Aria threw back her head and laughed at his ridiculousness.

  “You’re doing great, nice work,” Chad coached with a grin. “Are you scared?”

  “No!” Aria cheered.

  “Wait a sec, I forgot to tell you that there’s a lion behind us!” His voice was urgent. “We need speed to get away. Give Pinky Cupcake a gentle tap with your heels and tell her ‘up, up and away!’”

  Aria looked over her shoulder and giggled at the roaring lion behind her then repeated the command. She threw her head back and laughed with delight.

  Hannah’s eyes misted as she recorded the interaction between them. They were lost in a world of make believe. Chad had conjured it up for Aria, and now they were both fully invested in the fantasy. It was as if nothing existed but the two of them and their trusty unicorn. Hannah couldn’t remember the last time Aria had laughed so hard or had so much fun.

  It was only in the past month or so that her little girl had really started coming out of her shell. She’d been too little to fully understand everything that had happened to them before—the scandal, the trial, the hounding from the media—but that didn’t mean it hadn’t affected her. In the aftermath, she’d become shy, quiet, withdrawn. Strangers made her nervous … and since they’d moved to a new town, that basically meant that she was always nervous unless it was just her and Hannah, alone.

  Slowly, gradually, things had started getting better. Aria started showing more of that spunk and personality Hannah had always cherished in her. She’d gotten comfortable with her daycare teacher who had reported back to Hannah that Aria had started making friends. But there was still that hint of hesitance, that bit of herself that Aria always seemed to hold back.

  Until now.

  Hannah looked at Chad and felt her heart swell with gratitude—and a bit of baffled disbelief that this whole silly scheme between them had been necessary in the first place. She’d only known Chad for a few weeks, and she could tell he was amazing. How was it that his hometown hadn’t figured that out yet? It had to be his joyful spirit, the one that everyone seemed to think was his entire personality. But that wasn’t the Chad she was getting to know. He was unlike any man she’d ever known before, especially her ex.

  Chad was intelligent and driven, but he wasn’t hard like John. If Chad had something to prove, he went about it with his brains, not brute force, threats, or intimidation. Chad could’ve come on strong to try to win the chairman position, but here he was, happy to take the back-door approach she’d pitched. The fact that Chad had relinquished control of his campaign to Hannah spoke volumes as well. He wasn’t threatened by her ideas, he seemed to love them.

  She refocused on Chad and Aria, still wrapped up in the world of wonderment he’d created for her. It was time to admit it to herself: Chad was exactly the kind of guy she needed. The kind she wanted. She watched him on the screen making Aria almost scream with laughter.

  If only …

  If only what they were sharing were real and not a pact they’d made. If only the look in his eyes said “forever” instead of just “for now.” Chad was doing a great job stepping into his role as a stable, family-minded man, but it was a means to an end, to win the position. Hannah needed to keep reminding herself of the fact.

  The ride slowed and finally stopped, and Chad helped Aria hop off the unicorn. Hannah put her phone back in her pocket and welcomed the little girl into her arms.

  “Again, Mommy!” She beamed.

  “If it’s okay with Mr. Chad we can,” she said, shooting him a look.

  He held up a fistful of tickets. “We ride again, cowgirls!”

  Aria dashed off to find her next creature, leaving Chad and Hannah alone in the glow of the carousel.

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “You were so good with her.”

  “Are you kidding? We had a blast! She’s an amazing little girl.”

  Hannah leaned on the panda bear in between them and watched Aria trying to make her selection.

  “This is so much fun.”

  Chad took a step closer and nodded to her. “It is. But you know what would make it even better?”

  Hannah’s heartbeat pounded in her ears because she’d seen the look on Chad’s face before. She shook her head slowly, hoping she was right.

  “This.”

  Chad leaned over and brushed his lips against Hannah’s, a kiss that was quick enough to not get caught by Aria but deep enough to let her know that he wished it could go on and on. He pulled away and walked after Aria, glancing back at her with a devastating smile that made Hannah’s heart dance in a way as new and as familiar as Aria’s laugh.

