“Have you eaten dinner?” I asked.
“No, I haven’t.”
Walking over to the refrigerator, I opened it and did a quick scan. “I don’t have a whole lot of food, but I can whip us up something if you want.” When I glanced back at her, she was looking around my place. “Want a tour?”
Her head jerked back as she faced me. “I’d love one. But first, how about you go change and I’ll find us something to eat.”
“Are you sure?”
Bella nodded and moved next to me to survey the food I had. The heat from her body caused my heart rate to pick up.
Focusing on the contents of my fridge, she said, “I’m positive.”
“You don’t mind if I shower, do you?” I asked, reaching for my pistol. I always kept my firearm locked up.
Bella’s eyes were on my gun as I picked it up and held it. She shook her head as if shaking away some thought, and then looked up at me. “I don’t mind at all.” Her eyes drifted down to my mouth, and I couldn’t help but remember something my father had told me once.
If a woman stares at your mouth, you best kiss her right away.
I leaned down and gently kissed her. She reached up onto her toes and wrapped her arms around my neck, prompting me to deepen the kiss. I could get lost in it real quick if I wasn’t careful.
When Bella finally broke the kiss, her chest rose and fell quickly. She was just as affected by the kiss as I was.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your kisses, Hunter.”
Reaching up, I tucked a piece of her blonde hair behind her ear and smiled. “Anytime you need them, they’re yours.”
Our eyes met. Something about the way she looked at me told me exactly what she was thinking.
“They’re only yours, Bella.”
A soft exhale slipped from her barely parted lips before she whispered my name. “Hunter.”
Before my body told me to do something I knew I shouldn’t, I took a step back. “I’m going to go shower and change.”
She swallowed hard as she nodded. “I’ll, um…I’ll find us something to eat.”
Fifteen minutes later, I headed back downstairs and heard Bella talking to Jack.
“The key to pasta, Jack, is knowing how long to cook it. Of course, it depends on the pasta as well. Linguini works best for this recipe, and your daddy just happened to have some.”
Jack barked, and I smiled.
“I like to use fresh parsley, but I think the basil will be okay. If I remember right, your daddy loves basil.”
I rubbed at the sudden pressure in my chest as I listened to Bella talk to Jack. God, I loved having her in my house. It felt so damn right. Taking in a slow, deep breath, I headed toward the kitchen. “What smells so good?”
Bella looked up from the stove and smiled. “I’m making a garlic lemon pasta. You probably smell the garlic.”
“You remembered I liked garlic.”
She giggled. “And the tub of fresh garlic in the fridge was also a giveaway. Same with the basil. You should come get some from my garden.”
“Your garden? Bella, it’s February.”
She rolled her eyes. “I have a greenhouse attached to the main barn. I’m growing some herbs, and I’ll have you know, I also have a ton of garlic.”
I winked. “I’d eat garlic on everything if I could.”
“Well, I put a healthy dose of it in your pasta.”
I watched as Bella put pasta in two bowls, then placed pieces of bread on the side. “Looks and smells delicious. You made garlic bread too?”
She smiled. “I just brushed some butter on two pieces of bread and then put it in your toaster oven. I need to get one of those, by the way.”
I glanced over at it and laughed. “Willa talked me into buying it. Works like an oven, as well, and it’s nice when it’s just me I’m cooking for.”
Sadness swept over her face but disappeared quickly. She motioned toward the table. “Shall we sit down and eat?”
“Yes, of course.”
Jack, who normally went and laid in his bed or on the sofa, settled down next to Bella. I grinned. “Looks like he’s made a new best friend. Should I be jealous?”
Bella reached down and gave Jack a quick scratch behind his ear. “He’s a sweet boy. He followed me all around the kitchen once he finished his treat. I think he ate the container it was in, though.”
I laughed. “Yeah, he likes those, and empty toilet paper rolls. I’ve got to be sneaky about throwing them away or he’ll dig through the trash. I have no idea how he knows they’re in there.”
