a lot of fun in college.” He places the picture back in its slot and turns to me. He inhales a deep breath while staring at me with an expression I can’t read. His fingers interlace with mine. “I’m really glad you’re here.”
I feel the air in the room thin around me. My chest tightens, and when I open my mouth, nothing comes out. His eyes burn into mine, and when I take in his lips, I pause to inhale deeply.
“Hunter,” I start and then think of exactly how I want to ask this. “Why don’t your relationships last longer than two weeks? Your sister even made a comment tonight. It seems like there’s more to the story.”
He sighs as he leans against the doorframe and looks down.
“You don’t have to answer that,” I say.
“No. It’s not a secret. Well, not to anyone I care about.” His eyes meet mine, and the breath I inhaled shoots out like a bullet. “Cassidy. She was my sister’s best friend since the fourth grade. We always flirted, and then one day, we decided we were more than friends. We dated for three years.”
“That’s a long time.”
He nods. “It is. Enough that everyone thought I’d propose. And I did.”
“You were engaged?” My eyes widen with shock.
His stoic expression shows he’s not proud of what he’s about to say. “I called it off.”
My heart drops at the thought. I can’t imagine having the excitement of thinking you’re going to spend forever with someone, just to have them take it back. “That’s horrible.”
“It is. I’m ashamed of what I did to Cassidy, but I’d proposed for the wrong reasons. Just because you’ve been with someone for a long time doesn’t mean they’re the one you should be with forever. Just because your families are best friends doesn’t mean it’s a perfect coupling.”
“You shouldn’t have said you loved her if you didn’t mean it.”
“I did. I’d never declare my love to someone if I didn’t mean it. What I didn’t realize at the time was what love was. We had more of the respect and friendship kind.”
“What other kind is there?”
“That’s something you have to find out for yourself.”
I bite my lip as I take in this information. “I guess it’s better to have called off the wedding than to have wasted her time.”
He runs a hand over his jaw as his chest rises. “She hates me. Seven years later, she’s now married with a kid, and if I see her on the street, she still turns and walks in the opposite direction. The worst part is, she hasn’t spoken to Melissa in that long as well. That’s why she’s so pissy. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Is she why you haven’t brought someone home?”
“I haven’t met anyone worth bringing home.”
I smile. “That, and they haven’t made it past two weeks,” I say cheekily despite my heart beating with trepidation.
Hunter moves his arm and steps closer, wrapping his hand around the nape of my neck and deeply looking into my eyes. “I don’t know what this is, and if I’m confusing you, please tell me.”
“We passed the realm of confusion a long time ago.” My words have him lowering his eyes to my mouth.
“I want to kiss you, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.”
I hold my breath and nod, knowing I wouldn’t be able to stop either but not sure if I’m ready to admit that. “Then, don’t.”
His grip tightens slightly as he closes his eyes, breathing a ragged breath that has his chest pressed firmly against mine.
When his eyes reopen, they’re full of even more fire, and he steps back, taking a deep breath, rubbing his hand down the front of his pants.
“Okay then. The bathroom is right there”—he points to the en suite I missed when we entered—“and I’m sure the bed has enough blankets to keep you warm.”
I inhale a shaky breath and nod. “I’ll be fine. Thank you again for inviting me.”
He nods slowly, glancing around the room. “Well, I’ll see you in the morning.”
He leans in to kiss my cheek, holding himself there. I place my hands on his arms, not wanting him to leave. A kiss lingers down to my neck, and I drop my head back in response, letting out a sigh I could no longer hold in.
I hear his intake of breath and notice how it matches my own. Our labored breaths feel like they’re bouncing off the walls, radiating like a loudspeaker.
“Make me leave,