Seaside Embrace (Love in Bloom

by Melissa Foster

  “What…? You didn’t leave?”

  She brought her coffee to the couch, and he pulled her down on his lap. “What kind of a welcome is that for a guy who made you come several times last night?”

  “You were a very good boy last night, but—”

  He pressed his lips to hers and swept his tongue over the seam of her lips. She opened for him, returning his kiss with fervor, then suddenly pushed away.

  “Don’t freak out,” he said quickly.

  “You stayed over.” Panic was evident in her wide eyes and in the tenor of her voice.

  “I did. Thank you for giving me what I wanted. I woke up with you in my arms for once.” He’d laid in bed with his body wrapped around her as she’d slept, and nothing had ever felt so right. Every so often she’d sigh, or make a soft sound, almost as if she were talking in her sleep, but he hadn’t been able to make out what she was saying. He’d gotten up with the sun, showered, and taken care of a few things to prepare for the day.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t…you know…” She dropped her eyes. “Repay your efforts.”

  Since they’d had no condom, he’d made her come time and time again, using only his hands and mouth. She’d been so spent, between the alcohol and the orgasms, that she’d fallen asleep soon after, but he didn’t mind. He’d even made it through the night without taking things into his own hands—until his shower this morning. Surrounded by the scents of her body wash and shampoo, with the images of her beneath him clawing at his mind, it hadn’t taken long to relieve the pressure.

  “You did repay my efforts.” He smiled as he said, “You let me wake up with you in my arms.”

  She tried to move from his lap, but he held her in place. “You’re not getting away that easily, not now that I have you without any distractions.”

  She rolled her eyes and yawned. “What time is it?” She glanced over her shoulder toward the clock on the kitchen wall. “Oh shit! I have to call Brock. He’s going to be pissed.”

  He clutched her hips, keeping her in place. “I called him at six thirty and told him you wouldn’t be there.”

  “Hunter! You had no right to do that. You should have woken me up.”

  “You’re welcome.” He laughed, and she stewed. “He has you signed up for an exhibition match against the Plymouth Fight Club, which I almost told him you wouldn’t take part in, but I knew you’d get mad. I hate the idea of that pretty face of yours getting maimed.”

  The scowl on her face didn’t soften. Hunter ignored it. “You’ll probably need to train a little extra at some point before the match. But he was cool with you missing today.”

  “Yeah, I bet he wanted to kill you.” She looked away.

  Hunter gently moved her chin toward him, so he could see her eyes. “Don’t worry, pretty girl. He thinks I drove you home last night because you’d had a little too much to drink and that I stayed to make sure you didn’t puke and choke on it. I told him I slept on the couch.”

  She sighed. “Thank you for that.”

  “I’ve got a sister. I get it.” And that brought him to the next thing he wanted to talk to her about. “I had Sky drop off your purse, and I got Marco’s number from your phone and called him. I told him that you were sick and you wouldn’t make it in today.”

  “Oh my God. Sky knows you stayed over? And my classes? I’m in so much trouble.”

  “First of all, yes, but Sky thinks I slept on the couch, too. We’ll talk about that later.” He let those words sink in despite the fact that her relieved sigh about Sky was immediately followed by a scowl. “And as far as your classes go, Marco’s taking care of canceling them. The guy was pretty cool about it, actually. He wasn’t the dick I expected.” Marco had asked if Hunter was her brother, and he’d taken the liberty to say no, that he was her man. He wasn’t about to tell her that.

  “He wasn’t pissed?” She shifted on his lap and her gaze softened.

  “No. We had a nice talk.”

  She bonked her forehead on his shoulder. “Oh my God.”

  He lifted her chin again and smiled. “It was fine. He needed to understand that you couldn’t be expected to work seven days a week or to take on the responsibilities of three people.”

  “I’m so fired.” Jana closed her eyes.

  “Actually, you’re not. He said he had planned on coming back soon to help out. I have no idea if he was bullshitting or not, but at least now he knows someone is looking out for you.”

  She covered her face with her hands, and he pulled them down so she had to look at him. He wasn’t going to let her pretend that the feelings between them weren’t there, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to allow her boss to continue taking advantage of her.

  “Now, you’re going to shower and dress, and then we’re going to talk.” He lifted her to her feet and patted her bare ass. “Go on. We have a lot to do today.”

  “I have to go to work, Hunter. I can’t spend today—”

  He rose to his feet and swept her into his arms, ignoring the words streaming from her mouth as she flailed against him. Hunter. Stop. I’m going to kill you. Asshole.

  Speaking calmly, as if she weren’t punching and flailing in his arms, he said, “You’re going to shower, and then we are going to talk. No work. No excuses.” He set her on her feet in the bathroom, and when she said, “But—” he took her in a passionate kiss, leaving her breathless, and closed the bathroom door as he left the room.

  ***

  JANA WASN’T SURE if it was nerves or anger making her body thrum, but she was glad that for once it wasn’t desire. At least she had that aspect of her body under control. Who did he think he was, canceling her classes and calling her brother? She showered and dressed, stewing over his actions, and took her sweet time drying her hair, hoping Hunter would get sick of waiting and take off. Although, she had to admit that taking care of all of her commitments had been a thoughtful thing for him to do. It might even border on romantic. And didn’t he have to work today?

