Slowly, she nodded. “I’m sure it’s nothing and we’ll be moving any minute.”
“Exactly.”
You could have heard a pin drop in the tiny space and as much as she didn’t mind the silence, there was far too much that she had to say.
“Um…since we’re stuck, can we talk?”
Taking a step back, Gage leaned against the opposite wall, his arms crossed over his chest. “Oh. Now you want to talk?”
Hannah stared back at him, completely unfazed.
With a sigh, he said, “Sure. Go ahead.”
Mimicking his pose, she started with an apology. “I’m sorry for leaving the way I did. It was incredibly rude and childish of me, but…as you said, I’m a runner and…I ran.”
All he did was nod.
“By the time I got home, I realized just how awful that was and I was forced to face some hard truths about myself.” Pausing, she shifted slightly on her feet. “Running was always easier for me and I don’t know why. I can’t even say when it started, but once I started thinking about it, it seems like it’s been a pattern for most of my life. I did run to avoid dealing with disappointing my family, I was running from LLH, and I ran from you.”
Another nod.
“But once I had a little something to eat and cleaned myself up, I decided to take your advice and fight.”
One dark brow arched at her.
“I’m not moving to Tennessee or Chicago or anyplace else. I’m staying put in Raleigh,” she went on. And before he could comment, she just kept going. “I confronted my bosses and the owners of LLH after handing in my resignation and apparently I got my point across. An hour after I left, I not only had my job back, along with the project that always should have been mine, but I got a raise too!”
“Good for you, Hannah. I’m sure that made you feel good,” he said casually.
Hmm…this is going to be harder than I thought…
“So, um…yeah. The job thing completely worked out and…” The sound of his phone ringing interrupted her. “Go ahead. Maybe it’s Rebecca about the elevator.”
While Gage took the call, Hannah reached into her weekender bag and pulled out a tin of cookies and began munching on one while she heard him questioning how long they were going to be stuck.
As long as it takes…
When he finally turned around, the words seemed to get caught in his throat for a moment. “Are you eating cookies?”
Nodding, she smiled and held out the tin to him. “Want one?” He took one of the chocolate chip cookies with crushed candy cane, but his eyes never left hers. “So? What’s the verdict? How long until we’re moving again?”
“Um…she’s not sure. The maintenance guys are at lunch so…at least an hour.”
“In that case,” Hannah said as she turned and crouched in front of the biggest suitcase. “We might as well get comfortable.” It was hard not to turn around and see Gage’s expression as she pulled everything out of the luggage, but once she was done and sat down to get comfortable, she smiled up at him. “Have a seat!”
He looked at her as if she were insane.
And maybe she was.
After all, not many people traveled around with a tiny Christmas tree, wrapped gifts, cookies, a bottle of wine, a cozy blanket, one laptop that was currently playing nothing but a roaring fireplace video, and another cued up with a holiday movie.
And not just any holiday movie, but The Muppet Christmas Carol that he’d been talking about almost since the day they met.
“What did you do?” he asked slowly, taking it all in.
“I’m giving us a place to talk with no real interruptions so I can grovel and beg for your forgiveness.” He didn’t sit, and he didn’t say a word, so Hannah got to her feet. “Every single word you said to me about how you felt the other night was like the best gift in the world. Only…I was too stubborn to accept it.”
“Hannah, don’t…”
“I wasn’t being honest with you, and I certainly wasn’t being honest with myself. The truth is…I thought I would be able to go into this whole thing–the fake relationship thing–and be okay with it. I knew almost immediately that I was wrong. I wanted more. When we crossed that line from friends to lovers, I kept telling myself it was okay because it was temporary and it would be enough. But it wasn’t. Hell, I’m not sure it will ever be enough.” Swallowing hard, she stared up at him.
“What are you saying, Hannah?” he said, his voice low and gruff.
“I’m saying…I love you, Gage. I’m in love with you. I want all the things you talked about. I want to see where this goes and I want to make plans and I want…”
She never got to finish. Gage closed the distance between them and claimed her lips with his in a kiss that was searing and brutal and…everything. Clutching at the front of his sweater, she held on tight, fearful he’d pull away.
But he didn’t.
If anything, he moved even closer. The next thing she knew, her back was against the wall and Gage’s body was pressed up against her from head to toe.
It was glorious.
She released his sweater so she could run her hands over his chest and shoulders before raking up into his hair. One leg was already itching to wrap around him when suddenly Gage broke the kiss.
“Are those real presents?” he breathlessly asked.
Unable to help herself, she giggled. Playfully, she pushed him away and reached for them. “Here. See for yourself.” Gage took one and she held the other, and she could barely contain her delight as he unwrapped it.
“Pajamas?” he asked with amusement. “You bought me Christmas pajamas?”
“Actually, I bought us Christmas pajamas!” Waving her box at him, she said, “I know I’m a little late, but…”
“When we get upstairs, we are definitely putting these on.” Then he gave her a quick kiss. “Thank you. I love them.”
“Why wait? Why can’t we put them on now?”
“Um…because we’re in an elevator?”
“And?”
“And what? Isn’t that enough?”
Shaking her head, she placed her box down and kicked off her shoes.
“Hannah, come on. Be serious,” he said with a small laugh.
She pulled her sweater up and over her head and tossed it in the corner on top of her shoes.
Gage looked around frantically. “What if there are cameras in here?”
Tugging down her leggings, she said, “There aren’t any.”
Wide-eyed, he stared at her incredulously. “How could you possibly know that?”
Hannah was down to her underwear–a festive set in hunter green–and stepped in close as she told him, “Because I’m the reason we’re stuck in here and it was one of my first questions.”
“You’re the…? What!?”
Bending over, Hannah picked up her present and unwrapped it, pulling out her pajamas–which were nowhere near as sexy as her undies, but…there would be time for sexy later. Instead, she pulled out her red flannel pajama pants with little snowmen on them and the matching t-shirt and slipped them on. As soon as she was dressed, she knew there were a few more things she needed to say.