“They do. I’ve never seen any better,” I told him, turning in his arms and facing him.
“I’ll find out who’s doing this to you, Izzy. You’ve got to try not to worry. Making yourself sick won’t help anything.”
“I know. It’s not that.” Frowning, I tried to think of the right words to describe what I was feeling. “Well it is that, but I also got sad looking at the ornaments you and Ellie made.”
I could tell he wasn’t sure how to respond, so I helped him out. “Ellie is so lucky to have you. If I ever have children, I’d make sure that every holiday is special for them.”
“I’m sorry, Izzy. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I want to forget it.”
“Let me help you.”
I knew that he was probably the only one that could. “My mind is racing, and I can’t relax.”
“I’ll make it better.”
Leaning into me, he brushed kisses along my jaw and a shiver of desire slid down my spine making my stomach dip. My hands rested on his biceps and I marveled at the feel of the rigid muscles beneath his soft cotton t-shirt. He smelled like fabric softener and soap and man.
I moaned when his hand covered my breast, flicking the sensitive nipple with his thumb. His mouth took mine, and his kiss stole my breath away. No one had ever made me feel like Hunter.
He backed me against the couch, and I sat down. Hunter kneeled in front of me between my legs, his eyes fastened on mine and his fingers slipped beneath the waistband of my sleep shorts and panties. Pulling them down, my knees went weak.
Bending down he pressed a kiss on the inside of my thigh and I inhaled at the tantalizing feel of it. Inch by inch he moved his mouth along the sensitive skin of my leg. His eyes caught mine and I saw the hot promise in their turbulent blue depths.
I slid my fingers through his hair. Hunter’s head dipped and his mouth brushed over my flesh, kissing, sucking and licking. My body tightened and convulsed as waves of ecstasy crashed over me.
He held me until I stopped trembling and then he carried me into the bedroom and made love to me. Afterward, like he always did after we’d finished making love, he held me against his chest and stroked my back.
It was a long time before he spoke, but what he said surprised me, snagging my attention.
“I assume you want children.”
His deep voice purred across my skin, making me nervous in a way that only Hunter could. He was still young, but his daughter was grown and I wasn’t sure how Hunter would feel about starting a family again.
Lifting my chin from his chest, I met his expectant gaze and swallowed. “I do,” I said tremulously, hoping this wouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “So do I, Izzy.”
I released a breath I hadn’t been aware I’d been holding. “I was afraid you didn’t.”
“I know. I could tell. I’ve always wanted more children, but there was no one I wanted to have them with, until now.”
“You want to have children with me?” I was shocked and thrilled.
His chest rumbled with laughter. “I want to marry you first,” he replied, looking me in the eye. “The last time I asked, you were afraid of what was going to happen in court and I wanted to give you time to accept what’s between us.”
“You never brought it up again. I just thought you’d changed your mind.”
“I just wanted you to be sure.”
“What about you?”
“I’m already sure.”
“So am I.”
He brushed a kiss over my mouth. “Good. I just needed to know we were on the same page.”
“Hunter, I want you to know that I would never betray you,” I told him, thinking about what happened with Scott.
“I trust you.” He sighed. “Those pictures surprised me. I didn’t know what to think.”
“The entire scene with Scott shocked me. I was expecting him to be his usual cocky, arrogant self. When he acted afraid of me, I got a little freaked out. I still can’t imagine who could have taken the pictures.”
“Izzy.”
Something about the way he said my name grabbed my attention. “You know who sent them?”
“I had the number on the phone traced.”
I sat up somehow knowing that what he was about to say would unsettle me.
“The pictures were sent from Reed’s phone. So were the texts you received today.”
My stomach dropped. My gaze flew to his. “Hunter, Reed lost his phone.”
“I’ve already talked to your brother and Ellie.” He rubbed my shoulders. “Only the texts from today came from his phone. The others were made with a disposable cell and it would be nearly impossible to track who sent them.”
“It’s someone that’s close to Reed and I.”
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I ran the plates on the car. It came back registered to a William Foster.”
I gasped. “William is Amber’s brother. No. No, he wouldn’t do this.” I thought of the shy, studious boy that Reed and I had grown up with, played with and I knew that it wasn’t possible for him to want to hurt us.
“Until we’ve figured this out, stay away from Amber and her family. You shouldn’t be alone. I’m going to take some time off work until this is straightened out.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking. Besides, I haven’t taken a vacation in five years.”
Snuggling closer, I traced his stomach muscles with my fingertips, liking the way they tightened in response to my touch. “Thank you,” I whispered, feeling safe despite everything.
“Izzy,” he growled deeply.
I peered at him tauntingly. “You like that?”
In answer, he flipped me over and began kissing the side of my neck in the way he knew drove me wild. We made love again and all of our problems faded away as we focused only on loving each other.
Hunter was gone when I woke up the next morning, but he’d left a note saying that he was taking care of some things before his vacation. He also said that he’d asked Reed to come stay with me until he got home.
