“Lunch?” he asked, sounding mildly annoyed.
I nodded. “Yes, lunch. Saturday. Sorry.”
He shrugged and grinned. “I’m just happy you finally said yes.”
He winked at me and was gone before I could think of anything else to say. And for the first time, I was looking forward to one of my dates.
I poured myself a glass of wine and carried it to the couch. Thursday was usually Peyton’s earlier night, but I hadn’t heard from her. I was starving, so I fixed dinner and was just settling in when the door opened.
“Hey.”
“Hey,” Peyton grumbled.
“How was your day?”
She shrugged. It was pretty normal for Peyton to be quiet when she got home. I hated that she was so overworked and stressed, but she insisted she loved her job.
I ate my dinner while Peyton got changed. When she joined me on the couch, with her own bowl and glass of wine, she looked much more relaxed.
“You doing okay?” I asked, knowing she wouldn’t give me much. Peyton was older by almost four years, but most of the time I felt like I was her big sister. I loved her, but she would get distracted by what she was doing so frequently that she almost ended up in the hospital during college. She scared the hell out of me so I always made enough dinner to ensure she at least ate one meal a day.
“Rough day,” she finally said.
We sat silently together. When Peyton finally sighed, I knew she was feeling a little better. She set her bowl on the table and leaned back with her wine. We both sipped as we watched the end of the Hallmark movie on TV. Peyton rested her head on my shoulder, her dishwater blonde hair falling into her face. She brushed it back and sighed again. Two sighs meant she wanted to talk.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
Peyton sat up and shrugged. “It’s hard when a patient never gets good news. I have one right now who wants a baby so badly that she is making herself sick. You know I don’t deal well with that.”
I wanted to ask her if she was talking about Addi, but I couldn’t. I knew she couldn’t tell me, so I kept my mouth shut and just nodded.
“These couples are so in love and it kills me to not be able to find a reason they can’t have their own kids naturally. I had to bring up adoption to one couple today and they broke down. The wife always loses it, but the husband cried today. I had to leave the appointment in a rush because it’s not good for them to see me crying.”
“I’m sorry, Pey. You know you’re doing amazing work.”
She nodded and swiped at her cheeks. “I know. For the ones I can help, at least. It’s the ones I can’t help that get to me.”
I shrugged. “I think that’s expected. You always told me that there are sometimes no reasons a person can’t have kids. You need to remember that, too.”
She smiled at me and rested her head on my shoulder again. “Thanks, sis.”
I put my head on top of hers and closed my eyes. A few minutes later, I heard her soft snores and smiled. She was passed out.
I finished watching the movie and eased out from beneath my sister. She slumped over on the couch, and I rolled my eyes. I went through the house, turning off lights, picking up from dinner, and double checking that the door was locked. After I changed, I went to wake Peyton up. She grumbled but finally got up and went to bed. With her tucked in, I went to my own room and couldn’t help but wonder if I was getting into the same thing with Hunter. I wasn’t sure if I could handle taking care of two adults.
But I also wasn’t sure if I could stay away from him.
Chapter 5
Hunter and I agreed to meet for lunch for our first date. He called the office Friday afternoon to get my phone number and texted me all Friday night and Saturday morning. To say I was excited for our date was a bit of an understatement.
My date Friday night was with a gym teacher who showed up in sweats and a t-shirt. Not that it was that bad, but he wanted to go to Kobe, an expensive steak restaurant. I felt uncomfortable and out of place. On top of that, all the guy talked about was working out and how he could get me on a good plan to lose weight.
Um, yeah. Next!
Hunter and I agreed to meet at Sandy’s Wiches for lunch. When I walked in, I saw him at a table in the back. I made my way through the tables to him. He looked up when I got closer and grinned, his eyes brightening. He stood and pulled me in for a hug and a quick kiss when I reached his side.
I liked that a little too much.
“Hey. I wasn’t sure if you were actually going to come.”
“I said I would.”
He chuckled. “Uh huh. And that was after you turned me down. Twice.”
“They say third time’s the charm.”
He nodded and fought a grin. “I guess I better start being charming then.”
I laughed and sat across from him. “Did you order yet?”
He shook his head. “I wanted to wait for you. But I was hoping you’d be willing to get our food to go.”
My good mood plummeted. Our date was over that quickly? “Yeah, sure. If you need to go, I’m fine.”
He grinned. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not going anywhere. I was hoping we could go to the park and eat. It’s such a nice day out.”
“Oh, um, yeah,” I said, surprised, but relieved he wasn’t ready to walk away already.
“Good,” he said with a wink.
We ordered our food and Hunter insisted on driving us to the park. He found a spot on Snowflake Street and we carried lunch, along with a backpack Hunter grabbed from the backseat, out to the park.
“How’s this?” he asked when we made it to a shady spot.
“Perfect. My pale skin doesn’t do well in sunlight.”
“That’s what I figured.” He set his backpack down and tugged out a blanket. He stretched it out on the grass before we sat. He dug back into the backpack as I unpacked our lunch. When he handed me a plastic glass of wine, I was impressed.
