Resisting the urge to point out the fact their marriage had, in fact, been her idea, Hunter played along, using his calmest voice. “We need to talk this out. I know this is sudden, but I want this to work.”
“We barely know each other!”
He sighed, pressing down his frustration. He wanted to howl that, while true, that wasn’t the point. What they had now wasn’t nearly as important as what they could have. But she was scared, and he didn’t want to come off like a stalker. Nor did he want her unhappy. He wouldn’t pursue this marriage and her so relentlessly if he didn’t believe in his gut that they belonged together. But he had to ease up now, find the right strategy to help her to see the possibilities.
“Kata, we can fix that—and anything if we set our minds to it. Give me a chance.”
“Hunter, I . . . Why? I know I have to take responsibility for my part, drunk or not, and I’m pretty sure I’m the one who suggested we get married like Christi and Nick—”
“Mick.”
“Whatever. You were the sober one. Good sex wasn’t a reason to get married.”
“Just good?” he countered archly.
“Okay,” she conceded. “Great sex. But still . . .”
“I think we’ve both been round the block enough to know that this is something more.”
“But normal people spend more time getting to know each other. They talk. They date.”
“We’ll do those things, Kata. In fact, I want to.”
“We should have started there.”
Hunter tried to grab on to his patience. “If you weren’t wearing that ring around your finger this morning and I’d called you to ask you out, what would you have said?”
Her silence told him everything. The emotional intensity between them still scared her. Most likely, she would have tucked tail and run. Only time would help her see that they could work.
“You weren’t drunk. Why did you marry me?”
That question was easy to answer. “Because I wanted to.”
Her sigh shivered down his back as he took his seat and buckled his belt. “Ugh, just when I think you’re a pushy, dominating prick, you say something nice.”
“I am a pushy, dominating prick.” He smiled. “But honey, I’m always honest.”
“How do you know I’m not a screechy head case with a bad credit score?”
“I don’t. But what I do know is how I feel about you. Trusting my gut has kept me alive more than once. I believe it’s steering me right now.”
“This is so much, so fast. I need time to sort through it.”
Hunter gritted his teeth. He could afford to give her latitude on a lot of things, but not about spending time with him before he went back on active duty. If he didn’t, Kata would be gone.
“Where are you, honey? I think we should talk as soon as I hit Lafayette.”
“Lafayette? Your plane ticket said Dallas/Ft. Worth.”
So she’d looked. Interesting . . . “Easy change.”
He regretted that he wouldn’t get to spend time with Logan so he could straighten his brother out. That would have to wait for now.
“Y-you can’t come here.”
“That’s where you are, honey. I’ll come straight to your place.”
“I—I’m not there right now. I had to leave. Ben . . .”