Hold Me Close - Talia Hibbert Page 0,231

snuggling me, really.”

“Snuggling is a group activity. We’re snuggling.”

“Weeeelllll…”

“If you keep arguing, I’m going to kiss you.”

“Oh no,” she deadpanned. “Please. Stop. Don’t.”

He snorted. “Shut up. You can’t distract me, Hannah. We have a plan to discuss.”

“Ah, yes. The money issue. Well, I get what you’re saying about the contract, and I would love to take some of this random house cash off your hands, because knowing it’s in here makes me beyond nervous—”

“Why?”

She stared at him as if he’d asked the silliest question in the world. “Um. What if the house burns down? What if we’re burgled? And so on, and so forth? Banks exist for a reason, Nate.”

“If it bothers you so much, just take it.”

“All of it? I don’t think that’s in my contract.”

“Well, you have to take something.” He sighed. “Come on, sweetheart. Work with me here.”

“I don’t know. I might not need it, anyway.”

Nate frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I don’t think I mentioned this before, but I have a trust fund. It’s not huge, as trust funds go, but I could definitely live off it for a while.”

“Why the hell do you have a trust fund?” On the heels of that question, common sense arrived to smack him with the answer. “Oh. Ah… is it something to do with your dad?”

“Mmhm.” Her tone was casual, but their bodies were too closely intertwined for him to miss the tension running through her.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “So you’re not sure if you want to use it?”

“Exactly. I’ve never used it. Ever. I suppose that makes me prideful.”

“Not necessarily,” he said gently. “But even if it did… is pride a sin?”

“Yes,” she said promptly. “Literally, yes.”

“Oh. Well, so is pre-marital sex, right?”

She glared. “You’re really not helping.”

“Sorry, love.” He kissed the little arrow that appeared between her brows, until the frown was smoothed out. “Honestly, I understand. I wouldn’t want to take anything from my dad, either. Yours is a twat, mine’s a twat, they’re all twats and you’re entitled to deal with that twatness however you like.”

“You think?”

“I do. You can spend the money he gave you, or you can give it away, or you can burn it. Symbolically, I mean. Please don’t actually burn it. People are starving.” When she bit back a laugh, her hesitance melting away, he felt a surge of happiness. Funny how making Hannah smile felt like a lifetime achievement every time. “Seriously, though, it’s up to you. I want to pay you, and I think it’s right to pay you, but that’s your choice too. Think about it. Okay?”

She nodded slowly. “Okay. I will.”

“Good. And in the meantime, I was thinking maybe we could tell our families, at least, about our plans.”

“That sounds good,” she agreed. “Although after tonight, the only family members who don’t know are our parents and the kids.”

“Actually, Josh and Beth have both asked me if you’re my girlfriend. Multiple times. And I did say no, but I don’t think they believed me.”

“Girlfriend? Oh, Jesus.”

“Kids are smart.” He shrugged. And then bit back a groan as her fingers, which were gently circling his chest, grazed his nipple. Fuck.

“So, it’s just our parents,” she said. “I’m not sure how my mother will take it.”

“Oh?” he croaked.

“You never really know with her. She’s absolutely baffling, and this thing between us is… odd. Hard to explain.” Hannah shrugged. “What about yours?”

“Not sure,” he managed. Then he cleared his throat as a sudden realisation struck him. “By the way, Hannah, you do know that we’re a couple, right?”

“Well,” she said slowly, “I know that we’re exclusively sleeping together…”

“No. We’re exclusively dating.” Which, he was beginning to realise, may not have been explicitly clear. “You didn’t think we were dating?”

She pursed her lips, her gaze sliding away from his. Then she frowned and squinted down at their bodies as if she could see straight through the sheets. “Do you have an erection right now?”

“Stop staring at my dick when I’m trying to romance you.”

“That’s you romancing me? By the way, we’re together?”

“Well,” he said reasonably, “if I’d gone with, Dearest Hannah, light of my life, would you do me the great honour of becoming my girlfriend? you might freak out.”

“Girlfriend?” she squeaked.

“You are a girl, right?”

“I’m thirty, Nate. You’re thirty. You’re a widower, for God’s sake!”

“My very mature girlfriend, then. My very adult girlfriend. My womanfriend, if you will.”

She laughed so hard, he had to cover her mouth. They were trying to be quiet, after all. And if he just so