“Since I didn’t get a chance to take you to dinner, I missed out on buying you some wine and convincing you to let me kiss you again. I figured I’d up my chances at lunch.”
I laughed then sipped the wine. It was crisp and sweet and chilled. Perfect for a summer day. “It’s really good. And we’ll see about your chances for another kiss.”
He smiled, but nodded. “Can’t blame a guy for trying after a kiss like that.”
I didn’t reply, but I had to grin. He was right. The kiss was pretty damn spectacular. And I’d have been disappointed if he didn’t want another one.
“So, what are your goals that I don’t fit into?”
I choked on my wine. Just sucked it right into my windpipe and hacked for a good minute before I could breathe again. Hunter rubbed my back and tried to get me to take deep breaths. When I finally felt like I wasn’t going to drown, he was close.
Very close.
He reached for his sandwich and his knee brushed mine. The rough hair on his legs sent tingles up my thigh that settled between my legs. He shifted when he sat up and brought our legs even more into contact. His heat radiated right into me.
“Are you not going to answer my question?” he asked, nudging me gently with his elbow.
“No, I… You really don’t ease into things, do you?”
He shrugged. “I figure if there’s an elephant in the room, it’s better to address it.”
I sighed. It made sense, but I was hesitant to say anything. I knew how men handled getting too serious too quickly.
“Well, I want a baby. I’ve always wanted kids, but the desire has intensified lately. That’s why I’m dating so much and why I said no to you.”
He glanced at me out of the side of his eye. “You don’t think I’d be good with kids?”
I shook my head. “That never crossed my mind, actually. I’ve dated men like you. Men who say they want a relationship. Who are looking for someone to be with. And who run straight back to work the first chance they get. I know online
dating doesn’t work for everyone, but I had to do something since the traditional ways of meeting someone weren’t working.”
“So why did you say yes?”
I smiled. “The cat.”
“Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Why did the cat change your mind?”
I laughed to myself. “Because any man who is going to save a little cat and keep it because you can’t see it be euthanized is someone I need to at least get to know a little better.”
He chuckled. “And here I was hoping it was the kiss.”
I laughed with him. “The kiss warmed me up. The cat sealed the deal.”
He nodded. “Good to know.”
We ate quietly for a few minutes before I had to know what he was thinking. “Have you come up with an excuse yet?”
He turned confused eyes to me. “Excuse for what?”
“For why you can’t see me again.”
Confusion morphed to a smirk. “Already planning our second date?”
A laugh burst from my lips. “That’s not what I said.”
He moved closer. “Maybe not, but that’s what I heard. You can’t get enough of me and are already thinking about when you can see me again.”
“You’re awfully confident, aren’t you?” I teased.
He shook his head. “When it comes to you, no. You have me all twisted up.”
All teasing gone, I felt guilty. I wasn’t the kind of woman who played games. In fact, I despised those women. It wasn’t fair to make a guy jump through hoops, but that was exactly what I’d done with Hunter.
“Shit, you’re right. I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention.”
He shrugged. “No big deal. I’m still here, and you finally are, too.”
“I am. It’s nice to be outside and not in a restaurant being told I need to lose weight.”
“Excuse me?” he demanded.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
“Uh uh, that’s not nothing. Who said you need to lose weight? I could go for an ass kicking.”
I laughed. “Not necessary. My date last night is a gym teacher and all he knew anything about was working out. He fit the bill for a stereotypical jock.”
“Was he hot?”
I chuckled, wondering why Hunter was asking. Then he burst out laughing.
“I had you going, didn’t I?”
“Um, yeah. I was really wondering why you asked that.”
He shrugged and nudged me again. “Wondering about my competition.”
I snorted. “Trust me. He’s not competition.”
“Good. Who is?”
I smirked but shook my head. “No one, yet. I do have a date tonight. His profile picture was pretty cute.”
“Show me.”
I grabbed my phone and pulled up the app I used. I showed Hunter the picture of David, the guy I had a date scheduled with that night. We were going for dinner and he mentioned a movie. I hated the idea of something as boring as dinner and a movie. It was so predictable for a date. Plus, I wouldn’t get as much of a chance to get to know him in a movie theater.
“He’s a realtor?”
I shrugged. “That’s what it says.”
“You know realtors work on commission, right?”
I nodded.
“That means he’s probably even more of a workaholic than you think I am.”
I laughed. “You’re probably right. I should get someone to book dates for me.”
“Or you should just forget about all these other guys and go out with me a few more times.”
“But what about your excuse?”
He shook his head. “You’re the only one coming up with excuses.”
I thought about it and realized he was right. He never said he had something else going on. His whole weekend was free. He didn’t run when I said I wanted kids.
“Anyway, this was fun. I’ll see you around.”
He stood and brushed off his shorts. He threw our trash away then came back to the blanket. I was sitting there, stunned. He just said I was being crazy, and he was bolting. I jumped to my feet and faced him.
“What the hell is going on? Now you’re done with me?”
He looked up at me slowly, his grin deepening the same way his eyes went to dark blue. He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel the heat coming from him. One arm went behind my back, and before I could ask what he was doing, his lips were on mine.
