The following day flew by in a whirl, her mornings were jam-packed with meetings that ran over into the afternoon. When Hannah finally got five minutes to herself, she sat down at her desk and opened up her emails. She wanted to send one to Rebecca and ask her to come and meet her for a chat, or if they could Skype when she got home. She had a lot to fill her in on, but at the same time, she kind of liked having her secret.

She and Scott had been so hot and heavy, and now that she knew he had the goods, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. But she was still trying to keep herself grounded. She didn’t want to go and do something stupid like fall for him when all he was to her really was a sperm donor.

She chewed the top of her pen and let it rest between her lips. Her mind kept wandering back to how he had gripped her hips and worked her with his tongue. She felt a tingle roll down her spine and a twinge between her legs.

“Mmm,” escaped through her lips and she had to suppress a grin.

She looked down at her email and saw a reply from Rebecca.

 

R: I’m totally slammed today babe, it read. How about we hook up tomorrow night and catch a movie and dinner?

 

Hannah was about to respond and say sure, but then she suddenly remembered what day it was going to be.

The following day was Thursday, and she and Scott had their big dinner night planned.

She sat back and thought more on what he had told her. He had lived an interesting life and she was trying to commit as much as she could to memory. They only had one shot to get this right and she didn’t want to mess it up for him, even if he was a complete pain in the ass.

She typed a hasty reply to Rebecca saying she was busy but that she would call her over the weekend, and then she grabbed her laptop bag and headed toward the door.

“Meetings, meetings, meetings…” she sighed as she made her way into the hallway.

This week was hectic and completely full, but she was loving every minute.

 

By the time she walked back through her door at 6PM, she was dog tired. She lit her scented candles, put on the low lights and slumped down on the couch with a glass of merlot. She sipped it slowly and picked at a bowl of olives and cheese, and then she turned on the TV and kicked off her shoes.

Her cell phone was next to her and she had been resisting looking at it all day. She wanted to pick it up and look through her messages from the night before, but she was determined that she wouldn’t let herself think about him too much. She had to play it cool and keep calm and collected.

She yawned and sank back further into the couch, and she was just about to curl her legs up next to her when she suddenly heard a knock on her front door.

Her heart skipped a beat and she sat up quickly as she looked toward the door.

She’d had plenty of neighbors in the building over the years, and she regularly got some of them knocking on her doors asking her for favors if they had run out of milk and sugar, but this time, she just knew this was different.

She could sense him, even from behind the door.

She waited a moment and tried not to smile. And then she rose to her feet, brushed down her dress and walked slowly to the door with the glass of wine dangling from her hands.

She unlocked the door and opened it up. When she looked up, she saw Scott and his incredible eyes looking back at her and in his fist, he was holding an enormous bunch of white roses.

“To say sorry,” he said as he held them out toward her.

Hannah just looked at them with a wry smile on her lips, but she didn’t reach for them. She let them hang there between them and she crossed her arms over her chest and tucked the wine glass into her side.

“I told you, I’m not going to bail on you,” she said cockily. “You don’t have to try and win me over with gifts.”

He lowered his head and glowered at her from under a furrowed brow.

“And I told you,” he said, “that I felt bad and I wanted to apologize.”

“You did that already,” she smiled and then she reached out and took them gently from his hands.

She held them up to her face and breathed in their delicious scent.

“They’re very beautiful though, thank you,” she said sternly.

“Come on,” he said. “I don’t want us to be on bad terms, especially with the dinner being tomorrow.”

“We’re not on bad terms, Scott,” she pouted. “I told you not to worry about it.”

“I’m not worried,” he said. “But I don’t like to think that I hit a nerve last night. It was a bad joke and I’m here to make it up to you.”

“You’re forgiven,” she said. “Will that do?”

He sighed and took a step forward. He raised his arms and rested his hands on the frame above her head and all she could smell was him and his masculine scent. His cologne was so addictive, and her heart began to flutter the closer he came to her.

He leaned in and tried to kiss her, but she raised her hand and put a finger to his lip.

“We’re strictly business, remember,” she said.

He looked momentarily wounded, and then he nodded his head and stepped backward.

“I know,” he said. “But last night…” He looked as if he wanted to say something with genuine heart, but Hannah raised her hand and stopped him.

“Was a perk of the job,” she said with a warm smile. She was trying to stand her ground, even though inside she was dying to reach out for him.

