“Hunter. I’ve heard so much about you.” Becca could tell Vince found it difficult to be polite to him. Was he jealous? His voice was cold, even while being polite. Hunter shook his hand, looking uncomfortable all the while.
“Nice to meet you.” Hunter used the same strained, unsure-what-to-say voice as Vince. “I had no idea you’d be joining Becca down here.”
“Neither did I, but she has a tendency to not answer her phone and that had me worried.”
Becca rolled her eyes at Vince’s back. Hunter caught it and stifled a laugh. She shouldn’t act so childish, but sometimes Vince pushed all the wrong buttons. “I still stick to the fact that you wasted a trip down here,” she said stiffly.
Vince whirled on her. “No future wife of mine is going to run off and hide every summer!” His face reddened. He pinched the bridge of his nose as his nostrils flared.
“Future wife? Vince, I never agreed to marry you, so you shouldn’t go around telling anyone that I’m your future wife.” Becca pursed her lips and bit her tongue before she said other things she really didn’t want to say here or now. “Secondly, I’m not ‘running and hiding’. If you’d listen to what I have to say every once in a while, you might actually get it! Instead, you brush off everything as if I’m a child that doesn’t need to be heard. And you know what? I’ve had enough of it. I appreciate your concern, but I think you need to leave now. I’m not some little person you can pull around on your string and do everything you say.”
“I’ve angered you. That was never my intention.” He looked stricken. Vince reached for her, but Becca practically jumped out of his reach.
“Of course I’m angry! You’re no better than my grandparents! I’m not a child and I’m not an invalid. I’m perfectly capable of making my own decisions and you all hover over me as if I can’t do anything on my own. It has to stop!” Fury bubbled up inside her. It was powerful and strong, like a raging river current. She’d had enough! She bit her lip and shot another glance at Hunter. Poor man. He had no idea what to do. He hung back and watched the exchange with a frown.
“You say to leave, but where am I supposed to go?”
Becca laughed, the sound coming out more than bitter. “I’m sure you can find something. You don’t need me to tell you where to go. Get a room, or even better, go home.” She’d never had the nerve to stand up to Vince like this before. He’d always been overbearing, but this time he’d crossed the line. Opening her mail, going into her apartment for no apparent reason, and coming out here because she didn’t return his calls? It just had to stop. All of it.
“I think we’ll talk again when you’ve stopped your anger fits. I’m sorry that being concerned about you has turned you this way,” Vince snapped and stalked off, brushing rudely past Hunter without another word.
“Ugh.” Becca shook her head. Her entire body trembled. What nerve! He dared to blame her for having an anger fit? Yes, she was angry, but she had a right to be. She had never once told him he could go through her mail. Then, to just show up and think he could push her to end the vacation at his word? No, just no. Absolutely not. Most times, she kept her cool around him. Today, she didn’t care.
“What the hell was that about?” Hunter asked softly. “He’s got you all rattled. Are you okay?” He reached out for her. His warm hand on her shoulder comforted her.
“I’m really sorry you had to see that.” Becca stared down the hall at Vince’s retreating back. “He crossed a major line today. He can be such a back side of a mule!”
Chapter Eight
So that was Vince. Bravo to Becca for standing up to him. Hunter’s first impression of the guy wasn’t a good one. As he’d already anticipated, the man was uptight and very much like her grandparents. Vince wanted Becca right under his radar. All she’d ever wanted was to live a normal life, to get past some of the things that held her back. People still walked on eggshells around her, or they acted as if she couldn’t do anything on her own. It annoyed him to no end.
“Come on in before he comes back,” Becca pleaded. She stared down the hall again. “When he knocked, I thought it was you.”
Hunter touched her shoulder gently. He wanted to hug her, but held back. “What did he come here for? Because he couldn’t get a hold of you?”
