Lucas: The Hunter Brothers Series

by L. J. Dee

  “I have a Mr Hunter on the line for you, Sir.”

  “Which Mr Hunter?” he asked as I explained I’d tried to clarify, but Mr Hunter had simply said ‘the main one’ which Lucas found amusing and told me to place the call through.

  I must have been out when Charlie left the office, because when Lucas called me through at two thirty, he was back at his usual desk and alone. I sat across from him, smiling gently as he smiled back and I couldn’t contain my curiosity. “Which Mr Hunter was on the phone, Sir? Just so I’ll know next time he calls,” I asked, which I thought made my enquiry sound a little more professional and not just because I was being nosey, which I was.

  “My father,” he smiled as I nodded. Well that made sense.

  “We’re going to run with your idea, Jessica,” he said as I looked at him in stunned shock. “Really?” I squealed, unable to hide my obvious delight.

  “Yes, it sounds good. Are you certain you can deliver everything you said?” he asked and I swallowed hard, nodding. I’d made all the enquiries, visited the site and had reassurances from all the suppliers that it could be done before I’d presented it. It was a huge undertaking and I’d never done it alone before. I’d helped Patrick and Chas during my time at Elite, but this was another level altogether.

  And now was not the time for a crisis of confidence.

  “Yes, Sir, how long do I have?” I asked, hoping it was at least four weeks. “Three weeks,” he said firmly, raising his eyebrows and eyeing me carefully as I nodded.

  “I assume you’ll need to work on this full time until then.”

  “Day and night,” I laughed as he smiled at me. God, I hoped three weeks would be long enough. It wasn’t a normal three weeks either, we had Christmas in the middle. Shit.

  “Very well. Do what you need to do, Jessica, and if the site manager needs my approval, ask him to contact me directly,” he said, passing his card across the table. “If you need me for anything, I’ll be out of the country, so call me,” he smiled. This was a development. I knew his email, but up until now, even his contact details had been withheld from me.

  “Thank you, Mr Hunter,” I smiled, grateful for the opportunity and even more grateful that he didn’t seem to be holding Friday against me.

  I still couldn’t get those smouldering words out of my mind. ‘I’m going to spank you’.

  Work was a whirlwind, and grafting day and night was an understatement. I visited the docklands almost daily and as the site shut down for Christmas I was a nervous wreck, there was still so much to do.

  Lucas was in New York, Charlie was in Berlin, Melody was ignoring me and this was sink or swim, fight or flight. Although I felt like I was literally drowning, I was still punching my way through every obstacle as it came my way and holding my own. If this was a test, it was a big one. I had never been more grateful for the support and involvement of my sister, who was currently sitting opposite me, with samples of each of the costumes that had arrived for the waiting staff.

  “Can you keep the noise down,” Melody sniffed as Chas pulled out the Geisha outfit, holding it up against herself and twirling around the office.

  “No!” she turned and smiled in Melody’s direction, receiving a huge scowl in return and it was all I could do to stifle my giggles.

  There would be five restaurants at the Waterside development and we would be serving canapés and finger food representing each one. The waiting staff would be reflecting each theme. Japanese Sushi, French fusion, classic Italian, steak and Brazilian. I didn’t envy whoever would be wearing this. The very skimpy Mardi gras style costumes were not dissimilar to the one I’d been sporting when I first met Lucas, but with a lot more feathers. It also happened to be the one Chas was holding up when he walked into the office.

  “Very nice,” he grinned as my cheeks involuntarily blazed red and Chas looked at me puzzled, before turning to Lucas and smiling broadly. She stood to greet him, confident and poised, completely unfazed by the fact that last time she’d seen him, she’d called him a dickwad and a total shithead. The girl had some front.

  “Good to see you again, Mr Hunter,” she said, holding out her hand. He took it without hesitation and shook it firmly before she sat back down and he walked into his office chuckling gently, beckoning for Melody to follow him.

  “Do you always go bright red when he speaks to you?” she asked me incredulously as soon as the door shut.

