by Stasia Black
Larry’s body moved sharply like she might have shoved him, but he had a firm grip on the bar top and he barely budged.
“What?” Larry said, a nasty tone entering his voice. “I’m just being friendly, don’t be a—”
Hunter had had it.
“She said she’s not interested.” Hunter yanked the back of Larry’s collar, choking him and knocking him off balance until he stumbled backward and landed on his ass.
Hunter was already on his feet, standing between the red-faced Larry and the woman still sitting on the stool behind him.
“Get the hell out of here before I call Marie,” Hunter threatened.
Larry blanched and struggled to get to his feet.
“And call a cab or I’ll call her anyway.”
Larry nodded and stumbled off toward his table.
Larry was mostly harmless but there was nothing Hunter hated more than men who disrespected women.
He turned around to apologize to the woman and her eyes jerked up almost guiltily. Had she been checking out his ass? Hunter bit back a smile.
“Sorry about him.”
She just waved a hand and took a long pull of her beer. Too big a swig, it turned out, because she was immediately choking and spraying beer all over the bar top.
Hunter jumped forward and pounded her back several times. “Are you okay?”
She coughed again but nodded, grabbing a napkin to wipe her mouth and then, discretely, the bar top.
“I’m fine,” she gasped when she could finally breathe through her windpipe again. She took another sip of beer to soothe the last of her coughing fit. Then she winced. “I don’t suppose you could ignore the part where I was just the bar’s own personal beer geyser? I haven’t been let out in polite society for a while and apparently I’m rusty at it.” She smiled self-deprecatingly and Hunter couldn’t think of the last time he’d seen anyone more charming or lovely.
“So,” she said when the silence had gone on long enough to be awkward. Shit. Talking. He was supposed to be talking here. He should say something witty. Engaging.
He had nothing.
“Is Marie his wife?” she asked.
It took him a second to realize what she was asking and he finally shook his head with a smirk. “Larry wishes. No, she’s the sheriff.”
“Oh.” She looked a little surprised. “I take it Lawrence has had a few run ins with the law?”
Hunter gave an eye roll. “I think he spent more nights in the drunk tank last year than he did at home. Marie got so tired of hauling his ass in she started playing death metal all night on full blast at the station, which, from what I understand, is hell when you’ve got a hangover.” He smiled. “Most nights Larry gets himself home now before getting too sloppy.”
“I’m Hunter, by the way. Hunter Dawkins.” He held out his hand but then pulled it back at the last second. “Shit, I don’t want you to think I’m just another asshole at the bar trying to hit on you. Sorry,” he pointed a thumb over his shoulder. “I can just leave you to your beer.”
He started to grab his drink, ready to get up and leave.
“No,” she put a hand on his forearm briefly before jerking it away again. His arm tingled where she’d touched him. When was the last time a woman had touched him? He’d thought about trying for a fling a few times since Janine, but in such a small town, it hadn’t seemed worth the effort. Hawthorne wasn’t exactly the kind of place you could pull off an anonymous one night stand.
“It’s fine,” she smiled. “I don’t mind the company. With someone who knows how to respect personal space, that is,” she clarified with a smile. “I’m Isobel.”
“You want another, Hunter?” Bubba asked, pointing to Hunter’s now mostly empty beer mug.
“I’ll just have a Coke this time. Thanks, Bubba.” He had to drive home.
Hunter looked at Isobel quizzically. “So what does bring you to our little town? It’s true we don’t get too many new faces around here.”
“I’ll be working at Mel’s Horse Rescue for the summer.”
Of course. “I should have guessed,” Hunter nodded. “The few new faces we do get around here are usually the ones who cycle through there. You should have a good time. Mel and Xavier are great people.”
“You know them?” Her interest was obviously piqued. Then she shook her head, “I guess everyone knows everyone around here.”
“True enough,” Hunter chuckled in agreement. “But I’m actually godfather to their second son. He’s two and a half.”
“Really? Wow, that’s awesome. So you know them, know them.”
Hunter nodded. Mel and Xavier had been nothing but supportive, both when he and Janine were together and… after. He tried to get out to the ranch to hang out with them whenever he could. It was impossible to be too sad with two rambunctious little boys running around, asking you questions a mile a minute.
“They’re good people,” he repeated.
Isobel propped her elbows on the bar top, her head tipped slightly sideways as she watched him. Her blue eyes were bright but there were slight shadows underneath them.
What was her story, he wondered? She’d done nothing but smile since he’d been talking to her, but it was like he could sense a sadness layered just underneath the surface. It was hard to describe, but it made her even prettier. She was obviously a strong woman not afraid to stand up for herself, but there was a fragile quality to her at the same time.
“It’s amazing work they do,” she said. “I heard about their horse rescue from a horse trainer I know back in New Hampshire. He couldn’t stop singing their praises. Is it true they’ve got twenty-five horses at the ranch that they’ve rescued now?”
“More than that,” Hunter said. “Some of the horses they’re able to rehab and get adopted but there are usually a steady stable of at least thirty horses out there now.”
Her eyes were wide with admiration.
