They played a game of Scrabble, which she won handily, and watched a little television. By nine-thirty Hannah was ready for bed.
Not so, Riley. He made an excuse of needing to gas up the car. He rejected her offer to go with him and suggested instead that she go bed without him. He promised to join her later. Hannah could only agree, but she was determined to stay awake. He wouldn't thwart her that easily.
Riley sat in his car in the dark of the night, trying to come up with a logical excuse to find somewhere else to sleep for the next ten nights. It was only ten lousy nights before the Atlantis was scheduled to be deployed. Thus far he'd managed to keep his hands off Hannah, but he swore the woman was enough to tempt the saints.
Riley Murdock was no saint.
He didn't even make the pretense of being one. Hannah was home sleeping in his bed, and short of spending the night sitting in the cold, he'd soon be joining her there.
Hannah, all soft and warm with sleep, waiting for him to join her. In their bed. The very thought was enough to drive Riley to his knees.
He hadn't slept worth a damn since Christmas night, when she'd rushed into his arms and they'd come so close to making love. He'd seen the look in her eyes then: bold as could be.
Passion. A desire so strong that it awed him, and had haunted him every night since.
Riley didn't know how he was going to be able to resist her.
He knew his actions since Christmas had confused and flustered Hannah. Hell, he was baffled himself. Questions paraded through his mind each and every night. Plenty of questions and not a single answer.
He was a crazy man not to make love to Hannah when she'd given every indication that she'd welcome his attentions. He was certifiable. A candidate for intensive counseling.
The frightening part of all this was how much he wanted to make love with her. He thought about it constantly, but he couldn't make himself breach the barrier of his fears.
He'd hurt her again. He might injure the baby. He'd been too large for her that first night. She'd been so damned tight and hot.
Quickly Riley banished the memory from his mind, knowing if he didn't find something else to think about, he'd soon fall victim to his own needs.
Slowly, with a good deal of reluctance, he drove back to the house, noting when he walked inside that it was only a little after eleven. Hannah would be asleep by now. At least he wouldn't be left to contend with any of her questions. He wouldn't have any answers for her, either.