by Erika Wilde
He reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze that surprised her. “I’m being serious, Elle,” he said, his tone soft and low, instead of freaked-out like most men would probably be at the thought of a surprise baby. “If you’re pregnant, you need to tell me and we’ll figure everything out.”
Embarrassment swept through her. God, her face felt as though it was on fire, and she was so grateful for their private booth. “No, I’m not pregnant,” she whispered and, with her free hand, reached for her prosecco and took a drink of the cool, sweet wine.
“Are you sure?” he persisted.
Oh, my God. “Yes. One hundred percent.” She lowered her voice even more, unable to believe they were having this discussion, but Hunter looked so intent on discovering the truth and she was determined to end the exchange. “You used condoms, I’m on the pill, and I had my period a few days after we were together. I’m sure, Hunter.”
She expected to see a flood of relief in his eyes, but the concern etching his features over her stomach issues remained, and she was desperate to change the subject so she wasn’t the focus of his attention.
“Now that we have that out of the way, tell me what happened to your brother.”
Chapter 10
Hunter had only known Elle for a short time, but in that moment of believing she might be pregnant, something major had shifted inside of him. When she’d diminished his concern about her coming down with the flu, his mind had jumped to the next most logical conclusion of why she hadn’t been feeling well, and shockingly, instead of fear and anxiety taking hold at the thought of her carrying his child, he’d actually felt an overwhelming rush of protective emotions over the possibility. On the heels of that was all the hope and longing and dreams he’d buried the day he’d laid his fiancée to rest so many years ago.
The fact that Elle could induce such strong emotions in him so soon was fucking scary, but also exhilarating because he never expected to feel that way about anyone ever again. Never believed there could be a woman after Natalie who would make him want all those things he’d planned for his future. But he was quickly realizing that Elaina Darian was his second chance at everything he’d lost, and he was determined not to lose this opportunity to have that kind of happiness again.
Right now, Elle was waiting expectantly for him to talk. She wanted to know what had happened to Maddux and why he’d been shot, and while Hunter normally avoided any kind of personal conversation with a date, that wasn’t the case with Elle. He was compelled to share every part of himself with her, including his past and childhood that had shaped so much of his life and personality, and that’s where he decided to start with this particular story so she was privy to everything.
He took a long drink of his bourbon, and still holding Elle’s hand in his, he turned toward her, meeting her patient gaze. “In order for you to understand why Maddux was shot, I need to tell you about what happened to my parents when I was just a kid, though this isn’t easy for me to talk about.”
“You already told me that your parents died,” she said softly.
He nodded. “Yes, but it’s how they died that started a series of events that led to my brother taking a bullet . . . for the woman he loves, who is also the daughter of the man who murdered our parents.”
Elle’s eyes rounded and her lips parted on a gasp as she processed that information. “Oh, my God, Hunter. Your parents were deliberately killed?”
“Yes.” He was shocked to see a shimmer of moisture fill her eyes, though he shouldn’t have been when he knew how compassionate Elle was. “Theodore Cole worked for the Mafia, as did a man named Gavin, and they took it upon themselves to extort payments from the small businesses in our neighborhood for the promise of protection from the higher-ups in the organization. My parents owned a small restaurant, and with three kids to support, they were struggling to make ends meet. After a few years of paying Theodore out of fear of what might happen to them, or us, they just couldn’t do it any longer. They had nothing left to give, despite Theodore’s threats that something really bad was going to happen if they didn’t come up with the money . . . and a short while after that, someone deliberately set a grease fire in the restaurant kitchen while my mother was in the office doing paperwork. She got trapped by the spreading fire and died, and my father, who tried to save her, ended up dying that same day of cardiac arrest.”
“Hunter . . .” Her voice was ragged with emotion as she now held his hand to comfort him. “That’s horrific and I’m so sorry.”
“It was definitely hard on all of us, but especially Maddux, who was there the night it happened and tried to save both of my parents but couldn’t.” He exhaled a deep breath, because even though so much time had passed, it was still difficult to think about how his parents had passed away. “So, instead, my brother spent the next fourteen years building MadX-Tech while plotting revenge against Theodore Cole. He made his move the night of the fairy-tale ball, but while Maddux had everything he needed to destroy Theodore, when his daughter, Arabella, offered herself in exchange for her father’s debt, my brother agreed.”
Elle smiled at him. “That had to have been an interesting arrangement,” she teased, clearly trying to lighten the moment.
Hunter smirked in agreement. “Interesting enough that somewhere along the way my brooding older brother fell hard for Arabella, and when Gavin kidnapped her with the intention of holding her hostage to lure Maddux to his death, my brother didn’t hesitate to take a bullet to save her life. He was fortunate that it went through his shoulder and no main arteries were hit, but still, the whole situation could have ended up very differently.”
“But it didn’t,” Elle pointed out. “Your brother sounds like a brave and honorable man to risk his life for Arabella’s.”
“I suppose he is,” Hunter agreed, having come to terms with Maddux’s feelings for Arabella Cole.