He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak and then he moved forward again as if he were desperate to reach out to her, but Hannah stepped back. She smiled at him and reached for the latch on the door.

“I’ll be in the lobby for seven tomorrow,” she said with a smile. “And don’t worry, I’ll bring my A-Game.”

Scott smiled and nodded his head.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said genuinely, and Hannah’s heart fluttered again.

She sipped her wine and looked down at her flowers, and a thought ran through her mind that maybe she should invite him in and let him grovel some more, but she also wanted to make him pay.

He was clearly feeling bad, and she was enjoying him crawling and pleading for her forgiveness.

“Good night Scott,” she said again as she moved backward and into her apartment, before she let the door swing closed and click between them.

She breathed out a sigh of relief, but she couldn’t keep the grin from her face. She waited there in silence and listened until she heard his footsteps move off down the hall, and then she stepped back and moved toward the counter in her kitchen.

She placed the roses down and looked for a vase, and then she ran some water into it and started to arrange them.

They really were gorgeous flowers… So gorgeous, she couldn’t stop looking at them. She fluffed them up and then she took them with her and placed them on her coffee table in the center of the room.

He was clearly going to ensure that she was going to go through with her side of the deal, and she felt as if she had all the power and control.

Her phone pinged next to her and she looked down to see his name flash up on the screen…

 

S: Stay put and I’ll come and pick you up tomorrow… I am your fiancé after all… x

 

Hannah smirked and waited a few moments before she wrote her reply…

 

H: It’s rather endearing seeing this caring side of you. I honestly didn’t think it existed!

S: I told you, I’m a gentleman, it just takes me a little time to warm up first.

H: Well I hope you’re going to be on your best behavior tomorrow then.

S: I promise, I will be…

H: No ball busting?

S: Definitely not.

H: And no mean comments that could cut a girl to the core?

S: Honestly, it was a bad joke… I don’t even know why I said it.

H: Hopefully I’ll be on my best behavior too…

S: I imagine you always are, you’re delightful company.

H: Let’s not get too carried away, you’re still in the doghouse.

S: ;)

H: Good night, Scott… xx

S: Good night Hannah xxx

 

She put her phone down and drained the rest of her wine glass before she popped another olive in her mouth and chewed it slowly.

She was becoming very fond of Scott… and she had the feeling that he was becoming fond of her too.

 

She raced around the apartment, skidding from one room to another and looking ferociously for her earring. She had taken them off the night after she and Scott had gotten back from the bars, and she hadn’t seen them since. Now, when she only had moments to spare, she was in full-on panic mode, racing around and looking in all her usual random dumping spots for a sign of her sparkling little diamond.

She looked up at the clock and saw that it was six forty-five. He was literally going to be at her door in fifteen minutes and she still hadn’t found the earring, packed her purse, or quite finished her make-up. She skidded through on her stockinged heel into the kitchen and scanned the countertop. She bit her lip and her heart raced on. Suddenly, her eye caught on something glinting down the side of a stack of cookery books and she raced toward it.

She pulled them to the side and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the earring glinting back at her, and she put it into her ear quickly and fixed it into place.

She ran back through to her bedroom and pulled her red lipstick from her vanity case before she slicked some onto her lips and then put it into her purse. She grabbed a mascara, an eyeliner, and a new mini perfume, and she slipped her feet into her high, black pointed court shoes and then riffled though her closet for the right jacket.

The dress she had chosen was simple and elegant. It was black and off the shoulder and hugged her figure all the way down to just above the knee. She looked like a classic beauty in it, and her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders in a gentle wave.

She looked up at the clock again and the time was getting closer. She spritzed on some perfume, and dotted it on her neck via her wrists and then she put on her thin, silver watch and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“Okay,” she sighed. “You’re good to go.”

Just as she headed through into the main living area, there was a knock at the door and her stomach dipped. She smiled and headed toward it, trying not to smile too much or be too eager to get there without making him wait a few moments.

She undid the latch and pulled the door open and Scott stood there looking so handsome it was hard to remain composed. His hair was slicked back, his stubble had been trimmed, and his skin was dewy and moist from the shower. He smelled amazing, as if he had just doused himself in aftershave that was so perfect for him it was singing off his skin. He smiled at her and his eyes drank her in.

“Wow,” he said with a little gasp. “You look incredible.”

Hannah smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear, before she stepped forward and let the door close behind her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Are you ready?”

Scott took a deep breath and then he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a little black box and held it between them.

