by Codi Gary
“I could have danced all night!” she sang out, twirling as she turned on the bedroom light. She hung up the dress and zipped it back into the plastic garment bag, still singing softly.
She had experienced the most magical, amazing night, and the best part was, he wanted to see her again.
Her phone rang, surprising her when she realized it was Blake’s ringtone. Rushing out to her clutch, she answered breathlessly, “Hi.”
“Hey. I just wanted to say that I might be getting that house.”
Butterflies erupted in her stomach. She’d just said good night to him, which meant he’d gotten the message and immediately called her.
“Really? That’s fantastic! When do you know for sure?”
“I’m going to talk to him tomorrow and iron out the details, but I couldn’t wait to tell you.”
She was so giddy about his admission, she almost squealed. He’d gotten amazing, life-changing news, and she’d been the first one he wanted to share it with.
“Well, we’ll have to celebrate,” she said.
“We will, tomorrow. I better get off the phone, so I don’t get pulled over. I just wanted to tell you that, and I had a great time tonight.”
“Me too, Blake. Good night.”
Hannah clicked off the phone and, despite the pain in her feet, did a hopping, happy dance, full of high-pitched cries of excitement. She’d kissed Blake. She was dating Blake.
At least, she thought that was what was happening.
Afraid of waking her neighbors, she finally stopped and went back into her bedroom. Hannah took off the bustier and stockings and pulled on her gray flannel pajamas. She was too keyed up to sleep, so she went out to the living room and flipped on the TV as she sat back down on the couch.
Turning on Netflix, she picked up the first gift bag from the ball and started going through it. Bath & Body Works lotion, a 25 percent off coupon for a massage at a local spa. A bag of See’s Candy hearts. Yum.
She put everything back and picked up the prize she’d won. It was a red wine bag, and she didn’t remember it being this heavy when she’d grabbed it. Reaching in, she found a bottle of champagne with an envelope attached. She opened the envelope and pulled out the info and brochures inside.
Free two-night stay at The Landing in beautiful South Lake Tahoe. Must make reservation before April 1st. Weekend getaway includes two ski lift tickets for Heavenly Ski Resort.
Hannah stared at the script, unable to believe her eyes. She’d won a romantic getaway. She’d never won a contest in her life.
It was as if the universe was trying to tell her something. Maybe Blake was her happily ever after.
Forgetting about Netflix, she got up and went to her laptop. She was too hyper to sleep. She needed to write, but tonight, she wasn’t in the mood for a kid’s fantasy.
She started typing the first sentence in a brand-new document, and soon she’d written three whole chapters of a Cinderella remake.
Only in this version, Cinderella let the prince do some pretty naughty things in the royal storage room.
Chapter Twenty-Two
THE NEXT DAY, Blake found himself facing off against his greatest challenge; training Charge was beginning to seem like an impossible task. The dog was strong, determined, and had nearly no discipline to speak of.
But staring down at Charge as the dog seemed to smile wickedly back at him, Blake refused to give up.
“Best says you are trainable, but I think he’s full of shit.”
The dog’s tail whipped around like a windmill, spinning with excitement.
He held onto Charge’s leash but was so winded he could hardly breathe. He’d been running the dog for nearly an hour, and the son of a bitch just kept going. He was like the energizer bunny.
“How’s it going out here?”
Charge leaped forward when he heard Best’s voice, and the motion nearly jerked Blake’s arm out of the socket. Charge strained against the leash as Blake tried to bring him back to heel.
“You’ve given me a robot for a dog! This thing doesn’t tire, he is as strong as an ox, and I’m pretty sure he’s got the mind of an evil genius.”
“So, you’re saying it’s working out. Perfect.”
Blake grunted, digging in his heels. “Damn it, Charge, heel!”
The dog stopped pulling and came back to Blake’s side as pretty as you please, sitting. He stared up at Blake adoringly.
Blake blinked down at the dog.
“What the hell?”
Best shrugged. “Guess he likes the way you yell.”
Blake knelt by the dog’s side and lifted both his ears. “Did you check his hearing?”
“Of course I checked his hearing.” Best sounded offended, but Blake didn’t care. There was something going on with this dog.
“Maybe he’s not deaf, but hard of hearing. Do we have any of those training whistles still?”
“I might have one or two in my office,” Best said.
“I’m going to schedule him another veterinary appointment and, depending on what they say, try the whistle on Monday.”
“Does that mean you’re taking off?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a date tonight.” Blake didn’t really want to get into it with Best, especially after the razzing they’d all given him.
“Where’re you taking her?” Best asked casually.
“I’m not sure yet. Dinner, I guess.”
“But where, man? This is a first date, if we’re not counting last night. You want to wow her.”
“It’s actually our second date, not counting last night.” Although since she didn’t exactly know that was a date, Best might have a point.
“Where did you take Dani on your first date?” Blake asked.
“The Cheesecake Factory and a movie.”
Blake rolled his eyes. “Yeah, big wow factor there.”
“Touché.”
Thoughts of his first date with Jenny creeped in. Blake had taken her for dinner at Sonic, and they’d gone for a walk through town. Nothing fancy, but it had been nice.
