Chapter One
Elijah
An entire month had come and gone since we learned about the Trasks being granted early release by the parole board.
Hannah was inconsolable for a good hour or two of that first day. But then, in true warrior fashion, she plastered on that damn cheer competition smile of hers and started spouting catchphrases about things being tough, so we needed to stay focused and be tough too.
I put a fast end to that bullshit by covering her mouth with mine and devouring every square inch of her perfection. She could act as tough as she wanted, but I felt her body tremble from the top of her honey-blond head to the bottom of her ticklish, sexy toes. She wasn’t fooling me.
I was so obsessed with the woman it frightened me. I wanted to spend every single moment of the day with her. Inside her. Learning about her and learning about myself through her eyes. And my hope for her was that she would come to understand that, together, we could take on anything life put in our path. Because I was already pretty damn sure this woman belonged by my side, and we made an incredible team.
To all my musings, I only had one summarizing thought.
Hensley who?
Even if nothing permanent developed between Hannah and me, she’d given me that incredible gift. No one before her had accomplished that mission, and I owed her so much gratitude for setting me free from the shackles of that woman’s memory.
Daily, I fought the urge to tell her how I felt. I was in love with her. My feelings were not confused or mistaken. I was certain she was the woman I’d be content spending the rest of my life with. But every time the reckless notion to tell her made its way to the forefront of my mind, it got lost in the mix of whatever conversation I was doing my best to pay attention to. The woman jumped from topic to topic like she was playing mental hopscotch on a hot tin roof. In Arizona. On a summertime lunch break.
Much like the one we were having at this very moment.
“Has Sebastian said anything about wanting more children?” Hannah asked out of the blue.
We were sharing takeout Chinese from white cardboard boxes while seated around the living room coffee table.
I chuckled, remembering the conversation my best friends and I had when Bas said he wanted to have another child as soon as possible. I didn’t think sharing the spiteful reason why would paint him in a favorable light to Hannah though, so I kept that part to myself when I answered. He dug deep enough holes on his own and didn’t need anyone else’s help.
“I’ve heard him say he wants a bunch of kids. I guess he and Abbigail both do,” I answered while poking around with my chopsticks, looking for another mushroom in the stir-fry. “Why do you ask?”
“Abbi’s been acting a little off this week. But I thought it might be my perception since I’ve been feeling overly tired and a little anxious myself.” She paused for a moment and then added, “But I’m pretty sure I heard her getting sick in the bathroom this morning.”
I probably should’ve concentrated harder on keeping a poker face in place, but by the time I tried to play it off and said something to head Hannah off that thought track, I was already grinning.
“Oh, you know something you’re not telling me!” With that comment, she dropped her chopsticks with a little clatter and launched her entire body into me, knocking us both backward until she straddled my lap in the most delicious way.
“Woman,” I growled and pushed my growing cock up into her. “Be glad you have on jeans, or I’d be giving you a quick lesson on how babies are made.”
“I don’t know, Mr. Banks,” she said, and circled her pelvis on top of mine. “I’ve attended your lessons in the past. They’re anything but quick.”
“Have you made an appointment with your doctor?” Yes, it was a bit of a buzzkill. Not a full mood destroyer, but I was so over suiting up every time I wanted inside this woman’s body. “You mentioned you were going to do it last week, but I never heard anything more about it.”
“I keep meaning to, but I always have time at the wrong time, you know? Too early in the morning, or when”—Hannah let her head fall back on her shoulders, and a husky moan tore up her throat—“God yes, right there. That’s what I need, mmm, so good.”
Quickly, I wrapped her hair around my wrist until my fist was full of her blond tresses. I sat up so our torsos were pressed together and held her close by the impromptu leash I just made.
Between kisses and sharp bites down her exposed neck, I asked, “Do you want me to call? Or I can have Carmen make the appointment.”
“Elijah!”
“What?” Clearly, I was missing something based on the deafening tone she just used.
“Your assistant is not making my gynecology appointment for me.” She leaned back, balancing all her weight on my completely stiff shaft and cradling her face in both hands. “Oh my God, I’d be mortified.”
My brain short-circuited. Flatlined. Just black-and-white confetti, like the television screen when the cable went out. Every single thought, breath, and heartbeat was focused on that exact place where my dick and her pussy were grinding together through our pants.
“Fuck. Me. Girl. What are you fucking doing to me?” I let go of her hair to grip her hips instead. I didn’t want the exquisite torture to stop.
Hannah tilted her chin toward the ceiling and slid both open palms seductively down her throat and across her collarbones. Then, just as she skimmed over her breasts, I issued some directions.
“Stop there.”
She had finally figured out that doing what I wanted—what I told her, instructed, commanded, demanded she do—ended so much better than when she defied me. That wasn’t to say she didn’t still push my patience from time to time. I wouldn’t have it any other way, though. I loved her feisty spirit as much as I loved her docile obedience.
Luck was on my side at the moment because, apparently, she was feeling obedient. She also just happened to have on a button-down shirt that I made quick work of unfastening from the bottom toward the top until my large hands met her much smaller ones where she still cupped her tits.
“Let me see, beautiful. Take this off. The bra too.”
But when I saw the bra covering her peachy skin, I changed my mind.
“No. Wait. Leave the bra.”
Hannah brought her chin level once more and squinted at me. “Make up your mind, chief.”
“Watch yourself,” I issued, and the brat actually had the courage to roll her eyes. Okay, clearly I’d gone too easy on her.
“Oh, darling. Shouldn’t have done that.”
“You don’t scare me,” she taunted.
“We could change that. It wouldn’t take much to have you begging for me to stop.”
Of course, my cock loved the direction the conversation had turned. It had been a while since I’d gone down any dark alleys. In truth, I wouldn’t mind dragging Hannah into the shadows now and then. At the same time, I didn’t want to scare her, and I’d done some depraved things in my day that would do exactly that.
Just take baby steps, whispered the devil on my shoulder.
You’ll lose the best thing that’s ever happened to you, argued the angel perched on the other side.