by Mandy Morgan
She might think her scuzzy ex-stepbrother coming back around wasn’t a big deal. But I had a finely-tuned intuition for trouble that had been honed during my time as a Ranger. And it was pinging right now.
I made my way to where I’d left my Jeep in the All Saints Hospital parking garage. And then I pulled out my phone to report back to Mason. He was waiting to hear my thoughts on Amelia’s situation.
The second-in-command of Bourne Protective Services answered on the first ring. “Hey, man. How’d it go? Did Amelia welcome you with open arms?”
I barked out a laugh. “Hardly. She’s pretty set on just hoping this whole situation goes away on its own.”
“Blair had a feeling that’s how it would go down.”
I sat in silence for a moment, my thoughts still full of Amelia and her luscious curves. They played before my eyes like the world’s most detailed and realistic movie.
“You there, Hunter?”
Mason’s question brought me back. I realized he’d been saying something and I’d totally missed it. “Sorry, what was that?”
Mason laughed. “I said, there’s something about those All Saints women, isn’t there?”
“Ha! You can say that again.”
I squirmed in my seat, trying to make the physical sign of my longing for Amelia go away. It was no use. I sighed and rubbed my hand over my eyes. What was she doing to me?
“Should I let Brock know you’re on the case?”
“Oh, yeah. I gave Amelia my number and told her to call me if that Kyle creep showed up again. I also plan to do some digging on the guy.”
“Sounds good to me, brother. I’ll see you around.”
With that, Mason was gone, and I was left alone with my thoughts about Amelia, not to mention a bulge in my pants that wouldn’t seem to go down.
I groaned and fired up my Jeep. I figured staying busy was the only way I was going to get Amelia off my mind. I headed for the apartment I shared with Wyatt and the laptop I would use to research Kyle Tyson.
I didn’t know if my fellow BPS teammate and roomie would be home or not. But I was glad to see Wyatt’s perfectly restored Camaro in its regular parking spot when I pulled in.
My best friend and work partner might come across as a quintessential “surfer dude,” but Wyatt Jacobs was much more than a laid-back beach bum. Which was a damn good thing, since we lived in the mountains.
But in all seriousness, Wyatt had never let me down, whether it was in combat during our time in the service, or in our personal and current work lives with BPS.
“What’s up, buddy?” Wyatt drawled from where he was watching TV in his favorite armchair. “Any word on your latest assignment?”
“Glad you asked,” I said as I sank down on the couch across from him. “I was hoping to get your thoughts.”
Wyatt leaned forward with a glint in his eyes. He no longer believed in violence, and had even gone so far as to take a vow of peace toward all mankind once his time as a Ranger was up, but he did love some excitement.
“Hit me, Hunter, my man. I’m all ears.”
I filled Wyatt in on what I’d learned about Amelia’s situation during my time in the lab. I thought about adding some of my more private observations, but then decided against it. I wanted to keep her all to myself.
“Let’s start with a public records search,” Wyatt said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of getting started on a new case. “And see what this idiot’s done time for in the past.”
Kyle Tyson had an arrest record as long as my arm. I felt my hands curl into fists at the thought of him being anywhere near Amelia. Not only was he a convicted felon, but all of his crimes were for theft or drugs.
“I knew my gut was right on this one,” I muttered through a tightly clenched jaw. “I told Amelia that Kyle was nobody to mess with and probably up to no good.”
“I agree with you a hundred percent, Hunter, but what can you do? If she doesn’t ask for your help or BPS protection, you can’t force it on her, no matter how you might feel.”
My head jerked up as I realized I hadn’t been fooling my best friend about how deep I was into things when it came to Amelia and her safety.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. But one thing I’m not going to do is let her go…”
Chapter Five
Amelia
It had been almost a week since I’d seen Kyle. And two whole days had passed since Hunter had walked into my lab and disrupted my life by doing nothing more than being his sexy self.
Try as I might, I hadn’t been able to get him totally out of my head. My dreams were full of steam and all starred Hunter.
I’d been sleeping like crap and having to fuel myself with extra caffeine to make sure I didn’t mess up at work.
That drove me completely insane. I prided myself on my work. More than anything else, I knew Hunter was bad news because of that.
Even if he’d professed his undying love for me, I couldn’t let him get in the way of me doing my job to the best of my ability.
Of course, he hadn’t even asked me out or said more than a couple of handfuls of words to me, so I felt even more like a fool with a high school crush on the star football player.
When the clock finally hit five o’clock, I sighed with relief and rubbed the back of my neck. Luna looked over at me with a mixture of amusement and concern.
“You doing alright, Amelia? You haven’t been yourself ever since Mason’s friend came to see you.”
“I’m good, I promise!” I chirped and gave my bestie a smile that was way too bright and over-the-top. “Just battling a bit of insomnia, that’s all.”
“Well, I think I know something that might help you get some sleep.” Luna stood and stretched. “A couple of glasses of red wine before bed always puts me out like a light. And it is Friday, so…”
“Oh, please not the Cloud Nine. Not tonight.”
