“He left you?”
Tracy nodded.
“I find that hard to believe.” What Hale didn’t find hard to believe was Walter’s little love-Tracy-fest just now. She was wearing the belt, after all. And that was some pretty potent magic.
“Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him.” She smiled, an expression meant just for him. “What were we talking about?”
“Jobs. Tell me about your job.”
“I love it, but it’s definitely not glamorous. Not like yours.”
“Don’t knock it. Every job has its downside.” In Hale’s case, those personal appearances that he loved had made his face recognizable. Hale couldn’t do the anonymous superhero routine, and his Council assignments had been chosen accordingly. At first, he’d resented his mortal job. Now, however, he’d meshed the two lives. And, frankly, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Yeah.” Tracy’s mouth twitched, and he knew she was fighting laughter. “The downside of my job’s tiger poop. Or maybe that’s an upside.” She lost her battle and erupted into a fit of laughter. “Sorry,” she said, after a few heaving breaths. “I just had the most bizarre day yesterday. Walter wasn’t even half of it.”
“Want to fill me in?”
She shook her head. “Nope.” The laughter in her eyes changed to something else. Something softer. “But maybe another time. I think you’d be fun to swap stories with.”
He took her hand, his gaze meeting hers. “Sweetheart, I promise you. You won’t find many men with better stories than me.” That, of course, was the understatement of the year.
“Really?” One of her eyebrows went up, matching the note of interest in her voice. “So don’t keep me in suspense. Share.”
After a second, he nodded. What the heck? She wouldn’t believe him anyway. “You already know about my day job—”
“You mean there’s another?”
“Absolutely. I may seem like just a mild-mannered cover model, but by night I’m Super Hale, protector of the weak. Defender of the innocent. Leaper of tall buildings.”
Her mouth twitched. “I thought you were eccentric when you talked to your ferret. I guess I should learn to trust those first impressions, huh?”
“Always trust first impressions,” he told her. Not bad advice. Except that his first impression of Tracy had been more than he wanted to think about.
“So, you’re just passing through? Or are you here to rescue some diplomat or something?”
“Nothing as small as that, this time. I’m here to save the world.”
“I guess I should feel honored you spent some time rescuing little old me.”
“Not at all. You’re the key to everything.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrow rose again. “I’m the key to saving the world? Careful. You’ll give me a big head.”
“A pretty one, though.”
“Mmm-hmmm.” She cocked her head. “Okay. I’ll bite. How am I the key to saving the world?”
“Protecting you protects the world.” As would getting that belt off her waist. But that part he couldn’t mention without pushing his luck. Reaching across the table, he took her hand, working to make his voice teasing. “Protect you from harm, and the world just transforms into a better place.”
“I didn’t know I ranked so high in the universal hierarchy.”
“Sweetheart, don’t ever underestimate yourself.”
The shy grin was back. “So I’ve got a date with a superhero, huh?”
“Lucky you.”
She leaned over the table toward him, her eyes dancing. “Anything I should know about the care and feeding of superheroes?”
“Be sweet to us.” He traced his fingertips over the palm of her hand. “And never say no. It’s not good karma.”
A blush crept up her neck, turning her ears a delightful shade of pink. “Thanks for the tip. I’ll keep that in mind.”
Their eyes met and held, locked together by a force he’d never quite experienced before. For a few minutes, they just held hands, and then she blinked, her gaze drifting to the tabletop as she pulled her fingers from his. The moment vanished, but he knew in his gut they’d taken a big first step.
“Wow,” she said, nodding toward the empty plate. “We managed to finish it all off.”
Hale just nodded and agreed. The woman was perfectly adorable. So why point out that he hadn’t even taken one single bite?
If she weren’t driving, Tracy would have hugged herself, she was so happy. As it was, she considered pulling off to the side of the road so she could do that very thing.
Not that hugging herself was what she truly wanted. No, she wanted
Hale
to hug her. To hold her close like he had after those thugs had harassed her. As it was, he’d kissed her cheek after walking her back to her car. She might never wash that particular spot again.
That impromptu date she’d just left had been absolutely fabulous. He might be a famous cover model, but he was also down to earth, sexy as all get-out, and one hell of a knight in shining armor. Plus, he made her laugh.
In other words, he was perfect.
And those little quirks like talking to his ferret, they only seemed more endearing now.
