Page 28 of Unhinged

With one last hug, Audrey took off and Hannah gathered her bags. She walked sedately through the mall, window shopping as she strode to the back of the department store and picked up the shoes. She’d tried them on earlier for Audrey, deliberating over them for almost twenty minutes before putting them back on the shelf.

Hannah had never spent this much on shoes in her life, but it felt good to spoil herself after so many years of hiding behind layers of functional but decidedly unflattering suits and loafers.

Carrying the box to the counter, she went over the mental checklist Audrey and she had mapped out. Clothes, shoes, makeup. She’d made an appointment tomorrow at a local salon to spruce up her haircut. After paying for the shoes and thanking the cashier, she gathered her things and awkwardly turned around, bumping into the man behind her in the process.

“Oh, excuse me. I’m sorry.” Her gaze flicked up to the man’s face and widened in surprise as his own eyes shone with appreciation.

“Hannah. Wow, I didn’t recognize you.”

Steve Iverson’s gaze slid slowly down her body before returning to her face. She barely repressed a shiver of revulsion. “Hello, Mr. Iverson.”

“You can call me Steve.” One corner of his mouth lifted, and she smiled politely but didn’t correct herself.

“How have you been?”

“Better now.” His eyes roved over her again. “Can’t say I’ve ever seen this side of you before. I like it.”

Hannah pressed her lips into a firm line at his errant compliment. “Have you had a chance to speak with Dr. Chandler yet?”

Irritation flashed across his face but he quickly suppressed it. “I called you last week, you know. The receptionist wouldn’t put me through, but I wanted to apologize. I can be a bit hot-headed at times and I overreacted. I’d like to come back next week if you have an opening.”

“Well, thank you for the apology. I appreciate it. Unfortunately, I’m not accepting more patients at the moment,” she lied.

His face darkened. “Well, from what I heard, you just lost a patient. Doesn’t that open up a slot?”

Hannah stiffened and swallowed down the tears burning the back of her throat. How could the man be so callous and unfeeling? “No. Thank you for your interest, though. I’ll forward your information to Dr. Chandler and have him contact you.”

His hand shot out and grasped her elbow as she turned to leave. “I’m asking nicely, Hannah.”

Fear snaked down her spine, but she fought it off. She would not let him rattle her. She threw a pointed glance to where his hand was still curled around her arm. “Is that what you’re doing? Please let go.”

He released her but the fire in his eyes didn’t diminish. “I want to come back.”

“I’m afraid that can’t happen. Please excuse me.” With a polite nod, she turned to leave.

“See you soon, Hannah.” His tone was cold, and his words sent ice sliding through her veins. Refusing to acknowledge him, she hurried from the store casting surreptitious glances over her shoulder occasionally to make sure he wasn’t following.

The words were too similar to the ones she’d heard just a week and a half ago, and they still had the power to shake her to the core. Rushing to her car, she tossed the bags in the back then climbed inside and locked the doors behind her. Only several miles down the road was she finally able to take a deep breath. She stretched her fingers before clenching them around the steering wheel again and tried to shrug the tension from her shoulders.

Hannah glanced in the rearview mirror as she turned into her allotment, watching for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing out of place, she let out a shaky sigh. When would she stop looking for threats? Maybe the better question was, would she ever feel safe again?

CHAPTER

THIRTEEN

Luke was halfway to the security office when the front door swung inward with a soft whoosh. He shot an obligatory glance over his shoulder and immediately did a double take, blinking several times to make sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him.

As if it had a mind of its own, his body slowly turned toward Hannah. The sight of her knocked the breath from his chest as she strode forward, hips rolling sensually with every step.

He had to be hallucinating. This wasn’t the Dr. Whitmore he knew. Her three-inch heels tap-tap-tapped across the floor, increasing his heart rate with every staccato beat. Long, dark tresses hung freely around her shoulders with a slight curl at the ends, bouncing as she walked.

The red V-neck blouse showed off the tiniest hint of cleavage and nipped in at her trim waist, and the black skirt she wore hugged every curve, stopping just above her knees. And Lord help him… those shoes.

He gaped at her, frozen in place, as she closed the distance between them with each step of those heels. Her gaze met his for a brief second before she dropped it to the floor and bit her lip, her expression bashful yet flirtatious. Was she even aware of what she was doing?

Unable to move, still not quite believing this gorgeous woman in front of him was the same doctor he’d held in his arms last week, he stood rooted in place as she brushed past him and punched the button for the elevator.

Following every movement, he watched her step inside before turning toward him with a seductive flip of her hair. The provocative smile she shot his way as the doors closed made him want to lunge after her, pull her into his arms and ravage her mouth, run his hands over every curve exposed by those chic new clothes.