by Amy DeLuca
That snapped him out of his mute spell. His dark brows drew together. “I thought you said there was nothing going on between you and that Overstreet guy. Now you’re moving to Atlanta for him after one date?”
“I’m not moving to Atlanta for him, idiot. I need a job—a career—and there are more opportunities there. Apparently, there’s nothing to keep me here.”
Hunter’s hands shot out to grab her arms. His warm fingers wrapped around her biceps, holding her in place. “You can’t go.”
“Why not?”
“I want… you. I mean, I want you to stay.” He took a deeper breath, let it out on a shuddering breath, swallowed hard. “And I also want you. I always have.”
No longer struggling to get away, Kristal met his pleading look with a challenging one of her own.
“I’m listening.”
Sixteen
Worthy of You
It took all the nerve he had, but Hunter willed himself to stay and look at her. And be honest at long last.
It was now or never if he ever wanted a chance with Kristal. He couldn’t let her run off to Atlanta without knowing the truth.
“In spite of the fact that you see me as a… ‘buddy’…” He scowled. “… or a ‘brother,’ I’ve always wanted you. You were all I could think about in high school. And then… after that night at the Charity Ball…”
“…when you kissed me by accident,” she prodded.
“Yeah, well, it might have been accidental on your part… but not on mine. I knew it was you. Which I know was messed up because you were with Harry at the time. I was just… caught off guard… and overwhelmed by what was happening.”
“I wasn’t really with Harry. Or rather, he wasn’t with me,” she clarified. “We broke up for good about five minutes after you left the room.”
“Because of me?”
“Because he’d moved on with another woman without bothering to mention it to me until that night. And for the record… I don’t see you as a brother. Or a buddy. I never have.” She gave him a smile of wonderment. “I can’t believe you felt that way about me in high school.”
He huffed a short breath. “I can’t believe you didn’t know.”
“How would I have known?” she asked. “You were so quiet. I wanted to get to know you. I tried. I gave you signals, but you would never even talk to me, much less ask me out.”
“You wanted me to ask you out?”
She nodded, smiling shyly. “I liked you. And I was always attracted to you.”
Hunter’s mouth fell open. “How is that possible?”
Kristal laughed. “Um, let’s see… smart, funny, good looking. What’s so hard to understand?”
“But we were from totally different classes. My family was poor. My father was… well, we were poor.”
She acted insulted that he could think so little of her character. “I don’t care about that. I never did. Why should that have mattered?”
Yeah right. Everybody cares about that.
“It mattered to me. It’s part of what drove me—to get a college scholarship, bust my butt in school, and then afterward, create the software, start my company, to work out and dress well and change my image from that skinny math geek I used to be. I wanted to be…”
He took a breath before admitting the truth. “… worthy of you.”
“Hunter,” Kristal whispered, stepping closer and slipping her small, soft hand into his.
“You’re giving me way too much credit. I was just as geeky as you were as a kid. I was just as insecure as you were—if I hadn’t been, I would have asked you out.”
He made a disbelieving pshaw noise, shaking his head. “You were the prettiest girl in school. You could have said the word and had a date anytime with any guy you wanted.”
She shook her head, looking mystified. “Well, that’s not true, but it’s beside the point. We’re not those insecure kids anymore, but we’ve been acting like them. Have you really been wanting to ask me out since we’ve been living together?”
“Longer. Since that night at the charity ball. But I thought you were still with Harry. Then your father passed away. Then we were housemates… and I couldn’t date you.”
“Why not?”
“First of all, I didn’t want you to feel like it was some kind of ‘requirement’ for living here. I didn’t want you to be uncomfortable. Second… I was chicken. I wasn’t sure how you felt, and I didn’t want to keep being a fool pursuing a girl who only wanted to be friends. And third…”
He offered a sheepish grin. “We all kind of made a pact that none of us would date you.”
Kristal blinked hard, obviously stunned. “You did?” She shook her head in amazement. “I had no idea any of this was going on.”
After a few seconds of silence, she said, “Hunter… it might have been an accident that I kissed you at the charity ball… but I don’t regret it.”
His eyes lasered to hers, his mind and heart spellbound by her words. “You don’t?”
She shook her head slowly, never breaking eye contact with him. “No. I’ve… I’ve thought about it. A lot.”
Hunter’s heart leapt up to his throat then fell back into place, battering his chest wall. He moved toward Kristal cautiously, afraid the extraordinary moment would disappear like a shiny soap bubble—sparkling with iridescent beauty one moment and popping out of existence the next.
Reaching her, he slid his arms around her, and when she showed no sign of objection, drew her close.
And oh, did she feel incredible. Her body, so lush and feminine was right there, and those heart-shaped lips, soft pink and perfectly defined even without a drop of makeup, beckoned to him.
“So have I,” he murmured. “A lot.”
His fingers slipped beneath her hair, going to the nape of her neck and base of her skull, massaging the delicate, tense muscles he found there, holding her securely in place. Now that he finally had this chance with her, he was taking it and not letting it get away.
“I’d like to give you a little more to think about,” he whispered close to her cheek, hunching over to accommodate their height difference.
