Page 111 of Hidden in Memories
It must have been a terrible situation.
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It is much later, and Henry has told her everything he remembers, both about the assault and their Christmas celebrations in Storlien. At first Hanna felt uncomfortable, but then she forced herself to focus on the information Henry was providing.
Then they moved on to chatting about old traditions. Henry’s childhood memories are familiar to Hanna, even though he is considerably older. She has also spent Christmas in Jämtland, trudging through the snow to the early morning service by the glow of burning torches.
She is beginning to relax now, even though it is very late. First thing tomorrow she will dig deeper into what she has learned. She needs to let Daniel know about the mysterious payments Charlotte made, and she is looking forward to hearing his take on the matter.
Henry smiles. “So what do you say, Hanna? Have you finished work for this evening?”
He reaches for the champagne bottle, and to her surprise Hanna sees that the glass in front of her is empty. She must have drunk it while they were talking, although she has no recollection of doing so.
That means she can’t drive for several hours. What a stupid thing to do.
Her body already feels heavy, tiredness is catching up with her—or maybe it’s the alcohol. The living room is so beautiful and cozy; she could easily lean back on the sofa and fall asleep.
She focuses on the two candles on the coffee table. They are burning with a tall, bright flame, moving slightly in the draft. It feels good to give in, forget all the difficult thoughts. She is a little tipsy, but decides that it doesn’t matter. She will just have to call a cab. In any case, all her colleagues are at home with their families right now—why should she be the only one who’s always working?
But something else is coming to life. Henry’s obvious interest is making her body tingle.
It’s been almost a year since she’s had sex.
Christian’s behavior had made her self-esteem plummet. Once she had started to recover from that, her feelings for Daniel had gotten in the way.
She has gone to the local bar a few times in recent months, determined to find someone to spend the night with. If nothing else, it might stop her thinking about Daniel. On every occasion she has changed her mind at the last minute. Picking up a guy for a one-night stand felt too cheap, too depressing.
She doesn’t want to be that desperate.
Instead she has ended up going home alone, feeling sorry for herself.
Henry gets up and comes to sit beside her.
Their faces are only inches apart. She is aware of his fragrance, an expensive blend of sandalwood, jasmine, and pepper. It smells of success and self-confidence. Sophisticated elegance.
There is no doubt that he is attractive.
Or that he knows it.
He also seems to have enough self-possession not to be bothered by the fact that she is a police officer.
Maybe it turns him on?
Mom would like Henry,Hanna thinks idly, sinking deeper into the soft cushions. She still insists on spending time with Christian and his new girlfriend, Valérie, even though he dumped Hanna without a second thought. Ironically, she still blames her daughter for the breakup, which never ceases to astonish Hanna.
And it still hurts.
Henry gently caresses her cheek. She can’t remember the last time a man touched her in that way, so warmly and affectionately.
She has longed for Daniel to do exactly that.
“You’re very beautiful for a cop,” Henry says softly.
She can’t remember the last time someone said she was beautiful either. And although she knows it’s not true, she still likes hearing it.
She yearns for intimacy.
That warm tingling feeling is egging her on, while a faint voice in the back of her mind whispers that this is madness. She cannot let Henry seduce her. It would constitute gross misconduct in the line of duty, and then some. She has just managed to build herself a platform in Åre; it would be insanity to risk that.
