by Amy DeLuca
“I’ll give you a fifty percent raise over whatever your last employer was paying you,” Hunter said, throwing one final enticement at the personal chef.
Rachel’s eyes bulged. “You don’t even know what he was paying me.”
Hunter smiled, clearly confident he was about to close the deal. “Doesn’t matter. What do you say?”
“I’d say I’m very tempted—especially for that kind of a bump in salary. Together with the included room and board, it would give me a great start on opening up my own café, which I’ve been wanting to do forever. But…”
“But what?”
Hunter’s eyes shone with the thrill of the hunt. This must be what he was like when dealing with potential investors and clients—smart, persuasive, absolutely irresistible.
No wonder he’d gone from Newport’s poorest neighborhood to a Bellevue Avenue mansion on nothing but intelligence and sheer determination.
“Well, I’d want it to be spelled out in my contract… there’d be no possibility of personal involvement with any of the guys I’d be working for. I’ve been burned plenty of times as a chef—but I’m still smoking from this last job. There is no way I would ever get involved with someone I work for ever again.”
“Absolutely,” Hunter assured her. “We’d be completely agreeable to that sort of stipulation. In fact… we already have a little experience with it.”
His eyes slid over to land on Kristal, who blushed hotly. Because she knew better than anyone that an agreement like that one could be changed.
And once Rachel got to know Hunter better, she’d be all for taking a red marker to her contract and striking through that particular clause.
Would he move her into Kristal’s room in his condo—right down the hall from his own suite?
Kristal stood. “You know… I am actually getting a little overheated. I believe I’ll step out onto the terrace for some fresh air.”
She turned and strode out of the room without waiting for a response. Hopefully her hosts weren’t insulted, but she couldn’t stay in the room a second longer, watching as Bonnie’s sister took over the life she wanted.
But you chose to leave, she reminded herself.
It didn’t matter how sensible the decision had seemed at the time, at this moment, the prospect of walking away and leaving Hunter was ripping her heart out.
“It’s nice out here.”
The deep male voice behind her made Kristal jump and whirl around.
Hunter had apparently followed her from the house onto the moonlit back terrace—also he had amazing potential as a ninja.
When she didn’t respond, he said, “Having a good time? Or are you on Bestia overload? If you’ve had enough, I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
“No, no, I’m fine. Your brother and Bonnie are wonderful. And Rachel is lovely.”
“She’s great,” he agreed. “She took the job.”
It wasn’t a surprise, but still, Kristal’s heart flopped out of her chest and splatted on the cold terrace stones.
“Of course she did. That’s awesome,” she managed to say, forcing a smile so fake it was nearly painful. “When is she moving in?”
She hadn’t had a good opportunity yet to tell him about her own new job and plans to move to Atlanta, but perhaps now was the perfect moment. She’d give him some notice so he could have the room cleaned.
That way it would be ready and waiting for the new “lady of the house.”
“Next week,” he said. “She’s going to take my suite.”
Kristal blinked in surprise. “Your suite?”
Hunter nodded. “Yes. We haven’t had a moment alone to talk about it, but I’m moving out. The pilot’s almost finished, our software is launched, our lease is nearly up. You can absolutely keep living there as long as you’d like to—I’m sure several of the guys will stay on. But Reid’s going to get his own place in Newport, and I am too. I’m sure Rachel would be thrilled to have you sharing my unit with her as long as you want to stay.”
Kristal couldn’t answer—she just nodded tightly, searching for the right words.
“Hey, you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “You’ve seemed a little off all night.”
Drawing in a deep breath and releasing it, Kristal dug deep into her well of common sense, determined to actually use it for once.
“I’m just… listen, Hunter… I’ve been meaning to talk to you too.”
She shivered, and he stepped closer, removing his jacket and sliding it around her shoulders.
No. No no no, don’t do that. Don’t be sweet. Don’t be a gentleman. Not now.
His jacket was so warm, and it held the scent that always made her want to lean closer to him, to feel his arms wrapped around her. How was she supposed to do this, to tell him she was leaving?
“Yeah, we’re a little overdue for a heart to heart,” Hunter said. “I’ve got a lot of things to say that really, I should have said earlier. Mind if I go first?”
Twenty-Four
Slipping Away
Looking down into Kristal’s upturned face, Hunter was overwhelmed with emotion. Things were working out so perfectly.
The launch of Chipp had surpassed even his most optimistic predictions. And over the past few weeks he’d been taking a hard look at his life, realizing he didn’t necessarily have to be on call twenty-four-seven, that he didn’t have to work ridiculously long hours every single day to keep the company running strong.
Things were at the point where he could downshift a bit, take a step back and focus on other things—namely his personal life, and specifically, Kristal.
Now that he’d found a personal chef to take care of the guys, he wouldn’t feel so bad about moving out and getting his own place, about moving forward with her.
Once he and his friends weren’t all living together, it would be much easier to tell all of them about his relationship with Kristal—that he loved her.
