Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2) (7 page)

Hannah laughed. “That’s okay. It’s a big decision.”

The look on Alix’s face held nothing but relief. “Thanks.”

“I’ll leave you guys to think about it,” Hannah said, and, then asked, “Alix, could I speak with you for a moment, about a woman thing?”

Alix grinned and followed Hannah, while Troy shrugged and went back into the kitchen. They walked outside and sat on the bench swing on the front porch.

“Everything okay?” Alix asked once they were settled.

Hannah wasn’t sure where to start, so she just blurted it out. “I experienced Atingere during my trip.”

“Holy- no shit?!” Alix gawked. “Oh my god, did you go into heat or what? I went freakin’ cat-ass-crazy.”

Hannah’s cheeks flushed, and she started giggling despite her attempts to remain stoic. “Yes,” she said, reluctantly. “I lost control.”

Alix busted out laughing. “You sound like a damn robot.” She deepened her voice, and straightened her posture, doing her best imitation of a mechanical Hannah. “I lost control.” She play-slapped Hannah on the shoulder. “You went hog wild, didn’t you? I’ve seen your type back when I was doing tattoos in the shop. I know an animal when I see one.”

Hannah snorted accidently, and covered her mouth. “I clawed him, for God’s sake.”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“Stop it!” Hannah started laughing uncontrollably until she wheezed. “I’m gonna have a seizure.”

“Okay, okay...” Alix’s face was flushed from laughter. “Give. What happened?”

Hannah wiped the moisture from her eyes, composing herself. “The touch was like you said, except for the whole explosion thing. By the third time we touched, I couldn’t handle it anymore.”

“I know, right?” Alix nodded.

Hannah glanced past Alix, looking to see if Troy was near the window. She didn’t see him, so she asked, “This is kind of a dumb question, but does it ever get... less intense?”

Alix thought for a moment. “The touch, yeah. The sex, no. In fact, the sex has gotten a bit hotter.”

Great,
Hannah thought with despair. All she needed was for the mind-blowing-sex to become even more impassioned. She had an agenda. A goal that needed to be fulfilled. She didn’t have time for this kind of distraction. Taking a breather while at a seminar was one thing, but having a full-time relationship, and with a guardian at that, was quite another. There was no doubt in her mind that Dominic was going to be a problem.

The ringtone
“Hot, Love, Sex”
by the
Synful
blared from Hannah’s pocket. She fumbled for the phone while turning a bright shade of red.
Speak of the devil...
Hannah finally pulled the phone out, seeing Dominic’s name plastered across the screen. She tried to answer it before Alix saw the name, but failed miserably.

A series of snickers escaped Alix that threatened to become another laughing spree.

Hannah sighed in shame, and stood as she put the phone to her ear. “Hello?”

“Hey, girl,” Dominic answered in a deep soothing tone. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Yours too,” Hannah replied a bit more quickly and huskily than she’d intended. Even through the phone, she felt drawn toward him. A little tickle stirred in her belly. It was excitement, along with some blend of other emotions, but mainly exhilaration at hearing his voice. She wanted to see him, be near him, and touch him.
Good God, stop already,
she chided herself.
Just be cool
. “So, when are you coming in?” she asked. If she could have face-palmed herself without Alix seeing, she would have.
Real cool, Hannah...

“Next week,” Dominic said, without skipping a beat. “I was hoping that you might pick us up at the airport when we get in?”

“I suppose I could use the van, and possibly have enough room for all of you,” Hannah said. “But
someone
may have to ride on the roof.”

“Never van surfed before.” Dominic laughed. “Could be fun.”

His laughter was music to Hannah’s ears. “Just let me know the time, and I’ll be there.”

“You’re my hero. Talk to you soon.”

“Bye,” Hannah said softly before hanging up. She took a breath to calm her nerves.

“You’re so owned!” Alix laughed.

“Am not!”

Alix rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You got it bad.” She jabbed a thumb at herself as she lounged across the bench. “I should know. Once it’s in you, there’s no escape.”

Hannah gulped, as a bit of fear crept into her happy place. She was enjoying the newness of a fresh relationship and all, but Alix and Troy had already bonded and were headed for a long-term commitment. She wasn’t ready for that.

“Don’t look so blue,” Alix said, sitting up. “It’s not like anybody died. Just enjoy the ride.” She wagged her brows. “I sure am.”

Dominic watched luggage chug by on the conveyer, as people jockeyed for a better position to grab their bags. He rubbed his eyes with a sigh.

The flight had been a rough one. Washington state to Oklahoma wasn’t a long flight, but the layovers had been a nightmare. Several hours extra at each port had wasted the day, and drained the energy right out of him. A soft bed and a movie sounded pretty good at the moment, but, by the looks of the crowd, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

He’d had to call Hannah three times to reschedule the pickup. Though “had to” wasn’t really the right phrase. He loved the sound of her voice. The eagerness she let slip through every so often when they talked was delightful as much as it was encouraging. No, “had” wasn’t the right word. It was more like pleasure.

Fortunately, Hannah had been patient each time he called, and easily agreed to the changes.

Dominic wasn’t sure how this meet-up with her would go. The one night they had spent together had been just that, one night. He felt connected to her already, which had never happened to him so quickly before. In the past, it had taken him months to feel the level of comfort with a woman that he currently felt with Hannah. Unfortunately, he didn’t think she felt the same. Even though she sounded eager to see him at times, she also seemed to hold back just as often.