  10

  “She is out,” Hannah said as she came padded barefoot into the family room after putting Aria to bed.

  “Well, we did run her ragged today.”

  “I know, and it was fantastic! Thanks for a really fun day, Chad. The pictures came out great.” She joined him on the couch and pulled out her phone. “Have you checked the response?”

  Rather than grabbing his phone from the coffee table in front of them, Chad leaned in to look at Hannah’s phone. He’d use any excuse to get closer to her.

  She scrolled to Chad’s feed and whistled. “Okay, wow. People are eating you up! You’re on fire, Chad.”

  “Let me see.” He leaned in even closer so that his shoulder rested against hers. “Wait, you posted a video?”

  “Yeah, I posted everything during the drive home. You said I could do whatever I thought was best, and the video is getting the most likes and plays out of anything I’ve posted so far. Watch it.”

  She pushed play and the sound of Aria’s laughter filled the room as Chad gave her unicorn riding lessons.

  He grinned every time Aria’s laugh rang out. Chad was touched that Hannah had captured it. Sure, maybe it looked good and advanced his campaign, but he also loved having a reminder of the special moment he’d shared with the sweet little girl.

  “It’s perfect,” Hannah said softly as the clip ended. Her voice sounded sad.

  Chad glanced at her and saw that her brow was furrowed. “What’s wrong?”

  Her mouth drew into a tight line and she sniffled. “I haven’t heard her laugh like that in a while.”

  “Why is that?” Chad asked, eager to try to pull some backstory from Hannah. She never talked about her past. He respected her decision, of course, but he wanted to know more about her. Wanted to know everything she was willing to tell him, and it felt like the perfect moment, just the two of them alone after a wonderful day together.

  Hannah leaned back against the couch and crossed her arms, and Chad could almost see the walls shooting up around her.

  “Long story.” She sighed, picking a string on the seam of her T-shirt.

  “I’m a good listener,” he said as gently as he could, hoping that it didn’t feel like he was prying. It was plainly obvious that something in her past had hurt her. He wanted to help, to make things better—but he couldn’t do that if he didn’t understand the situation.

  She sighed again then finally met his eyes. It always gave him a buzz when she really looked at him because it felt so different from what he was used to. Yeah, he could see what looked like attraction in her eyes, but that was sort of a given. Chad knew exactly what his face and body could do for him. But when Hannah gazed at him, it felt like she was trying to know him.

  And he liked it.

  “Okay,” Hannah said slowly as she moved away, like she needed a buffer from him as she got into her past. “Here’s the summary: I was in a relationship and I didn’t like who I was when I was with him. I mean …” She shrugged, looking away. “It started out good. He was really—driven. Really passionate and committed. I admired that; it was what drew me to him in the first place. But he didn’t know where to draw the line. He always took things too far, always wanted to win, no matter the consequences. He brought out the worst in me, but I didn’t see it at the time. He basically turned me into someone I didn’t want to be, and I ended up going along with a lot of things I should have said no to. I had a pretty bad wake-up call that made me realize just how deep I’d gotten, and how far I’d strayed from the person I thought I was. I had to get away in order to find my way back to me.” She placed her hand on her chest. “Most important, I needed to keep Aria safe. So, I ran away from my past.”

  She’d finally given him something, but it was still vague.

  “Do you feel, I don’t know … better here?”

  She nodded. “I love it in Kingsley. I’ve never felt safer.” She paused. “And part of that is thanks to you.”

  He sat a little straighter, happy that she felt cared for. “Hey, I live to give Tripp shit. He’ll get the hint eventually.”

  “I hope so,” Hannah said, her face clouding again. She shifted and brought her leg beneath her. “Now it’s your turn. What are you running from?”

  The question threw him. “What do you mean? You know I’m not running from something, I’m running for the Cattlemen’s Association.”

  She didn’t let him off easy. “Come on. You’re hiding who you really are. You’re running from that.”

