Chapter Ten
Hannah pretended the day was normal, smiling as she took her seat at the restaurant table opposite the two people controlling the rest of her career. She put aside the morning spent pondering stalker theories with Mason and his brothers. There was no room for that here now.
Dean Curtis checked his watch as she sat down. She still had three minutes until she was technically late, but on time was out of character for Hannah. But then so was dealing with police captains in her home before breakfast.
As he was district manager, meetings with Dean were nothing out of the ordinary. Meetings with regional manager, Judy Miller, were rarer. The woman oversaw five districts in four states. Judy’s warm smile put Hannah at ease, helping her to school her features into the confident mask she wore so well. Hannah had liked Judy from the day they’d met at a career fair in college. Judy had recruited her to Mendelssohn’s and followed her career every step of the way.
“Are you ready for today?” Dean asked, sipping the coffee already on the table.
“Absolutely.” Hannah nodded. “I’ve had the presentation organized for weeks.”
“You always get so excited for holidays. I’m sure you’ll spread your enthusiasm around, just like always.” The older woman smiled.
A waitress appeared, took their orders, and removed the coffee from Hannah’s place. Hannah’s cell phone rang to life, rattling her nerves. She wondered about answering it but saw it was the store and decided they would understand since it was work.
“Hannah Daniels.”
“When are you coming in?” Gary’s voice sounded tinny and frantic across the line. She wasn’t scheduled to be in the store all week, but she’d been stopping in to keep her departments in line. He’d taken that to mean she would be there every day.
She knew she’d been placed at the store to compensate for Gary’s weaknesses, but the man relied on her more and more as time went on. It must be nice to be able to delegate your entire job to someone else.
She chose her words carefully, aware of who listened in. Gary was already on thin ice. She wanted credit for all she was doing, but she didn’t want to sink another man’s career, either.
Without asking about the phone call, Judy turned to Dean. “Call Gary. Drop in while Hannah is away so you can get a grip on how he’s handling things without her.”
Dean nodded, grabbed his phone, and excused himself from the table. Hannah hoped someday she’d be able to speak with such authority and command so much respect.
“Your boyfriend was late picking you up that night at the store?”
Hannah jumped in her skin. Let’s just cut to the chase. She didn’t have to ask what the other woman was referring to. “I wasn’t sure he was coming.”
Judy nodded. “You knew the man who attacked you?”
“Yes. We dated a year and a half ago.”
“The police are taking care of it?”
Hannah couldn’t help the corners of her mouth turning up as she thought about the level of police involvement. “They aren’t holding him, but he’s out of state right now.”
“Can he do that? Go out of state while charges are pending?” Hannah hadn’t even thought to ask Mike that.
“I’m really more interested in putting it all behind me.”
“Good. Don’t discuss it at work again. Just say it’s been taken care of. I got the memo on your conference call last week. Good call, making sure building security is available for walkouts at closing. Like you said, we’re paying for it with our rent.”
“Thank you.” Hannah drank in the compliment from her mentor like fine wine.
“You don’t have to answer this, but is it serious with your boyfriend?”
Hannah nodded. It had felt damned serious this morning.
“How is he handling the holiday schedule?”
“Well, actually. He’s a firefighter, so he understands wacky schedules.”
“That does help. My husband was in his residency while I was an assistant. Have you warned him what will happen when you get your own store?”
“It gets worse?” Hannah said with a laugh.
“More responsibility. But you have more control over the schedule. It’s actually a good time to have small children. You’ll manage it just like I did.”
Her stomach flipped. “If I get my own store.”
Judy grinned from ear to ear. “Galleria in mid-February. Jim’s accepting the district manager position in Northern California. I want you to take all your vacation time first. That will pull you out of Westside early January.”
“Are you offering me the promotion?” Hannah’s heartbeat thrummed in her ears.
“Absolutely. You’ve earned it, Hannah. The paperwork is being processed. I assumed you’d accept.”
Hannah barely resisted the urge to leap across the table and hug the woman. I’ve done it. My own store.
The moment the meeting was over, she grabbed her cell phone. This news was just too good to sit on. But not everyone she told shared her enthusiasm.
Even Molly seemed to have to feign happiness. She said all the right things. But she also asked Hannah way too many questions about the future.
Hannah’s answers surprised herself. Judy had it all. The husband, children, and a successful career. She could too, if she prioritized and worked hard.
Kate would be happy for her, if she ever checked her voicemail. Maybe Mason, too. Hannah busied herself with work, pretending it didn’t matter. She finished the outline of her presentation on the dry-erase board and looked about the room. She was all set for the seminar with twenty minutes to spare. And still no Jeremy. That might have vexed her two days ago, but now that she had the promotion, sharing credit with him didn’t bother her.
