15. Hannah Jane
15
HANNAH JANE
“ Y ou sure you’re good with this?” Isaac asked. He caressed my cheek and his lips lingered above mine.
We were standing in his room at the inn right while his assistant checked out at the front desk. Somehow, Isaac had convinced me to stay another night with him.
I didn’t argue. Much .
It was a tough pill to swallow, but I didn’t hate Isaac’s company as much as I used to.
He made me laugh. He made me feel like a damn goddess. He made me come more in two days than I had in the last year combined.
What girl in her right mind would argue with that?
I was nervous about his “enemies with benefits with a side of small talk” deal.
The more I got to know him, the more I liked being around him. On top of that, he had erased my fears of catching feelings.
I mean, it was Isaac. Maybe I didn’t hate him, but I certainly didn’t like him.
“I’m in,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning in for a kiss. His lips were warm. Familiar. I relished the scratch of his blond scruff against my skin.
I knew that he would shave it smooth as soon as he got to wherever he was going, but I liked that slightly imperfect look he had around me. I liked seeing him in sweatpants and no shirt rather than his five-figure suits. I liked it when his hair was a mess. I liked his easy smile.
Spending the weekend holed up in the inn with Isaac made it feel like the two of us were living in our own little world.
“So, New York?” he asked, brushing the tip of his nose against mine when he finally pulled away. “Can I fly you up the day after Thanksgiving?”
Visiting New York City right before Christmas sounded magical. I loved living at the beach, especially in the off-season. But sometimes a girl needed to wear some Chanel, slip into a pair of killer stilettos, and feel like Carrie Bradshaw.
“I can book my own ticket,” I replied, sinking my teeth into his lower lip.
Isaac grinned and pushed me back against the door. “I think your bite is better than your bark.” He blazed a path of kisses up the side of my neck, nibbling on my ear. “But this is about living it up. I don’t want you to have to wait in line at a ticket counter or carry your luggage. I’ll have a driver pick you up and take you to the airstrip.”
“Isaac…” I whined, closing my eyes and resting my forehead on his chest.
He chuckled and tilted my chin up. “Don’t be scared of living. There are beautiful things in the world waiting for you to leave your mark.”
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” I asked, diverting the conversation to something less likely to make me feel anything.
He backed off, but didn’t give me any more space. Instead, he threaded his fingers into the back of my hair. “Last few years, I’ve been out of the country on business. It’s just another Thursday for the rest of the world. If I’m in the country, I usually crash the DeRossis’ and remind Nonna why she loves me more than Luca.”
I laughed. I loved Luca’s grandmother. She was a hoot-and-a-half and knew how to throw down with the whippersnappers.
“What about you?” he asked.
“Oh, we’re doing this big Friendsgiving meal before everyone goes off to have dinner with their families.”
He smirked. “You just told me what everyone else is doing. I asked what you were doing.”
Avoiding my mother at all costs. “Gorging myself on turkey, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole, taking a long nap, and then packing to come see you.”
Isaac skated his hands up and down my sides. A near-growl escaped his lips. “A week is too long.”
“Mmm, but then you have me all to yourself. No sneaking around the inn,” I said and immediately remembered the paparazzi maelstrom Maddie went through the first time she went out with Luca in New York.
Isaac Lawson was a far bigger tabloid headline than Luca DeRossi.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Miss Hayes,” he said, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. A jolt of something warm and fuzzy sent my heart spiraling in a panic. “We’ll be able to keep this between us. I’m not seen unless I want to be seen. Do you trust me?”
“I trust you as far as I can throw you.”
Isaac eyed my nonexistent biceps before licking his lips and moving in for a kiss.
His phone buzzed—probably from his assistant saying that the car was waiting. Our time was up.
“I’ll be good to you, Hannah Jane.”
I pecked his lips and followed him to the elevator. I’d say goodbye there and then take the stairs back to my office to avoid being seen together. “See you in New York, Lawson.”
