21. Chapter Twenty-one

Chapter Twenty-one

Remington

It was déjà vu seeing Hannah walk out of the police station. She hadn’t let me go inside with her, but that hadn’t been a surprise. Frustrating fucking woman. Her streak of independence was a mile wide, and as much as I liked the hell out of her confidence, in this situation, I would have appreciated her letting me in. Leaning on me a little. ’Cause seeing those slashed tires had carved a deep pit of uselessness in my gut, and I needed to feel useful right now.

She walked up to me, her tired eyes darting between mine. “You waited.”

“Where else would I be?”

“Back home, so you don’t have to deal with any of this.”

“Nah, the house is too quiet, and I don’t mind dealing with your complications. Especially when it means keeping you safe.” I nodded toward the station. “They have anything helpful to say?”

She shrugged, looking exhausted. “Same as last time. They’ll talk to him, check out Jacob’s security footage. I don’t know if anything’ll come of it. We’ll have to wait and see.”

That answer wasn’t even slightly good enough. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be able to wait and see, but for now, I was willing to drop it. Hannah didn’t look like she could deal with much more, and I wasn’t about to be the one to pile more burden on.

I took her hand in mine and squeezed. “Let’s get you home.”

She arched a brow. “You’re coming with me?”

“You surprised?”

She sighed a little laugh. “No. Not really.” We started toward her place, leaving my truck parked along the curb. “You know, I was doing a really good job keeping away from you.”

That that was exactly what she’d been doing hadn’t escaped me, but I couldn’t put my finger on the why. We’d called a truce, had come to an understanding. And I knew I wasn’t the only one feeling the pull between us.

“You were. Why is that?” I asked.

“I don’t think we should get mixed up.”

I held up our joined hands, scoffing. “I think we already are.”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Seems like it.”

When we got to her place, I didn’t stop at the bottom of her steps like I had the times before, and she didn’t question me following her. Once she unlocked the door, she opened it wide, inviting me in without saying the words.

Inside, Hannah bent down to unlace her boots, and I looked around. Her living room and kitchen were one cozy room. The furniture looked comfortable and lived in. Framed Wyoming landscape photos made up the art on the walls. Long velvet curtains flanked the tall windows, and matching pillows rested in the corners of the sofa. The kitchen took up one wall with aged white cabinets, a stove and refrigerator. A small, two-seater table divided the spaces.

It was nicely decorated. Anyone would feel at ease here. But it wasn’t Hannah. She didn’t belong in a small apartment. She needed space. A place to run, to have horses of her own, to spread out and be free. This apartment didn’t suit her.

Hannah had grown up on the largest ranch in this part of Wyoming, surrounded by animals and acreage. That was the kind of place where she belonged.

“It’s small,” I said.

“Is it?” She straightened and looked around. Like she hadn’t noticed the size before now. “Guess it is.”

“No yard.”

“Nope.” She pointed to my shoes. “If you’re staying, take those off please.”

“I’m staying.”

Her gaze flicked to mine. “Good.”

While I was kicking off my boots, she sauntered away from me, peeling her tank top over her head. Tossing it behind her, she continued toward a doorway at the other side of the room.

Hooking her fingers in the waistband of her jeans, she pushed them down her hips and wiggled them off her legs, discarding them just as carelessly, leaving her in black cotton underwear and a black sports bra.

“What’re you doing?” I gruffed.

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Taking a shower. My skin’s like a salt lick. Isn’t yours?”

I got caught on the long line of her spine as she moved away from me and the round curves of her ass cheeks peeking from the sides of her underwear. It was the shower turning on that brought me out of my stupor and the realization that I’d been given an offer to join her dawned.

I followed her, shedding my clothes on the way. She’d left the bathroom door open, confirming I was welcome. Kicking off my briefs, I approached the shower curtain and peeled it back. Hannah was under the spray, facing me. Her eyes flared for a heartbeat before she stepped back, giving me space.

I took it without hesitation, climbing into the small tub with her.

“Hey,” she murmured.

I took her by the waist, gently pulling her toward me. “Hey.”

Rivulets streamed down her face, gathering in the hollows of her collarbone. Her small breasts, capped in tight cherry nipples, grazed my chest, and her skin was warm and smooth under my palm.

“Hey,” she repeated, barely a whisper.

“Can I wash your hair?” I asked.

Her brows popped. “You want to?”

“I do.” I smoothed my palm from the top of her forehead, over her crown, to the base of her skull. “Prettiest hair I’ve ever seen.”