Hannah jumped as her phone chirped to life. She leapt across the room and dug it out of her bag. She checked the caller ID and was warmed from the inside out. Mason.
“I got your texts,” he said, a smile evident in his voice. “Miss me already?”
She bit her cheek, wanting to share her excitement but hesitant to chance his reaction. “I was worried you might have been late to work with all the commotion this morning.”
“I’m more worried about being away from you until Wednesday night. What time will you be home?”
Hannah’s spirit lightened. “Early, like dinnertime. My store manager is taking over the training classes.”
“He’s taking your teenagers? Lucky you.”
“Very.” Hannah swallowed hard. To heck with it, she wanted to know how he’d react. “I have something to celebrate.”
“Me, too.”
“Should we wait and share, or can I tell you mine now?”
“We should wait. Anticipation makes everything better.”
…
“What are you doing with your lingerie?” The cheerful voice lilting behind her made her smile as she turned to see her friend enter the now empty conference room. Breeze Cohen was a rival, but she shared Hannah’s passion for retail. At barely five feet tall, with long, dark curly hair and cherubic dimples, she looked even younger than twenty-four.
Unfortunately, Jeremy followed Breeze into the conference room. “I’d love to know the answer to that.”
Breeze rolled her big blue eyes. “You had a 70 percent sell-through in fashion last month.”
Hannah nodded. “I have a very detailed department manager.”
Breeze stepped closer, effectively removing Jeremy from the conversation. “Fine, don’t tell me your secrets.”
“We could make a trade. You show me exactly how you are unloading those young men’s jackets, and I’ll help you move your panties.”
Jeremy’s chuckle reminded them he was still lurking. “Why don’t we all go to lunch and discuss it?”
As if. “Breeze and I had a little girl talk planned. We don’t get much of a chance to chat this time of year.” Hannah grabbed her bag. “I’ll see you at the next store, okay?” She and Breeze quickly made their escape.
“I hope I didn’t put you in a weird position,” Hannah said as they stepped down the escalator toward the men’s department.
“With Jeremy? I don’t know how you can stand doing the ramp-ups with him. We were both at the Capital store last year. He drove me crazy.”
“He wouldn’t be so bad if he could just take a hint.”
Breeze steered them directly to the jackets in question. “Tell me about it. I know a few things about him if you need him to buzz off.”
Hannah arched an eyebrow at her friend.
Breeze shrugged. “I keep my ear to the ground.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Hannah studied the jacket presentation in front of them. She’d copied it exactly in her store.
“It’s the number of jackets,” Breeze said, sensing her frustration. “They’re really bulky so I only have two of each size out. It is a pain in the back stock, and you have to make sure your team is filling in, but it works.”
Hannah nodded. That would certainly make the jackets easier to shop.
“Now, tell me how you are selling all those high-ticket fashion items when all I can move is thermal underwear.”
“It’s simple really. Men buy lingerie as gifts this time of year, so you spotlight the items men would like.”
Breeze let out a huff. “How am I supposed to know that?”
She was a very pretty girl. “You could ask your boyfriend for requests.”
“I don’t have time for a boyfriend.” Breeze turned to her. “I’m surprised you do. I thought you were career focused, like me.”
“I am.” Hannah smiled, thinking of the morning’s meeting. Am I ever. “But you have to enjoy yourself, too.”
Breeze dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand. “Men aren’t worth the hassle.”
Hannah might have agreed with her a month ago. But now all she could think of was sharing her news with Mason. And reworking her own lingerie display.
…
“Are you sure you can’t come with me this weekend?” Kate asked, her pen clicking in the background. Even hundreds of miles away, Hannah could imagine her at a borrowed desk, gaze unfocused and methodically clicking the pen while her mind worked through a problem.
“I’m sure.” Hannah peeled off the layers of her work persona. Goodbye blazer, see you later heels, and good riddance to the underwire bra that had been poking her since lunch. “Calling in sick isn’t my style. It causes more problems than it solves. You’ll have a great time anyway.”
“I’d better. This week has been just awful. I need to unwind.”
“Ask Derek to go with you.” Finally comfortable, Hannah curled up on the couch.
“Honey, I don’t trust myself in Vegas with that man.”
Hannah tried not to laugh. “What does that mean?”
“It means I should have tried this whole younger-man thing years ago.”
“He’s younger than you? But he’s older than Mason.”
“Only by thirteen months. Twins the hard way, he calls it. Anyway, he’s six months younger than me.” Kate let out a low whistle. “It’s really working for us.”
