11
Anudgeon the shoulder woke me from a really good nap. I blinked only to see Hank’s handsome face above me. Him waking me up was beginning to be ahabit.
“Hey. Portia will be here in about an hour. Need some help gettingup?”
I did. Mother Nature was urgently calling my name. I also needed to figure out how I was going to manage getting dressed. I was wearing a pair of jogging pants Pepper had grabbed for me earlier and a tank. I needed to at least wear something halfway decent to receive what amounted to seeing the president. Of our town at least. She was a very important person and right now I looked like something the cat had draggedin.
I nodded and Hank slid his arm around my waist. The proximity of him brought up memories of us in that truck, and I realized I wanted that. So verybad.
I tilted my face up to his as he helped me sit up. Hankstilled.
“Helen, if you don’t stop looking at me like that, I’m not going to answer the door when Portiacomes.”
I brushed my lips across his. “I don’t see that being anissue.”
His arms tightened around me and I could feel the shudder in his powerful body. “You just got out of thehospital.”
“I didn’t injure the importantparts.”
Hank’s soft laugh against my mouth made mesmile.
“Plus, you’re under theinfluence.”
“Oh, think of all the fun we could have!” Iexclaimed.
Hank gently lifted me and carried me into thebedroom.
“Oh, yay!” Isaid.
Hank snorted. “This is for clothes. Not forfun.”
“Boooo,” I said. I snuggled against hischest.
Lucien was drop dead gorgeous, kind, and funny. Hank was...comforting. Handsome in a way that made me want to run my fingers through his hair and have babies with him. He felt like home. Like everything I’d ever wanted. Hehadto be theone.
He carefully set me down in the front of the bathroom. “It could get awkward if you needed additional help, but I’ll help if you really neededit.”
I held on to the door jam. “No thanks. We’re just now getting to the stage where we think we’re both amazing. Let’s not ruinthat.”
“Good plan,” Hank said. “I’ll shut the door after you and wait just in case you needanything.”
I hopped into the bathroom and waited for him to shut the door. Then I made the mistake of looking at myself in mirror. “Holy smokes,” I whispered to myself at I stared back at the hot mess that could not possibly beme.
My hair floated around my head like I’d gotten happy with a balloon and some static. My eyes were ringed with dark shadows probably from the blood loss and exhaustion. My lips were almost white and my cheeks had no color. And I had flirted with Hank in thiscondition?
I let out a hystericalgiggle.
“Helen?” he called through thedoor.
I pressed both my hands to my cheeks. “Nothing!” I called. “Everything isfine.”
I managed to do my business, clean myself up and brush my teeth, but I still look like I’d been steamrolled by Deathhimself.
When I exited, Hank was sitting on the edge of my bed. “Do you need any help gettingdressed?”
I probably did, but I wasn’t going to take it. “Undressing? Yes.” I winked at Hank and hopped over to my underwear drawer. “I could probably use a shower, but she’s supposed to be here soon,right?”
Hank nodded. “Unfortunately. We can order Chinese food if it’s allright.”
