Page 24 of Hank

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Perhaps some self-satisfaction that she was weak where he was concerned. It certainly wasn’t the light of challenge filling his gaze or the slight grin kicking up one side of his mouth.

"You’ve walked away from me once." She refused to react to the way his eyes ran over her. "And I bet you think you’re pushing me away now."

Well, yes, she did.

"And with anyone else you might be," Hank murmured, leaning into her space and almost—almost—making her lean away from him, which would have done nothing to show how formidable she was. Something that obviously had no impact on him at all. "But just so you know," he whispered closing in on her lips. And dammit if she didn’t lick hers, sparking something more than challenge in his eyes. "I lose all my better judgment aroundyou, and I’m not anyone else." His gaze narrowed. "And this isn’t over."

She had no response she could say aloud. And couldn’t have if she’d wanted to. Not with the way he quickly pulled himself back and exited the closet. But now that he was gone…

"Of course, you’re not anyone else," she whispered on a low, shuddering breath. How could he be? But it wasn’t just the physical. There was more to him, to them, than how their bodiesfit together so perfectly. No one else had been like him. No one else had filled her with the need to know everything about them.

Only Hank had broken that barrier.

She could say those things to a closed, blurry door.

"What are you doing?" she muttered, dashing away a few tears she refused to acknowledge. This wasn’t making things any better, so she hurriedly finished dressing.

Five minutes later, she made her way to the gym and walked through the open doors like she hadn’t just had almost sex in the janitor’s closet. And did it bother her—at all—that a clapping Hank shouting instructions to the players, along with the other coaches, didn’t look her way once?

Of course, it didn’t.

Right.

At least practice was in full swing and she wouldn’t have to be concerned about unwanted attention. But just in case, she chose an empty set of bleachers and took a seat on the second row. Maybe no one would mention it.

"What’s up with you and theyoungDr. Lawton?" Marcie Patterson plopped down beside her. And there was Jo’s first clue the other parents had definitely been paying attention to hers and Hank’s joint absence. Marcie was a notorious snoop, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise that she’d want to know all the details. What did surprise her was the fact the other woman thought there was any way in hell she’d confide in her.

"I’m not sure what you’re talking about." Opting for ignorance seemed like Jo’s best choice. That and keeping her eyes on the boys running up and down the court, something that should have deterred the other woman.

It didn’t.

"You know," Marcie said, nudging her shoulder with her own like they were best buds, or something. "You two were gone quite a while. Then he came back kind of mussed. Thenyoucame back kind of mussed." Then the woman giggled—giggled—and nudged her again. "It didn’t take much to put two and two together."

"And everyone noticed," Carolyn added, with the slightest of sneers in her voice as she sat down on her other side.

Great, I’m surrounded.

"I’m sure they did," Jo said, still not bothering to look at either of them, while Collin dribbled the ball to half-court, where he passed it to another player. "Though there was nothing to notice. Dr. Lawton is Collin’s teacher and we had a…" A half-truth would work. "We had a little bit of a disagreement about a grade, and he wanted to speak privately with me."

"Looked a little bit more intense than a child’s grade to me," Marcie said.

"Me too," Carolyn chimed in. "Andquitepersonal."

"Looks can be deceiving." She wanted to add,ya nosy bitches, but thought better of it. "I ended up apologizing, since I haven’t been very nice to him. We talked for another few minutes, then he came back to practice and I changed into my comfortable clothes."

"If you say so." Carolyn stood, the action prompting Jo to glance up at her, just in time to be graced with the other woman’s insincere smile. "You know," she continued, while casting her narrowed gaze toward the other side of the gym. "I guess we should believe you. Because, seriously, he’s much too good looking for…" Her focus went back to Jo, the insincere smile changing to a smirk. "Well, never mind. Come on, Marcie."

The lapdog followed after her mistress, giving Jo herowninsincere smile. Jo made sure she returned it in kind, then turned her attention back to her son. She couldn’t stand conniving women. They’d stab you in the back, then walk all over you and be proud of the wounds they’d left behind.

And Carolyn? She was the type to have on spiked heels while she did all that walking.

Collin waved at her on his way down the court and she waved back. It gave her a good chance to take a quick glance at Hank. He had other things holding his attention. Mainly her.

And that wasn’t good.

But she was glad this had happened—everything from the time she’d discovered who Hank was to just now. Her little conversation with Carolyn and Marcie had put everything into perspective.

Whatever she might have started with Hank was over.

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