Smiling, she remembered his concocted story about being a superhero. The man was a goofball—and, she had to say, she liked that in a guy.
Besides, in her book, he
was
a superhero. He’d sure as heck rescued her.
Shivering, she recalled the nasty gleam in those creeps’ eyes as they’d stared at her. Odd, because her purse had been in the car. What was it they’d wanted? The only thing she’d been holding was the tire iron, and unless they’d been fired from the Auto Club and were holding a grudge, she doubted that was what they were after.
Which left only one thing. Her.
Ick. Major, big-time ick.
Thank goodness Hale had showed up when he did. Maybe she’d acted like a frail little flower of a woman, but that didn’t change the fact that when he’d held her tight in the circle of his arms, she’d felt safer and more wonderful than she’d ever felt before.
And what a nice feeling.
All the nicer since he’d seemed content to hold her forever. And when they’d gone to the coffee bar, he hadn’t wanted to leave. Finally, she’d had to pull the plug so she’d have time to get ready for her date with Leon.
Sighing, she squirmed in her seat, delighted by the truth that had been so very apparent.
He liked her
. Hale really and truly liked her! She was certain of it, and the feeling warmed her to her toes.
Cover model Hale and TV heartthrob Leon Palmer. Both wanting her. Amazing. All it had taken was a little shot of confidence, and suddenly she had famous dates for the whole weekend. Mentally, she thanked her grandmother.
Digging her cell phone out of her purse, she turned into the mall. Confident, she might be. An educated consumer, she wasn’t. And since she’d spent her date-prep time with Hale, she had about three seconds to blow in, get enough makeup to try to turn herself into a glamour queen, and get out again.
“I need help,” she said the second Mel answered the phone.
“Undoubtedly. But I’m not a licensed psychotherapist.”
“Ha-ha. That’s not what I need help with.”
“Trust me,” Mel quipped. “It is.”
Tracy took the phone away from her ear just long enough to scowl at it. “
Not
helpful. I’m at the mall now, and I’ve got about fifteen minutes to get inside, get to the cosmetics counter, and figure out what I’m supposed to be buying.”
“
You’re
braving a department store cosmetics counter? By yourself? You do need help.”
Tracy rolled her eyes as she turned into a parking place and killed her car’s engine. “I told you. So, are you going to help, or are you just going to tease me?”
“Just tease, I’m afraid. I’m still in the meeting. We’re on a break. I’ve got about five minutes.”
Tracy slumped. “Damn. I really need advice.”
“That’s what they’ve got salesgirls for. What store are you near?”
Tracy told her.
“Lower level, near the shoes,” Mel—a walking encyclopedia of malls—said.
“Gotcha.” Tracy entered near the men’s clothing, made a right turn at evening wear, and ran smack-dab into shoes. Like Mel had promised, just a few yards ahead glistened rows and rows of gleaming glass cubicles filled with beauty products that were sure to transform even the ugliest duckling into a swan. At least that’s what Tracy hoped.
“Okay. I’m in,” Tracy said, feeling a little like an undercover operative.
“What are your choices?”
“Clinique. Prescriptives. Estee Lauder. And about a billion more.” She proceeded to rattle off the brands that were camped out at the various stations. “We could pretty much make over the world from this one store.”
“Start with Clinique and work your way down.”
Once again, Tracy glanced at the phone, her eyebrows raised with disbelief.
“Trace?” Mel’s voice filtered through. “Where’d you go?”
“Are you insane?” Tracy asked, pulling the phone back to her ear. “I’ve got less than a half hour.”
“Well, then,” Mel said, the hint of a laugh in her voice. “I guess you’d better get cracking.”
“Henchmen!” Zoë knew her voice was squeaking, but she couldn’t help it. “Hieronymous sent henchmen? To the San Fernando Valley?”
“ ‘Fraid so.” Hale’s voice came through crystal clear on the Council-issued cell phone. “And they’ve already located Tracy.”
“Well, heck,” she said, fighting a shiver.
A low laugh from the other end of the phone. “My sentiments were a little more strongly worded, but essentially the same,” Hale said.
“So what are you going to do?”
“Not me. You.”
“Me? It’s your mission. How’s it going, anyway? Are you best friends yet?” she asked, trying to keep the smile out of her voice.
