Seaside Embrace(23)

“Thank you for tonight.” He placed his other hand on her lower back, pressing her against him. It was all she could do to watch the emotions passing through his eyes. They were easy to decipher. I want you.

He kissed the tip of her nose, her cheek, her forehead, and finally—finally—his mouth found hers. She lost herself in the feel of his tongue searching, stroking, claiming her mouth. His hold on her hair tightened, heightening her arousal and pulling a moan of desire from her lungs. He swallowed it down. She wanted him to swallow her down. She wanted to feel this new Hunter as he sank into her.

“Can I see you again?” he asked against her lips, before kissing her again, lighter this time, quicker, leaving her hungry for more.

“You’re leaving?” Her emotions skidded to a halt. She didn’t understand. They didn’t leave each other. They claimed and fucked and satisfied, and tonight she thought everything was changing. Getting even better. This would be the second time he was leaving her, when all she wanted was more of him.

He searched her eyes, and she wondered if he saw the desperation she felt. Was he messing with her again? Had it all been a stupid game to him? This was exactly why she needed to stop this nonsense. She never should have dared him to be romantic, even if she really, really liked him this way.

“Tonight changed me, Jana,” he said just above a whisper, sending all those crazy thoughts sailing away. Just like that. “You opened a door inside me, or something. Whatever it is, I want to play it out, see what comes of it. If I go inside with you and do all the things that I want to do to you…” He held her against his hot, hard body. “You might confuse what we do tonight for what we’ve always done.”

“I…I don’t understand, Hunter. We’ve already slept together. Now it’ll just be that much better.”

The muscles in his jaw bunched, and his eyes narrowed. When he spoke, it was with all the white-hot demanding heat she was used to.

“The next time we come together, it won’t be just anything. At least not for me, and I hope not for you.”

He crushed his mouth to hers, kissing her like she was used to, like he wanted to tear off her clothes right that second and sink into her. Spirals of ecstasy tore through her core. When their lips parted they both gasped for air.

“The next time we come together,” he said with a heated stare, “it’ll be everything.”

Panic chased the ecstasy away as she grasped for words. “Hunter, I…I’m not sure…I’m not sure we’re ready for everything.”

“You let me worry about what I’m ready for, and prepare yourself, because I’m going to romance the hell out of you, and you’re going to love it.”

It wasn’t until after he drove away that she realized he hadn’t asked her to admit she wanted him.





Chapter Fifteen


HUNTER HAD BEEN working on the sculpture for the competition since seven o’clock that morning. He was acutely aware of the days he’d lost before he’d found his muse, and now, with just thirty days left until the competition, the pressure was on. Grayson was out meeting with a supplier this morning, and by the time Clark arrived, it was after ten. Clark had gone to see Nina last night, and when Hunter had come home to an empty house, he’d assumed Clark had stayed with her. But he’d heard him come in around three in the morning and knew that couldn’t be a good sign. He didn’t mind cutting Clark slack while he was having a hard time, but the guy could have let him know he’d be late to work this morning.

He went up front to talk to him, and the sight of Clark’s disheveled clothes and messy hair worried him—until he got a look at his buddy’s puffy, bloodshot eyes. He recognized the look of a hangover when he saw it.

“Trouble with Nina last night?” He couldn’t temper his irritation. It was one thing to cut him slack for having trouble with his marriage, but he wasn’t going to turn the other way at Clark throwing his life into a bottle. He’d watched his father disappear down that liquid trail, and it had been a long, painful road back.

“Nah. She was fine. Sorry I’m late.” Clark sat heavily and rested his head on his palm.

“Have a few too many last night?” He crossed his arms, and when Clark lifted his eyes and met his gaze, Hunter leveled him with a serious stare. “Were you with Robert?” Robert was single and liked to party, but he was responsible. Hunter had a hard time believing that Robert would stay out until three on a work night and get flipping drunk.