Mondays were my saving grace. Where most people dreaded the beginning of the workweek, Mondays were my weekend. I caught up on sleep, did some laundry, and meal prepped before going to poker night.
This Monday was different. I was still riding the high from my unexpected weekend with Isaac. So, rather than jumping straight into chores, I changed clothes and headed to Jokers.
“Hey, babe!” Bridget smiled from behind the bar.
I perched myself on top of a barstool and tucked one ankle behind the other.
“Where were you all weekend?” she asked as she tore the label off of an empty liquor bottle.
“Working. Wedding at the inn.”
Bridget raised an eyebrow. “Chase said you weren’t home Saturday night.”
“The wedding ran late. He must’ve missed me.”
“He said your car wasn’t there Sunday night either,” Bridget mused as she dropped a cherry and an orange slice into an old-fashioned and slid it my way. “What’s going on with you, HJ?”
“Just trying something new,” I said before taking a sip. My lipstick left a print on the rim of the glass, and it made me think of the way it smudged all over Isaac’s cock while it was in my mouth.
“Something or some one ?” Bridget asked, resting her elbows on the bar. “Because if you’re seeing someone, there’s no reason to hide it.”
Before I could respond, Steve barreled through the door and plopped down on the barstool beside me.
“Hey, you,” I said. “How’s paternity leave? ”
Steve rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. “I love that girl, but she’s driving me up the fuckin’ wall,” he groaned.
Bridget offered a compassionate smile. “Is Aly still not sleeping well?”
Steve looked up at her. The bags under his eyes answered that question. “Not the baby,” he said. “Erica.”
Bridget went to pour him a beer, but Steve just shook his head. “If I have any alcohol, I’ll fall asleep sitting up.”
“What’s going on with Erica?” I asked. I had dropped off dinner for the two of them before I went to work on Friday. Things seemed good.
“The hormones.” He shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. “You think the hormones are bad during pregnancy? Buckle up, buttercup—it’s a whole fuckin’ rollercoaster after the baby’s born. One minute she’s happy. The next minute she’s crying. Then right after that, she’s yelling at me because I didn’t wash the rice before I put it in the rice cooker. I mean, who the fuck washes rice?”
Bridget and I giggled, and Steve shot us dirty looks.
“I’m so fuckin’ tired, y’all,” he groaned.
Bridget put her hand on Steve’s arm. “It’s okay to love someone and also admit that things are difficult. Just give her some time. Erica’s probably feeling just as out of whack as you do.”
A wry smile twitched beneath his beard. “How ‘bout some coffee.”
“That, I can do,” she said, waltzing back to the kitchen.
As soon as Bridget was gone, Steve turned to me. “You bringing someone to poker night tonight?”
I drained the rest of my glass. “Why would I have someone to bring?”
He chuckled. “You’re a shitty liar, Han.”
I plucked the cherry out of the empty glass and popped it in my mouth. “Do I even want to know what the rumor mill’s churning out these days? ”
Bridget swung by and dropped off a cup of the sludge they brewed in the back before running off to check on a few more tables.
“Just remember—plus-ones have to have an invite to poker night,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “You tell your boy that? Pretty sure he left here the other night with some girl Mel works with at the hospital.”
Steve chuckled. “Chase knows he can’t bring someone unless we all agree.”
There was a method to our poker night madness. Getting an invite was an official decree that you were in the club. When Maddie got together with Luca, we started a group text message without her where we discussed whether Luca would get an invitation. It was an easy yes.
When Erica moved into Maddie’s old houseboat, Maddie told us straight up that there would be no debating it—Erica was getting an invitation, and she volunteered Steve to give her a ride. Maddie had an uncanny ability for matchmaking. It was scary how she knew Steve and Erica would be the perfect match for each other.
Bridget had dated Kyle Kingsley longer than Maddie and Luca had been together, but not once had Bee ever asked if he could come. Probably because she knew the answer would be a resounding hell no.
I was curious if Chase would ask to bring Layla—the nurse he met here a few nights ago.
