being silly or making a complete and utter fool of herself. It was endearing, really. Naturally, the same could not be said for himself. The moment she asked him to close his eyes, he worried about what she was asking of him, worried she’d ridicule him, even though they were alone. And so he hesitated.
“Nope,” Hannah took a step closer, slowly, as though he were a wild beast to be tamed. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”
And if Gavin had felt slightly concerned and foolish before, being handled with kid gloves completely irked him. He bristled. “I’m not…afraid.”
She smirked. “I never would suggest it.” And yet her tone was completely mocking. She took another step closer. She was so close that he could feel the heat of her body radiating towards him. It left him feeling…hell, what did naming the feeling matter? How long had it been since he had felt at all. “Just trust me, Gavin,” she murmured.
He swallowed. He wanted to trust her. It went against everything he intended, but something in him wanted to bend to her, just a little.
“I’ve had to place my trust in you,” she said quietly. “I have entrusted you with my entire life, with everything I hold dear. I moved in here, barely knowing you, hoping that you wouldn’t expect more of me than I could give, that I wouldn’t be trapping myself in a worse existence than I currently had. I had to expose my children to you, uproot my entire life, and maintain a level of secrecy from my friends and family so that you could maintain your pride and privacy.”
His heart rose up in his throat as he considered all the changes she had just endured. All that she had said rang of a deeper truth than he cared to ponder. He swallowed, feeling a measure of guilt, knowing what he intended. “Why did you?” He asked hoarsely.
“Why did I what?” She asked in a low voice, afraid to break the spell. He wasn’t answering. She stared up at his face, barely discernable in the limited light. “I saw something in you,” she admitted. “I saw someone who might just be hurting as much as I was, someone who might understand me, and who might benefit from having us here.” She looked down suddenly, embarrassed about her honesty.
“You trust me,” he acknowledged hoarsely. And then, before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her close against him. He could feel how rapidly her heart was thumping against her chest and wondered if he had the power to make it go even faster. She was gazing at him in wonder. It was more than he could take. He did not have feelings for her. He would fight them. And just to prove it to himself, he bent his head to her face.
Hannah hesitated. She had seen that look come over him, had watched him do that thing where the guy studied the girl’s lips to measure the distance, the last step before giving in to temptation and actually possessing them. And she couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it would be like. She hadn’t been kissed in oh so long. Brett had stopped kissing her long before he ever left. Even when he did kiss her, she felt nothing. Maybe he didn’t either. Maybe that’s why they were getting divorced. Maybe she really wasn’t desirable. She wanted to be wrong. She saw how Gavin was looking at her. She felt desired. Despite the wrongness of it, she wanted to know how it would feel to be good and kissed. She wanted a taste of passion. Just a small taste. More of a nibble, really.
Gavin’s lips closed the distance to hers. She could feel the heat of him drawing nearer, a prickle of anticipation grew, and there was a ripple down her spine. She had never felt like this before and he hadn’t even made contact. Her body was actually quivering in anticipation. He must have thought she was cold since he drew her even closer, so that not even a hint of
“Nope,” Hannah took a step closer, slowly, as though he were a wild beast to be tamed. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”
And if Gavin had felt slightly concerned and foolish before, being handled with kid gloves completely irked him. He bristled. “I’m not…afraid.”
She smirked. “I never would suggest it.” And yet her tone was completely mocking. She took another step closer. She was so close that he could feel the heat of her body radiating towards him. It left him feeling…hell, what did naming the feeling matter? How long had it been since he had felt at all. “Just trust me, Gavin,” she murmured.
He swallowed. He wanted to trust her. It went against everything he intended, but something in him wanted to bend to her, just a little.
“I’ve had to place my trust in you,” she said quietly. “I have entrusted you with my entire life, with everything I hold dear. I moved in here, barely knowing you, hoping that you wouldn’t expect more of me than I could give, that I wouldn’t be trapping myself in a worse existence than I currently had. I had to expose my children to you, uproot my entire life, and maintain a level of secrecy from my friends and family so that you could maintain your pride and privacy.”
His heart rose up in his throat as he considered all the changes she had just endured. All that she had said rang of a deeper truth than he cared to ponder. He swallowed, feeling a measure of guilt, knowing what he intended. “Why did you?” He asked hoarsely.
“Why did I what?” She asked in a low voice, afraid to break the spell. He wasn’t answering. She stared up at his face, barely discernable in the limited light. “I saw something in you,” she admitted. “I saw someone who might just be hurting as much as I was, someone who might understand me, and who might benefit from having us here.” She looked down suddenly, embarrassed about her honesty.
“You trust me,” he acknowledged hoarsely. And then, before he knew what he was doing, he pulled her close against him. He could feel how rapidly her heart was thumping against her chest and wondered if he had the power to make it go even faster. She was gazing at him in wonder. It was more than he could take. He did not have feelings for her. He would fight them. And just to prove it to himself, he bent his head to her face.
Hannah hesitated. She had seen that look come over him, had watched him do that thing where the guy studied the girl’s lips to measure the distance, the last step before giving in to temptation and actually possessing them. And she couldn’t help but wonder for a moment what it would be like. She hadn’t been kissed in oh so long. Brett had stopped kissing her long before he ever left. Even when he did kiss her, she felt nothing. Maybe he didn’t either. Maybe that’s why they were getting divorced. Maybe she really wasn’t desirable. She wanted to be wrong. She saw how Gavin was looking at her. She felt desired. Despite the wrongness of it, she wanted to know how it would feel to be good and kissed. She wanted a taste of passion. Just a small taste. More of a nibble, really.
Gavin’s lips closed the distance to hers. She could feel the heat of him drawing nearer, a prickle of anticipation grew, and there was a ripple down her spine. She had never felt like this before and he hadn’t even made contact. Her body was actually quivering in anticipation. He must have thought she was cold since he drew her even closer, so that not even a hint of
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