Never Been Kissed(56)

“See? I’m wearing sweats.”

I clear my throat, ignoring the way his muscles look exceptionally good in the blue glow. And they’re so very close for me to touch. “I think you should put a shirt on, too.”

“No way. I like the way you look at me.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m as transparent as the freaking Invisible Man. Shit.“I don’t like the way I look at you. Please, for the love of Castiel, please put on a shirt for me.” I keep my eyes on the screen, watch a few scenes from Die Hard before it goes to commercial.

“Why?” His voice is whisper-soft.

“I’m... uncomfortable.”

He snorts. “Baby, I’ve been out of the game for awhile, but the way you look at me, you’re not uncomfortable, are you?”

Fuck it, just tell him. Maybe he’ll be grossed out by the way you want him, and he’ll leave you alone. And I’ll know the truth. That no guy that looks like him could ever want someone who looks like me.

I glare at him. “I think you’re so bloody beautiful, I’m wondering what you’re doing here on the couch with me, when you have Alysha on the backburner. And that makes me uncomfortable.”

The way his breath comes out of his nose forcefully reminds me of a bull pawing at the ground. “I guess I deserve that.”

“Yeah, you deserve it! You’ve been with Alysha a long time, am I right?” He nods, a shallow dip of his chin. “The whole tossing her aside thing is more than freaking me out. Beautiful guys like you, they use and destroy girls like me. And if you can toss aside Alysha when she’s clearly that gorgeous, I’m wondering what’s in store for me.”

Oh, shit. His warm hand settles at the nape of my neck, and my dumb body starts shivering from head to toe. “Baby, you’re not getting it. The question isn’t if you’re good enough for me, looks-wise, personality-wise, what the fuck ever, but whether I’m good enough for you.”

I fist my hands in my lap and glare at him, oblivious to all the gunfire in the movie.

“Then prove it to me. Prove to me that I’m good enough for you.”

“I thought I was doing that, Sera. You think Aly even says hello to Matty, you think she talks to him about Batman and Superman? Yeah, right. She can’t even fucking deal with my sugars let alone the kid. You think Aly plays with him? Christ, Sera, did you see how he asked you play soccer? I don’t even do that, and you’re a stranger. That means something to me. From where I’m sitting you’re more than good enough. And I haven’t even started on the killer body you have.”

Ha, killer body.

“Speaking of the soccer game - why did you bloody kiss me when I took my penalty kick? I ended up scoring and I made him cry.” I sound like a little kid that scraped her knee, voice all pinched with hurt. “I was going to miss.”

Hunter lets me change the subject with a little nod of his head. “You don’t think he would’ve known that? He’s four, not an idiot.”

This is true. “But he cried! And it’s my fault!” I breathe out heavy air.

“Sera, that’s a lesson he has to learn. He has limitations, he needs to know that he can’t push his body like everyone else can.”

“But he’s four! Can’t he learn that lesson when he’s forty-five or something?” I wave off into the distance to a future I’m not sure I’ll be part of.

“This isn’t what I really wanted to talk about.”

“Oh-kay...” I swallow what little saliva my mouth has left. “I’m still pissed at you.”

“Are you pissed because you messed up? Or is it because I kissed you and you lost your concentration?” He palms my face so I can look at him. I can’t read what’s on his face, in his eyes with only the blue glow.

“They’re one and the same, Hunt.”

“No, baby, they’re not and you know it.” His thumb traces my cheek bone, lulling me. I catch my eyes drooping and tell them to pay attention. “We’re going to take it slow, as slow as you want to go. I don’t want you running.”

“What will I run from? What’s so bad about you?”

He tenses, and his thumb stops moving on my face. I want to nudge my face into his hand to make him keep going. “I’m screwed up, just like everybody else. I have demons, just like everybody else. But I’m going to show you the good, Sera, so when we get to the bad, you’ll stay – because you want to.”

“You’re kinda freaking me out. This isn’t normal dating behavior.”

“Am I normal?”