by Unknown
“Um, no. Most definitely not.”
She withdrew the keycard from her purse and held it up for him to see.
“Where did that come from?”
“I told the hostess my boyfriend had too much to drink, and she was happy to put us up for the night.”
“Was she now? For the whole night?”
“Uh-huh. Checkout is at eleven.”
With his hands on her hips, he peppered her neck with kisses that made her laugh. “I think I’m going to be late for work tomorrow. Again.”
“I have to work at seven.”
“Can you call in sick?”
“I might have to. I was thinking earlier that Nina can’t exactly fire me.”
“True.”
At the door to the room, she turned to face him, feeling vulnerable and uncertain about what had seemed like such a great idea a few minutes ago. “I’m sending mixed messages here, aren’t I?”
“I’m good with that.”
She smiled at his hasty reply. “I’m serious, Hunter.”
“You said you don’t want to get serious,” he said, his smile teasing.
“And yet I go get a key for one of these rooms and bring you up here like a brazen—”
He kissed the words right off her lips. “We’re having fun. That’s all we’re doing tonight. And I love your surprise.”
“In that case …” Megan pushed the door open and stopped short at the sight before her. The room was gorgeous. A four-poster bed with a white eyelet coverlet, a gas fireplace, a cozy sitting area in front of the fireplace, shiny knotty pine floors.
“The Pig’s Belly continues to astound me,” Hunter said.
“I know!” Megan went to check out the bathroom and let out a happy squeal at the sight of a huge tub with built-in jets. “And this is free? Why aren’t people in Butler talking about this place?”
“Let’s make a solemn vow right now to tell no one about it.”
“Agreed.” All at once the nerves reappeared, making her wonder what he really thought about her orchestrating such a romantic interlude on this, their first real date. Maybe she shouldn’t have been quite so spontaneous.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’m hoping you aren’t really thinking that I’m … You know …”
“Beautiful?” He took a step toward her. “Adventuresome?” Another step. “Sexy as hell?” One more step to bring him face-to-face with her. “Exactly what I need?”
Flustered by what he’d said and how he’d said it, Megan smiled but shook her head. “As nice as all of that is, it’s not what I meant.”
“I know, but I’m not thinking about anything other than those things. Whatever happened in the past is in the past. This is a clean slate, and you’ve thoroughly blown my mind tonight in all the best ways possible.”
“I have? Really?”
“Absolutely.” Raising his hands to cradle her face, he kissed her softly and thoroughly, blowing her mind with only the light brush of his lips against hers.
Megan reached for him, her hands landing at his waist and closing the remaining distance between them.
He kissed her for a long time, soft, sweet, sexy undemanding kisses that went a long way toward calming the nerves that had nearly derailed her spontaneous gesture. “What’re you thinking right now?” he asked.
“At this very second?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m wondering how you knew just what to say and do to calm me down when I’d started to second-guess myself. And mostly I’m wondering where you came from all of a sudden.”
He smiled down at her. “It’s hardly all of a sudden. I’ve been right across the street all this time waiting and hoping I might have a chance to be with you like this. And I knew what to say because I could see you were about to panic about what you’d done and what I might think of it.”
Megan rested her head against his chest, sighing when he wrapped his arms around her. How nice it was to be with a man who seemed to understand her so effortlessly. That was certainly a first.
“What do you say we get a little more comfortable?” he asked after a long silence.
“I hope you know I didn’t do this expecting, well, anything. I sort of did it without thinking it all the way through to this moment when we’re both trying to figure out what’s going to happen.”
“Nothing has to happen. I’m happy to have more time to spend with you, to be off on this little departure from my real life with you. Anything else that happens is a bonus, so don’t feel any pressure coming from me.”
“You don’t have to feel any pressure either,” she said, smiling.
“Oh please,” he said with a big, sexy grin, “pressure me. Make my day, my year, my life complete.”
“You’re funny, Hunter Abbott. I never would’ve guessed that.”
“Wait till you see the rest of my hidden qualities.” After waggling his brows playfully, he tugged his sweater up and over his head and kicked off his shoes. When she had removed her shoes, too, he led her to the bed, where they stretched out next to each other.
Turning to face him, Megan noticed the logo for the Seventh Annual Capt. Caleb M. Guthrie Memorial Road Race on the T-shirt he’d worn under the sweater. “Did you do the run they just had?”
Nodding, he said, “I do it every year.”
“I’d like to do it one of these years. I’m always working, but I love to run. And I know he was your friend.”
“One of my best friends and former roommate as well as my brother-in-law.”
“I’m sorry you lost him.”
“Thanks. It was a very difficult time. Still is in many ways.”
“Always will be. It took me a while after I lost my parents to realize it’s not something you ever ‘get over.’ You learn to live with it, but it’s always a part of who you are.”
He nodded in agreement. “I’ve seen that with Hannah, too. She’s really happy with Nolan now, but I know she still thinks about Caleb and misses him all the time.”
