by Hannah Ford
Shit. Kallie had totally forgotten about last night and the white lie she’d told in order to leave her parents’ hotel room and drive to Hunter’s house. “Oh, that,” she said. “I do feel better. This morning I woke up and my stomach was almost one hundred percent.”
Her mother nodded gravely, but her eyes were still glimmering. “That’s good, honey. I’m just glad you’re happy.” She smiled and patted Kallie’s hand, squeezing once before turning back to say something to Kallie’s father.
And then just like that, Hunter was sitting down next to Kallie and smiling at her. “Hey,” he said. “You good?”
She nodded. “I am.”
“I’m glad,” he said.
She looked up and found Sean watching them from across the table. Lydia was chattering away in his ear but he was only half-listening to her. His hooded eyes were fixed on Hunter. Kallie got a nervous feeling in her stomach. She really hoped he wouldn’t mess up an amazing night by getting in Hunter’s face over nothing.
Soon, the waiters came bearing more trays of food and everyone was busy eating. The food was good. Hunter was probably used to eating at the finest restaurants in Manhattan, and this place was generic family style Italian (and definitely not fancy), but he seemed happy enough with it. His appetite certainly wasn’t suffering at all and he was scarfing down his chicken parmesan at a rapid pace.
Kallie just picked at her ziti and meatballs, but she was busy talking with her brothers, and also Lydia’s mother and father.
In fact, she was just asking Lydia’s mother about the wedding venue they’d chosen, when Hunter slid his chair back from the table and looked at his phone. “I have to take a call,” he announced, and then got up and left without a backward glance.
Kallie watched him go, wondering for a moment if she’d somehow missed the fateful tap-tap-tap on her knee. Had she really not noticed it? Or did he actually have to take a phone call? She decided he must have really needed to use the phone.
“Busy guy,” Sean said loudly.
Kallie looked over at him. “Not really. At least, not when we’re spending time together.”
“You spend a lot of time together?”
She shrugged. “Depends on how you define a lot.”
“I think most normal people know what a lot means.”
“Sean, what’s your problem? Are you the only one allowed to have a significant other?”
Sean laughed. “That guy is not your significant other, Kallie. He’s just a dude who thinks his shit don’t stink.”
“That’s incredibly rude.”
“Sean, knock it off,” her father said. He glared at his son with a look that said he meant business.
Sean sighed and shrugged, but Kallie could tell he wasn’t going to push the matter further. Their father might collect coins and act a little silly from time to time, but he was strict and firm, and his temper was a sight to behold. Nobody wanted to anger him if they could possibly avoid it.
She continued to pick at her food, waiting for Hunter to come back. But after ten minutes had passed, her still hadn’t returned. Kallie looked around for him, trying not to appear obvious. When she looked up and met Sean’s eyes, he was smirking in a self-satisfied way that made her angry.
He didn’t know a thing about Hunter. He just hated him on sight because Hunter was slick and handsome and Sean didn’t trust any guy who liked his sister. It was ridiculous. It had been ridiculous back in high school and now it was even more ridiculous.
Another few minutes went by, with Kallie trying to make conversation but being too distracted, because it was getting kind of weird that Hunter was gone so long. People were finishing their meals and dinner was about to wrap up.
Kallie decided that she should just go find him. In her mind, she justified going to look for him on the basis that, a) he might have done the knee tap signal and she’d somehow not noticed it, b) he’d been gone from the table for over fifteen minutes and it was embarrassing, and c) dinner was about to end and she needed a ride home.
She excused herself (making sure not to so much as glance at Sean) and left the table, walking quickly toward the front of the restaurant, her eyes scanning the room in case he was around the vicinity for some reason.
As she got towards the front door of the restaurant, she had a tingling in her stomach, a sense that perhaps she’d be better off just returning to the table and sitting down again until he came back.
Maybe this is a test, she thought. Maybe he’s hoping I’ll come and look for him. Then again, maybe he’s testing me to see if I can be patient and wait like a good submissive partner.
If that was the case, she was definitely going to get a failing grade.
Kallie pushed through the front door, exiting the restaurant and seeing something that nearly floored her.
Hunter was out in the parking lot, talking to another woman. Kallie didn’t know what to think. At first, she thought it was just a random conversation, perhaps the woman was a smoker and had asked for a light (she was smoking a cigarette, after all).
But then she saw the way they were talking, so close together. It was obvious from their body language that they knew each other. Their conversation seemed very intense, and although she couldn’t hear their exact words, the tones were strained somehow.
Kallie felt sick. Was she another girlfriend, perhaps even his more serious lover, another submissive who was better at it than Kallie?
This woman was slender but her body was clearly toned and tight in all the right places. She was wearing a dark skirt and a dark blouse, high heels. She had a look about her—dark eye shadow, a certain hardness about her, the way she held her cigarette. She seemed world weary, young but not naïve or innocent.
The strange woman shook her head as Hunter pointed at her and his voice rose. “…keep doing this, I’ve told you a thousand times…”
And then a gust of wind carried the rest of his sentence away from Kallie’s ears.