Hannah’s heart momentarily stilled as she looked down at it with wide eyes and he took a step closer to her.

“I mean, this is kind of important if we’re going to convince them that we’re engaged,” he said quietly as he slowly opened the box.

Hannah gasped as she saw it for the first time, her heart a hammer in her chest, and her eyes wide like saucers.

“Wow,” she whispered. “Scott, really…”

“It’s yours,” he said. “However this goes down, I want you to have it.”

The ring was stunning. It had a platinum band and a huge, canary emerald cut diamond right in the center, flanked by clear tiny diamonds around the edge like a halo.

“You can’t be serious?” she asked him as she held her hand to her chest.

“Deadly,” he smirked. “Now come here and let me slip it on you.”

She was so taken aback she was lost for words. Scott took hold of her hand and slipped the ring onto her ring finger and she instantly felt the weight of it.

“We need to talk about this,” she said.

“Well, let’s talk about it later,” he mused as he offered her his arm.

“We may as well get into character right away,” he said, and Hannah smiled up at him and reached for it.

“I suppose you’re right,” she smiled.

As they walked on toward the elevator, she couldn’t help but feel that all of this felt incredibly natural. He may have driven her crazy, but his soul spoke to hers, and the moment she was around him, she felt more alive.

Her heart started to race, and she started to feel nervous.

He had just given her a goddam ring! The most beautiful ring she had ever seen!

She really wanted to help him, and now she was feeling the pressure.

“Are you okay?” he asked her as he looked down at her.

She took a breath and nodded, not wanting him to know how she was feeling.

“Of course, I am,” she smiled. “Now come on, let’s do this.”

 

The restaurant was on the other side of town and it took them over twenty minutes to get there in the cab. As they sat in the back seat, Scott continued to regale her with tales of his life, and Hannah listened eagerly and told him some of her own. They decided to play at being coy, to act super loved up and into each other, and to steer away from any majorly personal questions. They decided to tell the story that they had met in Mo’s coffee when Scott had been checking out the neighborhood before he moved, and they had hit it off instantly.

“And we’ve been pretty much inseparable ever since,” he added at the end.

“Sounds good to me,” she smiled as she clutched onto her bag and looked out of the window.

They pulled up outside and Scott paid the driver. The restaurant was one of the most well known in the city and it had a great reputation for being not only ridiculously expensive, but also the place to be seen.

“I’m surprised your old school client picked somewhere as “in” as this,” Hannah laughed as he opened the door for her and reached for her hand. She slid her hand into his and let him lift her from the car. As she stepped out and into the street, she already felt as if all the eyes in the world were on her and she was walking onto a big stage.

“His wife is very glam,” he said. “She’s about ten years younger than him, I think this will likely have been her choice.”

He wrapped his arm around the base of her spine and Hannah’s heart did a little dance. As the host opened the door to greet them, Hannah found herself instinctively scanning the room to try and figure out who they would be dining with, and her eyes instantly fell on a well-dressed older couple sitting at one of the prime tables.

“Okay fiancé,” Scott whispered. “A-Game to commence…”

Hannah winked at him and he let her walk ahead of him as he wrapped his arm around her waist and led her toward the table.

“Scotty boy,” the older, and very round gentleman said as they approached the table.

The two went in for a hug and patted each other on the back while Hannah smiled at his wife who was also rising to her feet.

“Hannah, I’d like you to meet Mr. and Mrs. Williams, John, Betty, this is my stunning wife-to-be, Hannah…”

John pulled her in for a hug and kissed her on the cheek, and then she shook hands with Betty and they both air kissed on either side.

“Oh, it is so lovely to finally meet you both,” Hannah beamed. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“And vice versa,” John grinned. “I can’t actually believe that someone finally managed to tame Scott here… We honestly thought he was going to be one of those eternal bachelors!”

Hannah smirked and Scott pulled her chair out for her as she sat down. He pulled his in close to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It was such a bizarre situation, but at the same time, it all felt incredibly easy. She leaned into him and laughed at all the right moments. They looked into each other’s eyes and, in those moments, Hannah felt things she had never felt with anyone before. She felt content and happy and completely at ease.

It truly was as if this whole thing was meant to be and that she and Scott were really beginning something.

She sipped her wine and listened to them talk about their lives in property, and Betty rolled her eyes and joked with Hannah that she must have heard these tales at least ten thousand times.