I made my way into the kitchen and found my brother sitting at the granite- topped bar reading the newspaper. A mug of steaming coffee sat next to him. He looked up at me and grinned. “Morning Isabelle.”
“You’re not usually in such a good mood so early in the morning,” I replied, heading straight for the coffee pot.
“It’s not that early, almost ten o’clock.”
“What?”
“Yeah, since when did you start sleeping late?”
From the smile in his eyes and the tone of his voice I could tell he thought that Hunter had everything to do with my new sleeping pattern.
“I’ve never seen you this happy,” Reed said, watching me closely. “He’s good for you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Reed, I love him so much. It scares me.”
“I know the feeling.” His voice held an unmistakable note of sadness.
“Reed, you’ve got to work things out with Ellie. You can’t let Amber mess things up for you.”
He set the paper down and sighed. “Amber interfered, that’s true, but Ellie should have had faith in me. Instead, she decided we should break up. If she wants to get back together, she’s going to have to come to me.”
“You don’t have to be so stubborn. If you let your pride get in the way of your relationship with Ellie, then you’re going to be the one that suffers.”
“It’s not about pride. I’d do anything for Ellie and she knows it, but I can’t make her trust me. That she’ll have to do on her own.”
I sensed I’d pushed enough for the moment. “Alright, fine. How about I make us some breakfast?”
Reed looked scared. “No, I’m not hungry.”
“What is it with everyone? I’ve gotten a lot better at cooking, you know.”
“What are you going to make?” he asked suspiciously.
“Fine, but you’re tasting it first.”
“Coward.”
“Isabelle, I’m still trying to forget the last time you cooked me dinner. I can still taste the vinegar in the spaghetti.”
“I grabbed the wrong bottle. I thought it was olive oil.”
Ignoring my little brother, I started cooking and we settled into a comfortable silence. After a while, I asked him, “How long are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?”
He looked up.
“You’re not here for a social visit. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned it.”
“I didn’t want to upset you. McAllister said you were pretty shaken last night.”
“I was. You probably are too. I can’t believe someone is following me and they have your phone.”
“Amber took my phone.”
“You’re sure?”
Reed nodded, his expression grim. “She deleted some messages from Ellie. The thing is I got it back. It went missing again two days ago, and Amber had been over at the house when it happened so I assumed she took it again.”
“You don’t think she did?”
“I don’t think Amber would do something like that to you. She’s made some mistakes, but my gut is telling me it’s not her.”
“It’s not William either even though his car has been seen at your place and Hunter’s.”
Reed didn’t immediately respond.
“You can’t suspect William. He’s one of the nicest guys I know.”
“Except for McAllister, you’re not that great at judging men. William has had a thing for you ever since we were kids. I think you’re the only one that’s not aware of it.”
“That’s insane. He’s never tried anything with me, and we’ve known him since we were kids.”
“I’m beginning to think we never really know anyone.”
“That’s cryptic as hell. What’s brought this on?”
“I’ve been on edge for a while now. Like you, I dismissed it at first but I know someone has been watching me and I’m not going to rule anyone out until I’m sure what’s going on.”
I slid the eggs on the plates and set them down on the table. “Someone has been following you too?” I felt cold all over.
“That’s part of why I’m not in a hurry to make up with Ellie. She’s safer not being around me.”
“Oh my God.”
“We’ve got to be careful and stick together.”
“Agreed.”
“Hmm. Your cooking really has improved,” he said biting into a flaky biscuit.
I didn’t feel like I could take a bite. “Thanks.”
We didn’t talk anymore about who would want to make trouble for us, but I knew it lingered on the edge of his mind, unspoken but not forgotten. The peculiar feeling that something disastrous was about to happen haunted me, refusing to leave me in peace until it was all I could think about.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hunter was keeping something from me.
“It has something to do with whoever is following me,” I told Cora. She’d come over to visit and we were drinking a pitcher of margaritas I’d made.
“He’s really protective of you. If he found out something he thinks would worry you, I’m not surprised he’s keeping it to himself.”
“I still can’t believe this is happening to me. It’s like an episode of—“ I thought for a moment. “You know that show where they’re always trying to solve a murder.”
Cora smirked. “There’s about a hundred shows like that, but I get what you mean. No one thinks their life can be dunked in creepy drama, and yours has been double dipped.”
“Reed thinks someone has been following him too.”
“That’s what Ellie said. She’s upset about it.”
“How is she doing—other than being freaked out about our stalker?”
“She’s totally in love with your brother, but Ellie is being stubborn. I told her she needed to get her ass over to him so they could work out their shit.”
I laughed. “I bet you really said that too.”
“Damn straight I did.”
“As much as I want Ellie and Reed to get back together, maybe it’s safer she keeps her distance until we know who is following Reed and I.”
“Maybe,” Cora agreed, her eyes softening. “I wish everything would work out for you and Ellie. Both of you deserve to find a little happiness.”
