Chapter Six
What did he just say?
She quickly averted her eyes from his sparkling brown ones. She needed to act cool and flippant. “Absolutely not at all what I was thinking.”
“But wanting?” He leaned towards her.
Her toes curled as she inhaled the smell of his aftershave. How could a man smell that good at the end of the day? “Wanting?” Jackson Pierce definitely knew how to charm a woman.
“You want me to kiss you.” He hadn’t stopped smiling and she couldn’t either.
“I think you’ve had too much to drink.” Hannah laughed.
“Hannah, two whiskeys wouldn’t even alter my blood alcohol level,” he said dryly.
She liked teasing him. It was electrifying and exciting, and it seemed so natural. If circumstances had been different and they weren’t who they were, maybe this is what they could have been like. Now that they weren’t talking about their pasts anymore she could relax. Or should have been able to if Jackson hadn’t started talking about kissing her. The thought of her lips touching Jackson’s was enough to send her running because she knew it would be sinfully good.
“Now you, on the other hand, you don’t look like you can handle much more,” he said smugly and poured himself another round. Hannah watched him swallow the liquid in one fluid motion, admiring how the muscles in his tanned neck flexed. He was too handsome for his own good. The sparkle in his eye told her that he knew she was checking him out, and liking what she saw.
She pursed her lips and used her most authoritative tone. “Actually, Jackson, I know exactly how much I can handle. I can drink four and a half shots of whiskey before I start acting like a moron. So fill’er up, buddy.”
“Yes ma’am,” he said with a laugh. “But now I want to know how you figured out that you can drink precisely that amount,” he said, handing her a refill. When their fingers met, they both lingered for a few extra moments. She hoped her old calculation was still accurate. She was surprised she actually revealed that, because of course Jackson would want to know.
“When I was in college I thought it would be a wise endeavor to drink in the privacy of my room until I got royally wasted. That way I wouldn’t have to worry about over-drinking when I went out with friends. So I finally got the amount right, and discovered that four and a half was enough without losing my head.” She tried to sound matter-of-fact, and leave out any connotation that there would ever be any other reason than that. She finished with taking a long drink of her scotch. Jackson watched her pensively.
His brow furrowed. “So, let me get this straight. You sat in your dorm room by yourself and measured what your maximum dose of alcohol would be. Don’t you think that’s a little odd?”
She shook her head. “I don’t like feeling out of control.”
“I can understand that,” he said with a nod. But she could tell that he knew there was more to the story. A part of her wanted to tell him everything. “A nineteen-year-old doesn’t do that kind of thing.”
“Well, this one did,” Hannah said and held up her glass. “Now, if you don’t mind I’ll have that next shot. And I believe we were playing a game of truth or dare.”
“You’ve been alone for a long time, haven’t you?”
Hannah swallowed hard. Why would he ask that? It was the grandma hat. The books. Her holiday bag. He was learning too much about her. It was disconcerting. His feet were propped up on the ottoman in front of the sofa and he stared at the fire straight ahead, almost like he knew that if he looked at her it would be too personal. When she didn’t answer right away he turned.#p#分页标题#e#
Hannah made the mistake of looking at his lips. He really shouldn’t have such nice lips. They should have been thin, not sensual. He shouldn’t have sensual lips. But her feelings went beyond how he looked. She shouldn’t have enjoyed his company as much as she had today. Conversation with him was interesting and exciting. Being in such close proximity to him was unbearable because she wanted more from him, and that itself was a shocker. She had never wanted another man like him. She had never felt desire like this. The need for him to touch her, hold her, was so powerful that it made her want to ignore all the reasons she couldn’t possibly ever pursue anything with him.
His question. She nodded finally, clearing her throat and looking away from him and the feelings he conjured up. “Yes, I guess I have been alone for a long time.”
“Do you ever want to let go? Let someone take care of you?” His voice was gruff and sent shivers of pleasure throughout her body. She could hear the emotion behind his words, and the oh-so-tempting idea of letting someone take care of her, someone like him. But she knew what happened when you let your walls down and cared about people. There was always a reason someone couldn’t love her enough to let her stay. It was a hard lesson she didn’t want Emily to have to learn. Emily. She had nearly forgotten about Emily and why she was here. She hadn’t broached the subject of adoption at all today, hoping that maybe if she lay off the topic he’d bring it up. But he hadn’t. How could she be attracted to someone who refused to help his own flesh and blood? She finished her whiskey and turned to look at him. He still watched her with that I’m-going-to-kiss-you look that she had now identified. Focus, Hannah.