CHAPTER SIX
Hunter
One more week passes
I barely walk inside the house before the iPhone strapped to my bicep vibrates. I fumble around with the Velcro of the sports armband in an attempt to pull out my phone before I miss the call, but I’m too late. When I finally do, I realize Jake was trying to reach me. I quickly press redial, hoping to still catch him.
“Hey, how are you? You’re trying to reach me?” I sit down on the wooden bench in the mudroom to unlace my running shoes.
I can’t believe that two weeks have already passed since Jake came to Los Angeles. His presence here during this trying time has been more important than words can express. He left on Friday afternoon to go back to the ranch. Although it’s only been a couple of days, it feels like he’s been gone too long.
“I’m good. Were you still sleeping?”
“Nope. I just got back from an hour’s run on the beach.”
“Wow. It’s only seven o’clock on a Sunday morning. You must be feeling a lot better.”
I kick off my shoes and remove my socks before standing up. “I am, and I’m not the only one.”
“Is Miranda back to being herself?”
“Well, you saw for yourself how much she’s changed in the past few days. She’s doing much better. Yesterday she spent most of the day with her mom and grandmother since it was their last day here. She’s been a lot more autonomous, she’s eating again and the best part is she’s smiling.” I walk into the kitchen and head towards the counter to grab a bottle of Evian. I hold the phone to my ear with my shoulder while I crack open the bottle. I guzzle down a long gulp while Jake talks.
“That’s phenomenal news, Hunter. I was concerned about her after her colleague Amy dropped the bomb about what the British press had published on Nigel.” Same here. “I didn’t bother to do a Google search because what Riley revealed was quite enough for me, but I can just imagine how devastated Miranda must’ve felt.”
“I know I’m repeating myself, but I really didn’t see it coming, Jake. There was no time for me to safeguard her from this gruesome reality. Amy never intended on hurting Miranda, that much I’m certain of. She just wasn’t aware that Miranda had cut herself off from the rest of the world while she was trying to cope with everything.”
When I got back to the house after my lunch with Riley and Jake, Miranda’s spirits were up. I was surprised, but very pleased. To this day I’m still not sure what Jessica did or said to make her feel better, but it was great to see her feel like herself again. I was very hopeful she was on her way to a full recovery, but that all changed when she received a call in the afternoon from Amy, a colleague of hers. Even though Collin bought her a new phone on Monday and Charlene set it up for her upon my request, she hadn’t touched it. When I walked in the door that afternoon, her eyes were glued to her screen as she was going through her messages while Jessica was preparing coffee. We all sat around the kitchen table drinking coffee and talking about some of the more amusing moments from the past week until Jessica had to leave to get ready for work.
Amy called a few minutes after Jessica had left. When Miranda hung up the phone with her, she was as white as a ghost. Concerned, I rushed to her. When I questioned her to find out what had prompted this change of mood, she only said that Amy read some pretty disturbing stuff online. The next thing I knew, she was climbing up the stairs and back into the guest room. She crawled back into bed, pulled the covers over her head and that was that. No matter what anyone said or did, she remained in a state of perpetual sluggishness. It was so disheartening watching her slide back in that impenetrable world where no one could reach her. Once again, I wished I had finished what I’d started with Nigel at the cost of going to jail. It took Miranda another five days before she was feeling better again.
“What about the nightmares? Has she had any since Wednesday?” Jake asks.
For the first week after the attack, Miranda would wake up every single night screaming. When she was sleeping in my bed, I’d hold her in my arms until she calmed down and stopped crying. Things were quite different when I moved her to the guest room. After waking up in the middle of the night and making my way to her room to console her, I realized it was much easier for me to just to sleep by her side. Initially, I made the decision to sleep in my bed to give her some space, but clearly that was a bad idea. She needs me. In the past few days, she’s only had one bad episode. Thank God.
