Reforming Hunt

by Jules Barnard

Noah jumped up and ran to the small bookcase, while Hunt looked on, smiling. The guy seemed as happy to read Noah another story as Noah was to hear it. Amazing.

  After the last book, Abby and Hunt said good night to Noah, and Abby silently closed the door to his bedroom.

  She shifted her feet in the hallway. “So…” she said.

  “So,” he replied, with a slight upward quirk to his lips.

  Geez, this was awkward. They weren’t a couple, yet they’d done some serious adulting in the bedroom the other morning.

  Last night, they’d spent so much time unpacking and finding space for Hunt’s things, with Noah coming in every two seconds, that their morning activities hadn’t come up. Hunt had slept in the bed with Abby, but they’d both passed out as soon as the lights were off.

  Tonight they were no longer exhausted from unpacking. Would he expect what had happened yesterday to happen again? Did she want him to?

  A wave of heat swept through her belly. Darn Hunt Cade and his hands. She could get used to them, and then where would she be? Alone and Hunt-less. “Do you want to use the bathroom first, or should I?”

  “You go ahead,” he said. “I have an email to shoot off to Lewis. I’d like to meet him at the house tomorrow and get his crew started on the demo.”

  Right, the demo. It was only Abby who was thinking about sexy time with Hunt. It was his fault; he was very good at it.

  Get it together, woman!

  Hunt had misgivings when it came to his family home. But maybe this was where she could repay him for all he was doing for her. She’d help him with the remodel, now that she didn’t have to work extra shifts to make ends meet, and together they’d wipe away bad memories.

  Abby brushed her teeth, changed into a nightshirt and shorts, and crawled into bed. She heard Hunt enter the bathroom, but by that time her eyelids were drooping and she could barely keep her eyes on the page of her book.

  She set her novel on the nightstand. She was going to spend the night in bed with Hunt again, and a pleasure shiver racked her body. From here on out, they’d sleep in the same bed, now that Noah was around. Regardless of those scintillating thoughts, her exhaustion won the battle and she fell asleep.

  What seemed like moments later, Abby opened her eyes to a bluish-gray light streaming in through the blinds. It was morning, but it had to be early.

  She thought back to the night before. She must have passed out hard. She didn’t remember Hunt coming into the bedroom, and now that she extended her senses, he wasn’t in bed with her either. She distinctly remembered the size of Hunt’s warm body next to her. There was no warmth, no swell of the mattress, no large arm possessively holding her.

  Abby sat up. Had he already gone for the day? He’d seemed eager to meet with his friend Lewis to get the house repairs started…

  And then Abby saw him.

  Hunt was lying on the floor on a blanket, his naked torso on display. One arm curled under his head, hair ruffled, long lashes falling against strong cheekbones.

  Abby drank in the sight like a starved woman. Her gaze trailed down from the bulging of his biceps, across wide, muscular shoulders, to a stomach with defined abs she couldn’t look away from.

  The other night, she’d not gotten a good enough look at the beauty that was Hunt Cade, because sweet Jesus.

  When she glanced up, his eyes were open and on her. Staring at her staring at him. He’d caught her ogling, and he didn’t seem to mind. Not one bit. In fact, he was looking at her like he wanted to take a bite of something.

  This was bad.

  “Mom?” Noah called groggily from the hallway.

  “Crap.” Abby glanced around. She was caught. Not for the sexy thoughts swimming through her head, but because Hunt was supposed to be in bed with her. Even Noah knew married people slept in the same bed. He’d informed her last night, when he worried she wouldn’t know how to treat her new husband.

  Hunt’s eyes widened and he threw off the light blanket and jumped into bed with her. She’d only had a split second to take in his muscled legs before he was curling up against her body. His large erection pressed to her backside.

  Abby squeaked, and Hunt squeezed her hip.

  “Shh,” he said, and sent her a warning look.

  How was she supposed to keep quiet with his large, aroused body pressed to hers?

