Too Hard to Break (3 page)

She smiled weakly. “Okay, but I think you should talk to
Hank about this. Maybe just say I saw him at the restaurant and leave it at
that. See if he takes the bait to explain.”

I nodded again when all I wanted to do was cry some more.
She sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Sean, who was now within earshot.

“It’s okay. I’ll figure it out.”

“All right. Call me later if you need to talk, okay?”

I just nodded one more time and got into my car. Sean and
Megan watched me with sympathetic faces before I turned away to drive home.

Chapter Two

Hank wasn’t home when I got there so I rushed into the house
and straight to my room. It was hit or miss on rainy days. He might work all
day or he might only work a couple of hours. Being Monday I expected him to be
in late and seriously considered starting dinner, but I really didn’t have it
in me to enter his domain. The kitchen was his favorite room in the house and
it showed with every delectable meal he made. I’d gained ten pounds since
moving in.

An hour later I was lying on my bed reading when my cell
phone rang. A glance at the screen showed it was Hank. My pulse sped up like
always, but this time it was equal parts dread and anticipation. Would he tell
me tonight I needed to find another place to stay? I remembered our
conversation of a couple nights before when I told him Sean was moving into
Megan’s house. Sean had been trying to convince his sister to live in his house
so she would move to Houston from New York. She hadn’t agreed yet. I knew Sean
would let me stay there for as long as I needed if it came down to it. So,
maybe Hank had considered that exact same thing.

I took a deep breath and answered on the third ring. “Hello?”

“Hey, beautiful, how was work?”

A smile spread across my face like it always did when I
heard his voice. “Hey, Hank. It was fine, kinda busy. You?”

I could picture him driving his pickup down the highway in
the rain, one hand on the steering wheel.

“Not bad. Couldn’t get much done today but one project I’m
working on is coming along a lot sooner than expected.”

“Oh? Well, that’s good, huh?”

“Yup. Very good. Unfortunately I gotta tie something up
tonight so I won’t be home ’til late. I’m sorry, baby. I wanted to make you a
nice dinner but I stopped by the Chinese place you like and ordered your
favorites. It should be delivered in about twenty minutes.”

Dread hit the pit of my stomach as I struggled to breathe.
“Oh. Okay.”

“It’s already paid for. Don’t wait up. I’m not sure what
time I’ll make it in. See ya later, sweetness.”

“O-okay. Later.”

He hung up while I still had the phone clutched desperately
to my ear.

“So it starts,” I whispered to myself.

I had once caught Declan cheating on me, but it hadn’t gotten
as far as him having sex with the other woman. He had started by coming home
later and later, always with pitiful excuses. It was so cliché I tried to
convince myself I was wrong until I went by his favorite bar one night when he
hadn’t made it home and found another woman on his lap. I had pitched a fit and
given him so much shit they threw us both out of the bar. He had beaten the
hell out of me, but after that things had actually gotten a little bit better.
His excuse was I’d started to ignore him. Apparently seeing me in a jealous
rage was all he had needed to boost his ego.

Was that what this was? Could Hank be baiting me into
confessing my deeper feelings for him? No. I swept the thought away
immediately. Hank was one of the most levelheaded and straightforward people
I’d ever met. If he wanted to be sure of my feelings he would just ask
outright.

With a sigh I left my bed and pulled a sweater over the thin
tank top I’d changed into as soon as I got home. I was wearing cutoff sweats
and socks. Good enough to answer the door for the delivery guy. I dug around in
my purse for a tip and took my book into the living room to wait for my dinner
to arrive.

* * * * *

The red neon numbers of my alarm clock flipped over to
eleven-fifteen when Hank’s truck finally pulled into the driveway. The familiar
sound both eased and aggravated me. I was glad he had made it home safe since
it was still storming, and aggravated with myself for waiting on him. My light
was out and I was under the covers, but sleep had eluded me so long as I knew
he wasn’t home. Tears burned the back of my throat at the thought of where he
might have been and what he might have been doing. I wondered if he was with
the same woman Meg had seen at the restaurant or maybe he had been on a date. I
gasped at the thought, turning my face into my pillow to choke off the sound.

