Joan Hohl - A Man Apart

Hannah’s spirits soared at first, then took a nosedive, her hopes going down in flames. Still, she maintained her composure and took his jacket and hat and hung them away in the coat closet. The flight bag she set behind the nearby chair.

“I see.” She tried to match his casual tone and didn’t quite make it. “Well, I’m glad you stopped by,” she said, dredging up a shaky smile to hide the sting of pain burning inside. “So,” she held on to her smile for dear life. “Why else have you come east?”

“I’ll tell you after dinner…” Justin hesitated, frowning. “You haven’t had dinner, have you?”

“No,” Hannah shook her head. “I worked late and didn’t feel up to the crowds in the restaurants tonight.”

“Oh.” He nodded, then raised a dark brow. “You eat out often?”

Hannah wanted to scream at him. Didn’t the man know that it was Valentine’s Day? And what difference did it make to him whether or not she ate out often? This was only an afterthought visit, anyway.

“Occasionally,” she answered, smothering the curse and a sigh. She gestured for him to sit down. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked, too politely, certain that if he said coffee she’d throw up.

“No, thanks.” He sat down on the plush lounge chair. “I’ll wait for dinner.”

Did he actually expect her to cook for him? He’d wait until the cows came home, she fumed, using one of her father’s favorite expressions. Hannah gave him a level stare and mirrored his eyebrow action. “I hope you realize that there will probably be long lines at all the better restaurants tonight,” she said, making it perfectly clear she had no intention of providing a meal for him.

“I don’t need a restaurant.” His smile was knowing, making her aware he understood her unsubtle hint. “I’ve ordered dinner to be delivered here.”

The audacity of the man. Why didn’t it surprise her? Everything inside him radiated audacity and…and…sheer male sensuality.

Stop that train of thought immediately, you dimwit, Hannah ordered herself. Stick to the subject at hand. “How did you know I’d be in town?”

“I didn’t.” Justin shrugged, then laughed that deep, thrilling, damnably exciting laugh that set her pulses racing. “But I figured I’d take a chance. I’ll tell you all about why I’m here while we eat.”

“But…” Hannah began to ask him how he had gotten past the security guard in the lobby, only to be interrupted by the buzz on the intercom from that very same man.

“There’s our dinner,” Justin said, moving to the intercom beside the door. “I’ll take care of this. You go set the table.”

You go set the table, Hannah grumbled to herself, whirling around to do as he ordered. As he ordered. Who the devil did he think he was?

Hannah had finished setting the table except for the water glasses she had retrieved from the cabinet. But she didn’t know whether he wanted water with whatever it was he had ordered for dinner or if he’d prefer wine, which of course, she couldn’t have. She set one glass on the table and was filling the other glass for herself from the refrigerator’s water dispenser when she heard him open the door and speak to a delivery man. The distinct aroma of pizza wafted through the apartment.

To her amazement, instead of bringing on a wave of queasiness, the smell made her mouth water and her stomach rumble with hunger.

Carrying a large pizza box with one hand and a white paper bag in the other, Justin walked jauntily into the kitchen, his smile more appetizing than the smell of the food.

“Dinner is served, madam,” he said, carefully sliding the box onto the table. “This,” he added, holding the bag aloft, “is our dessert.”

Someday, maybe, hopefully, you’ll get your just dessert for being such a rogue, Hannah thought, but simply asked aloud, “What do you want to drink to go with it?”

“Beer?” he asked.

“Yes.” She turned to the fridge.

“Beer with the pizza, and coffee with dessert.”

Her stomach twitched in protest. Wishing he hadn’t mentioned her previously favorite beverage, Hannah took a can of beer from the fridge and moved to the table to reach for the glass at his place.

“I don’t need a glass,” Justin said with a dismissive wave of his hand, popping the top while seating himself in the chair opposite hers. “Sit down and serve the pizza.”

Starting to seriously resent his assumed right to order her around, Hannah fixed him with a fuming look. “You know, you could have served it while I was getting your beer.”

“No, I couldn’t,” he said with a smile, indicating the box with a nod of his head. “The opening’s in front of you. And in case you haven’t noticed, the lid’s taped shut.”

Hannah couldn’t decide if she wanted to laugh at his obvious teasing, or toss her glass of water at him. She did neither. Drawing the box closer, she broke the paper tape and lifted the lid.

The delicious aroma hit her first, making her almost groan with hunger. Then two other factors struck her, making her gasp in surprise. The large crust had been worked into a heart shape, and the words, Sweet Hannah, had been formed with small slices of pepperoni.

She laughed with delight. It was the strangest, most wonderful Valentine’s gift she had ever received. “Wherever did you get this?” she asked.

“The pizzeria a couple of blocks down. I told the counter man what I had in mind. Turns out, he owns the place and he smacked his hand against his forehead and said, and I quote, ‘Why didn’t I think of that? I coulda made a bundle.’ I told him to keep it in mind for next year.” He grinned. “Are you ever going to serve it?”

Hannah pulled a sad face. “Must I?”

“Only if you want to eat…and don’t want me to starve to death at your kitchen table.”

“Well, in that case, I suppose I’d better.” Laughing, if rather weakly, Hannah scooped up a slice and slid it onto his plate. “May I ask what gave you the idea in the first place?” she said, serving herself a slice.

“Hmm.” Nodding, Justin murmured around the big bite he’d taken into his mouth. “I came up with the idea when I decided I wasn’t in the mood to stand on line at a restaurant, at a candy store or a florist,” he said after swallowing. “Hey, this is pretty good.” He followed that with a swig of beer. “And I wasn’t in the mood because I was tired after driving around since early this morning.” He took another big bite.

Ready to bite into the slice she had served herself, Hannah paused, unable to resist asking, “Why have you been driving since early this morning…and where?”

Before responding to her questions, Justin polished off his slice and held his plate out for another. His hesitation wasn’t because he was that hungry, although he was, but because he was carefully choosing the words of his explanation.

“Actually, I’ve been driving around for two days. I flew into Baltimore the day before yesterday.” Justin couldn’t miss the tightness that stiffened Hannah’s spine, so he rushed on. “I picked up my rental car, checked into a hotel, then went to keep an appointment with a real estate agent.”

She frowned. “Here? In Baltimore?”

“Yes. You see, I’m doing some scouting for Adam. We’re thinking of investing in a horse farm here in the East, to breed Thoroughbreds. The agent found farms available in several states and set up appointments for me.”

“What states? And why here in the East?” she asked, frowning.

“Maggie told me there were a lot of horse farms out here.” He answered her second question first.

“Well, Maggie should know,” Hannah said. “She was born in Berks County.”