by M Andrews
“Can I get you a drink or something?” I offer.
“I’m fine, thanks. Open your present.” He tips his head in the direction of the bag in my hand.
I set the bag on the counter, dig through the tissue paper, and pull out a beautiful black picture frame. My eyes widen when the image behind the glass appears. It’s a picture of me and Hunter from that day at his loft. Half of our heads are cut off and it’s a little blurry, but you can definitely tell it’s me sitting on Hunter’s knee and neither one of us is looking at the camera. Our eyes are on each other.
“That is my favorite picture from the ones that Bailey took.” He peeks around the edge of the frame trying to gage my reaction.
“Really? Half our heads are cut off, and we aren’t even looking at the camera.”
“Two of my favorite girls are responsible for that picture. Bailey took it and you are in it.” He flashes me a cheeky grin.
“I thought your sister and Ella were your favorite girls.”
“They are my sister and my niece, that’s different. I love spending time with you and Bailey. I had a blast that day with you guys, and that picture is a memory of that day, and I think it’s perfect.” His response brings a blush to my cheeks. Maybe I am wrong about Hunter. He bought my daughter a camera and wants to spend time with her. Not many men would do that.
I glance down at the picture again. We both have big smiles on our faces, and I am looking at him so lovingly. I haven’t looked at anyone like that since Colton. We look like a real couple, and I like that image. I like it a lot.
“I love it. Thank you, Hunter.” I take the picture into the living room and set it proudly on the mantle next to Bailey’s paintings she did in Lucky’s art class and the pictures of the two of us at Harry Potter World. I normally don’t like having my picture taken. I only do it to make sure Bailey has memories of us together, but I usually hate every picture of me. This one I actual like.
“It looks good there.” Hunter appears next to me with a proud smile on his face. “I put a copy of it in my living room, too.”
Knowing that Hunter has a picture of us in his apartment makes my heart skip a beat and makes me love the picture even more. “Really?”
“Like I said, it’s one of my favorite pictures,” he replies. His smile grows bigger. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“I’m wondering if you might have some time to help me with finding some local artists and photographers that I can feature in my gallery. You have a great eye. The stuff you have in both shops is amazing.”
“I don’t know if I have the best eye when it comes to art. I just pick the stuff that I like. Maybe Lucky would be a better person to help you with this.” I know nothing about art. Lucky has tried her best to advance my knowledge in the art world, but it has yet to stick. I just know what I like and go with that.
Hunter turns to face me. “I think you’re wrong about that. Lucky is a great artist, but I would have more fun working with you.”
“I don’t know Hunter. I’m not sure Brooke would want us working so close together.” Brooke is okay with us being in the same room during family functions, I just don’t think she would want us working together like this. I don’t know if I could trust myself around Hunter. I’m probably over thinking all of this, Hunter might not even see me as anything more than just a friend, and he could just be being nice to me. Taking pity on a lonely widow.
“Brooke won’t mind us working together. You are just helping me out and there is nothing wrong with that,” he pleads his case.
“I guess that would be okay.” It’s just a friend helping another friend out. It would be completely professional. We can meet in public places, so it stays all business. Yeah, that could work. “Okay Hunter, I will help you.” Nothing bad could come from this right?
Chapter Eight
Hunter
I walk through the door of Lucy’s coffee shop and all eyes turn to me. There is a striking number of women in here today. Every table is surrounded with ladies drinking wine and topped with stacks of books and bottles of wine at the ready. I don’t know why, but I feel the urge to tip toe through the maze of tables as to not spook the heard. I’ve stared straight down the barrel of a pack of lions and felt less scared than I do right now. Their heads follow my every move, tongues licking lips, eyes devouring me like a snack. And it’s terrifying.
“Hunter,” my name comes shouting out from the back corner of the shop. A rush of air passes by as all the heads shift in the direction of the noise, including mine. Lucy is standing on her chair waving her arms to get my attention. I’ve never been more relived to see her sweet face. I flash a quick smile at the ladies then walk as fast as my legs will take me to Lucy.
She greets me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I completely forgot it was book club night.”
“It’s not a problem.” The selfish part of me is disappointed not to have Lucy all to myself tonight. Yes, I want her help with opening my gallery, but the real truth is I asked Lucy because I wanted more one on one time with her. I want the chance to show her I’m not the man my sister has told her about. I’m more than just the womanizing asshole I used to be.
“I asked the artists I feature at both shops to bring me their portfolios and they may have gone a little crazy.” She steps aside and reveals three towering stacks of portfolios resting on the table. It’s going to take us all night to get through all of these. Yes!
“One good thing about doing this on book club night, we have booze. Can I get you a beer?”
“I’d love one, thank you.”
****
Lucy’s laughter is the only sound in the coffee shop. The book clubs have had their last sips of wine and are long gone. It’s just me and Lucy. The way I wanted this night to go.
“I can’t believe Brooke drew a penis on your face.” Lucy squeals with laughter. The conversation moved from art to tales of our childhoods a couple of hours ago. Lucy has been more relaxed with me. Lucy’s nervousness of Brooke watching is gone. The conversation has been easy and light. This is the most fun I’ve had not sleeping with a woman. Before, I never would have gotten this far into getting to know a potential fuck toy. Why get to know someone if you aren’t going to see them ever again. With Lucy, I want to know about every aspect of her life.
