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For Hannah, love was an emotional form of Russian roulette. It was a game she didn’t play.
Her emotional safety was the most important thing in the world to her.
She didn’t even want to think about how complicated it would be if there was a baby in the mix.
“You’re worried I’m going to strip you of your assets?” He leaned closer. “We’ll sign a prenup, but I should warn you that in the event of an irrevocable breakdown of our marriage I want possession of your books. Given time and medication, I can probably learn to live without you, but I can’t learn to live without your library. Do you know what a turn-on it is knowing that you have a first edition of Great Expectations on your shelves?”
She could barely concentrate on what he was saying. She should do a test. “We won’t be needing a prenup.”
“I agree. A love like ours is going to last forever. You could say I have Great Expectations.” He winked at her, but this time she didn’t smile.
Love was fickle and unreliable, and definitely not something you could control. If someone’s feelings weren’t right, then you couldn’t force it. She preferred to build her life on a more secure footing.
He rejected the offer of champagne from the steward and asked for bourbon instead, raising an eyebrow when Hannah refused, too.
“Since when do you refuse champagne?”
Since I might be pregnant. “I need a clear head to finish this presentation.”
“You can handle this presentation with your eyes closed. I don’t understand why you’re stressed. What happened to the woman who danced barefoot in the office around an empty pizza box?”
She slid off her heels. “Can we forget that happened?”
“No. I have photographic evidence, in case you ever tried to deny it. And I intend to show it to your sister to prove how misunderstood you are.” He dug out his phone and scrolled through the photos. “Here. This is my favorite.”
She barely recognized herself. Her hair had fallen out of the neat style she favored for work and she was barefoot and laughing. What really stood out was the expression on her face. Had she really revealed that much?
“Give me that!” She tried to snatch the phone from him, but he held it out of reach.
“I will never forget that night.”
“Because I took my shoes off and danced?”
“I was thinking more of the pizza. It was good pizza. There were other nights, and other pizzas, but that was the best. I think it was the olives.” Smiling, he leaned forward and kissed her. “I love it when you laugh. You are always so serious in the office.”
“I’m a serious person.”
Adam eased away. “Who told you that?”
“My father.”
You’re so damn serious, Hannah. Lift your head out of a book for five minutes and have some fun.
Even now there were days when she felt guilty for picking up a book, unable to shake the feeling that there was something more valuable she should be doing with her time.
“I’ve got news for your father—he’s wrong.”
Adam had gradually chipped away at her defenses, and he’d done it so subtly she hadn’t even realized she needed to defend herself.
Her work often demanded that she work late, and there had been nothing notable about that until the first time Adam had strolled into her office carrying a pizza box.
She’d raised her eyebrows.
I don’t eat pizza.
There’s a first time for everything, McBride.
Somehow they’d ended up sprawled on the office floor eating pizza out of the box long after everyone else had gone home.