He didn’t answer right away, and that alone was enough to make Zoë suspicious. “Hale?”
“I’m, uh, not exactly doing the friendship routine.”
Zoë stiffened. “What?” Surely Hale wasn’t abandoning the mission—was he? “What in Hades are you talking about?”
“I’ve got another plan. Another way to connect with the girl.”
“Another—”
“Trust me. My new plan is right up my alley.”
And that’s when she realized. “You’re going to get the girl into your bed.” She drew in a deep breath. “Apollo’s Apples, big brother. Do you ever think about anything else?” Her brother really did have a one-track mind. Not that she could wholly argue with his logic. This new approach did make sense. It sure seemed more likely to succeed than hoping Hale could make Tracy his new best friend. She stifled a sigh. Deep down, she knew Hale really didn’t mind mortals, liked them even. She just wished he’d realize it, too.
“Right now.” he growled, “I’m thinking about her safety. Can you go after her? I just left her. She’ll get suspicious if I show up again.”
He had a point. “Okay. So what do you need me to do?”
“Just watch her. I’ll take over tonight.”
Zoë scowled, thinking about Hale’s plan of attack. “Yeah. I bet you will.”
“She’s got a date,” he growled. “Tonight, I’m just an observer.”
He sounded more irritated about Tracy’s date than Zoë would have expected. She wondered if the cause was the inconvenience for his mission, or something else entirely. Interesting. Very, very interesting.
“Zo?”
“Sorry. I’m still here.”
“Well, get going. She said she was going shopping. I’m assuming she went to that mall on Riverside.”
“Don’t worry,” Zoë assured him before she hung up. “I’ll find her.”
There were times when having x-ray vision came in very handy. In no time at all, Zoë was cruising outside the mall, peering in through the brick and mortar. No Tracy in the first store, or the second. She was just starting to get discouraged when she looked through the walls at the last department store. Yup. There Tracy was—hanging out with one of these perfectly complexioned women in white lab coats.
Mission accomplished.
Zoë was just about to head through the door and casually bump into Tracy, when she saw something else that stopped her dead in her tracks—a third person chatting with Tracy and the salesgirl.
Mordichai
.
Well, if that wasn’t just great.
Now she really needed to get to Tracy, and fast. She seriously doubted Mordi could sweet-talk the girl out of the belt in a few minutes, but Zoë knew better than to underestimate him.
As she half-ran into the building, she focused her super hearing toward the cosmetics counter. Eavesdropping simply wasn’t eavesdropping where saving the world was involved.
“This is definitely your color,” the salesgirl was saying.
“You think? I don’t usually wear base.”
“Trust me. It’s a perfect match. See?”
Zoë slid her glasses down her nose, looking through a couple of walls and several racks of clothes to see the woman hand Tracy a mirror. She then turned to Mordi and asked, “Don’t you think the color is perfect on her?”
“Well, I’m not certain why a woman as lovely as this needs makeup at all, but if she’s dead set on getting it, then I’d have to agree.” Mordi’s voice came through loud and clear. And with a definite hint of suck-uppiness. Zoë’s cousin wanted something from Tracy, and he wasn’t wasting any time.
As the salesgirl started rummaging through drawers, pulling out samples, Tracy sat down on one of the stools. She smiled at Mordi. “I can’t believe we ran into each other here,” she said.
Zoë almost stopped in her tracks. Tracy and Mordichai
knew
each other? Impossible.
“Heck, I can’t believe you recognize me from one television news segment six months ago,” Tracy added.
“It was a fascinating segment. Training kangaroos, I believe. At any rate, I tried to catch you at your trailer to introduce myself. It’s such a coincidence we shop at the same mall.”
So they didn’t know each other. Not yet, anyway. But what was Mordi’s game?
“You’re really doing a feature film? Well, Mel’s the one to talk to. The company belongs to her, you know.”
“I like to talk with the staff members first, particularly where animal training is involved.” He leaned closer, and Zoë widened her eyes. “I like to stay especially close to the trainers who’ll be doing the actual work.”
Beginning to understand her cousin’s game, Zoë picked up her pace. Apparently, Mordi was trying to do more than just befriend the girl—he was out-and-out flirting with her! Zoë scowled. The last thing she wanted was Mordi weaseling into Tracy’s bed. Especially now that Hale was trying to do that very thing.