  “No” I half lied.

  “You need to sort that shit out, Jess, it’s ridiculous,” she laughed as I grabbed the tiny feathered outfit from her hands. “I know your experience of men is limited, but even so, you’re like a love struck teenager.”

  “It didn’t help that you were holding this up. Did you see the way he looked at me, Chas?”

  It was true. He’d looked at the outfit and then at me in a momentary glance that seared right through me, his eyes blazing. I felt sure he was having flashbacks to the thunderbolt moment when I’d been knelt at his feet in nothing but two silver triangles and some very tight hot pants. I know I was.

  It was probably just wishful thinking but my sister’s expert opinion would definitely help.

  “There’s something there,” she grinned and it played on my mind long after she’d left. I felt it, but Chas knew men. There was a connection, it was strong and it was undeniable and something that I fantasised about almost non-stop as I lay in bed at night. The erotic threat he’d given Morgan, whirling round and around in my brain. I needed to stop. He was my boss. He wasn’t going to fire me and I wasn’t going to quit, and until either of those things happened my libido was in limbo.

  Frankly, my libido had been in limbo long enough. I needed to get fired, but I couldn’t. I also needed to prove myself with the best chance I’d ever been given. For five years I’d taken the judgements and been written off. I had a real shot at something now, the opportunity to show everyone that I was capable of so much more than they’d always believed, and shed the tags I’d been labelled with since I was sixteen years old. That wouldn’t be achieved by sleeping with Lucas Hunter, no matter how much I wanted to.

  CHAPTER 8

  Christmas had been wonderful as Chas and I cobbled together a turkey dinner as best we could and Dex had woken at four AM, so excited to see if Father Christmas had been that we all had to get up. Chas had only managed an hour’s sleep; rolling in at three in the morning from her Christmas Eve party with the staff from Elite, which she spent most of the day reminding me as she shirked the washing up and nodded off during the Queen’s speech.

  We cuddled on the couch as Dexter played with all his new toys, reminiscing about Christmases past and how Mum would make the day so special, gorging on mince pies and chocolate and lighting a candle for the ones we had loved and lost. For all it was unconventional, our little family was happy and content. The biggest surprise of all was the present that had landed on my desk just before I finished work yesterday. Melody had got one too and I’d asked her what it was.

  “It’s a present from Lucas, he does it every Christmas,” she’d said, smiling at the box and I wondered if she had a soft spot for the man herself, or whether he always just sent good presents. Chas and I had sat in stunned silence for a good five minutes after tearing off the wrapping to reveal a Tiffany box before I’d even dared open it. It was the most stunning silver bracelet I’d ever seen, finished with a single diamond set in a star and the most expensive piece of jewellery I owned. I could barely believe my eyes, desperate to call him, but settling on a text;

  ‘Thank you so much for the present, Lucas, it is incredibly beautiful. I have never had anything like it. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas. Jess x’

  I was a bit tipsy when I put on the kiss, wondering whether it had been a touch unprofessional, but the man had got me a Tiffany bracelet. It didn’t matter that he also got one for Melody, or that it was probably pocket change for someone so wealthy. The fact that he’d done it at all after everything that had
happened moved me. What came back warmed my heart even more.

  ‘You are very welcome, Jessica. I would have loved to see the smile on your face. Wishing you a very merry Christmas. Lucas.

  I hadn’t got a kiss, but I hardly expected one from Lucas Hunter. I didn’t imagine the man textually kissed anyone. He wanted to see my smile and that was enough to send my overactive imagination spiralling into fantasies of cobalt eyes and secret trysts and delicious threats of spanking.

  Boxing Day was spent playing with Dex and utilising the Christmas leftovers for a turkey curry and bubble and squeak. The curry was fine, but by mid afternoon I was seriously starting to regret frying up the potatoes, cabbage and Brussels spouts, suffocating in the middle of what could only be described as a fart-off between my sister and my son.

