by Melody Anne
Besides that, Hunter had always fantasized about doing it on a teacher’s desk. The fantasy had always been another student, not the teacher. But Hunter had no doubt this prim professor was concealing a wild side. She was trying to hide the woman she’d once been. Why? He didn’t understand.
“Where’d you go, Brother?” Gabe asked with a knowing chuckle.
“Nowhere,” Hunter said too quickly before he glared at his brother. “Okay, fine, the professor intrigued me. I won’t be around long enough to do anything about it anyway, and believe me when I tell you, she’s not the sort of girl who wants to take a romp in the hay and then forget it happened.” Maybe she’d done that once, but she wasn’t going to do it again. He’d been well aware of the walls she’d put up since he’d once known her.
“Is that the only sort of girl you go out with?” Gabe asked.
“I don’t go out with any girls. I sate the needs, then it’s adios,” Hunter said.
“You’re proud of this?” Gabe asked with a bit of disgust.
“Damn straight I am. I don’t want to get locked down, and a woman is the first step toward a noose being secured around your throat. You should be aware of that now that you’ve tied the knot.” Hunter reached up and rubbed his neck as if that noose was already there, tightening by the second.
“I had the same attitude as you for a very long time,” Gabe told him. “Meeting Josie has obviously changed that for me.” Hunter wanted to mock him, but held back. “I grew up though, and now I treat the woman I love with the respect she deserves,” Gabe finished.
“Of course you do. That’s all part of your stuck-up attitude,” Hunter said with a chuckle.
Gabe obviously didn’t find him amusing as he growled low in his throat. Hunter was impressed. He didn’t think his brother had it in him to growl.
“Do you have anything to say worth speaking about?” Gabe asked.
Hunter laughed. “We’re having company tonight,” Hunter told him.
That made Gabe look up. “Who?”
“The professor,” Hunter said as he jumped to his feet. “She’ll be here in about an hour so I should probably shower so I don’t smell like a mud pit.”
“So it’s okay to stink in front of me?” Gabe asked.
“You aren’t a sexy package dying to be unwrapped,” Hunter told him with a wink.
“I thought you said you weren’t going there,” Gabe pointed out.
“Yeah, I say a lot of things,” Hunter said.
He left Gabe behind as he bounded from the den and out of the main place to one of the guesthouses. He was a little too excited about the professor’s visit. Maybe he should rethink his attitude about her. They could always treasure hunt and warm the sheets at the same time. He was sure she could use it. He knew he could. Why not make the adventure a lot more fun? It wasn’t like they hadn’t done it before.
Hunter found himself whistling as he jumped into the large shower with jet sprays. He might just enjoy this visit home for the first time in a lot of years. And once again, it all had to do with the same woman.
Chapter Four
Rebekah was unbelievably nervous as she pulled her car up to the ranch house where she’d spent so much time when she was only eighteen years old. Why had she listened to Hunter Brannigan? Hadn’t she learned years ago that she couldn’t trust him? Maybe some lessons took more time than others to learn.
One thing Rebekah had known from the moment Hunter had left her office though, was that she wasn’t going to be able to walk away from this. Maybe it was about the closure she desperately needed. Maybe it was her love of treasure. It was probably just her inability to walk away from a puzzle.
She’d spent the entire night researching the poem Hunter had left with her, wishing she’d had the map to go with it. But he was a smart man. He’d most likely known if she had all the pieces she wouldn’t need him, and therefore wouldn’t have come to the ranch.
She would have rather not come. It was messing with her head and her heart. But Rebekah refused to let herself go there. She was simply doing a job and she refused to allow it to be a problem. Rebekah was a reasonable person. She didn’t deal in what ifs or what could have beens. She looked to what she could verify, touch, physically feel. Emotions were nothing more than a nuisance and she would push them down. When she and Hunter were done with this impossible task, she would leave and not think of him again.
Good. Now that she had her emotions under control, she felt better — or so she told herself. But as she gazed at the place where she’d thought her dreams were coming true so long ago, she knew she was a fool.
Here it was impossible for the memories not to assault her. She and Hunter had made love in so many spots on this ranch. They’d hidden in the shack on top of the hill, had snuck into his childhood bedroom where they’d tried not to make too much noise, had laid blankets down in the woods surrounding the property, had even had a midnight skinny dipping session in the creek.
She’d been free that summer — free and in love. She’d finished school doing what her parents had wanted, graduating valedictorian, getting a scholarship to one of the nicest colleges in the United States, having a one-year plan, five-year plan, and ten-year plan. She’d given up parties with friends, hadn’t even gone to her senior prom. She’d graduated high school with two years of college under her belt. Her life had been all about academics and her future.
Until that summer.
It had been her one and only time to rebel and on the very first day of that new journey, she’d met Hunter Brannigan in a big way. She’d been alone, swimming in the ocean when a rogue wave had taken her down. Rebekah had feared for her life, but suddenly strong arms had wrapped around her and she’d found herself surfacing, taking in a sweet gasp of fresh air as she coughed out the seawater.