  “Your fault,” he mumbled. “Can’t look at me like that in the morning and not expect things to rise to the occasion.”

  She attempted to turn her head and say something saucy, but Noah walked in the room.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Abby said, her voice higher than usual.

  Noah climbed into bed, unaware of Abby’s turmoil.

  Hunt pulled her back even tighter against his body, making room for Noah.

  “I slept good,” Noah told them. Her son yawned. “What’s for breakfast?”

  Abby cleared her throat, and wrangled her mind off the hot, ridiculously sexy man holding her, and said, “Why don’t you brush your teeth, and I’ll make you some eggs?”

  “French toast.”

  Abby brushed the light brown hair off Noah’s brow and kissed his forehead. “French toast it is.”

  “Two slices, please,” Noah said.

  “I’ll take six,” Hunt said, and Noah giggled.

  Abby’s mouth twisted. “Considering you two are going to do most of the eating, I’m beginning to wonder why I’m doing the cooking.”

  Noah crawled off the bed, still laughing.

  A moment later, she heard him slam the bathroom door.

  She let out a breath. But Hunt didn’t ease back from her now that Noah was gone. Oh no, instead, the naughty man slowly lowered his head and kissed her on the neck in a sensitive spot.

  “This won’t work,” she said, arching her neck for ease, because hello? Hot man kissing delicate skin. And the other morning had only added a few drops to the sexual well that had gone dry years ago.

  “Oh, it’s working,” he said.

  Was that some reference to the erection pressed between her thighs? “You’re bad.”

  “I’d like to be. Thinking we should reevaluate the rules of our marriage.” He ran his lips lightly along the skin of her throat.

  Oh God. She’d married Hunt to protect Noah, but now she realized the danger in it—she’d also married the hottest man in town. No woman was that strong. “I can’t, Hunt.”

  He lifted his head and stared down at her, a serious expression on his face. “I’ll wait.”

  Her mouth twisted. That wasn’t what she’d expected him to say. He knew as well as she that they toyed with danger by giving in to intimacy. “You seem awfully sure of yourself. We already agreed that getting too involved would be a bad idea.”

  “I agreed emotional involvement would be bad. But I’m thinking physical involvement will only benefit us both, as we figured out the other morning.” He shot her a cocky grin.

  She elbowed him lightly in the stomach on her way out of bed, and he choke-laughed.

  Hunt lay on his back, both arms behind his head, smiling. “I’m here whenever you need me.”

  And that was the problem. She needed him too much.

  Chapter 23

  Hunt looked around the kitchen he’d seen yesterday for the first time in over a decade and grimaced. What idiot thought it was a good idea to move back into this old place? He could kick himself right now. “Tear it all out,” he said to Lewis.

  Lewis brought out his measuring tape. “I’ll give our designer measurements to reconfigure the kitchen, but otherwise, we can get started in a couple of days.”

  Hunt considered what else it would take to make the space livable, with all the sad memories it held. “I also want you to tear out the entry. The crown molding too. Might as well get rid of the flooring while you’re at it. And I want all new interior doors.” He spun in a slow circle. “Let’s also knock out the walls between the kitchen and the dining room. The one between the kitchen and the living room as
well. Too many damn walls in this place.”

  Lewis raised an eyebrow. “You said this was an update.”

  Hunt swallowed the sour taste in his mouth that had risen the moment he stepped inside. “I changed my mind. If I’m going to stay under this roof, I need it to look like a different house.”

  “Why don’t we knock it down?”

  Hunt glanced over. “Can we do that?”

  Lewis chuckled. “Hell, Hunt, I was kidding. This house must have cost a fortune to build, and it’s in excellent shape. But don’t worry. We’ll switch everything out and it will look like a different place.”

  “You’ll knock down the interior walls too?”

  Lewis moved between the rooms. “I will if they’re not load bearing. Let me get the guys up into the attic and the designer over. What style are you looking for?”

  Hunt pondered that for a moment. “Something that won’t clash with the exterior. Warm. The way Abby has her house set up.”

