Page 130 of Bagging the Blueliner
Shit. Now, I would have to apologize for what I’d said in my annoyed state.
A strange tingle went down my spine, and my awareness peaked as the woman became fully visible, and I froze.
Standing there in a denim shirtdress tied at the waist, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and her caramel hair weaved into some kind of elaborate braid over one shoulder, was Hannah.
Reaching my hands up, I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Her laughter filled the air, and my heart twisted at the sound.
“Were you hoping it was someone else you could make your bitch?” she asked with humor in her voice.
Lowering my hands, I stared at her. Why was she here? And why was she smiling? The last time I’d seen her, she looked so sad, all because of me.
Her sparkling blue eyes scanned me from head to toe, and she licked her lips. Damn, if my dick didn’t twitch watching her size me up, looking like she wanted to devour me whole.
At a loss for words, I finally managed, “I don’t understand.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, it pushed her breasts up enough that a tiny bit of cleavage was visible where the top two buttons of her dress were undone, and I had to stifle a groan. “We had a deal. You bring home the hardware, and I show you everything I know on the ice. I’m not one to skip out on my end of the bargain.”
That was it? Any hope rising within me at her reappearance in my life was instantly dashed.
A heavy exhale left my chest. “In case you haven’t heard, Hannah”—fuck, it hurt to even say her name out loud—“I retired. You’re off the hook. Sorry, you came all this way for nothing.”
Narrowing her eyes, the smile slipped from Hannah’s face. “I’m mad at you.”
Shrugging, I replied, “You should be.” What did she want me to say?
“I am so furious at my father I could scream. For him to think he could make decisions about my life without my consent? But you’re not in the clear because you should have never gone along with it.”
“Excuse me?” My brain was misfiring. Surely, she didn’t know what had really happened.
“Last week, I went into his office to resign all my positions with the Comets and to tell him I was moving. That’s when he confessed everything.”
“You’re moving? Where?” I asked, still in shock.
“Oh, no. You’re not going to pick out the least important part of what I said and gloss over the fact that you let him bully you into breaking up with me. Why didn’t you fight for us? Didn’twhat we have mean something to you?” She started with fire but ended with a tone of hurt in her voice. I’d put that there.
I took a step toward her but stopped. “Hannah, you meaneverythingto me.”
Her baby blues became glossy, and her voice grew thick with emotion. “Then why?”
“I couldn’t be the man who made you hate your father.”
Looking skyward, Hannah let out a shaky breath. “Why does every man in my life think they know what’s best for me? Did anyone ever think of consulting me about whatIwant?”
That was my opening, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to let it pass me by. “What doyouwant, Hannah?”
She scoffed, training her brilliant blue eyes on me. “You think I came all this way for my health? I came to knock some sense into your thick skull.” Hannah walked down the porch steps, knocking her body into mine on the way past. “But if you’re too stupid—”
Before she could finish that sentence, I wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her into my chest. A gasp left her lips as a rumble worked its way up my chest.
“You better think really carefully before you finish that sentence,” I growled.
A wicked gleam—the one I loved so much—entered Hannah’s eyes. “Are you trying to tell me what to do? Clearly, you haven’t learned anything.” She huffed. “What a waste of my time.”
Cupping her face, I let my thumb graze over her cheekbone. God, I’d missed having her in my arms. She fit so perfectly.
Dropping my forehead to hers, I whispered, “I’m not letting you get away again. You’re staying.”
Then, the perfect girl said the perfect two words, “Make me.”
