Deepen The Kiss

by Willow Winters

  I take another small bite as my phone goes off on the table. My blood spikes with hope, just like it used to.

  Hunter?

  I grab my phone and stare at it. It’s the bank.

  I drop the spoon to the table, feeling absolutely pathetic. I thought I was over this! Anger rises inside of me as the phone rings again.

  I take a deep breath and do my best to snap out of it. I need to answer this call. I need this loan.

  But I know it’s Slade calling. This late at night, it has to be him… and it has nothing to do with the money I need. He doesn’t handle the lending department, but he’s been calling me.

  This night just keeps getting better and better.

  Slade’s father owns the bank in this town, and Slade’s the manager. I remember the last conversation I had with him and I grit my teeth. He makes me feel so uncomfortable. I’m not sure if it’s the way he looks at me, or the way he’s hanging this loan over my head.

  He’s made it clear he’s interested in a date, but I don’t think I have those feelings for him. Everyone seems to loves him though. He’s good-looking, with a stable job and a well-off family. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

  But then again, I haven’t felt anything serious for any man since Hunter. I groan in frustration at the realization.

  Ring. I finally answer the phone, taking a deep breath.

  “Hello,” I answer with a sweet, even voice.

  I’m good at hiding my emotions. In a small town that talks, you learn how to smile through it all.

  “Violet.” Slade’s voice rings loud and clear through the phone.

  My eyes drop to my bowl of barely touched soup. This isn’t about the loan. I already knew it, but a part of me was still hoping.

  “Hi, Slade,” I say, and my voice is somehow more chipper than I feel.

  “Well, there you are sweetheart,” Slade’s deep voice comes through with a tinge of southern charm. “I stopped by the bakery, but it’s still closed. Now you’d tell me if things were that bad, wouldn’t you?”

  I hate that there’s a tone of condescension, or maybe I’m just making it up. Either way, I feel the need to bite my tongue. He continues without waiting for a response.

  “I’m sure we’ll have that loan for you soon, sweetie,” he says with confidence… just like he did the last time.

  I finally manage a response, “It’s just closed for a few days while I get over this cold.” I pick at a pulled thread in the tablecloth.

  “Are you feeling any better? I could swing by with something to cheer you up.”

  I sigh heavily, hating that I’m so standoffish to Slade. He really does seem like a nice guy.

  My heart clenches in my chest. It’s because of Hunter. I know that’s why I can’t let myself even consider being with another man. I don’t want my heart broken again. But I need to move on.

  “Thank you, Slade. That’s real sweet of you. I’m feeling much better now though.” I stand up and take the bowl to the sink, tipping it and dumping the broth down the drain. It’s not even warm anymore.

  “Well that’s good to hear. You’ll be able to go out with me this weekend then? There’s a bit of a get-together at Andy’s for the game on Saturday. I was hoping you’d say yes this time.”

  There’s a pause at the other end, and I know I need to answer. He’s asked me a few times already, and each time I’ve had an excuse. The only one I can think of now is that Hunter’s back.

  It makes me angry. I shouldn’t even consider that asshole for one minute.

  I should go with Slade; it’ll help me deal with Hunter coming back. I feel absolutely pathetic that one look from my high school sweetheart brings back so much pain.

  But I can’t deny that it’s there. I’m still hurting when I shouldn't be. And I need to get over those feelings and over Hunter for good.

  “Yeah, Slade,” a smile that doesn’t reflect my emotions at all graces my lips as I reply with what’s expected from me, “that sounds nice.”

  CHAPTER 4

  HUNTER

  I pull up to Andy’s, the local bar, for the Saturday night football game. It’s packed, just like I remembered it being back when I was a kid and wasn’t allowed in here. The front doors are thrown open to allow people to move in and out of the bar freely.

  The past three days all I’ve done is think of Vi. I’m still working on getting my shit together and deciding whether or not I’m gonna buy that place on the lake, but I can’t think straight knowing she’s here. I’ve been trying to decide how to apologize, but I don’t even know what’s all gone on in the last four years. For all I know, she hates me and she’s married to someone else. But I sure as shit don’t remember seeing a ring on her finger.