I pace around the kitchen because my adrenaline level is still so high from the run. “She still has a few here and there. I’m no expert, but I don’t think they consume or haunt her like they did last week.”
“You did say her doctor confirmed it’s a common occurrence amongst victims of assault.”
“Yes, she did. The doctor came Friday morning before Jessica swung by with Miranda’s mom and grandmother. Dr. Bennett is quite happy with Miranda’s progress. She’s doing drastically better than she was when the doctor first saw her a couple weeks ago.”
After the incident, Miranda was so weak and disheartened, she couldn’t even get out of bed. By day two I became increasingly worried. Since I felt strongly about getting a professional’s opinion to ease my mind and to make sure she was okay, I asked my stepmother’s physician, Dr. Karen Bennett, to make a house call on a Saturday. She’s been following Miranda ever since.
“I’m so glad this is all behind her.”
“So am I, buddy.”
“Is she up yet?”
“She was still sound asleep when I left for my run. The house’s pretty quiet so I can only assume she’s still sleeping. I’ll give her a little bit more time to rest and if she doesn’t get up on her own, I’ll go and wake her up in a couple of hours.”
“Any big plans for today?”
Now that my heart rate is back to normal, I sit down on one of the stools in front of the kitchen island. I drop the bottle of water on the counter and switch my phone to the other ear. “I was thinking of taking a drive down to San Diego to spend the day there with Miranda. It’s only a couple of hours away, but it’s a change of scenery. It’ll also be her first time out of this house in the last two weeks.”
“Good call. It’s a vibrant city. Not to mention there are plenty of great things to do there.”
“Exactly. I’m sure she must be suffering from cabin fever by now. It might not have been obvious with a full house, but now that her family’s gone and Jessica and Michelle aren’t coming around as often… I’m sure she’ll realize she’s been cooped up in here for way too long.”
“Are you glad the in-laws left? How was it this time around?” Jake chuckles.
“Cut it out. You have better chances of getting married than I do. You and Allison have been living together for over a year now,” I mock. He laughs right along with me. “To answer your sarcastic question, Nona Antonina and Sandra were as delightful the second time as they were the first. The only difference is that during this last trip, Antonina spent more time cooking extra food for Collin than she did for us.” I laugh.
“Doesn’t he have a full-time chef who just happens to have worked at some of the best restaurants in the city?”
“That’s exactly the same question I kept asking him every time he waltzed into my place just in time for dinner. It’s like, ‘Dude, go home.’ He kept lamenting that Miranda’s grandmother’s food is far more authentic than anything his chef could concoct. To be quite honest, I think he was just hanging out here for the company. Shane did the same thing and as you know, Kevin came around every night without fail.”
“You’ve got to love Collin.”
“I’ll definitely miss him and Shane when I come back to the ranch. Heck, I was just getting to know Kevin and now I’m about to leave.”
“So it’s official? The countdown has begun? You’re really leaving the City of Angels?”
“Yup. I’m confident we hired an amazing woman who’s going to do a phenomenal job as the director of the LA office and it
’s now her responsibility to find the superstar salespeople for us to grow the West Coast operation.”
“I agree. I have no doubt Sheila will blow our expectations out of the water,” Jake says.
On Tuesday, Jake made an offer to Sheila Dunbar. She’s a thirty-three-year-old go-getter. She’s charming, but at the same time she doesn’t take bullshit. She holds a MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and she has extensive experience in the food industry. In other words, she’s perfect for the position.
“I’m sure we’ll still both travel back and forth, but I don’t need to be here like I’ve been for the past couple of months. According to Paul Ward, Nigel’s trial date is still pending because of the allegations in the UK. Attorneys here and in London are still trying to figure out who will be granted a court date first to crucify the bastard. There’s no point sticking around here longer than I have to.”
“Have you talked to Miranda about it yet?”