I sunk into his kiss instantly, drawing in a deep breath and breathing him in with it. My hands moved up his chest and around his neck. I toyed with the hair at the back of his neck, enjoying the feel of the silky strands. His facial hair tickled my lips as he pried my lips apart and sent us both deeper into oblivion.
I tilted my head to the side, needing more of him. He answered with a groan. His arm tightened around me, his other hand moving to cup my jaw. His tongue grazed mine over and over, tasting me. He grew hard between us and I ached to push the boundaries of our flirtation. I wanted to touch him, but common sense filtered in, reminding me we were in a public park and our kiss was already bordering on indecent.
He pulled back, his breath coating my skin as he rained kisses down my neck. He nipped at my collarbone and worked his way back to my ear. His tongue ran a line from behind my ear, over my earlobe, and up the shell of my ear. It was innocent enough, but so very erotic when we were surrounded by people.
Especially when he whispered, “I can’t wait to get you alone.”
“Yes,” was all I could say before his lips were back to mine.
We kissed forever. Time seemed to stand still when I was with him. It could have been a minute or an hour, but all I knew was I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to stay with him, kissing him, forever.
“Stay,” he whispered against my ear. “Don’t go on your date tonight.”
I wanted to say yes, to stay with him, but I’d already committed and wasn’t the kind of person who wouldn’t show up without an explanation.
“I don’t know,” I said honestly.
He pulled back. His eyes were so dark they were almost black. I knew it was lust, not something deeper, but the way he looked at me made me feel like he wanted more than just sex from me.
Even after hearing what I wanted.
“Have any of these guys made you feel the way I do?” He leaned in and kissed my neck. “Because I doubt it or you wouldn’t be searching. I know you want me. I want you. Why do you have to go on this date?”
I sighed, pulling away from the kisses he dripped all over my neck. Without his lips or hands on me, I could think. “I said I’d be there. I owe him the courtesy of at least showing up.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you. You can say hi and then we’ll leave.”
I laughed but realized he was completely serious. “I can’t do that.”
Hunter shrugged. “Why not? If you’re going to be with me, I won’t share you.”
“I had this date scheduled before we agreed to go out.”
“And now we’re here.”
“Hunter, listen, I have to be reasonable. I have to think about what I want-”
“And it isn’t me?”
I sighed. “I never said that.”
“No, but you’re not willing to cancel a date with a guy you’ve never met. I don’t share well, Vicki. I never did. My mom always said it was why she never had more kids.”
I laughed, but he didn’t. “Listen, Hunter. I like you. But I have to be realistic. I want kids. You haven’t even said if you do.”
“Do you ask these guys online if they want kids?”
I nodded.
“On the first date?”
I bit my lip and nodded again.
“And none of them have said yes?”
I shook my head. “Babies are not usually good first date talk.”
“Well,” he said, pulling me close again, “I think babies are perfect talk. Especially practicing for babies.”
He kissed my neck again, making me
laugh then moan.
“Any man who doesn’t want to have kids with you is an idiot.”
He certainly knew all the right things to say. I just hoped he was being honest and not throwing me a line because I knew he was exactly the kind of guy I would fall for, and fall hard. Especially if he kept up the sweet talk.
“I’ll cancel the date.”
“Yeah?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Hell yeah. Then we can move to phase two of this first date.”
“What’s phase two?”
He flashed me a panty-melting grin and I knew I was in trouble.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Chapter 6
“You can’t be serious,” I said when Hunter parked. “No. There’s no way.”
“You don’t like amusement parks?” he asked with a grin.
“I, um,” I paused and shook my head. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a rollercoaster.”
Hunter smirked. “Time to get back on that horse then.”
He grabbed my hand and tugged me to the gate. He paid for our tickets then dragged me inside. By the time we landed in the shadows of the first ride, I was laughing.
“Oh, come on. When you were a teenager, you didn’t go on dates like this?”
I shrugged. “No. We went to the movies or the mall. Dumb stuff like that. You seriously took your dates to the amusement park?”
“The girls I really liked.”
I tried not to smile, but I had to. I really liked him, too. He wasn’t acting like the man I assumed he was. He was acting like a doting boyfriend.
Of course, most of them started out that way.
“Let’s go. This is one of my favorite rides.”
I stared up at the twisted black metal and took a deep breath. I nodded. “Okay.”
Hunter dragged me up to the line and hopped up on the rails bordering the grassy area around the ride. He pulled me between his legs and wrapped his arms around my back.
“You doing okay?”
I looked up at the rollercoaster as it flew above our heads. Tension wracked me, but I nodded. “I’ll survive.”
“Are you afraid of heights?”
“No, nothing like that. It’ll be fine.” I prayed he didn’t ask more. I didn’t want to explain to him that I gave up rollercoasters when my boobs became too big to fit beneath the overhead harnesses. As a teenager, it was more than a little embarrassing when all the boys wanted to ride rollercoasters and I had to say no because I didn’t feel secure with my big boobs.
Stocky & Sumptuous Page 4