Before she turned to walk back into her room, Becca nodded. Her nostrils flared. Despite the fact that she did that out of anger, Hunter found it kind of cute. At that thought, he stopped cold. What was with him? He stole one last glance in the direction Vince had gone before moving into Becca’s room. In the corner by the window, he spotted her easel and the unfinished painting sitting there. Just as he thought, she’d begun to capture this morning’s scene.
“It’s going to be perfect.” He pointed and smiled.
“I’ll have to finish it later.” Becca perched at the edge of the bed. She heaved a sigh. “I’m so irritated! But I’m also bothered. Vince went to my apartment and found a letter which he thought was okay to open. That in itself makes me mad, but the letter-what it said…”
Hunter flew to her side and sat next to her, his instincts on high alert. “What did it say? Can I see it?”
“I’d let you see it if I were smart enough to ask Vince to give it to me.” She shook her head. “It said ‘You left me to die’.”
“What the hell?” Hunter shouted, startling Becca. He reached for her. “Sorry, I didn’t meant to scare you. With the letters we both found earlier … do you think they’re connected?” Why hadn’t he gotten one at home? Or maybe he did and no one had noticed yet. Not that he wanted to get one, but if Becca did, he figured it was only a matter of time before Shara or someone else told him about a letter.
The only thing that connected both of them like this was the crash. But why after twenty years would they start getting letters? Twenty years! This made no sense.
“I can’t imagine them not being connected,” Becca said quietly. Her body trembled slightly. “I just don’t get it. Why now?”
Thunder rumbled outside. Another storm was coming. Hunter wrapped her in his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. She smelled so sweet. Whatever shampoo she used, he liked it. “I imagine this has to do with the plane crash. I just don’t know why it would come up now, either. And what the letters say doesn’t make sense to me.” You left me to die? That sounded as if there had been someone else on board. But no one else had made it! They’d been the only survivors!
Hadn’t they?
Hunter did not like second guessing himself. Sure, he’d been young, but wouldn’t he have remembered another survivor? It made him sick to think of the possibility that he could have saved another person and hadn’t. “How much do you remember about that night, Bec?”
“I don’t have many memories after the crash, other than you finding me and pulling me to land.” Becca ran a hand through her hair, eyes narrowed.
“Do you recall everyone on the plane with us?” Could he be forgetting someone? It had been Becca, her sister who had been about Hunter’s age, their parents, his parents, the pilot and the co-pilot. For some reason, he could picture someone else being there, but he had no idea if that was his imagination or if someone else had really been there. He didn’t have full memories of the plane ride itself either. Why would he have? He’d been too busy playing a game and not paying attention to his surroundings. He’d been frustrated for having to take the trip with them when he’d wanted to attend some kind of camp. He’d been a bit on the grumpy side for the trip. Hell, he couldn’t even remember why Becca and her family were on the same plane.
“Both of our families, the pilot…” Becca closed her eyes. “I don’t know. Wasn’t that it?”
“That’s what I thought.” So the person sending the letters had to be playing a sick game, but for what reason? Why now? This just didn’t make sense. “Okay, who all knows you’re here on the island?”
“Vince, my grandparents, my neighbor, and a few of the teachers I work with,” Becca said.
“I know Shara knows, and a few other people,” Hunter said out loud. He shot to his feet and paced the room. At the sound of another rumble of thunder, he rushed to the window to stare outside. The ocean waves were restless again, tossing and slamming against the shore. At least they were back on familiar ground this time. “And you’ve never had any letters before like this?” He faced Becca again, who still sat at the edge of the bed.
She shook her head, a worried frown spread across her face. “Never.”
“I don’t like this at all.” He moved to sit next to Becca again. “I know it’s just letters and there’s been no threats, but something isn’t right. I’ve had this odd feeling ever since finding out the boat came loose. I could probably chalk it up to me messing up and not tying it, but I think someone’s watching us.” Who the hell would have followed them to the little island? The only person that had seen them there was Shane. Well, after the fact anyway. But what would that man have to do with anything? Probably nothing, but now Hunter found himself questioning everyone around him.