  I almost bought her one myself before my father sat me down and explained that holding on to her was wrong. It was a pale yellow canary diamond. It reminded me of sunflowers, and those were her favorite. I remember just how it looked. I doubt I’d be able to find a ring like that anymore.

  As I put the truck in park and walk across the gravel parking lot to the door, listening to the crunch beneath my feet, I think about how the hell I can make my way back into her life.

  One person turns from the game and notices my arrival as I step into the lively bar.

  “Graves! Holy shit. What’s up, man?”

  I smile. There’s only one person in town that called me by my last name. I stride over to him and embrace Jared with a hard smack on his back, my oldest friend since preschool. He’s a little shorter than me, and he’s rocking the shaved head look, but otherwise he looks just the same.

  “Not much, man. I’m out of the Navy,” I say casually.

  “Glad to have you back!” Jared says, clapping me on the shoulder. “Let’s get you a beer.”

  Nostalgia rocks through me, and a part of it feels good, but another part hurts. I ignore it all and push all that shit to the side. It doesn’t matter anyway. What’s done is done.

  Jared turns and threads his way into the crowd, leaving me to follow. The football fans are densely packed in, some in chairs, some standing. We navigate around them as I take my jacket off.

  I notice that he’s got a smooth, shiny spot on the top of his head, a place where he’s genuinely balding. It’s also obvious that he’s been working out.

  “You start working out for Krissy?” I ask, my tone teasing. Last time I came in, they were getting hitched.

  “Yeah, dude. Even when she was out to here with the kid,” he says, gesturing. “I was working out every day. I gotta stay in shape for her.”

  I chuckle. Jared married the captain of the cheerleading squad, as pretty and blonde as they come.

  “I’m glad that’s still working out,” I say.

  My heart pains in my chest. The thought of Krissy only reminds me of Vi. I can’t help but feel even more regret, knowing what they have together and that I gave that up.

  We step up to the bar, and I pull out my wallet, ready for a beer. I fucking need one.

  “That’s not any good here,” Jared says, looking pointedly at my wallet. “Put it away.”

  I slide him a look, and see he’s serious. I slip my wallet back in the pocket of my jeans.

  “Hey,” Jared says to the people standing next to us. “This right here is a real American hero. A vet, fresh from war.”

  I keep my expression blank, but inside I’m cringing. I don’t like the attention, and I don’t think of myself that way. I just wanna blend back in.

  “Jared…” I warn, but it’s too late.

  “Oh. My. God!” I hear a feminine screech from a blonde across the bar who looks vaguely familiar. “You’re Hunter Graves, aren’t you?” she asks as she makes her way over.

  I try to identify her, but I have no fucking clue who she is. “Yeah,” I finally answer. I lay my jacket on the counter as her hands grip my forearm and the little blonde lets out a squeal.

  “Oh my God! It must feel so good to be home!” I look back at
her and feel like an asshole because I don’t remember her in the least. She must realize that by the look on my face, because she giggles a little and adds, “I’m Amy; Sean’s little sister.”

  I remember Sean from high school, and the fact that he had a sister seems logical. Although if she is a younger sibling, she might be too young to be in this bar.

  “Sean and Casey and all the guys are over there.”

  She grins, pointing to an all-too-familiar group in the back of the bar. I start to say that it’s okay, I’m good right here without talking to them, when someone scores in the football game.

  The bar goes wild, whooping and screaming. I guess the Blue Devils must have won, but I’m not really up to date with what’s going on. I also don’t give a fuck. I needed to get out and get a drink. I didn’t realize how packed it would be though.

  The bar is suddenly crushed with patrons, people looking to buy a celebratory round. A guy to my right brushes against me, leaning over the counter to get the bartender’s attention. I don’t think much of it. He’s drunk already and probably doesn’t need any more.

