Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Luke watched as light slowly infiltrated the dark room.
He blinked several times, disoriented for a moment until he remembered where he was.
Something in his peripheral vision caught his attention, and a smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as he turned his head slightly to the side.
Hannah’s head lay on the pillow, just inches from his face, so close he could kiss her.
At some point during the night, she had whimpered and begun to struggle against the confines of the sheets.
He had slid in next to her, pulling her close and holding her tight until she calmed and fell back to sleep.
The heat from her body surrounded him, and the sensation made him want to pull the covers over their heads and not surface for days.
Levering to a sitting position, he reluctantly slipped out from under the covers and stretched, his vertebrae popping as they shifted back into place. The faint rustling of sheets drew his attention, and he turned to find Hannah propped up on an elbow, her sleepy gray eyes trained on him.
“Morning.”
She smiled. “Hey. You stayed.”
He braced one hand on the bed as he leaned toward her. “I told you I would.”
She shrugged. “I thought it might have been a dream.”
He shook his head. “Nope. I’m still here.”
Her gaze drifted over his bare torso, and a delicate red flush swept up her cheeks. Luke battled back a smile.
She seemed more embarrassed by her own reaction than the fact that he had climbed under the sheets without an invitation.
He decided to press his luck. Not wanting to ruin the good mood by bringing up her tossing and turning, he kept his tone light.
“I was thinking… If you’re not doing anything this weekend, maybe we could grab dinner. ”
She blinked. “Like… a date?”
Luke couldn’t help but grin. “If you want to… yeah. Of course.”
Quick as a flash, her entire demeanor changed, and her teeth sank into her lower lip. “There’s something…”
He immediately thought of the man who had shown up Wednesday evening and dragged Hannah away before he had even had a chance to speak with her. “Are you seeing someone else?”
Her head tipped slightly to the side. “What?”
“The guy who stormed into the health center the other night—are you two dating?”
It took a moment for her brain to connect the dots, and understanding lit her eyes as she shook her head. “No, that’s not... We’ve never dated. Dr. Chandler is a colleague and a friend.”
He wondered if the man knew that. He seemed awfully territorial for just a friend, but Hannah didn’t seem too interested in the guy, or he figured she would have called him last night.
Still, the memory of her climbing out of a strange car yesterday morning, a man at the wheel, was burned in his brain.
He shut it down before he could overthink it and changed the subject. “I have to head home so I can shower and change. Will you be okay getting to work?”
She nodded. “I’d prefer we show up separately anyway.”
He understood, but the comment stung a little nonetheless. “Okay.”
She slid from under the covers and stood next to him, arms wrapped around her waist. “Do you want some coffee before you go?”
He examined her for a moment, his eyes sliding over her body of their own volition.
Her curves were outlined by the thin camisole and shorts she wore, and he felt his resolve begin to waver.
He wanted to run his hands all over her and make her forget all about the other man.
He couldn’t figure her out. Was she telling the truth about him or not?
Her eyes seemed sincere, large and gray in her face, and she just stared back, waiting on his response. Trying to get a read on her was like trying to nail Jell-O to a tree. Finally, he nodded. “That’d be great, thanks.”
Pulling a robe from a chair in the corner, she slipped her arms inside and tied the sash tightly around her waist. They descended the stairs in silence, and the atmosphere remained tense and uncomfortable as Hannah began to make the coffee.
He was just about ready to forego his daily shot of caffeine when she finally spoke up.
“I… I just wanted to say thank you. Again.”
He dipped his chin. “It was no big deal.”
“So…” She fiddled with a cup on the counter, her expression one of intense discomfort. “Were you serious about wanting to go out with me? Or were you just being nice?”
He regarded her warily. “What do you mean?”
She bit her lip and shook her head. “Never mind.”
He reached across the counter and hooked a finger under her chin, forcing her to meet his stare.
He could feel her throat move as she swallowed hard.
He was afraid to let himself hope as well, but the stupid emotion burst into his heart as her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment.
“Tell me what’s going through that head of yours, beautiful. ”
“I just… I’m not good at this kind of thing—dating, talking with guys.
I get all awkward, and… weird.” She blew out a little breath.
“I was kind of hoping you weren’t just saying you wanted to go out.
I mean, people say that all the time, but then…
” She shrugged and dropped her gaze back to the slab of granite that separated them.
He released her and circled the bar. Sliding his hands up her arms, he cupped her elbows and pulled her close. “I always mean what I say.”
She lifted her face and stared up at him for several seconds, seeming to weigh his words. “Okay,” she whispered.
He dropped a soft kiss on her upturned mouth, and her eyes fluttered closed. He kissed her once more, breathing in her sweet scent before reluctantly releasing her. “All right, beautiful. I’ll let you get ready for work. See you in a few?”
She nodded. “Sounds good.”
He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her toward the front of the house. Pausing by the door, he turned to her. “Be careful and make sure to lock up behind me.”
“I will. And, Luke? Thank you.”
