Hunter (HC Heroes Series Book 8)

by Donna Michaels

  She nodded again, which was stupid since he had his back to her and was already inside the building. Giving her head another shake, she did as directed, and shoved the umbrella stroller, basketball, and toolbox out of the way before wrestling with the tire and eventually winning as she set it against her back bumper.

  “You didn’t need to do that,” Hunter said, walking toward her, frown on his face. “I would’ve gotten it.”

  A cold breeze blew off the gulf, sending strands of hair into her face. She pushed them over her shoulder and nodded. “I know. But you didn’t need to.”

  He surprised her by nodding instead of arguing, so she decided to bestow the same curtesy when he grabbed her lug wrench from her cargo area before he jacked her SUV up and proceeded to swap the flat with her spare.

  Christa’s mother had taught her to be self-sufficient, so she knew how to change a tire and would’ve done it tonight if she’d still had her jack. Unfortunately, she’d loaned it to one of her coworkers in Vegas and never got it back before she left last year. And it was just plain forgetfulness on her part that she hadn’t replaced it yet.

  But she drew the line when he tried to load her flat in his vehicle.

  “I can get it fixed for you tomorrow,” he said.

  “Thanks, but you’ve done enough,” she said. “I’ll take care of it.”

  He studied her a moment then treated her to another nod before he hoisted the flat into her vehicle next to the lug wrench she’d set in there. Then he added the jack.

  “Wait, I’ll—”

  He slammed her liftgate shut, cutting off her protest. “No need to get one now. Don’t worry, ESI has several to spare. Trust me. And if you don’t believe me, then ask Mac on Monday.”

  Christa sighed.

  Busted.

  “I believe you,” she said, having the good grace to blush, given the fact she’d doubted his intentions toward her son earlier. “It’s just that…well…I’m used to taking care of myself.”

  He stepped closer, then shocked her silent when he lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair off her temple that the wind kept blowing across her face. “You don’t have any family?”

  She shook her head, her chest suddenly tight. “No. Just Dillan and me.”

  “Seems to me you’re surrounded by a large family of friends now.” He slowly pulled his hand away and it was weird how she shivered at the loss, despite the warmth of his words. “The guys might not be my blood, but they are my brothers.”

  Now her throat was hot. She swallowed. “I’m glad you have them.”

  She got the impression his grandfather had been the last of his family, and she didn’t like the thought of him being alone, either.

  He nodded but didn’t say anything. Didn’t move, either. He just stood there, studying her, his dark eyes pulling her in, making her want to bare her soul. And maybe her body too, because those sparks were back, heating the air, tingling through her.

  She noticed the longer she was in his presence, the stronger the sensations got until she practically vibrated. It was crazy and amazing, and she was way out of her comfort zone.

  “Thanks for changing the tire and for walking me here,” she said, inanely, but the silence was already too charged for her to let it go on any longer.

  “No, I’m the one who should thank you for letting me walk you,” he said. “It gave me the out I was looking for.”

  She smiled. “Ah, I thought I was picking up on some kind of vibe.”

  He had seemed as if he’d wanted to get out of there too.

  “Oh…there were vibes, all right, Christa.”

  She swallowed, her heart suddenly thudding hard in her chest. She got the impression they were not talking about the same thing. And because the thing she thought he was talking about was a very good thing and possibly leading to a hot thing, she did the only thing she could think of doing.

  She ignored it.

  “Still are,” he said, his voice low and sexy.

  And Christa had to admit, she was a little surprised when he stepped close enough that she was occupying his personal space. So close, in fact, she could see gold flecks in his mahogany eyes.

  Gorgeous, like the man.

  “I know,” she said, but couldn’t be sure if it had been in her head or out loud.

  Her heartbeat increased to a near deafening tone anyway. Then he rubbed his hands on his jeans, his gaze never leaving hers. She swallowed, torn between following the urge to step back and play it safe or move forward and remove the space between them.

  She had no idea which choice was best, so she started to babble. “Are your hands cold? Why are you rubbing them on your jeans?”

  “To remove the dirt so I can do this,” he replied.

  Then he cupped her face with both hands, and…holy crow, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her.

  Chapter Six

  The instant his lips touched Christa’s, Hunter felt a current shoot straight down his spine. It was charged with some serious awareness and the force nearly knocked him on his ass. Never had he felt anything close to this level of energy, and the fact that he actually felt something was reason in itself to rejoice.

  He captured her startled breath, enjoying the feel of her soft, sweet mouth.

  So damn sweet.

  Not wanting to pressure her, he nibbled on her lush lower lip, sampling, tasting, moving slowly to savor each shared breath, every dip and sensation, determined to give her the power to control what happened next. When her hands palmed his chest, he held his breath, waiting to see if she was going to push him away or pull him close.

  Even though he knew he never should’ve touched her…God, he was rooting for pull.

  After the longest moment of his life, she sighed and slid her hands up over his shoulders and into his hair. A low growl rumbled in his chest, not unlike the tiger he was trying to free and she was inking on his body.

  Her lips moved under his and she was kissing him back, eagerly, hungrily, as if she couldn’t get enough of him and he might disappear before she got her fill.