There was also the matter of when they touched. It wasn’t normal, and was kind of freaking him out. He felt electrified every time their skin came in contact. It wasn’t a bad thing, really, but it did cause some rather awkward moments with his sex drive. The more he thought about that night, and how Hannah had reacted to their touch, Dominic felt like she was experiencing something similar, even though she had played it off when he had confronted her about it. The morning after, he was so utterly spent that questioning her further on the matter was the last thing on his mind. Her flight had been scheduled early, so any questions he might have had wouldn’t have been answered anyway. The timing was just bad. They said their goodbyes in the lobby of her hotel, and that had been the last time he’d seen her.

Dominic shook his head slowly.
I’m such a fool
.

“You okay?” Nathan asked, as he walked up beside Dominic. The stocky ex-marine smirked. “’Cause you look like shit.”

Dominic chuckled. “Thanks. I’ll be fine.”

“Want me to get the bags?” Nathan patted Dominic hard on the shoulder. “Wouldn’t want you to strain yourself.”

“You’re a real comedian, ya know that?” Dominic replied, flashing his teeth.

Nathan gave him a nod. “Missed my calling.”

Dominic chuckled. “Undoubtedly.”

His thoughts drifted back to Hannah, as Nathan moseyed through the sea of people to the luggage conveyor. Dominic had other concerns besides her vacillating affections toward him. If she were to find out why he and his group were really here, she probably wouldn’t handle it very well, and possibly not even want to see him again.
Don’t waste time worrying about things that haven’t happened...yet
.

“Hey, stranger,” Hannah said from behind him.

Dominic turned around in surprise. “Hey!”

Hannah’s dark hair was up in a ponytail that gave her a spry youthfulness. She had a large, light green handbag that could have been a purse, but he wasn’t sure. The bag matched the green, long sleeve shirt that hugged her luxurious curves nicely. Her cheeks flushed, and a shy smile graced her smooth features. Caramel colored eyes looked up at him with a mixture of delight and uncertainty.

The two of them stood in awkward silence until Dominic snapped out of his funk. “It’s so good to see you,” he said, with a thousand times more enthusiasm than he’d intended. He leaned in for a hug.

Hannah stepped into him. “It’s good to see you, too,” she said as they embraced.

Careful not to touch her hair or skin, Dominic lowered his head and took in a deep breath. The scent of jasmine filled his senses, triggering memories of their last meeting. He almost growled with arousal, but released his embrace and stepped back instead.
Keep it cool, man
.

“If you guys are hungry, I made some muffins.” Hannah reached into her bag, and pulled out what looked like a small walnut covered cake.

Dominic smiled, and took the offered muffin. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Hannah said.

Dominic looked at Hannah questioningly. She wasn’t supposed to meet up with them until they got out into the foyer. Not to mention, he didn’t think it was even legal for her to be in this area unless she had a plane ticket. Dominic laughed. “How did you get back here?”

“I fly a lot. So, I know a few people...”

“Ah,” he said, taking her meaning.

“Where is everyone else?” Hannah asked. “You didn’t scare them off, did you?”

“I’ve tried, but they refuse to get rid of me.” Dominic was glad to see her sense of humor. It was a positive sign that her comfort level was in a good place. “But, for the life of me, I can’t figure out why.”

“It must be all that charm,” Nancy drawled as she walked up beside them. She was about the same height as Hannah, but a different build. Where Hannah was somewhat curvy, Nancy was on the slim side. Both were attractive, athletic women in their own ways. Nancy had an army-green tote bag over one shoulder, and a heavy black bag trailing behind her. She stuck out a hand. “Good to see you again, Hannah.”

“You, too.” Hannah took Nancy’s offered hand. “How was the flight?”

“A nightmare,” Dominic interjected. “If I never fly that airline again, it’ll be too soon.”

“Such a baby,” Nancy teased. “We’ve been through worse.”

Dominic nodded. “Truth.”

Nancy turned back to Hannah. “Did you ever get to meet the rest of our happy, little tribe?”

“No.” Hannah shook her head. “But I’d like to.”

“Well, it’s your lucky day, then.” Nancy took Hannah by the arm, and dragged her off into the crowd. They moved easily in and out of the milling groups of people to find a tall drip of a man standing near one the many vending machines against the back wall: Kevin. The girls chatted him up a bit then the trio moseyed over to where Nathan waited for their luggage.

Dominic hung back, admiring Hannah’s walk and well-proportioned body. He knew first hand of the smooth skin and toned muscles that lay hidden under her casual attire, and he longed to see them again. Her sure-footed stride and posture gave the impression of a woman that was accustomed to hard work and had forged some strong self-confidence because of it.

A stocky redhead stomped out of the crowd right up to Dominic. Her hair was cropped short in the back like Nathan’s, but was long on top and quite disheveled. Tattoos decorated her bare arms while her exposed midriff had yet to be marked. Army-green pants hugged her muscled legs as she planted fists on her hips. If Nancy and Hannah were athletic, Monica was muscular. She cocked her head sideways. “That the tart that’s gonna help us out?”

Dominic rolled his eyes. “She isn’t a ‘tart’ Monica, but yeah, she’s the one.”

Monica snorted as she eyed Hannah. “You always go for the girl-next-door types. When are you gonna learn, man? What we do doesn’t sit well with her kind.”