by Lisa Hughey
As far as they knew. And dammit, she’d nailed it. “Jesus. You’re right.”
She nodded smugly.
“Okay so we need hair clippers, hair dye, tent, lantern, food, a new phone. Several new phones.” Zeke ticked items off on his fingers as they walked toward the entrance and the giant red Target sign. He’d never done anything as mundane as shop with a woman.
He knew she wanted answers. “And before you ask, let’s just get through shopping first.”
“So many questions, so little information,” she snarked.
“I’ll tell you what I can,” he finally said. “Once we’re someplace less public.”
“You promise?” Sunshine gave him the side eye but he could sense her feeling a little lost. “Because right now I feel like I’ve put my trust in a guy who isn’t being completely honest. And frankly I’m more than a little freaked.”
Zeke understood. He was freaked too. So he shared something as they walked into the store. “I’ve never done this before.” He ducked his head and looked at his feet.
“Done what?” she asked softly.
“Gone shopping with a girl.”
“I’m hardly a girl.” The shadows in her eyes were too ancient for her to be merely a girl.
“You know what I mean.” He felt stupid telling her that but she needed something from him so that she would know that he was vulnerable too.
“Yeah. I’ve never done this either,” she said.
Zeke balled his fist and held it for her to bump. “Let’s do this.”
She nodded, and if her chin trembled a little, he was going to ignore it. Because emotion was not in his wheelhouse. It wasn’t even in the neighborhood of his skillset.
They walked in to the store together, Sunshine threaded her fingers through his and put her head on his shoulder. “As an act, in case anyone is watching.”
“Ah, act normal.”
She snorted, then blurted out, “I know nothing about normal.”
“Yeah. Me either.” Something they had in common. “But we’re both smart. We’ll figure it out.”
“Good point.” Sunshine’s mouth lifted and her eyes brightened.
The pleasure he derived from that little sign of happiness was a surprise.
Zeke tugged Sunshine toward the sporting goods section. He thought about the weather. San Luis, West Coast, in October. It was going to be cold tonight.
Zeke picked the sleeping bag with the lowest temperature rating that Target carried, but that was still only the 3 Season bag. Hopefully he could find them a house to hole up in. But if they ended up sleeping outside, a long shot, they needed to be prepared. They were going to have to keep warm together.
As he imagined himself and Sunshine entwined inside the tight bag, other parts of him warmed up. Zeke mentally added condoms to their shopping list.
A Target employee in a red vest smiled inquisitively at them. “Need any help picking out equipment?”
Great, they would have to find the only helpful box store employee on the planet.
“We’re good.” Zeke smiled and leaned across the aisle to grab a high powered battery- operated lantern. “Thanks.”
“Well if you need anything, let me know.” The kid’s gaze lingered on Sunshine. And Zeke’s possessive meter rose. Not cool to be checking her out when it was clear they were together. But Zeke couldn’t call him on it, they couldn’t afford to draw any extra attention.
“Pretty sure we’ve got this.” Zeke slung his arm over Sunshine’s shoulder, letting the kid know that not only that they could handle their shopping, but that he and Sunshine were a couple.
She stiffened slightly. The kid smiled nervously and slunk away.
As soon as the employee was far enough away that he wouldn’t hear them, Zeke said, “Time to get the clippers and the hair dye.”
Sunshine raised her eyebrow. Her fingers twitched as if she wanted to grab her braid. She’d said she wasn’t attached to her hair, but her fingers were curled around the braid in a very protective manner.
“We need to disguise ourselves.” Of course, Zeke’s baddies were more likely to see through any disguise that he used, especially if they ran his face through any facial recognition software. But it still didn’t negate the fact that he needed to alter his appearance and so did she.
He was ready to do whatever it took to keep her safe and him out of federal prison. Instinctively he rubbed his palm over the hat that was hiding his curls. “I’ll shave my head.” He shrugged. “But we still probably need to color your hair or cut it.”
As he said it, Zeke’s heart clenched. He remembered last night, her hair surrounding their bodies in a private, warm curtain, blocking out the rest of the world. “No cutting your hair,” he backtracked huskily.
“Why not?”
“I changed my mind.” He needed to have some visual reminder of last night.
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. “No argument from me. Besides, they don’t know we’re together, right?”
Zeke contemplated her question. After entering Target, even paying in cash, chances were that if there were eyes on the store, whoever was after him would verify that he did in fact have a companion. He hated to be paranoid but he was well aware of the advances in facial recognition software. He just had to hope that the main places the NSA was staking out were transit hubs and not the local shopping centers. No need to scare her but he wouldn’t lie either. “Hard to say.”
She swallowed. And he knew she understood what that implied.
They finished their business in subdued fashion, power-shopping, picking out everything they needed, electronics, camping supplies, and even some new clothes and shoes, in about half an hour. No dithering over colors or even what was essential. Since it was one of those super Targets they were able to buy groceries as well. Of course, Sunshine had no idea what he had planned.
They loaded their eclectic purchases onto the checkout belt. He gripped the hair clippers, the last to go on the conveyor system, too tightly.
