Exploited
Page 74
“Hannah has always been a bit of a crusader. Particularly after her father died. She would protest corporations she thought were corrupt. She went on and on about corporate greed. When Stanford Pharmaceuticals upped the cost of Charlotte’s medicine, she wanted to go after them too.”
I barely heard what Mrs. Whelan was saying after that.
My ears buzzed, my brain going a million miles a minute. Ryan Law. Stanford Pharmaceuticals.
I was looking for ghosts. I had to stop seeing them everywhere.
I glanced over at Hannah again. She had gotten up on the bed with Charlotte, cuddling into her side. She must have felt my eyes on her because she looked my way. Her smile was so sweet. So full of affection. All for me.
That was real.
That was what I had to focus on.
Lies. Lies. Lies.
They were there, wanting for me to acknowledge them.
“I’m so glad she’s found someone who makes her happy. Hannah needs it. She’s had a rough time,” Mrs. Whelan was saying, watching her girls.
“I’m glad she found me too,” I said.
I cared about her.
Hannah Whelan.
That was what mattered.
Right?
—
“Thank you for coming with me. Even with my mother there, it was a nice evening,” Hannah said once we were back in the car. She was in a good mood. I was trying not to let my suspicion ruin our evening.
Even if I worried she was a liar.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“Are you okay?” Hannah asked, picking up on my silence.
I put my hand on the back of her neck, my fingers sliding up into her hair. “I’m great. It was a nice evening. Your sister is amazing. And your mom isn’t so bad. A little nosy, but what mother isn’t?”
I massaged the back of her head, loving the way she practically purred at my touch.
Forget about the other stuff.
“I don’t know about Mom, but Charlotte is wonderful.” Hannah sighed as I pressed into the tight muscles of her neck. She turned the car onto her street, driving slowly.
“And you’re a wonderful sister,” I told her. Hannah pulled into her driveway and killed the engine. It was dark out and she had forgotten to leave a light on outside. The air was heavy inside the car for many different reasons.
Hannah shifted so that she faced me. She reached for me and I went willingly. Our lips met and I could still taste the pizza on her tongue.
“Sometimes I think I could be something so much better. That Charlotte deserves more than I can give her,” Hannah whispered against my mouth.
I deepened our kiss. I wouldn’t think about deceit and strange connections. I would only think about Hannah and what I wanted to do to her.
My hand slipped up her shirt, finding smooth skin. My fingers danced along her ribs, tracing the edge of her bra. I couldn’t wait to get her back to my place.
But she lies. About her job. About her sister. What else isn’t she being honest about?
No!
Stop it!
I kissed her harder. Urgently. I needed her to drown out the voice.
To murder it completely.
I was happy with Hannah.
So happy…
“Why did you tell me Charlotte was a gymnast?” I found myself asking her. I hadn’t meant to question her again, but the accusation bubbled up without my being able to stop it.
Hannah pulled back, her face carefully neutral. “I told you I don’t remember saying that.” She took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car.
I followed her up to the front door and watched as she fumbled with the lock. I noticed her hands were shaking. What was wrong with her?
“I’m pretty sure you did. It was the night we were talking about Dillon. You said she was a really great gymnast,” I continued, following her into the house once she got the door open.
Hannah’s shoulders were rigid and she wasn’t looking at me. “It must have been a slip. Sorry if you felt I was lying to you.”
She didn’t sound sorry. Actually she didn’t sound like anything at all. Unemotional.
“I didn’t know you and your mother had tried to sue the city after the accident and that Ryan Law represented them. They turned out to be a pretty shady firm,” I went on.
Hannah stood in the foyer, unmoving. “Yeah, well, why would I bring that up? It’s not really important, is it?” She sounded as if she were choking.
On all the lies?
“You tell me,” I prompted.
“What are you getting at, Mason?” she said tiredly, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. “I thought we had a nice evening.”
“We did.” I sighed. Why couldn’t I let it go? “I guess I’m just being paranoid again.”
“You’re looking for the worst again.” She wasn’t unemotional now. Now she seemed sad.
I took her hands, feeling the way they trembled in mine. I hated myself for not letting it go.
Would I hate myself if I did?
“I’m sorry. I told you I wouldn’t do this, yet here I am.”
Hannah wouldn’t look at me. “Maybe you should go, then. I don’t want you to second-guess me the whole time we’re together. I made a mistake lying about my job. I feel like a total jerk. I don’t remember saying that Charlotte was a gymnast. If I did, I’m sorry. It was a lapse made by a woman trying to protect her heart.”
Her chin drooped and she looked defeated. I didn’t want to be the man responsible for making her feel that way. Because I only wanted her smile. Her laugh. Not her tears and heartache.
I wouldn’t do that to Hannah. Not when I was falling for her.
I wrapped her in my arms, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m sorry, Hannah. I’m not being fair to you. I don’t want to leave. I want to be here. With you.”
But do you trust her?
Yes, I did.
I had to.
I couldn’t give my heart to a woman I didn’t trust. And Hannah was slowly taking mine.
I saw in Hannah the pain and grief that resonated inside me. I also saw a warrior. A woman who refused to be destroyed by defeat and misery. She had lost her father and almost lost her sister, but she fought on.
She was kind and careful.
Secretive but learning to share her life.
When I didn’t think it was possible for me to have a real relationship with anyone, she had blown in and changed that.
