Page 16 of Property of Blade
She studies me for a moment as if she’s trying to figure out if I mean it.Then, slowly, a small smile tugs at her lips.“Okay.”
Relief crashes over me, and I clear my throat, trying to regain some composure.“Good.Now, sit back down.Tell me what you think of our little town.”
Hannah practically skips back to the chair, her energy filling the room.“I love it here.It’s so different from LA.People actually look you in the eye and smile when you walk past.Everyone’s so friendly.And Grace loves it.”
“Grace?”I lean forward, resting my forearms on the table.
“My cat,” she explains, her grin widening.“She’s really the only one who loves me.”Her smile falters briefly, a shadow crossing her features.She shakes her head quickly, brushing it off.“Do you have a pet?”
“No.”I sit back, crossing my arms over my chest.“I work odd hours, and between that and the MC...a pet wouldn’t fit.”
Hannah’s eyes glimmer with something I can’t quite place—sympathy, maybe.“You’ll have to come for dinner and meet her,” she says lightly as if it’s already decided.
I glance down at the cookies on the table, giving them a pointed look, then shake my head slightly.“Or I could take you out?”
Her fingers go to her beanie, tugging it free.As her hair falls loose, the faint, clean scent of her fills the room with lavender and something sweeter.It tugs at my senses, making it hard to think straight.
“Like a date?”she asks, her tone teasing, but there’s something vulnerable in her gaze as she tilts her head.
My mouth opens, then closes.Dammit, Blade, just say something.My tongue feels like lead.“Yeah, like a date,” I manage, my voice rougher than I intended.
Her lips curve into a soft smile, and she leans forward slightly, her eyes holding mine.“Well, now you’ve got me curious.What’s your idea of a ‘date?’”
“Dinner.Somewhere nice,” I say, leaning into the challenge in her gaze.“Maybe a walk after.Or, I don’t know...”I hesitate, scratching the back of my neck.“You tell me what you’d want to do.”
Her smile widens, and she taps her chin playfully.“I think I’m warming to this idea of a walk.Somewhere quiet, just to talk.”
Relief and something warmer settle in my chest.“I can do that.”
“Good.”Her tone softens, but there’s a spark of something mischievous in her eyes.“I’ll hold you to it.”
I nod, feeling the smallest tug of a grin at the corner of my mouth.“You better.”
Hannah picks up her beanie, standing slowly, as if lingering, and I can’t help but notice the way her movements are effortless, graceful even.
“Well, I best be going,” she says, her voice light, but there’s an underlying hesitation.
“Okay.”
I reach down to grab the cookie container, but before my fingers close around it, Hannah’s hand rests gently on mine.The warmth of her touch sends an electric jolt straight to my chest, and for a second, everything else fades away.
“Keep it,” she says, her voice soft yet playful.“Maybe return it, and we can have a coffee before our date?”
I rub my chest, feeling the sudden rush of warmth as the electric buzz spreads through me.“I’d like that.”
She smiles, the kind of smile that’s full of promise and puts her beanie back on, turning to head for the door.“Thanks for the water.”
I follow her, my boots thumping softly against the floor.When we step outside, I walk her to her car, a sudden awareness of the cool night air brushing against my skin.I open the door for her, then pause, standing there with my hand still on the handle.
“Thanks for dropping by, and...”I trail off, trying to find the right words, but they don’t come easily.
She glances up at me, her eyes steady but warm, as though she’s waiting for me to say what’s on my mind.
“And?”she prompts softly, her lips twitching into that knowing smile again.
I clear my throat, the words finally spilling out, raw and unguarded.“And I’m glad you did.Really.”
“Give me your phone.”
