Page 5 of Hank

"I don’t either."

"That’s good to know too." Her grin up at him with kiss-swollen lips and flushed cheeks gave him more satisfaction than it probably should have.

I did that.

The hell of it was, he had no idea why that meant so much to him. They’d only just met, had only been in each other’s arms for a handful of minutes. It made no sense. Whatdidmake sense was that whatever happened onthisnight would only be the first of many. At least if he had his way about it.

Now to figure out how to make that happen.

3

"It might bea good idea if we started moving."

This after yet another couple brushed against them where they remained frozen in each other’s embrace. Not saying shewantedto move, but they’d already given everyone a show of sorts.

"Jo."

Her name said in that low rasp sent goosebumps racing up her arms and pulled at her nipples. She’d already been throbbing in all kinds of interesting places when the hard press of his cock had made itself known. Feeling it—knowing it was right there and ready for her—had driven home the emptiness she’d accepted as part of her life.

An emptiness she wanted to fill. If only for one night.

Like she’d told Mags weeks ago, she dated. But just as her friend knew, that was as far as it got. None of those dates had turned into a relationship. And certainly not sex.

Why?

Intimacy, she’d found out, was obviously now an end-of-the-second date kind of conversation. One that when saying, "Thanks, but no thanks," to date number three if it involvedgetting naked, tended to quash any interest men had on going out again.

Had she been tempted to say yes? Sure. But something had always held her back.

That something being Collin.

She’d been mother, father, coach, mentor, and sole support of her son after her ex-husband had walked out on them when Collin had been only two. Ash Webster had never been heard from again. After that, bringing men into his life, who she had no idea if they would be a permanent fixture or not, hadn’t been her style. Hence, her resistance to taking things to the next level.

But Hank?

His chest expanded and she slowly raised her head. What she saw when her eyes locked with his nearly had her coming undone. You’d think gray eyes would be cold. They weren’t. They were molten, with a heat that burned her in their intensity. But it was a burn she would willingly be scorched by.

Hank wanted her. She wanted him. And this wasn’t a date. Meaning, neither of them had expectations of anything more.

And she could do this. Take what he wanted to give her and not worry about having to see him again. It was perfect.

"Do you want to leave?" she asked, searching his gaze, then watched, her body nearly shivering with the sense of excitement racing down her spine, when his jaw clenched and he slowly nodded.

"Doyou?"

She didn’t answer his gruff question but, instead, grabbed his hand and led him through the crowd toward the bar. Just in case this was just the lingering effects of the tequila giving her the courage to do this, follow-through needed to happen fast before it wore off.

"Nice dance?" Colleen asked, a grin playing over her lips, when they got to Jo’s abandoned stool.

"Yes, it was," Jo told her as she pulled her jacket from where it hung off the back and slipped it on, then grabbed her hobo bag that had been underneath. "Very nice."

"It looked like it, didn’t it, Faith," Colleen said.

Faith gave a vigorous nod while Magdalena eyed both of them with herwhat is Jo about to dolook.

"We’re leaving." She threw her purse strap over her shoulder while Hank grabbed and put onhisjacket.

"Um, Jo?" Magdalena’s eyes widened as she got off her stool. "Are you sure?—"

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