Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
"Fine," she paused. "you're an ass," she said, turning on her heel and haughtily walking away.
She had reached the entryway when he finally caught up with her and whirled her around to face him. "Nuh-uh," he said, not letting go of her arm. "Don't run away. I wasn't trying to..."
"James," Elliott broke in suddenly. She hadn't even seen him in the area when they had come in.
"Don't Elliott," James said. "It's not about you."
Hannah felt her heartbeat pound so hard she felt nauseated. Were they really about to get into an argument in front of her... over her? She knew she should say something and diffuse the situation, but her words froze in her throat and she stood there dumbly listening.
"You came barging into my foyer and forcibly grabbed someone who was obviously trying to get away from you. You made it about me."
Hannah could feel the heat rising in her face. She couldn't just stand there and allow this to escalate. "This is a misunderstanding," she broke in between their whispered argument. They both stopped and stared at her as if forgetting she was even there. "James just wanted to tell me something and he was trying to catch up to me. That was all." She lied more easily than she had ever been able to before.
Elliott looked down at her with a look that implied he knew she was lying but he wasn't going to refute her claim. James shot her a look that said both 'thanks' and 'I didn't need your help' at the same time.
Before anyone had a chance to say anything further, a woman approached suddenly and put an arm around Elliott's back. She was tall with shoulder-length blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. Her nose was thin, her chin sharp and her face a perfect heart shape. She was absolutely gorgeous and extremely thin. Through her bright red cocktail dress, Hannah could actually count her ribs.
The lady in question shot James a look with raised brows and gave Hannah a downright withering stare. Elliott was looking down at her as if he couldn't understand what was going on.
James was the first one to break the silence, "Hello Dan," he said in an uncharacteristically venomous tone.
"James," she said back with a matching inflection. They obviously hated one another. She glanced at Hannah, seemingly to make a point at suggesting she was purposely not involving her in the conversation. "Elliott, darling, Daddy was looking for you."
Elliott looked downright murderous, but kept his tone neutral when he spoke as he carefully stepped out of her grasp. "Go tell Frank that I will be right with him," he said in a tone that would accept no further discussion.
Dan looked as though she was contemplating saying something more, but then thought better about it. She shot Hannah another look before turning away and, presumably, finding her father.
A silence followed for a moment, broken by James who grabbed a glass of wine from a passing server and saying, "Ice, ice, baby."
Hannah fought the urge to laugh until she heard Elliott let out a short, low chuckle and then it rushed out of her like a teenage girl's fit of giggles. Elliott smiled down at her for a second, reaching out to his side and grabbing a white wine glass. He handed it to her, still smiling slightly. "Excuse me," he said, following Dan over to her father who was looking at him expectantly.
"Well, she's an absolute delight," Hannah said, taking a sip from her glass.
"Oh, baby doll... you have no idea," James touched her hand gently. "Listen, Hannah..."
Hannah held up her hand to stop him. "I was childish. And while I stand by the fact that you were being an ass... I am just in a surly mood and I took it out on you."
James sighed, suddenly turning and lowering his forehead to rest on hers. "I really like you Hannah," he said, pulling away and looking at her with a look much more serious than she had ever seen on him before. "I know you think I'm just picking at you, but I'm genuinely trying to be helpful. Trust me, I know my brother. And I know that if there was a physical depiction of the mental image he holds of the perfect woman... you would be it. You can deny it all you want, but he wants you. And while he might be on his best behavior right now, trust me, some day that will change. I want you to know because I want you to be prepared because no woman has ever lasted longer than a few weeks in Elliott's life."
Hannah couldn't wrap her head around the conversation. On one hand, her own personal insecurity weighed in and reminded her that she was usually never much to look at- that men had easily avoided paying her attention for a great many years and there was no evidence to suggest she was in any way wrong. But there had been moments. In her office, when he caught her... his hand on her back. She felt a shiver run down her spine.