She decided that this was too much. This was an insult to Kallie and her family, meeting another woman in front of the restaurant while they ate inside.
Kallie walked down the steps and approached the two of them. The woman saw her first and her eyes darted to Hunter, desperate and suspicious, like a wild and cornered animal. “Looks like we have company, Hunter. A friend of yours?”
Hunter turned and saw Kallie coming over. His expression darkened and his eyes grew cold as an ice flow. “Kallie, go back inside.”
She hesitated. This was out of bounds, wasn’t it? What did the contract say about these kinds of situations? “I just wanted to tell you that people are leaving soon—“
“Go. Back. Inside. I’ll be there momentarily.” His eyes warned her not to say another word, and although she was humiliated and angry, Kallie turned around and went back inside.
What a jerk, she thought, her hands balling into fists. He’s out there talking with another woman, obviously someone he’s romantically involved with, and I get chastised and sent inside like a child.
How dare he? How dare he?
That was all she could think. Her stomach was on fire with disappointment and shame and rejection. Why had she been stupid enough to believe that Hunter actually cared about her? This was just some stupid game to him, and she was nothing but a prop.
Kallie tried to keep the tears from her eyes, but it was impossible. She stopped in the hallway that led to the back dining area, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Sniffling, she told herself to get it together. There was an engagement party going on and she wasn’t about to let Hunter ruin it—
“Kallie, what the hell’s going on?” She looked up to see Sean charging towards her, his expression one of fury.
“Nothing,” she said. “Nothing’s going on.”
“Then why are you crying?”
“I’m—I’m not. Sean…relax.”
He looked past her toward the door. “Is he out there?” Sean said, pointing.
“NO.�
� Kallie tried to take hold of him and he quickly sidestepped her, moving even faster toward the exit.
Shit. He’d been waiting all night for an opportunity to start something with Hunter, and now he’d found the perfect chance.
Kallie ran after him, worried for Sean and Hunter, and horrified that it had come to this.
By the time she got outside, Sean was already barreling towards Hunter at full speed. Hunter was still talking to that girl, and the girl saw Sean just in time to point and yell a warning.
Hunter spun around.
“Hey asshole, just what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Sean yelled, his shoulders up, getting closer by the second.
Hunter didn’t even reply. In fact, he seemed completely unconcerned, not even a little worried by what was coming towards him.
This lack of response seemed to slow Sean down. He was used to causing fear, anxiety, anger—something—when he had his outbursts. “You can’t speak? You deaf?” Sean said.
Hunter looked at him. His voice, when he finally spoke, was calm and authoritative. “I can speak. I’m not sure I understand your question.”
Sean was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wild as Kallie got to him and grabbed his arm. “Sean, please don’t start trouble right now. Please!”
“Nobody treats my sister badly,” Sean told him. “I will own you, dickhead.”
Hunter smiled just a little bit. “I feel the same way,” he said.
The door to the restaurant opened again, and now the entire group was pouring out into the parking lot—Dad, Mom, her other brothers, Lydia and her parents.
“I should go,” the dark haired woman said, her eyes nervously flitting back and forth. “Bye.” She turned and walked out of the lot and disappeared around the corner.
Sean pointed at Hunter. “Why don’t you just go, asshole? We’ll take Kallie home.”
“I don’t think so,” Hunter replied. His voice was still polite. “Kallie’s with me.”
She didn’t know why, but him saying that almost—almost—erased the humiliation of seeing him outside with another woman. He was standing up to Sean, and nobody ever stood up to Sean. She knew he was doing it for her. Whatever was going on with that woman, there must be a good explanation.
“She’s not with you,” Sean told him. “Now take your stupid attitude and your dumb fucking country club ass, and hit the road.”
Hunter’s eyes shifted, a more subtle hardening that made Kallie aware his patience was wearing thin. “I think you need to try and be a little more respectful yourself. I don’t hear Kallie asking you for this kind of help.”
“It’s true, Sean,” she said, taking the opportunity to get between them. She looked at her older brother and tried to smile. “Come on, this is your night. Don’t ruin it.”
He glanced at her and back to Hunter. “I don’t like you,” he said, and Kallie saw that he really meant it.
This wasn’t just posturing, a show to prove he was still the big man. He genuinely hated Hunter on sight.
But the family was coming over now, getting in the way, asking what was wrong. Sean’s shoulders came down and he relaxed. The chance to fight had slipped away.
He and Hunter stared at one another and something seemed to pass between them, Kallie thought. It was an acceptance. I don’t like you and you don’t like me.
That look told her that if either of them got the chance again, there would be fewer words spoken and a lot more damage incurred than bruised egos.
Hunter looked to her. “Kallie, are you ready to go?”
“Yes,” she said, not even sure why she would go with him after how he’d treated her. It was pure instinct.
She hugged her mother and father and apologized for the way things had ended, but they didn’t seem too bothered. Everyone had been drinking, they were a family of rough and rowdy boys and people were used to these sorts of spats. The fact that no punches had been thrown was a minor miracle, really.