  He frowned. What was she getting at?

  “I’m as real as they come. Nothing fake about me.”

  She shook her head, looking apologetic. “Sorry, that’s not what I mean. I don’t think you’re lying or being insincere. What I’m trying to say is you’re keeping parts of yourself hidden away, and those are some of the best parts of you! I mean, look at the stuff we’ve been putting on your social media accounts. It’s all you, right? I’m not making things up or saying anything that isn’t true to who you are, am I?”

  He shook his head.

  “But is it stuff you would have gone around saying to people?” she pressed.

  “Not really,” he admitted. “Not my style.” Most of the things she put up on his accounts were comments about the community and what it meant to him. Things he truly felt, but things he might have hesitated to say aloud in a speech or some kind of public format. Social media felt just enough removed to make it okay. And he was pleasantly surprised by the response it all got. He’d thought people would laugh at him if he tried to be sincere. Hell, they had laughed at him when he’d said he wanted to run in the first place. No one took him seriously … until Hannah.

  “Exactly,” she said, almost as if she was responding to his thoughts. “But look at how valuable that social media presence can be. And not just to win the seat. You’re sharing parts of yourself that people didn’t know existed. But you’re not manufacturing that stuff. It’s who you are, Chad. The guy giving unicorn riding lessons? That’s you. The guy playing Candyland? That’s you too. I think letting people see the other side of Chad Radford is going to change your life.”

  “What do you mean ‘the other side’?”

  “Chad, we both know that people think you’re … I don’t know how to say it …”

  “Aimless? A flirt? The dumb Radford?”

  “Oh my God, stop it.” She chastised him and slapped his shoulder. “You’re a great guy.”

  He didn’t like where the conversation was headed. His brothers were the great guys, he was the clown.

  “You’re making me look like a great guy online.” He tried to change the subject. “And hey, you’re amazing at it. Have you thought about doing it professionally? Like, charging people to handle their social media?”

  Her expression shifted and she shook her head. “I know what you’re trying to do, Chad. Stop trying to redirect. I want you to understand that I see who you are. And it’s wonderful.”

  He wasn’t the blushing type, but Hannah’s determination to make him feel good about himself wasn’t something he was used to. Women were quick to say that he was hot, and fun, and amazing in bed.

  But great? Wonderful? He shook his head.

  “Are we going to fight about this?” Hannah asked with a gleam in her eye. “Because I will take you down, Radford.”

  He felt a stirring inside.

  Things were getting very interesting.

  “Yeah.” He grinned. “I think we’re going to fight.”

  Listening to Chad shoot down her compliments was more than Hannah could take.

  But she had ways of making him understand.

  “What if our fight gets … physical?” she asked him with a teasing smile. She moved an inch closer to where he was seated on the couch, so that their thighs were touching.

  “Oh, I’d let you win, of course. A gentleman never puts a hand on a lady.”

  “Is that so? And what if she did something threatening? Like, I don’t know, straddling you so that you were powerless?” She quickly slid her leg over his, so she was sitting on top of him, facing him.

  The move caught Chad off guard, and she felt his body tense for a moment. The shock of her boldness registered all over his face with a mix of delight and confusion.

  “Well, I wouldn’t call myself powerless …” Chad said with a slow, sexy smile. He shifted beneath her and bucked his hips, causing her to bounce up like she was sitting on a mechanical bull.

  She hid a smile. “Oh no? Well, what if your aggressor grabbed your wrists? Like this?” Hannah reached out to take his wrists with her hands. They were so big that she could barely wrap her hands around them, but she squeezed them in a laughable show of force. She held his wrists up in the space between them, a look of defiance on her face.

  “Well, gosh ma’am, now you’ve really got me. Please … be gentle.” Chad said in a mock-pleading voice.

  Hannah felt him shift beneath her, as if trying to simultaneously move his growing hardness away while still pressing it against her.

  “Hmm. How should I punish you next?”