“It was certainly working for you on Sunday night.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” Kate giggled. Kate didn’t giggle.
“Are you giggling?”
“I can’t explain what that man does to me. He makes me feel powerful and yet feminine at the same time. It’s as if I’m constantly excited to be alive.”
“Wasn’t that the point you were trying to make to him? That affairs are not about sex but about the way the other person makes you feel.”
“Exactly, but he has me thinking about all sorts of other things.”
That’s what Hannah worried about. “Some of his theories are pretty out there.”
“He’s actually very insightful. His family inspired a lot of his research. All through grad school he was working on sibling theories. Even though he’s the second oldest, Derek has always felt like the middle child because he and Mason were so close in age, and Ryan didn’t come until five years later.” Hannah leaned back on the couch and sighed. She didn’t want to hear Derek’s psychobabble secondhand. Or find out Mason’s family history from someone else.
Hannah’s face scrunched up as she recognized why. She was jealous, plain and simple. Kate and Derek didn’t have family throwing up roadblocks or a psycho stalker ex-boyfriend to get in the way of getting to know each other.
“Can you believe that? Three days that turned into almost forty years. It explains a lot about them, don’t you think?”
Why wasn’t I listening? “How so?” It was all she could think to say.
“How they can just trust their instincts. I still think it’s kind of like hitting the lottery and spending your winnings on more tickets, but it’s romantic as all get out. I mean, knowing from that first few moments together this is the person you were meant to be with. It’s wild.”
What exactly is Kate rambling about now? “They call that lust.”
“That’s what I told him. Derek thinks amazing sex is the most effective way to jumpstart a relationship.”
And she bought that line? “He would.”
“Believe me, it was my pleasure. I don’t know what has come over me. The man has me going from being a relationship skeptic to an advocate for love at first sight.”
Hannah’s breath caught in her throat. “Do you really think you’re in love with him?” Her heartbeat echoed in her ear against the silence of her phone.
“Honey, I don’t know,” Kate said slowly. “I don’t know what this feeling is, but I don’t want it to stop.”
But it would, and Kate needed to be prepared. “What if it’s just a sexual spark? Or an obsessive fascination. Or maybe a hero complex he has about wanting to save you from the cards. He said they could be targeting you.”
Kate’s laughter rang across the phone lines. “Who are you trying to convince here, honey? Me or you?”
…
“I thought I heard you down here.” Mason brushed past Hannah and into her apartment.
“Just how much can you hear from up there?”
“Not much really.” His eyes scanned the room. “I heard the door more than anything else.”
She’d been talking on the phone with Kate for at least a half hour since she’d opened the door. Talking to Kate and realizing how little she knew about Mason. Maybe if they just stayed out of bed, she might not feel at such a loss. “Something I can help you find?”
Mason turned, his gaze rolling over her so slowly her stomach clenched and then released into a pool of heat. She was still wearing her skirt and camisole from work today. Not exactly designed to thrill. But she saw from the way his eyes darkened that it worked for him on some level.
He crossed the room until he was standing toe-to-toe with her. “Hmm, let me see,” he said, examining the top of her head.
“What are you doing?”
He undid the clip holding her hair in place, letting it cascade down her back. She closed her eyes as he raked the strands with his fingers.
He framed her face with his hands, tilting her mouth up to receive his. She parted her lips in invitation and took in the scent of him, the smell of the soap from his shower. The shower where they—Mason pulled away but held her face. Hannah’s eyes fluttered open, her conscience mocking her attempt to stay out of Mason’s bed.
“There’s my girl.” He brushed his thumbs against her cheeks.
“This is your way of saying you like my hair better down?”
“Up, down, it doesn’t matter, as long as you look at me like this.” He leaned in for a kiss so quick Hannah felt bereft when he stepped away.
Which was good, exactly what she needed. Why did it make her want to tackle him to the ground?
“Do you want to go first?”
“Hmm?” She licked her lips. She could knock him right into the upholstered chair and—
“You said you had something to celebrate, too.”
“Oh, that.” Her family had stamped out Hannah’s excitement. Her mother had come right out and told her she worked too much to make a good wife. Had actually said the words, “A man wants a woman to be home when he is, Hannah.”
Her father hadn’t been much better. “As long as it keeps you busy,” he’d said. She wanted to hold on to what little joy she had left from the promotion. If Mason acted the way her parents had, even that would be lost.
“What’s your news?”
Mason sat in the upholstered chair, making Hannah suck the inside of her cheek. “I get to sit for the fire inspector’s exam. It’s a tiny bit more money, moderately better hours, and a whole lot less dangerous.”