“So that’s how you heard about the rescue,” Hunter asked. “From your trainer friend?”
“Yeah. He told me about it a while ago. I always thought working out here sounded like an amazing opportunity, just something I’d never have time for.” Her eyes clouded over for a moment and she looked down before pasting on a bright smile and shrugging. “Well, I finally have some time and it seemed like a perfect fit.”
Hunter’s eyes narrowed, wondering what was going on in that lovely head of hers. “New Hampshire, you said? Is that where you’re from?”
But before she could answer, Jake came up and interrupted, beer in hand. “Hey Hunter,” he gestured toward the pool table. “Connor’s leaving if you want in on the next round.”
“Oh.” Hunter shot a quick glance at Isobel, then looked back at Jake, trying to communicate telepathically. Come on, Jake, move the fuck on. Hunter wanted to smack the guy upside the head. Couldn’t he see he was talking to a beautiful woman?
But Jake just kept standing there so Hunter finally said, “I’m good. You guys can keep playing.”
“Ohhhhh,” Jake said, looking over at Isobel like he finally understood. And was being totally fucking obvious about it.
Hunter felt the back of his neck heat up as Jake winked at him and turned around, finally walking off. But when he looked back at Isobel, she was just smiling into her beer.
“Here ya are, darlin.’ Char-grilled just like the good Lord intended.” Bubba set down Isobel’s burger in front of her.
She thanked Bubba and picked up her burger but then paused, looking over at Hunter. “Sorry, is it rude if I just dig in right in front of you?”
Hunter waved his hand. “By all means. I already ate.”
“Oh thank God, I’m starving.”
He laughed and she took a huge bite of the juicy burger. Apparently it tasted good because her head fell back in bliss as she chewed.
Annnnnnnd now his jeans were tight because, fuck. That was the hottest thing he’d seen in a long while.
Her eyes had dropped closed, she was
so lost in the sensual experience of eating the burger. Hunter watched the delicate column of her throat as she chewed and swallowed. His eyes traced down her throat, past the collar of her t-shirt, down to the round swells of her—
Shit.
He jerked his eyes back to her face, only to find her watching him ogle her. Well, fuck.
He felt his neck heat and he looked away, back behind the bar. Only to see Isobel’s reflection in the mirror, two spots of color high on her cheeks as she watched him surreptitiously over the top of her burger like she was amused by his embarrassment.
Everything he was feeling right now—God, he hadn’t felt it in so long he barely recognized it. Attraction. This was what attraction felt like. He almost couldn’t believe he was actually sitting here, talking and flirting with this beautiful woman.
She finished swallowing her bite. “So this bar is like Cheers. Where everybody knows your name?” She took another bite and Hunter couldn’t help smiling sheepishly.
“Yeah. Well. Small towns.” He couldn’t help his thoughts turning back to Janine. “You either love ‘em or you hate ‘em.”
“I’ve always liked them,” Isobel said, leaning in like she’d detected his suddenly soured mood and was trying to jostle him back into the moment with her. “My best memories are of the small town where I lived in New Hampshire.”
Right.
Because she wasn’t Janine. This girl grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, not an expensive neighborhood in Manhattan. Janine used to brag about being from Soho like it was an exotic foreign country. Hunter shook himself and loosened back up.
They chatted easily as she ate her burger. He learned she loved working with horses and all about the personalities of the horses at the stable where she’d worked in New Hampshire. She was so animated as she talked about each one, Hunter couldn’t take his eyes off her. She mentioned she was taking some time off from college but she’d gotten a far away look in her eye and seemed uncomfortable so he hadn’t pressed anymore.
“I feel like I’ve been talking non-stop,” she said, taking a sip of her beer. She’d only drunk about half of it, and eaten a little more than half her burger before setting it down on the plate and ignoring it. “Tell me about you.”
Hunter shrugged, feeling embarrassed. What could he say? He was the town vet who spent his days armpit deep up the back end of cows and horses, struggling every month to pay his bills and keep the lights on? He knew all too well exactly how unimpressive he was.
Besides, really, what was the point? It wasn’t like he could have a relationship with this woman, even if she was as perfect as she seemed. He wasn’t sure he was ready, if he would ever be. And she was only going to be here for the summer. The last thing he needed was to get involved with another woman who couldn’t wait to be rid of him.
But at the same time, the thought of saying goodbye to her and going back to his empty house… The thought of spending another night alone in his cold, empty bed…
God, it felt like it might kill him, especially after spending the evening talking with this bright, lovely creature and remembering what it felt like to be a real, live man.
And just as he was thinking all this, he realized Isobel’s eyes were locked on his lips. Like she was thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. His blood heated at the very thought.
Fuck it. He threw caution and rational thought to the wind.
“Isobel?”
“Hmm?” She jerked her gaze away from his lips.
Her eyes were heated when he met them.
Here went nothing. Either she’d slap him in the face and tell him to go to hell. Or not. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
Hunter leaned in and dropped his voice to a whisper. “Look, I don’t usually do this and feel free to tell me to take a hike…” His hand went to the back of his neck and he trailed off, wincing. “Jesus, that sounds like such a line.” Maybe he couldn’t go through with it after all.
