by Jill Shannon
What Willow noticed was they didn't look at him in fear or move their children away. What little she knew of motorcycle clubs didn't include the respect he seemed to have earned from the townspeople. No, he was greeted by numerous people as they moved among the crowd. Until they met up with a beautiful, long legged blonde. She had approached them, looking at Hunter as if she owned him. Yet, he had shut her down before she even opened her mouth, telling Crystal—Willow was pretty sure that's what he called her—to move on and find another brother. He wasn't interested.
At first, Willow had felt sorry for the way Hunter had addressed her until she opened her mouth and spewed out her threat, "You'll regret that move, Saint." Turning her focus to Willow, she said, "You'll see, this little mouse could never be the woman you need."
Willow had stood to her full five-foot-three inches in her heels prepared to defend herself. But before she said a word, Hunter did it for her. "Crystal, if you come near or threaten Willow in any way, I will have you banned from the clubhouse. Am I making myself perfectly clear?" He then guided Willow away from the furious woman toward the race area and a crowd of his brothers.
After the race where Yankee beat Angel, Willow was ready to leave. She had so hoped Angel would have beaten Yankee, but she understood Angel's hesitation off the line. Had Willow been asked to marry someone by the starting lights of the race, she would have hesitated as well. After the race, they had joined in on the auction of donated items, but neither had succeeded in winning.
"Are you ready to get going?" Willow asked Hunter when the auction was over. "I need to get back to the hotel and get cleaned up before I go and see my parents."
"Yes, I just need to talk with Judge and Ace before we go."
Willow walked with Hunter to the Celtic Demons' booth. Finding both Judge and Ace, he explained he would be leaving to take Willow to her hotel, but that he would come back afterward to help pack everything up. Both men told him not to rush back, that they could handle what needed to be done. Taking her hand as he left the booth, he led her to his bike. "You sure you're okay with riding with me?" He reached into his bag and pulled out a helmet for her. "Your choice, you can wear it if you want, but you don't have to."
Willow had never ridden on a motorcycle before, yet she figured if she was going to experience it now, she was going to enjoy it as nature intended. "No, I trust you." Willow watched as a dazzling smile formed on Hunter's face. It was then Willow realized what she had said. Did she really trust him? How the hell had that happened in the short time they had spent together?
"If you have a hairband, I'll braid your hair, so it's not a knotty mess by the time we get to the hotel," Hunter volunteered as he replaced the helmet in his bag. Pulling out a jacket, he laid it on the seat.
Willow produced a hairband from her pocketbook. She handed it to Hunter then turned around. The minute he gathered her hair in his hands, Willow closed her eyes. She had always loved it when one of her sisters had done her hair. Yet the sensation that coursed through her body as Hunter pulled strands of hair into a tight braid felt nothing like that. It made her want to sink against his warm chest and nestle herself in his strong arms. What was it about this man that made her feel this way? Willow needed to clear her head and remember she was only here for two weeks. Even if she enjoyed herself with him the whole time, she would still need to leave.
When he had gathered her silky hair in his hands, Hunter imagined holding onto this mane of hair as she took his cock into her mouth. A need came over him so powerful, it had his cock getting hard. The control he once had over his body was failing him in the presence of this woman. He slowed his breathing down and concentrated on braiding her hair, gaining control of his body. When he was finished, he turned her around by the shoulders. "If you'd like, I can put your pocketbook in one of the bags?"
It was at that moment Willow remembered she hadn't gone back to John Lawson's booth to collect her painting. "Oh, crap," she stated. "I totally forgot to collect my painting from Mr. Lawson. Did you distract me on purpose, so you could go back and collect it yourself?" Willow's voice had a teasing tone to it. "I need to go back and get it, but even if I haven't missed them, where are we going to put it?" She glanced around him at the motorcycle. "I don't think the painting will fit in one of those bags." Willow smiled up at Hunter.