She was gorgeous, that was for sure. Dark hair, warm skin, big brown eyes, and a great body. The girl was the whole package.
Steve drained the rest of his coffee, pulled a few bills out of his wallet, and dropped them on the bar. “I should probably get back home.”
“Give me a call if you or Erica need a break. I can come by and clean or bring dinner. Or I can come get some baby snuggles while y’all just rest.”
“Thanks, HJ.” He gave Bridget a wave before heading out the door.
The change in Steve was night and day. He went from being an angry, snarly grump to a lovestruck sap. It was all Erica. Those two went through hell and back, but found each other and fell in love along the way. They were like a damn Hallmark movie.
Bridget waited until the door closed behind him. “Spill it. What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing,” I lied, praying that my poker face wasn’t as shitty as Steve said.
I rapped my pale pink nails against the beat-up oak bar top. My mother would have a conniption if she knew this was the kind of place I frequented. Then again, she had a conniption about most things I did these days.
“So, poker night tonight?” I asked, changing topics like a pro. “Maddie texted me when she and Luca got back from their honeymoon, so it’s on.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Bridget said, swiping a towel across the bar. “Hey, um… Do you mind if I crash at your place tonight?” She chewed on her lip. “It’s just… I’ve gotta open in the morning, and if I stay out late and then have to drive all the way back to Havelock, I’ll barely get any sleep, and I?—”
“Open invitation,” I reminded her. “You know I keep the guest room made up.” I walked to the register to pay for my drink. While she swiped my card, I added, “And you don’t have to make up excuses if things aren’t good with Kyle and you need a break or if you need somewhere to stay while you figure out a move.”
“Just one night, and then I’m out of your hair.”
I snatched my debit card back and slid it into my handbag. “See you tonight, Bee.”
“Hello, Mrs. DeRossi!” I squealed as I nearly tackled Maddie to the ground in a bear hug.
She wiggled her fingers, showing me the engagement ring that Luca proposed with. It was a family heirloom, and the thing was all kinds of gorgeous. I had seen the ring near a million times, but this time, her engagement ring sat snuggled up to a diamond-encrusted wedding band.
Over her shoulder, Luca gave me a curious look. He glanced at the door and then shrugged and went back to talking to Chase.
“How was the honeymoon?” I asked.
“Amazing,” she giggled. “Oh my God—so much food, so much sex. We had the best time. Let me tell you, vacations are magical. I should have gone on a honeymoon by myself years ago.”
My little workaholic was all grown up.
The front door opened, and Steve led the way, carrying a diaper bag big enough to be a suitcase. Erica followed with Aly swaddled in her arms.
Maddie clasped her hands over her mouth. Luca came to the rescue and wrapped his arms around her, restraining her long enough for Erica to walk inside. When Steve gave Luca a nod, he unleashed Maddie.
“She’s so beautiful!” Maddie shriek-whispered, jumping up and down like a kid overdosing on Halloween candy. She threw herself into Steve’s arms. “And you proposed to Erica and didn’t tell me! I’m so happy for you!”
I headed down to the man cave for something alcoholic. All this talk of marriage, honeymoons, engagements, and babies made me feel…
Absolutely nothing.
I choked down those stray desires and slipped behind the bar to pour myself something strong .
“Figured I’d find you down here,” Luca said as he jogged down the stairs. “I never got a chance to say thank you for all the work you did for the wedding.”
“Don’t mention it,” I said dismissively. “Not a big deal.”
Luca rested his big, tattooed arms on the lacquered bar top. “Isaac didn’t give you too much trouble, did he? I told him to be on his best behavior.”
I laughed as I poured myself a glass of wine. “He was himself.”
Luca let out a string of curses and shook his head. “Look, I’m sorry about that. He’s a good guy, but he can be a bit much if you don’t know him that well.”
Well, I knew he had a tiny mole on the back of his thigh, just under his ass cheek.
I’d had his dick in my mouth.
I knew what he looked like when he woke up first thing in the morning.
