I rolled my eyes. “Look, I’ve come to realize that my reputation isn’t nearly important as I once thought,” I said, glancing over at Hanna as I spoke. “Other things in life are much more important.”
I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I saw the faint hint of a flush on Hanna’s cheeks as I spoke.
As Patterson showed us out of the police station, I put an arm around Hanna’s shoulders.
“I’ll wait for you at the hospital,” I promised. “I won’t go home – I won’t even go out for a meal.”
Hanna didn’t reply. She tried to pull away but I held her closer, pulling her shoulder into the crook of my arm.
“Hanna,” I said slowly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Hanna swallowed. She stopped dead in her tracks, ignoring the icy chill of the Boston winds. When she looked at me, her chin was shaking and there were obvious tears in her green eyes.
“I can’t do this,” she said. She shook her head and bit her lip. “I’m sorry, James, but I can’t.”
I frowned and reached for her hand but she pulled away. “What are you talking about?”
Hanna gestured frantically between herself and me.
“I can’t…I can’t just act like everything’s normal between us,” Hanna cried loudly. Her voice broke with emotion and I watched as hot tears began to stream down her face. “I can’t pretend anymore, James. I loved you, and you broke my heart, and I don’t need your pity!” Her cheeks were bright red as she started yanking at the new scarf and coat that I’d bought for her. “And I don’t need your clothes, and I don’t need your money, and I don’t need any of this useless shit!”
“Hanna, please,” I begged, stepping closer. “Please, take a deep breath and calm down, okay? Can you please try to do that for me?”
Hanna looked angry and vulnerable all at once. Her hair was whipping wildly around her face in mad tangles and she was biting on her lip so hard that I saw blood appear on her pink flesh.
“No,” Hanna said. “And I don’t care if you feel guilty for breaking my heart – you should feel bad, because that was an asshole thing to do – but you can’t take it out on me just to make yourself feel better!”
The words hit me like a ton of bricks. I stopped dead in my tracks, staring at Hanna.
“What?” Hanna asked. She laughed nervously. “Now what, let me guess? You’re going to tell me you don’t even care about that?”
“No,” I said softly, stepping forward and reaching for her hand. Again, Hanna stepped back and tried to pull away but I was faster. I wrapped my fingers around her gloved hand and drew her to my body, pressing my chest against her small abdomen. Beneath her skin and ribs, I could feel her heart beating like a butterfly’s wings, even through the heavy layers of clothing she wore.
“What are you doing,” Hanna cried. “Let me go!”
I stared into her green eyes. “Hanna, I love you, and I think I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you,” I said hotly. “You’re not like any other woman I’ve ever met, and I would never hurt you.”
Hanna’s chin crumpled and she burst into hot tears, burying her face in my neck. I could feel her sniffling and breathing wetly against my skin and I wrapped my arms around her small body, pulling her close.
“Then why did you hurt me,” Hanna whispered. “James, if you love me so much – why did you hurt me?”
I pulled away and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring into her bright green eyes until I felt myself begin to tear up.
“Don’t you get it?” I asked her quietly. “Hanna, I had to – I didn’t have a choice! As soon as I realized that creep – Jessie – was taking pictures of you, too, I knew I had to break up with you in order to keep you safe!”
Hanna stared at me in disbelief.
“It’s true,” I said. “I’ve been miserable, I’ve never felt so bad in my life. All I can do is think about you, Hanna, and how much I love you and how much I want to make things right. Please, please – forgive me. Or at least, give me the chance to prove how much I love you. Hanna, if you can do that, it would make me the happiest man on earth.”
A single tear rolled down Hanna’s cheek. This time, when I went to brush it away, she didn’t pull back.
“I mean it,” I said. “I swear to god, Hanna, I’ll never fuck up like that again. And I swear, no one will ever, ever hurt you.”
Hanna melted against my body. She put her arms around my neck and sighed softly, then stood up on tiptoe and pressed her lips to mine. Despite the freezing temperatures and Hanna’s dry lips, it was the best kiss I’d ever experienced. Love and passion swirled through my body as we stood there together on that Boston street, kissing as if we were the only two people left alive in the world.
I knew then, deep down, that no matter what happened between Hanna and me, everything would be okay. We’d been through so much together – from crazy, life-changing love, to horrifically scary incidents that most people would never have to deal with. But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Hanna and I were together, and we’d stay together for the rest of my life.
Hanna pulled away, licking her lips. She was still shivering, although her tears had dried and her eyes had regained some of her sparkle and strength.
“I love you,” I said softly, reaching for her hand and lacing my fingers with her own. “And I always will.”
“Oh, James,” Hanna said softly. “I love you, too.”
Epilogue
Hanna
Six Months Later
“Welcome home, Miss Hanna,” Anna said. She smiled. “And hello, Danielle – how nice to see you again!”
Danielle elbowed me in the ribs. “What,” she whispered. “I don’t get a ‘Miss’?”
I snorted. “Thank you, Anna,” I said kindly. “We’re just dropping a few things off. Is James home?”