“Elle?”

I’d been so lost in misery I hadn’t even heard him enter the
house. Apparently he had decided to check on me and before I knew it he was
sitting on the side of my bed.

“Hey, baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

I kept my face hidden in my pillow and nodded. The pressure
of his hand on the back of my head was gentle as he caressed my hair.

“I thought I heard you cry. You’re not crying are you?”

I shook my head but still didn’t face him. He ran his hand
down my hair again before adding pressure to turn my face toward him. I didn’t
bother resisting. It was dark in the room anyway.

“Baby?”

I gasped as his breath ghosted across my lips. He was
leaning over me, hidden in shadows so I couldn’t see his expression. He kissed
me softly and I tasted a hint of beer on his lips.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

He kissed me again as if he could coax the answer from my
mouth. I sighed and settled my palms against his chest, but didn’t have the strength
to push him away.

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

He hummed and shook his head slowly, brushing his lips
across mine. “Now I don’t believe that for a second. Your eyes are moist and
you made a noise before burying your face in your pillow. Tell me what’s wrong
so I can sleep tonight.”

I released a breath and considered how to answer. One of the
few things he had asked me for these past few months was honesty. After all the
bullshit Declan had put me through I had easily agreed when Hank had promised
it right back. I cleared my throat and asked the first thing that came to mind.

“Where were you tonight?”

He stilled until I wondered if his heart was still beating.
A red flag went up in my mind and I knew I’d asked the wrong question.

“Never mind,” I said quickly. “It’s none of my business.”

He sighed and sat up. Moonlight broke through the passing
clouds and streamed through my window just long enough for me to see him run
his hand through his hair, then it was dark again.

“I had dinner with a client, sweetheart,” he said quietly.

“Okay.”

His gaze burned through me and I was glad for the darkness.
“Were you really upset I was out late?”

I shook my head and prayed he would forgive me for a little
white lie. “No. I just had a really shitty day at work.”

He leaned over me again, resting his arms on either side of
my head until we were a breath apart. This time his muscled chest pressed
against my breasts until I felt his heartbeat.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here to talk about it when you got home.
I can’t promise it’s not gonna happen again in the next couple of weeks. Can
you forgive me?”

“Yes.”

I felt his smile against my mouth before his tongue pushed
through my lips. I moaned as he invaded, taking his time to explore. His unique
taste blended with beer and barbecue sauce sizzled on my tongue. I slid my
hands up his chest to his shoulders and wrapped my arms around his neck. Every
concern and thought disappeared from my mind as it filled with the sensation of
his hard body pressed against mine.

He nibbled on my lips before moving to my chin and then my
throat. I gasped and threw my head back to give him better access. He hummed
again and bit down lightly on my pulse.

“You taste so fucking good, Elle.”

“Hank…” I couldn’t think past his name and the magic his
mouth was working against my skin.

He moved away from my throat, across my neck to my
collarbone. As he suckled my tingling skin, I turned my head for him and my
nose brushed his hand. He bit down and I gasped in a deep breath, inhaling an
unfamiliar fragrance that didn’t fit. It took a second for me to recognize it
as a woman’s perfume, one I’d never worn before, and it was coming from his
hand.

“H-Hank. Hank, stop.”

I started pushing him away as my eyes burned with the threat
of tears. How in the hell could he be close enough to a woman for her perfume
to rub off during dinner, then come home to make out with me?

I pushed against his chest when he continued to kiss my neck
and he finally got the hint. He huffed out a breath and sat up without
questioning me. He probably thought it was just my indecision coming between us
again. I couldn’t find the words to correct his assumption. Pain sliced through
my chest and I covered my mouth with one hand and rolled onto my side, away
from him. He sighed and placed a hand on my hip.

“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to get carried away. I’ll
let you sleep.”

The soft cotton of his shirt brushed my arm as he leaned
over me one last time and placed a kiss on my temple.

“Goodnight,” I whispered.

“G’night.”

He left my room as quietly as he had entered and I cried
myself to sleep.