I knew that he cut his waffles one bite at a time, rather than cutting it all up before digging in.
I knew how soft his voice got when he really wanted my attention.
I’d say I knew him pretty damn well.
My heart thudded in my chest.
Did I want to get to know him more?
Steve and Erica stayed as long as their newborn would allow, but bowed out before the cards were dealt. They probably just used it as an excuse to get out of the house.
Maddie and Luca were back from their honeymoon, but still jet lagged. It was a shorter than usual poker night, but getting back with my people was exactly what I needed. It gave me a break from thinking about the terrible life choices I was making in the name of great sex.
Then again, were multiple orgasms really a bad choice? It certainly did wonders for my blood pressure .
When the night came to a close, Bridget followed me back to my house. She had an overnight bag on her shoulder and a tired look on her face. Dark circles hung under her weary eyes.
“The guest room’s all set up,” I told her as we walked up the stairs. “I just washed the sheets.”
“Thanks again for this,” she said sheepishly. “I would’ve stayed with Mel, but she’s just getting off night shift, and I would’ve kept her awake. I would’ve asked Maddie, but I really don’t want to listen to those two having happy married people sex through the walls.”
I giggled and walked into my room, pulling out a pair of pajamas. “I don’t blame you. But seriously, I don’t mind having company. We should do this more often. Who says sleepovers are just for twelve year olds?”
“How do you feel about a Law and Order marathon?” Bridget called from the guest room.
I shimmied into soft flannel pants and yelled back, “You know me well. Wanna text Chase and see if he wants to come over and join? He left right before us. Should be home.” When there was no response, I walked over to the guest room.
Bridget was standing at the window. Through the glass, I could see over the trees to Chase’s house. His porch light was on, and there were two cars in his driveway. I stood beside Bridget and watched as Chase opened his front door to greet the dark-haired woman who had parked behind his truck.
At eleven o’clock at night, there wasn’t a question in either of our minds as to why she was there.
Bridget was holding her breath, as she stared. She was probably praying that Chase would send the woman packing.
But he didn’t.
Chase planted an obscene kiss on the woman’s mouth and grabbed her ass. They stumbled backward into his darkened house before the door slammed shut.
Quietly, I said, “You can’t be mad at him for being with someone else, Bee. It’s not fair for you to keep him holding on when you’re not available.”
“I know,” she whispered, gingerly wiping away a tear, careful not to mess up her smokey purple eyeshadow. “He deserves someone like her.”
I reached up and pulled the curtains closed. No good would come of seeing anything else. As much as I wanted to rip Chase a new one for making out with Layla in his front yard, he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
Better than hiding it from everyone like me.
I slid under the covers and grabbed my phone. Bridget called it a night instead of watching Mariska Hargitay kick ass. When I saw that there was a text from Isaac waiting for me, my heart did an involuntary pitter pat. I should go see a cardiologist about that.
Isaac
Ask me what I’m thinking about.
Hannah Jane
What are you thinking about?
Isaac
New York.
Hannah Jane
Oh, yeah?
Isaac
And you. Mostly you.
Hannah Jane
What about me and New York?
Isaac
More like you in New York.
Hannah Jane
I could use a pick me up. Tell me more.
Isaac
Tell me why you need a pick me up.
Hannah Jane
Just some friend drama. Now, about this NYC fantasy.
Isaac
It’s only a fantasy if I don’t have the means to make it happen. And I certainly have the means.
Hannah Jane
Am I going to regret this trip?
Isaac
Trust me, Hell Yes Ma’am. It’s going to be unforgettable. In ten years, when you’re married to some balding accountant who wears socks and sandals, and you have kids running all over the place, this will be the memory you fantasize about.
Hannah Jane
You’re setting the bar high. Think you’re up for the challenge?
Isaac
Day after Thanksgiving, Princess. Prepare yourself.
Hannah Jane
I hope you have a terrible night, Lawson.
Isaac
I hope your night is worse. Get some sleep.