"The kitchen is straight ahead," he said, coming into the living room behind her. "The bedrooms are upstairs." He pointed to the flight of stairs that led to a balcony. "There's a bathroom down that hall. Let me show you around."
The tour of the main floor took a matter of moments. He saw her take in the rough kitchen, the sparsely stocked shelves and lack of a dishwasher. He closed the bathroom door almost as soon as he opened it. He'd forgotten he'd left it a mess this morning.
"Your room is up here," he said, leading her up the stairs a few moments later, hoping the condition of the place so far hadn't put her off. At least the spare room was in decent shape. He'd had the presence of mind to check that. It contained a queen-sized bed, a plain wooden dresser and a desk under the single window.
Hannah stood in the doorway, as if reluctant to come any farther inside. "It's nice, I guess."
Uh oh. Was she having second thoughts? Time to turn on the Matheson charm. "Come on in, take a better look." He entered the room fully and held out his hand.
To his surprise, she took it. Hers was warm and small in his, and he squashed an urge to caress it.
Barely.
Instead, he showed her the closet and opened a drawer in the dresser. "There's a desk here for you, too."
"Terrific."
Her voice was small and thin. Glancing down at her, he caught her glancing up, and suddenly he knew she was feeling the same way he was. Nervous. Interested. A little excited.
He tried to dampen that excited feeling, or at least get it under control, but he was all too aware of her standing next to him in this private place. There was a bed right there, after all-a comfortable, beckoning bed.
"Hannah, look," he began.
"Jake, I … "
They stopped. Laughed a little.
"You first." Jake thought she'd protest, but she took a breath and began to speak.
"Ever since that night … when the men came for Fila-I haven't been able to sleep very well."
He nodded slowly. It wasn't what he'd expected her to say. He'd expected her to mention Bella and Evan's wedding-what happened in the break room. They still hadn't spoken of it despite the many conversations they'd had since. He thought about it all the time. He figured she must have thought about it, too. Instead of asking him why he'd done what he'd done, however, she was talking about the night they'd reconnected. The night terrorists had come to Chance Creek hunting for Fila. The night he'd been part of a shootout-his first and hopefully last-and Hannah had been there, too. In harm's way. It made sense she had trouble sleeping since then. Less understandable was the blush creeping over her milky skin. He'd been around Hannah long enough to know that she blushed easily, but what had set her off now? Worry that he'd find her nightmares childish? Or something else?
"Sometimes I'm up for hours," she went on. "I usually end up in Autumn's kitchen, drinking warm milk. I read or turn on the television."
She looked at him expectantly but he wasn't sure what she was trying to tell him. "That won't bother me," he hazarded.
Hannah bit her lip. "I guess what I'm saying … what I'm asking," she corrected herself, "is-could I sleep with you tonight?" Her words came out in a rush and her flush deepened.
Well, he'd be damned. She really did want him. A certain part of his anatomy stirred to life and a quick series of images flashed through his mind. Hannah undressed, reaching for him. Ready for him. "Uh … sure. You bet. No problem." Hell. He sounded as eager as a schoolboy. Time to get a grip.
Time to act like a man. If Hannah was woman enough to ask that favor, he wasn't going to leave her in any doubt of his willingness to comply. He tightened his hold on her fingers, tugged her closer, slid a hand under her hair to cup her head, bent down and kissed her.
Her mouth was as soft and sweet as it had been at the Mortimer wedding, and he thought he could spend hours just like this-kissing her like he had that night in the break room. She hesitated only a second before sighing and melting against him. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, his whole body set alight when her breasts touched his chest, her thighs pressed against his. He nibbled her lips, then searched with his tongue until she parted them with a sigh and allowed him in. The taste of her turned him on until he thought his blood would boil with wanting her.
He waited for her to pull back, but she didn't. In fact, she answered his kiss with a hunger of her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoes to lean into him. Jake didn't realize that he'd been edging them toward the bed until his shins grazed the mattress, and then laying her down seemed like a brilliant idea.
He worried for a moment Hannah might not agree with him, but when she sighed again, all rational thought flew out of his head. Sliding his hands down to cup her bottom, he squeezed gently and she moaned in answer. On fire with wanting her, Jake lifted her up and set her onto the bed, quickly joining her. He laid her back against the pillows, and still kissing her, began to unbutton his shirt. Her fingers joined his in a race to get it off. Soon it was loose, and Jake chucked it over his shoulder, then turned to the business of unbuttoning her blouse.
With him starting at the top and her starting at the bottom, it was only a moment before he could spread the panels wide and dip his mouth down to trace the edge of her bra. Trailing kisses over her smooth skin, he longed to see the rest of her.
He couldn't believe this was happening so fast-at all-but he wasn't one to squander an opportunity. Maybe Hannah had wanted him all this time, like he'd wanted her. Now they were finally together. He slid his hands under her back and fumbled with the clasp as she arched to allow him access. When it came free, and he slipped the lacy garment from her shoulders, she moved to accommodate him, then stretched beneath him.
The movement of her breasts entranced him and he dipped his mouth to take one rosy nipple into it. Heaven. He'd died and gone to heaven, and the angel in his arms, her white-blonde hair spread over the pillows, was his proof.
Hannah gasped as he sucked on her nipple and swished his tongue over it. He moved upward to kiss her again, then over to her other breast, worshipping it in turn. Jake took his time over teasing her with his mouth and tongue until he ached with too much longing for her to wait another minute. When he pulled back, Hannah forestalled his questions by reaching down, unsnapping her jeans, and wriggling out of them.
"Are you sure?" he breathed against her neck as he swooped in for another kiss. Her breasts blazed against his chest as skin touched skin and he gathered her up in his arms, held her tight and trailed more kisses under her chin, down her jaw, under her ear, and down her neck on the other side.
Hannah nodded, and he pushed himself up to his knees, undid his own belt buckle and shucked off his jeans. He watched her all the while, taking in every inch of her body, bare to his gaze except the tiny silky panties she still wore.
He groaned when she hooked a finger under their thin strap and pulled them off, too. If he'd had any doubts of her willingness to take things further, he was under no illusions now.
She wanted him as much as he wanted her.
"Jake. Protection," Hannah whispered in his ear as he covered her.
She wanted to throw protection to the wind. Wanted to throw everything to the wind and pull Jake inside her. When she'd said yes to moving to the Double-Bar-K, this was exactly what she'd hoped for, no matter all the practical things she told herself about not getting involved with a man just before starting school.
She wanted to be right here. In Jake's arms. Him inside of her, moving with her. Why on earth had she stayed with Cody so long? Why on earth had she ever dated anyone else than Jake?
He pushed back. "You're not on the Pill?"
"No. Not now. And even if … "
"Got it." He thought a second. "Hold on."
Bereft of his presence, she moved to draw the coverlet and blankets over her. She'd barely accomplished the maneuver when he was back. He tossed the blankets aside, climbed back on top of her and fiddled for a moment with a box and wrapper before throwing them aside, too. He gave her his full attention.
"All set," he said, and she wasn't sure if he was making an announcement or asking her a question. She lay back and searched the face of the man poised above her. She'd always remember this moment, she thought; the moment just before she and Jake became truly intimate. Heat pulsed between her legs and she could stand the distance between them no longer.