Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

It doesn’t rain a whole lot in the summer in Montana, so when it does, it’s warm and fast. This will pass.

“Are you okay out there?” Someone yells out from their house.

“I’m fine, just waiting for a break in the rain,” I call out in return. This must be a good answer because they don’t say anything more.

Finally, the rain calms to a heavy sprinkle, so I set out to Brad’s house again. Rather than just dusk, it’s pitch dark when I make it to his house. The front windows are lit from inside, with the shades pulled. His porch light is on.

I wander up the sidewalk, climb the two steps to his porch, and then sit in his porch chair, breathing deeply.

I’m almost sober now, but I want to be all the way sober when he opens the door. I don’t need to make an ass out of myself in front of him.

No way.

After three deep breaths, I stand and knock on his door, excited to see him. I’m not prepared to see the expression of horror on his face when he swings the door open.

Chapter Twelve

~Brad~

I’M PATHETIC.

I’ve spent all evening doing my best to stay busy, waiting for Hannah to ring the doorbell, trying to keep my mind off of her and on other things. I paid bills, I finished hanging some cabinets in my garage, and I gave Sadie a bath.

Much to her dismay.

I’ve had music playing through the house as I putter around, pretending that I’m not thinking about Hannah and her beautiful blue eyes. Her perfect skin. The way she laughs when we’re being silly, or the way she moans when I’m making her crazy.

But as soon as I’m distracted by something, my mind wanders back to her, and I can’t help but wonder what she’s doing and why in the hell she’s not here yet.

Just as I finish folding a load of laundry, there’s a knock on the front door. I grin and hurry over, swing it open, and standing before me is Hannah.

Soaking wet.

Covered in glitter.

A black eye.

Anger, swift and hot, surges through me, but before I can ask who the hell did this to her, she smiles brightly and says, “Oh my God, I had so much fun.”

She walks past me into the living room, drops her shopping bags and purse on my couch, and greets an excited Sadie, giving the dog pets and kisses, transferring the glitter to the clean animal.

“Hannah.”

“Yeah?” She swings around to look at me. “Oh, sorry. I should have done this first.”

She launches herself in my arms and kisses me soundly, twisting her fingers in the hair at the back of my neck.

“You smell good,” she murmurs.

“You… don’t.” I laugh and set her down. “Have you been drinking?”

“Oh yeah,” she replies with a snort. “I didn’t have to work, so I had some wine.”

“And you drove here?”

She immediately scowls. “Hell no, I don’t have my car. I walked here. I’m not my father.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Of course.” I’m completely thrown. This is so unlike Hannah, I’m not sure how to react. But she looks happy, so there’s that. “Who the fuck had their hands on you?”

“Huh?”

“The black eye.”

She frowns and feels her face, and then laughs again. “Oh, that was Grace. She likes it rough.” She snorts again, dissolving in laughter. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“I can’t believe Jenna let you walk here,” I mutter, but Hannah shakes her head.

“I insisted. It felt good.” She shivers. “But now I’m getting cold.”

“You need a hot shower.” I take her hand and lead her into my bathroom. I turn on the water to heat up, then turn to her and have the pleasure of stripping her bare. “You even have glitter in your navel.”

“Now I don’t have to have it pierced.”

She’s grinning from ear to ear. “I’m glad you had fun, sweetheart.”

“I had more than fun.” She grips onto my shoulders to steady herself as I pull her wet panties down her legs. “I had a blast. We shopped a ton, and I met some new people. How is it that I’ve lived here for five years, and there are still so many people I don’t know?”

I guide her into the shower and shut the glass door, still listening to her talk.

“I should know more people,” she continues. “But I work too much. It feels good to finally feel like I’m part of this community.”

“You are a part of the community.”

“You’re sweet.” She clears the fog from the glass and smiles out at me. “Brad?”

“Yes, Hannah.”

“Can you please come in here and help me wash this glitter off?” She bats her eyelashes, making me grin. “Pretty please?”

I’ll never say no to getting naked with her. Ever.

“If I come in there, it may not stop at washing glitter.”

“Oh good.”

I hurry out of my clothes and join her. “What do you need?”