Hunter knew she was rubbing it in that she now owned the painting he had wanted, but right now, that didn't matter. Because, as far as Hunter was concerned, he had the owner of it. Turning her by the shoulders, pointing back to the area they had just left, he replied, "Let's go see if they are still there. I can always get one of my brothers to deliver it to you." Then holding onto her hand, they walked back to John Lawson's booth.
When they got there, most of the booths had been packed away, but the Lawsons were still there. Willow sighed with relief as she approached Pauline and said, "I'm so glad you haven't left."
"John and I were starting to wonder if you had forgotten about the painting." Pauline reached around the side of the one table left upright. "We figured you'd be here to get it, so we didn't pack it away." She handed her the wrapped painting.
"Thank you so much." An embarrassed expression covered Willow's face. "I hate to admit it, but I did forget about it." She smacked Hunter on the arm. "It's all his fault. He distracted me all afternoon."
Hunter rubbed his arm where she smacked him. "I wasn't the one who forgot a priceless piece of art." He turned to Mr. Lawson and pleaded his case one more time, "Are you sure you want her to own this piece? She couldn't even remember she bought it." He grinned at the expression on Willow's face.
She smacked his arm again. "Stop it. I already bought it. Don't listen to him, Mr. Lawson, he's just being a sore loser." She turned to Pauline. "Thank you, Mrs. Lawson. It was a pleasure talking with you earlier. I still think if we did a DNA search, there is that slim chance that John is family. Then I'd be entitled to a family discount." Willow held her fingers up with a smile on her face.
"The pleasure was all mine. It always warms me inside to have someone appreciate my John's work as much as I do." She blew John a kiss. "You may have an idea there, dear. I wouldn't be surprised if you were related. John has distant family everywhere," Pauline added.
John smiled at his beautiful wife. "I love you too." Then he turned to Hunter in a whispered voice, "She smacked you twice, young man. That woman likes you. Don't screw it up, and you can get the girl and the painting." John grinned at Hunter from under his cap.
Having the same thought as John, he whispered back, "I have no intention of screwing this up and not because of the painting, sir. I like her as well."
John slapped Hunter on the back. "Can I give you a piece of advice?" Hunter nodded his head. "Never take her for granted; women hate that. And if you want to keep the trust you are already establishing, always tell her the truth. No matter how bad it is, you can always work through it together if you have trust."
Hunter shook John's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Lawson. I'll keep that in the back of my mind. We need to get going. If you need any other information about the paintings I commissioned, please let me know." Turning to Willow, he asked, "Are you ready?"
Willow shook her head yes, said her goodbyes, and they were off again to the Celtic Demons' booth.
Judge met them as they walked in. "I thought you two left already?"
"Willow forgot this." Hunter took the painting from her hand. "Can you have one of the prospects bring it to her parents' house?" Looking at Willow, he asked, "Is that okay? I didn't think you'd want it at the hotel, but it's your decision."
"That's fine. I was going to bring it there anyway." Willow explained to Judge, "Please make sure they handle it with care?" Her blues grew big as she pleaded with him.
Judge took the package from Hunter. "No worries, Willow. It will be in the same condition the next time you see it, at your parents' house."
"Thanks, Judge, see you later." Hunter turned to Willow. "We need to get going, L
uca will be wondering where you are." He placed his hand on her back as he guided her out of the booth.
When they got back to his bike, he grabbed the jacket off the seat. "Here, put this on." He saw the humorous expression on her face and added, "Yes, I know it will be big on you, but with the sun going down, it will be chilly riding."
"What are you going to wear?" Willow questioned as she put the jacket on.