Before he could make the move to close the last torturous inch between them, Kristal stood on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
The kiss affected him like an electrical charge. He was paralyzed from a jolt of pleasure. His muscles braced, and it became a second-by-second battle to manage the torrent of sensation that threatened to overpower him.
Hunter fought for self-control—he didn’t want to scare her with the intensity of his ferocious joy. But it wasn’t easy to contain his enthusiasm.
After so many years, so much longing, so many daydreams and nighttime visions, it was finally happening, and the reality of holding this woman and kissing her was so far beyond his imaginings he was literally awed by it.
As the kiss went on and on, he deepened it, cradling her lovely face in his hands then letting them move to her neck and shoulders, down to her waist, shaping it, loving the feel of her curves, pulling her closer, closer.
“Hunter, wait.” Kristal slid her hands between their bodies, pushing gently. Her breathing was fractured. “We should probably stop… before this turns into something we do regret.”
“That’s not even possible for me,” he said, speaking against her lips, still drugged by their sweetness.
She giggled, sounding shaken and a little nervous. Her hands exerted more pressure, and Hunter managed to take a half-step back, though everything in him objected.
“Well, you know, I don’t sleep with someone on a first date—and definitely not before the first date,” she said.
“Kristal?”
“Yeah?” she answered, still sounding a bit breathless.
“Would you like to go out with me?”
She laughed and slapped at his chest. “You’re bad.”
“I’m serious. I want to take you out. Tomorrow night if you’re not working then.”
“What about the pact?”
The phone in his pocket rang, and he pulled it out, silencing the device before slipping it into his back pocket again. It was his brother Jack. He’d check his messages and get back to him later. There was no conversation in the world more important than this one.
After years of longing, Hunter was on the verge of getting what he’d always wanted.
“I’ll talk to the guys,” he said with a shrug. “We’ll work it out. They’ll just have to understand. I mean, they won’t like it… they all have crushes on you—”
“Really?” Kristal interrupted, sounding incredulous. “Is that really true?”
He nodded. “Pretty much. Everyone except for Reid. But I have dibs. I saw you first.”
Kristal’s head tipped to the side. “At the charity ball?”
“In seventh grade. Mr. Allen’s language arts class. Third row, second desk, red dress. You should wear red more often, by the way. It looks amazing on you.”
A pretty blush spread across her face, followed by a smile. “Yes.”
“Yes what? You’ll wear more red?”
“Yes, I’ll go out with you. Tomorrow night. It’s a date.”
Hunter couldn’t help himself—he did a fist pump. “Finally. It only took, what, seventeen years?”
She laughed. “Yeah, but who’s counting?”
I was. Hunter kissed her lips softly once more then left the room, and he was already planning for tomorrow night. He wasn’t quite sure what their first date would look like yet, but he did know one thing.
Whatever it took, he’d make it worth the wait.
Seventeen
Out to Dinner
Kristal was still tingling the next morning as she woke and got ready for work, smiling dreamily in the bathroom vanity mirror as she applied her makeup.
Last night had been… remarkable.
The things Hunter had said. And the way he’d kissed her.
It had been every bit as good as their first kisses at the Charity Relief Foundation fundraiser, except this time there had been no mistaken identity, no need to hide or hurry. There was just Hunter and her and chemistry as powerful as a hurricane.
No one—no one—had ever kissed her like that before. Like it was the only thing in the world he cared about, the only thing he wanted to do.
It was like she’d been able to feel his emotion through the contact, feel the years of longing and pent-up attraction. And it had felt so, so good.
He’d probably been able to sense her potent feelings toward him as well, but she didn’t care anymore. She was ready to put it all on the line for him, to be out and open about her feelings concerning Hunter.
He was an amazing person—brilliant and hard-working but also sweet and charming. An incredible kisser.
And tonight, they’d have their first date. Butterflies hatched and wriggled in her belly, spreading their new wings for a test flight. She could hardly wait to be alone with him.
Eager to see him, Kristal practically skipped down the staircase to the first floor and went directly to the kitchen, expecting to find him there making a healthful breakfast for all the guys as usual. He wasn’t there.
And by the looks of things, he hadn’t been there that morning at all.
She found Josh digging into a box of donuts and Aiden shaking a box of sugary cereal over a bowl. Reid was pouring himself the world’s tallest glass of iced coffee and making a toaster waffle.
Had Hunter slept in? That wasn’t like him.
“Good morning,” Reid said, looking abashed when he spotted Kristal. “Listen, I, uh… I want to apologize again for what I said last night. I was totally out of line, and—”
She interrupted. “Don’t worry about it. It’s over. I’m fine. Really. So… looks like everyone’s fending for themselves this morning. Where’s Hunter? Still asleep?”
“Tuck saw him leave the house last night,” Aiden informed her. “Said he had to deal with some kind of family issue. He hasn’t been back since.”
Alarm seized Kristal’s breath. “I hope everything’s okay. No one’s heard from him today at all?”
Hap came into the kitchen and apparently picked up the end of her question. “I wouldn’t worry. He texted me about the filming schedule for today. He stayed over at Jack’s house last night.”
