a month since I had left my home, my pack. I felt better. Moving out of Damien’s house was, I think, the best decision for us. We were no longer hiding from each other as much. I was sure Hunter woke up a lot earlier than me, but he was always quiet about it. I woke up one morning and came out with hair a mess, my jammies all sort of disarray and he was coming from outside.
Shirtless. Sweaty.
My body snapped awake fast. I blinked at him a couple times while he looked me up and down at me unapologetically. I mean, I had just done the same to him. Only I was a walking disaster. He was a living, breathing, sexy god.
I retreated back to my guest room, my heart racing and my breathing labored. I calmed my body, there, for quite a while. From that morning on, without a doubt I knew I was very, very attracted to him. Not just semi-attracted in the way that our bond seemed to affect me. Even without I would’ve thought he was fine as hell.
I sighed just thinking of the view I had of him that morning.
His strong, tightly-corded muscled legs. He was wearing longer shorts, but I clearly see the thick meat of his thighs. A memory of his very masculine scent was seared in my memories. Hunter’s arms glistened with a light sheen of sweat. A bead of sweat had rolled down his forehead to the scruff on his powerful jaw. I swallowed hard and tried to calm the heat flowing through me. His sexy body breathed embers of need to life.
* * * *
Hunter and I sat on the couch later that night. It felt so natural.
“One time Keith came in to find we had totally destroyed the kitchen. I had been so determined to make the perfect cake for him for his birthday.”
I recalled the mess Griffin and I had created. Hunter didn’t say a word during the story, but he held my hand. I looked over at him and saw contentment in his eyes. His thumb brushed against mine. My stomach fluttered.
“I am glad you had him.”
Hunter turned to me but he seemed farther away than he had all night. I wondered about his parents. Why would Damien claim him as an adoptive son? What about his real parents? Hunter looked at me with a new heat.
He moved forward and pressed his hand against my chest. I was wearing a low cut top and his palm rested against the skin above my heart. His heat caused it to come alive. My nerves tingled. I breathed hard. I swallowed, moving my glance from his heart only to wandered back up.
“It is strange, it’s like I can feel your sorrow here,” he looked down to my heart, then back up. “And yet I feel like you’re so far away.”
I swallowed hard. We didn’t speak for the rest of the night. We stayed in each other’s company until my yawns were impossible to ignore. Hunter walked me to the guest room. I thought for sure he was going to kiss me like he had before. I wanted him to. Instead he pressed his lips against my cheek and bid me a goodnight.
I woke up the next morning thinking about all the stupid, silly little things that he did for me. The small details that were wiggling their way into my heart. He was quietly considerate. The first day that I was there, he made sure to leave out the TV controllers for me in the order I needed to use them. He was out training with the twins. The third day I was there alone, Jen unexpectedly showed up, at Hunter’s request, I was sure.
There were times when he left me alone and I was tempted to go into his room and snoop around. I wanted his trust more than anything. I wouldn’t risk the growing trust we had by snooping in his room.
Each night we would continue our dinners. I would tell him more about different adventures I went on when I was a kid. I managed to pull out some stories from him, but he still seemed hesitant. He had yet to make a repeat performance of his mega-watt smile. And I had yet to hear him laugh.
My new mission. Make him laugh.
While I was still trying to get a laugh from him, I found it a worthy endeavor in itself. I managed to get a few