One look into Hunter’s eyes and she’d been lost. He’d kissed her right then and there, in the middle of the ocean. She’d spent the entire summer with him, wrapped up in his arms and laughing like she’d never laughed before.
It had taken a few weeks before she’d had the courage to give him her virginity. Oh, but it had been spectacular. She would never forget that night. The sun had been setting, brilliant splashes of reds, oranges and purples blending together as the brightest stars became visible.
Hunter had warmed her entire body with his hands and mouth and then he’d slowly climbed up her, his lips whispering against hers as he told her how beautiful she was. Slowly, so slowly, he’d slipped inside her, and though there’d been a touch of pain, his caress and care had melted it away until all she’d felt was desire and pleasure.
She’d never wanted that night to end. And then when it had, she hadn’t wanted summer to end. But of course, the fairytale had concluded, and not with a happily-ever-after. That wasn’t the path Rebekah had been on then.
She would have given it all up for Hunter — if he’d wanted her to. But he had disappeared and she’d gone back to her real life — never allowing herself to feel so free again.
As she gazed at the place that gave her such fond memories, she felt that same ache she’d felt so long ago. Rebekah had thought that was over — had thought she’d moved on. Apparently she’d been wrong. There had been such hope inside her that he’d want her forever. She had never voiced that out loud, but the hope had been there.
She’d told no one how she felt. After all, it had been nothing more than the foolish dreams of an immature little girl. She also hadn’t opened up her heart again. Her mother had warned her from a young age not to be led by her emotions. Rebekah had fully understood why when she’d dealt with the pain of losing Hunter.
And now she was agreeing to go on a treasure hunt with that same man. She must be one of those foolish women her mother had spoken of. Because the man who had stepped into her office barely resembled the person she’d fallen in love with — the carefree, lo
ving, sweet man who had stolen her heart.
The man who had come to her the day before had been hardened, was rougher around the edges. Sure, she could still see the adventure in his eyes, but there was more to him now. Rebekah was sure she didn’t want to explore what that was.
If Hunter thought she was the same young girl, then he would be unpleasantly surprised. She had grown up in the past ten years. Now she was wise, strong, and not so susceptible to a man’s charms. She wouldn’t fall all over herself because of a few whispered words in the dark or a few stolen kisses in the moonlight.
No. Rebekah had grown up. What surprised her was how depressed that thought made her feel. Being in this place made her want to let her hair down, made her want to run and jump in the ocean, made her want to go on those wild adventures she’d once dreamed of. Even if she allowed herself to follow this map of Hunter’s, she still wouldn’t fully be able to let go. She feared if she did, she’d never come back to who she needed to be.
Shaking her head to end her walk down memory lane, Rebekah stopped her car and took a big breath before she opened the door and stepped out. Her fingers clung to the strap of the computer bag wrapped around her body. The poem she’d been trying to interpret rested safely inside.
This was a business transaction, nothing more. She’d do well to remember that for the duration of her time with Hunter. She began heading to the front door when she heard noise around the corner.
What she should do was go and knock, but what she found herself doing instead was heading along the path that would lead her to the guesthouses.
The massive yard had been well taken care of, and she smiled as she closed her eyes for a moment, remembering a game of Frisbee with Hunter and his siblings that had gone on late into the night. She’d enjoyed her time alone with Hunter and she’d enjoyed time with his family. They were good people even if he wasn’t, she told herself.
“I wasn’t sure you’d come.”
Rebekah slowly turned from her view of the property to see Hunter walking confidently toward her. The gap between them was much smaller than she would have liked. She hadn’t thought it would be possible for him to be so near without her knowledge.
“You left me with little choice,” she said with a bit of a scowl. “I had to return the poem to you, and … and I’m curious,” she admitted.
Hunter laughed. “You never were able to turn down a challenge,” he said, stopping so close to her she could practically taste him.
“There’s nothing wrong with being competitive,” she said with a small huff.
He looked her over and his lips turned up even higher. “Where are the glasses, Professor?”
Rebekah unconsciously fluttered her fingers as she reached for the rims. She only wore them at school. To tell the truth, she hated having the metal against her face all day. It was just that it made her appear older. Of course he would point it out.
“I only need them for reading,” she lied.
He smiled bigger. She had a feeling he knew it was a mask of sorts for her. She needed to focus on anything other than Hunter Brannigan, so she found herself playing with the strap resting against her chest.
“If you’re here, does that mean you want to go on an adventure with me?” he asked, clear excitement in his tone.
She felt herself stiffen. “No. I want to figure out the map, but that doesn’t mean I need to actually go anywhere,” she insisted.
“Listen Becka, it’s about following the clues. You’re either in or you’re out. If you aren’t willing to commit fully to the project then I need to find someone who is. I need to get out of here as soon as possible, so I want this puzzle solved.”