  Then things turned a little crazy. Her tongue brushed his lower lip and his mind disengaged, booted down, as all the blood deployed an about-face and charged south to his throbbing groin. He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, drinking each other in, demanding everything, giving more.

  If it weren’t for the fact they’d surpassed their need for air and were approaching asphyxiation, he wouldn’t have pulled back and ended such an incredible kiss.

  She set her forehead on his chin and clutched his shoulders for a minute as they both worked to catch their breath.

  “Holy…crow…” she panted, her hot breath warming his throat. “That…was…what just happened?” She tipped her head back and she stared at him, her brown eyes looking as dazed as he felt.

  He shook his head. “I’m not sure.” His oxygen-starved voice sounded rough to his ears.

  “Good.” She chuckled. “Glad to know I’m not the only one at a loss.”

  Thing was, he wasn’t at a loss.

  It was the opposite. He was overwhelmed.

  There were too many emotions rushing through him to recognize. He’d been numb for so long he’d forgotten how to be human. It was going to take some time to work through everything buzzing through him, although need, craving, desire…those he recognized without trouble because the woman still clutching his shoulders had just reacquainted him with passion on a massive scale.

  Her cellphone started to ring. The muffled sound emanated from the purse she’d set on the hood of her SUV earlier.

  “I’d better get that,” she said, moving out of his arms to fish out her phone, then frowned at the screen as she hit the button to answer the call. “Kade? What’s wrong? Is Dillan okay?”

  Hunter watched as relief rounded her shoulders.

  “Ah…how high? Yeah, you can give it to him. He’s good about taking medicine. Sorry about this. He was fine all day. No.” She shook her head, an
d Hunter found it cute how she apparently forgot Kade couldn’t see her. “You don’t have to bring him home. I can come get him. I’ll leave right now.”

  A second later she said goodbye and glanced at him as she shoved her phone in her purse. “Dillan’s running a fever.”

  That much he’d gathered, but he did wonder what exactly she’d originally feared was wrong with her son that had made her relieved to discover he was sick.

  “It’s a mild one,” she went on to say. “But I need to go get him.”

  He nodded. “Of course.”

  The worry and disgust pinching her face had him reaching out to touch her arm.

  “Hey,” he said and waited for her to meet his gaze. “It’s not your fault. You couldn’t know he’d get sick tonight.”

  Shaking her head, she pulled out of his touch. “I know, but I should’ve been with him, not out with friends, laughing and…other things. Not when he needs me.”

  She swiped her purse off the hood of the vehicle and dug out her keys as she walked to the driver’s side, and he couldn’t help but admire a woman who could multitask. “Thanks for walking with me and changing my tire.”

  It wasn’t lost on him that she’d left out the kiss part, but he decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth since he’d had a chance to come to his damn senses when she’d been on the phone.

  She was a mother.

  A mother.

  With a little boy who needed her.

  He had no business sniffing around her since there was no way he’d ever contemplate getting involved with a woman who had a small child. For several reasons, but the most important being Dillan. That little boy had the perfect mom. One who loved him and put his happiness and needs above her own.

  No way would he mess that up for Dillan.

  Even if the little boy’s mother was the key to humanizing Hunter. He was just going to stick to his original plan and let her presence work its magic in her tattoo booth. It was working, albeit a lot slower than when her lips and hands had been touching him.

  But slow was good. It had to be, because that was the smart path. The only path, as far as he was concerned and given the resolute look in her eyes, he’d wager she’d agree.

  “Goodnight, Hunter.”

  “Bye, Christa.”

  Only when she drove away did he turn and walk to his vehicle. She was attracted to him but didn’t want to be, and he understood one thousand percent.

  He understood something else, too.

  Even though Hunter had screwed up big time, crossing his own damn line by touching Christa—which would never happen again—there was no way he’d regret that move.

  ***

  One week later, Christa sat in a chair in her backyard, sketching under a patio light, a string of outdoor lights, and a big spotlight, while Dillan, James and his brother, Kyle, played with their trucks and dinosaurs in the sandbox. It was nice having the Dalton boys over. Dillan got on so well with them, and since the odds were highly unlikely he’d ever have a sibling, she tried never to deny his request for a playdate, whether at the Dalton’s or at home.

  And since Sunday was Valentine’s Day and would, no doubt, be a busy adoption day at the shelter, Christa suggested this sleepover to give Kade and his wife, Brandi, some alone time. This way, the kind couple could celebrate lover’s day a little early and enjoy a rare night alone.

  The boys were excited, too.

  They were going to sleep in tents…in her living room. Christa was not comfortable allowing them to camp outside, even in her fenced-in yard. Maybe when they were older. Tonight, though, she planned to move the furniture and help the boys pitch a pop-up tent inside.

  Her phone vibrated with a text.

  Stef and Mac had just pulled up. They brought a portable fire pit and were going to stay for a while to help her supervise the boys making s’mores—a camping staple.

  She set her sketchpad and pencil on the table then headed to the wooden gate. Of course, the boys immediately noticed and left the sandbox to run toward her.

  “Uncle Mac! Aunt Stef!” Dillan hollered, jumping in place with his buddies, all three clapping their hands.