“Any time.” He locked his hands together at the base of her spine, pulling her close and kissing her again. She fit him perfectly, felt so good within the circle of his arms, that he didn’t want to let her go just yet.
She rolled her lips together before meeting his gaze. “Would you like to come over for dinner again?”
The question was tentative, like she thought he’d turn her down. But he wasn’t giving her up now, not when he was just starting to figure her out. “Of course. I’ll see you back here at seven.”
Her sweet smile made his heart ache. He dropped one more kiss on her lips before shooting a wink her way and stepping out into the bright morning light.
He glanced over his shoulder to where she stood outlined in the doorway.
A soft smile on her face, she made for a beautiful sight—one he hoped he’d see a whole lot more often.
The sun had just begun its descent, disappearing over the back of the house as Luke pulled into the driveway and parked next to Hannah’s car. He unfolded from the driver seat, then rounded the hood of her car. “Why don’t you park in the garage?”
She rolled her eyes. “Andrew asked me the same thing. I don’t mind parking outside.”
At least they agreed on that score. “I think it might be better if you parked inside. That will at least keep someone from knowing if you’re home or not.”
Her head tilted up to meet his gaze, so close that her chest barely grazed his midsection. “You’ll keep me safe, won’t you?”
His hands automatically went to her hips and pulled her flush against him. “Always, beautiful. You can count on it.”
A slow grin spread over her face, and he bent his head, capturing her lips with his.
It went on for several long moments until her hands slid up to his chest and gently pushed.
Pink tinged her cheeks, and she dropped her gaze to the ground before looking up at him again.
“We’d better get inside; we’re giving my neighbors a show. ”
He glanced to the left where an elderly man stood across the street watering his flowers. He lifted one hand in greeting, and the older man returned the wave with a smirk. “Come on, let’s head in.”
Placing a hand on her lower back, he guided Hannah up the stairs to the front door.
Following her inside, he closed and locked the door before heading toward the kitchen.
They tossed together a quick meal, and afterward, Hannah cuddled up next to him on the couch as they watched TV.
Her body felt tense, and she bit her lip, a faraway look in her eyes.
Finally, he muted the television and turned her in his arms.
“Okay, Doc. What’s on your mind?”
Her head swiveled toward him, a guilty look on her face. “Oh, I… It’s nothing, never mind.”
“Doesn’t look like nothing.” He studied her for a moment. “You can talk to me if something’s bothering you.”
“I was just wondering…” Her gaze dropped to her hands where she picked at an imaginary piece of lint on her pants. “Where do you think things are headed?”
The question caught him off guard. “With us?”
Her head jerked up. “I mean, I know it’s too early to label anything, but I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” She let out a sigh and scrubbed her palms over her face. “I’m making a mess of this already.”
“No, you’re not.”
She looked so vulnerable that Luke wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and comfort her the only way he knew how. But she didn't need physical reassurance right now. She needed words.
He reached out and gently turned her chin toward him, waiting until her eyes met his. “If you're asking whether I'm interested in you—in a serious relationship with you—the answer is yes.”
Instead of looking relieved, Hannah seemed to pale even more.
“I just… there's something you should know.”
Luke stiffened as their previous conversation came to mind. She'd insisted she didn't have a boyfriend, but her expression suggested whatever she was about to say wasn't something he was going to like.
Her hands drifted back to her lap, twisting together nervously. “I don't even know how to start. Oh, God, this is so awkward.”
She drew in a shaky breath before letting it out, staring at her hands as she spoke. “Remember how I told you I had a bad experience in high school?”
Luke didn't answer the rhetorical question, and she continued, “Well, it was really hard for me to open up to people after that—especially guys. I went on dates, but I never really trusted anyone enough to be… intimate.”
She'd never...?
A rush of emotion hit him all at once. Pride that she'd protected something so important. Hope that, if their relationship reached that point, she might trust him enough to share that first with him. But beneath it all was fear.
What if she placed that trust in him and the experience only brought back painful memories? What if she regretted it afterward? Worse, what if she regretted trusting him?
He was getting ahead of himself.
For a moment, Luke couldn't find the words. Mistaking his silence, Hannah turned to him with a pained expression.
“If you don't want to see me anymore, I'll understand.”
“No!”
Her eyes widened, and he forced himself to relax. “I'm sorry. No—that was the absolute last thing on my mind.”
She bit her lip, watching him cautiously, while he gathered his thoughts. “I didn't mean to overreact. You just… caught me by surprise.”
A deep blush spread across her cheeks. Luke reached for her hand, gently squeezing her fingers in silent apology. “It's an important decision, and I'm glad you told me. I promise I won't ever push you to do something you don't want.”
Relief softened her features, quickly followed by an emotion he couldn't quite identify. Before he could ask about it, she looked at him again. “Would you mind staying again?”
His gut twisted, but he nodded. No matter what happened between them, he intended to keep her safe. “Of course.”
She studied her toes for a moment before looking back up. “I was thinking you might stay… with me.”
Hope flared inside him again—that foolish, dangerous, yet undeniably welcome feeling—and he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her forehead.
“I'd love to.”