And he had a very special house in mind to purchase. He could hardly wait to see Kristal’s reaction when he told her he planned to buy her parents’ home back from the bank.
He almost wished the cameras were around for this moment, to capture the happiness shining in her eyes.
“Actually,” she said. “I think I should go first.”
“Oh. Sure.”
Hunter tapped the emotional brakes, which wasn’t easy when he was so excited about his plans for their future. But the look on Kristal’s face told him she was determined to speak first.
“Okay, go ahead.”
“I’m moving, Hunter.”
“I know. Moving out. Me too. That’s sort of what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m moving… to Atlanta. Next week. I got a job.”
“What?” Hunter’s heart sputtered to a stop. He couldn’t believe his ears.
His tongue had stopped functioning, though his mind raced with questions.
When had this happened?
How could it be happening—now—when things were about to work out the way he’d always dreamed they would?
“You’ve already accepted it?” he asked.
She nodded. “It’s a good position—at a museum in midtown. I’ll be using the degree I earned, and real estate and rents are so much cheaper there than they are here. I found a great apartment I can actually afford.”
She gave a weak laugh. “No more sponging off the Chipp Charity Fund.”
Hunter frowned. “You weren’t sponging—you were never a charity case. I wanted you there—want you there.”
“I know you said that. And believe me, I appreciate your kindness more than I can say—”
He cut her off, his voice surprisingly harsh. “It wasn’t kindness. It was selfishness. I asked you to move in because I wanted to spend time with you.”
“What? But… the show.”
“I made that up,” he confessed. “The whole thing. I mean, it turned into something real, but in the beginning, I concocted the whole id
ea because I wanted us to finally have the chance to get to know each other.”
Struggling and uncomfortable, Hunter fought to control his emotions, feeling like the needy little kid he used to be.
“I don’t want you to go,” he finally blurted.
Kristal looked as if she was fighting back tears. Her voice sounded thick. “I don’t want to, either. I’ll miss… everyone here. But it’s the right thing—for all of us. I’ll finally be independent, the guys’ lives can go back to normal, and you’ll truly be able to focus on your work again.”
“Screw that,” Hunter said. “The guys’ lives were better with you there—mine too.”
“I’m confused. What about not wanting to cause a rift in the house? What about doing what’s best for your company? Not losing everything you’ve worked so hard to build?”
“The company’s fine. In fact, I’m thinking of taking a step back, slowing down and letting the other guys handle more of the responsibility.”
She smiled sadly. “You say that, but you won’t. You’ll never slow down or step back.”
He was taken aback at her words. “How do you know?”
“I know because I’ve been living with you the past few weeks. It’s not just your job. It’s who you are. The big deals, the money—it’s where you get your sense of self-worth. I’m different. I can do anything for a living, really, and be happy as long as it pays the bills. And it’s time.”
Though she stood right in front of him, Hunter felt Kristal was slipping away. He gripped her arms as his heart thrashed in his chest like an escapee trying to avoid going back to prison.
It had been over twenty years since he’d lost his mother, but he was right back in that hospital room, clinging to her fragile body, begging her not to leave him, begging her not to go.
He hated this feeling, this weakness in himself, but he could not let Kristal move over a thousand miles away without making his best effort to keep her.
He began speaking rapid-fire, throwing out his arguments one by one, hoping one of them would stick and convince her.
“You don’t need that job. You don’t have to work for a living. I’ll pay the bills. I’ll take care of you—anything you need, I’ll buy it. I’ll buy your parents’ old house from the bank. If you don’t want that one, pick another. If you don’t like any of the houses on the market right now, I’ll build you a new one. Pick any car you want—or several if you can’t decide. You can go back to your old life, the one Margot stole from you. You can work at the art guild, throw big society parties. We’ll join Bailey’s beach, that ridiculously overpriced beach club that all the Newport snooty toots like for some reason. I’ll give you anything you want. I’d do anything for you. I love you, Kristal. I always have.”
Out of breath, shaking, and having left it all on the table, Hunter waited, watching Kristal’s expression move through an array of emotions before she responded.
She reached for his hand, slipping her small, cool one inside it.
“I love you too.”
Hunter’s heart soared but then plummeted mid-flight when he spotted the tears in her eyes. They weren’t the happy kind.
He took both her hands in his. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Hunter…” She swallowed hard. “I still have to go.”
Twenty-Five
One Last Chance
Hunter’s face contorted in a mask of confusion and hurt.
“What? Why? Why do you have to go? I don’t understand.”
“I know you don’t. I’ll try to explain. Your offer is very tempting.”
She faltered, swallowing hard again. “Too tempting, because I do love you. I do want to be with you. But it doesn’t matter what kind of house I live in or what you could buy for me or give to me. I’d never be happy with just material things. I want real closeness. I want to build a life with someone.”
“That’s what I’m offering.” Hunter’s tone was scarred, sullen. “In case I didn’t make myself clear, I want you to marry me.”