Hannah rested her forehead against the hollow of my throat. “God help you, Mason.”
I barely heard what Mrs. Whelan was saying after that.
My ears buzzed, my brain going a million miles a minute. Ryan Law. Stanford Pharmaceuticals.
I was looking for ghosts. I had to stop seeing them everywhere.
I glanced over at Hannah again. She had gotten up on the bed with Charlotte, cuddling into her side. She must have felt my eyes on her because she looked my way. Her smile was so sweet. So full of affection. All for me.
That was real.
That was what I had to focus on.
Lies. Lies. Lies.
They were there, wanting for me to acknowledge them.
“I’m so glad she’s found someone who makes her happy. Hannah needs it. She’s had a rough time,” Mrs. Whelan was saying, watching her girls.
“I’m glad she found me too,” I said.
I cared about her.
Hannah Whelan.
That was what mattered.
Right?
—
“Thank you for coming with me. Even with my mother there, it was a nice evening,” Hannah said once we were back in the car. She was in a good mood. I was trying not to let my suspicion ruin our evening.
Even if I worried she was a liar.
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
“Are you okay?” Hannah asked, picking up on my silence.
I put my hand on the back of her neck, my fingers sliding up into her hair. “I’m great. It was a nice evening. Your sister is amazing. And your mom isn’t so bad. A little nosy, but what mother isn’t?”
I massaged the back of her head, loving the way she practically purred at my touch.
Forget about the other stuff.
“I don’t know about Mom, but Charlotte is wonderful.” Hannah sighed as I pressed into the tight muscles of her neck. She turned the car onto her street, driving slowly.
“And you’re a wonderful sister,” I told her. Hannah pulled into her driveway and killed the engine. It was dark out and she had forgotten to leave a light on outside. The air was heavy inside the car for many different reasons.
Hannah shifted so that she faced me. She reached for me and I went willingly. Our lips met and I could still taste the pizza on her tongue.
“Sometimes I think I could be something so much better. That Charlotte deserves more than I can give her,” Hannah whispered against my mouth.
I deepened our kiss. I wouldn’t think about deceit and strange connections. I would only think about Hannah and what I wanted to do to her.
My hand slipped up her shirt, finding smooth skin. My fingers danced along her ribs, tracing the edge of her bra. I couldn’t wait to get her back to my place.
But she lies. About her job. About her sister. What else isn’t she being honest about?
No!
Stop it!
I kissed her harder. Urgently. I needed her to drown out the voice.
To murder it completely.
I was happy with Hannah.
So happy…
“Why did you tell me Charlotte was a gymnast?” I found myself asking her. I hadn’t meant to question her again, but the accusation bubbled up without my being able to stop it.
Hannah pulled back, her face carefully neutral. “I told you I don’t remember saying that.” She took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car.
I followed her up to the front door and watched as she fumbled with the lock. I noticed her hands were shaking. What was wrong with her?
“I’m pretty sure you did. It was the night we were talking about Dillon. You said she was a really great gymnast,” I continued, following her into the house once she got the door open.
Hannah’s shoulders were rigid and she wasn’t looking at me. “It must have been a slip. Sorry if you felt I was lying to you.”
She didn’t sound sorry. Actually she didn’t sound like anything at all. Unemotional.
“I didn’t know you and your mother had tried to sue the city after the accident and that Ryan Law represented them. They turned out to be a pretty shady firm,” I went on.
Hannah stood in the foyer, unmoving. “Yeah, well, why would I bring that up? It’s not really important, is it?” She sounded as if she were choking.
On all the lies?
“You tell me,” I prompted.
“What are you getting at, Mason?” she said tiredly, rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. “I thought we had a nice evening.”
“We did.” I sighed. Why couldn’t I let it go? “I guess I’m just being paranoid again.”
“You’re looking for the worst again.” She wasn’t unemotional now. Now she seemed sad.
I took her hands, feeling the way they trembled in mine. I hated myself for not letting it go.
Would I hate myself if I did?
“I’m sorry. I told you I wouldn’t do this, yet here I am.”
Hannah wouldn’t look at me. “Maybe you should go, then. I don’t want you to second-guess me the whole time we’re together. I made a mistake lying about my job. I feel like a total jerk. I don’t remember saying that Charlotte was a gymnast. If I did, I’m sorry. It was a lapse made by a woman trying to protect her heart.”
Her chin drooped and she looked defeated. I didn’t want to be the man responsible for making her feel that way. Because I only wanted her smile. Her laugh. Not her tears and heartache.
I wouldn’t do that to Hannah. Not when I was falling for her.
I wrapped her in my arms, kissing the top of her head.
“I’m sorry, Hannah. I’m not being fair to you. I don’t want to leave. I want to be here. With you.”
But do you trust her?
Yes, I did.
I had to.
I couldn’t give my heart to a woman I didn’t trust. And Hannah was slowly taking mine.
I saw in Hannah the pain and grief that resonated inside me. I also saw a warrior. A woman who refused to be destroyed by defeat and misery. She had lost her father and almost lost her sister, but she fought on.
She was kind and careful.
Secretive but learning to share her life.
When I didn’t think it was possible for me to have a real relationship with anyone, she had blown in and changed that.
Hannah rested her forehead against the hollow of my throat. “God help you, Mason.”
