The fragrance reminded him of Zyah, but set off his addiction for her. He could taste her in his mouth. He had to work very hard to keep his body from reacting. The tea shop was filled with women, his lady included, and her grandmother, and he was having lustful thoughts triggered by the scent of lotion. Great. Just great. “That’s amazing, Hannah. It smells just like Zyah. How did you manage to do that when you’d never met her?”
Hannah brought the lotion back to her nose and used her hand to send the scent to her. “I got it right? I’m so glad. I made one for her to massage you with as well. Actually, I’ll confess, it was a collaboration between Preacher and me. He really is talented. His gift is so strong. Sea Haven attracts many with various talents of different strengths, but truly, his is quite rare.”
“You said Sabelia was apprenticing under you. Is she like Preacher?”
Hannah glanced up to look at Sabelia, who was waiting on two ladies at a table close to the large one where Zyah was. One of the two women was the physical therapist from out of town. She was having an animated conversation with a woman who looked to be about fifty. The two were laughing and seemed very relaxed. The older woman clearly knew Sabelia and had been in the shop often.
A shadow crossed Hannah’s face. “No, Sabelia is more like me. Everyone has to choose their own path. We can’t choose for them. I grew up in a loving environment. I don’t know what I would have been like with the kinds of powers I had if I hadn’t had a moral compass. Life has not been as kind to Sabelia. She has yet to choose her way. I can only hope that my genuine caring will influence her toward a better path.”
She reached for his arm. “Let me show you the pressure you’ll want to use on her back and down her body when you start. This has a cinnamic-honey background, and it will begin to heat, which, trust me, is what you want. You really will like the taste.”
He already knew that. He had it in his mouth without bringing his arm up to his lips. The temptation was strong.
The bells jangled loudly, a burst of sound, and Player instinctively jerked his head up. Hannah stayed very relaxed, not turning around. Lana and Alena went on alert. Blythe put her hand over her mouth, hiding a smile. Player took the entire room in with one look. He didn’t jerk his arm away from Hannah, but that was only because he was so disciplined. Jonas stalked across the room, fire in his eyes.
Jonas stood a foot from the table, fists on his hips, glaring at them. His gaze encompassed his wife and her delicate hands as they continued massaging Player’s arm, Player sitting with his mug of coffee and the plate of cookies close to him, and then those fiery blue eyes swept back to his wife.
“This again, Hannah? What exactly is going on here?”
“What does it look like is going on, Jonas?”
Player winced at that tone. So very low and sweet. There was one tiny little note that should have been a warning to any male with half a brain to put the brakes on. Even though Jonas was the sheriff and technically it wasn’t a bad thing for him to get taken down, Player wanted to warn the man. Hannah was no one to mess with. Jonas should know that.
“It looks to me like you’re holding hands with that man, that’s what it looks like.”
“You’ll need to turn that firearm in immediately. Clearly, you’re going blind. I’ll make an appointment for you with the eye doctor when I’m on my next break.”
Her hands never stopped moving on Player’s arm, her fingers working their way down his forearm and, honestly, it felt more than good, so he just relaxed and took a bite of cookie, beginning to enjoy himself.
Jonas glared at him. “I believe you’ve got your hands on my wife.”
“She’s right about your need for glasses, Jonas,” Player said, waving the cookie around, making certain Jonas got a good whiff of the awesome aroma. “My hands are on the coffee mug and this really excellent cookie. Did you bake it, Hannah?”
“I did, Player.”
Jonas made a sound of pure exasperation. “There are toads in my car, Hannah.”
Player nearly spewed coffee across the table.
Hannah raised a casual eyebrow. “How is that my problem?”
“Woman, you know damn well you had something to do with putting them in my car. Get them out.”
“I’m working, Jonas. I don’t have time to catch toads and put them in your car. I believe you’ve had problems with them in the past. It seems to me that you attract the toads to you.”
Jonas leaned over her shoulder and reached for a cookie. The plate slid out of his reach, and sparks hit the ends of his fingers, zapping him. Player decided he needed to be back with the women at the large table, where it was safe. He stayed very still. There hadn’t even been a surge of power, but the hair on the back of his neck stood up.
“Hannah. Princess. You’re upset with me.” Jonas’s tone changed immediately. Gentled. Was conciliatory. “This is about last night, isn’t it?”
She kept her face averted, but her fingers on Player’s arm dug deeper. He wanted to find a way to gracefully remind both of them he was there so he could leave, but suddenly the two of them were locked into a tight intimate bubble where it was only the two of them.
“Hannah, I was out of line, but you know I lose my mind when I think you’re in any kind of danger. That’s the one thing I can’t handle. That’s no excuse for the way I acted.” Jonas ran both hands through his hair. “I think better when I’m eating cookies, baby, you know I do.”
Player was impressed. He was all about learning from the pros, and clearly Jonas was a pro. The plate of cookies floated straight to Jonas. He scooped up half the contents on the plate, smart enough to know if he blew it, he wouldn’t get a second chance.
“I want this for us, Hannah, but not at the expense of your life. We have to be safe.”
Hannah’s fingers dug so hard into Player’s muscle he was grateful he’d learned at a young age not to react.
“I’m not letting someone who wanted to hack me to pieces dictate whether or not I can have children, Jonas.”
The pain in her voice alarmed Player. The sorrow. It went so deep he was afraid if she let it loose, everyone in that shop would drown in it.
“No one will dictate to us, Hannah,” Jonas assured. “We just have to find a better way than last time. A safer way.”
Player cleared his throat to remind them both that he was there. “Jonas, if she cries, I’m going to pull that gun out of the holster and shoot you right in front of all these women here. So better I just go over to the table where some of my crew is leaving. I can say good-bye and you can grovel like you should without a witness.”
The love between the two of them was right out there where anyone could see. Unashamed. Strong. The way Czar and Blythe were. That was what Player wanted with Zyah.
Hannah let go of his arm immediately. “I’m so sorry, Player, you didn’t need to get caught up in our drama.”
“Anything to do with toads is always fascinating, Hannah,” Player said lamely as he slid off the chair. He nailed the last remaining cookies for himself, figuring he’d earned them. “We’ll be here for a while. Anat wanted to sample your luncheon special, so after the others leave, we’ll be eating.”