Page 48 of Critical Witness

“Perfect. In the meantime, everyone study the resort floorplan, make sure your gear is good to go, and get some shut-eye.” The men around the room gave him nods and dispersed back to their rooms.

Somehow, here he was, alone with Hannah once again. She wasn’t paying attention to him though. Her entire focus was on the screen, where he could just barely see her pulling a logo into the blank nametag she was creating.

“You’re pretty good at that.”

“I once snuck backstage at a Jonas Brothers concert by making a fake backstage pass lanyard,” she said with a grin.

Will felt his mouth drop open. “Seriously? That sounds…”

“Awful? I know!” She covered her face and shook her head. It was adorable.

He had to stop thinking she was adorable, for crying out loud.

“I was going to say it sounds like an adventure,” he said. “It’s a little reassuring to know your life wasn’t always as terrible as Jeremiah made it.”

Her laughter subsided, and she grew solemn. “Yeah. That was before my dad died and my mom went off the rails. Before Jeremiah…” She shook away the memory along with whatever words had been intended. She started again. “Before Dad died, my life was pretty normal.” She was staring at a spot on the carpet, her mind clearly somewhere else. “Sometimes, it feels like it was all a dream, you know?”

Will nodded, because he did know exactly what she meant. “I get that. When memories are so far removed from our current reality, it feels like they might never have existed at all. But it doesn’t make them any less real.”

As he watched, her eyes slid from the carpet up to his. “Thank you,” she said softly.

The air was heavy with unspoken words as the silence settled around them. Her eyes drew him toward her before he even realized he’d moved. The moment held, suspended between them for what could have been an eternity. And then he was next to her, reaching for her hand.

“You didn’t deserve what they did to you,” he said. Guilt wiggled its way further into his heart. “And… you didn’t deserve my cruelty earlier.” Her face betrayed her confusion, so he explained. “The food you made. I was just stubborn and angry and it was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”

Hannah’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. “You’re not the one who needs to apologize. I’m the one who lied about who I was. I just… I liked the way you looked at me when you thought I was Melanie.”

“How was that?” he asked, surprised by the gravel in his voice.

She hesitated, as though searching for the words. “Like I was a special treasure. Like I was worth saving. Like… you cared about more than the mission,” she said.

The open vulnerability of this remarkable woman was going to be the end of him. “Oh, Hannah. That’s because you are.” How could he explain it to her? “As much as I tried to convince myself I didn’t, I can’t help but care about far more than the mission. I care about you. I can’t help myself.”

Gently, he tucked his hand under her ear, cupping her neck and face. She had burrowed her way past his defenses, and no matter what he did, her mere existence was all it took for them to crumble at her feet. Almost desperately, he sought permission to taste her, tipping her head up toward him and leaning in. If he were going to be crushed by the rubble of the fortress he’d built around his heart, then he was going to go down with Hannah in his arms.

She must have felt the same way, because her eyes fluttered closed and she pressed a hand to his chest, fingers twisting in the fabric as if daring him to try to pull away.

He glanced toward the hallway, glad it was empty. If someone interrupted them this time, he would never forgive them.

But they were alone, and he finally captured her mouth with his, slowly spiraling into the pool of realized anticipation and relentless sensation.

CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX

Hannah pressed into Will,taking everything she could from the moment, memorizing it and coming back for more. Their kiss was like him, passionate and strong. It was as much a battle as it was a surrender. It was give and take and give again.

Will was overwhelming and all-consuming, pushing every other thought and memory and fear out of her mind, so she could only focus on what it felt like to be held and desired by him. There was nothing beyond the taste and scent of him around her as they kissed again. No assassin, no safe house, no secrets.

Finally, he knew she was Hannah, and he still wanted her.

Slowly, they pulled apart, her breath coming in long, shallow pulls as she reeled from the earth-shattering experience that was unlike any kiss she’d ever had. Almost immediately, the fear and doubt started to creep in.

“Don’t,” Will said, still holding her face.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t pull back. I want us to stay right here for a minute.”

There was no place she’d rather be. She nodded, pressing her eyes shut against the unwelcome sting of tears his words brought as they kicked back her insecurities.

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