Their waiter arrived with their meals, interrupting the conversation as he placed a large steak and garlic mashed potatoes in front of Hunter and a bowl of minestrone soup at Elle’s place setting. The gentleman asked if either of them wanted a refill on their drinks, and both of them declined. Hunter had a one-drink limit when he was driving, and Elle was still nursing her original prosecco.
“So, what happened to Theodore and Gavin?” Elle asked as she picked up her spoon and scooped up some vegetables, small bits of pasta, and broth.
He cut into his steak and glanced at her just in time to watch her pucker her lips and blow on the steaming soup, prompting his dirty imagination to conjure images of that soft, lush mouth blowing on other things . . . like the tip of his cock before she swallowed him to the back of her throat. His dick twitched at the filthy thought, and he forcibly shifted his focus to answering her question instead of fantasizing about her sucking him off.
He chewed on a piece of tender steak and rerouted his brain, as well as the blood flow to his groin. “Theodore and Gavin were both arrested and are now behind bars, and will probably be there for a long time, if not for the rest of their lives.”
“Good.” Elle’s gaze glowed with fierce satisfaction. “It’s nothing less than they deserve, and taking away their freedom is the best and most fitting revenge you could ask for.”
“True.” He smiled at her as she ate more of her soup, glad to see that she at least had a decent appetite. “So, tell me about Darian Commercial Realty.”
She peered up at him through her lashes, her expression suddenly cautious. “What do you want to know?”
He shrugged and kept it simple. “Who started the business?”
“My parents did before I was born,” she said easily, a fond, melancholy smile touching her lips. “They built it into a strong business together, and whenever I wasn’t in school, they’d let me hang out at the office, so I pretty much grew up there. Then my mother died when I was eleven, which was very hard on my father, and the company faltered for a while.”
“How does Helena come
into the picture?” he asked curiously as he finished his steak.
Elle absently stirred her spoon in the small amount of soup left in her bowl. “She was a colleague, and after my mother passed away, she seemed to always be around, ‘comforting’ my heartbroken father, she claimed, and helping with the business. But I know my dad was lonely after my mother died, and because I’ve learned who Helena is over the years, I have no doubt she manipulated my father into a relationship and marriage.”
He set his fork and knife on his empty plate and pushed the dish to the side. “Why do you think that?”
She sighed. “Because he never seemed as happy with Helena as he always was when he was with my mother. Within a few months of them getting married, they were constantly arguing and fighting. I honestly think he regretted marrying her so quickly, and I could never understand why he wouldn’t just divorce her, because as the years went on, it only got worse . . . for him and for me, which made me wonder if she was holding something over him. Helena resented my close relationship with my father and treated me like dirt when he wasn’t around. Not to mention, she brought to the marriage two mean girls intent on making my life miserable.”
There was so much sadness in her voice, and he hated that she’d been treated so poorly, then and clearly now, too, because he’d seen all three women in action the night of the fairy-tale ball.
She set her spoon on the plate beneath her bowl and gave him a smile that wasn’t quite one hundred percent. “On the upside, my father spent more time at work and built the business back up to what it was. And as soon as I graduated high school, I became a licensed real estate agent and went to work at the company out in the field. When my father passed away, I did my best to take over and keep the business open and profitable . . . but it hasn’t been easy.”
She suddenly stopped talking and glanced away, but not before he caught a glimpse of the despondent look in her eyes, which gave him the impression that she’d simplified her story and there was more going on with her than she was divulging.
Their waiter appeared at their table before Hunter could ask any other questions, though he wasn’t really sure what to ask. He only sensed that Elle was dealing with things she didn’t want to talk about, and he wanted to respect her choice, even if it was difficult for him because, if he was able to help her, he wanted to offer his support in any way he could.
“Can I get either of you any dessert or coffee?” their waiter asked as he picked up their dinner plates.
Elle shook her head. “Nothing for me, thank you.”
“I’m fine,” Hunter said. “Just the check, please.”
When they were alone again, Hunter trailed his fingers across her shoulder and along her neck, and she turned her head and smiled at him. This time, a genuine one that was solely for him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked, still concerned about her stomach. “Did the soup settle okay?”
She nodded. “It did. It was delicious. Thank you.”
“Good.” He grinned at her, wanting to lighten the mood after two serious back-to-back conversations. “So, Just Elle, I owe you a shoe. Are you ready to go and get it?”
She arched a brow at him, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Dare I ask where it is?”
“My place.”
She bit her bottom lip, and he could almost see her weighing the pros and cons of going back to his apartment. “Maybe you should bring it by my office next week.”
“No.” He wasn’t letting her off that easy, nor was he going to allow her to go back to avoiding him. “You left it at my place, so it’s only fair that’s where you pick it up. Unless you’re afraid of being alone with me?” Yeah, he made sure it sounded like a challenge, a dare he wanted her to accept.
It worked like a charm. A stubborn glint flashed in her eyes, and she lifted her chin a few inches—a little bit sassy and a whole lot sexy, even if she didn’t realize it. “Mr. Wilder, I’m not afraid of you in any way, shape, or form,” she said, her tone impudent. “So, your place it is.”