  “I still don’t understand why you’re punishing me,” Chad said, his voice quiet. “Not that I mind,” he added quickly.

  “I’m punishing you because you can’t take a compliment. And because you don’t believe me when I tell you that you’re an incredible man.”

  The sensation of Chad’s strong body beneath her should have been intimidating. He was bigger than her. Stronger. John had always been stronger, too. But there was an easiness to Chad that John had never had. A playfulness and sweetness that had her feeling safe, certain that that strength would never be used against her. That, combined with the memories of how much fun they’d all had together that day, overwhelmed Hannah. Yes, Chad Radford was special, and it was time that she showed him exactly what he meant to her. She brought his captured hands to her chest, briefly brushing them against her breasts, then leaned forward and gently placed her lips on his.

  Chad groaned and immediately tried to wriggle his hands free from her grip. Hannah pulled back, smiling wickedly.

  “Not so fast, mister. Remember, you’re still under my power.”

  Chad heaved a sigh. He looked like he wanted to eat her alive, and while she enjoyed the hunger on his face, she wanted to tease him for a little longer. Her heart thudded with want but she forced herself to move slowly.

  Hannah leaned forward and flicked her tongue along his lips then kissed him softly for a moment. She moved away from him again to study his face. Even though she desperately wanted to deepen the kiss and surrender to him, she was enjoying controlling the situation. The waiting and teasing was driving them both insane.

  “Do you like that?’ she asked in a low voice.

  “You don’t know how much,” Chad replied with a shaky whisper. “Please do it again.”

  Hannah squeezed her thighs against Chad’s as she leaned forward to kiss him again. She let go of his wrists with one hand, still clutching them against her chest with the other, and slipped her free hand under his shirt. She let her fingertips trail down his chest. Chad shivered and his breath hitched against her mouth.

  “Oh my God, you’re killing me, Hannah,” he whispered.

  “Then everything is going according to plan,” she whispered back, dipping her tongue into his mouth again. She ground against his hardness, wishing they were both already naked.

  She could tell Chad wasn’t used to being passive, but Hannah wasn’t going to let him hurry through whatever was about to happen between them. She wanted to show him, slowly, with her mouth, and tongue, and fingertips, that he was special to her. It wasn’t easy for her to move slowly either. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him. Hannah wanted to rip his shirt off and lick him from head to toe, then lay back and let him do the same to her. But the power she was feeling was intoxicating. And she could tell by the bulge in Chad’s pants and the desperate way he chased after her mouth when she pulled away, that he was enjoying it every bit as much as she was.

  Hannah leaned forward to kiss Chad again, this time breaking off to trail kisses along his strong jawline and down his neck. She loved being kissed that way and based on Chad’s soft groan, he did as well. He smelled like summer sunshine and spice, and she paused to breathe him in before planting a kiss on the hollow of his throat. She pulled back to gauge Chad’s expression. There was fire in his eyes as his gaze searched her, too. Whatever he saw seemed to give him permission, because in a single smooth move, he wrenched his hands free and flipped her so that she was on her back beneath him.

  “Wait a minute, you—”

  Chad silenced her with his mouth, claiming her with a passion that proved just how challenging the waiting had been for him. He fumbled with the buttons on her sundress as they kissed until he finally growled and wrenched them open. Hannah heard a few buttons bounce along the ground and suddenly her breasts were bared to him.

  He paused to take her in. “Perfect,” he exhaled, looking down at her on the couch. “You are stunning, Hannah.”

  She felt a wave of heat sweep through her body as Chad’s hungry mouth found her breasts, worshiping one and then the other with his tongue. She let out a moan. His hands teased the smooth skin along the underside of her breast, and the combination of sensations with the skilled motions of his tongue made her weak with pleasure. She pawed at the hem of his shirt and he finally backed away from her body, shaking his head like she’d done something naughty. He gathered her wrists in one hand and raised them over her head, pinning them tightly against the couch so she was powerless, and he could continue exploring her without any distractions.