“At first. He took off around ten.” Clark’s phone rang, and he pulled it from his pocket, glanced at the name, and sent the call to voicemail. “Shit.”

“What’s going on, Clark? I know I’m your friend, but seriously, dude. I don’t want any part of you cheating on Nina.”

Clark pressed his index finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose. “I’m not cheating on her.”

Hunter lifted his chin in the direction of Clark’s phone. “Who called? The same chick who’s been keeping you up at night all week?”

“There’s nothing going on.” He scrubbed his hand over his face and sat back, his shoulders sagging. “I swear it, man. She wants there to be, but I’m not ready for that.”

“So don’t go there.” Hunter didn’t understand people who didn’t take control of their lives. It was so easy to do. Make a plan and make it happen. Like he was doing with Jana. Everything had changed for him over the last few days, and now he understood how Pete and Sky could have fallen so hard so fast for Jenna and Sawyer. He’d not only already spent more time with Jana than he had with any other woman, but he couldn’t get her out of his head.

He wondered if she’d slept okay last night, if she’d thought of him as much as he’d thought of her. If she was as nervous today about starting her own dance studio as she’d been last night. And if so, he wanted to be right there to help her realize she could achieve her dreams. All she had to do was get that stubborn mind of hers to listen. And last night? Jesus, last night. It had nearly killed him to leave her, when what he’d really wanted was to follow her inside, take her on every surface in every room, and make her realize that she wanted everything with him just as much as he wanted it with her.

“She texts all the time,” Clark admitted. “She calls all the time. I’m not good at letting people down, and she listens, man. She really listens to every word I say.”

Seeing his friend struggle made him realize he’d been selfish. Clark had come to him in his time of need. He hadn’t gone to his family. He didn’t try to figure it out on his own. He’d come to Hunter, and what did Hunter do? He got so wrapped up in Jana that he let his friend fend for himself when he was clearly too confused to do this alone.

He set a comforting hand on Clark’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you. With all the shit you have going on, I should have made myself more available.”

“You did, Hunt. You even babysat for us. This isn’t your issue.”

“Yeah, it kinda is. If I were going through a rough time, you’d be there to listen so I didn’t have to turn to a stranger. You don’t need this chick listening to your life story. You need your best friend and, dude, I’m going to be there from now on. I promise. Starting right now.”

He picked up Clark’s phone and navigated to the messages but didn’t read them. He turned the screen toward Clark. “This her? Cherise?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re going to start by sending her a nice text telling her that you’ve decided to work on your marriage, that you appreciate her friendship, but you don’t want your wife to get the wrong impression, so you need to break off contact.” After typing all that in, he looked to Clark for approval.

Clark nodded. “Send it.” He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Shit. Why the fuck did I need you to do that? What is wrong with me?”

“You feel like your life is spinning out of control. We’ve all been there, but it’s not, Clark. We just need to get you back on track. Take today off. Go back to my place and sleep. We’ll go out for dinner tonight and talk. Use me, man. I’m a great listener.”

“What about your girl?” Clark rose to his feet, looking beyond worn out but mildly relieved.

He’d sent Jana a text when he’d arrived at work. Had a great time on our date. Looking forward to the next one. He’d heard the snarky tone of her voice when he’d read her response. There may not be a next one if you don’t put out. “She’s fighting being my girl, but no worries. I’ve got that, too.”

They agreed to meet for dinner later. After Clark left, he zipped off another text to Jana. We’re going to be more than fuck buddies. You might as well accept it.


***

IT WAS ONLY one o’clock, and Jana had already met with Brock for her workout, taught three dance classes, and spoke to the local newspapers about ads that Marco wanted to run offering discounts for the next cycle of classes. Their classes ran in eight-week cycles, and he made a heavy marketing push a few weeks before each new registration period. Or rather, Jana handled the marketing push. Not for much longer, though. The thought comforted her enough to carry her through the busy afternoon ahead.