Anna shook her head. “No, Mr. James called to say that he’ll be running late this afternoon,” she said. “He asked me to put together some dinner and leave it in the refrigerator for you, but I haven’t started yet. What are you in the mood for?”
I turned to Danielle. “Pizza?”
“Pizza,” Danielle confirmed, nodding her head.
“Thank you, Anna, but you don’t have to worry about putting anything together this evening,” I said. “I think Danielle and I are going to go out shopping, and we’ll bring some pizza back home with us.”
Anna nodded. “I see,” she said. “Would you like me to call Mr. James?”
I shook my head and grinned. “No,” I said. “I’ll surprise him later.”
I watched as the cheerful, portly housekeeper bustled around the large kitchen I now shared with James, tucking a few glasses into cabinets and removing her apron.
“It’s okay,” I told Danielle. “We can just put our stuff down and leave.” I yawned, rubbing both eyes with my hands. “I’m exhausted.”
“We don’t have to go out shopping,” Danielle said. “I mean, I’m fine with staying here.” She glanced enviously around my living room. “I swear, you guys have the comfiest couches I’ve ever sat on before.”
I laughed. “No, we should go – I want to surprise James.” I leaned in close. “It’s our six-month anniversary, and I think he probably forgot.”
Danielle rolled her eyes. “You guys,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re going to make me throw up – you’re too cute, I can’t stand it.”
“Wait just a second,” I called over my shoulder as I set my purse down on the couch. “I’ll be right out.”
Darting into the bedroom, I changed into a light spring dress that showed my still-pale legs. It was a warm summer, especially for Boston, and I wanted to make sure I was in something that made it easy to get in and out of my clothing. James had been so busy with work lately that I felt like I hadn’t really spent any decent time with him in weeks, and I was eager to surprise him with something silky, satiny, and very, very sexy.
“Come on,” I to
ld Danielle once I was back in the living room. “We should really get going. I want to leave before James comes back.”
Danielle followed me out of the condo and waited patiently while I made sure the door was locked. We took the elevator downstairs and then began walking across the Boston Public Garden. The weather was sunny and bright, and the small pond was filled with tourists and locals alike, all smiling and laughing as they paddled swan boats across the water. Normally, I’d stop and watch for a few moments. Being so close to Boston Public Garden was one of the best things about living in James’s condo...aside from living with James, that is.
I stepped inside a luxury lingerie shop and glanced around at all of the intimidating pieces of underwear. There were panties and bras and corsets and things I couldn’t even recognize.
“I don’t know that I can do this,” I said under my breath. “This all seems kind of over the top, don’t you think?”
Danielle laughed. “Isn’t that the point, though?” She raised an eyebrow with me. “You want to surprise him…go all out!”
Before I could argue with her, Danielle shoved me into a dressing room with an armful of silky clothes – if you could even call them that. I reluctantly slipped out of my sundress and held a teal silk corset up to my naked body.
“I really don’t know about this,” I called. “It doesn’t feel like me!”
“Don’t be boring,” was Danielle’s reply. “Step out of your skin for once!”
Blushing furiously, I squirmed my way into the corset, as well as a matching garter belt and crotch-less panties. I felt ridiculous wearing the panties over my regular cotton bikini briefs, and I wondered if somehow I’d feel even weirder without them. But when I looked in the mirror, I was astonished. I didn’t recognize Hanna Parker – instead, I looked like some kind of sexy temptress, or a girl on the cover of a pin-up calendar.
“Well?” Danielle yelled. “How’s it going?”
I flushed as I ran my hands over my body, cupping my breasts. The corset pushed them up and together, so for once I had magnificent cleavage. And I had to admit the feeling of silk rubbing against my body made me feel sexy in a way that I’d never experienced before.
“Okay,” I called back, summoning every ounce of courage that I had in my body. “I like this stuff!”
“Try something else on,” Danielle called back. “You have so many options!”
I flushed, but obediently stripped out of the corset and garter belt before pulling on a sheer negligee. Compared to what I’d just been wearing, it felt almost tame. The idea of wearing any of this stuff around James was enough to make me feel like fainting with anxiety, but I grinned when I realized I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.
He’s really going to flip out, I thought, my heart racing as I gathered everything in my arms and pulled my sundress back over my head. He’s not going to believe it!
I was still blushing by the time I paid for all of my new lingerie, but as I walked out of the shop with Danielle at my side, I felt confident and happy.
“So,” Danielle asked with a smirk. “Pizza?”
I glanced down at the bag in my arms, then giggled. “I don’t know,” I said. “What if I don’t fit in this stuff afterwards?”
Danielle laughed. “Trust me,” she said, reaching out and touching my waist. “I think you’ll be fine.”
Danielle and I stopped by our favorite pizza place in the city and got an extra-large cheese with pepperoni before heading back to my condo. We settled down in the living room, put on reruns of bad reality TV, and gossiped as we ate. It almost felt like old times again, back in our old apartment.
Around nine-thirty, Danielle yawned. “I should be getting home,” she said. “I’ve got work in the morning,”
I frowned and checked my watch. “James is really running late,” I said, glancing down at the pizza box. “We should save him some.”