She chuckled and reached for the pepper I kept on the table.
“Would you like a glass of wine?” I asked.
“I better not. I’m driving, and I don’t drink often.”
“Do you mind if I have a beer then?”
Bella shook her head. “I don’t mind at all.”
After getting a beer, I sat back down and we started to eat. The pasta was, as expected, delicious. “Thanks for cooking dinner—it’s really good.”
“You’re welcome. I love to cook, and it’s nice to cook for someone besides me or my folks. I think they’re getting sick of me crashing their dinners.”
“I think we need to make this a habit. Next time, I’ll cook for you.”
She smiled. “Deal.”
We ate for a minute or so in silence before Bella spoke again. “I heard Greer mention something about Kyle training his new partner.”
I nodded. “Yeah, she’s doing well. Damn thing is a klutz, though.”
Bella jutted out her lower lip in a pout, and my dick jumped in my pants. Look away from her mouth…look away.
“Aw, don’t be that way. I’m sure Jack was a little clumsy when he was little.”
Jack lifted his head and barked. I looked at him and nodded. “She didn’t mean it, buddy.”
Bella let out a roar of laughter. “Jack, I didn’t mean to offend you by suggesting such a thing.”
Jack let out another little bark, then put his head down. Bella looked at me with wide eyes.
I shrugged. “He’s sorta sensitive.”
“I see that.”
After shoving some pasta into my mouth and chewing, I asked, “How are things at the store? It seems like it’s gotten to be pretty popular, especially your baskets.”
A look of happiness spread over her face. “I do like doing the baskets. They’re fun. And the store is really doing well. Of course, we do better in the spring and summer with folks wanting to tour the apiary, but the café part of the store is getting a name for itself too. My folks aren’t as thrilled. It was hard to convince them to do the little store, and that was when the café was only going to be a simple spot to grab coffee and a sandwich. It’s grown a lot. More than I thought it would.”
“They don’t like it?”
She shrugged. “You know my mom and dad. They hate change. Just opening up the shop a few years back was a huge adjustment. When I decided to open the café, they both said I was crazy. But it’s working, and now with Candace coming on board and helping me when she can, I really think things will take off.”
“I’m happy for you, Bella. I really am. I know how much you love the apiary, and now with the store doing so well, I’m sure your grandmother would be real proud of you.”
Her eyes met mine and they misted over with unshed tears. Bella had been super close to her grandmother Pearl, her mom’s mother. I knew she missed her. “Thank you. I think she would have really liked the store. You know how much she loved to cook, and if she could sell anything that had to do with bees, she did. The basket idea was actually from her. She loved to do up little picnic baskets for us. I remembered how much I loved them. It’s fun for me to make them for people.”
“I do remember her love of cooking,” I replied with a chuckle. “I still say she made the best apple pie I’ve ever had.”
Bella’s eyes widened. “You better not let your mother or Willa hear you say t
hat.”
“Trust me, I’m not that stupid.”
Another giggle slipped free, and my chest squeezed with a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a very long time—pure happiness. I loved seeing Bella happy. Loved having her actually carry on a conversation with me even more.
I stood and reached for her plate. “Did you need to get back home soon, or do you want to watch a movie with me?”
She chewed on her lip for a quick moment. “You’re not tired?”
Nodding, I replied, “I’m exhausted, but I need to unwind, and Jack and I usually watch a movie at night.”
I wasn’t even aware I was holding my breath while I waited for her answer.
“I’d love to watch a movie with you both. But only if you let me pick.”
Glancing over at Jack, I let out a dramatic sigh. “What do you think, boy? Can we trust her with that?”
Jack jumped up, ran over to Bella’s side, and barked. She looked up at me and grinned.
“Okay, you get to pick the movie.”
Bella glanced down at Jack. “Don’t worry, I won’t pick anything that has to do with Jane Austen.”
Arabella
The brilliant smile that lit up Hunter’s face made my heart thunder in my chest. I loved knowing it was me who put that sparkle in his eyes simply by agreeing to watch a movie with him. It also broke my heart, knowing I was the one who’d robbed him of it so long ago.