“Nolan is a great guy. I think it’s so sweet how he waited for her to be ready to fall in love again.”
“I doubt Hannah would’ve taken a second chance with anyone but him. They’re perfect together.”
“What was their wedding like? I didn’t hear too much about it, but the town sure was quiet that weekend with everyone in Burlington.”
“It was … very touching and emotional. We’re thrilled to see her moving forward with Nolan and excited about their baby. But days like that are such a reminder about who isn’t here anymore and never will be again. Caleb’s parents and brother were there and all his best friends, who are Hannah’s friends, too, and Nolan’s. It was a happy day, but it was bittersweet in many ways. I know Hannah and Nolan would agree.”
“You’re close with her? Your sister?”
“Extremely. She’s my twin, you know that, right?”
“I’m not sure if I knew that. Of course I’m well aware that your younger brothers are twins because they’re always trying to confuse me as to who is who when they come into the diner. They’re such flirts.”
Hunter uttered a low growl that surprised her. “I’ll kick their asses if they flirt with you.”
“That I’d like to see. You do know there’re two of them, right?”
“So what? I’ve been kicking their asses since they were little brats.”
“Sure you have.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Not for one second do I believe you ever beat up your little brothers.”
“I didn’t beat them up, per se, but rather I put a hurt on them from time to time when they needed to be reminded who’s boss.”
“Such a badass,” she said, laughing.
“Shhh, don’t tell anyone. The whole accountant thing is my disguise. Kind of like Clark Kent was a reporter.”
“Now you’re comparing yourself to Superman?”
“If the cape fits …”
“You’re too
funny.”
“You think it’s easy being the oldest of ten kids? It’s like being the dictator of a banana republic.”
“And you love every minute of it.”
“I do. For the most part.”
“You have an amazing family. You’re so lucky.”
“And I know it. Believe me. Sometimes they drive me nuts, but I’m always thankful for them. You should come to Sunday dinner at my mom’s. Talk about a banana republic. It’s full-on chaos.”
The thought of joining his family for a big chaotic dinner filled Megan with yearning to be part of them, but the yearning was quickly extinguished when she recalled the awful way she’d treated Cameron. “I’m sure they wouldn’t want me there.”
“Why would you say that?”
“I reacted badly when Will started seeing Cameron. I’m ashamed of the way I treated her. She has every right to hate me. Him, too, for that matter.”
“They don’t hate you, Megan.”
“Still, I bet they hardly want to sit across from me at Sunday dinner.”
“They wouldn’t care at all if you were there.”
“How do you know that?”
“They’re so happy it’s disgusting. Nothing and no one can bring them down.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Can you keep a huge secret?”
“Of course I can. If you only knew the stuff I hear during a single shift. I could ruin lives.”
“Note to self: Stay on Megan’s good side.”
“You know it. Now what’s the big secret?”
“He’s going to propose to her. I’m going with him Saturday to pick out a ring.”
“That’s really exciting. I’m happy for him. He’s a good guy, and he deserves to be happy.”
“Does it upset you to hear he’s getting engaged?”
“Not as much as it would have a couple of months ago.” She placed her hand over his, which he had laid flat on the bed. “In fact, I’m starting to feel a little grateful to her.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because if she hadn’t come along and forced me to give up on my crush on Will, I might’ve missed out on the fact that his very sexy older brother was interested in getting to know me better.”
He raised a brow, and the gesture transformed his face from handsome to rakish. “Very sexy, huh?”
“Yep.”
“What’re you doing all the way over there?”
“Just waiting for you to invite me over there.”
“Dear Megan, please come closer to me. Love, Hunter. How’s that?”
“Hmm, I’m not convinced you really want me to.”
“Let me try again then. Dear Megan, please come over here and kiss me before I die from wanting you to. Much love, Hunter. Better?”
Was it possible for a heart to do somersaults and still keep beating? “Much love?”
“Could be. You’ll have to come over here to find out.”
“Well, since you asked me so nicely …” She scooted across the big bed until she was several inches from him. “Good?”
“Not quite.” He put his arm around her and brought her the rest of the way until her body was tucked in tight against his. “Now that is much better.”
“Is it kind of crazy that we’re in this room together at a place called the Pig’s Belly with the floor vibrating from the music downstairs?”
“One of the craziest things I’ve ever done.”
“Me, too.”
“And the best first date I’ve ever had.”
“Same.”
He stared into her eyes for a long, breathless moment before he kissed her, groaning as their lips came together.
Megan reached for him, trying to bring him closer, which was how he ended up on top of her.
Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her. “Is this okay?”
Rather than answer him with words, she put her arms around him and tangled her legs with his to keep him from getting away.
“You have no idea how badly I want you.”
She raised her hips ever so slightly, making him groan again when she pressed against his erection. “I have a small idea.”
“Hey! There’s nothing small about it.”