He’d never told Eva many details about the crash. She’d known a little about who Becca was, but he’d never given her much information about it. She could have easily looked it up though. Was she the one behind it, trying to mess with him so that he’d drop trying to get custody of Sienna? He wouldn’t put something like this past her, not with the way he’d seen her act lately. It would be more difficult, but still not impossible to find Becca’s information.
The thought of someone messing with Becca pissed him off.
“How well do you know Vince?” It had to be asked. Hunter waited for a response.
“Well enough, You don’t think-?” Becca’s eyes went wide.
“I don’t know what to think, Bec. I really don’t. He showed up here with a letter and you said he’s acting strange, so it has me wondering.”
“I can’t imagine Vince having anything to do with this. He’s annoying and overbearing most times, but he’s not a bad guy.” She sounded a little less sure of herself, but Hunter let it be.
“I guess the best thing we can do is keep an eye out. Someone obviously knows we’re here, because they put the letters in our rooms, but no threats have been made. If we were to actually talk to authorities about it, I bet they wouldn’t do a thing. I’m going to keep on the hotel staff for that video.” Hunter took one of Becca’s hands in his. “I don’t like the idea of leaving you at the end of this trip.” For more reasons than one. He still surprised himself at how much he wanted Becca around more. Not that wanting her around surprised him, but the way he wanted her around did. When did his mind and heart decide they wanted to pursue something with her like that? Would it ever work? He had an effect on people that drove them away. The last thing he wanted was to do that to Becca.
Okay, right now he just needed to focus. Stop thinking about a different kind of future with Becca. She had a life of her own.
But he couldn’t stop. Something about Becca intrigued him more and more. This new light he viewed her in scared him. Simple as that. It scared him a few years ago, and it sure as hell did now.
“Hunter?” Becca’s voice was soft, unsure.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Stay with me tonight. I don’t want to be alone. Not with all this going on, and not with Vince being here and acting strange,” she pleaded. Her eyes searched his and the only thing Hunter could think about was leaning over and kissing her.
*****
The words tumbled from her lips before she could stop them. She sounded so much like a child, begging for him not to leave. But when Hunter looked at her in surprise, she also noted another look. Longing. Desire. He moved closer to her, his lips just inches from her own. She wanted to close the gap even more. Her heart went crazy, beating erratically. The thought of being near Hunter, kissing him and holding him drove her wild.
“I won’t leave you, Becca,” he promised against her mouth as he cupped her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. Her mind spiraled into all sorts of sensations. “I can’t stop wanting to kiss you, either.”
“I don’t want you to,” she admitted with a smile.
He reeled back, watching her with wide eyes. “You don’t?”
She shook her head and touched his cheek. “I have no idea where these different thoughts about you are coming from, but I like the way they make me feel. I always feel safe with you.”
“I’d do anything to protect you,” Hunter replied, his voice low and husky. “I just don’t want to take advantage of you.”
Becca frowned and put a hand on her hip. “Do you think I’m naive or something? That I don’t know what I want?”
Hunter bent forward and kissed her. Gentle, sweet, incredible, “You know that I think very highly of you. This might sound stupid, but it seems to me that everyone around me changes when I let myself get too close. You’ve been a good friend for so long that I fear ruining it. I don’t want to lose what we have, because you are special to me.”
Her heart went out to him. He had trust issues. His ex-wife had to have done a number on him. The man she’d known before the four year absence faded, a more vulnerable person taking his place. She brushed her fingers across his cheek, moving to his hair. “You won’t lose me, no matter what.” Her pulse quickened when Hunter scooted closer and slid an arm around her. He ran his hand along her side, slipping under her shirt to touch her bare skin. A ripple of chills made her giggle. She was a little nervous. Hunter’s hand felt warm on her skin. The way he stared at her with a hunger in his eyes was something she’d only seen in movies and had never actually experienced herself. She stopped and sucked in a breath.
