Page 17 of Until Hanna

“No.” He grabs a pair of shorts and a hooded sweatshirt, passing both of them to me. “They’ll be big.”

“That’s okay.” I take both and slip off my shirt, leaving me in my bra, then shimmy out of my skirt and put on his shorts. He stops what he’s doing and comes over to stand in front of me, and I hold my breath as he ties the string on the shorts so they don’t fall down over my hips. Even if there’s nothing sexual about the act, the muscles of my stomach still bunch when his fingers make contact with my skin, and my nipples pebble against the material of my bra.

When he’s done, I’m turned on and wet between my legs, and from the look in his eyes, I’d swear he knows just how much he affects me.

Clearing my throat, I step back from him and put on his hoodie. “Do I look ridiculous?” I glance down at my small frame engulfed in his clothes.

“You look adorable.” He smiles, rolling up the sleeves of the sweatshirt so they don’t hang over my hands. And seeing that smile after he’s seemed so tense this morning, I relax. “Are you ready?” he asks, taking my clothes and shoving them in his bag with his things.

“Yeah.” I glance around for my purse when my phone begins to ring and find it on the floor at the foot of the bed. When I pull it out, my stomach knots. “Oh no.” I glance up at him. “It’s my mom. If I don’t answer it, my dad will be on the next flight.”

“So answer it. You can talk to her while we head back to your hotel.” He starts for the door, and although his suggestion sounds simple enough in theory, I know that if my mom hears him in the background, she’s going to have a million questions I’m incapable of answering right now. “Come on, babe. We gotta go if we’re gonna make it on time.”

Dammit. With a sigh, I slide my finger across the screen and put it to my ear as I walk to the door he’s holding open. “Hey, Mom.”

“Oh, yay! You’re awake. I wasn’t sure what time zone you were in,” she says happily as I squeeze past Walker.

“Yep, just heading for my snorkel place now, so I don’t have long to chat.”

“That’s okay. Are you having fun?”

“Somuch fun.” I startle when Walker takes my hand. “Umm… is everyone good there?”

“Your dad is worried about you, but that’s nothing new.”

“I’ll call him,” I say quietly, trying not to get annoyed. I love my dad. I even appreciate his concern for my wellbeing. But there are times his worry makes me feel incapable, even when I know that’s not his intention.

“So what did you do last night?”

“I just kind of passed out after spending the day in the sun,” I lie, and Walker squeezes my hand.

“You’re wearing sunscreen, right? Skin cancer isn’t anything to play around with.”

“Yes.” I laugh, relaxing.

“Good,” she says quietly, then asks, “Have you figured out if you’re coming home next month?”

“I haven’t gotten my schedule yet, but I should have it by Friday, so I’ll let you know soon.”

“Okay, good. I just don’t want to plan our trip to see Grandma and Grandpa when you’re going to be here.”

“I could meet you guys in Florida instead. It would be nice to spend a few days with them.”

“They would love that. Just let me know the dates when you have them.”

“I will.” I watch Walker press the button for the elevator. “Mom, I’m gonna let you go, and I’ll call you back when I get to my hotel.” I squeeze my eyes closed. “Not that I’m not at my hotel right now. I just mean when I get back from my excursion,” I babble, digging my nails into Walker’s hand wrapped around mine when he chuckles.

“All right, honey. Love you. What time is it over?”

“It shouldn’t be more than a couple of hours.”

“Well, if I’m sleeping when you call back, I’ll talk to you tomorrow when you get home.”

“Okay. I love you too, Mom. Hug Dad for me.”

“I will,” she says softly before hanging up. I tuck my phone away and step onto the elevator with Walker when the door opens.

“You’re going back to the States?”

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