He looked her deep in the eyes as he said this. He was telling her a few things with his little speech. One was that he wasn’t sticking around. That hurt more than she wanted it to, though she was a fool to feel that way. He was also saying she was replaceable. Rebekah didn’t like that any more than the first thing.
She narrowed her eyes and pulled her shoulders back. She knew the best thing she could do would be to walk away. Why she wasn’t doing just that, she had no idea.
“I need to think a bit more about all of this before I make my final decision,” she told him.
He studied her for several moments and his lips turned up again. She wasn’t sure what he’d found in her expression. She didn’t even know exactly what she was feeling, besides a whole lot of confusion.
“Think about the map, or think about us?” he asked.
“There is no us, Hunter,” she snapped, her pulse accelerating.
“That’s not even remotely true,” he said, his eyes narrowing. Had she offended him? She didn’t understand how.
The step he took toward her made her stumble backward. She wanted to stand her ground, but she absolutely didn’t want him touching her. She feared what her response would be — and not that it would be bad.
“You can’t possibly be afraid of me,” he said, not backing away.
“Of course I’m not afraid of you, Hunter. I just prefer to stay on task,” she said. “There’s really no point in discussing things that are better left buried in the past.”
“Dang, you have that professor voice down pat, don’t you?” he said with a chuckle.
Rebekah’s fingers tightened on the strap she was clutching like a lifeline. He had come to her for help, but he certainly wasn’t interested in making things the least bit easy on her.
“I want to talk rules before I even consider doing this with you, Hunter,” she told him.
That made his lips turn up even more. She didn’t appreciate the fact that he was so amused by her. She was no longer that naïve little teenager she’d been when he’d rescued her from the ocean.
“Rules?” he finally said.
“Yes, rules, Hunter,” she stiffly told him. “You came to me wanting help, and now I’m telling you my terms.”
“I’ve never been too good at following rules,” he informed her.
“I shouldn’t have come. This wasn’t wise,” she said, the stress of being there beginning to weigh on her.
Before she could so much as move an inch, Hunter reached out, taking her hand. “Sometimes in life, the biggest mistakes turn out to be the greatest blessings,” he said quietly.
The husky timber of his voice and the fire in his eyes had her knees shaking. Was he saying what they’d once shared had been a mistake? Or was he saying that doing this treasure hunt together would end up being a blessing? Rebekah really didn’t know.
With concentrated effort she pulled her hand from his grip and took a step back as she tried to get her breathing under control. This was wrong — it was so wrong, but she couldn’t seem to force herself to walk away from it.
“Can you do this professionally or are we going to have problems?” she asked.
“I don’t see any problem with us working together,” he told her, but the look in his eyes promised the opposite.
“Fine, then do you want to hear my terms?” she pushed.
He smiled at her, as a parent would while indulging a naughty child. She decided she would just have to get used to that from him. She couldn’t nitpick at everything.
“What are your terms?” he asked.
“There will be no touching, no flirting, no trying to get in my pants,” she began. His smile grew, but he said nothing. She took a breath and continued.
“We will keep this strictly business. And if you can’t promise this, then I’m not helping you.” She crossed her arms and gave him her sternest look. His smile grew and though she wanted to keep on talking to fill the uncomfortable silence, she waited.
“Let me counter,” he told her. The low timbre of his voice made her tremble. “I promise not to do anything you don’t want.”
She waited for him to go on, but he’d decided that was all he want
ed to say. She glared at him for several moments but it seemed that no matter how stern a look she gave him, he wasn’t one to back down.
“Then I guess there’s not a problem because I think I’ve made myself clear. I want nothing from you,” she said.
“Then we’re ready to begin,” he told her. She knew this was going to end up badly for her, but she was now too committed to back away. She sighed before deciding to give it a try.
“Let’s look at the map,” she told him.
Hunter looked as if he wanted to say something, but then much to her relief he let out a sigh and began walking back to the guesthouse. She followed behind him, her fingers aching from gripping the strap on her chest so tightly.
As they stepped into the small cabin and Rebekah looked around, memories of the past assaulted her. She wondered how truly professional she was going to be able to remain.
This wasn’t just anyone, it was Hunter, her first love. The past should have been kept buried, but it appeared she had just been provided a shovel to dig it all back up.
Chapter Five
Hunter wiped his palms on his pants, shocked to realize they were sweating. He had been in places where bullets zipped past him, nearly taking his life, and he hadn’t felt as nervous as he did while Becka sat across from him.
What was it about this particular girl? He wasn’t sure. They’d had one incredible summer together and then he hadn’t seen her again until he’d stepped into her stuffy office at the college. But he’d thought about her over the years. He’d left women’s beds and gone to sleep with a vision of Becka hiding behind his closed eyelids.
There had been something special about her that long ago summer, and time had only added to her appeal. He hoped like hell she’d be washed from his system by the time they came to whatever end his father had planned for him with this treasure hunt.
“I got the original map from my father after his passing. I had to leave for an assignment right away. When I got back I went through the box and looked at the rest of the clues within,” Hunter said as he pushed the materials toward Becka.