I stopped, looked up at the vision leaning against my truck less than three feet away—all long legs and unsure smiles—and lost the strength to breathe. My eyes glided up her bare legs, the taut string between us pulling tighter. Somehow, she made looking beautiful seem so effortless. She was natural and classy all at the same time, pulling off casual better than any woman I’d ever known.
Refusing to overthink another damn thing, I closed in on her. My hands darted out, clutching her face as my lips claimed hers.
Her body stilled against mine, her hands gripping my wrists. Begging and praying she didn’t fight me, I slid my tongue along her mouth needing to dive in deeper. As she opened up to me, her body relaxing against me, I felt the weight I’d been carrying for days lift. Her hands dropped lower, sliding to my back, a needy moan escaping through her lips. I stepped further into her arms, pressing her back flush with the truck. There was no way she didn’t feel the greedy bastard protruding between my legs, begging for her touch, the thin material of my pants not much of a barrier.
Had it not been for the whistles behind us, I would’ve probably taken things a little too far in the middle of the parking lot. Instead, I reluctantly pulled away, taking in her flushed cheeks and the light sheen of sweat on her beautiful face.
Hannah’s eyes fluttered open, her mouth tipping into another smile. “Well hello there, cowboy.”
A light chuckle rumbled from deep in my chest as I smiled down at her in response. Learning from my past mistakes, I decided to keep my mouth shut. I screwed up every other time I tried using words to explain to her how I was feeling. I should’ve just kissed her senseless that first night at the wedding. Maybe we would’ve worked things out sooner.
Blinking up at me with those big brownish-gold eyes that made my world spin, her smile faded, teeth latching onto her bottom lip as she got her wits about her. “Billy?”
I was losing her again.
“I’m sorry, Hannah. So fucking sorry. For everything I said. For Lauren. I’m not with her. I mean, yeah, we messed around a few—”
Her fingers pressed against my lips as she shook her head, silencing me. “I don’t need to know that, Billy. Just tell me you aren’t still.”
“Hell no.” I pulled her closer, wishing we were somewhere more private. “And Wes?”
“No. Not even once.” Her cheeks blushed a bright pink, her eyes darting to the side as she tried to hide the shame in them.
I breathed my relief, my head falling back to stare at the sky with shades of orange and pink streaking across it.
“I’m not sure that changes anything, though…”
It was hard to meet her eyes again, knowing what I needed to say. Forcing myself to, I lowered my head. “You’re right it doesn’t.”
She flinched with my admission, her body squirming out of my embrace. She could refuse my touch, but I wasn’t letting her walk away. I trapped her in place, planting my palms against the truck on either side of her.
“Good game, Miller.” Tony from the feed store slapped me on the back as he walked by, oblivious to the moment he was interrupting.
“Thanks, Tony,” I said, giving him a quick glance over my shoulder, hoping he kept moving. “Hannah.” I stared back at her, my voice full of grit. “We need to talk, but not here.”
“Billy—”
Cutting her off, I kissed her again before she could argue. For a beat, she leaned into my touch before pulling away, her eyes blazing as if she’d just realized she was still supposed to be angry with me.
“You can’t just keep kissing me like that,” she reprimanded, shoving at my chest, flustered as all get out. Sexy and adorable as hell when she was all worked up.
I fought back a smile. “The hell I can’t. If it gets you to listen to me, I’ll continue to claim that fucking beautiful mouth of yours until I’ve said my piece.”
A repressed smile twitched on her lips. “Billy Miller, you’ve done messed up my world.”
“Give me a chance to fix it, Hannah.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“I’m gonna make you swoon, baby. Just you wait and see.”
She laughed, and I swore I’d never heard a more beautiful sound. I could listen to that sound on repeat all damn day. My face tightened with my own smile as I took a step back.
“Come out with me tonight.”
“I can’t. I promised Leighton I’d go to Dudley’s.”
“I’ll take you.”
She shook her head. “I’ll meet you there.”
Exhaling through my nose, I flipped my ball cap around, leaving both hands linked at the back of my head to keep from touching that soft, smooth skin of hers again. If I had, there’d be no way I’d let her win this little battle.
“Han! Let’s roll!” Wes’s voice carried across the parking lot from where he stood, arms folded, by his truck.
She took a step his way, and I fought the urge to pull her back and toss her into my truck.
“Later, Billy Miller.” She gave me one more gorgeous grin before turning her back to me and walking away. I swore she shook that ass of hers a little more than usual as she went. I smirked, enjoying the show, knowing I’d be taking one long, cold shower when I got home.
“Don’t fuck this up,” I muttered under my breath before taking a deep inhale and reaching out with a sweaty palm to pull the door to Dudley’s open. The loud music flooded through, enveloping me, the beat of my pulse thrumming in my ears with the heavy bass. The bar was already packed with the Thursday-night usuals. I searched for my own crew, relieved to see Hannah already sitting beside Leighton, a Miller Light in her hand. Thatta girl.
If I thought her ordering the burger over a salad was one of the sexiest traits in that woman, I was dead wrong. Something about seeing a woman as refined as her kick back and enjoy a beer had all kinds of shit stirring inside me.
Sneaking up behind her, I dipped my head near the crook in her neck, skirting my lips close to her ear. “Always knew you were meant to be a Miller girl.”
It was cheesy as hell, but I didn’t give a damn. Watching her pale skin blush and the shiver that skated down her body, I’d deliver every fucking corny line I could if it got me that kind of reaction from her every time.
She smirked, tilting her head to the side as she rotated it to look at me. “Don’t get cocky, Miller.”
“Too late. You already stroked my ego back at the ball field.”
She twisted the bottle around on the table, putting the label in her view. “I didn’t choose it.”
“Doesn’t matter. Still looks good on you.” Same way she looked good on me.
“What’s this I hear about stroking?” Aaron asked, clapping me on the back as he took a seat at the table, delivering another round of beers for everyone, including me.
I slid into the stool between him and Hannah. “Just that Hannah here does a damn fine job at stroking my—”
“Oh, god. Please stop before I start purging the beer I drank sooner than necessary,” Leighton cut me off, feigning a dry heave as she playfully gagged herself.
Aaron and I chuckled.
Hannah rolled her eyes. “I didn’t stroke anything of Billy’s.”