Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
“I hear you.”
“You want a ride home?”
“Nah, I’ll walk. I might hang around a little.”
His eyes danced. “Maybe dance with a pretty officer?”
“We’ll see.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “I’ll see you Monday, kid.”
He left, and I ordered another beer, chatting to a few people I knew. I leaned against the bar again, my gaze immediately finding the group Hannah was with. Some of the women had sat down, but Hannah wasn’t with them. I scoured the bar, not seeing her, until a glimpse of her hair caught my eye again. My heart sank at what I saw. Hannah was dancing with a man who wasn’t me. His arms were around her possessively, while her hands rested on his shoulders as they moved to the music. Well, not really moved so much as swayed in one spot, his back to me, which was why I didn’t see her at first. Slowly, they moved, him backing her up, going closer to the corner. I hated seeing another man’s hands on her. I took another long pull on my bottle, grimacing when I realized I had drained it. Turning, I slammed it on the bar, making Fletch, the bartender, frown at me.
“Okay there, Chase? You want another?”
I wanted an entire case. I wanted to get drunk and forget what I saw. Ignore the feeling of pain that flickered in my chest and the sensation of loss. But I was being ridiculous.
“Nope. Just a tonic for now, thanks.”
He poured me a glass, and I turned back to the dance floor. The music had turned up to a faster song again, and the crew Hannah was with were all back on the dance floor. She wasn’t with them. I looked around, spotting the guy’s blond hair. He had one arm braced on the wall, Hannah in front of him. He was bent, talking to her, looking serious. Something about his stance and the odd look on Hannah’s face made me set down my drink and push my way through the dancers and toward the pair. I moved quicker when I saw how he had his other hand wrapped around her arm, preventing her from moving. She was shaking her head, and with a lull in the music, I overheard her. “No, Dan. I said I wasn’t interested. I-I have a boyfriend.”
She looked to the right, spotting me. “There he is! Chase, baby! I’m right here!”
She broke away, racing to me and flinging her arms around my neck. “Please play along,” she murmured into my ear.
And then, her mouth was on mine.
I yanked her tight to my chest and kissed her back. I had no idea what was going on, but she wanted me to play along?
Then we were playing by my rules.
I kissed her with everything in me. All the frustration, want, and need I had been feeling. I licked into her mouth, tasting the flavor of the tequila lingering on her tongue and the sweetness I instinctually knew was her.
She whimpered softly, meeting my onslaught with the same level of passion. It was only someone yelling, “Get a room!” that broke us apart.
I looked down at her. Her eyes were glossy, slightly unfocused. I grinned. “Sorry I was late.”
“You’re forgiven.”
“Who the hell is this?” Blond Guy demanded.
“Oh, ah, this is Chase,” Hannah said, turning to face him, staying in the circle of my arms and resting her hand on top of mine. “Chase, this is Dan. We work together.”
I met his glare, not liking how he looked at her. I felt the tension in her body again. “Hey,” I greeted him coolly. “Dan. Right. Hannah talks about you on occasion.”
“Is that right?” he replied, almost gloating.
I nodded and pressed a kiss to her head. “Well, we live together, so work comes up in our conversations.”
His face flushed. “You live together?”
I could barely hold back my glee at his indignation. “Yeah, we do.”
He narrowed his eyes, focusing on Hannah. “You never said that.”
“I said no. That should be enough. I don’t broadcast my personal life. I told you there was someone else.”
Her words hit me. That was what her mother asked her. “Is there someone else?”
Hannah had said yes.
Had they been talking about this guy? Not me?
Hope flickered.
He stormed away, and Hannah sagged in my arms.
“Well, that will make next week interesting,” she muttered then turned to me, still in the circle of my arms.
“Thanks.”
I looked down at her, seeing the weariness on her face. The blurriness of her gaze. I felt how she swayed a little in my embrace. “Hannah Gallagher, are you drunk?”
She shook her head, then stopped. “Maybe a little. I had tequila. Only one. Maybe two.” She pursed her lips. “Might have been three. That’s never a good idea.” She waved her hand. “Then Dan showed up. Only supposed to be girls,” she muttered.