ROYAL TOWERS ~ 4 ~ WESTERN & 6TH

Hanna gathered her files and shoved them in her briefcase. Then she slid the paperwork off her desk and shut off her computer. Across the room she caught Duncan's eye and he winked at her. After their heated tryst after the premiere, she never expected things between them to go very far, yet suddenly she was swept up in this forbidden office romance and she was loving every second of it.

There was no doubt about it. Hanna had always been the boyfriend type, if that even was a thing. She couldn't imagine a reality in which romantic relationships didn't lead to becoming a couple. It had been that way with Sean and eventually Caleb. Then Ravenswood came between them and she was single for a long time before she was ready to love someone else again. That's when Duncan came into the picture.

It was weird sometimes, knowing that Ali had been part of his life too. She had loved Ali dearly but living in the shadow of her best friend had taken a toll on her life. The thought of it was morbid and sad but sometimes she thought about how her life would have turned out if Ali hadn't disappeared. Would she ever have become the woman she was today?

Maybe that was why she had gravitated toward Caleb. Besides their broken families and cursed existences, he never knew Ali and that made him special. More importantly, he didn't know Hanna when she was friends with Ali. He only met the new and improved Hanna with a closet full of baggage and he adored her. Past tense.

They love they had for each other was so pure, so delicate. It was the only rock in their messy cracked lives and letting him go was the worst mistake of her life. Ravenswood changed Caleb. It hardened him, even more than he already was. He stared Death in the face and walked away unscathed but broken inside. She loved Caleb but the man who know lived next door to her was a shell of person. He was unrecognizable as the sweet boy with the hard exterior who made her feel like a princess even in a rickety tent in the woods.

But he was gone now. And in his place was a philandering billionaire, desperate for a family but unsure of how to find his. That's why she was ever-thankful to have Duncan. In just three short weeks he already worshipped the ground she walked on. He was like a small token of her life in Rosewood but positioned carefully on the west side. She needed that, especially with her best friends so far away.

"Hey," Duncan tapped his pen against her desk. "Done for the day?"

"Yupp," she smiled.

"We should hurry," he said. "Our reservation is at eight."

"Uh yeah," she swallowed hard. "I was thinking we could maybe stay in tonight. I'll make dinner?"

"Wow," he smiled. "Pulling out the big guns."

"You know it," she laughed.

She stood up and followed him to the elevator where they briefly let down their guard and he planted a quick kiss on her lips.

"This is so hot," she smirked. "My first office romance."

"Don't get too excited," he told her. "Practically the whole office is sleeping together. It's not really a big deal."

"Let's be clear," Hanna paused, "who in the office are you sleeping with, besides me of course."

"Just you," he smiled. "Nothing to worry about."

"It better stay that way," she squeezed his hand, "or you'll be sorry."

"Woah, hold back on the crazy," he teased.

"Come on," she grabbed his hand as they left the elevator. "I'm starved."

Hanna led him to the metro station where they hopped on the first train. Then they got off in Koreatown where Hanna stopped in a tiny shop to pick up a few ingredients. Then they headed back to her place where she got to work in the kitchen.

"So," Duncan took a seat at the counter, "what are you making me?"

"It's a surprise," she told him. "Do you like Chinese?"

"Yeah, I could go for some Chinese," he replied as he helped himself to a beer from the fridge.

"It will be ready soon," she explained as she started the burner.

It only took a few minutes for Hanna to slice the ingredients and get the food started before the studio began to fill with a warm and inviting scent.

"Smells good already," Duncan told her.

"That means it's almost done," she replied.

She grabbed a serving platter and delicately placed the pork belly over the rice using her tongs. Then she poured the sauce that remained in the pan over the meal before scattering vegetables around the edges.

"Dinner is served," she said placing the platter on the counter and grabbing a couple plates from the cupboard.

"Are you going to tell me what it is now?" he asked.

"Dong po," she replied. "My specialty."

"That doesn't answer my question," he said. "What's dong po?"

"Pork belly in sweet and sour sauce," she smiled.

"Oh," he said pushing the vegetables off to the side.

"Something wrong?" Hanna asked.