He let a slow, seductive smile tip up the corners of his mouth as he leaned toward her and skimmed his lips along her jaw, inhaling the floral scent lingering on her skin and feeling her slight shiver as he reached the shell of her ear.
“Maybe you should be afraid, Elle,” he murmured huskily. “My motives might not be pure.”
Her breath quickened, the desire between them undeniable as she whispered her own confession. “Maybe I don’t want them to be.”
Chapter 11
What am I doing?
That was a question she asked herself on the quiet drive back to Hunter’s place. Picking up the shoe she’d left behind was the easy, simple justification. But if she was being completely honest with herself, her body, and even pieces of her heart that he’d managed to touch in such a short span of time, wanted this man.
She’d meant what she’d said back at the restaurant about not wanting his motives to be pure, and while she wasn’t in a position to fall headlong into a committed relationship, she was selfish enough to give in to her desires and indulge in one more amazing night with him. Especially after everything they’d shared with each other at dinner that had given them each a deeper and more intimate view into their lives that neither one of them would normally open up about with just anyone.
Both of their pasts had been tough and difficult in different ways, and Elle was still trying to navigate her turbulent present. And while she refused to drag Hunter into her drama with her stepmother and the financial issues she was battling, she was willing to let him take her mind off of her troubles for a few hours.
When they arrived at his place, Hunter told her he’d be right back and disappeared into the other room, and Elle gravitated toward the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living area. She was instantly besieged by memories . . . of standing in front of the privacy glass with Hunter just a few weeks ago, his hands all over her naked body, caressing her breasts and his fingers pushing deep inside her as she came for him.
The erotic recollection made her shiver and her skin flush hot in excitement of what might happen tonight. Because if there was one thing she’d learned about Hunter that evening a few weeks ago, he was not a conventional lover, and his dominant methods had triggered shameless, wanton desires she only wanted to experience with him.
Hearing him enter the room, she turned around as he strolled leisurely toward her, his expression a combination of playful teasing and undisguised persuasion, which wasn’t necessary since she’d already decided she was all in with him tonight.
“So, I’m going to have to demand one more thing before handing over the shoe,” he said, dangling the sparkling crystal heel from his fingertips, his grin so devastatingly sexy it should have been illegal.
“And what’s that?” she asked huskily as he stopped a few feet away from her . . . too far away, in her estimation.
“A kiss.” He didn’t move, leaving whatever happened next up to her.
Without hesitation, she closed the distance between them and boldly took the kiss from Hunter. Her hands gripped his shirt as she fastened her mouth to his and he tossed the shoe onto the sofa behind them. His lips parted against hers, giving her only a handful of seconds to revel in having the upper hand before he cupped the back of her head and took control. She moaned in delight as he swept his tongue into her mouth, slow and deep and tempting when she’d expected something harder, faster, wilder.
This kiss was a hot, deliberate tease designed to make her wet and weak-kneed, and between the rush of arousal dampening her panties and how unstable her legs felt, he was accomplishing his goal. Her senses felt scorched as he nipped at her bottom lip, tugging on it with his teeth until she groaned and leaned more fully into him to seek a deeper connection again. He obliged, licking his way back inside her mouth and caressing his tongue along the length of hers as he slid his free arm around her waist to bring her body flush against his.
Need coiled low and tight inside of her, and s
he brazenly rubbed her aching breasts against his chest while his sinful mouth continued to seduce hers. His hand skimmed down her back and grabbed her ass, pulling her hips tighter to his so she could feel the hard, thick length of his erection beneath the fly of his pants.
She whimpered against his lips, the sound filled with an impatience and frustration that didn’t seem to faze him as he centered all his attention on her mouth. She’d never had a man kiss her so thoroughly, so endlessly, so carnally that the fusing of their lips, the erotic tangle of their tongues felt as intimate as sex itself. Everything in her softened and yielded to the irresistible lure of this man, and by the time he ended the kiss and lifted his head, she felt dazed and achingly aroused.
She tipped her head back to meet his heavy-lidded gaze, and the way he was looking down at her made her heart skip a beat. She’d expected the lust and hunger gleaming in his dark gaze, but it was the tenderness she glimpsed that stole her breath, because it spoke to something deeper between them than physical pleasure . . . and that realization scared the hell out of her.
Swallowing hard against the emotion rising in her throat, she forced herself to concentrate on the latter, because that, at least, was something they could acknowledge and appease—even if she wished differently.
“You make me so hot,” she said, speaking the truth. “So restless. So needy.” For so many things.
He gently stroked his fingers along her cheek, an inviting smile kicking up the corner of his mouth. “I’ve definitely got a cure for all that.”
She smiled at the arrogant tone of his voice. “Yes, you do give the best orgasms.”
His hands came down and settled on her hips, his eyes searching hers, though she wasn’t sure what for. “Then stay and let me make you feel good. Stay, and I will do dirty, filthy things to you that will make you forget your own name and make you delirious with ecstasy.”
She laughed softly as he pleaded his case, even though she’d already decided earlier that she wasn’t going anywhere. Hunter was one of the few good things in her life right now and she wanted, needed, him, and this. “You sound so sure of yourself, Mr. Wilder.”