  She turned off the hair dryer and brushed her hair, thinking about last night and the way he’d said he was taking care of his girl. A thrill raced through her with the memory, despite the reality that she wasn’t his girl. She wasn’t anyone’s girl, nor could she be, until she figured out her own life and what she really wanted. Besides, Hunter wanted to win. He always wanted to win. Surely this was all still part of a game to him.

  Then why did he refuse to leave last night?

  And why did he make all those arrangements today?

  And want to talk?

  She opened the bathroom door and listened to the silence. Hunter was gone. Her stomach knotted, and unexpected disappointment floated through her. Could she miss him already? No. This was all part of his stupid game. She swiped her cell phone from the table, pulled up DO NOT RESPOND! and typed in a fast text. You left?

  She slumped onto the couch, confused and feeling betrayed, even though she had no right to feel that way. She’d told him she didn’t have time to talk. Of course he left. Wouldn’t she have left if the tables were turned? Hell, she probably would have left while he was sleeping. Still, anger and hurt simmered inside her. She typed another angry text at being ignored—WTF?

  She got up and paced the living room, then glanced out the window, catching sight of Hunter pacing the backyard, talking on his phone.

  Relief swept through her, followed quickly by regret for the angry texts she’d sent. She watched as he rubbed the back of his neck, squinting up at the sun. He ended the call and looked down at his phone. Before he could swipe and read the texts, she ran out the back door. His killer smile brought guilt to the forefront of her mind as she sank into his open arms.

  “Shit,” Hunter said with a laugh. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing. I just…” Was afraid you left.

  He pried her arms from around his waist and searched her eyes. “Spill it, pretty girl. We’ve already established that you’re a sucky liar.”

  “I thought you l
eft,” she mumbled.

  “What was that?” He leaned in closer.

  “I thought you left! Okay? Jesus. And I might have sent you a few angry texts.”

  She walked away, and he quickly fell into step beside her, shoved his phone in his pocket, and draped an arm over her shoulder. She waited for him to laugh, or to give her shit, but he didn’t say a word as he guided her to the swinging chair built for two hanging from one of the large trees at the edge of the back yard and pulled her down beside him.

  She eyed him suspiciously as they sat in silence. He tucked her against his side, and she wasn’t about to fight him on it. She wanted to be there, even though she was struggling to keep the dark, uncomfortable panic from taking over.

  When he finally spoke, his tone was calm and confident, with no trace of his usual demands. “I want to tell Sky we’re dating.”

  That was not at all what she’d anticipated. “That’s why you want to talk?”

  “No.” He looked over at her. “Yes, partly, but not solely.”

  “But we’re not even dating, Hunter. Why would you want to tell her anything?”

  “Okay, then I want to officially date you, and then I want to tell her. I don’t keep secrets from my family, Jana. Maybe I used to, but it’s not the man I want to be with you. It’s not the man I want to be anymore.”

  “I told you when we first met that I’m not the girlfriend type. And you said you never wanted to settle down. So where is this coming from?” The tentative tone of her voice didn’t surprise her. It mirrored the conflicting emotions she’d been battling on a daily basis.

  He turned so his entire body faced her, one arm across the back of the swing. He took her hand in his.

  “Where?” He shrugged. “My heart, I guess. I’m not good at this stuff, and you know that, so you use it against me. I get it. You’re scared to commit. Hell, Jana, I’m scared to commit.”

  She wasn’t about to deny that. “Then why are you pushing for me to?”

  “Because every time I look at you I want more of you. I want to understand why you do things, whether it’s boxing or dancing, crying, or dressing like you did last night and singing your heart out onstage. I want to hold you in my arms at night after making love to you so many times you can’t return the favor.” A relieved smile spread his lips, like the words had been trapped inside too long. “Then I want to wake up in the morning and take you again. I want to bear the brunt of your stubbornness and your tenderness. I want to listen to your dreams and help them come true. I want it all with you, and I’ve never wanted that before.”

  Jana was sure her heart had stopped beating. That had to be it. She was dead.

  He touched her cheek and her stomach flipped. Nope. Not dead.

  She took her hand from his and turned to face the yard, unable to think, much less speak.

  “You’re not going to ignore me, Jana. Not after everything I just said. Do you think that was easy for me?” The restraint in his voice was like a living thing between them.

  She forced herself to respond. “No,” she whispered.

  He waited in silence for more. She waited in silence, too, because she was having trouble processing what he’d said, what he wanted. She wanted to be the girl who could say she wanted that, too, but panic spread through her chest like wildfire, trapping her words inside.

  “So that’s it? You’ve got nothing to say?” Hunter rose to his feet, and her stomach took a nosedive, reminding her of how she felt when she’d thought he’d left only moments earlier.

  Panic brought her to her feet, too, and the truth poured out. “No. I have things to say. I’m not scared, Hunter. I’m petrified. I don’t know how to be a girlfriend, and right now I can’t even commit to getting my life in order. How can I possibly commit to you? And you…You’re as much of a non-committer as I’ve always been. What makes you think we can work? I’ve never been a good girlfriend, not even when I was in high school and it was the thing to do.”