I shake my head, knowing full well Jake can’t see me. “You saw it with your own two eyes. She was in no condition for me to have that kind of conversation with her. She’s only been back on her feet for the last few days and there were way too many people here for us to have a heart-to-heart. Today’s Sunday and I just want us to chill out. I’ll broach the subject with her in the next few days.”
“How do you think she’s going to take it?”
“That’s the big question, buddy. You and I both know it’s impossible to predict how a woman will react. It’s big news and it changes things in a big way for us. I’ll just have to wait and see.”
“I’m sure it’ll go well,” Jake encourages.
“I hope so. I’ve been preparing myself mentally for a few days now, but I think it’s just one of those things I just have to come out and say… when the time’s right.”
“I know I’m being selfish, but I’m definitely looking forward to having you back. The ranch isn’t the same without you here.”
“Ditto. LA’s been fun, exciting and even thrilling on so many levels. Alas, the past few weeks have been more eventful than I bargained for. It’s time for me to turn the page. Fort Collins is where my heart is.”
“All right, Hunter. I’m looking at the time and I have to go. I just wanted us to touch base since I haven’t spoken to you since I left on Friday.”
“It’s always good to reconnect with you, buddy. Let me throw the ball in your court.” I chuckle. “Do you have any big plans for Allison today?”
“Well, if you must know, we’re taking a day trip. I haven’t seen my girl in a week and a half and with the extra weekend staff, there are way too many cowboys at the ranch for anything intimate.” He really means raunchy. “I just want it to be the two of us. I don’t want to be reachable, that’s why I’m taking her to Sedona.”
“You’re flying to Arizona?”
“Yup. I hired a private jet and we’re leaving at nine. We’ll be back late tonight.”
“Your day sounds almost as fun as mine,” I joke.
“Almost.” He laughs. “Okay, we’re going to have to hit the road soon. I’ll catch you later.”
“Kiss Allison on my behalf and have a great day.”
“You do the same to Miranda.”
I hang up and stand in the middle of the kitchen, looking outside. I’m lost in my thoughts, replaying the last part of my conversation with Jake. There’s so much in my life that’s about to change.
Suddenly my stomach growls, reminding me of how hungry I am. The protein shake I had before my run is long gone. I need some real food, but if I don’t take a quick shower first I’m sure I’ll kill someone. I grab a banana, eat it in two bites and run up the stairs. When I get to the top I walk decisively towards the guest room to check up on Miranda, but I stop in my tracks when I hear the water running and someone humming in the large bathroom at the end of the hallway.
“She’s up?” I say, surprised. “And she sounds happy. This is freaking amazing,” I say to myself, grinning from ear to ear. Even though she’s been feeling better in the last three days, usually she sleeps in until much later. When she’s finally up, she usually putters around in one of my old t-shirts for hours before being coerced into taking a shower and getting dressed. “Wow, this is going to be a better day than I thought.”
Excited, I make my way to my room and kick the door closed. Without wasting any time, I strip out of my sweaty clothes and head to the sink. I quickly brush my teeth before jumping in the shower. I lather my body and shampoo my hair. Fifteen minutes later, I have a towel wrapped around my waist and re-enter my room with a second one draped over my head.
I don’t notice her standing there at first because I’m walking with my eyes closed as I rub my hair dry. When I do open them, I immediately recognize her small painted toes. Today, they’re electric blue, the same color as her nails. To celebrate their last day in LA Miranda’s mom and grandma took Jessica, her sister Michelle and Miranda for manicures and pedicures. Once they were done with their pampering, the girls headed to El Cholo—located not too far from the house—for an extended lunch. Miranda was on such a high. Yesterday was definitely a good day for her.
I brush my eyes up the length of her body and notice she’s wearing nothing more than a towel wrapped around her chest. From the look on her face, it’s impossible for me to tell what’s on her mind. “Is everything okay, sweetie?” I ask as I drop the towel I was using to dry my hair to the floor.
“Most definitely,” she answers with a teasing smile.
“Someone is doing better.”
