don’t smell anything.” He sniffed a few more times, trying to figure out what she was referring to.
Hannah giggled. “Stop,” she said with a smile. “I wanted you to smell spring.” He looked completely puzzled, judging from the way his head cocked to the side. “Close your eyes,” she urged. He took a step back. She shook her head and laughed some more.
He found the sound of her laughter to be therapeutic and intoxicating. She was so free with her emotions in a way he never was. She could transition from them so quickly and embrace them. She was so unlike him. She never seemed afraid of being silly or making a complete and utter fool of herself. It was endearing, really. Naturally, the same couldn’t 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. Still 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.”
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.” Yet her tone was completely mocking. She took another step closer. She was so close 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 you wouldn’t expect more of me than I could give, and 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 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 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?” His voice was hoarse.
“Why did I what?” She spoke quietly, as if afraid to break the spell. He wasn’t answering. She stared up at his face, barely visible in the limited light. “I saw something in you,” she admitted. “I saw someone who might 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. 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 didn’t have feelings for her. He would fight them. To prove it to himself, he bent his head to her face.
***
Hannah hesitated. She had seen the look come over him, had watched him do the 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. 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
Hannah giggled. “Stop,” she said with a smile. “I wanted you to smell spring.” He looked completely puzzled, judging from the way his head cocked to the side. “Close your eyes,” she urged. He took a step back. She shook her head and laughed some more.
He found the sound of her laughter to be therapeutic and intoxicating. She was so free with her emotions in a way he never was. She could transition from them so quickly and embrace them. She was so unlike him. She never seemed afraid of being silly or making a complete and utter fool of herself. It was endearing, really. Naturally, the same couldn’t 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. Still 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.”
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.” Yet her tone was completely mocking. She took another step closer. She was so close 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 you wouldn’t expect more of me than I could give, and 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 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 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?” His voice was hoarse.
“Why did I what?” She spoke quietly, as if afraid to break the spell. He wasn’t answering. She stared up at his face, barely visible in the limited light. “I saw something in you,” she admitted. “I saw someone who might 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. 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 didn’t have feelings for her. He would fight them. To prove it to himself, he bent his head to her face.
***
Hannah hesitated. She had seen the look come over him, had watched him do the 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. 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
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