* * * * *

The first thing I noticed when I woke the next morning was
the rain had stopped. I lingered in bed, hoping Hank had already left for work,
but knew he wouldn’t leave without telling me. I had some decisions to make.
Hank was too much of a gentleman to kick me out no matter what he had going on
in his personal life. My lips still tingled from his kisses and that just
pissed me off. But I considered the beer on his breath and thought maybe he’d
had just enough to lower his inhibitions. He didn’t strike me as the cheating
type.

Perhaps it was a new relationship? If Megan hadn’t said
anything I might not have noticed anything odd. I considered how he’d abruptly
cut off his phone conversation when I walked into the room yesterday. That plus
his late night out, and then the perfume on his hand, all led to one
conclusion. There was another woman in his life now. So, what was I going to do
about it? One option was nothing. I could keep existing as I had been and wait
for the inevitable. He wouldn’t kick me out but he might urge me to find
another place by
helping
.

Another option was to take the high road and just leave.
Sean’s house stood empty and it was two streets away from Megan’s. I’d be close
to my best friend and not far from work. He owned the house outright because he
was a genius with investments. Having him as a landlord couldn’t be all that
bad. Especially since Megan would always have my back. I’d never actually lived
alone before. It might be a nice change.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling as I
considered option number three. The direct approach. I could simply confront
Hank and ask for an explanation. He had been honest with me about everything
since day one, as far as I could tell. When Declan had started looking for me,
Hank had gone straight to him and told him to back off if he prized his
fingers. Declan being a musician, his fingers meant more to him than I did. He
pretended to back off and had some thug friend of his look for me instead.
Thankfully Sean had put a stop to that.

At the time I thought it meant Hank really cared about and
wanted me. I still knew he cared, but his wanting me was questionable. He
wanted to protect me for certain. He wanted to know I was safe and sound. But
big brothers and good friends did that too, not lovers. Last night I thought he
might desire me, but was it the beer clouding his judgment? What about the
make-out session we’d engaged in the day I left Declan? I’m pretty sure he was
trying to make me feel better about the whole awful situation. But was that
all? I wish I knew for certain.

With a groan I rolled out of bed, no closer to a decision
than I had been last night. With no work and nothing much to do, I decided not
to change out of my pajamas. Hank was sipping coffee at the kitchen table when
I walked in. He lifted one thick brow in question as I sat across from him.

“Mornin’. I didn’t expect you up early on your day off.”

I shrugged and crossed my arms on the table, leaning my chin
on top. “I woke up and didn’t feel like lying around all day.”

He grinned and it still sizzled my blood, but it wasn’t as
thrilling now. I gave a weak smile and looked away.

“You all right? I’m sorry I woke you last night.”

A blush burned my cheeks at the reminder of his kisses but I
shook my head and tried to ignore it.

“It’s not your fault. I was still awake. I had a lot on my
mind.”

His grin melted away and he set aside his coffee to reach
across the table. He took my hands between his and held them.

“Baby, tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.
Please, tell me what’s wrong.”

I stared at him while my thoughts were a whirlwind in my
mind. Should I just ask about last night and the phone call? What about his
lunch date? It really wasn’t any of my business.

“Uh…I—”

The insistent ring of his cell phone cut me off and I sat
back, tugging my hands from his. He frowned at me as he pulled out his cell.

“Shit,” he mumbled. “I have to get this, but don’t think
this conversation is finished.”

He stood and answered the call without waiting for my reply,
turning away and walking swiftly from the room. For a second I considered
following him, but did I really want to hear him talking to another woman? No,
definitely not. I considered the endearments he often used on me and the
flirtatious way he could coax me into talking when I really didn’t feel like
it. What was he doing with her?

With a huff, I decided it didn’t matter. It was his business
and I’d taken up enough of his life without giving anything in return. I ate
his food, used his utilities, lived in his house rent free. True, he wouldn’t
take money from me no matter how often I tried to give it. He complained if I
bought groceries or spent any of my money on him in any way. But I felt like a
leech and it was going to stop now.

With that thought in mind I returned to my room and took my
phone off the charger before dialing Hardy’s All Goods.