“You cooked, I’ll clean,” he said.
“I don’t mind helping you—”
He pressed his finger to my lips and shook his head. “I’ll clean. You and Jack can find a movie to watch.”
Nodding, I fought the urge to reach up and kiss him. Instead, I headed into the living room. Hunter’s house was an open floorplan, with the kitchen at the back of the house, and the dining and living room in the front. I glanced around and noticed he didn’t have anything on his walls, which were all painted white. I knew he’d bought the house a few years back, and I was surprised he hadn’t made it more homey by now.
Jack walked up to me and bumped my hand before he jumped up onto the leather sofa. I laughed and followed him. “I take it you want me to sit down.”
The large dog laid down and placed his paw over my leg, almost in a protective manner. I scratched behind his ears. “You’re such a handsome boy. Aren’t you a handsome boy?”
Jack let out a whispered bark, then looked toward the kitchen. I leaned in closer and whispered, “Don’t worry, you’re more handsome than he is.”
He licked my face, and I let out a bubble of giggles.
“Are you flirting with my dog?”
I glanced to my left and grinned. “He started it.”
Hunter smiled. “I decided the dishes can wait. I want to spend time with you.”
“We could do them together if you want. I wash, you dry?”
He reached for my hand. “Let me show you the house first.”
Placing my hand in his, I let him pull me up. Jack jumped down and stayed at my side. I wanted to ask Hunter if this was always how Jack acted. He seemed to be very protective, always keeping an eye on me.
Hunter just stood there and stared at me, his lips pressed in a tight line. I could tell he was fighting the same urge I’d had earlier to kiss him. It would be so easy to just reach up and do it.
I stretched onto my toes and initiated the kiss we both clearly wanted.
Hunter drew me closer, and I felt his desire for me press into my stomach. Panic instantly filled my chest, but I pushed it away.
This is Hunter. It’s only Hunter. He’d never hurt me.
As if he could sense the tension, he started to pull away. I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my lips to his once more.
We both moaned softly, and I could feel Hunter easing us back down to the sofa. He turned, sat, and pulled me down so I was sitting on his lap.
“Tell me if you want me to stop,” he whispered, looking into my eyes.
“Don’t stop.”
He gently moved me so that I was lying on the sofa. He lay down next to me and placed his hand on the side of my face as he kissed me.
My body instantly turned molten hot, and I slid my hand up and under his T-shirt. The feel of his bare skin and ripped muscles under my fingers caused my body to tremble with an overwhelming wave of desire.
Then he moved more on top of me—and I lost the ability to breathe. The weight of him was both a dream and a nightmare. I quickly pressed my hands to his shoulders.
“Wait. Stop.”
I had barely spoken the word “stop” before Hunter immediately got off of me and stood.
Feeling confused, I lay there for a moment, my chest rising and falling rapidly.
“I’m sorry, Bella. I didn’t mean to…”
His voice trailed off, and I sat up quickly, then stood. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Hunter.”
He studied me with such a wary expression. I needed to tell him. God, I didn’t want to tell him. The moment he knew the truth, would he be able to touch me again? The words he’d spoken so long ago about him being the only man to touch me had replayed over and over in my head for ten years. Ten. Years. Every time I even thought about telling Hunter, the fear of him rejecting me hit me square in the chest. Deep down I never really thought he would, but a small part of me, that small part that still heard that monster’s voice saying I got what I wanted, kept me in a dark place.
“Let’s do that tour?” Hunter said with a small smile.
All I could do was nod. “O…okay.” It was clear the moment had slipped away.
Hunter laced his fingers in mine and led me over to the steps. “The bedrooms and bathrooms are all upstairs. Though there’s a half bath down here.”
I didn’t say anything as I followed him up the steps. My mind was still stuck in the previous moment. I’d wanted Hunter to touch me so much, yet the minute he was on top of me, panic had swept in.
