I decided now was as good a time as any to open my mouth, instead of standing there like an idiot. "Um . . . yeah, he loves pancakes."
Josh turned to me, and Hunter's head came up. He rose to his feet, gaze sweeping me from head to toe and back. I swear I felt it, felt it like he'd reached out and ran his hands over me. "You should still be in bed resting. I can watch Josh."
"I'm fine. Really. And sorry, I thought he'd stay asleep while I showered."
That stare turned intense, stayed locked on me. "You don't have to apologize. I told you, I look after what's mine." His gaze flicked down to Josh then back to me. "I meant it."
Shit. It was too damn early in the morning for this. But Josh broke the moment when he walked over to me, lifting his arms to be picked up for his morning hug. I leaned over automatically, to lift him into my arms, and groaned, my bruised body telling me I needed some drugs ASAP.
Josh's face crumpled. "Mama?"
"I'm okay, baby. Mama's okay."
His little hand curled into the side of my yoga pants, hanging on tight. Goddammit. I ran my hand over his hair and fought back the angry tears threatening to escape. Ever since I opened up to Hunter, told him what happened to me, I'd been on the verge of falling apart. I hated it, hated how helpless and weak it made me feel.
Hunter prowled toward me. Yes, prowled. All long legs and sinewy strength. His hands went to my shirt, and before I had a chance to open my mouth, he lifted it high enough to check out my fading bruises. He knew my body was bruised but he hadn't seen the damage for himself.
He cursed under his breath, fingers whisper soft, brushing over my abused skin before his gaze lifted to mine. And what I saw, right then, that Hunter would make Pierce suffer if he caught him. And I was glad of it. It was sick and twisted, and screamed of double standards. I didn't want any part of what Hunter did to make his money. Josh would never be brought up in a world of violence, where breaking the law every day to make a living was okay. I didn't know exactly what Hunter did, but I'd seen him in action, more than once when he worked for Pierce. I knew what he was capable of. And after being held at the agency, the things Ruby said, I got the feeling, legitimate business or not, things hadn't changed a whole lot. Still, I'd stand happily by and watch him beat the shit of that asshole if he ever got the chance.
"Couch, babe."
His low, rough voice slid over me, giving me happy shivers. I was powerless against it. So damn weak.
"Josh can help me make breakfast, right, buddy?"
Josh smiled again and let go of my leg. Hunter reached down, swung him up into his arms, and carried him to the kitchen. My son's hand went to Hunter's shoulder, flat against his plain black T-shirt. The sight just about had me crying all over again.
Pull it together.
Hunter came right back with a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen, and put them on the low table in front of me. "Coffee?"
"Thanks." Josh was still in his arms, eyes locked on the man holding him. I knew my son, which meant I knew he wasn't afraid or worried. This was confirmed when one of his little fingers inched up the side of Hunter's neck and started tracing the ink there.
I was speechless, and with the double whammy of heart and belly flutterings I had going on, I was on the verge of stroking out or something. Josh had never warmed to someone so quickly. Ever.
Hunter sat him on the bench beside him and I watched the two of them make pancake batter. Well, Hunter made it while Josh splattered it all over the place with the spoon he was "stirring" it with. Neither seemed fazed. I couldn't take my eyes off the pair of them. They both had dark hair and blue eyes. When they grinned or frowned, I thought they looked similar, didn't they? Or maybe I was just trying to see something that wasn't there.
I let my gaze travel over Hunter. Over his inked biceps, straining the fabric of his T-shirt. My fingers itched to touch, feel how hard they were, feel them flex under my fingers. I continued my perusal, over his broad shoulders, down to his lower back, where I knew my name marked his skin. A shiver worked its way through me. I still remembered when he'd gotten it. How special, how loved I'd felt. It seemed like a lifetime ago. It was a lifetime ago.
