CHRISTOPHER ARRIVED HOME earlier than expected, looking rattled. Hannah suggested they spend a few minutes in his office and pulled him inside. “Bad day?”
Christopher dragged his hands down his face. “Difficult meeting.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” He shook his head. Hannah laid her palms on his chest and smiled up at him. “Kiss me.”
Christopher leaned down and placed his lips on hers. Hannah pulled her head back and tried not to snort in disgust. “What was that supposed to be?”
Christopher sighed. “Sorry, sweetheart, I’m a bit distracted.”
He pulled her to the chair and settled her on his lap. She stroked his cheek and gave him a cheeky grin. “Well, you better kiss me properly, or I’ll rethink marrying you.”
“Oh, really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Are you marrying me because of my kissing abilities?”
She shook her head. “Not at all. I’m marrying you for that unbelievably gorgeous face. Perhaps even for the body, but I haven’t seen that yet, so can only assume it’s well formed, by the look of your bum in those trousers.” He grabbed her around the waist and tickled her. She squealed in laughter. “Knight!”
“Tell me why you’re marrying me.”
“Stop, I’ll pee.”
“Tell me!” he ordered as he tickled her again.
“Because of your tight bum.”
He tickled her again.
“Okay, okay! I’m marrying you because you are the most magnificent man alive.”
“That’s better.” He leaned in to kiss her. “I love you, despite your ulterior motives.”
“I love you too.” She climbed from his lap and, once he stood, she smacked his very hard bottom. “I really can’t wait to see that.”
Christopher groaned. “Why don’t you see if Thomas and Sam have arrived? I’ll check on dinner.”
“Okay, but don’t be long,” she ordered as she wrapped an arm around his waist.
“Oh, and Hannah?”
“Hm?”
“Put your shoes on.”
She scowled but grabbed the pair of slippers she’d stowed in his office. She heard his chuckle as he made his way to the kitchen and she made her way to the parlor. Pausing briefly, she overheard Thomas speaking as she approached the open door.
“Gwen, tell me about your brother’s fiancée. Where is she from? Has he known her long?”
“I believe she’s from Chicago. He hasn’t known her particularly long, I suppose.”
“She sounds British.”
“Oh, yes. Well, there is that.”
“Do you know which part of England she’s from?”
“I don’t. I’m sorry.”
“What about her family? Does she have one here?”
Gwen mumbled something Hannah couldn’t catch and then Thomas spoke again.
“You look very pretty today, Gwen.”
Hannah shivered involuntarily.
“Thank you,” Gwen said quietly.
“What is Christopher’s schedule like this week? Will you be spending it together?”
He was asking personal questions that made Hannah very uncomfortable, so she decided to break up the interrogation. “Christopher’s checking on dinner,” she said as she came in the parlor. “Where’s Sam?”
Gwen smiled. “He’ll be here shortly.”
Hannah sat on the couch next to Gwen and sipped her wine as she observed the young man sitting across from them. “Thomas, how long have you and Christopher worked together?”
“About a year now.” He settled back in his seat.
Something about this guy gave Hannah the creeps and she knew she was going to have to talk to Christopher about it.
Samuel arrived a few minutes later and apologized for his tardiness. Hannah liked him immediately. He was tall, almost as tall as Christopher, with sandy blond hair and light blue eyes. He had a quick smile and was open and warm. Christopher came into the parlor and let everyone know that dinner was ready, so the group made their way to the dining room.
Thomas didn’t ask any personal questions during dinner, which raised even more red flags for Hannah. Her private eye training was kicking in, and she knew there was something decidedly off about this guy.
When dinner was over, Thomas kissed Gwen’s hand gallantly and then went on his way. Sam lingered for a few minutes but left shortly after Thomas.
“Well, I’m exhausted,” Gwen said. “I’m going to turn in.”
Once goodnights were exchanged, Hannah followed Christopher back into the parlor. He sat on the couch and pulled her down beside him.
“How much do you know about Thomas?” Hannah asked him.
Linking his fingers in hers, he kissed her hand. “He’s been working with us for about a year. We don’t know him well. Why?”
“There’s something not right about him, Knight. When you went to check on dinner, I overheard him grilling Gwen for information about us. But he didn’t ask those same questions when I came in the room.”
“Why is that strange?”
“If he wanted to know information about me or you, why wouldn’t he ask us directly... or speak to you? It’s as though he’s trying to get information from Gwen.”
“He likes my sister,” Christopher said distractedly.
She squeezed his hand. “You wig out because your friend pays attention to her, but aren’t concerned that a man who you’ve known for a year “likes” your sister?”
“Hannah.”
She sighed. “You’re contradicting yourself, and for what it’s worth, I don’t think Thomas does like Gwen. I think he wants to get close to you.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Why is it ridiculous?” She was now, admittedly, irritated with how dismissive he was.
