Too Hard to Break Read Online Free Page B

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