Can't Help Falling in Love

by Samantha Chase

  Carefully, Hunter picked him up and got him settled in his arms. After a quiet round of goodnights, he made the cautious effort of getting Eli in the car without waking him up. Although, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if he were awake, but sometimes he tended to be more of a bear who refused to go back to sleep.

  By the time they were home a few minutes later, it was obvious Eli was out for the count. Hunter changed him into his pajamas and tucked him into bed and breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled the bedroom door closed behind him.

  He wandered from room to room and knew there were plenty of things for him to do, but…it was late, he was tired, and there would be plenty of time to do work around the house tomorrow.

  And over the next few weeks while he wasn’t working.

  With nothing else to do and knowing he was going to do it eventually, he sat down, pulled out his phone and texted Violet.

  Hunter: Hey. You around?

  Violet: Hey, you! How was your day?

  Before he could answer, she was typing again.

  Violet: Wait…it’s kind of early for you to be texting. What’s Eli doing?

  And yeah, his heart kicked hard in his chest just like it did every time she thought of his son first.

  Hunter: Dad wore him out and he was practically asleep in his pizza. He slept through the ride home and even through me changing him into his pajamas.

  Violet: Aww…that is completely adorable <3

  As much as he enjoyed texting with her, he much preferred hearing the sound of her voice.

  Hunter: Can I call you?

  Violet: It’s a little loud here right now. Brian actually came home today. He surprised Katie by ringing the doorbell an hour ago.

  Hunter: Holy crap!

  Violet: Yeah, it’s been a wild and emotional night for sure. What are you doing right now?

  As much as he hated to sound vulnerable, his response was out before he could stop it.

  Hunter: Missing you.

  Violet: Aww…

  Violet: Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll call you. We’re just finishing dinner.

  Hunter: Okay. Talk to you in a few.

  Putting the phone down, Hunter stood and kicked off his boots and decided he might as well take the next few minutes to get comfortable by changing into a pair of athletic shorts. Looking at his bed, he wished he had just invited her over. Eli was a heavy sleeper, and although he’d never been tempted to invite a woman to spend the night while his son was home, Violet wasn’t just a random hook-up. She meant something to him. And while he had no idea what the morning would look like if Violet did spend the night, he didn’t think it would be overly traumatic to his son.

  “I guess Dean’s not the only overly cautious brother,” he murmured, walking into the kitchen and grabbing a bottle of water. And then, cursing himself for the missed opportunity, he made his way back to the living room and got comfortable on the couch.

  While he waited for Violet’s call, he checked his emails and was about to play a game of solitaire when he thought about the conversation over dinner. Houses. With a shrug, he pulled up the site for a local realtor and figured it couldn’t hurt to just see what kind of prices larger houses were going for. It wasn’t like he needed a large home, but maybe something with three bedrooms–especially a master bedroom with its own bathroom.

  And the image of sharing that room with Violet immediately came to mind and he groaned because…yeah, he had it bad.

  There was a soft knock on the front door–so quiet he almost thought he’d imagined it. But when he heard it again, he slowly rose to his feet and walked over to answer it.

  And there was Violet, standing on his front porch like an answer to a prayer.

  “Violet,” he said, feeling almost giddy. Holding out a hand to her, he invited her in. “What are you doing here?”

  Blushing slightly, she smiled. “First, I’m sorry if it’s not cool that I stopped by unannounced, but…it’s Brian’s first night home and I wanted to give them some privacy.”

  “Oh…uh…okay. I didn’t know…”

  Her hand immediately flew up to stop him. “Don’t worry! I’m not suggesting I stay here!” she blurted out quickly. “I’m going to go and stay at a hotel down in Wilmington.”

  “Wilmington? But…that’s kind of a long drive for you, isn’t it?”

  “In the grand scheme of things, not really. But the hotel in town–Magnolia on the Beach?–yeah, they didn’t have any rooms available. Like I said, I wanted to give Katie and Brian their privacy.” She let out a soft sigh and a small smile. “So…I just thought I’d stop in for a few minutes and say hey. So…hey.”

  So many thoughts were swirling around in his head and yet he couldn’t get his mouth to utter any of them. When he saw Violet’s smile start to fade and her expression turn to one of uncertainty and then regret, he knew he needed to snap out of it.

  “You’re not going to Wilmington,” he finally said.

  “Um…why? I already told Katie I wouldn’t be home tonight. I thought about calling the B&B here in town, but I figured it was too late to do that.”

  “It’s only eight o’clock, Vi. I’m pretty sure they’re still open.”

  “You know what I mean. I don’t think of them as being like a regular hotel.” She shrugged. “I could be wrong, but…I don’t know. I just figured a hotel was the safer option.”

  Moving in close, Hunter looked down at her. “The safest option is to stay here tonight. With me.”

  Her dark eyes went wide. “Here?”

  He nodded.

  She looked beyond him–toward the hallway that led to his and Eli’s bedrooms. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Hunter. Eli could wake up and…”

  “And he’d be thrilled to see you,” he assured her. Reaching up, he caressed her cheek. “Just like I’d be if I woke up and you were beside me.”

