estate ventures. Turned out I had a knack for picking lucrative property investments. A lot of it’s research. Knowing your opponent.”
“Your opponent?” She picked up a shell-covered picture frame, put it back.
“That’s how I looked at it, like a game. Know the person or people on the other side. What they want, what they’re willing to do to win. What
you’re
willing to do.” In the last few years he’d been willing to do quite a bit.
She nodded and moved to another shelf. She didn’t mention his money or status. Didn’t drop any hints or fish for invitations. Maybe she didn’t know. He kind of hoped she didn’t. “What about you? Did you always want to do what you do?”
“No.”
A shadow passed through her eyes before she turned away. Quick, but he caught it.
“I always liked kids, thought about being a pediatrician maybe, but then I sort of…”
“Sort of what?”
“I sort of fell into physical therapy. It was a natural fit, then the horses. What about this?” She held up a glass wind chime.
“It’s perfect.” Without saying more, they moved to the checkout. Hannah loved what she did, he’d seen that firsthand. So why didn’t she want to talk about it?
He had it wrapped and they left the store. He’d noticed Hannah’s pace had slowed considerably over the last hour. And more, something about her gait…not quite limping, but he shortened his stride. “That pretzel stand is calling my name. Mind if we break for a quick snack?”
“Sure.”
He grabbed two pretzels and they sat on benches spaced intermittently next to the water. Urns overflowing with tiny pink and purple flowers graced each end. He took a bite, watched her do the same as the ducks begged on the water behind them.
“So, your brothers are pretty protective, huh?”
“They have their reasons, I guess.”
She reached up and slipped a hand into her hair. She had this habit of wrapping the strands around her finger, which he found totally endearing and completely hot.
“Nothing wrong with being protective. My brothers and I weren’t so easy on guys sniffing around our sister.” Well, shit. That didn’t come out right. Sounded like he was sniffing around Hannah. He barely resisted the urge to rake his fingers through his hair. He didn’t get nervous around women. Didn’t feel uncomfortable. Didn’t care enough to. But then she smiled at him like she understood, making everything better.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re just shopping, right?”
He wasn’t sure he liked how that sounded, like none of this mattered.
She turned her back and pinched off a piece, threw it into the water. It wasn’t long before the ducks waddled up the bank to ask for their snack up close and personal.
“Who was that woman you came to the barn with last week?”
He didn’t want to talk about Camila. “No one.”
“Everyone is someone.”
He sighed. “You’re right. Someone I work with.”
“Ouch!” Hannah jerked back.
“What? Did he bite you?”
She shook out her hand, gave a hesitant laugh. “Not really. Sorry. Just scared me.”
“Let me see.” He raised her hand for closer inspection.
“He didn’t mean to.”
It looked okay, but he brought her hand to his lips anyway and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm. Her lips parted and she sucked in a breath. He was going to kiss that mouth and soon. But not yet. He gave her a gentle bite that made her yelp and laugh.
So beautiful and so much more. He was dazzled by it and…for a second he wondered if maybe there could be something for him between not giving a shit and caring too much. Something between meaningless sex and meaning everything.
He kept her hand, liking the way it felt in his, and they made their way over the short bridge to the other side. Large, blinking globes bordered a giant sign on their right announcing today’s feature film, the newest Bond movie.
“I wanted to see that.”
They spoke at the same time and there was an
“Your opponent?” She picked up a shell-covered picture frame, put it back.
“That’s how I looked at it, like a game. Know the person or people on the other side. What they want, what they’re willing to do to win. What
you’re
willing to do.” In the last few years he’d been willing to do quite a bit.
She nodded and moved to another shelf. She didn’t mention his money or status. Didn’t drop any hints or fish for invitations. Maybe she didn’t know. He kind of hoped she didn’t. “What about you? Did you always want to do what you do?”
“No.”
A shadow passed through her eyes before she turned away. Quick, but he caught it.
“I always liked kids, thought about being a pediatrician maybe, but then I sort of…”
“Sort of what?”
“I sort of fell into physical therapy. It was a natural fit, then the horses. What about this?” She held up a glass wind chime.
“It’s perfect.” Without saying more, they moved to the checkout. Hannah loved what she did, he’d seen that firsthand. So why didn’t she want to talk about it?
He had it wrapped and they left the store. He’d noticed Hannah’s pace had slowed considerably over the last hour. And more, something about her gait…not quite limping, but he shortened his stride. “That pretzel stand is calling my name. Mind if we break for a quick snack?”
“Sure.”
He grabbed two pretzels and they sat on benches spaced intermittently next to the water. Urns overflowing with tiny pink and purple flowers graced each end. He took a bite, watched her do the same as the ducks begged on the water behind them.
“So, your brothers are pretty protective, huh?”
“They have their reasons, I guess.”
She reached up and slipped a hand into her hair. She had this habit of wrapping the strands around her finger, which he found totally endearing and completely hot.
“Nothing wrong with being protective. My brothers and I weren’t so easy on guys sniffing around our sister.” Well, shit. That didn’t come out right. Sounded like he was sniffing around Hannah. He barely resisted the urge to rake his fingers through his hair. He didn’t get nervous around women. Didn’t feel uncomfortable. Didn’t care enough to. But then she smiled at him like she understood, making everything better.
“Don’t worry about it. We’re just shopping, right?”
He wasn’t sure he liked how that sounded, like none of this mattered.
She turned her back and pinched off a piece, threw it into the water. It wasn’t long before the ducks waddled up the bank to ask for their snack up close and personal.
“Who was that woman you came to the barn with last week?”
He didn’t want to talk about Camila. “No one.”
“Everyone is someone.”
He sighed. “You’re right. Someone I work with.”
“Ouch!” Hannah jerked back.
“What? Did he bite you?”
She shook out her hand, gave a hesitant laugh. “Not really. Sorry. Just scared me.”
“Let me see.” He raised her hand for closer inspection.
“He didn’t mean to.”
It looked okay, but he brought her hand to his lips anyway and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm. Her lips parted and she sucked in a breath. He was going to kiss that mouth and soon. But not yet. He gave her a gentle bite that made her yelp and laugh.
So beautiful and so much more. He was dazzled by it and…for a second he wondered if maybe there could be something for him between not giving a shit and caring too much. Something between meaningless sex and meaning everything.
He kept her hand, liking the way it felt in his, and they made their way over the short bridge to the other side. Large, blinking globes bordered a giant sign on their right announcing today’s feature film, the newest Bond movie.
“I wanted to see that.”
They spoke at the same time and there was an
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