Hell, she didn’t even believe herself.
“Okay, fine. I kind of did. But in my defense, you freaked me out on Saturday!” Hell, if he could be mad and vent his frustration, so could she. “You started talking about buying a bigger house and me moving here and…and…we both know I’m a rebound person for you! Why would you ask me to move here when this is just casual?”
“Rebound person?! Is that seriously what you think?”
And right then and there, Violet knew she had completely misread the entire situation and possibly ruined everything.
“Um…”
Arms flexed, Hunter raked both hands through his hair and she had to fight the urge to lean forward and kiss his chest and let her hands roam. It was a completely inappropriate time to even think of something like that, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Dammit, Violet, why would you even think that?”
But before she could answer, he was talking again.
“We talked about this–do you think I would have invited you to spend the night here or…or move in with my son and me if this was just casual?”
“I…I thought you just said it in the heat of the moment and were going to regret it! It didn’t seem possible you would want me like that!”
“Like what? Like I have strong feelings for you? Like I enjoy being with you? Like I’m falling in love with you?”
Gasping, her hands instantly flew over her mouth.
She waited for him to take the words back or to try to clarify how he didn’t mean he was really in love with her, but…he didn’t.
Slowly, she lowered her hands. “You…you don’t mean that. You can’t.” And dammit, she hated the tremor in her voice.
His expression softened as he moved in close. “Yes, I can.” Cupping her face, he rested his forehead against hers. “I’m falling in love with you, Violet.”
Men had told her they loved her before, but never like this–never with such earnest and raw emotion. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. It was slow and sweet and the perfect combination of happiness and lust.
Because…yeah. Seriously, a shirtless Hunter was the stuff of fireman calendars.
When he broke the kiss, his smile was almost blinding. “As much as I’d like to keep kissing you, I’d rather do it in the privacy of my house.”
“I like the sound of that.” Together, they walked hand in hand back to the porch where she spotted her box from Henderson’s Bakery sitting on the ground. “Oh, no! Did you just drop it there?”
Chuckling, he bent and scooped the box up. “Are you kidding me? I can smell the cinnamon. No way I’m dropping that sucker on the ground.”
Once they were inside, he didn’t release her hand. Instead, he led her through to the kitchen and placed the box on the table. Then he hauled her in close and kissed her like a man hell-bent on seduction.
Which she was entirely on board with.
Only…
As much as it pained her, she pulled back. “Where’s Eli?”
“Sleeping. We stayed up extra late last night. He won’t be up for at least another hour.” Then he dove in for another kiss. And then another.
His arms banded around her as he picked her up and began to walk toward his bedroom. She wanted to laugh or, at the very least, tell him how much she was loving this idea, but it was necessary to stay quiet and not wake up his son.
With the bedroom door closed and locked, Hunter gently put her down on the edge of the bed before getting on his knees in front of her.
“If you’re not comfortable with this, just say the word.” His hand slid up her thighs–skin on skin as she was wearing shorts–and when they slowly smoothed their way under the hem, Violet wasn’t sure she could even remember her own name.
“More touching,” she said as she leaned forward and began to rain kisses along his jaw. “Less talking.”
His laugh was deep and rich and oh-so masculine that she was practically in a puddle, but it was clear that playtime was over. And as much as she loved making love with him and taking their time, there was something wildly erotic about the quiet franticness of the moment.
Clothes were shifted but not completely removed.
Every movement was urgent and a little rough.
And every emotion was expressed with their eyes and breathy, whispered words.
Hunter held her gaze the entire time, and it was quite possibly the most intimate part of the whole encounter. Never before had a man looked at her like this–like she was everything–and damn if she didn’t want to see that look every day.
It was fast and furious and over way too soon, but as Hunter rolled onto his back and cradled her in his arms, all Violet could think was how perfect it was.
“That was wildly unexpected,” she said after she caught her breath. “I’m going to have to bring you cinnamon rolls every day.”
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “This had nothing to do with cinnamon rolls, but…I certainly wouldn’t say no to you bringing more tomorrow.”
They lay in companionable silence for several minutes before Violet felt like she had to say something. Leaning up on one elbow, she smiled down at him. One hand gently caressed his face, his jaw, before she stopped and traced the small bruise she spotted there.
“How did that happen?”
“Kyle’s stupid fist,” he murmured, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm. “It’s no big deal. The one I left on him is much bigger.”
Violet felt her eyes go wide. “You had a fistfight with your brother? Why?”
“He’s annoying. Trust me.”
“Hunter, that’s not the sort of thing you should be doing around your son. Violence is never the answer.”
His smile was slow and sweet as his grip on her hand gentled. “It rarely happens, and once in a while, we just need to pound on something when we’re frustrated. It’s a guy thing.”
“Hunter…”
“How about this, I promise it will never happen again.” He kissed her palm again. “And it’s not anything you ever have to worry about.”
She had a feeling that wasn’t entirely true, but she also knew there wasn’t anything to fear where Hunter and violence were concerned. He was the most caring and nurturing person she’d ever met.