  “You want the designer to talk to your wife?”

  Did he? His brothers might object, given Abby was brand new to the family and this was the house they’d grown up in… But they’d given him free rein, and Abby had a way of making a house a home. Even the crap-tastic cabin she and Noah rented. “Yeah. Have the designer meet with Abby. I’ll go with whatever she picks.”

  “Smart man. Gen would approve.” Lewis jotted down notes. “She really liked Abby, by the way, after meeting her at your wedding. Said you’d picked a good one.”

  Lewis was older and closer to his brothers’ ages, but still a part of the pack they’d grown up in. And apparently Lewis’s fiancée Gen had excellent taste, because Abby was a good one.

  Abby was like no one Hunt had ever met. Beneath the scrubs and dark circles under her eyes was a beautiful woman. Frankly, Hunt thought she was hot in her scrubs too, and the dark circles were already fading now that she worked fewer hours. But all of that was on the surface. She was an incredible mom, funny, feisty, and—dammit—sexy as hell. She might not know it, but Abby was slowly killing him, sharing a room.

  Hunt had had a taste of Abby on their wedding night, and now all he could think about were the soft sounds she made when he pleasured her, the smooth texture of her skin beneath his hands, and the look of joy on her face when she reached her peak. He wanted to make Abby come every day, all day long. But he held himself in check. Which meant he might burst.

  Lying next to Abby at night and not being able to touch her? Torture. The sweetest torture. But he refused to make a move until she gave him the okay.

  A week went by, and Hunt threw himself into the remodel. It was either that or throw himself over a cliff in sexual frustration.

  This was good for him. He’d never denied himself the pleasure of women. It was character building, he reminded himself.

  God, if his brothers only knew how long he’d gone without sex since meeting Abby. They thought he was living it up with his new wife. Little did they know that this was the longest dry spell Hunt had ever experienced.

  Lewis and his crew of demolition animals got the kitchen and baths torn out, and the downstairs walls removed. One of the walls was load bearing, but Hunt wanted it out anyway. He agreed to pay a small fortune to have a giant support beam set into the ceiling, and it was worth it. The more the place changed, the less it reminded Hunt of his childhood. Now if he could only get his temporary wife to welcome him into her bed figuratively.

  Hunt might be going crazy. Not from abstinence—though that wasn’t helping—but from lying beside a woman he craved more each day.

  The more Hunt thought about Abby and their arrangement, the more he was convinced a physical relationship was the right way to go. Okay, fine, he was horny as hell, and his fake wife was incredibly beautiful. All she had to do was bend over to grab the plastic wrap from the bottom drawer, and he hardened. It was driving him mad.

  Whenever Hunt had pictured a future with a woman, his mind had always drawn a blank. But for the first time, he wasn’t afraid of a committed relationship, if it was with Abby. For Hunt, that was huge.

  Had to be because of the lack of sex. Nothing else made sense.

  He pulled out his phone and shot Abby a text message.

  Hunt: What’s for dinner?

  He’d offered to bring home takeout from Club Tahoe a couple of times this week, but both times Abby had shot him down. She might grumble about the quantity of food he and Noah ate, but she didn’t seem to mind cooking, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

  Abby: Noah just ate mac and cheese. You’re flying solo. Maria and I are going out to listen to music.

  * * *

  Hunt: Who’s watching Noah?

  * * *

  Abby: I was hoping my husband would ;)

  Abby: But if you can’t, I can call Noah’s grandparents. Though I hate asking them for anything. Or I can stay home…

  No way. First of all, if anyone needed personal time, it was Abby. Between school and her job, the woman worked more hours than anyone he knew. Hunt was happy she’d cut back after their wedding. Besides, a little space was probably for the best. The sexual tension in their house was intense. One more night of going to bed without touching her, and the roof might blow.

  Hunt: I’ll take care of Noah. Boys’ night!

  Abby sent him a heart emoji, and his chest puffed up.

