HANNAH (Silicon Valley Billionaires 3)

We hung up, and I looked out the window at the traffic, grinning. I liked Lauren’s proposal, but I didn’t know if Hannah would want to take a quick getaway—for a number of reasons. She wouldn’t want to leave Paragon with everything that was going on. Also, she might not want the pressure of being alone with me in a sexy hotel room. I hoped that wasn’t true, but it might be. I needed to give her space until she was ready.

Still, I sighed, thinking about having her all to myself for the weekend. Especially if she feels the way I do. My body throbbed selfishly until we pulled up in front of the doctor’s office, and then all thoughts of sexy hotel rooms promptly fled, replaced by dread.

“Hannah was here earlier this morning, you know,” Karen told me as I lowered myself onto her rumpled love seat. My thighs screamed, and inwardly I cursed Ashley.

I sat uncomfortably, wishing I could flee. “Yeah, I know. How’d it go?”

The doctor adjusted her lavender glasses. “I think it went very well. She’s coming back early next week to repeat the therapy, and I believe that after another few sessions, her anxiety will have significantly abated.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“It really is. You two still haven’t been intimate, correct?”

I sighed. “Correct.”

“What do you think about that?”

Guess I wasn’t getting around this topic today.

“I think…we need to wait until Hannah’s ready. Her sister just called me—she wants me to take Hannah out of town for the weekend. She’s been working nonstop, and Lauren wants her to take a break. But I don’t know if that’s too much pressure, you know—taking her away to some fancy hotel.”

Karen tilted her chin, inspecting me. “What about you? Is that too much pressure on you?”

“I’m ready.”

The doctor watched me closely, and I groaned.

“I mean, I want to, but I don’t want to.” I clenched and unclenched my fists. I couldn’t believe I was talking to this stranger, a middle-aged woman wearing some smock-like dress, about my nonexistent sex life. “Do we really have to talk about this?”

Karen didn’t even blink. “Do you really want to avoid talking about it and hope it just blows over?”

I scratched my head. “Is it bad if I say yes?”

“No, it’s not. But you have to recognize that you won’t be as prepared as you could be, and that won’t be the best thing for Hannah.”

I grimaced as she struck the nerve she’d been looking for. “Do you recognize that you’re being very manipulative by putting it to me that way?”

She grinned at me. “Yes, I do. And for the record, I’d just like to say how perfect I think you and Hannah are for each other.”

“Okay…”

Karen gently smiled. “I know it’s manipulative of me to tell you to consider Hannah—still, you have to consider her. And I know that’s why you’re here. You want to get better for her.”

“I don’t need to get better—I’m fine.” I waited for her to object, but she said nothing, so after I minute I asked, “Unless you disagree?”

She watched me, not saying anything.

“Is this the part where you sit and wait for me to spill my guts and make an ass out of myself?”

She arched an eyebrow. “No, but I’m sure that’d be amusing. Please proceed.”

I coughed. “I don’t feel messed up. I was angry, and I’m still angry about what happened to her and to my coworkers that night. And about the fact that I couldn’t protect her, that I wasn’t there, that I was injured, that I’m still not better yet…”

Karen nodded.

“Are you agreeing with me?” My voice came out sharper than I intended.

“No. I was just signifying that I was listening.”