Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“I have something for you.” I figure I’ll save her from having to fight her way out of a conversation that’s making her uncomfortable. Sometimes I forget that Hanna is slightly older than I am.
“What?” She frowns, as if she’s not quite following the new direction of our conversation.
“A gift.” I pull the small, wrapped box out of my pocket. “Just a little something to say thank you. I meant to give it to you earlier, but I forgot.” I pass her the box.
“You didn’t need to get me a gift.” She bites her lip. “I didn’t get you anything.”
“You don’t need to get me anything. You’ve been so great with Queenie. With everything. I would have been totally lost without you.”
“You underestimate yourself. You would have been totally fine.”
“We can agree to disagree on that.” And I recognize, maybe not for the first time, that through this whole thing, I’ve felt like I had someone I could rely on for support and who was there for my daughter unfailingly.
My mouth goes dry, and I reach for my scotch, which I set on the dresser when I first walked in. The liquid burns but makes it easier to swallow. The sudden nervousness doesn’t make sense. It’s just a token of my appreciation.
Hanna pulls the bow and it flutters to the floor. “Oh, wow. I don’t think anyone has ever bought me something from Tiffany’s.”
“The last time I shopped there was for Queenie’s sweet sixteen.”
“She’s a lucky girl to have such a thoughtful dad.”
“She never really had a mother figure. There were things I couldn’t do for her, or be for her, and you stepped in so graciously, even when it was hard for you.” I’m going to miss Hanna’s regular visits now that the wedding is over.
“I feel the same way. Lucky, I mean, to have you both in my life as well.” She lifts the lid from the box and inhales sharply. The chain is thin, and a small rose gold infinity heart is suspended from a diamond encrusted bar. I didn’t even ask for help picking it out. It just seemed to fit Hanna. The room in her heart for the people she cares about always seems infinite.
“Oh, Jake, this is beyond stunning.” She blinks several times rapidly. “I’m totally blaming you if I start crying again.” She starts to wave her hands around in the air, so I take the box from her and quickly grab a tissue from the nightstand.
“These are good tears this time, though?”
She nods. “This is so beautiful.”
“Exactly like you,” I tell her.
“I’m a hot mess.”
“Well, you’re hot, I’ll give you that. And if you’re a mess, you’re a beautiful one.” I give her a long, lingering once-over.
“Don’t look at me like that right now. I’m weak, and that smirk is too tempting.” She turns around. “Can you help me with the necklace, please?”
“Absolutely.” I sweep her thick dark waves over her shoulder. She often wears it up in a messy bun that shows off the slope of her elegant neck. Which is exactly what I’m looking at right now. The back of her dress is cut in a V. The style of hers is different, the straps slightly thicker, the dip in the back not quite so deep. A bit more modest. But still so damn sexy.
When she’s thinking, her fingers often drift along the smooth skin. And all I want to do is follow the same path, but with my lips.
I unclasp the necklace she’s currently wearing and replace it with the new one. We’re facing the mirror, and our gazes meet and lock there. Her bottom lip catches between her teeth as she turns her head toward my mouth and reaches up, fingers brushing the edge of my jaw.
“Should we head back?” I dip down and press my lips to her collarbone.
“Maybe not quite yet.” She leans into me, her back meeting my chest.
I settle my hands on her hips. “I don’t know that I should be starting something I can’t finish for a few more hours.”
“We could be quick. Take the edge off.” She arches, her butt pressing against my erection.
“Ah, fuck, Hanna.”
She spins around and grabs my tie. “I think that’s a really good idea.” She pulls my mouth down to hers.
Every time I kiss her it’s the same. It’s like the first bite of a piece of cake snuck from the pantry when no one is looking. The delicious anticipation of having something you’ve waited for, only to discover it’s infinitely more decadent than you expected.
I wrap one arm around her waist, savoring her moan as we tip our heads and open wider for each other. Lust overwhelms, and I feel like I’m being caught up in a vortex. Even after all these months, we still consume each other with the same fierce desperation, like each time is the first and last. Because even though we know we probably shouldn’t be indulging in each other like this, we can’t seem to stop ourselves.