"I'm Jewish," he replied. "We don't eat pork."

"Oh no," she buried her head in her hands. "I didn't think...I mean, I can get you something else. I have leftovers. We can call for take out."

"No, it's okay," he told her. "I'll just eat the vegetables and rice. I wasn't really that hungry anyway."

"I am so sorry," she said sincerely.

"It's fine," he laughed placing a hand on her thigh, "maybe we can just skip to dessert."

"We could," she breathed as her lips met his.

Duncan slid of his stool and pressed his body against hers, sandwiching her between him and the counter. A smile crossed her face as Duncan's fingers nimbly unbuttoned her blouse. He dropped it on the floor and helped her to her feet. Then they made their way across the room before toppling onto the couch.

Hanna woke up on the couch. She was curled in a ball under a throw blanket next to Duncan who was sitting up. One of her moving boxes was next to him and he was rifling through its contents.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Good morning," he replied.

"Whatcha got there?" she asked.

"Just got a little curious," he said putting down a photo of Hanna and her friends in middle school. "You sleep a lot."

"It's your fault," she kissed his arm, then his neck. "Last night took all my energy."

"You know," he told Hanna, "you kind of look like her, or I guess how I imagined she would be now."

"Who?" Hanna asked.

"Ali," he replied. "You have her hair, her smile, her drive..."

"Duncan, I really don't like talking about this," she told him. "It's hard."

"Right, I'm sorry," he shook his head. "I just, I never got a chance to grieve. No one understood, until you."

"I can't be that person for you," Hanna told him. "Ali was my best friend but she was also a manipulative lying bitch who monopolized my life for five years, even when she wasn't even around. I can't let her in anymore."

"Forget it," Duncan said. "I shouldn't have brought her up. I saw the photo and..."

"It's okay," she kissed his cheek.

"I should probably get going," he told her sliding his pants on over his boxers and buttoning up his shirt.

"We could get breakfast," she offered. "I'm sure you're hungry after last night."

"I don't really have time," he said heading for the door.

"I'll walk you out," she followed him wrapping the quilt around herself as a makeshift toga.

Duncan opened the door and stood in the hallway. Hanna glanced past him and saw Caleb opening his own door and letting out a dark haired vixen. He gave her a quick peck and sent her own her way before leaning against his doorway and crossing his arms over his chest.

Hanna shook her head and turned her attention back to her own doorway where Duncan was smiling down at her. He grabbed her waist and brought his lips to hers.

"Bye," she smiled.

Duncan turned to walk away but her hand clung to his partially buttoned shirt. He smiled and came back for one last kiss before following the tramp from next door into the elevator. Hanna gave him one last wave before the doors closed.

"Nice outfit," Caleb smirked from across the hall.

Hanna looked down and realized she was wearing a sheet for a dress and her side boob was definitely on display.

"Fuck," she muttered. Then she noticed Caleb was in just his boxers. "You're the last person who should be talking."

"Just making conversation," he replied with a solemn tone. Then he sniffed the air. "What's that smell?"

"Dong po," Hanna said suddenly hit by a wave of emotion as she recalled the origin of her secret recipe.

"Sorry," Caleb smirked. "I didn't catch that."

"Dong po," she laughed remembering their old shtick.

"Maybe sometime you could come by and share your recipe?" he said, almost pleading.

"It's your recipe," she reminded him.

"I could use a refresher," he laughed. "And a shower. Care to join me?"

"I don't think that's a good idea," she spat back.

The comment stung as her memories resurfaced. He was playing dirty and he was good at it.

"This isn't funny anymore," she said stepping inside and letting the door close behind her.

"Han!" he called out. His voice muffled through the walls. "I'm sorry. I was kidding!"

She was an idiot. Caleb was gone and in his place was a creepy sex robot armed with the ammunition of their forgotten relationship. She hated him but she hated herself more for falling into his trap.

Okay, I know you guys don't like the Duncan angle, but he's important to the story and he's a key pawn in getting Haleb together, so just be a little patient and I promise, you'll get a steamy Haleb reunion. SPOILER ALERT: There may be a shower involved...

Like usual, ten reviews for the next chapter :)