  The more I told them they were gross, the more they did it. “That’s why it’s called bubble and squeak, Sis. Because it bubbles in your belly and squeaks out of your bum.”

  I was pretty certain that wasn’t how it got its name, but Dex found it so hilarious I was loathed to Google it and put them straight. I escaped to the clear air of the kitchen in protest, going through the final docklands party checklist for the umpteenth time. It was under control, at least it looked to be, and with three days to go until the party itself my nerves were beginning to unravel. Everything on the list was checked, almost.

  Elite had organised the staffing and the catering and the site foreman had informed me on Christmas Eve that the area we’d be using for the party itself had been finished. With most of the building staff on a two week break, a core team had stayed on, fitting out a huge space over two floors which represented the biggest apartment in the block. It would look the part but nothing was functional, which meant confirming the arrival of the most luxurious portable toilets available to man, and organising a back room, out of sight from the guests, to keep the food hot and the champagne cold.

  The response had been even better than we’d hoped for. Red London buses were bringing the guests from an early champagne reception in the city which was easier access and far more central. It would also reinforce just how quick their commute to the city would be. Charlie had labelled it ‘a stroke of genius’.

  I’d decided against entertainment because the party would be split over several rooms and two floors. I didn’t want to distract the guests interested in purchasing a property who would be speaking to the team of estate agents on hand to discuss options and prices and hopefully sell some off plan.

  A last minute brainwave had left me up against the clock as I arrived back in the office late on Thursday, running through the final details and noticing that Melody and I were both wearing our bracelets. “Snap,” I grinned, holding up my wrist as I walked past her desk which earned me a particularly nasty glare.

  She was probably thinking Lucas would have bought her something better than me. I was learning to laugh at Melody’s mean nature and wasn’t taking it nearly as much to heart as she left for the evening without saying goodbye. I noticed a thin line of bright light seeping out from under the door of his office and resisted the urge to go and say hello. I hadn’t seen him for days and I’d missed him.

  I text Chas to check that she’d dropped Dex at Mrs Jones’ house to be swiftly informed that she would have him until I got back and there was pasta bake in the oven for tea. I asked her to tell Mrs Jones I’d be back by seven thirty at the latest; she was having him overnight tomorrow and any longer seemed like a bit of a liberty.

  I’d needed to wait for darkness to fall to get the full effect of my new audacious last minute plan and I only had tonight to check if it would work. I looked up as Lucas’s door opened and he stepped out of his office looking absolutely glorious, the shadow of at least a day’s stubble darkening his strong jaw as he held my gaze with those incredible eyes.

  “You’re working late,” he smiled, hovering at the side of my desk as I licked my lips in an effort to replace the moisture he’d somehow managed to suck from my dry mouth.

  “I’m heading to the docklands. There’s something I need to check out before tomorrow that wasn’t part of my original proposals,” I said, gazing at him to assess his reaction and suddenly wondering whether I should have informed him before now. The man was nothing if not a control freak.

  “What is it?” he asked, smiling warmly and it was one of the few times I’d ever seen him truly relaxed.

  “You’ve kind of got to see it to get the full effect,” I said as he threw me a bemused glance.

  “What are we waiting for then, Jessica?” he asked as I stared up at him wide eyed and unable to contain my shock.

  “You want to see it together? Now?” I asked as he chuckled, a low deep seductive sound that did dangerous things to my insides.

  “Yeah, I’ll give you a ride,” he said and I was barely able to hold back my immediate response, ‘I wish you would’, flushing and nodding as I grabbed my coat, following him to the car park and a black sporty Range Rover I hadn’t seen before. Lucas Hunter clearly believed that four wheels weren’t enough for one man.

  “Hop in,” he said, lights flashing as he hit his keys and the car beeped to life. I savoured the moment, looking across at Lucas as he turned to smile, pulling into the London streets and heading towards the docklands. I wanted to stare, forcing myself to look away, feeling him watching me just as closely in a ping pong game of surreptitious glances which did nothing to quell the fluttering in my stomach.