But just then, Isobel’s hand reached out to his thigh. “No, keep talking.”
Her intense blue eyes met his again, and the spark in them gave him the confidence to say the rest quickly. “I’m lonely. And you’re gorgeous and funny and perfect and I’d like to take you home tonight.”
Her breath hitched at his words. Dammit, he’d fucked up. No doubt here came the hand lashing out toward his face—nothing less than he deserved—in three, two, one—
“Okay.” It was barely a breath, and then her hand on his thigh gave a quick squeeze.
He blinked. Wait, what? Really?
He searched back and forth in her bright blue eyes but she wasn’t flinching away from his gaze. He sat frozen for another short moment before finally pulling his foot out of his ass and jumping into action. He stood up and yanked out his wallet, dropping a couple twenties on the table. “My treat.”
When Isobel tried to protest that she could pay for her own meal, he just grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him out of the bar.
She laughed. “Okay, okay, so the caveman act is a little bit sexy. But I can walk on my own.” She wiggled out of his grasp.
But then she froze and planted her feet. When Hunter looked back to see what was the matter, she grabbed his left hand and jerked it up between them.
What was she—
She pointed at his fourth finger where there was a clear wedding ring tan line. “Did you accidently forget dropping your wedding ring in your glove box on the way into the bar?”
Hunter jerked backwards and all the people sitting at the table closest to them immediately stopped talking.
Shit. He hadn’t thought how that would look. He’d only just recently taken it off, but he was used to everyone already knowing his business.
“She left me last year.”
Now it felt like the entire bar had gone silent. Everyone staring at them. At Hunter. Giving him that face. Jesus, he could feel their pity like a heavy blanket suffocating him.
“Shit.” Isobel’s hand jerked to her mouth. “I’m sorry.” He took a step back at seeing the pity on her face too.
She winced at his reaction. “I’m sorry,” she repeated. “It’s just my last boyfriend and my…” She looked down, took a deep breath, then pasted on a bright smile. “Forget about it. It was nice meeting you.”
Then she pushed past Hunter out the door.
Wait, what? No, he hadn’t meant—
“What are you still standin’ there for?” Bubba called. “Go after her, you dumbass.”
Right. Hunter rushed out the door to run after Isobel.
The night air was chilly as he stood on the street looking for her. She was nowhere to be seen. “Shit,” he swore, jogging around to the back parking lot.
He breathed out in relief when he saw her leaning over the car door of a Toyota Carola, banging her head on the window and whispering, “Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.”
“Isobel?”
She screeched a little as she swung around to look at him. “Jesus Christ, you scared me.”
“Sorry.” He held his hands up. “I’m the one that’s sorry. Of course that was a logical assumption for you to make back there.” He hiked a thumb behind him toward the bar. “You don’t know me from Adam.”
“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have assumed—”
“Stop apologizing,” he said. And then, because he couldn’t stand another second not touching her, he leaned over, caging her in with his hands on both sides of the car, and kissed her.
Chapter 3
ISOBEL
God, he was a good kisser. Isobel’s toes immediately curled at the soft pressure of his lips on hers. And when his tongue teased at the seam of her lips, she couldn’t help groaning and immediately opening to him.
That was all the invitation he needed, apparently, because he deepened the kiss and then started to absolutely devour her. One of his hands dropped, curving down the line of her back to her waist, and then around to her ass.
> Before she could obsess or wonder if he thought her butt was too big, he grabbed a handful and squeezed, kissing her even more furiously.
And all of it felt amazing. She moaned so loudly that she was immediately embarrassed. But God, she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so turned on. Things with Jason certainly hadn’t been like that for a long time. Sex was more of a chore than anything else, even before they were long distance. Jason had been a football star in high school and he had a big dick. Those two things combined had convinced him that he was a sex god.
All it really meant was that he had absolutely zero clue about getting women off. Isobel had tried to work with him on it but he just wasn’t that interested. He pointed out that Isobel got off a lot of the time.
And while at first, yes, that was true—in the initial blush of their relationship, sex had been exciting. If Isobel worked and angled herself just right on that big dick of his, she could get friction on her clit. But by the end she’d gotten so pissed that he didn’t even want to try she didn’t bother. Then she’d gone home to be with Dad and with them being long distance… well, apparently Jason had found other places to stick that big dick of his.
“Jesus, sorry, I got carried away there,” Hunter pulled back and leaned his forehead against hers. “We should move this party some place more private.”
He was panting heavily and one of his hands fisted in the bottom of her shirt like he was barely holding himself back from ravaging her again.
Isobel was breathing heavily too. All of this was so reckless. So not like her. But hadn’t that been the point of tonight?
Everything in her life had fallen apart. All the worst case scenarios she could have imagined had actually happened.
Her father had died.
Jason cheated.
Her eating disorder had relapsed.
Her step-mother’s manipulation had driven her to violence.
Isobel had seen the absolute worst in herself.
She spent the first day driving out west wallowing in all of it. But then, somewhere around the Mississippi River, she just started laughing. Because what the fuck did she have to lose at this point?