A few minutes later, and Kallie was back in Hunter’s car and they were driving quickly through the quiet streets, neither of them speaking for a while.
Finally, she talked first. “I’m sorry about Sean,” she said.
He smirked and shrugged. “Comes with the territory.”
“What territory is that?”
“I’m a successful guy. I make no bones about it. I don’t sit around and make self-deprecating jokes and scrape and bow to other men. Sometimes when I meet up with a certain type of male, they don’t like that I won’t roll over.”
“He was defending me,” she said, suddenly hurt that Hunter saw it as purely a thing between two competitive alpha males.
“You were an excuse. It could have been about who paid the check, or me giving him the wrong look.”
“I don’t think it’s quite that simple. My brother loves me.”
“I never said otherwise.”
Kallie was getting upset again. “You really do just see females as objects, don’t you? Playthings. Territory to fight over, to mark, so that you and other men can prove who’s more dominant.”
“Don’t be silly, Kallie.” He glanced at her. “I know why you’re upset. And I totally understand. But you need to trust me—“
“Why? Why would I trust you? I barely know you, and you made me sign a contract that shows you intend to keep it that way.”
Hunter grew silent. His eyes were turned to the road. When he spoke again, she could tell he was straining to keep his calm. “You knew there were boundaries. You had every understanding of what that contract said, and you agreed to everything. I didn’t force you into this situation, Kallie.”
“I know that, but there are some things that happen, like that girl tonight—“
He slammed the steering wheel with his palm. “She’s got nothing to do with anything. Nothing.”
Kallie sat back and folded her arms. “Easy for you to say.” She shook her head, defeated. “Just take me home.”
He glanced at her. “No.”
She looked over at him, and her mouth dropped open. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, Kallie. You’re not making the decisions around here. And you’re coming home with me tonight.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere with you, Hunter.”
He smiled grimly. “You can always opt out of the contract, then. Remember, Kallie, a verbal declaration is all you need to make.”
She was stunned into silence by the ease with which he’d seen through her tantrum. Part of her wanted to make the declaration, just to prove to him that she was sick of his antics. But she knew that if she went that far, there would be no going back. And then it would really be over, and the plain fact was, she didn’t want it to end.
“I don’t want to end the contract,” she admitted. “But I do want to go home. I’m upset, I’m hurt.”
He shook his head slowly. “You’re coming home with me and that’s final.”
Kallie sat back in her seat and stared out the window. She hated to admit that deep down, she wanted to go to his house right now and be with him more than anything in the world.
***
Hunter made love to her that night.
There was no other phrase that fit the way he held her, the way he touched her, the way he looked into her eyes.
She couldn’t resist him ever, but certainly not when he was so caring and tender. The way he touched her, the way his lips kissed her so softly, everywhere on her body—all of her doubts seemed to melt like ice when the sun warmed it.
And Hunter did warm her—he made her burn like fire, burn up and break apart and come back together, crying out as he pressed into her, deep inside, deeper than she thought possible.
How could he be this loving, she thought, and not truly care?
The answer was that he did care. Whatever secrets he held, she needed to try her best and trust him. That’s what she thought as they lay together in his bed, his strong arms holding her body close, keeping her near as she coul
d possibly be.
“I never want to hurt you, Kallie,” he whispered into her ear as the night drew on, making everything seem shadowy and dreamlike.
“Please don’t hurt me,” she whispered back.
“I need you,” he said. His lips kissed her neck, as his hands started to roam again, touching her there, and there, and there.
She moaned. The heat was rising again. She wanted the flames to burn brighter than ever. She turned as his hand wrapped itself in her hair and his lips met her lips.
The fire was raging once more, an inferno, and she was loving it, knowing that in Hunter’s arms she would always be safe.
***
The next morning, Kallie told Hunter she needed to get back to work. She’d been texting with Nicole and there was more to be done at the house to prepare for baby Riley’s arrival.
“I’ve got a lot to get to myself,” Hunter told her, as they got inside his car with plastic cups filled with coffee. “My work’s been suffering since I met you.”
Kallie smiled, glad that to know what she wasn’t the only one making sacrifices in this relationship.
The drive home was nice. The morning had become quite sunny, with very few clouds in the sky. It was one of those days that made you feel like it had been rendered by an artist, that made you think there actually was a purpose to everything, that there was a plan—because how else could things be so beautiful?
They had the windows rolled down and Kallie sipped her coffee while the scenery rolled by and Hunter turned on the radio. It was enough right then to just be together and enjoy one another’s company—no conversation was required.
But the drive took a strange turn when Hunter suddenly swore under his breath and sharply applied the breaks. The car came to a sudden halt, and Kallie’s seatbelt tightened against her chest and some of the coffee sloshed out of her cup and over the side.
She looked up to see that Hunter had stopped the car to let someone cross the street. It was an old man in a wheelchair being pushed by a heavyset black woman. The woman gave them a slight wave for stopping the car and then continued pushing the old man across the street.