Teacher (Voyeur #6) - Fiona Cole Page 0,52

around us. It’s not a secret among our circle, but yeah, I’ve talked to him about it. He’s actually been teaching me self-defense classes.”

Erik swallowed. “I would’ve done that. We tried. We can still try. All the resources at Haven are always open to you, Hanna. No questions asked. And I’m always here.”

“I know.” I swallowed past the lump in my throat. Erik was a giant pain sometimes, but he’d saved me. He’d moved heaven and earth and risked his life to bring both of us home. I loved him more than anyone and knowing he was always on my side, centered me more than anything else. “I know you would have. I wasn’t ready then. And, honestly, I didn’t realize I was ready now.”

“He’s not forcing you, is he?”

“No,” I laughed. “If anything, he’s overly cautious, while also not babying me. It’s kind of nice. But he always lets me know we can stop at any moment.”

I didn’t mention that that was for more than just the self-defense. If Erik knew what else Daniel taught me, nothing would stop him from blowing a gasket, and Alex would be super sad if I made her boyfriend have a heart attack before she could marry him.

“Good. I’m glad. I wish it was with someone else, but I’m happy you’re happy. I guess.”

“I think that’s about as good as it gets from you. Now, go. I have to finish packing.”

He scanned the contents strewn across my bed and stopped, his eyes widening like saucers. “What the fuck is that? I thought you said no sex,” he accused, pointing his finger toward the pile of lace.

“Those are my panties, Erik. I wear them for me. So, congratulations. Now you know what your sister wears under her clothes.”

Erik’s face screwed up and he brought his hands to rub at his eyes, turning toward the door. “Fuck, Hanna. I didn’t need to know that. Are you trying to traumatize me?”

“Then don’t analyze my suitcase,” I said, laughing behind him.

I followed him back out to the living room and was just getting ready to open the door when a second knock came. Looking at the clock, I saw he was thirty minutes early.

Well, this should be fun.

I opened the door to a smiling Daniel. When his eyes landed on Erik’s dark scowl, the smile slipped a little. I gave him an A for effort to keep it in place.

Erik stepped forward, chest to chest with Daniel, only an inch taller. “If she gets hurt in any way, I’ll fucking kill you. Slowly. Painfully.”

Daniel nodded once. “Noted.”

“Oh, my god, Erik. Just go,” I groaned, shoving him out the door.

He walked past and like Robert De Niro in Meet the Fockers, held his fingers to his eyes and back to Daniel, glaring the entire time.

I pulled Daniel in and slammed the door behind him.

“Everything okay?”

“Yup. Just a big brother being annoying.” I shrugged. “Ready to rock n’ roll?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I just need to finish packing.”

“Need help?”

I thought of all the lace bundled on my bed still. “No, I’ve got it. I’ll only be a second.”

I’d told a little fib to Erik. Yes, I did wear pretty panties for myself, but maybe I packed the sexiest for this trip. Just in case.

A girl had to be prepared for any impromptu lessons.

18

Hanna

“So, what’s on the docket today?” I asked before taking another rejuvenating sip of coffee. We’d gotten into the cabin so late that we’d barely turned on the lights to check it out before collapsing in our beds.

Now, we sat in Adirondack chairs, bundled up in the enclosed porch, watching the fog slowly clear from the mountains. Perfect didn’t come close to explaining this moment.

“How do you feel about hiking?”

“I’m open to it.”

“Bungee jumping?”

I almost choked on my coffee. “Less open to that.”

“But still open?” he asked around his laugh.

“Maybe barely a crack. So small, I’m not even sure paper could slip through.”

“Okay. Okay.”

“Honestly, I think I could sit here all day and watch the view change with the sun.”

“It’s beautiful,” he agreed.

I glanced his way, stupidly hoping for a romance movie moment, where he stared at me as he said it was beautiful, but his eyes were firmly planted on the dips and rises of the forest. Not that it mattered. Because we were friends.

“You did a good job picking the place.”

“Thank you. It’s the least I could do. Literally.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” he defended.

Daniel had let me pick which mountains we went to and where we stayed,