Riley's hands inched their way from her shoulder, caressing the sides of her neck. His eyes continued to hold hers, then with excruciating slowness, he lowered his gaze to her mouth. Hannah felt her stomach tighten. The soft throaty sound that slipped from between her lips came as a surprise to her. Her face was flooded with color as she realized she'd practically begged Riley to kiss her again. The very thought mortified her. After all, she'd been the one to lay the ground rules in this relationship, and that had included no touching, at least not for a while. To his credit, Riley had respected her wishes all week. They'd lived as brother and sister – or, more appropriately, as drill sergeant and draftee.
A smile captured his eyes as he lazily rubbed his moist lips over hers. His kiss was gentle and undemanding. Their lips clung as his mouth worked against hers, deepening the pressure and the intensity. Hannah found herself opening up to him. Her hands slid up the hard wall of his chest as she leaned into his strength, absorbing it. Fire danced in her veins as a welcome, foreign excitement filled her.
Riley ended the kiss abruptly, dragging his mouth reluctantly from her. "I don't want you helping anymore. Understand?"
"But, Riley…"
"That's my baby you're carrying."
No sooner were the words out when Steve walked into the room. The other man's gaze shot from Hannah to Riley and then back to her again, as though he weren't sure he'd heard correctly. He didn't comment, but it was apparent the information came as a shock, for his gaze grew deep and troubled.
"I can't stand around doing nothing," Hannah protested heatedly, biting into her lip. Riley might have announced her condition with a bit more diplomacy, instead of dropping it like a hot coal in his friend's lap a few minutes after introducing her as his wife.
A flustered Steve grabbed a box and left the room. Tears of embarrassment filled Hannah's eyes as she abruptly moved away from her husband. Silly tears, she realized. There was no need to hide the fact she was pregnant; it would become obvious to all soon enough, and everyone would know the real reason Riley had married her.
"Hannah?" Riley's tone was gentle, concerned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so tactless."
Assuming he'd left with his friend, Hannah stiffened and kept her back to him as she smeared the moisture across her cheek. "I overreacted---I guess I'm just a little tired is all."
"You're doing too much."
Hannah couldn't help smiling at that. She'd barely lifted a finger all morning. Once again his hands rested on her shoulders; and he gently turned her into his arms. As before, his touch was tender. His breath mussed the soft brown curls that had escaped the scarf that held the hair away from her face. Closing her eyes, she soaked in the comfort she felt in his arms, which seemed to outweigh the revelations of that morning.
"Steve and the others would have figured it out sooner or later."
Unable to resist, she flattened her hands against his hard chest and rested her head there for several seconds. "You're right. It's probably best this way. It's just that-"
"You'd have preferred for my friends to digest one piece of information at a time. You needn't worry that they'll judge us, you know. Friends wouldn't." He smiled down on her and then leaned over to brush his mouth against hers once again.
Hannah blinked as he moved away from her, lifted a heavy box upon his shoulders and seemingly without effort carted it out the door.
She stood for a moment and pressed her fingertips to her mouth. These few brief kisses were the first they'd exchanged since that fateful night. It had been incredibly good. Incredibly wonderful.