Kristal nodded but didn’t feel very reassured. Were Jack and Bonnie okay? Had something happened to Hunter’s father?
Leaving the kitchen, she pulled out her phone and tapped Hunter’s number. The call went to voicemail. Then she texted.
Kristal: Everything okay? Can I do anything to help?
After a few minutes there was a terse response.
Hunter: I’m fine. Be back soon.
Breakfast had ended and it was nearly time for Kristal to leave for work by the time he returned to the mansion.
At this point, Kristal was thoroughly twisted up with anxiety and concern, trying to imagine what kind of family matter he’d been dealing with. It must have been pretty serious for him to leave in the middle of the night and stay away.
Hunter looked exhausted. Dark smudges underlined his eyes, and his shoulders sagged as if under a heavy weight.
“Sorry guys,” he announced to the room. “Give me a few minutes to grab a bite and clean up, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“No problem,” Hap said. “I went ahead and gave the film crew the day off. We could all use one.”
Kristal followed Hunter into the kitchen, where he stood with his back to her, peering into the coffee pot, apparently checking to see if there was any left.
Sliding her arms around his lean waist, she pressed a kiss to the center of his back, seeking to comfort him. Hunter went rigid. Then his body relaxed, and he turned around, meeting her questioning gaze. Wow, did he look tired.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
He nodded. “Yeah. Just a little beat. I didn’t sleep well. Crashed at my brother’s place, but we stayed up pretty late.”
“What were you doing?”
Again, Hunter’s posture stiffened. “Just had some things to discuss. Everything’s fine.”
Okay then. He obviously didn’t want to talk about it. “All right. Listen, if you want to postpone our date tonight, I totally understand.”
His arms around her tightened. “No. I’ve waited decades for this. I’ll be fine. I just need to catch up on some work first. How’s four o’clock for you? An hour before sunset?”
It sounded a little early for dinner, but Kristal smiled. “Sounds perfect. That’ll give me just enough time to shower after work and get ready.”
“Great. Can’t wait.”
In spite of his enthusiastic words, Hunter didn’t sound or look excited about the evening to come.
Something was wrong—Kristal knew it. She wanted desperately to help him the way he’d helped her so many times recently. She just didn’t know how.
He released his grip on her, as if to move away, but she wasn’t quite finished with him. Pulling him closer, Kristal rose to her tiptoes and kissed him.
At first he didn’t respond, remaining passive and simply allowing the intimate contact. But then some sort of switch was flipped.
Hunter tightened his hold on her, nearly crushing her, and he kissed her back with all the passion and intensity she could ever hope for, plus some.
He was so big, so powerful, but she felt the trembling in his body and hands. What had happened last night? Why did his kiss, as pleasurable as it was, feel tinged with desperation?
Loud laughter from the other room seemed to awaken Hunter from a spell, and he broke the kiss. “I should… let you go. Don’t want to make you late for work.”
“Hap’s giving me a ride on his way into town, but you’re right. I should get going.” She studied his tired eyes. “Hey… if there’s anything I can do to help… I hope you know you can tell me anything.”
For a moment Hunter froze, his eyes locking with hers almost desperately.<
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“Everything’s fine,” he repeated. “Have a good day at work. I’ll see you later this afternoon.”
Kristal worried about him all day, but at four o’clock, he knocked on the door of her room, and she opened it to see a bright smile that stole her breath.
The rest of him wasn’t too shabby either. He’d told her in a text to dress casually for their outing, and he’d done the same, wearing a nice pair of jeans with a light blue cashmere sweater and deck shoes.
Eyeing her outfit, a red sweater paired with off-white corduroys and boots, he said, “You look amazing,” and leaned in to kiss her cheek, adding, “And you smell great. Ready? Bring your coat. Oh, and you might want to grab your camera—it is the golden hour, you know.”
“You remembered.”
Feeling like she’d just swallowed a lump of sunshine, Kristal went back for her camera bag and coat. They left the house with Hunter giving vague and evasive answers to the other guys’ questions about where they were going.
“Kristal needs to grab some more shots,” he said to Paul before shutting the door and escorting her to his Bentley.
When he got in behind the wheel, she turned to him. “I’m guessing you haven’t told them yet?”
He shook his head. “No time today. Maybe I’ll talk to them tomorrow. So… you hungry?”
It felt like Hunter was trying to change the subject, but Kristal answered, “Yes, so I hope we’re going out to dinner.”
“Oh, we’re going out all right,” he answered with a grin.
He drove them to Newport’s historic harbor area, parking near Bowen’s Wharf, a popular dining and shopping destination that boasted some of Kristal’s favorite local restaurants.
“Are we going to Bowen’s 22?” she asked as he pulled into a spot. “I love that place.”
“We are not,” he said with a cryptic half-smile. “The place I’m taking you is a bit more… exclusive.”
They walked together, passing the tourist spots and entering the Newport Yachting Center Marina.
“Oh my gosh,” Kristal squealed. “Are we going on one of those dinner cruises? I’ve never done one of those. I’ve never even taken a sunset champagne cruise, though I’ve always wanted to. Either way, I’m so excited.”