The Hunter(23)

She launched herself and me and gave me a suffocating bear hug. “I’m sorry too. I know I can’t live your life for you, you‘re a big girl now” she said smiling as I wiped away her tears.



“Thank god for that!” said Chad. “Now can we get some food?”



We both laughed and threw cushions at him.



Chad thought it might be an idea to order in a takeaway rather than eating out because of the streams of mascara that had run down mine and Angel’s faces. We laughed and continued to make our peace as we polished off the rest of the bottle of wine. I discovered that my cell battery had died, probably from the constant barrage of calls from Angel. I explained that I had left it in my office when I went up to Norman & Wilde to take my portfolio photographs. She seemed pacified that I hadn’t realized that she was trying to reach me - that I wasn’t ignoring her calls deliberately.



Shortly, we were tucking into Chinese food with relish and I explained the reason that I had left work with Lucas Hunter.



“See, it was work,” I pretended to scowl at Angel. She pulled a face and we laughed.



“It sounds like it was a bit of pleasure too,” said Chad quietly.



“Huh?” I turned to face him. “What do you mean?”



He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, looking very much like he wished he’d kept his mouth shut.



“Well, you obviously enjoyed looking around the mini Dakota with him …” he paused, took a sip of wine and then continued, his words coming out in a rush “and you obviously enjoyed getting up close and personal with him, especially if you wanted him to do you on the conference table!”



Angel burst out laughing. “He has a point!” She then looked serious again. “One thing that I haven’t mentioned is that the guard said that Lucas Hunter never uses the main entrance and he has never, ever seen him leave the building with someone before. He was very surprised that he’d left with you.”



“Well, he did want to use his personal entrance but I needed to speak to Clark,” I said simply.



“I wonder what he meant when he said that he was not like other people?” pondered Angel as she waged war on an elusive noodle with her chop sticks.



You have no idea how unlike most people I really am. His harsh whisper echoed around my head and I felt the same chill crawl along my spine. I shuddered involuntarily but thankfully Angel was too busy chasing noodles around her plate to notice.



“I think that we should contact CNN said Chad suddenly.



“Huh?” Angel and I said in unison.



“Issy has found a man that she is incredibly attracted to and she hasn’t had sex with him yet, NEWSFLASH!” his shoulders shaking with unexpressed mirth. He ducked as I threw another cushion at him.



“I am on a self imposed sex ban, remember,” I retorted indignantly and then groaned. “I can’t believe I said that aloud - he must think that I am some sort of tramp!”



They both laughed at my pained expression. “You know,” Angel said thoughtfully. “I don’t think that you could have him, even if you weren’t on a ban.”



“He truly would be unlike other men if he could resist Issy’s charms. Perhaps that‘s what he meant,” quipped Chad.



I pulled a face. “Shut up Chad!” But I couldn’t help asking Angel why she had come to that conclusion.



“Because, firstly - he didn’t throw you on the conference table when you were practically drooling over him. And secondly - from what you’ve said, he seems uncomfortable around you when you behave like that.”



Hmmm, she has a point - he couldn’t get out of there fast enough when I made it obvious that I wanted him.



Those very thoughts were still taunting me when I lay in bed that night. Why doesn’t he want me? His body certainly responded to me - even if he didn’t take advantage. That was a new experience for me. Perhaps he’s a perfect gentleman with old fashioned values - that would certainly make him different from most men! And why is the thought of him not wanting me, making me want him more than I have ever wanted any man?





Chapter 5



“Good morning, Miss Prince,” called Clark as I emerged through the revolving door the next morning.



I turned to reply and noticed that he was looking at me oddly. I fleetingly wondered whether it was because I had left with Lucas Hunter through the main entrance the previous evening or whether it was because I had taken exceptional care with my appearance this morning in the hope that I might encounter a certain gentleman at some point. I called out a cheery greeting and hurried off to wait for the elevator.