Chapter 40
FORTY
After dropping Hannah and Ada off to shop for dresses for Highway to Home’s launch party next weekend, I came home to plan our first real date, and one I hope ends in me being able to call Hannah my girlfriend. For real.
I’ve never been in a relationship, so I feel unequipped to deal with this on my own. Evident by my week of trying to plan the perfect date yet coming up blank. I’ve come up with plenty of ideas, the problem is none of them are good enough. It has to be perfect for her.
I curse myself as I hold my phone, psyching myself up to call Fox and ask for his advice… again. Though he isn’t any more experienced with relationships than me, his advice, admittedly, hasn’t steered me wrong yet.
I’m on my twentieth lap around the kitchen when the back door swings open, and Fox strolls in. He’s holding a book and gives me a casual up-nod before heading for the stairs. I grab his arm and drag him back into the kitchen. “Where do you think you’re going?”
He holds up the book and wiggles it like that’s supposed to answer my question. When he sees I’m not getting it, he adds, “I have a book for Hannah.”
“And you were what? Going to just walk up into our bedroom unannounced?”
He shrugs. “I would’ve knocked. Oh, our bedroom,” he teases, raising his brows. “Sounds like you’ve made progress?”
Now I’m the one shrugging. Fox chuckles, and I glare before grabbing the book from his hand. “I’ll give it to her.”
“Someone’s in a mood this morning.” He tries to take the book back, but I hold it just out of reach. “Give it back. I’d rather do it. Where is she?”
“Out.” Unable to stay still, I start my twenty-first lap around the kitchen, hoping this one will inspire the perfect date idea.
Fox narrows his eyes, studying me. “Dude, what’s going on? You’re all edgy.”
I rub the back of my neck, weighing my options. Am I really desperate enough to ask for his guidance again? The wear on my hardwood floors says I am.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this again, but I need your advice.”
“What was that?” He raises his hand to his ear.
I clench my jaw, speaking louder this time. “Can I get your opinion?”
Fox grins, enjoying this way too much. “Ah, I know what you said. Just wanted to hear it again.” He leans back against the counter. “All right, hit me.”
“I need to ask Hannah to be my girlfriend.”
His brows pull together. “Are you sure she’s not already?”
“Well, I haven’t asked her, so how could she be?”
He takes a moment to consider, then tips his head to one side in a nod. “Fair.”
Now he has me second-guessing this whole thing. It feels a lot like the blind leading the blind. “Maybe I should call Mia. She might know better.”
“No!” Fox snaps, and I raise a brow. He recomposes himself and adds, “I got this.”
“Okay, what do you have for me?”
“You gotta do something big. I’m thinking, surprise her with a grand gesture. Women love a grand gesture. Something unforgettable.”
“Okay…” I can’t wait to hear what he comes up with.
“Oh, oh, I’ve got it! Start with a helicopter ride, then take her to a cliff overlooking the beach for a romantic dinner. Finish it off with fireworks?—”
“You literally just described the last date Matt took the brunette on in You’re The One .”
“Lara,” he corrects. “Well, it was a successful date. No harm in stealing a play that’s proven to work.”
“Except we don’t live near a beach, and Hannah is scared of heights. I don’t think a helicopter ride would go over well.”
“No, that’s perfect!” He nods enthusiastically.
“Huh?”
“If she’s scared, you can comfort her. I’m really liking this idea.” A wide grin spreads across his face.
“I don’t know, man.” I shake my head, still not convinced. “This could go sideways fast.”
“No, it’s gonna be great. Trust me.”
I should not have trusted him.
“Take a deep breath, baby,” I try to comfort Hannah as she hyperventilates beside me in the helicopter. Glancing out the window, my stomach churns and I’m not even afraid of heights. I’m going to kill Fox. “Fuck, I’m sorry. This is all my fault.” I run a hand through my hair. At this rate, I’ll be bald by the time we make it back to land with how many times I’ve repeated the motion.
I rest my forehead against hers, trying to calm us both down—Hannah, because we’re hundreds of feet above Lake Michigan in a helicopter and she’s losing it, and me, because she’s about thirty seconds away from a full-blown panic attack and I’m the cause of it.
I knew it was a bad idea the moment Fox suggested it. The uneasy feeling hit me again when Hannah forced a smile and went along with this absurd plan with very little protest. I could see right through her assured words. “This is going to be fine,” she murmured repeatedly as the pilot got us ready for the ride. I should’ve backed out then, but I was too focused on making this date over-the-top special, so I pushed through my doubts . Wrong move .
“Yeah, this is your fault. Why did I go along with this? Why did you even think this was a good idea? You know me, heights and I are not friends.” Her words come out in a rush.
“You’re right. This was stupid. This is the last time I take advice from Fox,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck.
“How’re we doing back there, folks?” The pilot’s voice comes through our headsets.
“Fine,” Hannah says at the same time I say, “Not good.”
His chuckle fills our ears—at least someone finds this funny—before the feed is cut off, and only a buzz from the intercom system fills the silence.
“Why is Dom to blame for this?” Her rapid breaths slow with the distraction of new information.