  I see Amy as she beckons to her brother.

  Fuck. I’m not up for a reunion tonight.

  I look at Jared, who’s busy ordering shots from the bartender. I’m not getting any help from that quarter, apparently.

  Suddenly, Sean and Casey and half a dozen other guys are all over me. Still hollering, clapping me on the back.

  I look at them. Sean and Casey are almost identical, with dark hair and sort of pinched expressions, but they’re pretty popular with the ladies.

  “Hunter? How was the war?” Sean asks, gripping my arm. “Amy said you were like, declared a hero, or something.”

  I swallow thickly, but keep looking him in the eyes. It’s true, I got tons of medals and accolades when I left the Navy. I don’t want to talk about it though. I didn’t leave a hero. Maybe to others, but not to me. You can’t be a hero when your fuck up is why your team leader and squad died.

  I press my lips into a straight line, unsure how to respond.

  “Shots!” Jared declares, coming to my rescue. I knew I liked that fucker for a reason.

  The whole group whoops again, and I turn around to find a dark shot of liquor placed in front of me.

  “To Hunter!” someone suggests.

  “To Hunter!” the group shouts as one.

  I pick up the little glass and slam the shot, mostly to steady my nerves. Everyone cheers when they finish the shot, like they’ve accomplished something.

  “Another round!” Casey roars.

  Jared and Sean hoot appreciatively.

  After another shot, I’m warm, more loose. I knew coming home would mean having to see everyone again. It’s better that I just get this shit out of the way.

  “Hey,” Jared says, elbowing his way over to me. “You see Violet?”

  “What?” I ask, forcing myself back into the present. How the fuck does he know that? I know this town talks, but I hardly said a word to her. “For a minute, the other night.”

  “No, man. Over there,” he says, pointing.

  My eyes follow his gesture, landing on the back of a brunette. I frown.

  She’s wearing jeans, heels, and a slinky grey top. Her dark hair is piled on top of her head in a tight bun. I let my eyes slide down to her ass, an amazing testament to her jeans. My dick twitches in my pants and I hold onto the tiny shot glass in my hand a bit tighter.

  It’s her alright. She chooses that moment to turn around, as if she can feel my eyes on her.

  The searing look she gives me the second she recognizes me, pinning me in place. Yeah, that’s her. I can feel a slight buzz from the two shots starting to kick in, and it makes me want a third.

  My eyes slip down to the front of her shirt for just a second. Her tits are perfect; I remember how they felt just right in my hands, and it makes my dick harden even more. When I make eye contact with her again, she crosses her arms over her chest and flips me the bird.

  I see her say something to the guy to her right, tall and dark-haired. Who the fuck is he? Her hands rest on his arm, and anger rises inside of me.

  I don’t like seeing her with another man. The memory of her on some asshole’s lap comes back to the surface, and I grit my teeth and nearly break the fucking shot glass in my hand.

  He turns to her so that his face is visible, and I see that it’s Slade White. Apparently she must be close with the former varsity soccer captain, because he moves his hands around her waist.

  My jaw clenches, but she gives him a tight smile and tries to pry his hands away. Maybe they’re not as close as he thinks, then. The corner of my lips pull up into a grin.

  “Hunter,” Jared says, waving a beer in front of my face.

  “Thanks, man,” I say, accepting the drink.

  “So you saw her the other night?” he says, sipping his beer.

  I nod, bringing the cold glass to my lips. “At the Cash N Carry.”

  “Rumor around town is that she’s going out with Slade White. Or at least that he’s pursuing her.” He slides me a careful look. “People around town didn’t have a very good opinion of her when you left.”

  “What do you mean?” The way he says it pisses me off. What the fuck is wrong with my Vi?

  “I guess she tried dating Adam Hall. Remember him?” He waits for me to nod before continuing on. “Well, things didn’t work out between them, and he spread the word that she was damaged goods. Said she’d lost her V-card to you.”