“You know, I could probably repeat it word for word,” she smiled as she leaned in across the table and placed her hand on top of Hannah’s. “When your man is as well connected and social as these two, you find yourselves turning into their little sidekick sometimes. But at home, we all know who the boss is…” she winked, and Hannah looked at her knowingly.

“I can imagine,” she laughed. “I mean, for us, Scott truly needs keeping in his place.”

“Same here,” Betty grinned. “I have to say, seeing you two together really is refreshing. You can see instantly how well the two of you connect and how you bounce off each other… Oh and the look in his eyes when he stares at you… I mean, true love. It’s incredible.”

Hannah felt her heart skip a beat.

Was it really that obvious?

“So, when it the big day?” John chipped in as he tried to get in on the conversation. “I hope we’re not going to have to wait too long?”

“Actually,” Scott began. “We’re already looking at venues and we want to have one locked down by the end of next week, don’t we, darling?”

Hannah looked into his eyes and her heart picked up pace even more. He smiled at her and she knew he felt it too.

“Yes, I really like the chapel over on our side of town,” she smiled. “And then afterward, we’re hoping for a simple and elegant place to hold the reception. Maybe a roof top terrace in the center of the city.”

As she said the words, she realized how much she wanted it and she tried not to blush.

“A classic city wedding,” John clapped his hands together. “Now that’s what I like to hear! Betty and I got married at the chapel near our neighborhood and then afterward, we went out for pizza and dancing, didn’t we?”

Betty looked into his eyes and smiled from ear to ear, you could see the memories crashing through her mind, and John took hold of her hand.

“It really is wonderful when you find your soul mate, isn’t it?” Betty smiled before they leaned in for a kiss.

Hannah could feel Scott’s eyes on her and she looked up into his. She wanted to kiss him in that moment, but she was so nervous she barely dared move a muscle.

“Yes,” Scott said as he squeezed her shoulder and smiled at Hannah warmly. “It really is…”

Something passed between them, something real and something unforgettable. Hannah had not expected to feel this way, and she had hoped she would be able to separate her emotions from what was happening between them that evening. But being there with him, playing the role of his fiancé, it was all too much.

And she could tell he was feeling it too.

He held her gaze and she couldn’t help but smile.

“You two are going to go the distance,” John said as he pointed at them both. “Mark my words, in twenty years’ time, you’ll be sitting where we are now.”

Scott squeezed Hannah’s shoulder again and she leaned into him. It was then that she realized that neither of them were acting anymore. Something had changed.

And she could not stop smiling.

 

When dinner was over, she chatted with Betty in the doorway while the men finished chewing the fat by the restrooms. Hannah tried not to look over too eagerly, but she could tell that something was happening between them and she was desperate to know if Scott had got what he had come for. She hoped with all her heart that she had done him proud.

“You’ll have to come out to our beach house in the summer,” Betty said as she smiled warmly at Hannah. “We tend to hold a party every July to mark the beginning of the season.”

“That sounds wonderful,” she agreed.

“Come on then,” John bellowed as he and Scott joined them by the doorway. “And thank you, Hannah, for finally being the woman to tame this crazy kid. It’s about time he was on the arm of a good woman, he needs someone to help keep him grounded.”

John winked at Scott and Scott patted him on the back, before the two men shook hands and the host opened the door for them to walk out into the night.

“I’ll call you on Monday,” John said as he and Betty stepped toward a cab. “And I’m looking forward to seeing where this is going.”

Scott smiled and raised his hand, and Hannah looked on at them as they climbed into the taxi and headed off into the city traffic.

She looked up at Scott with wide eyes and her heart was already dancing in her chest.

“Well?” she asked him eagerly.

“We did it!” Scott said as he scooped her up and spun her around. “He’s in and we’re joining forces. We even signed on it when we were over on the other side of the restaurant, he had the contracts with him! Imagine that!”

“Wow!” Hannah called with excitement. “Congratulations… that’s amazing news. I’m so pleased for you.”

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without you,” Scott said as he put her down gently and then pushed her up against the wall of the restaurant. His eyes were glinting, and she felt a little rush ripple through her.

She felt the familiar pang of want and need and her pussy began to ache for him.

“Scott…,” she whispered, but this time it was him who held his finger up to her mouth.

“I’m taking you home,” he breathed. “And I’m going to make good on my part of the deal…”

Just hearing him say those words made her heart race and her skin tingle with anticipation.

“But this isn’t business anymore,” he said as he brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and stared deeply into her eyes. “This is personal.”