He pulled my face toward his and placed his lips on mine, kissing me like only he could kiss me. Every feeling of love, hatred, desire, need, and violence poured out of him through his kiss and I could feel myself being pulled further into him and his world.
As he moved his warm, wet tongue in and out of my mouth, I could feel his hands move into my hair and then across my shoulders and down my back, pulling me close into his body. He held me there in his arms and we fell into each other. I never wanted this moment to end. I wanted to stay right there with him forever and never have to worry about anything else.
He pulled himself away from me, looked into my eyes, and I knew he was never going to leave me. At the same time, I knew that I could never leave him. We were bonded together by something stronger than the two of us. A whole chain of events had occurred to bring us together and nothing could tear us apart.
“Jesus, the sun is coming up, darling. I better get you home so you can get ready for work. Or is Grace running things on her own today?”
I laughed. I hadn’t really ever heard him joke around before.
“No, no, I’m working. Grace doesn’t. Oh no. Grace. I completely forgot.”
“What? Jesus, Kelly, what the fuck?”
“Grace. Grace is staying at my house. I was locking the diner and giving Dennis back, giving you back, your keys and then I was supposed to go straight home. Shoot. Oh lord, I hope she’s not up. She’ll have a heart attack if she realizes I’m not home.”
“Kelly! Christ! Your house is like four fucking blocks away and it’s very early. I doubt she’s up and rattling around yet. Your car is good to go. I’ll drive you home.”
“Okay. You’re right. It’s more I just want to be home before Lucas wakes up. He would freak if he got up and didn’t know where I was.”
Suddenly I felt Hunter clench. It was like every muscle in his body tightened at the same time. He looked like he was physically in pain.
“Hunter. What’s wrong? Why are you doing that?”
He pulled me close to him and snarled at me through clenched teeth.
“Who, the fuck, is Lucas?”
Chapter 35
Hunter
I COULD FEEL A RAGE boiling up inside of me as I stared at Kelly. The name was still hanging in the air. Lucas.
“Kelly. Fucking answer me. Who the fuck is Lucas, and tell me why I shouldn’t go to your place and put a piece of steel through his fucking eye?”
She tried to shake me off her, but I held her close against me and glared down at her so she could see the violence that was building up inside me.
“Hunter, let go.”
“Tell me who he is, Kelly.”
She screamed it at me.
“He’s my little brother. God. Let go.”
I let her go and she pushed me away from her.
“Hunter! Jesus. Did you really think I was hiding some secret boyfriend from you? He’s my brother. My little brother. He’s ten.”
I took a step back and turned my back on her, trying to collect myself. I could feel the rage going down, but my blood was still up.
“Listen. I’m sorry about that. I just thought, well, you know what I thought.”
As I turned around, she stared back at me with her huge green eyes and looked almost touched by my intentions to murder her brother by misunderstanding.
“I get possessive over the things I,” I stopped myself before completing the sentence. Jesus. What had I been about to say? “The things I like.”
“Yes. I know what you thought. But that’s not the case, okay?”
I looked back at her and could feel myself relaxing. I took her by her shoulders and pulled her back in close to me.
“Fine. It may not be the case. But you have to understand. No, you have to fucking know, that other guys and you, that shit is done. You’re fucking mine, Kelly, and I swear to whatever God you pray to that I will end anyone who tries to come between us. Got it?”
She looked up at me with the same fuck me eyes she always got around me and I knew she understood. As she licked her lips, I moved my head into hers and kissed her deeply before pulling away and resting my forehead on hers.
“I’m never fucking leaving you and you’re never fucking leaving me. That’s the way it is.”
She took a deep breath and rested her head on my chest as I pulled her body into me and held her tight in my arms.
“I know,” she said softly. “I know.”
We stood there for a moment and then I heard my phone buzz.
Who the fuck? Shit. Deacon.
I let Kelly go and rushed to the table where my phone was and opened Deacon’s message.
Goddamn it, pal. I left you high and dry. I hope you’re not bleeding out somewhere.
I read the message and saw all was well.
“Place is as empty as my cold, Irish heart. Not like yours, lover boy. On the road home now. Say hey to the missus. D.”
Asshole. I might have to go back home just to put a boot in his fucking ass.
I heard Kelly speak up from behind me.
“Who’s texting you at this time? Maybe I should be the one who’s worried here.”
I turned around and gave her a smile that said no and fuck off at the same time.