Her lips parted before she nodded. “Okay. If you really want to.”

“Told you I did, Han.”

I grabbed her shampoo, poured it into my hand, and slowly worked it into her hair. Eyes fluttering closed, she released a long breath and leaned into me. I took my time, massaging her scalp as I lathered her hair. With each pass of my fingers, the tension in her expression eased. I watched her, taken by the droplets of water caught in her feathery lashes and the single drop caught above the upturned bow of her lips.

I’d seen a lot. More than my fair share, truly. But without a doubt, I’d never seen anything as beautiful or wondrous as fierce and feisty Hannah Kelly giving herself over to me, even if it was temporary. No matter where I went or what I saw after this, I’d hold this image of her tight in my mind.

She rinsed the shampoo from her hair, and I repeated the same process with her conditioner. Taking my time, stretching it out as long as I could. By the time I was done, she was loose and pliant, her head on my shoulder, arms draped around my waist. And throughout it all, she’d turn her head every once in a while, pressing her lips to my skin.

“This is really nice, Rem,” she murmured.

“Anytime,” I promised, meaning it down to my depths. I’d fly from the other side of the world if she asked me to do this all over again with her.

She shuffled closer, her arms tightening. I dipped my head down to rub my cheek against hers. Pressed against her, I couldn’t miss the tremble that quaked her body.

“You doing okay, sweetheart?”

A sniffle followed by a nod. “I think it’s hitting me now. Someone really wants me to fail, huh?”

“Doesn’t matter what they want. It’s not going to happen.”

She tucked her face into the side of my throat. “I really don’t want to deal with this, Rem. Not on top of everything else.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll take over. If I need to, I’ll bring your family in. But you don’t need to worry about it. I have the room and time to take it on for you. Will you let me do that?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to get used to you.”

Her admission struck me in the gut, but she had every right to that feeling. I couldn’t give her any assurance. My plans were so up in the air, my next step was a mystery to me. But damn, I wished I could be the person Hannah could count on to be there when she needed someone to lean on.

I only had the present, and that was what I gave her.

“All I’m asking is for you to let me take this on. You can do that for me, right, sweetheart? Give it over.”

I didn’t get the response I was looking for, but I forgot all about it when Hannah lifted her head and pressed her lips to mine. She went searching for something, licking at the seam of my lips like a test. I let her in, gathered her tight, and soaked her up.

A naked, wet Hannah Kelly was in my arms, kissing the hell out of me.

She’d gone through a hell of a day, so I’d set aside our circumstances—naked, wet, close—to take care of her needs. I’d made my dick shut up and cut off my desire for this woman so I could focus on her and pull her through her troubles. But the meeting of her tongue against mine sparked me awake and every nerve in my body was aware of every inch of hers.

Whirling around, she shut off the water, and I followed her out of the shower, holding her hips and kissing the back of her neck and shoulders. Shuddering, she paused her movements and reached up to grip my nape.

“Oh god,” she moaned. “Look at us. I can’t—Remi, I can’t…”

Through the fog, our distorted image reflected back at us in the mirror. Me behind her, one hand braced on her hip, the other traveling up her ribs to cup her breast. Her skin was like peaches and cream, soft and flawless. Mine was brown from too much time in the sun without concern for sunscreen.

I rocked against her, my dick seeking her heat and finding it between the valley of her round ass. Her lips parted on another moan, and her head lolled on my shoulder.

“Remi, dammit,” she uttered. “I wasn’t gonna like you.”

I grinned against her wet hair as I passed my thumb over her nipple. “Does that mean you do?”

At her pause, I searched for her face in the mirror. She looked pissed.

“Tell me, sweetheart,” I ordered lowly. “Tell me what you mean.”

She shook her head, her spine arching as she sought me out the same way I had her. “I don’t know, but I need you to fuck me.”

“Christ, Hannah, you have no idea how badly I want to give in to you.”

She tipped her head to the side, bringing her lips to my throat. That was all the warning I got before her teeth sank in, biting down so firmly my eyes rolled back. Then she let me go and dragged her tongue along my stinging skin.

“Give in then,” she rasped, severing the last of my self-control.

My palm moved to her throat, cupping her with enough pressure to get her attention. Our eyes met in the mirror and became locked together in the heat passing between us. She saw me. Saw what I was feeling. And she did not flinch.

I tapped her fluttering pulse and lowered my mouth to her ear.

“Remember, baby, you asked for this.”

On her gasp, I pounced.