His toothy grin was sexy as hell, but Hannah tried to focus. “I thought you liked your job.”
“I do, I really do. And a position probably won’t come open for a while. But I’ve always wanted to be an inspector. It’s just not the job you start out with.” His face was so animated as he spoke, Hannah knew he was telling the truth. “There is a lot to learn that can only be done hands on. That’s one of the reasons why I do so many volunteer hours at rural departments. The more you’ve seen, the more you know. And I like the puzzle-solving aspect. Plus, you can’t be a firefighter forever. It’s a physically demanding job.”
Hannah tilted her head to the side. “You’re in great shape.”
“Really? You think so?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Then why are you standing all the way over there?”
Hannah stepped carefully across the rug. Standing next to his chair, she wondered if she wanted to chance telling him at all. Maybe celebrating his news was enough for one night.
“I thought you’d be thrilled that I’ll be doing something less dangerous.” The back of his hand skimmed her skirt. “My mother was through the roof at the thought I wouldn’t be running into burning buildings.”
Hannah smiled, realizing he actually cared what she thought. “I meant what I said. I’m fine with that aspect of your job. I want you to do what makes you happy.”
“Good answer,” he said, dragging her down to his lap. He nuzzled her ear, causing her to curl in to him. “What’s your news?” His hot breath tickled all the way down her spine.
She turned and kissed him. Running her hands down his chest, she whispered, “Let’s just celebrate your news.” She lifted the material of his sweater up over his abs. She pressed her hands flat against his skin and ran her palms all the way up to his shoulders.
Sucking in a breath, he covered her hands with his own. “What happened?”
When he reacted the way the others had, her day would truly be ruined. What she wanted was to celebrate his success and the last wisps of joy she had left of her own. She leaned closer and captured his lips with hers. The fever in her kiss heated the room. She reached around and unzipped her skirt.
Mason pulled her face away from his. “Tell me what happened. You were so excited.”
She had pieces of her excitement, but she didn’t want to risk his reaction. Not when she felt so fragile from her parents’ response. She tried to kiss him again, but he held her still.
“You won’t tell me?” The hurt in his eyes cut straight to her soul. She didn’t want to save herself pain if it meant causing him any.
She rolled her head back on her shoulders, releasing herself from his grasp. She straightened her posture and looked him in the eye. “I got promoted to store manager.”
“No way.” The twinkle in his eyes matched his grin. “You said you wouldn’t know until after the holiday season. Wow. Congratulations.” He pulled her close. He looked genuinely happy.
“Which store?” He released her.
“The Galleria.”
His eyes widened. “As in four blocks from here?”
She nodded. She’d never seen so many of his teeth.
“That’s fantastic. Think of all the commute time you’ll save. It might wash out some of the extra hours you’ll have to put in.”
“You’re okay with that?” How was someone who’d only known her a few weeks more supportive than the family who’d known her forever? And why did it feel like she’d known Mason longer than any of them?
His eyes rolled. “Hannah, I’d be a hypocrite to complain about your schedule. Besides, with your own store, you’ll have more control, so things will run smoother.”
Was that confidence in her abilities she heard? The thrill she’d thought had gone flat bubbled up. “I haven’t told you the best part. I get to take my vacation time before I start. I’ll get three weeks in January.”
“Three weeks? New Zealand.”
Hannah shook her head. “Excuse me?”
“Let’s go to New Zealand, or Australia. Scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef.”
“I can’t scuba dive, Mason. I can barely swim.”
“Snorkel then. You can snorkel. It’s just like floating in an aquarium.” He squeezed her tighter. “You’ll love it.”
“Floating in an aquarium.” And the appeal of that? “I’ll think about it.”
“It will be great. I have some magazines upstairs. I’ll go get them.” He shifted to get up but stopped when Hannah turned his cheek with her finger.
How she wanted this man. “Is that really what you want to do right now?”
Mason cleared his throat. “I guess not. I thought we were going to have dinner to celebrate.”
“Mason. I’ve waited my entire life for someone to give me that reaction. Believe me, you want to be rewarded for it.”
…
The perfect woman. No doubt about it. Smart, beautiful, good job, and wanted to reward him for nothing. Didn’t get any better.
Except he didn’t want her to make love with him as a reward. He wanted to know who the jerks were who’d rained on her parade. “What reaction were you getting?”
“It doesn’t matter.” But it obviously mattered to her, so it mattered to him.
“Yes, it does.”
“My family doesn’t see it as the opportunity I—we do.”
