanted to be!

  Alexi was still watching at her. “Spill it.”

  “I’m famished.” Fishing in the refrigerator, Hannah came up with bagels, cream cheese and a carton of orange juice. “Don’t suppose I can convince you to start breakfast early?”

  “Don’t suppose you can.” But Alexi relented with a sigh, hopped off the counter and took out a frying pan. “So...you worried about something?”

  Yeah, that she would die a virgin. “Such as?”

  “Life,” Alexi said in her usual frank manner, putting bacon to cook on the range and turning back to Hannah with a concerned expression. “You don’t enjoy it enough.”

  Hannah thought about last night and her useless efforts. “That might have changed recently.”

  “It should. Have you thought about seriously trying to get some fun in your life?”

  Now. Now was the time to tell Alexi that she was planning on seducing her brother, that if she was successful, Hannah wouldn’t be cleaning toilets this summer.

  “Honey, really, there’s so much more to life than this lodge.”

  No kidding. There was love for one thing, an elusive, tricky emotion she knew little about. “I’m working on that fun part.”

  “Good. You can’t live for work alone.”

  All of Hannah’s life she’d pretty much lived for survival. Having lost her father young, it was deeply inbred, especially since she and her brother had spent so many years watching her mother struggle just to feed them. So now maybe she went overboard sometimes, keeping her eyes only on work. But it was a hard habit to break. She intended to try.

  The fact remained, though, that regardless of what drove her, Hannah loved the Norfolk Inn. It wasn’t a hardship for her to throw herself one hundred percent into the place. Not to mention she actually depended on their earnings for things she’d gotten used to—like eating.

  Maybe she had too much pride, she didn’t know. But working had certainly gotten her through some tough spots in her life.

  Such as when her mother had lost her job. Hannah had been twelve that year, Michael seventeen, and times had been very lean. Instead of going on welfare, they’d all worked, even Hannah, who’d lied about her age and cleaned houses.

  They’d survived, only to lose their apartment to a fire a few years later. During it all both Hannah’s mother and Michael had managed to retain a sense of themselves, separate from their necessary survival. They played and loved every bit as hard as they worked.

  Somehow Hannah hadn’t learned the trick of that.

  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 i
n 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.

  She held the mug up to Zach. “Condom?” she asked, then gaped at him, horrified. “I mean coffee! Coffee!”

  “Wait, did you say...condom?” Alexi asked her in disbelief.

  Hannah didn’t dare look at her, or at Tara for that matter, who was now bent over, practically rolling with laughter.

  Denial, she decided quickly. “No,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster. “I most definitely did not say...say...that.”

  “Condom?” Tara broke in oh-so-helpfully. “Is that the word you’re looking for?”

  “I think that’s the one,” Alexi said, grinning and nodding.

  “I did not say that word,” Hannah said, giving up on dignity because really, after this, there was none to be had.

  “Oh, but you did,” said Tara with a wide smile. “You most definitely did. Didn’t she, Alexi? Say the word condom?”

  Zach just looked at the mug, his mouth twitching suspiciously.

  Hannah had to hand it to him. Other than that twitch, he remained completely cool, and despite her blunder, some semblance of relief filled her because he wasn’t going to add to her misery.

  But then he spoke.

  “Thanks,” he said easily, blowing into the steaming coffee before speaking again. “Oh, and if you don’t mind, I’ll take it extra large— Er, I mean with sugar.”

  He shot her an innocent smile while her supposedly best friends roared with laughter.

  CHAPTER 6

  ZACH DIDN’T KNOW what to think. He’d come back to Avila to heal, to recover, to regain his strength, and yes, to get his first mental break in far too long.

  He’d actually needed the mental break more than he’d thought. Sleeping, eating, healing. More sleeping. This had been his plan.

  After a good amount of that, he’d head out of this sleepy town and go back to Los Angeles, refreshed and ready to rock and roll. Ready to take on his job.

  No attachments.

  But all that had been before last night, and though nothing had happened between him and Hannah—nothing could happen between them—it had been a most incredible, erotic night.

  Suddenly, he didn’t recognize his plan anymore.

  He should shrug it—and Hannah—off, just enjoy the rest of this vacation. But he couldn’t seem to do that.

  For one thing, he was confused about last night and his feelings for Hannah. He’d assumed he’d feel brotherly toward her, but brotherly had been the last thing he’d felt.

  Distance. He needed it. To help him get it, he went for a walk through the grounds. The lodge was beautiful, with the cabinlike architecture made famous in the early 1930s. High wood-beam ceilings, log walls, and beautiful, polished hardwood floors. Every room was a masterpiece. The garden, too, with its lush and wild colors, so beautifully bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

  It all called to him on some deep level he hadn’t expected; the salty breeze, the wide, open beach, the crashing waves. He’d lived here, had grown up here. Back then he couldn’t wait to get out. It was all he’d wanted.

  So why did it feel so good to be back?

  Whatever the reason, he renewed his promise to himself to dig up a surfboard and revisit his wild adolescence.

  “Psst.”

  Zach turned around. Mrs. Schwartz was leading her husband out of the gardens by the hand, though the man was grinning at Zach over his shoulder as he went.

  “Don’t forget...east end beach!” he whispered conspiratorially.

  Zach laughed and waved. “Got it. Thanks for the babe tip.”

  The older man winked and disappeared out of the garden.

  Zach skipped east end beach—wasn’t quite in the babe-hunting frame of mind—and found the ice-cream/gift shop. He figured if he was abstaining from babes, he might as well get a cone.

  The shop wasn’t crowded. He wended his way through to the order counter. To his surprise, he found Hannah on her hands and knees behind it, squinting at a low shelf of what was clearly an inventory closet. Her long, wavy hair fell past her shoulders, and was obviously in her way because she tossed it back with impatience, her face drawn in concentration.

  Kneeling next to her was a young woman with startlingly green hair.

  “The skin flashing thing...it didn’t work,” Hannah was saying to her as she foraged into the shelf.

  “You’re kidding! Are y
ou sure you made it clear what you were trying to do?” the green-haired woman asked. “I mean, men aren’t usually that slow.”

  “So I’ve heard,” Hannah muttered. “Couldn’t tell by my ridiculous attempts though.” She sat back on her heels and smiled ruefully. “I’m getting ready to pack it in and consider myself a virgin until the end of time.”

  It was a good thing Zach hadn’t gotten his ice cream yet or he’d have swallowed it whole.

  “You just need to try again,” Green Hair said kindly, patting Hannah’s hand. “You’re so smart and funny. And pretty, too. Honestly, you’ll get it right.”

  “I’d settle for just getting it.”

  Karrie laughed while Zach forgot to breathe.

  “Maybe try another man entirely?” Green Hair suggested.

  “I like this man.”

  “Well, try again then.”

  “A new plan?” Hannah asked hopefully. “I really like a good plan.”

  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.