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She’d wanted to make it clear that she didn’t want him—them—around tonight, but some part of her wasn’t entirely sure that was true. And she was supposed to listen to her true inner voice and its needs and to comply, because that wise subconscious part of her knew best.
Darn it.
“I’m beat. I’m going back up to the house.” Luke’s voice was a little too loud, not quite natural. “I’ll see you later.”
Zac made a noise that sounded like a suppressed snort. “Sure. You know the way back?”
“Uh-huh. Up to La Playa, then right, then left on Feo Salmuera and home.” He waved and walked quickly up the beach, calling out a singsong, “Have fun, guys,” that was brimming with mischief.
Chris put her hands on her hips. “Zac.”
“Chris.” He turned back to her, his face catching the moonlight from a new angle, making him a broad, mysterious masculine form in the half darkness.
That funny, fizzy shiver hit her again. “Were we just rather pointedly left alone?”
“Looks that way. Do you mind?”
As usual, he took her aback with his directness. No, she didn’t mind. Yes, she most definitely did mind.
And so it went with Zac.
“I came down here to be alone.”
“Okay.” His voice was quiet, even. She could take lessons from him on staying calm. He acted as if he didn’t care one way or another whether she stayed or left.
Not that she cared if he cared one way or another whether she stayed or left.
Really.
“How about I go back over by the cliff where Luke and I were talking, and when you’re ready to go let me know and I’ll walk you home. That way you get your alone time and I won’t have to worry about you.”
“Oh.” She frowned at the ocean. What a thoughtful and sensible solution. She got what she wanted, and he... Well, who knew what he wanted? He had asked her out to dinner three days ago, on Monday, but maybe that was on a whim he now regretted. “Okay.”
“Good.” He backed up a few steps. “Just wave at me when you want to leave.”
“Wait, so that means you’ll be staring over here the whole time?”
“Oh, sure. I have binoculars and X-ray glasses. Standard stalker equipment.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Serves me right for asking.”
He lifted a hand and walked back toward the cliff. Chris wrapped her arms around herself. The farther away Zac got, the more empty the beach felt—but not in a good way this time. What was her inner voice trying to tell her?
Aw, crap.
“Zac.” He kept walking. “Zac.”
His lumbering form turned back.
She hurried over. “Hey.”
“Something wrong?”
“No, no, I just...” She gestured lamely. “I guess I changed my mind about hanging out.”
“Okay.” Again, he didn’t sound either glad or upset. She should take lessons. He was that good.
She fell into step beside him as they walked toward the cliff face. “Does anything ever upset you?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I was wondering that.”
“Ha. Yes, of course things upset me sometimes.”
“Has anything ever upset you around me, or do you just never show it? Because I’ve never seen you—”
“Chris.” He stopped walking. “Can we start with ‘How was your evening? How are things going? What have you been up to for the past few months?’”
“Okay.” She stared up at him, wishing she could see his face better. “How was your evening?”
He chuckled and kept walking. “Fine, thanks. Luke and I went running, then we had dinner, watched some TV, got hungry again and brought more food down here.”
“How is he doing?”
Zac sat on one side of a blanket spread at the bottom of the cliff, leaving her plenty of room to join him. “He’s okay, considering he changed coasts and is starting his life over. Are you hungry?”
“Actually, yes.” She dropped down next to him. She was starving. There had been little at the bar that wasn’t loaded with cheese or deep-fried or both. “What do you have? Man food, I bet. Cheetos and beef jerky?”
