Liquid Lucidity (A Novella)

Chapter Thirteen

David remained true to his word. Hannah felt like she was living in a Hallmark movie for two days. He readied his house for her parents visit, cutting down a tree, decorating with her as he played French Christmas music over the speakers in the living room. That was also how she learned he spoke French, then found out he also spoke Latin, Spanish, German and Italian. Not all of them fluently, but hearing him whisper Italian into her ear was enough to get her lady parts antsy.

When it came to sex, however, David wanted to wait for a while. It was crazy frustrating considering how dead sexy and sweet he'd been since the accident, but Hannah did her best to show restraint.

They decorated the house, bought the groceries and David redecorated the guest bedroom using furniture he'd made that was hiding away in a workshop she hadn't even known was on the property.

The man went from brooding bar owner to fully domesticated in the blink of an eye and Hannah couldn't help but wonder if the transformation would last or if it was simply a reaction to Saturday's turn of events that would fade over time.

"What time does your parents plane land?" he asked as he rearranged all the odds and ends in the living room."

"4:30."

It was the third time he'd asked that day alone and Hannah was a bit amused at how antsy David was about meeting her parents. He hadn't exactly said they were dating yet and they'd only kissed a few times, but she guessed this was a bigger deal for him now than when they'd made the plans originally.

"What time is it now?"

David lifted the sleeve of his navy blue sweater and checked his watch. "Almost a quarter after three. We need to leave here in about half an hour." He took a break from his obsessive tidying up and walked over to her. "So, how are we going to do this? Are we just going to stick to what they already know, me being your landlord, or..."

Hannah raised an eyebrow and smiled when she noticed a slight blush on his dark skin. "Or?" She wasn't going to be the first to say it because she still didn't know what the hell they were.

"Or are we going to call me something else?" David put his arms around her waist.

"Like what? Like 'Dav—id'?" Hannah teased. 

David let out a breath through his nose and narrowed his blue eyes at her. "Like your bo-... boss?"

Hannah didn't hold back her laughter. "You can't s-say it, can you?"

"I can say it," David pouted. 

 Hannah tilted her head up to look at him. "So are you? My bo-boss?" 

That devilish smile appeared on his face. "Do you want me to be?"

"Depends. You think you can tame your wild ways and be a one wom—an kind of guy?" Hannah asked him.

It was a fair question to ask. While she hadn't seen any of it since she'd been here, she'd heard about his reputation. Even before deciding to move here, Meggie couldn't help but vent about her crazy, moody man-whore of a boss. 

She knew everyone had a side they didn't show others easily, but she also wanted to know that if she went for something with him, Hannah wouldn't be left without a home and full of regret. 

"I know I can, darlin'. I've just been waiting on a woman to make it worth my while. And you are more than worth my while."

Hannah looked down to hide her own blush. The southern man in front of her had a way with words that always seemed to leave her skin flushed, her head spinning and her legs a wobbly mess. "I guess you can t-tell them you're my boy—friend then."

"I just might do that," David agreed quietly above her. "So, do you think I'll gain their approval?"

"P-prob—ab—ly not. But in their def—ense, no one is good en—ough for me."

"Not even the Bible guy?"

Hannah laughed as she shook her head. "Not un—til af—ter the break—up."

They never hated him. They never gave him too hard a time and never tried to put an end to the relationship. Instead they'd been indifferent. Neither of her parents had tried to bond with him and weren't deliriously happy when she'd announced her engagement to Shawn. 

After the accident, however, Shawn had truly stepped up and was there for her and her parents saw that. But he was there for her the way they were, not the way she needed him to be. He'd taken care of her in all ways, but the fire was gone and Hannah had given up waiting for its return. 

Shawn would always love her, of that Hannah had no doubt, but the passion was gone. He was just holding on because moving on was too terrifying of a concept for him. 

"We should get going," David told her, breaking Hannah from her thoughts. "Traffic is going to start picking up soon."

"Can't ev—en spare a min—ute?" Hannah asked, trying her best to sound flirtatious. She wrapped her arms around his torso, resting her hands against his lower back. 

David flashed her a warm smile rather than his usual devious one. "Just one?" He lowered his nose to beneath hers and lifted her head that way. "For you I could probably manage to spare two."

He parted her lips with his own, kissing her with such perfection and gentleness that he felt like a soft breeze breathing life into her uncertain world. His kisses were new to her, but felt so familiar, as if the universe brought her to him. She supposed in a way it had. Fate had taken a hold of her life in so many ways, leading her to exactly where she was meant to be. 

Her hands repositioned themselves to his hair, grasping the stands as she pulled him closer. How someone so rugged and tough could hold her and kiss her so much tenderness made her heart soften. This was the man he was for her and her alone, like a secret she wanted to share with the world, yet also wanted to keep all to herself.  

When she felt his tongue skim the tip of her own, Hannah tried to deepen the kiss to no avail. He was a man in constant control of his world and she wanted desperately for him to lose that control; to kiss her without hesitancy. Without holding back. 

"Hannah," he warned in a hire voice than normal. 

She'd tried time and time again over the last few days for him to give her the hard, passion filled kiss she'd been so desperately craving. He'd been the first man she'd kissed since Shawn and even before then, he rarely kissed her unapologetically. As much as Hannah enjoyed sweet, she also enjoyed a little salt and had been without for too damn long. 

David was nothing if not a passionate man and she knew if she could only get him to open up physically, he'd give her that roller coaster of desire and heat she was dire need of. 

"You d-don't have to be so gen—tle with me, you know. I won't break." 

"Maybe I'm worried I'll break," David replied quietly against her lips. "Maybe I'm takin' it easy on myself because I know once I dive in, I'm gonna drown in you, and that ain't somethin' I'm used to feelin'."

His words were like a fire creeping across the surface of her skin. For someone with poor grammar, he certainly had a way of talking that left her feeling dizzy and unable to form a coherent thought. "What if I want you to d-drown in me?"

"I fully intend to," David answered, his voice barely above a whisper before he took I step back. "After your parents have come and gone, so I don't have to be forced to think about what I'm missin' out on while they're here. And speaking of your parents, your two minutes are up and it's time to go pick 'em up."