After a minute, Hunter whispered her name, and when she looked at him, he looked concerned. “Violet, it’s really okay. There’s nothing for you to be scared of.”
“I know,” she said quietly.
“Are you sure? Because you look a little worried.”
Her hand skimmed down over his chest. Then, meeting his gaze, she said, “I am a little worried. And afraid.”
“Of what?” his voice was barely a whisper.
“Of this. Of how I feel about you and how you feel about me.” Luckily, he didn’t make her try to explain why, but there was more she needed to say. “I kind of have a habit of running away from situations like this because I’m afraid of getting hurt.” She swallowed hard. “But the way you look at me? It tells me you’d never hurt me; that I can trust you.”
This time it was his hand that reached up and cupped her cheek. “You can trust me, Violet. I would never–ever–hurt you.”
Unable to speak because emotion had her by the throat, she nodded.
Hunter guided her head down until it was resting over his heart, and for the first time in her life, Violet felt like she was home.
There was a spring in his step and he felt lighter than he had in years.
And it felt fan-freaking-tastic.
His face actually hurt from smiling so much, but he didn’t care. Violet was here with him and Hunter felt like his life was finally falling into place.
Together, like a family, they’d had the cinnamon rolls she had brought with her once Eli woke up. After that, Hunter showed her the progress he’d made on the deck. He felt a sense of pride as she marveled over what he and his family had accomplished in only one day. They stayed out in the ya
rd and played ball with Eli, and then Violet did some yoga with him.
Hunter opted to sit back and watch.
The day was going along so damn perfectly that he was waiting for something to ruin it.
And it did.
Eli was down for a nap and Hunter was ready to suggest that he and Violet do the same when he got the call from his captain asking if he could cover an EMT shift.
“I hated to even ask, Hunter, and it’s just for today from four to eleven. Can you do it?”
“That’s two hours from now. Eli’s down for a nap and my whole family’s at work…”
Violet, who was sitting beside him, waved at him. “I can stay with him.”
“Uh…Captain? Let me call you back.” When he hung up, he looked at her like she was crazy. “You want to babysit while I go to work?”
She shrugged. “Sure! Eli and I will be fine.”
“I don’t know…I hate to ask that of you. Besides, don’t you need to check-in and make sure Katie doesn’t need you?”
“She’s fine and Brian’s home. Actually, she packed me an overnight bag and threw it in the back of my car so…I think she’s fine.”
“Oh, okay. Um…wow.” He was utterly conflicted. The last thing he expected was to be called in to work on his first week of leave, but he knew there had to serious circumstances for them to reach out to him. But he also didn’t want to take advantage of Violet. Things were still new, and…he shook his head. “No. I’ll just tell him I can’t do it.”
“Hunter,” she pleaded, her soft hand resting on his arm. “You know it’s going to be on your mind all night if you don’t go in. It’s one shift. Eli and I will be fine. We’ll have dinner together, watch some cartoons, play some games, and he’ll be in bed by eight.” Leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. “You need to do this.”
She was right.
He was already feeling guilty about taking time off and if it was just this one time then…
“Okay,” he said, a little begrudgingly. “But promise me you’ll call and let me know if you’re feeling overwhelmed.” He jumped to his feet and walked into the kitchen and began writing down numbers for her. “My dad is always the easiest to get in touch with. Try the shop first and then after five you can reach him on his cell phone. If he can’t come, he’ll get in touch with one of my brothers or Scarlett to come and help you.”
“Hunter, I don’t think there’s going to be any problems. Unless you think Eli will be upset to wake up and you’re not here?”
Damn. He hadn’t thought of that.
She must have seen the panic on his face because she immediately backtracked. “Tell you what, how about we call you when he wakes up? This way he can talk to you and put his mind at ease.”
“Yeah. Okay. That will work.” Once he had the list written, Hunter wasn’t sure what to do with himself.
That wasn’t entirely true. He wanted to take Violet back to bed, but he hated the thought of another quickie before going to work.
Plus, he really needed to take a shower.
They could linger in there for a little while…he could wash her back, she could wash his…technically, it was the perfect solution.
She was sitting at the kitchen table looking over his list when he announced his plan.
“I’m going to go take a shower.”
Smiling up at him, she said, “Okay.”
Moving behind her, he bent over and kissed the sweet spot behind her ear he knew she loved. “It’s kind of lonely in there. I wouldn’t mind some company.”
“Hmm…I imagine we’d have to be quiet in there too,” she said softly, tilting her head to give him better access.
Dammit again. Another thing he hadn’t thought of. Suddenly his charming little house was kind of a pain in the ass and practically cock-blocking him.
“I’m game for trying if you are,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.
Scooping her up from the chair, he carried Violet into the bathroom where they had the steamiest, sexiest, and quietest sex of his life.
It was eleven-thirty, the house was dark, and Hunter was exhausted.
