My back arched when he fil ed me, I gasped and Hank kept bucking.

It was Hank and my wild ride and it was far more satisfying.

He didn’t make me do al the work, he was strong, his h*ps were powerful and I just held onto his shoulders and enjoyed the ride.

It was delicious.

When I came, his hands slid up my back, pressing me down, and he captured my moans in his mouth.

A few minutes later, I returned the favor.

Afterward, I had my face pressed into his neck and he spoke, his voice deep and hoarse, “Say my name.” I hesitated, not sure what he was asking. Did he think I didn’t know who he was? Did he think I imagined myself with Bil y?

“Hank,” I whispered, my heart in my throat.

“That isn’t what you cal me.”

My stomach fluttered but I kept silent.

His arms tightened around me and I felt his muscles clench as he sat up, taking me with him. He settled on the edge of the bed, me stil straddling him, my hands at his shoulders. I looked down at him and he was looking up at me. He didn’t take his arms from around me.

“I talked to Eddie,” he said.

“I figured that,” I told him.

He dropped his head and kissed my throat, then kept his face there.

“Christ, Roxie, I’m sorry,” he said against my throat.

I closed my eyes and my arms tightened reflexively but I didn’t say anything. What was there to say? The last twenty minutes had been the best apology in the history of mankind.

He tilted his head back again. “You need to cal Tex and let him know you’re spendin’ the night with me.” I shook my head.

I was glad he didn’t think I was some sad, lost woman in love with an abuser, but I also wasn’t ready to pick up again with Hank.

“You need to take me back to Tex’s.”

His eyes got lazy. “You aren’t goin’ back to Tex’s.” I stared at him and I figured he was right, mainly because behind the lazy in his eyes was the intense and I knew, to get what I was trying to tel myself I wanted, I’d have to fight.

Since I didn’t real y want it anyway, I wasn’t prepared to fight.

He rol ed me to the side and my head hit the pil ow. He reached across me, grabbed his phone and handed it to me.

I cal ed Uncle Tex while Hank moved away and pul ed up his jeans but didn’t button them. He then pul ed down my skirt.

“Yo!” Uncle Tex boomed in answer.

“Hey, Uncle Tex. I’m with Hank.”

I heard a chuckle. “Yeah, I saw that. These boys are the shit,” Uncle Tex replied.

I sighed.

“I’m not coming home tonight.”

“Not surprised. Get Hank to bring you to Fortnum’s tomorrow, I’l put a key under the mat if you need to come home.”

“How’d it go with Mom?” I asked.

“She and Herb are comin’ out in a few weeks.” Hank was up on an elbow, leaning over me and, I couldn’t help it, I smiled at him. His eyes went soft and his hand went to my neck. He stroked my jaw and I bit my lip.

Silently, I shared my happiness and silently, he accepted it.

I mental y shook myself out of the moment.

“That’s good,” I said to Uncle Tex.

“Gotta go, told Nancy I’d cal her. She’s not gonna believe this, you and Hank, me cal ing Trish. Fuckin’ A. But things don’t stay borin’ around here for long.”

“I love you, Uncle Tex,” I blurted, then closed my eyes, wondering if that was too much for him.

There was silence, then, “Darlin’ girl.”

That’s al he said before he disconnected.

I opened my eyes and hit the off button on the phone.

Hank took it from me and put it in its cradle. Then he looked at me. “Have you eaten?”

I nodded.

“Did you have dessert?”

I shook my head.

He knifed up, grabbed my hand and pul ed me up after him.

“Get dressed, let’s go.”

* * * * *

He took me to a place cal ed Gunther Toody’s. A gimmick restaurant designed for family dining and to give the feel of a 50s style diner. Neon, chrome, vinyl and waitresses in white uniforms covered in slogan buttons wearing shocking red lipstick. Hank ordered a burger and cheese fries. I got a chocolate malt. The malt was the thickest, biggest, best malt I’d ever had in my life.

I was staring out the window, sucking on the straw in my malt, trying to catch a thought. Everything had been happening too fast, I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t know what to do next, where to go, what to think.

The only thing I did know was I needed to slow down, catch my breath, heal my body and get myself safe. I didn’t figure Hank was safe. Denver certainly wasn’t safe, at least not emotional y. Neither was Chicago, if I was honest.

I felt Hank’s foot nudge mine, taking me away from my thoughts and I looked from the window to him.

God, you’re handsome. I thought when my eyes settled on him.

I sighed and realized I was stil seriously in trouble.

He was done with his food and his plate was pushed away. He was watching me.

“There are things to say,” he told me.

I supposed there were but I not only didn’t want to say any of them, I didn’t want to hear any of them either.

I wasn’t going to get a choice.

“You told me that you loved him,” Hank said.

I blinked.

“Loved, lov ed, deh, deh, deh,” I said. “Past tense.” Hank leaned forward and took my hand. “Sweetheart, I asked, ‘Do you love him?’ and you nodded, not past tense.” Oh.

I remembered that.

Shit.

I leaned forward too. “I’d just been rescued from a crazy man and hadn’t slept in days. I was so tired, I didn’t know what I was saying or doing.”

what I was saying or doing.”

His

hand

squeezed

mine.

It

was

the

only

acknowledgement he gave that he understood and he was sorry but I knew he understood and he was sorry. A man like Hank probably didn’t apologize a lot and I’d already got one straight out from him that night.

I looked back out the window.

“I’m glad we got that straightened out,” I said to the window and I was. It would be good to have a clean break, leave things settled and good rather than ugly and bad.

His hand gave mine a little tug and I looked back at him.

“We’l go back to where we left it. We’l have to deal with Flynn when they find him, but you and I can go on from here.”