The ringtone “Hot, Love, Sex” by the Synful blared from Hannah’s pocket. She fumbled for the phone while turning a bright shade of red. Speak of the devil... Hannah finally pulled the phone out, seeing Dominic’s name plastered across the screen. She tried to answer it before Alix saw the name, but failed miserably.
A series of snickers escaped Alix that threatened to become another laughing spree.
Hannah sighed in shame, and stood as she put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hey, girl,” Dominic answered in a deep soothing tone. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“Yours too,” Hannah replied a bit more quickly and huskily than she’d intended. Even through the phone, she felt drawn toward him. A little tickle stirred in her belly. It was excitement, along with some blend of other emotions, but mainly exhilaration at hearing his voice. She wanted to see him, be near him, and touch him. Good God, stop already, she chided herself. Just be cool. “So, when are you coming in?” she asked. If she could have face-palmed herself without Alix seeing, she would have. Real cool, Hannah...
“Next week,” Dominic said, without skipping a beat. “I was hoping that you might pick us up at the airport when we get in?”
“I suppose I could use the van, and possibly have enough room for all of you,” Hannah said. “But someone may have to ride on the roof.”
“Never van surfed before.” Dominic laughed. “Could be fun.”
His laughter was music to Hannah’s ears. “Just let me know the time, and I’ll be there.”
“You’re my hero. Talk to you soon.”
“Bye,” Hannah said softly before hanging up. She took a breath to calm her nerves.
“You’re so owned!” Alix laughed.
“Am not!”
Alix rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You got it bad.” She jabbed a thumb at herself as she lounged across the bench. “I should know. Once it’s in you, there’s no escape.”
Hannah gulped, as a bit of fear crept into her happy place. She was enjoying the newness of a fresh relationship and all, but Alix and Troy had already bonded and were headed for a long-term commitment. She wasn’t ready for that.
“Don’t look so blue,” Alix said, sitting up. “It’s not like anybody died. Just enjoy the ride.” She wagged her brows. “I sure am.”
Dominic watched luggage chug by on the conveyer, as people jockeyed for a better position to grab their bags. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh.
The flight had been a rough one. Washington state to Oklahoma wasn’t a long flight, but the layovers had been a nightmare. Several hours extra at each port had wasted the day, and drained the energy right out of him. A soft bed and a movie sounded pretty good at the moment, but, by the looks of the crowd, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
He’d had to call Hannah three times to reschedule the pickup. Though “had to” wasn’t really the right phrase. He loved the sound of her voice. The eagerness she let slip through every so often when they talked was delightful as much as it was encouraging. No, “had” wasn’t the right word. It was more like pleasure.
Fortunately, Hannah had been patient each time he called, and easily agreed to the changes.
Dominic wasn’t sure how this meet-up with her would go. The one night they had spent together had been just that, one night. He felt connected to her already, which had never happened to him so quickly before. In the past, it had taken him months to feel the level of comfort with a woman that he currently felt with Hannah. Unfortunately, he didn’t think she felt the same. Even though she sounded eager to see him at times, she also seemed to hold back just as often.
There was also the matter of when they touched. It wasn’t normal, and was kind of freaking him out. He felt electrified every time their skin came in contact. It wasn’t a bad thing, really, but it did cause some rather awkward moments with his sex drive. The more he thought about that night, and how Hannah had reacted to their touch, Dominic felt like she was experiencing something similar, even though she had played it off when he had confronted her about it. The morning after, he was so utterly spent that questioning her further on the matter was the last thing on his mind. Her flight had been scheduled early, so any questions he might have had wouldn’t have been answered anyway. The timing was just bad. They said their goodbyes in the lobby of her hotel, and that had been the last time he’d seen her.
Dominic shook his head slowly. I’m such a fool.
“You okay?” Nathan asked, as he walked up beside Dominic. The stocky ex-marine smirked. “’Cause you look like shit.”
Dominic chuckled. “Thanks. I’ll be fine.”