I dropped my gaze to his lean hips. A chain hung from one of the belt loops of his jeans, disappearing into the back pocket. It drew the eye to his perfect ass, the way the faded black denim hugged it to perfection. His thighs were solid, legs long. He was ruggedly beautiful. Fiercely masculine.
I wanted him.
Would always want him.
I slammed on the brakes. That was something else I wasn't going to think about. I was going to live in the moment. For now. At least until it was safe for me and Josh to move on with our lives, or until Hunter woke up and realized he'd made a mistake having us here.
Before the reality of possibly of raising the son of his enemy sank in.
CHAPTER TEN
Lulu
We'd spent the day hanging around the apartment. Hunter had given me a new phone since mine had been broken and he'd entered everyone in the contacts. Everyone. Even Ruby, the crazy chick from his office.
After I'd played with my new phone and sent Aunt Sara a quick text to tell her I was okay, I got busy. I did the dishes and tidied up the apartment as best I could. Not that the apartment was messy, just neglected. Hunter frowned at me, but left me to it. When I finished, I took some more ibuprofen, since I obviously pushed things too hard too fast. This annoyed the hell out of me. Sitting around doing nothing was not me. I hated it. So, I started looking for something else to do.
It was then that Hunter, in his extremely deep, authoritative voice, told me to, "Go rest." He said this in a way that brooked no argument. I still tried. The man did not yield, not at all, and since he could physically pick me up and make me rest, I decided to pick my battles and stomped off to bed for an afternoon nap with Josh. I slept for three hours.
This annoyed me as well. I don't know why I was so irritated by it, but I was. Unreasonably so. Hunter had a way of running right over the top of me, and I'd had more than enough of that over the last few years. I felt like I had no control over my life as it was, so not even knowing my own body, and when to rest it, pissed me the hell off.
Here, with Hunter, I didn't feel like the woman who'd worked herself ragged, who'd battled to keep her son and herself safe all on her own. I felt like someone else. I felt helpless.
I hated feeling that way.
That feeling didn't improve when I walked out and spotted Hunter on the couch with Josh, who hadn't needed three hours sleep, watching cartoons together. He twisted to look at me and grinned. "Better?"
I made a sound that came out like pah and stomped-yes, again with the stomping-to the kitchen to make tea. Which kind of hurt, but I refused to let it show. To keep my hands busy, so I didn't try to strangle him, I contemplated what to make for dinner.
Sipping my tea, I checked out the fridge. He had pretty much everything I needed to make lasagna and a basic salad.
In no time, the place was filled with the smell of cheese, tomatoes, and garlic bubbling away in the oven.
I felt Hunter move in behind me. Just his nearness started up some serious flutters in my belly. He reached around me, grabbed my beer, and took a sip. The action was simple, casual, but it felt extremely intimate. I had to fight back a shiver of pleasure.
"Smells amazing," he said softly.
"I know how much you like lasagna. It's just a . . . a thank you for looking out for us," I finished lamely.
His hands came to my hips, his lips to my ear. "You don't need to thank me. You never need to thank me, not for that, not ever." He gave me a little squeeze. "I love that you cooked for me, but promise you'll take it easy. You're still recovering after what happened. You don't need to do for me. I'm a big boy. You worry about you and Josh. I'll do the rest."
Is that what I was doing? Yes, I'd cleaned and cooked, but I was just trying to be useful, wasn't I? God, I didn't even know what I was doing. This whole situation was insane. I was in Hunter's house, living with him, me and my son. I'd just cooked him a freaking meal, like we were some old married couple, like the last three years never happened. It came so naturally, looking after my man, falling back into old habits. I'd always loved to cook for him.
It wasn't just me, though. He was acting like the past had been wiped clean as well, like it no longer existed. But I knew it was only a matter of time before it came back to haunt us. Before it slithered up behind us, infecting, corroding this little make-believe existence I was living, before reality set in and it all vanished.
I tried to wriggle away, but he wasn't having any of it. "I'm fine, besides a few aches and pains. Nothing I can't handle. I was just . . . I want to do my bit, and we have to eat."