Chirp(58)

“People are still recovering from the festival. It’ll pick up again in a day or two. Why don’t you go on home? I’ll lock up.”

“Okay. See you tomorrow.” Hanna grabbed her purse from the back room and headed to her car, parked behind the building. When she rounded the corner, she saw Seth leaning against her fender.

“I noticed you have a flat, so thought I’d offer you a ride home.”

She jerked her head toward the Chevy. Dad had been after her for months to get new tires. She should have listened. “That’s okay. I’ll call Tiffany.”

“She and Nick are on a date. No need to interrupt them. Besides, I’m already here. Just get in the truck. I’ll have you home safe and sound in no time.”

He had a point, but the last thing she wanted was to be alone with him. “Not a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Just isn’t.”

“Have it your way, then.” He walked to his vehicle.

He was right. She shouldn’t depend on Tiffany, and she hated to wake her parents. “Okay. It’s only a ride. Right?” Oh God. Don’t grin. Don’t grin. Don’t grin. Damn. His lips curled into the most delicious smile, and her knees weakened again. She ran her hand along the hood to steady herself, then opened the door and crawled inside.

He backed out of the parking lot, pulled forward, then stopped. “You hungry?”

“No.” Her stomach betrayed her and growled.

He chuckled. “I think you are. Burgers and Fries is still open. Let’s swing by.”

“That isn’t necessary. I can get something at home. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

He turned onto the highway. “Come on, Hanna. I’m leaving tomorrow. Spend a little time with me.”

“Why?”

“Because we have unfinished business.”

If you only knew.





27


Hanna


Hanna placed her hand against her chest. Unfinished business? A light bulb came on in her head. “You let the air out of my tire, didn’t you?”

Seth looked at her, and his lip quirked up. “Yes.”

“So you’re kidnapping me.”

“Not hardly. You got in of your own free will.”

God, she wanted to slap that grin off his face. Or kiss it off. Yeah, that sounded better. “Only because you tricked me.”

“Guilty. But still—didn’t force you.”

“Why? And what unfinished business could we possibly have?”

He ignored the question and whipped the truck into the drive-through lane. “You want the Bluebird burger with mayo, no onions, no pickles, and a vanilla coke. Right?”

She blinked. “You remember?”

He licked his lips. “I remember—everything.”

So did she, and that was the problem. He was about to marry someone else, and all Hanna wanted to do was screw his brains out. But she couldn’t let that happen for a multitude of reasons. He didn’t belong to her. And, more importantly, she wasn’t wearing sexy underwear.

In all of her Seth sex fantasies, she’d worn a hot-pink cheeky panty and matching French-cup bra. He’d been so eager to get her out of them, he’d ripped them off. She was a terrible person. Lusting for an unavailable man. She didn’t know which was worse—shame or desire, because those two emotions were battling it out.

“So, Blaze says you’re about to start a new job with a big law firm. Congratulations.”

He placed the order and moved to the next window to pay. “That’s not going to work out.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you’d already been hired.”

“I believe everything happens for a reason. Like the timing of my visit here.”

“What does that mean?”

He drove forward again, got their food, turned back onto the highway, and headed south. “I’ve been trying to sort some things out, and coming here helped me do that. Quiet time in the country cleared my head.”

“That’s good, I guess.”

“Blaze told me you have a project going with bath products. I figure that’s what you were doing earlier. Right?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to get it off the ground, but not having much luck.” Hanna noticed her surroundings and panicked. “Where are we going?”

“Back forty. Did some target practice there the other day. Thought it’d be a quiet spot where we could talk.”

Sitting with him under a full moon and starlit sky would only add fuel to her burning desire and misery. “I should get home.”

Too late. He’d already made the turn, and within minutes he parked, then handed her the sack. She’d lost her appetite. Why wasn’t he going to work for his soon-to-be father-in-law? What had he been trying to sort out? Her brain flooded with questions, but she didn’t dare ask. The best thing to do was eat her hamburger and get away from him as fast as she could. Because being this close to her only lover, her son’s dad, the man who still owned her heart, was taking its toll.

“Are you all right?” Seth asked. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”

“I was more tired than hungry. It’s been a long day.”