  Her voice softened as she admitted what he’d already known, but somehow saying it made her see it more clearly, and she didn’t feel as proud of herself as she always had for being an independent woman.

  His jaw tightened. “How many guys have you slept with in the past six months?”

  “What?” She shook her head, trying to think of dates and months, and even though she couldn’t grasp the concept of time while her heart was racing and her palms were sweating, it didn’t take long for the truth to become clear.

  “How many, Jana?” He closed the distance between them. “Because yeah, I was the biggest fucking player there was, but in the last few months I haven’t slept with anyone but you. Not once. Not one fucking kiss.”

  Her jaw dropped.

  He shrugged, and the tension in his muscles drained away right before her eyes. “It’s true. There’s only been you, pretty girl.”

  She looked down at his hand as he reached for hers and brought it to his lips. “And I’ve never called a single woman a nickname, and with you, it just comes out.” He stepped closer, their bodies touching from thigh to chest. “And I’ve sure as hell never asked anyone but you to tell me she wanted me. Do you know why?”

  The blood was rushing through her ears so fast it took all of her focus to shake her head.

  He cupped her cheeks, stroking her skin with his thumb as he gazed into her eyes with so much emotion there was no way it was anything short of real.

  “Because I never cared. Until you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  FEAR. THAT’S WHAT Hunter saw in Jana’s eyes as he waited for her to respond. Every silent second felt like an eternity. He didn’t dare rush her, for fear of her running away. He’d been a runner, too, but he was done with that, and he hoped to crack her walls enough that she’d consider being done, too.

  “You’re so sure of it all…” Jana said so quietly he almost didn’t hear her. “It’s like you have all the answers.”

  Love isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about not caring if you don’t, because what happiness really comes down to is knowing that you don’t need answers if your heart is full of the person you cherish most. As his mother’s words came back to him, the ache of missing her settled into Hunter’s bones. He thought about her often and missed the comfort of knowing she would always smile when she saw him, no matter what he’d done the night before. She’d open her arms and wrap him in unconditional love, and he’d probably soaked that up more than he’d deserved. Now it was his mother’s words that confirmed what his heart had already known.

  “I don’t have all the answers. But I have the only one I need.” Hunter wasn’t good at deciphering Jana’s silence. He knew she wasn’t going to commit to him easily. Hell, she wouldn’t even tell him she wanted him when they were naked and it was written in the blush on her skin.

  A warning voice whispered through his mind, reminding him that he was laying his heart out for her to step on. Jana wasn’t a dainty stepper. That smart mouth of hers knew how to trample. But he’d come this far. He wasn’t about to be deterred.

  “Maybe I’m reading us wrong,” he finally said. “Maybe you don’t want me the way I thought you did, but it doesn’t change what I feel for you.”

  Jana tugged on a lock of hair. Her face clouded with uneasiness, and he feared he’d pushed too hard.

  “I…” she stammered, and a second later she found her voice. “I haven’t been with anyone else either, in several months.”

  He couldn’t stop the smile tugging at his lips as relief nearly bowled him over.

  She took a tentative step closer, and her vulnerability made his knees weak. With her bare feet, the top of her head didn’t even reach his chin, making her seem even smaller and more fragile.

  She gazed up at him with a mixture of hope and worry in her beautiful eyes. “What if we don’t work?”

  “What if we do?” he countered.

  A soft laugh escaped her lips, and it was a magnificent sound.

  �
��I’m being serious, Hunter. We’re good at…hookups. What if we aren’t good at something more?”

  “Then we go back to hooking up.” How else could he answer? He didn’t believe they wouldn’t be good together, but he didn’t want the idea of their not being a them in her head.

  “So, what exactly is it that you want from me?”

  He arched a brow, biting back sexual innuendos. She laughed, and it shot straight to his heart.

  “God. You’re impossible,” she said. “You know what I mean.”

  “I want to spend today together. I want to talk about your studio.” If he wanted this to work—and man, did he ever—it was time for him to come clean and let her know what he already knew.

  “When Sky dropped off your purse, she told me that you didn’t get the space at Seaside. I want to talk about that, and other things.” It was no wonder she’d dressed and acted like she had last night. She must have been heartbroken when she found out she had lost the space at Seaside, and if there was one thing he knew about Jana, it was that emotions scared her.

  She nodded. “And this?” She waved her finger between them. “What do you want with regard to us?”

  He didn’t hesitate as he pulled her against him—hoping she wouldn’t pull away and not spend the day with him. “I want there to be an us. A commitment. You see only me, and I’ll see only you.”

  She rolled her eyes, but he knew it was a defense mechanism. “You want to win. To hear me say I want you.”

  Of course he wanted to hear that. What man wouldn’t? What she didn’t realize was that winning, to Hunter, meant having Jana all to himself.

  “No. You don’t have to tell me you want me. Just tell me you’ll only be with me.”

  She laughed at that and quickly trapped her lower lip between her teeth. Her brows knitted. “Okay.”

  “Okay, what?”