remember that."
"Yes, we both know how it's going to end. We always did."
"And that's supposed to make it easy?" She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. After all, I'm the one that started this."
"So let's finish it." The words shocked him as much as her. "We have a few days left."
"I can't. I can't let my heart get in this."
He had the terrifying feeling it was too late for both of them.
"It all happened so quickly. I didn't expect that. It's going to be so hard to let you go."
"Then don't think about it," he suggested. "Think about last night, and how good it was. How good it could be right now if we run up to my room."
"Don't." She let out a low, nervous laugh. "Don't even talk! You could coax me into doing anything with that voice of yours."
"Really?" That had interesting—and erotic—possibilities.
Her gaze met his and held. "Really." Another rueful laugh escaped her. "Please … don't even try." Her voice quivered, and her hands, which she tucked under her arms, shook.
"Hannah… " But what could he say? That he'd never hurt her? But he would, just by being what he was, who he was.
And since it was too late, they were both bound for anguish no matter what happened now, he didn't want to let her go. "There are telephones in Los Angeles, you know. And e-mail." God, he'd really lost his mind now. "The drive isn't so bad really—"
"You're only saying that now, in the heat of the moment, but you don't mean it." She shook her head, her eyes huge and solemn. "Don't make me a promise you can't keep, Zach."
He cupped her face and traced her mouth with his thumb, unsure of everything except how he felt when she was in his arms.
"Don't," she repeated, but she tipped her head up for a kiss, which he gave her. It was a heart and soul kiss, and they both sighed, deepening it until they tore apart, breathless. Staring at each other.
Then she walked away, leaving him alone in the garden, lonely heart pounding in tune to the waves.
* * *
Zach spent that night alone. It was nothing new, he spent most nights alone, and yet he'd never felt so lonely in his life.
By morning, he decided physical exercise was what he needed to shake the melancholy. Two miles later and two nearly collapsed lungs, he sank gratefully to the beach in front of the lodge.
"Some relaxing vacation," Alexi noted dryly, coming up behind him to sit next to him. She handed him a towel and a bottle of water and sent him a little smile.
In the way of family, she didn't bother him with trivial details or minor observations. No, not his sister, who knew him better than most. Instead she waited until he caught his breath, until he tipped the water bottle to his mouth.
Then she went directly for the kill. "You going to sleep with Hannah?"
He nearly drowned himself.
She waited patiently while he recovered.
He glared at her.
"Are you going to hurt my best friend?" she asked calmly.
"What makes you think it's Hannah who's going to get hurt?"
"Please. Your heart is safe, it always has been safe. How can it be anything else when you put work first? I'm not worried about you." But then she relented. "Should I be?"
"Nah. I'm tough."
"Oh yeah. You're rough and tough, you're the big, bad, older brother who's invincible, right?" She sighed and smacked him upside the back of his head. "Get a grip, Zach. Matters of the heart can lay even a superhero low."
"Who said anything about matters of the heart?"
"I did, because in case you didn't notice, that's what this is."
Zach stared grimly out at the waves. "She's just looking for something new and exciting."
"You don't really believe that."
No, he didn't. But believing that it was him Hannah wanted was just as unsettling.
"So? What are you going to do?"
"Alexi … don't."
"Don't what? Don't tell the truth? That for years Tara and have I have watched Hannah put everyone else's needs before her own? First her family, then us. She always covers for us, whenever we need it, no matter what, and much as it shames me
"Yes, we both know how it's going to end. We always did."
"And that's supposed to make it easy?" She closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. After all, I'm the one that started this."
"So let's finish it." The words shocked him as much as her. "We have a few days left."
"I can't. I can't let my heart get in this."
He had the terrifying feeling it was too late for both of them.
"It all happened so quickly. I didn't expect that. It's going to be so hard to let you go."
"Then don't think about it," he suggested. "Think about last night, and how good it was. How good it could be right now if we run up to my room."
"Don't." She let out a low, nervous laugh. "Don't even talk! You could coax me into doing anything with that voice of yours."
"Really?" That had interesting—and erotic—possibilities.
Her gaze met his and held. "Really." Another rueful laugh escaped her. "Please … don't even try." Her voice quivered, and her hands, which she tucked under her arms, shook.
"Hannah… " But what could he say? That he'd never hurt her? But he would, just by being what he was, who he was.
And since it was too late, they were both bound for anguish no matter what happened now, he didn't want to let her go. "There are telephones in Los Angeles, you know. And e-mail." God, he'd really lost his mind now. "The drive isn't so bad really—"
"You're only saying that now, in the heat of the moment, but you don't mean it." She shook her head, her eyes huge and solemn. "Don't make me a promise you can't keep, Zach."
He cupped her face and traced her mouth with his thumb, unsure of everything except how he felt when she was in his arms.
"Don't," she repeated, but she tipped her head up for a kiss, which he gave her. It was a heart and soul kiss, and they both sighed, deepening it until they tore apart, breathless. Staring at each other.
Then she walked away, leaving him alone in the garden, lonely heart pounding in tune to the waves.
* * *
Zach spent that night alone. It was nothing new, he spent most nights alone, and yet he'd never felt so lonely in his life.
By morning, he decided physical exercise was what he needed to shake the melancholy. Two miles later and two nearly collapsed lungs, he sank gratefully to the beach in front of the lodge.
"Some relaxing vacation," Alexi noted dryly, coming up behind him to sit next to him. She handed him a towel and a bottle of water and sent him a little smile.
In the way of family, she didn't bother him with trivial details or minor observations. No, not his sister, who knew him better than most. Instead she waited until he caught his breath, until he tipped the water bottle to his mouth.
Then she went directly for the kill. "You going to sleep with Hannah?"
He nearly drowned himself.
She waited patiently while he recovered.
He glared at her.
"Are you going to hurt my best friend?" she asked calmly.
"What makes you think it's Hannah who's going to get hurt?"
"Please. Your heart is safe, it always has been safe. How can it be anything else when you put work first? I'm not worried about you." But then she relented. "Should I be?"
"Nah. I'm tough."
"Oh yeah. You're rough and tough, you're the big, bad, older brother who's invincible, right?" She sighed and smacked him upside the back of his head. "Get a grip, Zach. Matters of the heart can lay even a superhero low."
"Who said anything about matters of the heart?"
"I did, because in case you didn't notice, that's what this is."
Zach stared grimly out at the waves. "She's just looking for something new and exciting."
"You don't really believe that."
No, he didn't. But believing that it was him Hannah wanted was just as unsettling.
"So? What are you going to do?"
"Alexi … don't."
"Don't what? Don't tell the truth? That for years Tara and have I have watched Hannah put everyone else's needs before her own? First her family, then us. She always covers for us, whenever we need it, no matter what, and much as it shames me
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