Dammit. Will I ever be able to move past this feeling? I need to talk to someone.
Forcing myself to get back into the moment, I asked, “How many bedrooms?”
Ugh. Why did you ask about the bedrooms, Arabella?
“Three, and two bathrooms up here.”
There was a landing at the top of the steps. It had a small love seat, two beanbag chairs, and a TV on the opposite wall. It wasn’t a big space, and it screamed that a guy lived there.
“This is my office,” Hunter said as he opened the door to reveal a large desk, a dog crate, a dog bed, and a giant safe opposite the desk.
“Goodness, what do you keep in that?” I asked.
“Guns.”
I walked in and then glanced over my shoulder at him. “That would make sense.”
He smiled, and my stomach fluttered. Lord, if he wasn’t the most handsome man. Forcing myself to look somewhere other than in his eyes, I started to read all the awards and certificates on the wall.
“Wow, Hunter. This is amazing.” I stopped when I got to a bookshelf that contained books on law, criminal justice, and fishing. There were also pictures placed on the shelves. They were mostly of Hunter, Bishop, Adam, and Kyle. They were either fishing, hunting, or skiing. A few photos were of Bishop, Kyle, and Hunter on a beach. A few more showed the guys in Alaska on a fishing trip.
Another photo was of Kyle, Greer, and Hunter with two women I didn’t know. They all wore swimsuits. I wanted to ask who they were but kept moving. It wasn’t my business, and I had no right to the jealousy I currently felt. So Hunter had a picture of a woman in his office? He had continued to live his life, while I’d chosen to hide away in the safety of my bees.
It was only then I realized how much of my life I’d given up. Wasted. Years lost to someone who didn’t deserve them. I clenched my fists as I continued looking at the photos.
“That’s the trip we took to Virginia Beach. We thought we’d be able to see Aiden, but he was gone on a mission. And those are Kyle and Greer’s cousins. They came up a couple years ba
ck, and we met them at the beach.”
Looking back at the photo, I asked, “Is that Jennifer and Heather?”
He laughed. “Yes. They’re not little girls anymore. Both are married now.”
I spun around to look at him. “No way!”
He nodded.
I wasn’t going to lie, I felt relief knowing who they were and that they weren’t some random women Kyle and Hunter had met.
Walking over to Hunter’s desk, my breath caught in my throat. Tears suddenly sprang up and I blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling free. I reached down and picked up the 5x7 frame that held a picture of me and Hunter at Bishop and Abby’s wedding. Their first wedding. My heart raced so fast, I nearly felt dizzy.
Hunter kept a picture of us on his desk. A tear dropped free and hit the frame. I used my finger to wipe it away, then turned to look at him. “You have a picture of us on your desk?”
A shy smile appeared on his face, and he gave a half shrug. “Just like you have that note I gave you still sitting in the honey jar.”
I felt my eyes go wide. “When did you…”
It struck me that Hunter had seen it when he’d been at my place. It was sitting on the small desk in the little nook of the living room.
He chuckled. “I don’t remember how old I was when I wrote that note. High school?”
“Yeah,” I said with a small nod. “Our senior year.”
“That’s right. I meant it, the words I wrote to you.”
I had pulled that note out of the small jar so many times and read it. It was worn and torn in a few spots, but it had kept me from almost losing my mind a few times.
Bella, you will always own my heart. Love, Hunter.
“What if…I mean…” My voice drifted away as I stared at the picture. “Can you still love me, Hunter, if darkness has touched me?”
His brows drew in. “You could never have a dark side to you, Arabella.”
I felt my chin wobble. “I do.”
“Is that why you pushed me away?”
Swallowing hard, I pulled my gaze from his and looked past him into the hallway. He was blocking the doorway, and I suddenly felt trapped.
As if sensing my fear, Jack bumped my leg and whined. Hunter noticed, then looked back at me. He stepped out of the room and motioned down the hall. “Two more rooms left.”
Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley Book 4) Page 7