Megan’s laughter was quickly muffled by devouring kisses, sweeping thrusts of his tongue and his hand under her dress, flat against the back of her leg, branding her with his heat. She squirmed under him, trying to move things along, but Hunter wouldn’t be rushed.
“Easy, honey. We’ve got all night.”
The thought of a full night with him only made her more restless.
He pulled back from her all of a sudden, kneeling between her legs and pushing her dress up and over her head, leaving her only in a black thong and matching satin bra, her breasts spilling over the top.
Hunter licked his lips as he zeroed in on her breasts before bending to kiss the upper slope of one and then the other. “You’re so beautiful, Megan. I’ve thought so for such a long time.”
He made her feel more beautiful than she had ever felt before with the way he looked at her and in the worshipful way he kissed and touched her. When she released the front clasp on her bra, his gorgeous brown eyes went wide with shock and then dark with desire. “You love to surprise me, don’t you?”
“It is sort of fun.”
“I like your idea of fun.” He pushed the bra aside and cupped her breasts, staring down at them.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not one damned thing. Just savoring the view.” Lowering his head, he took her left nipple into his mouth while pinching the right one lightly between his fingers.
Megan grasped a handful of his hair. She’d forgotten how it felt to be consumed by desire, not that she’d ever felt anything even close to this. Her nipples were incredibly sensitive, and he was making her crazy—until he stopped all of a sudden and rolled off her, leaving her aroused and stunned by his withdrawal.
CHAPTER 12
Lying on his back, breathing heavily, Hunter propped an arm over his eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“Um, okay.” A thousand thoughts went through her mind in the time it took for him to lower his arm and reach for her.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why did you stop?”
He twirled a lock of her hair around his finger. “Because I want you too much, and I’m afraid if I show you how much, I’ll freak you out and send you running from me.”
Flooded with relief to know he hadn’t changed his mind about wanting her, Megan placed her hand on his cheek, compelling him to look at her.
He turned his face into her hand, kissing her palm and setting off a whole new wave of need.
“You won’t freak me out.”
“You don’t know that for sure. It’s been a long time for you, and I’m feeling …”
“How are you feeling?”
“Out of control. And I’m never out of control. Ever.”
“Maybe there’s a first time for everything,” she said, ridiculously flattered to know she’d done that to him. Megan tugged on his T-shirt. “Take this off.”
“We should probably stop.”
“Do we have to?”
“No, but you need to understand what I mean by out of control.”
“Make me understand.”
“I can be kind of … demanding … during sex.”
“So you said earlier.” Megan swallowed hard as her entire body heated with interest and curiosity and desire that settled into an intense throb between her legs. “Demanding in what way?”
“I like to be in charge, and with you …” He cupped her breast and ran his thumb over her nipple. “Just touching you like this was like lighting a live fuse. It’s never happened that fast before.”
“Would you ever hurt me in any way?”
He blanched, his eyes widening and his mouth moving silently. “No,” he said softly. “Not in a million years would I ever hurt you. I just don’t wan
t to scare you by showing you how crazy you make me.”
“You make me pretty crazy, too.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded and again pulled on his T-shirt, urging him to take it off, which he did, revealing a lanky, muscular chest covered with just the right amount of soft dark hair. His abs were ripped and well defined, which came as a surprise.
“Do all accountants have such impressive abs?”
He snorted out a laugh. “How the hell would I know?”
“You must work out a lot.”
“I do wilderness survival training with my brothers, so I have to work out just about every day in the gym I have in my basement so they don’t show me up when we train.”
“God forbid.”
“Exactly.”
Megan bent over him and kissed his neck, throat and chest, making a path to those impressive abs that rippled under her lips.
He buried his fingers in her hair, tightening them into fists as she moved farther down, following the trail of dark hair that led to the waistband of his jeans. “Megan …”
“Maybe if we take the edge off, you won’t be so scary with this loss-of-control issue you seem to have.” As she spoke, all the reasons she’d thought it was a bad idea to get involved with him were swept away on a wave of desire so strong she could barely breathe for wanting him. She unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, pushing them down to reveal silk boxers that made her laugh. “Why am I not surprised?”
“What’s so funny?”
“You. You’re classy right down to the silk boxers.”
“Haven’t you ever felt silk against your most important parts?”
“Can’t say that I have.”
He caressed her face. “We’ll have to rectify that. Immediately. Then you won’t be laughing.”
“You’re going to buy me underwear?”
“Sweetheart, I’m going to buy you silk underwear. Only the best.”
“I’ll look forward to that.” She kissed his stomach, working her way from one side to the other and then back down to where his cock strained against dark silk. “Will you promise me something?” she asked.
“Anything.”
“That no matter what we do here, you won’t think less of me because of it.”
“I could never think less of you for wanting to be with me this way. I feel like all the best fantasies I’ve ever had are happening right in front of me. How could I ever think less of you?”