“I know, and that’s good. But I don’t think Ellis has taken a weekend off in ten years.”
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend or anything?” Hannah asked.
“Hell no. I don’t think he’s ever had a real relationship. There’ve been plenty of girls, but no one he ever brought home.”
“Well, maybe he’ll find a worthy candidate in Silicon Valley.”
“Maybe.” I couldn’t picture Ellis taking a woman out to dinner and a movie. All he normally did with his free time was clean his guns and drink beer.
“I think he will.” Hannah, ever the optimist, seemed determined.
“I’m going to have to buy a new house,” I complained. “There’s no way I could live with him full-time. I love him, but he drives me nuts.”
“You don’t need to buy a new house right now. We’re staying here where it’s safe, remember?”
We got to our suite, and I held my breath as she opened the door. With Marcus’s help, I’d filled the room with flowers and flickering candles.
Hannah turned to me, eyes shining. “Wesley, what did you do?”
I grinned. “I wanted to celebrate you going back to work.”
She walked around the room, examining the flowers. “Oh. Wow.” She hugged her arms around herself, suddenly looking like she might cry.
“Hey—come here.”
She came over, and there were tears in her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m happy for you.”
Her tears spilled over. “I’m happy, too.”
She wiped her eyes, leaning down to kiss me. I cupped her face in my hands, wishing to Christ I could sweep her off her feet and carry her to the bed. Our tongues tangled, and I pulled her gently onto my lap. She felt my erection and scooted off me, breaking our embrace.
“Honey, we can’t do this.”
I pointed at my dick. “It doesn’t have to be involved at all. This is about you.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Let’s just wait, okay? Until we can both participate? I wouldn’t feel right about it.”
“You don’t want to let me touch you?”
Hannah’s face fell. “Of course I do. But it wouldn’t be the same—I don’t want it to be all about me.”
I smiled at her gently. “I am more than prepared for it to be all about you. But if you don’t want to do this right now, I understand.”
Still, something about her reaction bothered me. This wasn’t the first time since I’d been out of the hospital that she’d avoided getting physical. I didn’t know if it was because she was worried she’d hurt me, wasn’t as attracted to me in my beat-up state, or if it was something else…the same something she’d had a nightmare about last night. She’d woken up screaming for the third night in a row.
Looking crushed, Hannah reached for my
hand. “I’m not rejecting you. You know that, right?”
“Of course.” But it sounded like a lie.
She ran her hands through my hair, her wide blue eyes looking at me with concern. “I can’t wait to be with you again. Seriously, I think about it all the time. But I don’t think I’d be able to relax if I’m the only one getting naked. And you’ve already done so much”—she motioned around the room to the candles and the flowers—“in addition to taking a bullet for me. I don’t want to be a taker.”
I laughed. “You’re kidding, right? You moved me into your sister’s house, and you’ve been waiting on me hand and foot. If anyone’s a taker, it’s me.”
We looked at each other for a beat, neither of us sure how to proceed.