Quietly, he let himself in, kicked off his shoes, and padded to the kitchen to get something to drink. There was light coming out from under his bedroom door, so he hoped it meant Violet was still awake. Grabbing a bottle of water, he drank half of it down and just took a minute to finish decompressing from the night.
It was anything but quiet in Magnolia Sound tonight, it seemed. They’d gone out on three calls–two were car accidents, and one was for an elderly gentleman who was having a heart attack. In between emergencies, Hunter had called and checked on Eli and talked with Violet. She told him how the two of them had done some tumbling in the yard, watched Finding Nemo, ate macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers for dinner, did some pre-bath yoga, and read two books before Eli went to bed.
All in all, it was an extremely successful night.
And it made his heart happy.
Finishing his drink, he made sure the front door was locked, and made his way to Eli’s room and smiled down at his son. He kissed him on the cheek, tucked his blanket around him, and quietly walked out, leaving the door partially open.
Next, Hunter opened the door to his room and there was Violet in his bed and reading on her phone. She looked up and smiled at him and it was everything he ever wanted–ever dreamed of. It seemed crazy that something as simple as finding the woman you love waiting up for you made all the difference in your life, and yet…it did.
“Hey,” she said softly. “How was your night?”
“It was good. Busy. We had three calls total, but nothing we couldn’t handle.” She studied him as he took off his shirt and then his jeans. “What?”
“We talked several times while you were at work and you never once talked about what was going on.” She shrugged. “I guess I was just curious about your work.”
He was a little confused. “You want to know about my job?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?”
Any time he talked to Melissa about his work, she would tell him she wasn’t interested. And he never got serious with any of the women he dated where he wanted to talk about his work with. So this was new. And he wasn’t sure just how much to share.
Sliding beneath the sheets, he decided to give her the basics. “There were two car accidents–one was a multi-car, and the other was a drunk driver who hit a tree. Then we had a call about an elderly gentleman having chest pains. It was a heart attack, and we got him to the hospital.”
Beside him, Violet sat up a little, twisting toward him. “Oh, my goodness! Is everyone okay? How many people were involved in the multi-car accident? There weren’t any children in the cars, were there?” Her hand rested over her heart. “This is such a small town! Was it anyone you knew?”
It was obvious the topic was a little upsetting for her, and then he remembered her history and how her mother had died, and he mentally cursed himself for even bringing the subject up. Reaching out, he wrapped his arm around her and held her close. Placing a soft kiss on her forehead, he said, “No kids. All minor injuries. I didn’t know anyone involved, and last I checked, our cardiac guy was doing well. So all in all, it was a good night.”
“I don’t know about that. People got hurt, and you had to go and rescue them.” She shivered slightly. “How do you do it? How do you deal with it? You must see some pretty horrendous stuff and yet you’re always fairly upbeat.”
“Well, the reality is that you have to detach yourself. I’ve seen so much…some of it is horrific and it would give me nightmares. In the beginning, I would come home and do everything I could to stay awake because once I closed my eyes…”
She hugged him tightly. “I’m so sorry. I think what you do is amazing, but I hate what it does to you.” With a soft kiss on his chest, she added, “Thank you for being so brave.”
No one had ever said that to him before.
At least, no one he knew per
sonally.
Together they slowly slid a little further under the sheets. “I should be the one thanking you for being brave,” he said once they were settled and comfortable.
Her laugh was soft and a little sleepy. “How was I brave?”
“You spent the second half of the day with a three-year-old. I’ve seen seasoned parents and grandparents looking haggard after doing that. And look at you,” he said with just a hint of awe, caressing her cheek. “You’re beautiful.”
“Stop. You’re crazy.” The flush of her cheeks told him she wasn’t used to being complimented.
“Crazy about you,” he murmured before touching his lips to hers. It was a chaste kiss, a tender kiss. Reluctantly, he lifted his head so he could turn and shut off the bedside lamp. And in the darkness, he found her again.
Kissed her again.
And relished the fact that he could hold her all night long tonight and all the nights to come.
Fifteen
“Are you sure this looks okay?”
“You look beautiful.”
Glancing over her shoulder, Violet frowned at Katie. “Are you just saying that so I’ll shut up and leave?”
“No, of course not.”
“Maybe I should try on the red dress again. I think if I changed to the silver necklace…”
“Oh, my God! Enough!” Katie cried, jumping to her feet. “You’ve tried on five different dresses already and they all looked fantastic on you! What are you freaking out about?”
“It’s a wedding and I’m meeting Hunter’s entire family today! Those are all perfectly legit reasons to freak out!”
Groaning, Katie sat back down on the bed. “Okay, fine.” She sighed. “What’s wrong with this one you have on? It’s simple and elegant and perfect for an outdoor wedding.”
Studying herself in the mirror, this one was probably her favorite–navy blue, strapless, and hit right at the knees. It showcased her body without being too tight or revealing. Plus, the multi-colored beaded necklace she purchased in town was gorgeous. Glancing down at her feet, she smiled at her recently pedicured toes and knew the pop of coral would look perfect with the sandals she would wear.
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