Like a puff of smoke, Hunter suddenly disappeared from the room. Kalista secretly wished she could follow him out of the room, but she remained where she was seated as she watched the door shut after him.
Goodbye escape route.
Madeline let out a gusty sigh. “That one is elusive as ever. We need to find a sweet woman for Hunter so he can settle down and be happy.”
“Hunter would eat a sweet woman alive. He needs someone who could kick his ass and keep him in line,” Evie countered.
Madeline laughed. “You’re probably right.” She turned those dark eyes that were so similar to Jared’s on Kalista. “So, Kali. How serious are things between you and Jared?”
“Madeline—”
“Please, call me Maddy. I know I’m being nosy. You don’t have to say anything, I just want my boy to be happy.”
Kalista cuddled the adorable little puppy on her lap close. “Jared makes me very happy. I hope he feels the same.”
“I’m sure he does, dear,” Madeline said as she reached out to pat Kali’s knee. She was inordinately pleased that Kali called her son by his given name and not the ridiculous name he used for fighting. Who the hell wanted to be named after a tool anyways? She was proud of all he accomplished with his career, but some things she just had to shake her head at. A vibrating noise sounded, and Madeline reached into her pocket to pull out her cell phone. She smiled as she checked the screen. “Ah, it’s done. Tony is at The Fox Hole now.”
“How did everything go?” Evie asked.
“He says everything went perfectly,” Madeline replied as she tucked the phone back into her pocket. “My husband Tony went out on an adoption placement today. Usually Evie likes us to go in pairs, but we let Tony go by himself because he likes to cry a little on his way home.” She smiled. “My man has a soft heart.”
Evie chuckled as she shook her head. “My uncle Tony is a retired Navy SEAL. Everyone is scared of him, but despite all the tattoos and the bad-ass persona, he has a weakness for the dogs.”
“He’s a sweetheart, just like Hunter. I’m going to see if one of the boys can give me a ride into town so I can meet my man for dinner. See you girls later. Kali, come visit again soon, or I will come track you down at your shop.”
“I will,” Kalista promised, afraid that Maddy would do just that.
After Madeline left, Kalista felt the tension she had been feeling finally ease. “That was…”
Evie winced in sympathy. “Yeah, she is something else. Sorry about the baby thing. She seems to be very focused on that lately. Just imagine what we go through seeing her every day. We never hear the end of it.” She raised a brow. “Ready for that glass of wine yet?”
Babies? Kalista shivered as she thought about it. “I think I might need two.”
Chapter Six
Hammer pulled his motorcycle to a stop in front of his gym and looked across the street toward Kali’s bakery. He knew she was out at his cousin’s place, but he couldn’t help but hope that she had finished early so he could see her.
Since he had lost control and taken her on the stairs in her apartment building, they had been almost inseparable when they hadn’t been working. He loved spending time with her, loved the way she responded to him with pure abandon every time he touched her. At first he had thought his hunger for her would fade into something more manageable, but every time they were together it only made him want her more.
His little fairy was a delight to him. A few days ago he’d surprised her by going to the doctor and getting a complete check-up so he could give her proof he was clean. He was a man of his word, but he knew his reputation and didn’t want her to worry.
Hammer had tried to be careful, to make love to her showing her the sweet side of his touch, but the strain of holding back his desperate need for her was taking its toll on his control. Where once she had been completely shy around him, she was now opening up, letting him past her guard—and he hoped—into her heart. She was still skittish at times, unsure of herself and his attraction to her, but Hammer was confident that it wasn’t because she didn’t trust him.
It was because she just didn’t trust herself enough.
Not wanting to push her, he had been stealthy at his integration into her life. He knew she was the woman he wanted, but after hearing her mother’s hurtful words on her answering machine the other day, he knew he had to take his time and make her understand that he wanted her for more than just sex. Over the last week he had made it clear to her that he was now her man, but he could still see the uncertainty in her eyes at times. He struggled with his temper at her family and her ex for making her doubt her self-worth, but he knew it would be hard for someone to overcome that kind of emotional abuse overnight.