“I’m already stressin’ without you telling me what I’m doing wrong, so if it’s all the same, just shut up, okay?” Geez, he hadn’t dated in almost a decade, and his one attempt earlier in the week had failed miserably. At least he had nowhere to go but up.
Best saluted him. “You got it. It will be fine, anyway. I’ve seen the way that girl looks at you. You could take her to McDonald’s, and she’d still think the moon rose and set on your ass.”
“That’s not shuttin’ up.”
“Fine, have fun tonight, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“There is nothing you wouldn’t do.”
“True.”
Best walked away, and Blake turned his attention back to Charge.
“Don’t worry, dude. We’ll figure out what’s up with you.”
BLAKE STOOD ON Hannah’s porch at two minutes to seven, taking a deep breath before he knocked. He’d gone casual with a pair of jeans, a collared shirt, and a jacket, leaving off a hat.
The door swung open, and Hannah smiled at him.
“Come on in, I’m just getting on my shoes.”
Blake followed her inside, his gaze traveling over her. She was wearing a low-cut black wrap dress with gray leggings, and as she bent over to pull her boot on, he got a great view of her breasts overflowing the black lacy cups of her bra.
She straightened up, brushing her loose hair over her shoulder. “I just need my jacket, scarf, and to find Milo.”
“I’ll get the dog, you finish up.” Blake gently touched her arm, and she stilled, looking up at him questioningly. He kissed her lips softly and whispered, “You look beautiful, by the way.”
She melted against him, and her hands slid up his chest, playing with the collar of his shirt. “You look nice, too.”
Disengaging himself from her before things heated up, he went in search of the puppy.
“Milo?” he called. The distinct
sound of a puppy growl drew his attention, and he found the golden brat at the end of the hallway, his hackles straight up.
“Come on, dude, we’re going to be friends.”
Hannah came up behind him, her voice stern. “Milo, stop that. I don’t know why he’s being that way. He never growls.”
“He’s a puppy, and he’s used to being the man of the house.” Blake bent over and scooped the pup up, looking him in the eye. “He’ll get used to me.”
The sound of liquid hitting fabric reached his ears before Blake realized the damn dog was pissing on him.
“Shit!”
He could have sworn the little runt smirked at him, as if saying, You wanna bet, asshole?
“Oh my God, please tell me he didn’t just pee on you,” Hannah asked behind him.
“I hate to break it to you, but . . . he did.”
“Crap! That is so weird, I just took him out! Let me put him in his crate, and while I’m doing that, take off your shirt, and I’ll throw everything in the washing machine.”
Blake felt a jolt at her command and slowly started peeling off his jacket, shirt, and undershirt. He wadded them up in his hands just as Hannah came back.
She opened up the hall closet and the washer on a small, stackable unit, tossing his clothes in. Once it was all started, she looked him over, biting her lip. “Do you want to take a shower? I imagine it soaked through your shirt.”
“If you just have a wet washcloth or something to clean up with.”
“Sure, hang on.” She squeezed past him and knelt down under the bathroom sink. Milo started whining and rattling his cage, and Blake glanced toward where the dog was watching him through the bars.
He stuck his tongue out at the dog, who barked and growled back.
“Here we go.” Before he knew what she was going to do, Hannah was running a hot, wet washcloth over his chest and stomach, the wet warmth raising gooseflesh across his skin. “I don’t know where he got you, but let me know if I miss a spot. Are you cold?”
“No, I’m fine.” In fact, his skin grew hot with every pass of that rough material, the only thing separating her hands from his bare skin. His heart pounded as he imagined her dropping the rag to the ground and running her hands over him, the soft brush of her fingers on him, touching every inch of him.
“I think that’s it. I’ll get you a towel.”
She walked away, the washcloth in her hand, and he couldn’t believe it. Here he was, sweating buckets and trying not to yank her against him, and she was acting as if she was just helping him out.
She could not be that innocent. She had to know what every sweep of that wet, rough fabric did to me.
Hannah came back with a dry, soft towel and started dabbing at his skin. Her motions slowed, and she glanced up at him, as if she was suddenly aware that he was half naked in her living room and she was cleaning him up.
Her hazel eyes wide, she started to step back. “I guess I could have let you do this.”
His hand covered hers, and he squeezed. “I like it when you do it better.”
He could practically see her pulse fluttering under the skin and had the urge to find it with his mouth, running his tongue along the column of her throat.
“Oh, boy.”
Her sweet little exclamation made him smile as he followed his instincts. His mouth covered that spot that had been teasing him, and he kissed his way down her neck until his mouth rested in the valley between her breasts, her chest heaving against his lips.
“I fucking love this dress.” He brushed his mouth against the mound of her breast, and she gasped.
“Maybe we should skip going out to dinner and just order a pizza,” she whispered.
Blake took a deep breath, trying to get ahold of himself as he brought his mouth back up to hers.
“No, I promised you a real date, and we will have one. It will just be a little later.”
“I might have something you can wear.”
Blake arched a brow at her.
“One of my dad’s T-shirts. Hang on.”
