Hannah (The Coven's Grove Chronicles #2) Read Online Free

laughed outright. The sound was deep and soothing. “I’m really not that bad. The “big boys” like to demonize me, but not a word of it’s true.”
    “Hmm... I wonder.” Hannah gave him a wry grin. She couldn’t help but like his attitude. When you pissed off corporate America, you’d better be prepared to handle some mud slinging at the very least. He appeared to be taking it all with a grain of salt.
    “Why not find out for yourself?” Dominic asked. “Some friends of mine and I are going out this evening. Come with us.”
    Hannah blinked, a bit taken aback. He’d just asked her out, and, despite the warning bells going off in her head, she found the offer quite appealing. “I don’t know. I’m not too familiar with the area, and I was planning on checking out the Riverwalk tonight.”
    “That’s perfect!” Dominic persisted. “I’m staying at the Hilton just off the river. I could come and get you. We’ll stay on the walk.”
    Her inner prude was yelling at her to tell him off, but that voice was getting tiresome, and he was smoking hot, so what the hell? Hannah had been wanting to have some fun—had already talked herself into going out, in fact. Now that the opportunity she’d been looking for was standing right in front of her, she wasn’t about to let it saunter off. “Okay, I’ll go. I’m at the Mokara.”
    Dominic’s smile widened. “Excellent. Eight o’clock, in the lobby?”
    Hannah nodded. “Eight o’clock.”

 
    H annah sat in the lobby, trying not to fidget. She’d forgotten how nerve wracking going on a date could be. Six years was a long time to be parked in the garage, and she was feeling every wasted minute of it. The tension hadn’t shifted into high gear until she’d gotten back to her room earlier this afternoon. The masseuse’s firm touch on her lower back was all but forgotten once she stood in front of the full-length mirror. Her dresses didn’t seem to fit anymore, or at least not the way she wanted them to. In the end, she went with the most curve conforming outfit she’d brought with her—a mid-thigh, black dress with a deep v-neck. Plain but effective.
    The silver chain necklace, and emerald earrings, had been much easier to choose as they matched the one other piece of jewelry she wore: her ring. The platinum heirloom fit snugly on her right ring-finger, housing a round emerald. The ring was more than just a decorative piece of jewelry. It was Hannah’s focus.
    The ring had helped her break the barrier of “touch” magic, and facilitated the use of her powers from a distance. That breakthrough alone was reason enough to cherish the finely crafted artifact, but it also served other purposes that made it invaluable. Firstly, the ring could provide Hannah with an extra burst of power in times of weakness or need. She had used this ability several times in the past, to great effect, and would feel at a serious disadvantage if she were to ever find herself without it. Secondly, her heirloom could shield her from detection; magical detection, that is. Those who hunted her kind sometimes used supernatural means to hone in on the use of magical power. Once her ring had been enacted to perform the task, Hannah had become “invisible” to such means of detection, and could use her power and cast spells with impunity.
    Hannah rubbed the platinum band with her thumb. Maybe I shouldn’t be doing this . She had been talking herself into going out since she’d arrived at the hotel, but, now that she was faced with actually doing it, she was finding herself to be a bit of a chicken. She wasn’t even sure what to do on a date anymore. Abruptly, she got up from the leather lounge chair, determined to head back to her room and make a call to cancel, when her dark eyes fell on Dominic as he came in through the entrance doors. Too late now .
    His graceful movements showed off legs, accustomed to running, under the snug black slacks that slid over his thighs as he