I don’t know what I expected exactly, but a pale-faced guy in a sweater and dress pants wasn’t on my radar.
Hannah’s a smoke show, and this guy’s…boring is the word that comes to mind. Not because of his looks, which aren’t unattractive depending on your taste. He’s got a runner’s body, and his eyes are a dull shade of blue. He moves like everything’s an effort, but he turns toward Hannah so fast I move closer to her instinctively.
“Hannah-bear.” He steps closer, right into her space, and goes to put his arms around her.
Lightning fast, her arm goes out to block him.
“Craig. It’s over.” She points from herself to him. “This. Us.”
“But…” He takes another tentative step closer.
She instantly steps to the right, meaning she’s now brushing up against my side. I don’t move. She doesn’t either.
Craig looks between us as if noticing me for the first time.
“Who’s this?” he asks Hannah rather than addressing me directly.
“This is…” I don’t miss how she hesitates, and no doubt her ex doesn’t either. “My…he…”
“I’m her date,” I say, filling in the awkward silence without thinking about what my words sound like.
Craig spits out a laugh. “Her date? To what?” He gestures around us. “Her date to a casino? My Hannah doesn’t gamble. She’s not a risk-taker. It goes against her nature.”
“I’m not yours,” Hannah says with daggers in her eyes. “And who Maverick is…it isn’t your business.”
“Maverick?” Craig assesses me with a dismissive glance before turning all his focus on Hannah. “He looks like a jock. You’ll fuck him and get sick of him in a week.”
I chuckle. “I think you’re selling me short there, buddy. I’m worth at least two weeks.”
Hannah puts her hand on my arm gently. I know she’s asking me to shut up, but I can’t stop.
“And when was it your business anyway?” I continue.
Craig crosses his arms over his chest and faces me fully now. “Your shotgun rider—or easy fuck for the night…”
“Watch it,” I growl. “Don’t speak about her that way.”
“Whatever,” he says. “Do you even know anything about the woman you’re so busy defending? Did you know she already has her master’s degree and wants to be a professor?”
No, I did not know that. And I’ve never been out with a professor or someone who could qualify as one. But the new information just makes me more interested in Hannah Walsh.
I shrug. “We’re still learning about each other.”
Craig’s dull eyes brighten ever so slightly as he bares his teeth at me. “She’ll tire of you so fast you’ll be staring at her back as she runs back to me.”
Hannah puts her hands on her hips. “Craig, how did you know where I was?”
“How do you think?” he says with a gross wink at her. “I put an app on your phone.”
Hannah’s face turns red and she raises her hand like she’s going to slap him. “You asshole. You never told me you did that. When did you get a hold of my phone?”
He shrugs. “When you went to the restroom at work one time. I snagged it and downloaded the app. Bingo. Took two minutes.”
Hannah drops her hand. “I want to slap the fuck out of you right now, Craig. But you’re actually not worth the sting on my palm.”
“I’m not leaving Vegas without you.” He glances pointedly at her hand. “I see you’re still wearing the ring I gave you. That must mean you haven’t given up on us.”
Hannah flushes red. She looks down at her hand and practically rips the diamond-encrusted ring off her left ring finger.
“Oversight,” she says as she shoves the ring at him.
He rolls the ring between his fingers as he stares at her. “You’re really going to throw away the past six years?”
“You did that all on your own.” Her voice cracks, but she holds her head high. “You chose to screw somebody behind my back.”
Christ. This loser cheated on her?
“And even if it was a one-time thing like you claimed, this relationship isn’t healthy anymore. For either of us. We both need to move on.”
The fucker just stares like he’s seeing a whole new side of her.
I’m staring, too. Hannah’s tough and she’s strong and I find it…hot as hell.
Craig tries to recalibrate by taking control again. He curls his lip in a sneer. “I’ve already moved on, darling. Remember what you walked in on?”
“You’re a prick.” Hannah shakes her head like she’s disgusted with him.
But I catch the flash of hurt in her eyes before she looks