The one in the University of Miami sweatshirt rubbed the side of his jaw as he blatantly stared at Hannah. "Is this the gal you spent all that time – "
"Are you going to stand around here all morning gawking, or are you going to help us move?" Riley demanded, lifting a box and shoving it into Don’s arms.
Don let out a loud grunt as the box was shoved against his chest, then cast the others a rueful grin before carrying it out the front door to the waiting van.
The four soon formed a small caravan, carting furniture and boxes. Within less than a half hour, everything in the kitchen and living room was neatly tucked inside the moving van.
In the bustle of activity, Hannah was left to her own devices. Before she misplaced her purse, she carried that down the stairs along with a bag of cleaning supplies and set them on the floor of the truck, locking the door. As she stepped away, she heard Burt murmur something to Riley about a woman named Judy. The short, stocky man who wore a Seahawk football jersey number twelve seemed concerned and abruptly stopped speaking when he noticed Hannah.
Riley turned and frowned, as though anxious she might have heard something he’d prefer she didn’t.
"You weren’t carrying anything, were you?" he demanded when the silence seemed as loud as thunder.
"My purse," she returned softly, and hurried up the stairs, pressing herself against the railing halfway up when Don and Steve walked past her, each holding one end of the mattress. As soon as they were safely past, she rushed up the steps, pondering what she’d overheard.
Judy.
From the way Burt and Riley behaved, it was apparent they hadn’t wanted her to hear. Their reaction led her to only one conclusion: Riley had been involved with the mystery woman. The fact he was married had certainly come as a surprise to the very men he’d labeled his friends.
So Riley had a woman friend; it shouldn’t come as any surprise. He was a virile man, and not once had she believed he’d lived the life of a hermit.
A weary feeling came over her when Hannah entered the apartment. Naturally Riley wouldn’t tell his friends about their marriage. No man would want to admit, even to the best of friends, that he’d been forced into marriage. Hannah swallowed at the growing lump in her throat. She’d been a fool not to realize Riley would be involved with someone else. Not only had her night of folly wreaked havoc in her own life, it had disrupted several others as well. Recriminations pounded at her like tiny hammers, and she sucked in a giant breath as she battled with her renewed sense of guilt.
Brushing the hair away from her face, Hannah walked over to the sliding-glass door that led to the balcony. Several long-legged cranes walked along the pebbled beach, their thin necks bobbing as they sauntered along the edge of the shallow water. Hannah folded her arms around her middle as she stiffened her spine. It had been Riley’s choice to marry her, she recalled. He’d insisted. She might have been able to dissuade her father from this marriage, but when Riley concurred, Hannah had agreed, too weak to battle the pair of them. Riley had chosen to marry her of his own free will, whatever his reasons, and despite the fact that he was currently involved with someone else.
Judy. Hannah was shocked by the hard fist of resentment that struck her as she mentally repeated the other woman’s name. Recognizing she was being utterly unreasonable didn’t help. It wasn’t as though her marriage was a great love match. Riley had never led her to believe it would be. No doubt he’d been with any number of women over the years.
The four men walked into the apartment, diverting her attention for the moment. Riley paused when he found her in the kitchen. His blue eyes searched her as if to read her thoughts, and when she offered him a weak smile, he seemed genuinely relieved.
Doing her best to stay out of the men’s way, Hannah did what she could to help the loading go as smoothly as possible. Generally, this consisted of directing traffic and answering minor questions.
It amazed her how smoothly everything was going. She’d assumed it would take most of the day to move, but the four men worked well as a team and handled the burdensome task with an economy of effort.
When the apartment was nearly empty, Hannah moved into the bedroom to push some boxes into the center of the room. She wanted to do something, anything other than stand idle. Never in her life had she stood by, wasting time while watching others work. It went against the very grain of her personality, and she deeply resented it now.
"Hannah!"
"I’m only trying to help," she cried. "You’re treating me like an old woman."
"I’m treating you like a pregnant woman," he countered sharply, gripping her by the shoulders. Despite the anger in his voice, his touch was light. Hannah raised her gaze to his, and when their eyes met, something warm and delicate passed between them. The silence swelled, filling the room. It was a comfortable silence that chased away the doubts she’d experienced earlier.
Whatever his reasoning, whatever hers, they were married now; and each in their own way seemed determined to make the best of the situation. If Riley had lost his love, then it was behind him now. She, too, had loved another.
Riley’s hands inched their way from her shoulder, caressing the sides of her neck. His eyes continued to hold hers, then with excruciating slowness, he lowered his gaze to her mouth. Hannah felt her stomach tighten. The soft throaty sound that slipped from between her lips came as a surprise to her. Her face was flooded with color as she realized she’d practically begged Riley to kiss her again. The very thought mortified her. After all, she’d been the one to lay the ground rules in this relationship, and that had included no touching, at least not for a while. To his credit, Riley had respected her wishes all week. They’d lived as brother and sister – or, more appropriately, as drill sergeant and draftee.
A smile captured his eyes as he lazily rubbed his moist lips over hers. His kiss was gentle and undemanding. Their lips clung as his mouth worked against hers, deepening the pressure and the intensity. Hannah found herself opening up to him. Her hands slid up the hard wall of his chest as she leaned into his strength, absorbing it. Fire danced in her veins as a welcome, foreign excitement filled her.