Page 12 of In Hawke's Eyes (Toron's Pride 2)

“What did he say?” Stephanie called out. “How did you even hear them whispering across the room?”

Toron looked at Hawke.

“We’ll discuss it once you’re settled,” Hawke told her and continued up to the room he would occupy, across the hall from the one assigned to Stephanie. Meechi’s bedroom connected to Stephanie’s, which again impressed the girl. Hawke hoped they would continue to love the town and stay until he gave them the all clear.

Chapter Five

Stephanie was not stupid. She could tell Hawke avoided her. He spent all his time with Toron and left her with Sienna. Not

that she minded. Sienna seemed nice, and they connected like girlfriends right off the bat, but she had no idea how long he would stay in town before he headed back to New York. She didn’t admit the truth when he asked, but she would miss him. She guessed after the other night he didn’t really feel the same.

“Hey, you okay?” Sienna asked at the breakfast table.

Stephanie snapped out of her reverie. “I’m okay. Thanks. So why did the guys eat early?”

Sienna rolled her eyes. “Because Toron wanted Hawke to make rounds with him. I think they missed each other.”

“Why did they have a falling out?”

Her new friend fumbled over the explanation, and Stephanie wasn’t sure what happened when she was done. “Anyway, they’ve made up, and somebody’s always needing Toron’s help.”

Stephanie sipped her coffee. “Is he like mayor of the town?”

“Something like that.”

After most of the day spent wondering, Stephanie cornered Hawke in the hall and dragged him toward the door Toron said led to his office. “Mind if we use this a minute?” she called over her shoulder but didn’t wait for an answer.

“What’s wrong, Stephanie,” Hawke asked in that gentle, damn sexy voice he had.

“Don’t what’s wrong me!” She slammed the door and stood in front of it, as if he couldn’t lift her bodily and set her out of the way. She planted her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. “I want to know what you’re not telling me, because you’ve been avoiding me. Before we came here, you wanted to go out every chance we got, and that was before the trouble started. So I want to know if I turned you off the way I acted or what.”

To her shame, tears started in her eyes, and she brushed them away. He reached for her, but she slapped his hand and turned her head.

“You shouldn’t have asked for a date if you don’t like black women.”

Hawke dropped his hands to his sides and then moved back to lean on the desk. He remained silent for so long, Stephanie began to worry. She drew in a shuddering breath and scanned the office. Shapes easily defined as a clutter of books on tall shelves lined the walls. A massive desk took up most of the space, and from the way her feet sank into the carpet, she judged it to be good quality. The air smelled of Toron and the slightest hint of Sienna as if she’d just left it—a subtle flowery scent made to go easy on the sense of smell. Stephanie liked that.

“The issue is not about you, baby,” Hawke said.

She started, not expecting him to speak.

“How do you like Sienna?”

Stephanie frowned. “She’s awesome. We could be sisters. She understands where I’m coming from and how men can be a challenge.” Stephanie compressed her lips and narrowed her eyes at him. He chuckled.

“That’s good.”

Then something occurred to her. “Wait, I get it. You two had a falling out over her, didn’t you? That’s why you’re acting all weird. You were in love with Sienna.”

“How did you…? I mean…”

Stephanie clenched her hands at her sides. “Do you still have a thing for her?”

He stood straight. “No.”

“If you do, you can just tell me. We aren’t involved really, and I don’t want to start caring about a man whose heart is taken. I can imagine how hard it must be for you to be so close and not able to have her. Also, if you think it’s too much to stay, don’t worry about us. We’re fine. Meechi is excited to meet some of the kids here, and Sienna took us past the school. All of it looks so nice. It blows me away that they don’t have a problem keeping it secret that we’re here and not contacting her old school. Is that even legal? Who are these wonderful people? I might want to stay—”

He kissed her.

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