“I’m embarrassed to even tell you. We should’ve never let him watch that damn show with us.”
She laughs, a step in the right direction , so I press on, “He got the idea that a helicopter ride was grand and romantic… and that if you were a little scared, I could be the hero and comfort you.” The last part comes out in a rush, hoping she won’t catch it. But with these damn headsets, it comes through loud and clear.
Her face is unreadable, but the fact that she’s not trying to toss me out of the helicopter is a good sign. Honestly, I wouldn’t blame her if she did.
“Why are you taking dating advice from Dominic? I mean, I love the guy, but he’s kind of clueless.”
“Yeah, that just shows how desperate I am,” I admit, running a hand through my hair, again.
“For what?” Her brows scrunch together.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I glance away, my heart pounding.
“Not to me.”
“I’m desperate for you, Hannah.” My eyes finally meet hers.
Her lips tug into a small, hesitant smile. “I’m right here. Not thrilled about it, but I’m here.”
Quickly, I press my lips to hers. “I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours. Hell, I’ve been yours since the moment I laid eyes on you six years ago.”
Her mouth falls open, but she stays silent, so I continue, “I know we started this by faking it, but it was never anything other than real for me. I’ve tried to play it cool, though you know I’m terrible at going with the flow. I want more. I want everything with you. Will you be my girlfriend, Sunshine? Because that’s all I want… well, actually, that’s not true. I’d love for you to be my wife one day, but I don’t want to freak you out… which I probably just did. Forget that last part, okay?” I laugh nervously.
She looks up at me with a tiny smirk. “I kind of thought we were already together.”
“Damnit. Fox was right about that, too.” She raises a brow, prompting me to continue, “We are together, for all intents and purposes, but I never officially asked you. And if I don’t, how will we have an anniversary date?”
She bites her cheek. “That’s a good point, we need an anniversary.”
“So, is that a yes?”
She can’t hold in her laugh any longer. “Yes, Ry.” She tips her head up for a kiss, only for our headsets to get in the way. We push them aside, and when our lips finally meet, the tension melts away.
“Thank fuck,” I murmur against her mouth.
Reaching under my seat, I pull out a single rose and hand it to her. She looks at me like I’m a little insane—but the kind of crazy she likes.
I bring my lips back to hers, but this time it’s not gentle. It’s claiming, with teeth and tongue. It makes me regret this date idea even more, aware we’re just feet away from the pilot. I groan, leaving one last kiss on her lips before pulling away.
I still hate Fox, but technically, his plan worked.
Hannah Clarke is my girlfriend.
After landing safely outside of Chicago and driving back into the city, we ditch the fancy dinner plans in favor of burgers at a bar in our neighborhood, followed by a walk around the block with Fred.
Back home, the chaos of the day drains away. Hannah grabs my hand, a playful grin on her face. “Take me to bed, boyfriend. Just to sleep, though,” she adds quickly. “With how high my heart rate was in that deathtrap, I feel like I’ve run a 5k.”
I can’t help but chuckle. “All right, let's go.”
Lying in bed with Hannah resting in my arms feels just as right as I imagined. Nothing has changed, but knowing she's mine now—and will be for the foreseeable future—finally settles something in me.
“Do you think we should have a coming-out party?” I ask, the words slipping out without much thought.
“Excuse me?” Her voice goes high as she looks up at me, wide-eyed.
“You know, like a party to celebrate our new relationship.”
“Was this Dom’s idea?” she asks, already knowing full well who would be behind such a ridiculous idea.
“Maybe,” I admit.
She laughs, burying her head in my chest. “You two, together, are too much and should not be trusted.”
“Is that a no… or…”
“Yeah, that’s a no. People have engagement parties, or maybe a party to celebrate an anniversary… We’ve been officially dating for like two hours.”
“Fair enough. I guess that is a bit much,” I concede, only to have another idea pop into my head. “But what about a housewarming party?”
“You really wanna have a party, don’t you?” she says, her voice dripping with amusement.
“Yeah. But a housewarming would be perfect, because you’re staying, right? It’s always been ours in my mind, but I hope it feels that way to you, too, now.” I hate that emotion sneaks into my voice with the question.
The amusement fades from her expression, replaced by softness. “Yeah, Ry. It does. I’m not going anywhere.”
I squeeze her tighter, pulling her in as she kisses my neck, her lips lingering. “We’ll plan it for the summer, in the offseason, after your rescue’s launch.”
I feel her nod against me before, with the faintest shift of the bed, she leans over and flicks off the nightstand lamp. But instead of lying back down, she moves her body over mine, her lips pressing to mine in a kiss that catches me off guard.
I’m not complaining, though. I indulge, enjoying the feel of her mouth on mine until my body reacts, my dick straining against my boxer briefs. I resist the urge to roll my hips. Remembering what she said earlier about being tired, I pull away—though it takes more effort than I’d like to admit. I leave one more soft kiss on her lips before she cuddles back into my good side. She hums sleepily, and that simple sound gives me a deep sense of satisfaction.
“Go to bed, baby,” I murmur.
I pull the covers up around us, my heart settled in a way it never has before. This, right here? This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for.