He huffs at me, then becomes still once more.
Rain begins to pound against the house. Thunder rumbles. The light outside gets dimmer. But inside, dinner is cooking, Evangeline is asleep on my sofa, and my dog is sprawled out in his bed. The low hum of appliances fills the air, along with the scent of garlic and oregano while I finish making the salad.
For the first time, I feel like this place is truly home and I know I have the woman in the next room to thank for it.
Too damn bad I’m about one hundred percent sure that as soon as she wakes and has time to think about all that’s happened, she’ll run off again.
Chapter 10
Evangeline
I wake up, unsure of where I am. All I know is that it’s dark and I’m being carried by a strong pair of arms.
My body tenses, ready to take flight.
“Hey sleepyhead. Just taking you to bed,” Hunter says. “I have to go into work unexpectedly.”
The tap, tap of Jake’s nails follow us and I sink into Hunter’s arms.
Turning into Hunter’s chest for a moment, I allow him to tuck me into bed like a small child. I bury my nose in the pillows. The blankets smell like Hunter’s cologne, soap, and shampoo.
“Is this your bed?”
“Yeah, but don’t worry. When I get back I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“No,” I protest, attempting to sit up, but Hunter gently pushes me back down with one large hand.
“Allow me to do this for you.”
Too tired to argue, I nod. A yawn cracks my mouth open.
Jake whines a little.
“Up, buddy,” Hunter says and pats the bed. It barely moves when Jake joins me. “Keep Evangeline safe while I’m gone.”
Jake circles three times before curling up beside me. His slight but real weight makes me smile. I throw my arm over him.
“So damn jealous of that,” Hunter says as he bends over me. “Maybe one day I’ll get to be the one by your side.”
“Maybe,” I agree, and then my eyes slide closed again.
—
I am not a morning person.
While I was married to Penn, I had to become a morning person. His work schedule as an officer required him to be on post at five o’clock every morning. He required me to be out of bed at four in the morning to make his breakfast. At first, I got up with him because I was flattered that he wanted to spend time with me, saying he was concerned about me becoming lonely since we’d moved clear across the country to Washington State and I hadn’t made friends yet.
Penn said a lot of things he didn’t mean.
I stare at the ceiling in Hunter’s bedroom, listening for sounds that will clue me in on his presence. Half of me wants him to still be gone while the other…the other remembers his kisses, the weight of his body, and the mind-blowing orgasm he gave me.
My cheeks heat so quickly that I shake my head at my reaction.
Hunter is good…okay, he’s more than good at oral sex. He’s phenomenal. Any other woman would text her friends to brag about an amazing night, without going into details. Any other woman wouldn’t dread facing him this morning, or figuring out the best way to thank him and kick him out of her life.
But I’m not any other woman.
While Penn didn’t ruin sex for me, he did teach me that everything he did required a return of affection. Tit for tat. No matter the circumstances. No matter how I felt. In the end, I was powerless.
But right now, I don’t feel powerless. In fact, I feel…peaceful, well rested, and—I glance at the clock and stifle a scream. “Holy Jesus, I’m late for work.”
Shoving the covers back, I run to Hunter’s bathroom. It’s not until I’ve taken care of my most pressing needs first that I realize my clothes are in the guest bathroom and I’m still wearing his T-shirt.
Inching out of his room, I tiptoe down the hallway and dash inside the guest bathroom to change. Before I open the door again, I bury my face in his shirt, wanting to capture his scent and take it with me for the rest of the day.
My stomach rumbles as I open the door. I chuck Hunter’s shirt in the open doorway of his bedroom and it lands on his bed in a heap. My mother would kill me for leaving his bed a mess, but I have to get out of here. I have to sort through everything that happened last night.
How was it that I felt safe enough to fall asleep? Safer still to curl up in his bed?
“Good morning,” Hunter says, and I freeze in my tracks.
Slowly looking right, I find him behind a desk. “Um, morning. I’m late for work.” Nervously, I run a hand through my hair, finding a rat’s nest that I’ll have to tame as soon as I get the chance.
“You’re off today.” He closes the laptop in front of him. Sunlight catches the stubble on his face. Of course, he’s one of those people who look good at any time of day. He’s probably a morning person, too.
Gah.