If the situation hadn’t been so sad, Kristal might have been amused at the angry, unromantic nature of his proposal.
Still, her heart ached with longing at those words. Being his wife, being able to see him every day, have his children, grow old with him here in Newport—the temptation was almost too much to bear.
Could he really change?
Would he ever be the sort of man who could truly relax and enjoy what he’d achieved and acquired?
Or would he always be striving for more? He’d invented an entire TV show to get her attention for goodness sake. Would he ever trust that he was enough—had always been enough?
Would he ever open up and let her see the real him, flaws and all?
She wanted to believe he could more than she’d ever wanted anything in her life.
It shouldn’t matter. She should still leave, to prove to herself she could make it on her own, that she was more than just the pampered daughter of a rich man.
Still… Kristal had to ask.
Hope bubbled up inside her as she took one last chance.
“Hunter… tell me where you went that night… after our first date. What happened? Why did you shut me out afterward? If putting a wedge between you and the other guys wasn’t the real issue… what was?”
Wariness filled the spectacular turquoise eyes that had always fascinated her.
Before he even opened his mouth, Kristal knew Hunter was going to deny her the truth she wanted. The truth she needed. The bubbles popped, leaving her deflated.
“It doesn’t matter. That’s the past. I want to leave it in the past. You’re my future. Isn’t it enough that I love you—that I’ve loved you my whole life?”
His words tore her heart into a million pieces. But she’d learned words were not enough. It was actions that counted.
She’d spent too many years of her childhood and youth hearing the empty ring of “I love you,” longing for the man she loved to spend time with her while he chased money and success.
She wouldn’t—would not—replay the same heartbreak in her adult life. Or do that to her future children.
Tears stung Kristal’s eyes. She had to blink them away before responding in a choked voice.
“Thank you. Thank you for loving me. I’m honored, truly. But I have to go. It’s for the best—for both of us. One day you’ll meet someone you can truly give yourself to, and you’ll understand.”
Hunter’s dark brows lowered.
“Oh, I understand. I understand that I love you, and you’re leaving anyway. Because I’m not good enough for you. No matter how many billions I make, how many titans of industry I have kissing up to me, I’m not in your class. I thought if I worked hard and long enough and made something of my life, I’d finally be worthy of you, but it was all pointless. I was born into the wrong family, to the wrong man. There’s nothing I can do to change that. So you’re right, you should go.”
Kristal’s throat closed and she choked on sobs.
“It’s not about social class or money. I never cared about who your family was. I never cared where you lived or what you drove. Don’t you see? All I’ve ever cared about is the person you are inside, the real you.”
“All I see is that you’re forcing me to live the rest of my life without you. I see that you’re giving me no choice in the matter. So go on, go be happy with Larson Overstreet of the ‘Manhattan Overstreets.’ I wouldn’t want you to lower yourself by slumming with me anyway. And don’t worry. I won’t be bothering you anymore.”
He turned to stalk back into the house. As he reached the door, Bonnie opened it, wearing a big smile.
“Who’s up for a game of Scrabble?”
“I’m through with games,” Hunter growled. “Ask Kristal—she loves them.”
At Bonnie’s astonished look, Kristal said, “I told him I’m leaving. Would you mind giving me a ride to my friend Cinda’s house?”
Twenty-Six
Just Like His
Father
Two months later
Hap entered the darkened and mostly deserted home theater of the billionaire bachelor pad, holding a plate full of appetizers and wearing a huge smile.
“There you are, man,” he said, locating Hunter in a seat near the back of the room and taking the plush chair next to him.
“Have you tasted these yet?”
He held the plate out, displaying an array of savory smelling finger foods. “You are a genius for hiring Rachel. I swear, she’s got some kind of magical abilities when it comes to food. Not bad looking, either.”
“I’m not hungry.”
Hunter once again directed his gaze at the enormous video screen where footage from the pilot of Tech House played for any wrap party guests who wanted a sneak peek.
At the moment, he and Hap were the only ones in the theater.
The show had been officially picked up by a network and was scheduled to start filming—for real this time and with a whole new cast—within the next few weeks. Thus, tonight’s party.
Hap was obviously in a celebratory mood, and for good reason.
As the show’s “creator” and director, he’d gotten a sweet contract and had already fielded a slew of other directing offers. It appeared his Hollywood comeback was a success.
Hunter’s role in the project, thankfully, was now reduced to simply being listed as an executive producer. In fact, he was moving out of the house altogether in two days.
Since Kristal had left a couple months ago, it had been decided that his unit would be used for filming as soon as the new Tech House cast was selected.
Rachel had moved into an empty suite in Hap’s unit. Everyone seemed happy with the arrangement so far, especially Hap.
“Sure you don’t want any food?” he asked.
Hunter shook his head. He didn’t feel like eating.
He definitely didn’t feel like socializing with the crowd he could hear talking and laughing downstairs. He didn’t even feel like working, which was a first.