“One, she’s being courted by Sam, and two, Thomas sees me almost every day. He’s already close to me.”
Hannah turned to face him on the couch. “But he’s not. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. He may be close as a colleague, but he was trying to get personal information that you wouldn’t necessarily share with an associate. I don’t want Gwen hurt, and I think there’s the potential for him to really mess with her head.”
“I highly doubt he’s that interested in my life, Hannah.”
Hannah stood and threw her arms in the air. She paced the room in frustration. “How exactly did you get onto the President’s detail if you’re so dense?”
“Hannah.” His tone pitched low in warning.
Crossing her arms, she glared at him. “Don’t ‘Hannah’ me, Christopher. Are you dismissing what I have to say because I’m a woman, or is it that you don’t think I’m particularly intelligent?”
He rose to his feet. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, it has to be one or the other, because right now you’re dismissing your sister’s safety, and I’d like to know why.”
“How exactly am I dismissing my sister’s safety?”
“That man is up to something, Christopher, and if you don’t see it... you know what, forget it. I’m going to bed.” She turned and walked out the parlor door, angry and hurt.
* * *
Christopher sat on the couch for several minutes. She was right, he had dismissed her, and he had to admit, it was because she was a woman. He’d never met anyone like her. Certainly none of the women in his life were as intuitive as Hannah, and he’d acted the superior. He hated himself for it.
Making his way slowly up the stairs, his intention to turn in, he found himself standing outside Hannah’s bedroom. He knocked, but there was no answer. He knocked again, but this time turned the knob and walked in. She was lying on her bed, in her robe, and staring at the ceiling. “Go to bed, Christopher.”
“Not until we discuss this.”
“I’m all talked out to be honest, but feel free.”
He closed the door with a click. “Would you please sit up and look at me?”
Hannah huffed but did as he asked. Her hair spilled around her face and cascaded down her arms as she sat forward. He groaned internally. She was magnificent.
“I’m sorry. You’re absolutely right. I did dismiss you, and it was wrong. You could very well be right about Thomas. Clayton has some of the same concerns.”
“He does?”
Christopher nodded.
“Did you dismiss him, too?” He frowned and Hannah grinned as she slid off the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Apology accepted.”
He stroked her hair. “Clayton and I will increase our inquiries about Thomas.”
“Good.” She looked up at him. “Just watch him, Knight. He’s bad news.”
“I will.” He smiled down at her as he cupped her cheek and kissed her. “Now, why aren’t you in your nightgown?”
“Because I can’t figure out how to get this stupid thing off.” She opened her robe and indicated her corset. “A man must have invented it.”
“Invented a female undergarment difficult to get off? I highly doubt it,” he said with a chuckle.
“Well, I cannot imagine a woman would have.”
“Let me help.” He desperately tried to keep his raging thoughts in check. Standing before him in her corset, her breasts emphasized by the boning, the thought of what was under her clothing made him crazy. She let her robe slip down her arms and presented her back to him, which didn’t distract from her sensuality on any level. He loosened the laces and then pulled her robe back up onto her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said and turned to face him.
“I love you, Hannah.”
“I love you too.” She kissed him one more time before he left her to go to his room.
* * *
The blackness surrounded her. She knew she was running, but didn’t know if she was running toward something, or away from it. She heard a scream.
Is that Gwen? Why is she screaming and where is she?
Hannah couldn’t find her. She heard her scream again and tried to call out, but had no voice. She tried to yell again, but still no sound. She could see light. It was coming from under a door. A door that was huge. Wide and tall. She had to stand on her tiptoes to reach the handle. She pulled the lever down and pushed the door open. She stepped out into a large field and saw Gwen tied to a tree.
Thomas stood over her with a gun as she begged for her life.
Hannah tried to scream again. Tried to get Thomas’s attention away from Gwen. But she still had no voice. She ran towards Gwen, but the faster she ran, the farther Gwen seemed to slip from her. Thomas cocked the gun and pointed it at Gwen’s head.
“Hannah?”
She heard her name and began to slip away from Gwen.
“Hannah?”
“No, Gwen, I’m here,” Hannah yelled.
“Hannah? Sweetheart, wake up.”
She opened her eyes to see Christopher’s concerned face looking down at her. “Hi.”
“Are you all right?”
She sat up and nodded. “I think so.”
“What happened?” He climbed onto the bed to lie down beside her.
“Knight, it was just a dream.”
“Tell me.”
She relayed the dream to him as he pulled her into his arms and stroked her face. “I’m okay now, Knight. Go back to bed.”
“No, sweetheart, I think I’ll stay here for a little while.” He pulled her further into his arms and kissed her forehead. She rolled over so that her back was to him and he wrapped his arm around her waist.