  The woman was easy to please. And looking after Noah was just plain fun. They’d eat junk food, which Abby would complain about, but it was Boys’ Night and junk food was mandatory.

  Hunt considered their food options as he pulled into the driveway of Abby’s small cabin, and his home of the last week. Burgers and fries? Ice cream? There was that chocolate volcano cake at the resort Noah liked…

  He walked up the steps and let himself in with the key Abby had given him a week ago. Noah was at the dining table building a tower with magnetic geometric shapes. “Hey, Noah. How was your day?”

  “Great! Mom’s letting you babysit me tonight.” Noah bounced up and down in his seat.

  Hunt smiled and set down his keys and wallet on the kitchen counter. “I heard. Start thinking of a movie you want to watch.”

  He filled a glass of water and took a drink. Then several things happened at once: Noah began rattling off names of animated films, and Abby walked into the living room, looking down and adjusting the hem of her dress.

  Hunt choked on his water, spitting it out in a spray.

  Abby’s long, light brown hair fell in soft waves past her shoulders, and she was wearing makeup, which took her from naturally beautiful to supermodel stunning.

  What the hell was he thinking letting his wife go out on the town without him? She was going to get hit on left and right.

  Noah bent over and laughed hysterically. “You spat out your water!”

  He ran to his mom and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Mommy, you look pretty.”

  Abby smiled and kissed Noah’s head. “Thank you, honey.”

  She looked up at Hunt, and her eyes widened.

  What did she think she was doing going out looking like that? She was a married woman, for God’s sake. Fine, it was a marriage in name only, but it didn’t feel like that. It felt like she was his. And Hunt didn’t share.

  “Can I talk to you for a moment?” he said.

  Abby was still staring at him uncertainly, but she nodded and turned to Noah. “Be good tonight, okay? Try not to eat too much of the bad food Hunt brings into the house.”

  Noah giggled.

  Busted. And Hunt felt no shame. Boys’ Night.

  He touched Abby’s elbow as she grabbed her purse, and guided her out the front door, closing it so they couldn’t be overheard. “Where are you going?”

  Abby rummaged around in her purse, pulling out car keys. “I told you over text. I’m going to listen to music with Maria.” She scrunched one eye. “I think we’re going to some new brewery that showcases up-and-coming bands.”

  Hunt leaned a palm ag
ainst the doorframe, his other hand on Abby’s hip. “I don’t like it.”

  She looked at his hand on her hip, and her brow furrowed. “You don’t want to watch Noah? Because—”

  “Not that part.” He scanned her body heatedly, lingering on her hips and breasts beneath the fitted, stretchy black dress she wore. Black heels accentuated her toned legs for the icing on the cake. He wanted to lick every inch of her. “I don’t trust single men around you.” He thought about that for a moment. “Not the married ones, either.”

  Her mouth quirked. “Hunt, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?”

  “Like I’m being a possessive ass? Yes.” He leaned forward and inhaled. “You smell too damn good too.”

  Abby held back a smile, but she leaned closer as well. “This is silly. I haven’t dated a man since before Noah’s father. Our fake wedding night was the most action I’ve gotten in ages.”

  He leaned the last few inches in and brushed her lips with his. “Damn straight. And there’s more where that came from. I want you.”

  She sighed. “This is all your fault. I blame your biceps. And your chest. And your wandering hands. After we-we… Well, this week has been awkward. We never should have done what we did on our wedding night, because now that’s all I can think about.”

  Finally, they were on the same page. “We want each other. We’re married. If you think about it, it’s our job to procreate.” He shot her a crooked grin.

  She pointed a finger at him. “That’s not true, and you know it. Sex between us will complicate things.”

  “Or make things less complicated. Nothing is more stressful than the sexual tension going on in this house. Think of fulfilling our needs as therapy. Because I assure you, you’ll be thoroughly relaxed by the time I’m done.”

  She swallowed. “I’ll think about it. After I go out with Maria. I gave up everything when I started dating Noah’s father. I won’t do that again.”