“So do you, Cora.”
She scoffed, like she always did whenever someone tried to get Cora to talk about herself. “This will work out,” Cora said, changing the subject. “Your man is mad for you and will make sure of it.”
I thought about what Cora said as I got ready for my date with Hunter that night. He was taking me somewhere special and I had no clue where that was. All he told me was to wear something warm. So I put on a pair of skinny jeans, knee high black boots and a thick cream knit sweater that hit mid-thigh.
Normally, I didn’t spend a lot of time on my hair, just blew it dry and ran a brush through it, but tonight I wrestled with the curling iron trying to bend my thick locks into feminine curls. Flipping through a magazine, I found the page that gave instructions on how to apply a sexy smoky eye make up, which I followed painstakingly from beginning to end and was rewarded with eyes that popped. Finishing with a glossy red lipstick, I decided I looked as appealing as I possibly could.
I turned around and my heart skipped a beat. Hunter stood with his shoulder casually propped on the doorframe, his hot gaze sliding down me with appreciation. He looked swoon-worthy dressed in faded denim jeans, boots and a black V-necked sweater with a white t-shirt beneath it. His sandy brown hair had a sexy, gelled look that I knew he did not spend much time on, and he didn’t have to. Hunter had a heart-stopping affect on women’s hearts without even trying.
“You take my breath away.”
My breath caught, and I felt my cheeks heat. “Is it still a surprise where we’re going?”
“Top secret.”
“I know it’s going to be outside. Are we delivering Christmas turkeys? If we are, I’m going to need different gloves.”
“You’ve delivered turkeys before?”
“Sure, lots of times. Not just turkeys but presents as well. I try to make it down to the food bank as much as I can, but I haven’t been lately.”
An odd expression crossed his face.
“You look surprised,” I told him, curiously.
“I’m not. That’s exactly the sort of thing you’d do. I was surprised that you didn’t seem upset when you thought that’s where I intended to take you tonight. Most women wouldn’t want to work at a food bank while they’re on a date.”
He was probably right. “If that’s what you want to do, they can always use more help.”
“We’ll go tomorrow. Tonight I have something else in mind.”
“Alright,” I said, dying to know where he was taking me. “Am I dressed appropriately?”
“Perfect.”
I walked towards him, my eyes glued to his. “You look like you want to kiss me,” I flirted.
His gaze darkened and I knew that he wanted me. “I always want to kiss you, but if I touch you now, we aren’t going to leave the house for a very long time, and I have plans for us tonight.”
Taking my hand, I felt a tingle of awareness shoot up my arm and spread through my body. It was astonishing that I reacted that way to him every time we touched and I wondered if I’d ever get used to the exhilarating feeling.
He took me to dinner at a quaint, family-owned German restaurant and I had the best Wiener Schnitzel I’d ever tasted. When I was a teenager the Fosters had taken us to a German restaurant in downtown Houston and I’d loved their Schnitzel. I’d only mentioned that casually to Hunter, so it was incredibly sweet that he remembered and took me to eat German food.
Afterwards, we drove towards Austin and I had absolutely no idea where he could be taking me unt
il we exited the freeway and I saw the brilliant display of lights to my left. I read the words emblazoned against the darkened sky, ‘Santa’s Land’
I glanced over at Hunter expectantly.
“You like Christmas lights, so I thought I’d bring you to the place where they’ve got more of them than anywhere else.”
“I’ve always wanted to come here.”
He seemed pleased, and relaxed as if he’d been worried that I wouldn’t like it. “We can drive through or get out and take a hayride. There’s also a bonfire, music and shops inside if you want to take a look.”
“Can we do the hayride?”
He chuckled. “I thought you’d like that.”
It was everything I’d ever desired to do around the holidays, but had never done. Inside of Santa’s Land was a magical little town lined with a wooden walkway that circled small shops that sold various items including hot cocoa and kettle corn. It was splendid. The town even smelled like a Christmas tree.
A huge bonfire roared from the center of the town and people crowded around it as they listened to a live band playing on a nearby stage. I stared in awe at the marvelous sight of it all. Everywhere I looked there were twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and people who were clearly overjoyed to be a part of it all.
Holding my hand, Hunter led me toward the hayride where we sat next to a happy, older couple that were also holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes. I wondered if they realized how precious and rare that kind of love was.
“Are you cold?” Hunter asked.
“I’m good. You’re really hot so I’ll just scoot closer.”
Beside me the older woman laughed, and I realized how she could have interpreted what I’d said. I glanced up at Hunter and saw that he was obviously amused.
“Don’t fret, honey. He is really hot. How long have you been married?”
“What? Oh, no! We’re not married.”
“Hmm.” The woman glanced at her husband. “Now Laura, these two lovebirds don’t need you interfering.”
The woman’s mouth formed a perfect O. “I wasn’t going to interfere, Tom, just tell them how beautiful and in love they look.”
Heaven With You Page 20