“Want me to get the bags?” Nathan patted Dominic hard on the shoulder. “Wouldn’t want you to strain yourself.”
“You’re a real comedian, ya know that?” Dominic replied, flashing his teeth.
Nathan gave him a nod. “Missed my calling.”
Dominic chuckled. “Undoubtedly.”
His thoughts drifted back to Hannah, as Nathan moseyed through the sea of people to the luggage conveyor. Dominic had other concerns besides her vacillating affections toward him. If she were to find out why he and his group were really here, she probably wouldn’t handle it very well, and possibly not even want to see him again. Don’t waste time worrying about things that haven’t happened...yet.
“Hey, stranger,” Hannah said from behind him.
Dominic turned around in surprise. “Hey!”
Hannah’s dark hair was up in a ponytail that gave her a spry youthfulness. She had a large, light green handbag that could have been a purse, but he wasn’t sure. The bag matched the green, long sleeve shirt that hugged her luxurious curves nicely. Her cheeks flushed, and a shy smile graced her smooth features. Caramel colored eyes looked up at him with a mixture of delight and uncertainty.
The two of them stood in awkward silence until Dominic snapped out of his funk. “It’s so good to see you,” he said, with a thousand times more enthusiasm than he’d intended. He leaned in for a hug.
Hannah stepped into him. “It’s good to see you, too,” she said as they embraced.
Careful not to touch her hair or skin, Dominic lowered his head and took in a deep breath. The scent of jasmine filled his senses, triggering memories of their last meeting. He almost growled with arousal, but released his embrace and stepped back instead. Keep it cool, man.
“If you guys are hungry, I made some muffins.” Hannah reached into her bag, and pulled out what looked like a small walnut covered cake.
Dominic smiled, and took the offered muffin. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Hannah said.
Dominic looked at Hannah questioningly. She wasn’t supposed to meet up with them until they got out into the foyer. Not to mention, he didn’t think it was even legal for her to be in this area unless she had a plane ticket. Dominic laughed. “How did you get back here?”
“I fly a lot. So, I know a few people...”
“Ah,” he said, taking her meaning.
“Where is everyone else?” Hannah asked. “You didn’t scare them off, did you?”
“I’ve tried, but they refuse to get rid of me.” Dominic was glad to see her sense of humor. It was a positive sign that her comfort level was in a good place. “But, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”
“It must be all that charm,” Nancy drawled as she walked up beside them. She was about the same height as Hannah, but a different build. Where Hannah was somewhat curvy, Nancy was on the slim side. Both were attractive, athletic women in their own ways. Nancy had an army-green tote bag over one shoulder, and a heavy black bag trailing behind her. She stuck out a hand. “Good to see you again, Hannah.”
“You, too.” Hannah took Nancy’s offered hand. “How was the flight?”
“A nightmare,” Dominic interjected. “If I never fly that airline again, it’ll be too soon.”
“Such a baby,” Nancy teased. “We’ve been through worse.”
Dominic nodd
ed. “Truth.”
Nancy turned back to Hannah. “Did you ever get to meet the rest of our happy, little tribe?”
“No.” Hannah shook her head. “But I’d like to.”
“Well, it’s your lucky day, then.” Nancy took Hannah by the arm, and dragged her off into the crowd. They moved easily in and out of the milling groups of people to find a tall drip of a man standing near one the many vending machines against the back wall: Kevin. The girls chatted him up a bit then the trio moseyed over to where Nathan waited for their luggage.
Dominic hung back, admiring Hannah’s walk and well-proportioned body. He knew first hand of the smooth skin and toned muscles that lay hidden under her casual attire, and he longed to see them again. Her sure-footed stride and posture gave the impression of a woman that was accustomed to hard work and had forged some strong self-confidence because of it.