Zeke could feel the worry wrapping around him like a killer wave wrapped around an unsuspecting surfer. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.
“Jeez, don’t be such a baby.” She teased completely misinterpreting his angst. “It’s just hair.”
He pretended to shudder and placed the last item on the belt.
While they’d been shopping, Zeke had been thinking about his problem. Problems.
The more he thought about it the more he was beginning to think that the only person who could save him was Susan Chen. If he could find her, bring her in, and get her to reveal her secrets, maybe just maybe he could clear his name.
But now that he was burned, he wasn’t going to be able to do it alone.
Zeke decided it was necessary to get in touch with Jamie and Lucas. Of course, he couldn’t call Jamie, her incoming calls might be recorded by the office. But he could call Lucas Goodman. Her boyfriend. And yes, if you’d asked him two weeks ago if Jamie would date someone long enough to have them qualify as an actual boyfriend, he’d have said not just no, but no way in hell.
Zeke had been slightly in love with Jamie. Just like he’d been slightly in love with Anna before Jamie. And now he was slightly in love with Sunshine but somehow this felt different and he didn’t know why.
He needed to call Jamie and reason things out with her. She was the super-agent. He was just a computer geek. Sure he’d helped rescue Jamie’s sister but he’d been tech support, and not much more.
After they exited the store, he used one of the burner phones they’d bought to dial Lucas Goodman. Luckily Zeke had an aptitude for numbers, so he had no problem remembering Lucas’s cell number. Jamie would know what he needed to do. And he needed to tell her he’d been burned. He didn’t want her getting in trouble because of him. Jamie had had enough trouble lately. He wasn’t about to dump more on her head.
The phone rang and rang. Then finally. “Lucas Goodman’s phone,” Jamie answered.
Even better.
“Hey.” Zeke paused.
“Oh my God. You will not believe what happened.” Jamie blurted. “Major problems.”
Zeke wanted to swear. More problems?
Jamie Hunt did not exaggerate. If she said there were major problems, the fucking apocalypse was near.
There was a fumbling sound, then she said, “What phone number is this?”
Zeke said, “Got burned at the beach. Lost my cell phone.”
Silence. “Burned?”
Yeah. Saying it aloud didn’t make it any more fun. “Yep.”
“Shit.” Jamie continued, “Okay, okay. Don’t worry about losing—”
“Let’s keep it clean.” Zeke interrupted her. But at least he knew she’d gotten the message.
“Yeah, Geek boy. I’ve been around the block a few times.” Jamie said, “Pretty sure we’ll be seeing her soon anyway. Big happenings. Her ex somehow managed to enter the area, and kidnapped the kid.”
Oliver Krychef was in the U.S.? And he’d kidnapped Susan Chen’s daughter? Kidnapped his own daughter? Holy shit. “Wow. So you following him?”
“No,” Jamie said with disgust. “He went in the back, hurt the sister-in-law, snatched the kid. We didn’t know until the paramedics got there. We lost him. But we’re monitoring the situation. I’ll keep you updated.”
“Sounds good.”
“Since he snatched the kid, we should have a line on her soon.”
Which would mean Zeke had a chance at clearing his name. But first they had to catch Susan Chen. “That would be good for me. That was why I called. I need her to stop the burn.”
“Yeah,” Jamie said. “You’re right.”
The only person who could clear him was Susan Chen. He and Jamie spoke for another few minutes considering how Krychef would make contact but they couldn’t afford to stay on the phone much longer.
Jamie said, “What are you doing in the meantime?”
Zeke forced his mind into a calmer state. “EPA.”
“Good call,” Jamie praised him. “Keep in touch. Regularly.”
For obvious reasons, she couldn’t call him. Because if they found out she’d been in contact with him and hadn’t reported it she could get in trouble.
“Thanks,” Zeke swallowed past the ball of gratitude in his throat.
“Stay safe.”
“You too.” Zeke pressed the end button, then opened the back of the phone. He needed to make sure the GPS signal wasn’t transmitting and that there was no way to track this phone. If for some reason the NSA had tapped Lucas knowing that Jamie and Lucas were together, they might be monitoring his incoming and outgoing calls. He didn’t think that was the case but he wasn’t about to assume a thing.
Jamie’s willingness to keep in touch with him even though his status was damaging affected him.
“Shit.”
Sunshine gave him a strange look. The panic that had been lingering at the edge of his subconscious mind like the tide edging up the sand, slowly encroached on his ability to think and obliterated all rational thought.
“You okay, smart boy?” she asked.
She was right. He was smart. Smart enough to figure this out.
Zeke squared his shoulders. They had problems. Multiple. Obviously Jamie was actively tracking Susan Chen, so Zeke needed to let her keep on top of that situation. His next move had to be list each problem, break down the steps to correct it, and then in a logical, orderly manner execute the plan.
And part of the logical effort to solve problems was to use all assets at hand.
Sunshine glanced around the parking lot. “I assume we’re going shopping again.” A small smile quirked her peach lips and he could see her analyzing and discarding cars in the lot, trying to figure out which one they should steal to replace their ride.
That’s when Zeke realized he had the biggest asset of all standing right next to him.
