Exploited
Page 22
It excited me.
What would this pretty woman have to hide, anyway?
“Yeah, it’s mine. I admit it.”
Hannah grinned. “I’m glad you’re proving to be nothing like what I expected.” She turned up the volume.
“Oh yeah? What did you expect me to be like, then?”
She recrossed her legs. Her bare skin was making it difficult to concentrate on the road in front of me. She ran her hands down the length of her thighs, resting them on her knees. “You drive a Lincoln Continental that looks like something a hustler would drive—”
“Now, don’t start insulting ol’ Lucy,” I warned good-naturedly.
A cocked eyebrow. Another husky chuckle. “Ol’ Lucy?”
I patted the steering wheel. “She and I have been through a lot. It seemed only right to give the pretty lady a name. We’ve got to treat her with respect.”
“Why ‘Lucy’?” Her wry smile was contagious.
“Just rolls off the tongue, I think.” I grinned. “Sort of like ‘Hannah.’ ”
I was laying it on a little thick, with an emphasis on the cheese factor, but Hannah seemed to dig it.
She chuckled and shook her head. “What a line. You’re full of those, aren’t you?”
“Just one or two,” I conceded. I waved my hand. “Now come on, I want to hear more about these preconceived expectations you seem to have had about me.”
Hannah ran her tongue along her bottom lip, staring at me intently. It made me restless. I fidgeted in my seat, the heat of her gaze searing me. When Hannah looked at me it felt as though she were penetrating to the bone.
“You have this strict and no-nonsense vibe. Perfectly pressed shirts.” She pulled slightly at my collar, the tips of her fingers grazing the skin of my neck. I was blushing like a goddamned schoolgirl. It was slightly humiliating. Not quite as bad as being exposed as a closet musical lover.
“Your hair is cut short. Not a strand out of place.” She trailed her hand to the back of my head, pressing into the nape. Fucking goosebumps broke out along my arms.
“You walk with your shoulders back. Chin out. Chest puffed just a little. You enter a room like a man who is ready to take charge.”
Her fingers were still on the back of my neck. Their heat scorched my skin. The air was thick inside the car. The smell of her shampoo was making me dizzy. I took a deep breath and licked my dry lips.
Hannah’s thumb circled slowly. So slowly. “I definitely didn’t see a man who sang along to show tunes.” She smirked, dropping her hand back into her lap.
Great. Now I was sporting a raging boner. Think about something else. Kittens. Old ladies. Granny panties.
Anything but wanting to see the woman beside me naked on my bed. My face buried between her—
Yeah, that wasn’t helping.
“What can I say? I love a good tragedy done to song.” My voice was husky. Cracking slightly. I cleared my throat.
Keep your eyes on the road. Nowhere else.
I forced a pained smile. I moved in my seat, trying to hide the visible hard-on in my pants. God, I hoped she didn’t notice.
“In high school I was a drama geek,” I found myself saying. Wow, I wasn’t going to win many cool points this evening. What was wrong with me?
“A drama geek? Really?” Hannah sounded incredulous.
My tall, strong, masculine first impression was going right out the window the more I spoke. “Musicals are a guilty pleasure. I’ve been to see Phantom of the Opera four times. But if you breathe a word I will deny it profusely, and no one would believe you anyway. You know, because of the whole badass-FBI-agent thing I have going on,” I said with a grin.
“I wouldn’t dream of revealing your secret,” Hannah said softly with her own grin.
“You know, it’s only fair that you reveal one of your deep, dark secrets. To make it even,” I remarked, having to speak loudly over the music.
Hannah raised an eyebrow and her eyes danced. “Not yet, Mason. I don’t think you’re ready.”
We laughed together but there was something strained to it. Not easy like before.
The tension became something else.
I cleared my throat again. “You can turn on the radio. Don’t feel you have to listen to this on my account.”
The swelling notes filled the car, and if I’d been alone I would have been belting along. Now I just clumsily tapped my finger in time to the music.
“Actually, I’ve been to see Les Mis three times. I’m a fan.” Hannah cocked her head to the side. “I like that you have a side that no one else gets to see. Like maybe I’m special for figuring it out.”
I turned in to the parking lot of the steak house and tried to find a spot. It was a popular place, so even though it was a Wednesday, pickings were slim.
“I’m glad. I’d hate to run you off before I even park the car,” I remarked.
Hannah rested her hand on my thigh. She was touching me a lot. That was a good sign.
It was also a good sign that I liked it.
“Not a chance, Mason.” Hannah gave my leg a squeeze. She seemed to be laying it all out there for me. But at the same time I couldn’t help but think that Hannah’s book wasn’t open for me to read. Not yet.
It was a refreshing change. Frustrating, sure. But a challenge I relished.
I made my living by reading situations. Subtext. Hidden clues. So it had always made dating…difficult. When I had time or the inclination to try.
There were a lot of times that I wished I could simply be with someone and not look for all the things they weren’t saying. This was the reason I didn’t do relationships. Because I typically figured out the secrets before a woman could reveal them.
And what was the fun in that?
I looked over at my date and felt a ripple of excitement in my belly. Low. Deep. Shifting and turning and consuming.
I hoped Hannah was going to be a lot of fun.
My stomach rumbled and Hannah laughed. “I take that as our cue to go inside.”
I rubbed a hand over my aching stomach. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten since a muffin at breakfast.”
Hannah grabbed her purse and opened the door. “Well, let’s get you inside and stuff you full of meat.” She smirked. “Why does everything sound like an innuendo?”
Without thinking better of it, I reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair off her face. Her skin was soft. Smooth. Warm to the touch. “Probably because it is,” I said coyly.