“You are stunning,” Hunter whispered, raising his other hand to her face and brushing the corner of her lips with his thumb. “Absolutely breathtaking. I bet you hear it all the time, but know that I mean it.” He grazed the corner of her mouth with his, a deep rumble escaping from his throat as he claimed her lips.
Actually, she didn’t hear it all the time, but she didn’t say that out loud. Hunter always found a way to make her feel on top of the world.
He gently laid her on her back. With his face right over hers, Becca studied every tiny aspect of his face. His strong jawline, the tiny freckle just to the left of his nose that only someone would notice if they were looking at him as intently as she had. His eyes were almond shaped. When he laughed hard, he would close them and little crease lines formed around them. She found that to be sexy.
Hunter brushed her hair back as he leaned over her. His lips parted as he moved lower again to kiss her. He had such a need. It was intoxicating and amazing at the same time. Becca wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer.
Thunder rumbled so loud, the balcony doors rattled. Mid-kiss, Becca and Hunter both jumped from the sudden distraction. They looked at each other and burst into laughter.
“I’m not sure what’s up with you, me, storms and kissing. Especially the kissing part.” Hunter rested his head on his hand and peered at her, his grin staying in place. “I didn’t think you wanted to do that again after brushing it off when I talked about it in the elevator.” He sounded a little hurt.
“I didn’t mean to brush it off. Not at all. I knew it sounded bad when the words came out. I thought you were making a bigger deal of it because you didn’t want to do it again, so I just let it go for your sake,” Becca admitted. She leaned closer to him, taking in his warmth. He slid an arm around her, resting over her abdomen. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that kiss ever since it happened. And four years ago, I-Well, I thought you stopped coming because you…”
“Because I what?”
Here went nothing. She may as well get it out and over with now. Hunter’s curious gaze searched her face, waiting.
“I thought after that time we almost kissed, it scared you to the point of not wanting to come back!” She rushed the words. There. She’d said them. Whatever happened now, happened.
Hu
nter’s skin turned a few shades paler. “You thought us almost kissing pushed me to stop talking to you?”
She couldn’t tell how he felt about that. His voice gave no indication one way or the other. With a nod, Becca fought off nervous tears. “We were always friends. That last trip, I felt something different, but I always thought I was dealing with the breakup. You had your own worries.”
“Oh, Becca. I hate that you went all those years thinking that. I wanted to say something to you before we parted, but I didn’t for many reasons. I worried about rebound feelings, I worried that you wouldn’t want anything more. I wanted to call you afterwards and talk to you, but then Eva surprised me with the news of being pregnant.” Hunter leaned closer and kissed her forehead. “You mean so much to me. You always have. The way I feel about you … well, it’s strong and I don’t quite know how to deal with this yet. It scares me and thrills me at the same time. I know I’m being cautious, but it’s because I care so much about you. I know we only saw each other a few weeks out of the year and then I disappeared, but I consider you one of my best friends. I never have trusted easily. You’re different, so it scares me to have these deeper feelings, but they’re here. I don’t know what to do about them. We live in different worlds.”
“That might be true, but we have a deeper understanding of each other. It’s probably what helps keep us close even though we’re miles apart most of the time. You’re the one that showers me with high praise. You’ve always stood up for me. You believe in my dreams and understand my fears. No one else has ever been able to see me that way, other than my parents.” She trembled, missing her family more than ever. “It’s getting harder to remember them. That hurts.”
“I don’t get your grandparents. They should have helped keep your mom and dad’s memory alive. Instead, they refused to talk about them with you. I know they’re family, but they drive me crazy with the way they act about you.”
“Why do you think I pushed so hard to be on my own? I know I shocked you that year I became emancipated and met you here. I made a lot of sacrifices to do that, but I didn’t care. I needed to breathe again. Even to this day they still hover, and they still want me to to things that suit them.” Anger laced her voice and she tried to keep calm. Her grandparents had given up on her when the doctors said she’d never recover normally.
Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom Page 87
