Mason, but you don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?” he asked, bounding up to the stairs.
“It’s our first date. Wedding invitations are sent out months in advance.”
He looked down at her from the first landing. “Gabe’s is New Year’s Eve. With as crazy as your schedule is, that will probably be the next time I see you.”
Hannah smiled, wishing that weren’t so on the mark. “A New Year’s Eve wedding sounds so romantic,” she said, beginning the treacherous climb in her stiletto boots.
Mason waited for her on the second floor. “You’d think so, but Gabe’s an accountant. He wanted the date for tax purposes.” They laughed and fell in step beside one another until the third floor.
Mason stared at the number on her door. “3B. You live right beneath me.”
Hannah nodded, standing in front of her door with her keys in one hand and her mail in the other. An alarm in her head reminded her they were on their first date. A kiss at the door would be the smart thing, but she wanted more than a kiss. Not much more, but a little. She wanted him to touch her, to be able to touch him.
“You’re deciding, aren’t you?”
“Deciding what?” She hated to play coy, but she hadn’t made up her mind yet.
“Whether or not to ask me in.”
She stared at him, the moment becoming heavy and charged with emotion. She wanted him. Wanted him to come in, kiss her, make love to her until dawn.
The last one scared her spitless.
She wondered if she had it in her to do casual sex. People did it all the time. And with as long as it had been since she’d had sex, and as good as he looked, she wanted to do it right now.
She put the key in the lock. Turning it slowly, she decided she wouldn’t sleep with him. But a girl could play.
He followed her in, stepping on an envelope. “You must have dropped this,” he said and handed it to her.
“I don’t think so.” She flipped it over. “It’s not even addressed. It must be from one of the neighbors. It’s not sealed.” She pushed back the flap and pulled out a card with a picture of a Christmas tree on the front. She opened it and found it blank. “Well, that’s odd. They must have forgotten to sign it.”
She moved to set it on the table, but Mason took it from her hand. His eyebrows knit together as he studied the front of the card. He looked at Hannah beneath his lowered brows.
“Did you look at this tree?”
“What?” She took the card back. An innocuous-looking Douglas fir decorated for the holiday. She peered closer and realized what he saw. Instead of a paper chain wrapped around the tree, this one had handcuffs linked together.
“You’re the expert on criminals, Kate. What do you make of it?” Hannah spoke into the phone while she peeled the plastic bags from her dry cleaning.
“Bankrupting corporate sleazebags doesn’t make me an expert, just a lawyer. But I’d bet it’s nothing. We probably have a kinky neighbor,” her roommate replied. “We could re-gift it since it’s unsigned. If I knew someone who would appreciate the humor of handcuffs on a Christmas tree. You probably would have better luck. Don’t you feel enslaved by the season?”
“Energized. It’s the best time to be in retail.” Hannah meant every word.
“If the card freaks you out, I’ll come home this weekend and walk the halls without my makeup on.”
“Come home if you want, but I doubt you’ll see me. I have this weekend to get my departments set and prep for the training seminars.” Which she’d finished preparing for, but Jeremy Tolliver’s new add-on sales ideas had her scrambling to give him time to present.
She still didn’t understand why the brass had even given him a shot at a district-wide program with his plan. It sounded like a lot of busy work when they should be focusing on keeping morale high. Higher employee satisfaction meant a lower absentee rate and higher employee retention. With a sigh, Hannah put her busy thoughts aside.
“Do what?” he asked, bounding up to the stairs.
“It’s our first date. Wedding invitations are sent out months in advance.”
He looked down at her from the first landing. “Gabe’s is New Year’s Eve. With as crazy as your schedule is, that will probably be the next time I see you.”
Hannah smiled, wishing that weren’t so on the mark. “A New Year’s Eve wedding sounds so romantic,” she said, beginning the treacherous climb in her stiletto boots.
Mason waited for her on the second floor. “You’d think so, but Gabe’s an accountant. He wanted the date for tax purposes.” They laughed and fell in step beside one another until the third floor.
Mason stared at the number on her door. “3B. You live right beneath me.”
Hannah nodded, standing in front of her door with her keys in one hand and her mail in the other. An alarm in her head reminded her they were on their first date. A kiss at the door would be the smart thing, but she wanted more than a kiss. Not much more, but a little. She wanted him to touch her, to be able to touch him.
“You’re deciding, aren’t you?”
“Deciding what?” She hated to play coy, but she hadn’t made up her mind yet.
“Whether or not to ask me in.”
She stared at him, the moment becoming heavy and charged with emotion. She wanted him. Wanted him to come in, kiss her, make love to her until dawn.
The last one scared her spitless.
She wondered if she had it in her to do casual sex. People did it all the time. And with as long as it had been since she’d had sex, and as good as he looked, she wanted to do it right now.
She put the key in the lock. Turning it slowly, she decided she wouldn’t sleep with him. But a girl could play.
He followed her in, stepping on an envelope. “You must have dropped this,” he said and handed it to her.
“I don’t think so.” She flipped it over. “It’s not even addressed. It must be from one of the neighbors. It’s not sealed.” She pushed back the flap and pulled out a card with a picture of a Christmas tree on the front. She opened it and found it blank. “Well, that’s odd. They must have forgotten to sign it.”
She moved to set it on the table, but Mason took it from her hand. His eyebrows knit together as he studied the front of the card. He looked at Hannah beneath his lowered brows.
“Did you look at this tree?”
“What?” She took the card back. An innocuous-looking Douglas fir decorated for the holiday. She peered closer and realized what he saw. Instead of a paper chain wrapped around the tree, this one had handcuffs linked together.
“You’re the expert on criminals, Kate. What do you make of it?” Hannah spoke into the phone while she peeled the plastic bags from her dry cleaning.
“Bankrupting corporate sleazebags doesn’t make me an expert, just a lawyer. But I’d bet it’s nothing. We probably have a kinky neighbor,” her roommate replied. “We could re-gift it since it’s unsigned. If I knew someone who would appreciate the humor of handcuffs on a Christmas tree. You probably would have better luck. Don’t you feel enslaved by the season?”
“Energized. It’s the best time to be in retail.” Hannah meant every word.
“If the card freaks you out, I’ll come home this weekend and walk the halls without my makeup on.”
“Come home if you want, but I doubt you’ll see me. I have this weekend to get my departments set and prep for the training seminars.” Which she’d finished preparing for, but Jeremy Tolliver’s new add-on sales ideas had her scrambling to give him time to present.
She still didn’t understand why the brass had even given him a shot at a district-wide program with his plan. It sounded like a lot of busy work when they should be focusing on keeping morale high. Higher employee satisfaction meant a lower absentee rate and higher employee retention. With a sigh, Hannah put her busy thoughts aside.
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