Chapter One
Hunter Graham was the biggest pig in the world, and Faith Bryant should know that. They shared the same apartment floor, and nearly every evening without fail, she had seen different women coming and going out of his apartment. He was a horrible excuse for a human being, and just because he was good-looking didn’t allow him to hurt women. Storming around her apartment, Faith was sick to her stomach. She had only just gotten back home and there had been a woman outside of his home, sniffling as she left. What Faith hated even more was that Hunter was also one of the sexiest men she had ever seen. Even as she disliked him, she hated that her body responded to him. She didn’t want to respond to him in any way, and it drove her crazy.
She had shared this floor with Hunter for the past year, and it had only been in the past month that she had encountered the crying women. It was probably because she had changed her hours, and so at five in the morning, she was getting home from a night at work.
Faith worked in a casino, and had found the pay was better if she worked nights rather than if she worked during the day. It wasn’t like she had a life anyway, so working nights for more money seemed like the way to go. Now, though, she was wishing that she had stayed completely oblivious to her neighbor’s shitty existence. All of her sexual fantasies were now ruined, and he had been recurring in them for a long time now, too long. She wasn’t a crazy stalker, but even she could see the potential in Hunter. The hard abs, muscles galore, and he seemed nice, but now she knew differently. Crying women, and she may have seen a crying man as well. Either way, what was wrong with being nice to a girl?
Putting away her few groceries, she took the salad that she had made herself before leaving for work, and sat at her table. Opening up her laptop, Faith checked the jobs section as she didn’t want to always work in a casino. She didn’t know what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. At twenty-eight years old, she had been in and out of jobs ever since she left high school. From the moment she could leave home, she hadn’t looked back. There was no way she was going to rely on anyone to help her. No college for her, so she had worked as a cleaner, an advisor, a waitress, and now she was working at a casino, waiting tables, and earning quite a decent living. She hated dealing with the drunks and the people that lost their money, but other than that, she had quite a good life.
She had a nice apartment in a nice neighborhood, and she could afford a few luxuries in life. Still, she was always on the lookout for what could come next. The economy over the past few months had taught her one thing and one thing only: nothing was ever stable or secure. She had to make her own security. She saved like crazy, and worked her ass off.
Scooping up some more of the quinoa, she was about to eat it when there was a knock at her door.
Glancing at the time she saw it was just after five-thirty. Getting up, she made her way toward her door, and stared through the peephole. There on the other side was a half-naked Hunter.
Crap. He was an asshole but he was a sexy one, and even though she refused to admire that, her body was a big fat betrayer. Her pussy grew slick at the sight of him, and that was through a distorted lens.
Opening the door a little, she kept the lock firmly in place.
“Hey,” he said. “I was wondering if I could borrow some sugar.”
He held up a pot, and she stared at him, and then the pot. His hands were so big, and she couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like on her body.
Get a grip, Faith.
Closing her door, she slid the lock back, grabbed the pot, and went to her kitchen. Grabbing a spoon, she started to scoop out some sugar, all the while aware as he came into her apartment.
“So you don’t have any boyfriend waiting here?”
She frowned, turning toward him. “Why would you think I have a boyfriend?”
“You’re always coming home late. I didn’t know if you were staying at your guy’s place.”
“I work at night.”
“Oh … oh, is it like that?” he asked. His brows were raised, and she moved back toward him.
“What the hell are you talking about?” This was the most they had ever spoken, and right now it didn’t sound all that good.
“You’re a whore. It’s fine, I don’t judge.”
Faith’s mouth dropped open. She was in so much shock. “I’m not a whore. I work at a casino that’s open all night. Wow, you think I have men pay me for sex?” On the one hand, it was a compliment. He thought that a guy would pay her for sex. So sweet of him, and also humiliating.
“I had no idea. I clearly know how to put my foot in it, or my words. Crap. Let me make it up to you. Dinner.”