A stocky redhead stomped out of the crowd right up to Dominic. Her hair was cropped short in the back like Nathan’s, but was long on top and quite disheveled. Tattoos decorated her bare arms while her exposed midriff had yet to be marked. Army-green pants hugged her muscled legs as she planted fists on her hips. If Nancy and Hannah were athletic, Monica was muscular. She cocked her head sideways. “That the tart that’s gonna help us out?”
Dominic rolled his eyes. “She isn’t a ‘tart’ Monica, but yeah, she’s the one.”
Monica snorted as she eyed Hannah. “You always go for the girl-next-door types. When are you gonna learn, man? What we do doesn’t sit well with her kind.”
“Let me be the judge of that,” Dominic replied sharply. “You just focus on your part, and leave the rest to me.” He wasn’t usually put off by Monica’s attitude, but today her target was someone he wanted to get close to, and, after the flight, he wasn’t in the mood for her bullshit.
Monica shook her head. “Whatever.”
The two of them walked up to the rest of the group once Nathan started pulling bags off of the conveyer. Everyone grabbed their goods and headed for the checkout.
“Hannah, this is Monica,” Dominic introduced as they walked.
“The group’s designated troublemaker,” Nathan teased. Monica punched him in the arm, despite the fact that she was carrying four bags, and then grunted a greeting at Hannah.
“You guys don’t travel light, do you?” Hannah asked, looking at all the luggage.
Monica’s eyes cut toward Dominic, giving him an “I told you she’d be trouble” look.
“Supplies for the demonstration,” Dominic replied. “That, along with Nancy’s wardrobe, pretty much guarantees we’re lugging around about five hundred pounds of stuff at all times.”
“Hey!” Nancy cried. “You’re the one with all the fancy duds.” Laughter sprung up from various members of the group, including Hannah.
The tension in Dominic’s shoulders eased. He was glad to see that his answer had satisfied Hannah’s curiosity. He wasn’t up to the challenge of telling her the truth yet, but he knew at some point it would have come out. For now, he had a job to do. Once that was over, he’d have to come clean.
Hannah hadn’t seen so many people gathered in one place since the seminar in San Antonio. When Dominic had said there was going to be a protest, she’d thought it would be a couple hundred people at most, not several thousand.
Dongle Tower was surrounded by a multicolored sea of protesters. All of them were either chanting, waving signs, or blowing air horns at the metal and glass monstrosity. Police and security blanketed the sidewalks next to the building, preventing anyone without clearance from entering. How their relatively small numbers were able to hold back so many people was astonishing. Guns and authority, Hannah thought as she eyed the holstered weapons of several officers nearby.
“What do you think?” Dominic asked, or more like yelled.
“It’s amazing,” Hannah answered. “I didn’t think there’d be such a massive turnout.”
Dominic shrugged. “People with a cause, plus a little social media, can do some awesome things.”
Hannah laughed. “No doubts here.”
“Thanks for the lift by the way,” Dominic said. “Not having to rent a car was a lifesaver.”
“No problem. Although finding a place to park was rather challenging.” She chuckled. “Getting out of here is going to be fun, too.” They had had to park about five blocks away, which was a pretty decent clip when toting a thirty-pound bag on your shoulder. Everyone had carried one, except Monica and Nathan. They had carried two.
“Sorry about that,” Dominic said. “I’ll have to make this up to you.”
She frowned playfully. “I suppose you do owe me.” She’d put a little more sultriness into her words than she had intended, but found that she couldn’t help herself.
His deep laugh was sexy and full of attitude. “Yes, I do.”
“Really, it’s not a problem,” Hannah said, backpedaling, not wanting him to feel obligated. “I’m glad to do it. I want to help.” She felt like a flighty teenager again, and decided that it must be his sexy, chiseled features that kept making her act like a complete dingbat.
“Oh, no, I repay my debts,” he replied with a smile. “You’re not getting off that easily.”
“That’s funny. I was hoping I would.” Hannah flushed the instant the words came out of her mouth, but she didn’t look away. Part of her meant what she said, and wanted to express how she felt. The other part of her was screaming to run and hide.