Danielle got to her feet and stretched. She leaned in and gave me a one-armed hug before taking her purse and sauntering out the door. Just as she was leaving, she turned around and smirked.
“Say, James doesn’t have a brother or anything, does he?”
I grinned. “He’s got two,” I said.
“See if you can hook me up with one of them,” Danielle said with a sly expression. “Because damn, girl, I am so sick of being single!”
As soon as Danielle was gone, I put the rest of the pizza in the fridge for James, then jumped into the shower. I was sure by the time that I emerged from the hot spray of water, James would be sitting on the couch, waiting for me. But I came out of the shower to find an empty living room…and no messages or texts on my phone.
I frowned as I pulled on one of my new things – a bright blue silk teddy, with a matching blue garter and crotch-less panties. Wearing the slippery fabric made me feel sexy, and I felt a sudden burst of longing as I waited for James. I’ll just lie down for a minute, I thought as I crawled into bed and pulled the sheets over my freshly-shaven legs. I’m sure I’ll wake up by the time James gets home. In a matter of seconds, I fell in a deep, heavy sleep.
Crash!
I bolted up in bed, rubbing my eyes. Outside, it was completely dark and I could see a slight breeze ruffling the trees. My heart started to pound as I realized that the sound had come from the kitchen. As quietly as I could, I slipped out of bed and got to my feet, holding my breath as I tiptoed down the hallway.
James was standing in front of the open fridge, a slice of cold pizza in his hand, shirtless. His muscles gleamed in the dim lighting of the kitchen and he didn’t notice me as he took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. The sight of his jaw muscles twitching was enough to make my nipples go hard, and suddenly I realized I wanted him desperately.
“Hey,” I said softly.
James turned around. When he saw me, he did a double-take. “God, you are so gorgeous,” he said, dropping the slice of pizza on the floor and pulling me closer. His bare skin brushed against my silky teddy and I blushed hotly as James cupped my chin with his fingers and turned my mouth up to kiss him. As James slipped his tongue in my mouth, I moaned softly and closed my eyes. He tangled his hands through my hair and yanked my head back, exposing my neck and nibbling his way down to my breasts.
James dropped to his knees on the kitchen floor and pressed his face to my belly, kissing and licking my flesh through the thin silk material. It felt heavenly and I moaned again as I felt my clit harden. I grew moist between the legs and James slipped his hand into the crotch of my teddy, thumbing my hard clit until I was gasping and shaking with pleasure. When he slipped a finger inside of me, I shivered. I tangled my hands in his unruly hair and pushed my crotch forward, grinding my wet pussy against his face until James’s mouth was buried inside of me. It felt so good that I could hardly stand it, and before I knew what was happening, a powerful orgasm broke over me.
“James,” I moaned loudly. “Oh my god, James!”
James kept licking and suckling until the sensation was too intense and I had to push his face away. He looked up at me and grinned, wiping his soaked mouth and chin with the back of his hand. He got to his feet and scooped me up in his arms with effortless strength.
“I wanted to take you on the floor,” James growled in my ear. “But I can’t resist the idea of tearing that thing off of you in bed.”
My heart was thudding as James carried me down the hall and gently dropped me on the bed. He climbed on top of me and pushed me down, crawling on top of me and pinning me into the soft mattress. When he covered my mouth with his own, I moaned and began licking my own juices from his lips and tongue. The scent and taste of my own musky arousal made me feel naughty, like I was doing something really dirty. Maybe it’s the teddy, I thought as James ripped the silk material away from my bare skin and threw it to the side. But I’ve never felt this sexy before!
James dipped his head to my exposed breasts. He took a hard nipple into his mouth and ran his teeth over the sensitive skin as I moaned and arch
ed my back. James pushed one of his muscular thighs between my legs and rubbed it against my already-damp crotch. The sensation was still intense, and I bit my lip as pleasure flooded my nerves. I couldn’t believe how slutty I was acting – everything in my body craved James and his cock, like a powerful drug that I was too weak to resist.
James ripped the last of the teddy away from my body and smirked at me. I flushed hotly, glad for the dark of the room. I was clad only in my crotch-less panties and the blue silk garter around my thigh, and somehow I felt more exposed than I would’ve felt had I been naked.
“I bet that was very, very expensive,” James purred, leaning in close and running a finger down my taut stomach.
“It was,” I whispered. My heart was thumping so hard that I could feel the pulse in my ears. “Very expensive, in fact.”
James grinned. He leaned down and nipped at my lower lip, playfully licking my mouth before pulling away. “Oh, well,” he said. “Too bad.” He slipped his hand inside of my crotchless panties and ripped the fabric away from my body. I gasped when I heard the silk tear, but secretly, I couldn’t believe how much I liked James stripping me.
“I love you, Hanna,” James said in a low, throaty growl. “And I want you.”
We locked eyes as James fumbled with his belt, pulling it away from his pants and throwing it to the side. He pulled his trousers down his legs and kicked them off, revealing his magnificent hard cock. Just the sight of it was enough to make my mouth water, and I licked my lips as I reached forward and wrapped a hand around the fat sheath, pumping my fingers up and down.
The Xmas Conquest Page 16