“That was just last week,” I say just to get her to laugh again. Damn, I love her laugh. It’s so fucking cute, especially when I get her to do the snort laugh. “Brooke was a mischievous little thing when we were kids.”
“I can believe that.” Lucy rests her chin on the palm of her hand and spins her wine glass between her fingers. She looks at me with a relaxed smile. Her dark hair is gathered over one shoulder. She’s taken off her heels and has one foot tucked under her. Her cheeks have a slight pink tint. “So, what was little Hunter like?”
“I’d rather know what little Lucy was like?”
“She was much like she is now. Except a little more clumsy and better hair. I was the girl with her nose in a book, and the mother hen of my friends.”
“That I can see. You do have one of the biggest hearts I have ever known.” Lucy takes care of everyone. She took care of Brooke when she was put on bed rest during the last part of her pregnancy with Ella while Brian was at work. And she has been there to keep Lucky going after the tragic year she had. Lucy is the connecting force that keeps everyone together. She is one of the kindest people I know and it’s what I love most about her.
“My parents had a lot to do with that. They are the kindest people I know. My dad would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. My mom came from money, and she took the opportunity that life gave her to give back to the people that needed it more. That was something they instilled in me and what I’m doing for Bailey as well.” She softly smiles.
“You’re doing a great job, Bailey is an amazing kid.”
“Thank you. There are days where I feel like I’m fucking it all u
p. I’m just glad I’ve gotten her this far in life without any major injuries. By the time I was her age, I had fractured my left wrist, broken my leg, and had to have twelve stitches in my forehead after Ryder crashed his dad’s truck when we were out joy riding. We were ten by the way.” She leans over to show me the faint scar above her left eyebrow.
“I thought it was bad when I jumped off the roof of our house to see if I could fly and ended up breaking my leg.”
“Why on earth did you do that?” she asks.
“I was eight, and I wanted to be like Superman,” I admit, feeling slightly embarrassed. “I went through a major Superhero kick between the ages of six and eight. It wasn’t long after that I quickly realized my dreams of being Superman were over.”
“Aww, poor little Hunter. So, you just became more like Clark Kent in a way.”
“I guess in a way I did.” I never thought about it like that.
“You do look like Clark when you wear your glasses,” she adds. That’s the first time anyone has made that comparison.
“I do, huh?” I say, cocking my eye brow up in her direction.
“Yeah, but like a sexier version of Clark Kent. The version where you’d want to sit on his face,” she says freely. Her admittance takes me by surprise. “You are built like Superman. Just imagining you in the uniform.” Her eyes fall closed. “That S across your chest. The spandex hugging you in all the right places.” The wine has made her more relaxed around me. “Mmmm, now that is a Superman I would fuck.” She purrs the last part. Note to self: buy a Superman costume.
“Lucy, did you just you say you want to fuck me?” My suspicions were correct, Lucy does want me. She’s always been standoffish around me, especially whenever Brooke is around, but after she’s had a little wine, her flirty side comes out, and it’s out in full force right now.
“No, I said I want to fuck Superman,” she says with a slight slur.
“But you were imagining me as Superman, so that technically means you want to fuck me.”
“No, it doesn’t. Beside you are Brooke’s brother and we can’t anyway.” She shrugs and downs the last of the wine in her glass.
“But what if I wasn’t Brooke’s brother?” I ask needing to hear the words.
“Then I would let you lay me out on this table and have your wicked way with me,” she says with a lazy smile. Her response makes my dick twitch with excitement inside my pants. We’d break the fucking table with what I want to do to her right now.
My hands grip the edge of her chair. The force of me pulling her to me leaves scratch marks on the floors beneath us. “What if we pretended I wasn’t Brooke’s brother.” My hands move to her outer thighs and lift her into my lap. A soft moan falls from her lips when my hard on brushes against her mound. “I’m just Hunter, the gallery owner.”
Her eyes look up at the ceiling and she chews on her bottom lip while she contemplates her next move. Her hands move up my chest and her eyes return to me. She leans forward, her soft curves pressing against my hard muscle. “Just Hunter,” she whispers. She’s just centimeters from my lips when the bell on the door chimes, pulling her back to reality and stumbling off my lap.
“Lucy, thank God you are open. Me and the boys could use some of your delicious coffee.” Ryder’s voice bellows from across the shop. Perfect fucking timing, Ryder.
Chapter Nine
Lucy
“Lucky, my love, Hunter said he would include some of your paintings in his studio, not everything you’ve painted since you were three.” I wince, looking at the mountain of canvases in the back of Ryder’s truck. Hunter was kind enough to include some of Lucky’s paintings at the opening of his art studio, but he wasn’t planning on giving her an entire wing of the studio space for her own private showing.
Hunter and I have been working together for the past few weeks shopping for local photographers and artists to showcase at his gallery. Many of the artists that I feature in both my shops were honored and excited to have their work included. We filled the last few spots with a few of Lucky’s artist friends work. It has been slightly awkward working with Hunter after we almost kissed in my shop. I’ve been pretending I don’t remember much from that night for the sake of getting through until the opening.