It was Hunter's turned to laugh when he saw how big the jacket really was on her. "Come here; let's see if we can make this fit a little better. He took the right sleeve in his hands and began rolling it up then did the same thing to the left side. "Are you wearing a belt?" When she nodded her head yes, he told her, "Take it off, and give it to me." Willow followed his instructions and handed him her belt. He took it and lassoed it around her waist, and pulling it tight, he latched it. "That should help with the air flowing up under the jacket." He looked her over, thankful that she was wearing boots and not a pair of flip flops. "I think we're ready to go. Have you ever ridden before?" When she shook her head no, he explained, "Hold on to me and go with the bike, keep your ass in the center of the seat, and whatever you do, don't shift your body before telling me. It throws off the balance of the bike. Got all that?" She nodded that she understood. He got on his bike and started it, then yelled, "Ready when you are."
The growl of the bike startled Willow with an adrenaline rush. She held onto his shoulder as she put her foot on the stage and threw her other leg over the bike. Hunter didn't have a backrest on his bike, so it was easy to get her leg over, but she would need to hold onto him when they rode. Making sure her feet were positioned where she was comfortable, Willow put her sunglasses on, wrapped her arms around his waist in a death grip, then rested her head on his back. She could feel him laughing.
"Are you sure you want to ride on my bike?" Hunter took hold of her hands and placed them on his waist.
With the placement of her hands being moved, it forced Willow to sit up. "You're sure this is safe?"
Hunter was backing the bike out of the space. "There are no guarantees, but I promise I will get you there safely. Now, try to relax. You might actually like it once we get going."
Willow doubted that she would be able to relax, but she was willing to give it a try. They pulled out of the parking lot and got on the road. Willow dug her nails into Hunter's side, but he didn't react. He stayed to the back roads as they traveled to her hotel. As the ride continued, Hunter could feel her start to relax. She released her nails from his waist and moved her hands up to grip his shoulders. At the same time, he felt her shift to look around him at the road ahead of them. Shouting in his ear, she asked, "How much further?"
Hunter had thought she was finally enjoying the ride, but he must have been reading her actions wrong. Yelling back to her, he replied, "About another twenty minutes. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I was hoping it was going to take longer to get there." Settling back, she slid her hands down to his trim waist. Willow thought to herself, this is something I could definitely get used to. Skylar had always told her, 'Until, you experience the ride for yourself you will never understand.' Willow now understood; maybe it was because she felt comfortable with Hunter. The wind flowing around her body eased the tension she was feeling. Willow was grateful for the jacket; He had been right about the evening air. She felt awful that she was wearing the jacket he should have been wearing. Thinking to share what body heat she could with him, she wrapped her arms around his powerful body. Her fingers splayed across his chest and leaned her body into his. Resting her head on his back, she closed her eyes. Willow had never felt this free in her life. As much as she could lose herself at the bottom of the ocean, here, all she had to do was hang on to the warm body in front of her.
Hunter smiled to himself. He had felt immediately the moment she was completely relaxed. Her body resting on his cut sent a wave of desire through his body like he had never felt. He also wished the ride to the hotel was longer. He hadn't ridden with many women on the back of his bike, only when it was absolutely necessary. He had reserved that seat for the woman who would be his, and at this moment, he had never felt anything more perfect. Had fate finally sent the woman who would chase away the nightmares? Or just another glimpse at what peace really felt like, because right now, he was at peace. Suddenly, as they got closer to her hotel, all thoughts of spending the night fled his brain. This was Skylar's little sister. Judge would probably be all right with it, but Skylar? Skylar was another subject. Hunter had heard her curse all the Celtic Demons at one time or another, just because of a small disagreement with Judge. What would she be like if he started hanging out with her baby sister?
Willow felt Hunter's body stiffen under her hands as they neared her hotel. She wasn't sure if it was because they had reached the end of the ride or if it was something she had done. Whichever one it was, it made Willow uneasy. Ever since the incident with Raymond, Willow tended to be more observant of a man's body language.
Hunter pulled the bike past the valet attendant, because there was no way in hell he was letting any one of them park his motorcycle. He found a spot toward the back and parked in it. When he shut the bike off, Willow got off the back. She was fumbling with the belt to release the jacket as fast as she could, when Hunter's warm arms circled around her, his hands clasping hers. Willow's head shot up, smashing it into his nose.