He reluctantly let her go, and she went into her bedroom. He was curious enough to follow her, looking around at the white four-poster bed and matching dresser. A cedar chest sat at the end of the bed, and several paintings graced the wall. One was of a little girl with the same coloring as Hannah cuddling an orange tabby kitten.
“My mom painted that when I was four.” Hannah held out a T-shirt. “Sorry, it’s all I could find.”
Blake held up the T-shirt, reading the front of the shirt with a grin. “Does your dad like Pomeranians?”
“It was a gag gift my mom got him when he brought home a Pomeranian puppy for my mom. He ended up taking Miggins over, and she bought him the shirt as a joke.”
Blake pulled it over his head, surprised at how long it was on his six-two frame. As he looked down at the panting Pomeranian picture on his chest, he shook his head. “Yeah, I can’t wear this out in public.”
“Then pizza it is.”
Blake had a feeling she didn’t mind staying in.
HANNAH WAS VERY aware of Blake and the fact that she’d been rubbing down his bare chest less than a half hour ago. What the hell had possessed her to do that? Especially when it had led to his mouth doing those delicious things . . .
God, her palms were sweating. She’d messed around with guys in the past, but it had never gone too far, mostly just because she hadn’t been that into it. She was always afraid of a parent walking in, and after that, she’d just never gotten that passionate, oh-my-God-I-want-him-so-bad feeling her friends had described, so she’d always pulled the plug before it got beyond third base.
But she definitely felt that for Blake.
She grabbed two Cokes from the kitchen and let Milo out of his cage, shooting him a dirty look. “Be nice.”
He gave her those soft, innocent brown eyes, and she melted.
When she came into the living room, Blake was looking over her bookshelf, his back to her.
“I hope Coke is okay.”
He turned, and she bit her lip to keep from laughing at the large picture of a Pomeranian on the front of the shirt and the words I LOVE MY POM-POM underneath.
“Go ahead, laugh it up.” He was smiling as he reached for the can she held out to him.
“I’m sorry. I use it as a sleep shirt mostly, and I’ve just never imagined a man actually wearing it.”
“You sleep in this?” Blake’s tone had taken on a gravelly note, and she swallowed.
“Sometimes, if it’s hot.”
Speaking of hot, had she turned up the heat, or was the air between them just charged?
“Wanna watch a movie?” she asked.
“Sure, I’m good with that.”
They sat down on the couch, and Hannah took off her boots. She grabbed the remote and turned on Amazon, searching through the new releases.
“Here, you pick something. I’m good with anything.”
Blake scrolled through and stopped on a comedy. “How about this?”
Hannah wasn’t a fan of one of the actors but just shrugged. “Sure.”
He clicked play and settled back into the couch, his arm stretched along the back behind her. She wasn’t sure what to do, so she sat a little away from him, her feet planted firmly on the ground.
She felt him move before the warmth of his breath brushed her ear and neck. “You can relax.”
His arm wrapped around her shoulders and snuggled her into his side. Hannah tucked her legs up onto the couch and leaned her head on Blake’s shoulder.
As the movie played, Hannah was very aware of Blake’s fingers stroking her arm through the thin fabric of her dress.
There was a sound from the porch, and Blake stood up, waving her back down.
“I’ve got it. Besides, you look too good right now. Don’t want to have the pizza guy drooling all over the pizza when he sees you.”
Hannah’s cheeks heated up as she watched Blake open up the front door and pau
se.
“Um, Hannah? It’s not the pizza guy.”
Hannah jumped up and came to stand behind Blake.
On the front porch were her mom and dad, holding on to a plastic bag and staring at Blake as if he was an alien.
“Mom. Dad. What are you doing here?”
Her mom at least appeared sheepish.
“We tried to call your cell phone and figured if you weren’t home, we’d just drop these things off to you. They were having a sale at Target, and I just thought they would look so pretty on you.”
Hannah took the bag and looked inside. Three or four brightly colored wool scarves intertwined, and Hannah smiled at her mom.
“Thanks, Mom. I love them.”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to the guy wearing my shirt?” her dad said gruffly.
Hannah cleared her throat and glanced up at Blake, whose expression was friendly.
“Blake Kline, these are my parents, Gilbert and Patty York.”
“How do you do, sir?” Blake took her dad’s hand first and then her mom’s. “Ma’am.”
“Oh! You’re the man who saved Hannah’s life,” her mother said excitedly. “What are you to up to?”
Her father was still scowling at Blake, and Hannah sighed, knowing there was no way out of the situation.
“Blake is my date.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
HANNAH WANTED TO bang her head against the wood of her kitchen table, cursing her weirdly close relationship with her parents. Considering how rarely she dated or even mentioned having a date to them, it was no wonder they expected her to be home alone, doing nothing on a Saturday night. Of course, they didn’t have to make it any more awkward by inviting themselves in, but they had. Her dad had actually grabbed the pizza that arrived moments later and bulldozed his way past all of them, camping out on the couch.
Hannah leaned to the side, trying to see Blake, who was sitting on the couch adjacent to her dad, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
“Hannah?” her mother whispered.
Hannah turned her attention back to her mother, who was watching her with one of those worried expressions she always got when she thought Hannah wasn’t eating right or wasn’t studying hard enough.