“Actually we just need to switch out two Honda license plates and keep the car we have.” Zeke suppressed the pang of guilt that he’d left someone without their ride. He’d make it up to them by sending money to the registration address once he was out of this mess.
“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do.” For the first time since this whole crazy adventure started, Zeke had the confidence to see it through. That was all Sunshine.
That’s when he realized he was more than just a little in love with her.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.” Zeke lied. “I just realized I’m not using all my resources.”
He gave her a steady look until understanding dawned in her gaze and a brilliant smile spread over her face like the sun rising over the horizon and bleeding onto the landscape.
And Zeke felt like he was ten feet tall.
“You’ll tell me about our connections?” Sunshine asked quietly. “Despite being classified?”
“Fuck classified.”
Twenty-Eight
Zeke swung into the driver’s seat of the Honda. His brain churning. He rubbed his palms together. “I can’t wait to mine that giant brain of yours.”
Jesus, could he be more of a nerd? What woman wanted to hear he was attracted to her brain?
He curled his hands around the steering wheel. Did he apologize for being a complete geek or try and gloss over? He thought about it for another minute.
Apologize.
“Um, sorry.” He shot her a glance, thinking she’d be irritated but she was smiling. “Sometimes I talk before I realize how it sounds.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She patted his bare knee. “I don’t get the opportunity to use my brain as often as I’d like. Logic puzzles and coming up with new fragrances only take me so far.”
Then she blushed and ducked her head as she realized she’d just confessed to doing simple logic puzzles.
Zeke’s skin sizzled where her hand touched him. But his heart electrified. She understood him. He felt as if he’d found a kindred spirit. Zeke deliberately lifted one hand from the wheel and placed it over hers.
“Fellow nerds unite.” He clenched her fingers and lifted their entwined hands in a fist pump.
Sunshine laughed out loud. The sound was like a waterfall, light and joyous, tumbling over his senses. He couldn’t deny that he wanted more than her brain. His semi started to rise. Just being around her seemed to be some sort of aphrodisiac. At random moments, his brain would shift to last night in their hotel room. Shift to the remembrance of Sunshine sleek and naked, like a sea nymph with her long hair draped over round breasts and flat stomach tickling his chest, as she bent to kiss him.
She’d gone from tentative to confident, blossoming with each new sexual experience. After a few hours, she’d intuitively learned what did it for him and set about ramping up his arousal. She’d accepted his foibles, sometimes his OCD could make him self-conscious but she hadn’t blinked.
Of course he’d had some lovers who mentioned that his attention to detail was a good thing. He’d had just as many who’d been a little freaked by his obsession with order. So it was kind of a mixed bag. He never knew what kind of response to expect.
Her other hand came up to cover her mouth. Her shadowed gray eyes widened and her gaze connected with his. The wonder there made more than his cock swell. Pride expanded his chest like propane filling the canopy of a hot air balloon and lifting him into the air. He understood that something amazing had just happened even if he didn’t understand exactly what that was.
“I…don’t laugh often.”
“Then I’m glad that you were able to laugh now.” Safety zone. He loved that she was comfortable enough that she could let loose with him.
Zeke cruised down Highway One, thankful that in the time it took them to leave the more populated town of San Luis Obispo, she had lightened up.
After about twenty minutes, she asked, “Where are we going?”
Zeke pulled off the highway and into the small secluded parking lot. “The beach.”
She swallowed and her gaze cut to the water. Sunshine took a deep breath and he tried not to notice the swell of her breasts as she inhaled. Focus, Zeke. And he was a total dog for thinking about sex while she was clearly wrestling with her demons.
“You’ll be okay,” he coaxed.
“Really?” She shifted so her back was to the ocean and her grey eyes were narrowed as she pierced him with sharp gaze. “I watched my grandparents drown.”
She addressed her fear straight up. A misplaced sense of pride swelled through him.
She opened her mouth, he guessed to tell him he had no idea what he was talking about, but he interrupted her before she could speak. “Okay if you don’t want to face your fears, no judgment, then you can just sit on the blanket. Nowhere near the water.”
“Why the beach?” Her fingers tightened on his.
“It’s temporary.” He glanced at her. The color had drained from Sunshine’s face and her hand went lax in his. “Every Evasion Plan of Action requires a place to hole up and hide.”
“We’re hiding on the beach?”
“No. I am going to find an empty rental house,” Zeke said. “And we will hole up there.”
“And do what?”
“Wait, plan, execute. Talk.”
She sighed.
“First rule of the acronym Bliss, part of any EPA is to Blend.” Zeke handed her one of the bags. “Got you a swim suit and a floppy hat. Let your hair down rather than in keep it in your signature braid.”
The bikini was a simple blue cotton, macramé design. “But—“
“Camouflage, babe,” he said as he pulled in to a parking space.
They were at the same beach where they first met.
So much had happened in the last few days that Zeke could hardly believe the changes. His life had completely turned around. He’d gone from thinking only about himself, to shifting his attention to Sunshine, and now thinking about them both. He realized that he wanted to clear his name and protect her.
So that one day they could end up on a beach for fun.
***