His hands flew to his nose as his eyes watered, and blood began to pour from it. "Damn, I was just trying to help."
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." Willow was trying to find anything she could to help stop the bleeding. Removing the jacket, she handed it to him. "Here, use this."
"Are you crazy, I'm not using my three-hundred-dollar Harley Davidson jacket? Look in the bag to see if there's a rag or a napkin." Hunter pinched the bridge of his nose as he tilted his head back.
Willow opened the bag he had pointed to, pulling out a semi-clean rag. "Will this do?" She held it up for his inspection.
He looked down, reaching for the rag. "Yes," was all he growled out. He could feel his eyes already swelling. "I think you broke my nose." Hunter used the rag to clog the flow of blood.
"Again, I'm so sorry. I wasn't expecting your hands, and when I felt them grab mine, it startled me. I had no idea your face was right above my head," Willow explained, feeling immensely guilty. "Would you like to come up and I can give you some ice to put on it."
As much as Hunter had planned on just dropping her off, he really could use the ice. Hesitating, he answered, "I'd like to, but I don't think your sister would want me to."
"Are you kidding me?" Willow got that beautiful smile he liked on her face, the one he had seen the other night. "You're afraid of my sister?" She started to laugh.
Hunter began defending himself, "I've never been on the receiving end of your sister's anger, and I'm not about to start now." He removed the bloody rag from his nose.
"That's crazy," Willow replied. "You're refusing a bag of ice that can help you because you're afraid to anger my sister." Willow shook her head in disbelief. "I don't need my sister's blessing for who I hang out with." Under her breath, she whispered, "Nice excuse."
She started to walk away from him in the parking lot, but he stood in her path, blocking her from moving around him. Placing his curled finger under her chin, he forced her to look at him. Watery blue eyes met his. "It's not an excuse. There's nothing I would like more than to join you in your hotel room tonight. However, I would feel better having your sister's blessing before we move forward together. That's not to say I would have a problem moving forward without her blessing as well. I would, however, still prefer her approval." Hunter dabbed his nose again with the rag.
"All right, if that's true?" She paused, her bright blue eyes got big and round with an idea, then she added, "Then come to my party tomorrow as my date, and we'll tell her then." She figured if he backed out of this perfect opportunity to tell her sister that he wanted to date her, then he rea
lly wasn't serious about them spending time together.
Without hesitating, he told her, waving his palm in front of his face, "This is not going to be a pretty sight tomorrow, but there's not a chance in hell I'm going to pass up spending time with you. What time and where?"
Willow was surprised with his quick response. "At the Drunken Lass, five o'clock." She stumbled over the words.
"Good, that gives us the morning to do something together. I'll pick you up at nine." He placed his palm on her face. "I'm going to kiss you now."
Willow was mesmerized by his incredible grey eyes filled with desire for her. As Hunter leaned down, taking her lips in a gentle kiss, Willow stretched up on her tippy toes to meet him. Every nerve ending in her body came to life as their lips met. She reached her hand up, holding on to his neck as Hunter slid his tongue across her lips, separating them.
Hunter's body came to life as well, feeling the hesitation in her response to him. He ended the kiss and pulled back, leaning his forehead on hers. He licked his lips before telling her, "You taste divine, but we are going to take this slow. There's no fucking way I'm screwing this up." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Until tomorrow." Then he walked to his bike, shoving the rag inside his cut in case he needed it on the ride home, and got on. "Go," he told her, starting the engine. "I'll follow you to the lobby doors."
Willow walked to the doors with Hunter following behind her. When she got to the doors, she turned to him. "Thank you for today. It's been a long time since I've had this much fun. I'll see you tomorrow."
Hunter couldn't believe his cock was getting hard just from watching her luscious ass walk across a parking lot. He saw Luca waiting for her in the lobby. "I'll see you in the morning, princess. Nine sharp." Hitting the throttle on his bike, he shot out onto the road.