  “Did you have a good Christmas?” I asked eventually, breaking the silence as he turned to smile at me.

  “It was lively,” he laughed gently. “But that’s not unusual when the Hunter family are together.” I wanted to know more, understand the man behind the boss and find out whatever I could while he’d dropped the moody, brooding persona and was uncharacteristically jovial.

  “Tell me about them,” I smiled as he chuckled.

  “Well Charlie was making the most of the party season,” he said, raising his eyebrows in a look that screamed pure sex as my skin bristled and he smiled knowingly. “And Tyler was playing the rock star, but we don’t stand for any of that shit,” he laughed.

  “He’s the lead singer of Heat, the band that were playing that night we first met, isn’t he?” I asked, watching his face as he smirked slightly. I wondered if he was having the same visual as I always did – face to face, with me semi naked having soaked his glorious body in champagne.

  “Yes he is and I rather enjoyed that night, Jessica,” he said, turning to smile as I swallowed hard, desperately trying to think of a question to distract my errant body from turning into a quivering mess.

  “He’d just signed a record deal, right?” I asked as he nodded.

  “Yeah – they’re due to release their first single soon,” he said as I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Chas the night she’d confronted him, certain that she’d mentioned someone else.

  “You have another brother, don’t you?” I asked as he turned a puzzled frown on me, obviously wondering where I’d got my information.

  “Roman. We didn’t see him at Christmas,” he said quietly as his smile faded. I knew from the darkness that flashed fleetingly across his face that whatever had happened with his other brother was a cause of great sadness to him.

  “My father was there too,” he said eventually as I smiled, trying to lighten the mood.

  “Four Hunter men in a house at Christmas, I bet that was a cocktail of testosterone,” I laughed, blushing suddenly as he turned to me, flashing his eyebrows in surprise.

  “Why do you say that?” he asked, once again picking up and delving deeper into the comment that would embarrass me the most. Why the hell had I said it?

  “It’s just that you’re...” I started, my voice trailing off and not quite knowing how to finish the sentence as he quirked his eyebrow at me before I changed the subject completely and hoped he wouldn’t push it. “We’re almost there,” I chirped brightly as he laughed at me,
deciding not to pursue his first line of enquiry, thank God.

  “So are you going to keep me in suspense about what you’ve done?” he asked as I nodded excitedly. “You might want to know I don’t like to be kept in the dark,” he said seriously as I fought my desire to suddenly blurt it out, knowing that he’d see as soon as we rounded the next corner.

  I tried again for a change of subject. “I’ve loved every minute of doing this, Lucas. I’m nervous about tomorrow, but I’ve done my best. Elite have been brilliant and so have the site foreman and the developers, so providing I haven’t screwed up and forgotten anything essential it should all go to plan,” I smiled across at him.

  “I have every faith in you,” he said, turning to look at me and that firm praise from that soft full mouth had my heart fluttering. I’d seldom heard Lucas praise anyone, if ever, but it seemed that my beautiful boss was human after all. I watched his expression closely as he pulled the car around the next bend, beholding the Waterside development in all its glory.

  “Fuck me,” he muttered under his breath and for the second time tonight I resisted the urge to say’ I wish you would’, settling instead on a much more professional “Do you like it?” I was pleased I’d held my nerve and surprised him.

  He pulled the car to a halt as he soaked it all in and I was absolutely ecstatic with the result. It looked every bit as incredible as it had on the computer generated image I’d seen, the whole apartment design projected across the front of the old industrial space and tricking the eye into believing it had actually been completed.

  It showed the restaurants across the bottom, with virtual outdoor seating and each apartment window, similar but all slightly different and the shadows of people moving around inside. It was absolutely breathtaking.

  “I’d live there,” I grinned as Lucas turned a huge beaming smile on me, leaning forward to kiss my cheek. I drank in that heavenly masculine scent, revelling in the closeness, the feel of his skin and the soft brush of stubble, my breath hitching at the contact as he gazed at me momentarily before pulling away.