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‘Anytime.’ I frown when she still makes no attempt to come to me. ‘Are you gonna stay there all night, or come here and give me a kiss?’
Her eyes radiate vivacity as she twiddles her fingers. ‘I don’t know. Maybe I’ll stay here.’
‘Get that cute little colourful arse over here now.’
‘Why don’t you get that cute big muscled arse over here now?’
Fine by me. I have no problem letting her believe she has the control. Because she absolutely does. I push my shoulder off the frame and mosey on over, but I only take a few paces before she starts to move, too. Ah, the magnetism at play. The energy pulling her toward me. I stop, but Hannah doesn’t, her pace quickening until she’s running with a stupid big smile on her face. I brace myself for her attack and catch her when she launches her body at me, the force sending me in a spin. Literally. She’s head and shoulders above me, she jumped that high, her arse resting just right on my forearms, my face level with her boobs. I can’t help myself. I sink my face into her cleavage and breathe in. Her laughter sends blood straight to where it shouldn’t be right now. I growl and tear myself away, looking up at her. I swear, the face beaming down at me could blow my fucking dick off. ‘Stop smiling,’ I order, walking us back to the cabin.
‘Why?’ she chuckles, messing up my hair by rubbing her hands through it a few times.
‘Your smile does things to me.’ Every part of Hannah does things to me. ‘And we don’t have time.’ Just as I say that, I hear the sound of tyres, and Hannah looks up over my head. I don’t need to turn to see who it is. Hannah tensing tells me. ‘Darcy?’ I ask anyway.
She starts to wriggle in my hold, trying to break away. It annoys me more than it should, and I find myself clinging to her harder. ‘Ryan.’
‘What?’ I grunt, performing a 180 and releasing my arms so Hannah slips down, just a bit, and I can see. Though I still keep hold of her, even if she’s pretty much dangling from my front. Darcy remains at the wheel, but Alex dives out and declares her arrival with a cartwheel across the lawn. She’s top-to-toe in Darcy’s style once again. It doesn’t bode well. Is her mother going to go back to being a mega bitch?
‘Go talk to her,’ Hannah whispers in my ear, reaching behind her and taking my arms, pulling them apart. ‘Like a brave boy.’
I throw her a tired look, despite knowing she’s right. We have to put this to bed. ‘Fine,’ I mutter as Alex lands next to us.
She grabs my hand and holds it up. ‘What did you do?’
‘Yeah, what did you do?’ Hannah joins in the concern party, taking my hand from Alex and unwrapping the tea towel. She hisses at what she finds. I’d forgotten about it, to be honest. Now it hurts again.
‘It’s just a steam burn.’ I reclaim my limb and wave off their fussing. ‘Why don’t you two go finish off in the kitchen.’ I claim them both and push them inside before they can protest, closing the door on them. If this gets ugly, I want them out of the firing line of insults that I’m expecting to be tossed my way. I hear the sound of Darcy’s engine revving. She’s making her escape. No, no. Let’s get this sorted out.
Jogging down to the car, I put up my hand, a kind of I come in peace gesture. She looks like a petulant child as she lets the window drop, still looking forward when I make it to her side. ‘Hey,’ I say lamely.
‘Hello,’ she sniffs curtly. Oh, welcome back, Darcy Hampton. ‘Is there something you wanted?’
No, but I hear there’s something you wanted. I quickly shake off that wild thought and brace my hands on the edge of her window, leaning in. Be a grown-up, Ryan. She moves away, looking at me out the corner of her eye. ‘So, you might have guessed,’ I begin, feeling awkward as shit. ‘I’m seeing someone.’ How the fuck is this conversation supposed to go, anyway? How does a father tell his daughter’s mother that he has a girlfriend? Is he supposed to? Especially since said mother didn’t want him to be a father to their daughter. Really, I don’t even owe her this time. But again, for the sake of Alex and peace, I push back my resentment.
‘How lovely.’ She turns a tight smile my way. ‘I’m happy for you.’
‘You are?’ I say, cocking my head. ‘Because, fuck me, Darcy, you actually look like you want to stab me right now.’
Her nostrils flare. ‘You’re such an ape.’
