Chapter 20 #2
Zach takes a bite of his taco and closes his eyes like he wants to fully concentrate on the moment. “Mmmmm,” he moans, and I feel a blush spread over my face. Him moaning about food shouldn’t be turning me on . . . but here we are.
“How’s your mom’s restaurant project?” Danny asks, perching on a chair at the table next to ours.
“She’s opening next month,” Zach says, a flash of pride in his eyes. “She’s in a really good place right now and she’s found some awesome staff. I think the delay helped her iron out some details.”
“That’s great to hear,” Danny answers with a warm smile. “If she needs any help from me with anything, please give her my number.”
When Danny leaves, I give Zach a small smile. “That’s so good about your mom,” I say. “She’s doing better?”
“Yeah, now that she’s had time to process, she seems genuinely happy and much calmer.
I think she’ll be good for her new launch date.
” Zach takes a sip of his water. “My last relationship ended kind of abruptly, too, and it hurt for a while, but when I had time to process, I realized it was for the best and that I’d actually learned from the experience. ”
“Yeah,” I answer vaguely, not saying what I really want to.
Although I’m curious to learn more about the breakup he mentioned, I don’t want our conversation to venture into previous relationship territory just yet.
No need to spoil whatever it is we have building.
“Hey, you said we might be going to the beach later. Which one?”
Zach squints at me for a second like he’s keenly aware of my sudden subject change but isn’t going to push it. “I’m going to guess that you’ve never been there,” he says with a sly smile. “Another hidden gem.”
As expected, Zach knows a beach that has fewer than fifty people on it as far as the eye can see.
This guy is all about finding places that are off the beaten path, that’s for sure.
I’m focusing on the ocean and sky, trying very hard not to stare at Zach without his shirt on for too long—again, trying very hard not to seem scary-interested.
“How do you find these spots?” I ask as we walk side by side, the sand warm beneath our feet, the sun mellow in the late-afternoon sky. Seagulls swoop around, making little M shapes against the horizon.
“This was another location where I did a shoot,” he says.
I take this opportunity to glance at him, my eyes trailing over the rippling muscles of his stomach and the broad curve of his chest before I snap out of it. “For a swimsuit brand?”
Zach smirks. “Try again.”
“A beach umbrella?”
“I guess it isn’t fair to keep you guessing,” he says with a laugh, “because it isn’t what you’d expect.” He grins. “A company that crafts clawfoot bathtubs.”
I laugh and shake my head. “Yeah, I wouldn’t have guessed that even if I guessed all day.”
“Sometimes print ads are about shock value,” Zach says, his eyes twinkling. “The beachgoers were definitely pretty damn surprised to see a luxury bathtub on the beach. Word spread, and there was double the crowd there is today.”
I look around and gesture at the almost-empty shoreline. “So, there was like . . . a handful of people then? I’ll never look at Venice Beach the same again. This place is so peaceful.”
We sit, watching the waves and the gulls in the sky, and I let the calmness settle over me. Hopefully I can channel this on Saturday because I have a feeling Gia’s wedding will be anything but calm. I feel Zach’s gaze on me and turn my head slightly to meet it.
“You’re really beautiful. You know that, Lexi?” he says. “And honestly, just sitting here beside you, even when we’re not talking at all? It feels like the most fun I’ve had in a long time. It’s amazing to me how well we just mesh.”
“I was thinking that too,” I say, feeling the heat rising up my neck at the thought of it. “We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but it feels more like I’ve known you for years.”
Zach reaches for my hand, and the moment he touches me, it’s like everything else quiets.
It feels almost as intimate as our time together in the forest. There’s no rush in it, no expectation, just a steady, quiet warmth.
When he touches me, I feel like his body completely understands mine. I feel like he sees me. Truly sees me.
Zach clears his throat. “What happened with us the other day . . . it was a lot of fun.” He runs a hand through his beard and heat rushes from my stomach and up to my chest and face.
“It was,” I say softly.
“But I want you to know that the way I feel about you is so much more than that. I loved being with you in that way, but more than anything, I just feel so good when I’m around you.”
I inhale deeply, the salt air mixing with something softer. Maybe relief? He really does get me. It wasn’t my imagination. It’s almost like he knew what I was thinking at that moment. Forget being astrologically compatible, it’s more like we’re telepathic.
“Are you up to going to one more place?” Zach asks.
“Everywhere you take me is amazing, so I’m going to go with ‘yes,’” I answer with a grin.
“Good.” Zach winds his fingers through mine. “I think you’ll find it as inspiring as I do.”