Page 8 of Hidden With You

“Well, that makes two of us.”

“You’re new?”

“I’m the newest field agent. But I’ve been at the SSA for awhile. I’m pretty settled in now.”

“Settled?” Quincy chuckled. “At work, maybe. But I’m not sure he’ll ever be settled here. Although I am impressed you came to this party. Or are you just a masochist?”

Simon narrowed his eyes, scowling at Quincy. But there was humor there, too.

“What’s the joke?” Jasper asked.

“Los Angeles. Hollywood,” Quincy said. “Our man Simon’s not a fan.”

Simon scowled. “I like the weather. I like the beach. I hate the industry. And I’m not particularly fond of the people who work in it.” He shot a glance toward Jamie. “The breed, anyway. Some of them are tolerable.”

“And yet there’s San Diego,” Jasper said. “Orange County. But here you are.”

Eliza laughed. “You just met him, and you’re already trying to get rid of him?”

“Just analyzing the contradiction that makes up the man.”

“Don’t even try. I’m a walking enigma.” Simon flashed an easy grin. “Speaking of, have you seen Owen?”

Quincy shook his head. “Wasn’t expecting too, though.”

“Owen?” Jasper asked. He’d been scanning the deck to find Zelda, but the unfamiliar name caught his attention.

“New guy,” Simon explained. “Not in the field. His area’s research and analysis. Former CIA, apparently. Quiet. Sharp as a tack. But you want to talk enigmas…”

Since Jasper had zero interest in talking about any enigma that didn’t center on how Zelda had seemingly managed to disappear entirely from her own party, he excused himself then took off toward the bar. In his experience, bartenders tended to be an observant lot, and that proved true when he asked the woman at the bar if she’d seen Zelda.

“Oh, the writer? Sure,” she replied, passing him the bourbon he’d asked for. “I saw her go inside about ten minutes ago.”

“Thanks.” He followed the direction in which the bartender had pointed and found himself at the glass door that led into the breakfast area off the kitchen. He passed a caterer holding a tray of appetizers and continued inside. A few people from the party were sitting at the round table, and their presence alleviated what little guilt he had about wandering uninvited through Jamie and Ryan’s home.

That guilt ramped up a bit as he left the kitchen area and entered the home’s living spaces. As far as he could tell, no one from the party had wandered this far in, and even after peeking into a room that turned out to be Ryan’s home office, he still had no clue as to Zelda’s whereabouts.

He was retracing his steps back to the breakfast area when he realized what he had missed. A small hallway off the kitchen. He followed it, then found himself at a glassed-in atrium, one side with a view of the ocean, another of the garden at the side of the house and the fence that separated the property from its neighbor. The third wall opened onto the master bedroom, and the final onto the large room in which he was standing, presumably intended to be some sort of playroom if the dart board, ping-pong table, and stereo system were any indication.

The wall seemed to be made entirely from a single sheet of glass, but as he shifted his angle, he saw a thin seam that turned out to be a hinged door, so perfectly cut that he would never have noticed the faint outline had he not been looking for a way in.

And he desperately wanted inside.

Not because of the beautiful, colorful garden that was spread out before him. Not because of the flowing fountain that served as a centerpiece. Not even because of the well-constructed stone path that wove its way through the exotic flora.

No, he wanted in because of the simple stone bench in the center—and the woman seated on it, looking for all the world like a storybook princess lost in the castle garden.

Zelda.

He’d found her.

As if he’d spoken aloud, she looked up, her eyes locking on his. At first, there was no expression on her face. She simply took him in. He felt his body stiffen, as if preparing for a blow.

But then she smiled, that simple movement of her lips making her radiant. He relaxed, soaking in the warmth of her silent invitation as he moved to the door and slowly pushed it open.

He let it close behind him, his body adjusting to the warmer temperature and increased humidity. It was like stepping into an erotic fantasy, lost in a tropical paradise with a beautiful woman he craved.

Woman.