What would this pretty woman have to hide, anyway?
“Yeah, it’s mine. I admit it.”
Hannah grinned. “I’m glad you’re proving to be nothing like what I expected.” She turned up the volume.
“Oh yeah? What did you expect me to be like, then?”
She recrossed her legs. Her bare skin was making it difficult to concentrate on the road in front of me. She ran her hands down the length of her thighs, resting them on her knees. “You drive a Lincoln Continental that looks like something a hustler would drive—”
“Now, don’t start insulting ol’ Lucy,” I warned good-naturedly.
A cocked eyebrow. Another husky chuckle. “Ol’ Lucy?”
I patted the steering wheel. “She and I have been through a lot. It seemed only right to give the pretty lady a name. We’ve got to treat her with respect.”
“Why ‘Lucy’?” Her wry smile was contagious.
“Just rolls off the tongue, I think.” I grinned. “Sort of like ‘Hannah.’ ”
I was laying it on a little thick, with an emphasis on the cheese factor, but Hannah seemed to dig it.
She chuckled and shook her head. “What a line. You’re full of those, aren’t you?”
“Just one or two,” I conceded. I waved my hand. “Now come on, I want to hear more about these preconceived expectations you seem to have had about me.”
Hannah ran her tongue along her bottom lip, staring at me intently. It made me restless. I fidgeted in my seat, the heat of her gaze searing me. When Hannah looked at me it felt as though she were penetrating to the bone.
“You have this strict and no-nonsense vibe. Perfectly pressed shirts.” She pulled slightly at my collar, the tips of her fingers grazing the skin of my neck. I was blushing like a goddamned schoolgirl. It was slightly humiliating. Not quite as bad as being exposed as a closet musical lover.
“Your hair is cut short. Not a strand out of place.” She trailed her hand to the back of my head, pressing into the nape. Fucking goosebumps broke out along my arms.
“You walk with your shoulders back. Chin out. Chest puffed just a little. You enter a room like a man who is ready to take charge.”
Her fingers were still on the back of my neck. Their heat scorched my skin. The air was thick inside the car. The smell of her shampoo was making me dizzy. I took a deep breath and licked my dry lips.
Hannah’s thumb circled slowly. So slowly. “I definitely didn’t see a man who sang along to show tunes.” She smirked, dropping her hand back into her lap.
Great. Now I was sporting a raging boner. Think about something else. Kittens. Old ladies. Granny panties.
Anything but wanting to see the woman beside me naked on my bed. My face buried between her—
Yeah, that wasn’t helping.
“What can I say? I love a good tragedy done to song.” My voice was husky. Cracking slightly. I cleared my throat.
Keep your eyes on the road. Nowhere else.
I forced a pained smile. I moved in my seat, trying to hide the visible hard-on in my pants. God, I hoped she didn’t notice.
“In high school I was a drama geek,” I found myself saying. Wow, I wasn’t going to win many cool points this evening. What was wrong with me?
“A drama geek? Really?” Hannah sounded incredulous.
My tall, strong, masculine first impression was going right out the window the more I spoke. “Musicals are a guilty pleasure. I’ve been to see Phantom of the Opera four times. But if you breathe a word I will deny it profusely, and no one would believe you anyway. You know, because of the whole badass-FBI-agent thing I have going on,” I said with a grin.
“I wouldn’t dream of revealing your secret,” Hannah said softly with her own grin.
“You know, it’s only fair that you reveal one of your deep, dark secrets. To make it even,” I remarked, having to speak loudly over the music.
Hannah raised an eyebrow and her eyes danced. “Not yet, Mason. I don’t think you’re ready.”
We laughed together but there was something strained to it. Not easy like before.
The tension became something else.
I cleared my throat again. “You can turn on the radio. Don’t feel you have to listen to this on my account.”
The swelling notes filled the car, and if I’d been alone I would have been belting along. Now I just clumsily tapped my finger in time to the music.
“Actually, I’ve been to see Les Mis three times. I’m a fan.” Hannah cocked her head to the side. “I like that you have a side that no one else gets to see. Like maybe I’m special for figuring it out.”
I turned in to the parking lot of the steak house and tried to find a spot. It was a popular place, so even though it was a Wednesday, pickings were slim.
“I’m glad. I’d hate to run you off before I even park the car,” I remarked.
Hannah rested her hand on my thigh. She was touching me a lot. That was a good sign.
It was also a good sign that I liked it.
“Not a chance, Mason.” Hannah gave my leg a squeeze. She seemed to be laying it all out there for me. But at the same time I couldn’t help but think that Hannah’s book wasn’t open for me to read. Not yet.
It was a refreshing change. Frustrating, sure. But a challenge I relished.
I made my living by reading situations. Subtext. Hidden clues. So it had always made dating…difficult. When I had time or the inclination to try.
There were a lot of times that I wished I could simply be with someone and not look for all the things they weren’t saying. This was the reason I didn’t do relationships. Because I typically figured out the secrets before a woman could reveal them.
And what was the fun in that?
I looked over at my date and felt a ripple of excitement in my belly. Low. Deep. Shifting and turning and consuming.
I hoped Hannah was going to be a lot of fun.
My stomach rumbled and Hannah laughed. “I take that as our cue to go inside.”
I rubbed a hand over my aching stomach. “Sorry. I haven’t eaten since a muffin at breakfast.”
Hannah grabbed her purse and opened the door. “Well, let’s get you inside and stuff you full of meat.” She smirked. “Why does everything sound like an innuendo?”
Without thinking better of it, I reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair off her face. Her skin was soft. Smooth. Warm to the touch. “Probably because it is,” I said coyly.
