A Man Apart by Joan Hohl Page B

voice as serious as hers had been. “No, Hannah. I don’t, for even a second, believe you would be here now, if you hadn’t found something about me to like.” The seriousness fled, and the gleam sprang back into his eyes. “What is it that appeals to you? My body? My…”
    â€œIs fantastic,” Hannah interjected, holding back a laugh. “And you use it to advantage.”
    Justin arched a brow but continued with what he had started to say, “My personality?”
    She mirrored his dark arch with her lighter eyebrow. “I didn’t know you had one.”
    He laughed.
    Her pulse leaped and her senses freaked. How was it possible for one man’s laughter to cause such exciting sensations inside her, Hannah mused, loving the feelings, yet scared of them at the same time.
    â€œI like you,” Justin offered the unsolicited opinion. “I like your gorgeous body, too.”
    â€œI kind of figured you did,” she responded wryly.
    â€œBut I’d like to do a further exploration of the terrain.” He grinned…more like leered. “Just to be sure.”
    â€œUh-huh.” She eyed him warily. “But that will have to wait. My plane left hours ago. I’ve got to phone the airline, see if I can book another flight.”
    â€œYou’ve already missed your flight,” Justin pointed out, his voice soft, persuasive. “Why can’t you wait till morning to call and reschedule?”
    â€œI, er…” She faltered at the brazen look of renewed passion in his eyes. At her hesitation, he shoved back his chair and stood.
    â€œCome on, let’s get the supper things cleared away,” he said, collecting his plate and cutlery.
    Rising, Hannah began to follow his example. “And after the supper things are cleared away, we’ll go to the bedroom….”
    â€œGood,” he flashed a self-satisfied grin at her.
    â€œTo pick up the clothing we discarded and scattered all over the bedroom floor.”
    â€œYeah, yeah,” he muttered, not meaning one yeah.
    Ten minutes later Justin found himself hanging the damp towels on the mounted wall racks in the bathroom. “You know, this could have waited tillmorning, as well,” he called to Hannah, who was busy neatly folding their clothing.
    â€œYeah, yeah,” she mimicked his agreement. “But you’ll be thanking me tomorrow.”
    In truth, Justin did thank Hannah in the morning, but not for remaining resolute about picking up their stuff. He thanked her with words and caresses and deep, searing kisses for what he swore was the most fantastic night of his life.

Seven
    â€œW hat about Beth?” The gleam in his eyes grew brighter. “Didn’t you like her?”
    It took a few minutes for Hannah to make the connection. She and Justin were in the middle of breakfast. This time he had cooked oatmeal, served with brown sugar. He was watching her, waiting for the dawn of comprehension to break over her sleep-and sex-fogged mind.
    â€œOh, your sister, Beth.” Hannah felt like a dull wit. At least she hadn’t said, “huh?” “I like her, very much. She stopped by Maggie’s apartment afew days ago. We had a nice chat. Besides being warm and friendly, she’s a gorgeous woman, a striking combination of your mother and father.”
    â€œYeah, she is,” Justin agreed, popping another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. After swallowing the oatmeal, he downed half the orange in his glass. “Adam’s wife, Sunny, is no slouch either.”
    Nodding, Hannah took a ladylike sip of her juice. “She’s lovely, and their daughter, Becky, is absolutely adorable. I immediately fell in love with her.”
    He chuckled around the last of his cereal. “She has that effect on everybody.” He arched a quizzical dark eyebrow. “You like kids?”
    â€œVery much.” Finished eating, she dabbed her mouth with