I now have to worry about my safety too. He told me he’d seen my license plate. How do you think that makes me feel?”
Hunter’s jaw set. “He threatened you?”
“It doesn’t matter. It is what it is and I’m just trying my best to move on.”
Hunter smiled ruefully. “Clearly.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s only been a few days and you’re already going on dates.”
Kallie’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t been out on any dates, Hunter.”
“Don’t lie to me, Kallie. I know you’re starting to see someone. And I can promise you that he won’t care for you nearly as much as I do.”
She was aghast. “You’ve been following me?”
“I keep an eye on you, Kallie.”
“That is insane, Hunter. I want you to leave me alone. Stop following me.”
He came even closer, now. “It’s not insane to watch out for you. Terrence is dangerous, and I needed to be sure—“
She laughed. “That isn’t why you had me followed. You’re keeping an eye on me because you’re a control freak.”
They stared at one another for a long moment and then Hunter started to smile.
His smile was disarming, and Kallie found herself wanting to break down. It would be so easy to give in, to let him take her in his strong, protective arms—to walk with him into the house and maybe even go to her room with him.
But Riley was napping and needed to be watched, and besides—nothing had changed. He was charming, he was hot, they had so much chemistry together, but none of that changed the basic facts.
“I care about you,” he said. “And I’m sorry I didn’t come right out and explain to you about Scarlett. She’s—“
“It’s not about her,” Kallie cried, her voice rising with the tension she felt.
“What is it about, then?” he asked.
“I need to know that you’ll stop playing these games,” she said. “No more rules and regulations—no more walls.”
“It’s not a game,” he told her. “It’s how I deal with my life.” His dark eyes pleaded with her to understand. “Don’t you think I’d change it if I could? Do you think this is fun for me?”
“No.” She looked down. “I know that it’s not fun for you. But I can’t become a casualty of your fears and your need to control everything. I want to come first.”
“Kallie.” He touched her chin, lifting it so that her eyes met his.
And then he was kissing her, and the spark was so undeniable, she did give in.
She let his soft, hot lips press into hers, and then his tongue.
She wanted him more than ever.
“No!” she screamed, breaking away, pushing him backwards.
He was stunned. “What? What’s wrong?”
Tears came to her eyes. “Hunter, tell me now. Will you let me in? Will you just be with me, really be with me—no strings attached?”
He stared at her, his mouth open. “Please, don’t ask me to do that. If I could be normal—“
“You can,” she yelled.
He started to back away. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I just…I just can’t do that.”
And then he turned and went to his motorcycle, and a moment later, he was gone again.
***
By the time everyone returned home, it was evening. Laughter echoed through the house as Ray and Erica continued to dominate the conversation with stories from their shared past.
In the living room, Kallie brought out a few bottles of wine and then they were drinking again.
Soon, the bottles were empty and Kallie was bringing more. Ray and Erica weren’t slowing down.
“Barkeep, we demand more booze!” Ray cried out, his cheeks aflame. Erica was sidled up next to him on the couch and he had his arm around her.
“Hear, hear!” Erica said. “We want more!”
Kallie saw that they were absolutely trashed. She looked at Red for a signal. He smiled and shrugged, as if to say—what can I do? Give the people what they want.
So Kallie went back to the wine rack and retrieved another bottle.
This was soon gone as well.
Nicole got up and told everyone she was
Hunter’s jaw set. “He threatened you?”
“It doesn’t matter. It is what it is and I’m just trying my best to move on.”
Hunter smiled ruefully. “Clearly.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s only been a few days and you’re already going on dates.”
Kallie’s eyes narrowed. “I haven’t been out on any dates, Hunter.”
“Don’t lie to me, Kallie. I know you’re starting to see someone. And I can promise you that he won’t care for you nearly as much as I do.”
She was aghast. “You’ve been following me?”
“I keep an eye on you, Kallie.”
“That is insane, Hunter. I want you to leave me alone. Stop following me.”
He came even closer, now. “It’s not insane to watch out for you. Terrence is dangerous, and I needed to be sure—“
She laughed. “That isn’t why you had me followed. You’re keeping an eye on me because you’re a control freak.”
They stared at one another for a long moment and then Hunter started to smile.
His smile was disarming, and Kallie found herself wanting to break down. It would be so easy to give in, to let him take her in his strong, protective arms—to walk with him into the house and maybe even go to her room with him.
But Riley was napping and needed to be watched, and besides—nothing had changed. He was charming, he was hot, they had so much chemistry together, but none of that changed the basic facts.
“I care about you,” he said. “And I’m sorry I didn’t come right out and explain to you about Scarlett. She’s—“
“It’s not about her,” Kallie cried, her voice rising with the tension she felt.
“What is it about, then?” he asked.
“I need to know that you’ll stop playing these games,” she said. “No more rules and regulations—no more walls.”
“It’s not a game,” he told her. “It’s how I deal with my life.” His dark eyes pleaded with her to understand. “Don’t you think I’d change it if I could? Do you think this is fun for me?”
“No.” She looked down. “I know that it’s not fun for you. But I can’t become a casualty of your fears and your need to control everything. I want to come first.”
“Kallie.” He touched her chin, lifting it so that her eyes met his.
And then he was kissing her, and the spark was so undeniable, she did give in.
She let his soft, hot lips press into hers, and then his tongue.
She wanted him more than ever.
“No!” she screamed, breaking away, pushing him backwards.
He was stunned. “What? What’s wrong?”
Tears came to her eyes. “Hunter, tell me now. Will you let me in? Will you just be with me, really be with me—no strings attached?”
He stared at her, his mouth open. “Please, don’t ask me to do that. If I could be normal—“
“You can,” she yelled.
He started to back away. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I just…I just can’t do that.”
And then he turned and went to his motorcycle, and a moment later, he was gone again.
***
By the time everyone returned home, it was evening. Laughter echoed through the house as Ray and Erica continued to dominate the conversation with stories from their shared past.
In the living room, Kallie brought out a few bottles of wine and then they were drinking again.
Soon, the bottles were empty and Kallie was bringing more. Ray and Erica weren’t slowing down.
“Barkeep, we demand more booze!” Ray cried out, his cheeks aflame. Erica was sidled up next to him on the couch and he had his arm around her.
“Hear, hear!” Erica said. “We want more!”
Kallie saw that they were absolutely trashed. She looked at Red for a signal. He smiled and shrugged, as if to say—what can I do? Give the people what they want.
So Kallie went back to the wine rack and retrieved another bottle.
This was soon gone as well.
Nicole got up and told everyone she was
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