Mason winced. How could they be anything but proud of her accomplishments? “This goes back to them not taking your career seriously.”
She nodded. “I was worried you might react the same way.”
He shook his head and gathered her close. “Honey, I want you to be happy like you were yesterday on the phone, and just now. I support whatever it takes to get you to that place.”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “Even if it means I’ll have less time for you.”
“You’ll make time for me.” He’d make sure of it.
Like summertime in the beginning of winter, her kiss was warm and inviting. Light and sweet and tender, but with an undertow that pulled a man straight to the dark side. He could kiss her all day, if they could stop at kissing.
Which he never seemed to be able to do around her. Hannah walked into a room, and he was looking for escape routes, dark corners, and easily removable pieces of clothing. Like the textured black skirt she’d already unzipped. He slipped his hand across the slippery fabric of her top and down to the opening of her skirt.
“Do you want me to take it off?” Hannah pulled away, her eyes dark and hazy.
He could only nod, hoping she meant more than just the skirt. As she rose from his lap, he pulled his shirt over his head and then watched as she wiggled out of the skirt. Her top actually fell with a lacy hem at midthigh. A slip.
The seam of his jeans dug into him as if it had been cinched. She stepped forward and pushed his legs together. Not the best idea, but he wasn’t about to tell her to stop as she straddled him and moved up until their torsos were almost touching, spreading his legs in a temporary release.
She took his hands in hers and placed them on the outside of her thighs. She pulled them upward, rubbing his palms over the silk of her stockings until he found the edge, and her bare thigh. She was walking around in lingerie and thigh highs. The perfect woman. He continued the journey until he found her panties. As he began to pull them down, she stopped him.
“You don’t have to,” she whispered. She led his hand to her center and urged him forward to find her meaning. Crotchless panties.
He groaned and looked into her eyes. They sparkled, daring him to continue. He held her gaze as he slipped first one finger inside of her, then two. She bit her lip as he curled them and pressed his thumb on her clit. When he tried to stroke her, she stilled his hand and removed it. Without breaking the gaze, he brought his fingers into his mouth and sucked, hard.
She licked her lips. “You are some kind of tease.”
“Who’s teasing?”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I want right now.” She found the button of his jeans, and he lifted his hips to help with the straining zipper. He was grateful as she carefully removed him from his boxers before shoving them down with his jeans. He tried to kick them off but remembered he still had his shoes on. Other realities flooded in, like the fact he didn’t have a condom.
“Hannah, let’s go to the bedroom.”
She shook her head. “Why?”
“Because that’s where the condoms are.” He grinned.
“I wore these panties all day because I knew I’d see you, and you don’t even bring a condom? There is a severe imbalance in our relationship.”
“It will never happen again, I promise.”
“It had better not. You stay here, I’ll get one.”
“Here? Why?”
“I have a thing about that chair,” she tossed over her shoulder as she sashayed to her bedroom. The chair? Whatever she wanted. His shoes, socks, pants, and underwear flew toward the door.
The click of heels on hardwood alerted him Hannah was on her way back. Except she hadn’t been wearing any shoes before. He’d had to lift her face and bend down to kiss her earlier.
The shoes in question were sparkling ruby red with at least three inches of stiletto heel. And they did amazing things for her already shapely legs. As she neared, he reached for the condom packet she held in her right hand and then froze when he saw what was dangling from her left. She must be joking.
“We don’t need handcuffs.”
She swung the metal cuffs from her finger. “If I have to be in charge of condom procurement, I think I get to be in charge of you, too.”
He gritted his teeth. He’d purposely taken the condom out of his wallet. He was always trying to jump her as it was. “I told you, it won’t happen again.”
She sat on his lap and rubbed her satin-clad hip against his hardness. “I promise, you will love it.”
He grasped her wrist as she grabbed for his. “No, Hannah. We don’t need props.”
“Don’t you trust me?” She pouted.
She couldn’t possibly expect him to fall for that. “Of course I trust you. It’s those things I don’t trust. I could tell you stories about calls we’ve had at the station to release people from bondage gone wrong.”
Hannah held them up and pressed a button on the side that released one side. “Relax, they were a prop from one of my sister’s displays at her lingerie store. And your hands will just be behind the chair, not on anything.”
“Is this for you or for me?”
Hannah shrugged. “Maybe it’s for me. It’s a fantasy I never dreamed I’d be brave enough to act out.” She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “I tell you what. You play with me now, and after dinner, I’ll do anything you want.”
His pulse quickened. “Anything?”
“Within reason.”
He shook his head. “Anything.”
He watched her neck as she swallowed hard. “Fine. Anything.”