  Her expression softened. “Hunter…”

  “I’m asking you to stay, Violet.” Pausing, he shook his head. “I wanted to ask you when we were texting.”

  “Then why didn’t you?”

  “Because I was being overly cautious.”

  “So what changed in the last fifteen minutes?”

  “Honestly?” Bending slightly, he rested his forehead against hers. “I’m tired of being cautious. I just want to be with you.”

  It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders at his admission and he held his breath as he waited for her response.

  One delicate hand raked up through his hair. “And I really want to be with you. With Brian coming home, I don’t know when…”

  But he never let her finish. Slowly, he closed the minute distance between them and gently claimed her lips with his. As much as he wanted to plunder and devour, he held himself in check. Hunter knew she was going to need to be coaxed into staying the night.

  He could be wild with her.

  Later.

  He could unleash the beast she brought out in him.

  Later.

  For now, he wanted her to know that he was sure she should be here. And besides showing her like this, the kiss served to end their conversation. The last thing he wanted was to talk about her leaving. If Hunter had his way, she wouldn’t be going back to Nashville except to pack up all her things so she could move here to Magnolia to be with him.

  But for right now, he’d work on convincing her to stay for one night.

  They could figure out the rest later.

  Lifting his head, he smiled at the dazed woman staring back at him. “Stay, Violet. Please.”

  He watched as she swallowed hard before nodding.

  It was all the encouragement he needed.

  Taking one of her hands in his, he first walked over and locked the front door. Next, he turned off the living room light. It wasn’t until they were in his bedroom with the door closed that he let go of her hand and faced her.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  There was that blush again as
she shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

  “No. Not crazy. I know exactly what I’m saying and what I’m seeing.”

  “Hunter…”

  He guided her over to the bed and sat beside her. “I’m being presumptuous that you would want to come directly to bed. If you want to sit back and watch some TV or have something for dessert, then we can totally do that.”

  She seemed to consider his words for a moment before she spoke. “Do you want to know one of the most attractive things about you?”

  And for some reason, that made him nervous. “Um…I don’t know. Do I?”

  With a soft chuckle, she took one of his hands in hers. “I’ve never met a man who always puts my needs and my comfort first.” Smiling, she continued. “You always ask if it’s what I want even when you know I’m ready to climb you like a tree. And the fact that you refuse to put your own needs and wants before my own is seriously the sexiest thing about you.”

  He had no idea what to say or how to respond.

  Luckily, Violet wasn’t looking for his words. She gracefully moved until her hands were braced on his shoulders and she was straddling his lap. It was his turn to swallow hard.

  “I want you to know something, Hunter. It means a lot to me that you trust me enough to let me be here with you while Eli’s home. If at any time you change your mind, I need you to promise me you’ll say something and I’ll go, no questions asked.”

  “I would never do that…”

  “Promise me, Hunter,” she quietly demanded.

  So he nodded, even though he knew he’d never ask her to leave. If anything, he needed to find the words to ask her to stay beyond tonight.

  But he’d deal with that later because right now, as his hands skimmed down her back before gently kneading her ass, the only thought in his mind was of all the things he wanted to do to her.

  “This is where I want to be,” she said as if reading his mind. “And I want all the things you want, Hunter.”

  “We’ll have to be quiet,” he said because…well…he wasn’t that far gone yet.

  She made a sassy little zipping motion over her lips before winking at him. Leaning in, she whispered in his ear, “Although, I don’t think I’m the noisy one here.”

  Pulling back, he grinned. “Is that a challenge?”

  “It is. You up for it?”

  And yeah, he didn’t miss the double meaning there.

  “I’m up for all of it, Violet. All of you, all night.”

  She pulled back before unbuttoning the sleeveless blouse she was wearing. When the hot pink lace beneath was on full display, she said, “It’s all yours. Take what you want.”

  And he did.

  Repeatedly.

  Twelve

  Violet squinted sleepily in the darkness until she spotted Hunter’s bedside clock. It was a little after five in the morning and she knew it would be best for her to leave before Hunter woke up.

  Not that she particularly wanted to. It was positively decadent to be in this bed with him wrapped around her. It was weird how she found herself sleeping better than she ever had–and not just while staying at Katie’s, but ever.

  Like…ever, ever.

  But still, she felt uncomfortable about Eli finding her here. She adored that little boy more than she thought possible, and the last thing she wanted to do was upset him. So the smart thing to do was leave.

  As if sensing the direction of her thoughts, Hunter’s arm tightened around her, and she promised she’d just enjoy the feel of his warm body pressed up against her from head to toe for a few more minutes.

  Five tops.

  The next time she opened her eyes, there was sunlight streaming in from behind the window blinds, and Hunter was trailing kisses along her shoulder.

  Damn the man. He knows that’s one of my weaknesses…

  “Good morning,” he murmured between kisses.

  “Good morning.” And yeah, she may have snuggled a little closer.

  Who am I??

  “I have to admit, I was afraid I’d wake up and find you gone.”

  Swallowing hard, Violet looked over her shoulder at him. “You almost did.”