Dominic’s brows rose, and a devilish grin made its way across his face. “Point taken.”
“Sorry.” Hannah closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m just really in an odd place at the moment.”
“I get that,” Dominic said. “Me too.”
Relief washed over Hannah. At least they were on the same page with the awkwardness part of their blossoming relationship—if that’s what this was turning into. The conflict within her was still very much present, but now she didn’t feel alone in her turmoil. Dominic appeared to have his own conflicts as well, which could be a good thing, unless the trouble he was having was her.
The rest of the day went by without incident. The group had split up to cover the other sides of the building in hopes of meeting more people—and meet people they did. Hannah’s pockets were filled with business cards and slips of paper containing contact information scrawled on them. The event had been a good experience, but, by the time the sun started to set, her feet were barking at her, and she was ready to call it a day.
“Where is everybody?” Hannah whined, playfully hanging on Dominic’s shoulder. “I wanna go home.”
Dominic chuckled. “Now now, dear. We have to wait for the others.”
Hannah gave him a flat look. “Your ‘people’ are painfully slow.”
“Tell me about.” Dominic scanned the dispersing crowd. “I’d fire the whole lot of them, but no one else will work with me.”
“That’s odd. You seem charming enough,” Hannah purred. “Are you a cheapskate?”
Dominic frowned. “Well... yeah, maybe a little.”
“That’s it, then,” Hannah said. “Raises for everyone!”
“I like the sound of that,” Nathan answered. He strolled up with Monica trailing slightly behind. Sweat rings darkened their shirts while beads of moisture covered their foreheads from exertion. The two bags that each of them carried looked bigger than when they’d started out this morning.
“Yikes, you guys look like you’ve been in a marathon,” Hannah commented.
“If only,” Monica grumbled. “These people are animals.”
“The only animal around here is you, Monica,” Kevin snarked, as he and Nancy approached from the opposite direction. They didn’t look much better than Nathan and Monica—covered in sweat and looks of exhaustion.
“Shut yer hole before I have Nathan fill it with something,” Monica snarled.
Hannah thought the aggressive redhead was joking, but she wasn’t entirely sure.
&nb
sp; Kevin laughed, regardless. “Whatever, sweetness.”
Dominic grabbed a bag from Monica. “Lets load up and get going,” he ordered. The tone in his voice had an anxious air to it, but everyone seemed a bit on edge and more than ready to go.
Hannah pulled out her keys and rattled them. “Hannah Ward’s taxi service ready and waiting.”
“Thank God,” Nancy blurted. “You’re a lifesaver.”
“Funny. That’s the second time I’ve been told that today.” Hannah eyed Dominic as she started off in the direction the van was parked. “Looks like I’m gonna have favors to spare.”
The group got a laugh out of that, and razzed Dominic all the way to the parking lot. As Hannah had predicted, getting out of the downtown area was nothing short of a nightmare. Cars jammed up every intersection for ten blocks in all directions.
“Do you have any of those muffins?” Nathan asked from the backseat.
“Sorry, Nathan, I don’t,” Hannah replied over her shoulder, pleased that he’d asked.
“He doesn’t need them anyway,” Monica said. “He’s too fat.”
Everyone laughed, even Nathan. “You should learn to cook like her,” he retorted. “It’d help compensate for that nasty attitude of yours.”
“You love my attitude. And you love these…” Monica grabbed her breasts. “So, be quiet if you want to see either of them again.”
Dominic sighed, and looked over at Hannah. “See what I have to deal with? You just can’t find good help these days.”
The car erupted in boos and jibes, but Dominic handled it as he did most things: with a smile. Eventually, the roads cleared and arrival at their destination was achieved. Everyone cleared out of the van, thanking Hannah as they exited.
Dominic lingered a bit after the last of his posse disappeared into the lobby of the hotel. “I didn’t burn you out of doing something like this again, did I?”
Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2) Page 5