Luna grinned and pulled out the elastic band that had been holding her long red hair in place. It flowed over her shoulders like a wavy waterfall. I didn’t know how she could deal with so much of it.
“Sometimes, you’ve gotta let your hair down and live a little, my friend. Come on, it’ll be my treat.”
I wouldn’t normally set foot in the Cloud Nine Tavern. It wasn’t my scene at all, but Luna loved it, saying it had “charming character” and fair prices.
But maybe she was right. I’d had a hell of a week, and I had read an article that said red wine had something in it which supposedly helped you sleep.
Luna was looking at me with hopeful expectation on her face, and when I told her I was in, she gave a little cry of joy and hugged me. That alone made me feel better and like I’d made the right choice.
One of the nice things about our work uniforms was that they really only consisted of a white lab coat and a plastic ID card on a lanyard. We could pretty much wear whatever we wanted underneath, within reason, of course.
Which meant we didn’t even need to change before heading for the Cloud Nine. Luna drove again and we sang along to an old Adele song on the radio. By the time we pulled into the parking lot, we were laughing and our cheeks were flushed with color.
In a pair of dark jeans that showed off my booty nicely and a new top I’d bought for how well it accentuated my curves, I was feeling downright foxy as we headed into the Cloud Nine.
Luna was also looking like a knockout in a flowing dress that made her natural coloring pop. We linked arms and made our way to the bar for our first round of drinks.
We’d just picked out a table in the middle of the bar’s main room when I heard a voice call my name, and turned to find Blair and Lily coming our way, wearing matching smiles of delight.
Both nurses looked pretty as pictures. I’d forgotten the best friends liked coming here for after-work drinks on occasion.
And I hadn’t seen them at the hospital that day, so I’d figured they were off and spending their free time with their boyfriends.
<
br /> Suddenly, it struck me that if Lily and Blair were here, then Brock and Mason were probably with them, and I felt butterflies come to life in my stomach—what if they weren’t the only members of BPS in the Cloud Nine?
The two women reached our table and gave me and Luna big hugs. We chatted for a few moments before Blair turned to me and shook her finger.
“I heard you turned away Hunter’s help,” she said in a mock stern tone. “I really wish you’d reconsider.”
I was just about to tell Blair that I had Hunter’s number if I needed him, and that I hadn’t seen Kyle in almost a week. But my arms broke out in goosebumps as I sensed someone standing behind me.
I knew it was the literal man of my dreams before I even turned around. When I did, I had to fight back a small moan of desire at the sight of Hunter.
He looked even better than he had the last time I’d seen him. His dark brown eyes were dancing and his muscles were threatening to burst free of the button-down shirt he was wearing.
“Hello, Amelia,” Hunter said in that deep voice of his, which never seemed to fail to make me shiver. “Don’t you look good enough to eat?”
Chapter Six
Hunter
I hadn’t meant to come right out and tell Amelia how hot she looked. But it had slipped out, and when I saw how her cheeks turned a pretty pink at the compliment, I was glad my tongue had gone rogue.
It had been two days since I’d had the pleasure of laying my eyes on Amelia’s curves. Of course, I’d seen them in my dreams. Even more of them than she was showing in her current figure-hugging outfit.
I was actually grateful to see Amelia surrounded by her friends. If she’d been alone, I didn’t know if I’d have been able to stop myself from seeing if she tasted as good as she looked.
“Oh, hi!” Amelia squeaked in a severely adorable way. “How are, um, well…things?”
“Forget about me. How are things with you?”
Amelia’s blush deepened. “Oh, good! Things are good. I haven’t had any, you know, issues lately.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Amelia. I was hoping you hadn’t called me because you didn’t need to, not because you didn’t want to.”
I looked at the empty chair next to Amelia’s and she practically jumped. “Oh! I’m being rude, aren’t I? I’m so sorry about that. Would you like to join us, Hunter?”
We both realized at the same time there was no “us” anymore. The other three women had faded away. I couldn’t keep myself from laughing out loud.
I’d never believed the opposite sex was weaker, and Amelia’s friends had just proved they were certainly smarter than men. I gave her my most charming smile and sank down into the chair she’d offered me.
Amelia pushed her glasses back up on her nose in a way that made me want to take her hand in mine and kiss her fingertips. But I was suddenly very aware that my boss was in the same room.
I turned to look at the table where Brock and the rest of the BPS crew were sitting. Everyone was talking and laughing. I was surprised but pleased to see that Wyatt and Luna were chatting like old friends.
And as usual, Brock had eyes only for Lily, so I figured I was safe, as long as I could control myself around Amelia, and keep things fit for public display.
That may be impossible with this curvy beauty…
“I guess my friends thought we could use some time alone. To talk about my…situation, of course! Not because this is a date, or anything.”
Amelia looked down at her lap. She was so shy and sweet. Not to mention as smart as a whip and all-around perfect for me in every way.
I’d never had a woman check all of the boxes for me in the way she did. In that moment, I didn’t give a damn if Brock got pissed enough to fire me.
Hell, I didn’t even care if he never spoke a word to me again. All that mattered was the gorgeous woman across from me and what she thought.
