November Harlequin Presents 2(185)

‘You’re a medium!’ Jinty breathed, gaping in admiration.

‘Hunter’s referring to the stock market,’ Lily corrected, smothering a smile as Jinty inadvertently brought him down a peg or two. ‘Am I right?’

He gave a gracious nod.

‘What about your personal relationships?’

‘What about them?’

Lily sucked her breath in in irritation, he was playing them all along and quite simply she wouldn’t allow it. She looked around at the eager, kind faces of her clients and knew she had to protect them. Putting down her clipboard on the table in front of her, Lily wasn’t smiling any more, her green eyes very serious as she faced him, her mouth opening to speak, to tell him what she’d never told a client before—that their time at New Beginnings was about to end—now!



He’d pushed her too far—as easily as he read financial spread sheets, Hunter could read women, and he knew, just knew that this was one unhappy lady. And she really was a lady, from the tip of her blonde hair down to her prettily painted toenails, her trim figure soft and voluptuous in all the right places. She had naturally what so many manufactured—effortless beauty and grace. He flashed her a winning smile, but it failed to move her, those gorgeous almond-shaped green eyes narrowing, tense lips opening, and Hunter realised that for once flirting wasn’t going to save him. He was almost tempted to add another flip comment, curious, actually, to see how she handled herself, but, remembering the reason he was there, Hunter halted himself.

Emma.

His stomach tightened—the guilt that was ever present these days upping an uncomfortable notch as he recalled Emma’s pale, anxious face when she’d asked him to check out New Beginnings for her. And for that reason alone Hunter deigned to concede.

A touch.

‘I’ve actually just broken up with my girlfriend.’ Hunter’s remorseful words beat Lily’s sharp ones and, giving a beautifully timed, regretful shrug, he played the sympathy card perfectly, cast his net to the engrossed audience and dragged them all willingly in. ‘We were about to get engaged—she’d even chosen the ring.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’ Surprised by his admission, Lily took a second to regroup—she’d been so sure another smart reply had been about to come, had been positive he’d reveal absolutely nothing about himself. She was also certain, well as certain as one could be from reading the glossies that Hunter wasn’t in a serious relationship—but pushing her doubts aside, remaining professional, Lily dealt with the facts as Hunter saw fit to give them. ‘How long did the relationship last?’

She watched as he squinted, tried and failed not to notice just how gorgeous he looked as he did so, dark hair flopping over his forehead as he counted on his fingers. ‘Two,’ Hunter started. ‘No, maybe three…’ His voice faded out as he did the maths and magnanimously Lily tried to help him.

‘Two years might not sound like a long time to some here.’ Lily smiled over at Richie, whose ten-year marriage had recently ended. ‘However, just because Hunter’s relationship is marked in years rather than decades—’

‘Not years,’ Hunter broke in, ‘months. We were together for two months.’

An interminable pause followed—Lily casting her eyes around her group and trying to fathom how to incorporate Hunter into it, trying to give this impossible man a chance. ‘The end of a new relationship can be devastating,’ Lily attempted. ‘That first flush of passion, the sheer heady emotion of those first few weeks can evoke intense feelings of grief when it ends. Isn’t that right?’

‘I guess,’ Hunter admitted, to Lily’s relief. After all, Abigail had cried her eyes out.

‘Overwhelming feelings of loss,’ Lily offered.

‘Well.’ He nodded. ‘Abigail did seem very upset.’

‘Who ended this relationship, Hunter?’ Lily asked, confused by his response.

‘Me,’ he answered, as if the answer should be obvious and giving her a slightly startled look, which Lily chose to ignore.

‘And you chose to end it because…’

He frowned before answering, actually looked as if he was thinking about the answer, and Lily found she was holding her breath.

‘She bored me,’ Hunter answered finally, as Lily’s head jerked up. ‘I mean, she was great to look at, fabulous in bed but, at the end of the day I guess that she just bored me. They always do in the end.’

‘In what way?’ Lily asked, remembering her training, though sorely tempted to slap his cheek. ‘Is it the woman herself that bores you or the thought of monogamy?’