  I raise my brows. Not inaccurate, but it doesn’t seem like something she’d want people to know. It’s none of their fucking business anyway. “Is that right?”

  “Yeah,” he says with a shrug. “We all know different though,” he looks at me pointedly, “right?”

  A large group leaves the bar all at once, grumbling about saving themselves for tomorrow’s game. I look back to Vi to make sure she’s not leaving. She’s staying put, her hands wrapped around a glass. My eyes move to the man next to her. Slade spots Sean and Casey, then me.

  He smiles, the expression reptilian. I look at him with my lips pressed in a firm line, and his smile widens.

  Game on, fucker.

  Slade’s heading my way, grabbing Violet by the hand. She looks at him, a little startled, before she looks at me.

  Her blue eyes widen as he drags her across the bar and closer to me.

  I can see that she’s pulling on Slade’s hand, trying to stop him, but he keeps moving forward. I fucking hate that she doesn’t want to come over here. It’s obvious. Worse than that, her hand is in his. I can’t fucking stand his claim on her.

  “Hunter!” Slade says, grinning. “You made it back in one piece!”

  I grit my teeth. “I did.”

  “You must’ve been on an easy assignment, then,” Slade says.

  “Hey, hey,” Jared says, butting in. “He’s a Navy SEAL, okay? I’d like to see you go through the kind of training he did.” I don’t give a shit about Slade’s opinion. So he can say whatever he wants.

  The best strategy is to ignore Slade in favor of Violet. I may hate the guy, and hate that he’s touching her, but he’s giving me the opportunity to talk to her when it’s obvious she doesn’t want to. I can see Violet trying to discreetly remove her hand from his, but he’s not making it easy.

  I look right at Violet and wait for her gorgeous blue eyes to meet mine. “You look beautiful.”

  She drops her gaze and turns red.

  It’s quiet for a moment and I expect my heart to beat faster, but looking at her calms something in me, even if she’s ignoring me. “He’s giving you a compliment, sweetie,” Slade says, never dropping his smile.

  Vi glares at him briefly. Slade just grins at her.

  “Well, I’ll accept your compliment on her behalf,” he says, releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She looks at me once again, her eyes full of accusations and questions.

  Still, she’s silent. She
looks away, across the bar.

  “I’m gonna go say hi to Sean,” she says, removing herself from Slade’s embrace.

  I watch her walk away, aware that Slade’s doing the same thing.

  “I should go,” Slade says. “Gotta keep tabs on the little lady, you know?”

  He gets a stony expression from me and Jared, so he moves along, smiling all the while.

  “Fucker,” Jared spits, disgusted. “He’s just the same as he was in high school.”

  “Hmph.”

  I take another drink of my beer, watching them. From a few feet away, I can see how he dominates all her personal space, how he bullies her into accepting it.

  “No fucking way she’s dating him,” I say, shaking my head. She’s too good for him.

  “I don’t think she is. Not officially, at least,” he says. He looks at me meaningfully. “Maybe never, now that you’re back.”

  I keep my eyes on her as I answer back, “She won’t even talk to me.”

  He doesn’t respond and when I turn to see what he’s doing, he merely smiles, then sips his beer. I ignore him and focus on my drink then back to Vi. The prospect of her dropping Slade for me is exactly what I want. I can’t imagine it’d be too hard, given the way she’s pushing him away.

  Granted, we didn’t leave off on good terms. If last night is any indication, she’s still holding on to that. Jared was one of the only people who told me not to break up with Vi back in high school, that she’d wait for me. I grit my teeth, hating that I fucked up.

  “Another beer?” Jared asks, bringing me back to the present.

  “Yeah, that seems right,” I answer. I quickly finish off the one I’ve got in front of me.

  I try and pretend that I’m not staring at them while the bartender sets down the beers, and I wrap my hand around mine. I watch as she waits until Slade is deep in conversation with Casey, then excuses herself and heads outside.

  “I’ll be back,” I say to Jared, who just tilts his beer at me with an amused smile.