“Yup.” She lifts an eyebrow and takes a few steps towards me.
Her eyes are blazing. I haven’t seen her like this in weeks. I don’t want to read too much into this so I tread carefully. “Since you’re back to your old self, I have a few ideas of what we can do today.”
“So do I. I’m disappointed you got out of bed so early this morning.” My cock twitches when she licks her lips.
“I couldn’t sleep anymore and I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“Tsk. I wish you hadn’t done that.” She shakes her head scornfully. “I missed feeling your body next to mine.” Her voice is low and her eyes radiating lust.
“It seems like I should be punished for my lapse in judgment… but something tells me I’ll much prefer punishing you,” I respond flirtatiously.
“I like it when you punish me for being naughty. I love feeling your big strong hand against my ass.”
Well, hell. This morning just went from good to fucking fantastic. “Hmmm,” I grunt.
I quickly came to the realization that jerking off was no longer a satisfactory option for me. After weeks of savoring Miranda’s sinful body and most recently fucking her bareback over and over again, my hand just doesn’t do it anymore. Watching her struggle to get over this terrible hump nearly killed my sexual appetite. Seeing her standing here in front of me offering herself to me like this reminds me of what I’ve missed. My cock is definitely ready for action. “You love it when I spank you?”
“Especially when you’re fucking me from behind.”
If her intention was to give me a heart attack, she’s doing a pretty good job of it. “Bad girl.” I grin. “You want me to pound you while you’re on all fours with one hand fisting your hair and the other pinning you down?”
“Well, I guess that’s a decent start…”
“You woke up on the dirty side of the bed?” I tease.
“Damn right.” She smiles. I grin back at her. “This morning I woke up with a void.” She takes another few steps. Her eyes aren’t on mine. She’s zooming in on the delineation of my erection. I’m sure this towel isn’t hiding much.
“What kind of void are we talking about here?” I ask, playing along.
“Oh, you know.” She taps her chin with her index finger, feigning thinking hard.
Oh, I do, but this is way too much fun. “Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“The kind only you can fill.�
�� The suggestive nature of her answer doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Really? That’s a tall order. I’m not sure I can live up to your expectations.”
“I think you underestimate yourself.” Her feistiness and cockiness is back in spades.
My grin widens so much I’m sure it’s taken over my face. “What exactly did you have in mind? I want to make sure I can… accommodate you.”
“Now, why would I waste my time talking when I can show you instead?”
It’s game on. “Point well taken.”
“It’s been so long. Too long.” Miranda settles her palms on my chest and I suck in a breath, my muscles going rigid beneath her touch. My reaction fuels her to take another step, closing the gap between us. She gets on her toes and snakes an arm around my neck, forcing me to lean forward. She lifts her head towards me and it’s clear from the fire burning in her eyes what she needs. I kiss her gently and she pushes herself slightly away from me before looking up and batting her lashes. Amused, I observe as she presses a long, languorous, open-mouthed kiss over my heart. I make no effort to rush her. She kisses me there over and over again. “You’ve got an amazing heart, Hunter Evans,” she whispers. And now it belongs to you. She keeps torturing me like this until her lips come down soft and wet around my nipple.
“Shit,” I rasp, gripping her back with one hand while stroking her damp hair with the other.
Her hands explore my ribs and my abs until they find the line of dark curls that runs downward. She tilts her head back to say something, but I don’t give her the chance. I bury my impatient hands in her wild mane and claim her lips. For a few long seconds the kiss is full of tenderness. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced with her before. And then it’s like something detonates inside of us at the same time. It’s as if we lose it and the kisses, the touches, the sounds we make become more pressing, more hurried, more urgent. I ravish her mouth to make up for the last two weeks. I hold her tighter in my arms, drawing her up close so our bodies touch from thigh to chest. My hungry kisses travel in a worshipful, purposeful line from her lips across her jawline to her earlobe. “Fuck,” I hiss.
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