  Chuckling, she unlocked the gate and swung it open and her friends entered the backyard, smiles on their faces.

  “Hi, boys.” Stef hugged each of them, while Mac set the fire pit down in the middle of the yard.

  The poor guy had barely moved to the side before letting the three boys tackle him to the ground. As the boys tried to evade him, Mac would grab them and playfully pull them back down. The cool air was full of happy cries and laughter, while warmth filled her heart.

  “Boys.” Stef laughed, face glowing as the two of them sat at the table and watched the frolicking.

  Christa nodded. “Yep. Think they were overdue for some roughhousing.”

  “Ah, then they’ve got the right target,” Stef said with a grin. “According to Mac’s mother, he might’ve been the youngest, but he usually ended up the winner when he and his brothers would go at it.”

  An impressive feat, considering her friend, Chloe, was married to one of those brothers, and he was a solid, tough outdoorsman, as was his twin.

  “Well, Mac is going to make a great father one day,” she told her friend, whose gaze twinkled.

  Stef brushed a piece of her long brown hair behind her ear and smiled. “That’s what I told him an hour ago. Well, actually, I told him he was going to make a great father sometime this September.”

  Christa sucked in a breath, her heart leaping in her chest. “Wait…are you saying you’re pregnant?”

  “Mhm…” Stef nodded.

  And before her friend could say a word, Christa was out of her chair, hugging her tightly. “Oh my God! That’s wonderful!” She released her and retook her seat. “How are you feeling?”

  “So far, fine,” Stef replied. “But I know it’s early yet and that can change quickly.”

  Christa nodded. “Well, if you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to call me. Everyone’s pregnancy is different, but there are also a lot of similarities.”

  “Thanks. Chloe said the same thing.”

  “I bet she’s excited.” Christa grinned. “Now she gets to be an aunt.”

  Stef frowned. “Silly. She already is…we both are to Dillan.”

  Tears burned Christa’s eyes and throat. “You guys are the best.” She’d never be able to express how much the sisters’ friendship and support meant to her and her son. “He loves having aunts and uncles.”

  Even if they weren’t related by blood, Stef and Chloe and the McCalls had adopted all of them into their family circle.

  So did Mel, Rylee, Abby, and the Champion sisters, as well as their men.

  “Seems to me you’re surrounded by a large family of friends now.”

  Hunter’s words resounded in her head. He was right. So right, and she realized she’d never told him that the other day. The day he’d kissed her senseless, waking her body, making her want things she shouldn’t want.

  Couldn’t have.

  “All right, I’m guessing by the flush in your cheeks that your thoughts have switched to a very different type of male. One who walked you to your SUV a week ago and you still haven’t told me about the hot kiss you shared.”

  Christa reeled back, slapping a hand to her chest as she blinked at her friend. “How did you know about the kiss?”

  There was no way she could see Hunter talking about it. The guy hardly spoke. And she got the impression he wasn’t a kiss-and-tell kind of guy.

  Stef smiled. “The security cameras behind the building. Since Mel’s stalker incident last year, Carter inspects the feed every morning. Sorry.” Her friend shook her head. “I should’ve warned you. But I never thought Hunter would’ve made a move.”

  “Me, either.” She snorted, removing the hand from her chest to set it on her lap. “Shocked me.”

  Stef cocked her head. “And…? Come on, that blush doesn’t happen after a bad kiss.
”

  She snorted again. “The kiss was amazing, but it was still bad…as in a bad idea.” There was no way around it. “I can’t get involved with anyone right now. Dillan is too young and vulnerable, and the possibility of a relationship not working out after he’d gotten attached, is too dangerous. So, as much as I’d love to entertain thoughts of more of what was on that video…I can’t.”

  “You mean won’t.”

  She nodded.

  “But what if things with Hunter would actually work out?” Stef asked. “That means Dillan would be attached to someone who would be in his life forever.”

  Again, she nodded. “I know. But I can’t take that chance. The odds are against me. I won’t be irresponsible with my son’s heart.”

  This time Stef nodded. “I understand. I just like seeing your face light up whenever we talk about Hunter…or he’s in the same room with you.”

  “It does feel like electricity. It’s wild. But even if I wanted more, you can’t possibly think Hunter is looking for something permanent.”

  “Actually, I agree with you there,” Stef said, shocking her silent. “Perhaps the two of you can just enjoy some companionship. Nothing wrong with getting physical without involving the heart. It can just be a one-time thing, too. Seems to me you two could both use it.”

  Huh…

  Christa chewed her lower lip and contemplated her friend’s words as she absently watched the boys chase Mac around the yard.

  Getting physical without involving the heart…

  She’d never thought of that. It wasn’t anything she’d ever done before.

  Could she?

  Question was…could she do it now, if Hunter was interested in a one-time thing?

  Chapter Seven

  Even though more than two weeks had passed since her eye-opening-room-for-contemplation conversation with Stef about a one-timer with Hunter, Christa was still on the fence.

  Just when she thought she’d made up her mind…she’d change it. On and on it went until finally, today, she had come to a decision and kept it for a full seven hours…until Hunter walked into the parlor.