Page 18 of Under the Radar

“Okay, I’ll use it.”

I stopped as I went past him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. I felt like I did that a lot. He seemed okay with it, so I kept doing it. “Thanks, Chase. For everything.”

He caught me around the waist. “Anytime. And, Hannah?”

“Yeah?” I asked, trying not to cuddle right into him. He relaxed me more than any bath could.

“If you want to talk, I’m here. Okay?”

I sighed and lifted my head. We looked at each other, the room disappearing. There was only him and me. His blue eyes, so understanding and warm, met my golden-brown ones. They locked and held. He bent and pressed a kiss to my mouth. It was so light and fleeting, I thought I imagined it. Except the way my body lit up, I knew it had happened.

“Anytime,” he repeated. “I’m here.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Enjoy your bath,” he said, stepping back.

I nodded as I walked down the hall.

I touched my mouth.

I had a feeling life was about to get interesting.

And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

CHAPTER SIX

Chase

I went outside, puttering in the garage to give Hannah some privacy while she had her bath and got ready for bed. She had already dragged her double mattress into the room and planned on sleeping on it, even though it was still on the floor. Tomorrow, I would surprise her and put the bed together so she would be more comfortable.

I poked around the worktable and looked in the drawers. Old Man Hyde told me whatever was left in the garage or house I could keep or throw out. There were some cool old tools and equipment. I found a box and loaded it up. Charly was always looking for stuff to hang in the garage. She’d love the items I found. I walked the yard, looking at it with new eyes. The fence needed replacing, and the yard needed to be cleaned up. It would be a good project to work on with summer approaching. The deck was small, and I wondered about expanding it. I enjoyed sitting outside, and it would make sense. I stood back, eyeing the roof. It might need replacing too. And the windows were original.

I shook my head as I chuckled. Buyer beware. But the house was solid, the basement dry, and I could easily afford to fix it up. I got it at a decent price, and I was trying to let go of my ideas of not touching my father’s money. Instead, I was trying to think of it as my dad’s. The man I remembered from my childhood. The one who would be pleased I bought a house and planned to look after it. When I was little, I remembered how he and Mom always worked on our house together, keeping it neat and tidy. Once Mom passed and after he had made a lot of money from a business venture, we moved in to a bigger place and he had people who looked after it. That house never felt like home. I looked around again. I wanted this place to feel like a home. I had a feeling, with Hannah here, that was going to happen.

I paused as I walked into the kitchen, listening. The house was quiet aside from some soft music I could hear. I headed down the hall, seeing Hannah’s door wasn’t shut tightly. I peeked in. A lamp was burning in the corner, and she was curled up on her mattress, a blanket thrown over her. Her hair was spread out around her head, shimmering in the dim light. She was on her side, her knees drawn up to her chest and her hands clasped under her chin like a child.

Except she was far too sexy to be a child. I stared at her, unable to look away. She was incredibly lovely. No makeup, her hair a tangle of curls, and sleeping, yet she called to me on a level I had never experienced before. The draw to her was strong.

I shook my head and stepped back, pulling the door closed behind me. I was acting like a stalker. Watching her sleep. I headed to the kitchen and got a beer and a pad of paper. I sat at the table, making a list of the things I wanted to do for improvements. I noted the items I thought I could handle with help from Maxx and Stefano and those I would need to bring in contractors on. Luckily, we serviced a lot of company vehicles, so I would be able to use one I trusted.

I glanced at the clock, seeing it was past eleven. I decided to go to bed, and I stood, stretching.

I was walking down the hall when I heard it.

A whimper and a soft sob coming from Hannah’s room. Startled, I opened her door, looking in on her. She was curled into a tighter ball than before, clutching her pillow and mumbling, obviously in the throes of a bad dream.

“Please, no,” she whimpered.

I crossed the room, kneeling beside her. I wasn’t sure what to do.

Should I wake her up? Shake her? Leave her?

Of all the options, the last one appealed to me the least.

Tentatively, I placed my hand on her head, stroking her hair.

“Hannah,” I murmured. “It’s okay. Everything is okay.”