  There was a flash of something in his expression that might have been hurt, but it was gone in the blink of an eye.

  “What changed your mind?”

  Okay, don’t be flippant, and don’t say something stupid.

  Rolling over so she could face him–and good lord, he felt even better like this–Violet felt their legs tangle together and tried to not let it distract her.

  “I know I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t think it was okay,” she said quietly. “But I’m not going to lie to you; I’m mildly uncomfortable.”

  He immediately began putting some space between them and apologizing, but Violet quickly pulled him back in close.

  “Not physically uncomfortable, Hunter,” she clarified. “I don’t want to upset or confuse Eli. His life has already been turned upside-down recently, and I don’t want to add to any issues he may be having.”

  “Trust me, you’re not. If anything, you’ve helped him.”

  That was brand new information. “I have?”

  Nodding, he hugged her close, his chin resting on top of her head. “We’re a pretty loud family and I think we overwhelm Eli at times. He sits and listens, and he’ll answer questions if you ask him, but something about you…” He placed a soft kiss on her head before continuing. “It’s like you drew him out of his shell. That day when you first tumbled in the yard with him will forever be burned into my brain because it’s the first time I saw him being so carefree. He talks about you nonstop and tells everyone about the flips that you do and how you taught him to stand on his head.”

  Her heart squeezed hard in her chest and it felt…foreign… like nothing she’d ever felt before. Whatever it was…it was threatening to overwhelm her, and she was starting to panic.

  “Um…”

  Hunter gently pulled back and smiled down at her with such affection and gratitude that she swore she was about to cry. “You’ve made a difference in his life, Violet, and I want you to know that.” He paused. “You’ve made a difference in both of our lives, so…thank you.”

  Oh, God…she really was going to cry. Tears stung her eyes and all she could do was nod before burying her face against his chest. Luckily, Hunter must have known she needed a minute because one strong hand gently cradled her head while the other slowly smoothed up and down her back.

  After several moments, he kissed her before saying, “Eli’s going to be up soon. We usually make some breakfast together and have a lazy morning. I’d really love it if you joined us, but if you’d rather not…”

  Cursing the few stray tears that were still falling, she looked up at him. “Please don’t think I’m a weirdo…”

  His soft chuckle was the first response, but he quickly schooled his features. “I don’t think you’re a weirdo, Violet. You’re a single woman who is probably used to sleeping in on a Saturday morning and having a lazy day until you’re ready to do something. Our day starts early and it’s lazy for us but not to other’s standards. There’s breakfast and cartoons and some random chores. Not that you’d have to help with them, but…I totally get it if you’d rather go.”

  Did she?

  Honesty was important to her, so she knew she needed to explain to Hunter what was going on in her head.

  “I don’t remember a time when I was growing up that things were normal. Things were typically chaotic when my mother was alive, and it didn’t matter if it was a school day morning or a weekend, I usually had to fend for myself. When I went into foster care, every home was different. I bounced around for a year or two before getting placed in the same house as Katie. The Michaels’ were regimented–and I mean that in a positive way. There was a schedule that we followed, and while we always sat down to breakfast together, it…” She sighed as she searched for the right word. “It was still obvious–at least to me–that it wasn’t
my home. It wasn’t my family. I was always on guard and waiting for the moment when I’d have to pack up and leave again.”

  She expected him to comment or tell her how sorry he was like most people did, but he didn’t. He simply lay back and let her talk.

  “You may not believe this, but…being around families–normal families–is a little hard for me because I’m not sure how to act.”

  “Just be you, Violet. There’s no one else you need to pretend to be.”

  “That’s just it, Hunter, I’m not even sure how to just be myself because…because…” And dammit, she couldn’t stop the tears now even if she wanted to. “Because no one wanted me when I was myself. So I’m always trying to be who everyone else is being or acting how everyone else is, and it’s awkward and exhausting and…”

  “Were you pretending with Eli in the yard that first day?”

  She shook her head. “No, of course not. We were just goofing around and having fun.”

  “Were you pretending the day Benjamin was born?”

  Her snort was a little un-ladylike, but was out before she knew it. “Are you kidding? I was terrified! That wasn’t an act at all.”

  Nodding, he said, “Okay, last question. Were you pretending last night here with me?”

  “No,” she admitted quietly.

  “Let me tell you something, Violet Drake,” he said, cupping her cheek. “I like the woman you are. A lot. And if you’re telling me that all the times we’ve been together you haven’t been faking anything or pretending, then I can say with great certainty that I like who you are. And you know what? So does Eli. And Katie. And everyone else you know.” He kissed her forehead. “I think you put a lot of pressure on yourself, and I’m here to tell you there’s no one here you need to impress because we already are.”

  “Hunter…”

  “Stay and have breakfast with us. That’s it. That’s all I’m asking. For now,” he added. “After we eat, we’ll see how you feel, and if at any time you feel overwhelmed or…awkward, you just say the word, and we’ll wish you a good day.”

  “A good day?” she asked, unable to hide her smile. “That’s a little formal, don’t you think?”