That night plays over and over in my mind in vivid color. Hunter’s hands on my body. The look of desire in his eyes for me. Our lips almost touching. It was pure luck that Ryder and his SWAT team showed up when they did, or I would have made the biggest mistake of my life.
“This is nothing, you should have seen the stacks I talked her out of bringing.” Ryder’s deep gruff voice bellows from the cab of the truck as he climbs out.
“I just wanted to give him some options.” Lucky jabs Ryder in the side with her elbow.
“You gave him a lifetime of options, babe.” Ryder tucks his arm around Lucky’s waist and places a kiss on her temple. Lucky turns her head, scrunching her face at him, then plants a kiss on Ryder’s lips. It’s good to see them teasing and loving on each other again. I like them like this.
Hunter steps out from the back door of the studio. As he walks toward us, he pulls his baseball cap off and runs his hand through his thick black hair, then puts his hat back into place. With that I’m practically drooling all over myself. How can he make the simplest thing look so damn sexy? He comes to a stop right next to me and flashes me that thousand-watt smile, and I turn into mush.
“Good afternoon, Lucy.” His deep voice makes me weak in the knees.
“Hello, Hunter.” I return his smile. “Lucky has brought a ton of options for you to choose from.”
“Wow, Lucky is there anything left in your studio,” he teases her.
“What? I’m just excited to be featured somewhere other than my own house.” She shrugs her shoulders.
“If they sell, then you can have a regular spot in the gallery,” Hunter says.
“Are you fucking serious?” Lucky shrieks and leaps into Hunter’s arms. “If I wasn’t married I would blow you right now.”
Hunter awkwardly pats Lucky on the back. “Uh…thanks, but I’m good with a hug, Lucky.”
Ryder and I look at one another and just shake our heads. Lucky and her no filter mouth.
“Babe, if anyone deserves a blow job from that magical mouth of yours it would be the person who buys your paintings.” Ryder chuckles and tries to pry Lucky off of Hunter.
I glance over at Hunter and ask, “Still happy you agreed to add Lucky’s stuff to the opening?” I giggle under my breath.
“I’m slightly regretting it now.” He lets out a deep rumbling laugh. Needless to say, Hunter is still getting use to Lucky and her big personality. Offering to blow him is pretty tame for Lucky. I think marriage has mellowed her, but only just a little.
We each grab a stack of canvases and load them in the back storage room. Just a few weeks ago, this place was an empty wasteland, and now it is over flowing with some of the most beautiful paintings, sculptures, and photographs I’ve ever seen. I could spend hours in here just looking through everything. If I want to do that, then I know other people will want to as well. Hunter has an amazing eye, and I know his gallery is going to be a success.
I set my stack of paintings down on one of the tables and feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. Pulling my phone out I see Connie’s number on the screen, and I know something is wrong. She knows I didn’t want to be bothered today while I helped Hunter start the inventory. I answer the call and immediately hear panic in Connie’s voice. While coming out of the kitchen with both hands carrying pans of fresh baked cookies, Connie slipped and twisted her ankle and needs to go to the emergency room.
“Don’t move Connie, I’m on my way,” I say with a touch of panic in my own voice. “Lucky, can you pick Bailey up from school today? Connie just messed up her ankle, and I need to go make sure she is okay and finish out the day at the shop.”
“I’m sorry I can’t. I have to head to the tattoo shop after this,” she replie
s. Shit, Ryder is on swing shift all this week, so I know he can’t watch her.
“Shoot, I hate to ask Brooke, she has her hands full with Ella and Matthew, and, you know, growing a child.” I scroll through my phone looking for her number.
“I can watch her,” Hunter offers.
“Hunter, I couldn’t ask you to do that. You have so much work to do.” Bailey is pretty self-sufficient, but I don’t want him to take time away from getting ready for this opening, especially since it’s soon close to opening day.
“I don’t mind at all. Bailey can help me with the inventory. If I can handle watching Ella and Matthew on my own, taking care of Bailey will be a breeze,” he assures me. “We’ll order pizza, and I’ll make sure she gets her homework done before she helps me.” He is determined to do this for me. It would be better than putting this on his pregnant sister.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I ask.
“I got this. You go take care of Connie and the shop, and you can pick up Bailey when you are done.” His confidence shines through on his face. Bailey does like Hunter. I guess it would be okay.
“Okay, as long as you are sure.”
Hunter hands me my bag. “Yes, I’m sure. Now you better go.”
“Thank you, Hunter.”
Chapter Ten
Hunter
Standing outside Bailey’s school, I keep my eyes on the doors, waiting for the bell to ring and for Bailey to come out. I’ve been looking forward to this since Lucy said okay to letting me watch Bailey for her this afternoon. With preparing for the gallery opening, I haven’t had much time to show Bailey how to use the camera I got her. I’m excited to get the chance today.
The bell rings and kids come flooding out the doors. Through the crowd I spot Bailey looking for her mom. I wave at her and her face lights up with surprise and excitement, and damn, if that doesn’t warm my heart.