“Would you like this to be a date, Amelia?”
She didn’t lift her eyes, but I heard her take a deep breath and mumble something. I reached over and lifted her chin with a finger, bringing her gaze to mine.
“What was that, beautiful?”
Amelia’s face was practically on fire. I felt a bolt of raw lust shoot through me. I wanted to make her mine more than I’d ever wanted anything before. But I also wanted her to want it just as much as I did.
“What I said was, I think I might like that a lot, as a matter of fact.”
There was excitement in Amelia’s eyes. And a little bit of defiance, which I loved to see. I wanted her to fight to be with me. I wanted her to tell the rest of the world to go to hell, the way I was willing to do for her.
“Well, then, consider this our very first date.” I looked around and laughed. “Although, I think I would have picked a different venue.”
Amelia relaxed in that moment and her face lit up with the dazzling smile I was quickly becoming addicted to seeing. “Yeah, this wouldn’t have been my first choice, to be honest.”
I leaned in, took her hand in mine, and moved my chair closer to hers. “We’ll have to do something about that for our next date, won’t we? Not to mention the many others to come.”
Amelia gave my hand a squeeze and her face was radiant as she replied. “I think I like the sound of that a lot, too. But how about we start with a drink and getting to know one another better?”
My response was instant and honest. “Amelia, when it comes to you, I’m an open book. Just tell me what you want to know.”
She gave me a wicked grin. “Why, Hunter, I want to know everything, of course.”
Chapter Seven
Amelia
I’d never been swept off my feet by a man. But that’s exactly what happened with Hunter. To be honest, I’d wanted him from the very first moment I met him.
And the more I was around him, the more my desire grew. It was a crazy and intoxicating experience. I didn’t need the wine in front of me. I was drunk on Hunter.
I found myself sharing more with him than I ever would have with any other guy. He was sweet and attentive, hanging on my every word, and actually listening to what I had to say.
In short, it was the perfect first date, and I never wanted it to end. I knew the crowd in the Cloud Nine was thinning out as the hours flew by, but I didn’t care.
I only had eyes for Hunter. Even when Luna came over to tell me she was calling it a night, I just smiled and nodded, and after she made sure Hunter would take me home, she shot me a sneaky thumb’s up and melted away.
Wyatt was right behind Luna, telling me he would make sure she got to her car safely, and then came Lily and Brock. They said their goodbyes and Brock gave Hunter a long look and a nod before leaving.
I wasn’t sure what that was about. I was just glad I was alone with Hunter again. We talked some more, holding hands and locking eyes, and it was like we were the only two people in the whole world.
“Last call, folks!”
The bartender’s words jerked me out of the happy fog I’d been drifting in with Hunter. I realized I didn’t want to go home alone. I took a deep breath and made a leap of faith.
“Do you want to come back to my place?”
Hunter’s face lit up. “I can’t think of any place I’d rather go, beautiful.”
He stood up, pulled my chair out for me, and led me out to his Jeep. After opening the passenger door, he put his hands on my sides and lifted me up into the seat, making me feel as light as a feather.
I loved the feel of Hunter’s hands on my body. And the way he made me feel petite and delicate. And how much of a gentleman he was.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Hunter as he headed for the driver’s seat. His muscles worked in a way that practically left me drooling as he climbed into the Jeep and then turned to me.
His gaze locked on mine in the moonlight and I could feel the heat of it on every inch of my skin. Without a word, Hunter leaned in and pressed his lips to mine, setting my body on fire and seal
ing my feelings for him.
I felt a moan slip out of my mouth and into Hunter’s. I let myself melt into him as he took me into his arms and pressed me to his rock-hard chest.
He cupped my breast in his hand and rubbed my nipple with his thumb. My moan turned into a groan. I didn’t even stop to think about being in a parking lot, out where anyone could see us. I didn’t give a damn.
All I cared about was Hunter’s kiss and caress. I felt a deep hunger for him. It was like I wanted to crawl into him and live there forever. I couldn’t get enough of the feeling of his powerful arms and tender touch.
“This is what you do to me, beautiful,” Hunter growled in my ear as he brought my hand to his lap and pressed it into his hot and hard need.
I gasped at the size of it and then moaned. I ran my hand down the thick length of him and squeezed it. I smiled as Hunter sucked in a sharp breath.
“I want you so bad, Amelia. I need you, dammit.”
“Then take me,” I whispered before giving him a final rub with my hand. “Take me home, Hunter, and then take me to bed.”
Chapter Eight
Hunter
It took every ounce of my strength and focus to make the drive to Amelia’s house. I was vibrating with desire and couldn’t wait to get her back into my arms.
I kept one hand on the wheel and the other on Amelia’s deliciously thick thigh. She traced her fingers over and through mine in a way that drove me wild.
She told me which turns to take and we made it to her place in record time. I pulled into the driveway, cut the Jeep’s engine, and turned to Amelia for my reward.
I couldn’t wait for another second to feel her flesh on mine again. I pulled her back into my embrace, where she belonged, and claimed her mouth with mine once more.