“You could be, if you tried a little harder,” Vince snapped.
Hunter spoke up. “Hey, there’s no need for that.”
“Did anyone ask you?” Vince turned on him. “You wouldn’t know much about Rebecca, would you?”
“Vince! Stop it! For the record, Hunter knows a lot about me. He understands me more than anyone else I know.”
“He’s a part of you that should stay in the past. What good does it do to keep a guy like that in your life that’s a reminder of what happened to you?”
That was the last straw. Something inside her snapped. “Excuse me? How dare you try and tell me who should be part of my life! You can’t just expect me to erase my past as if it didn’t happen. What is your problem, Vince? You’re acting like an ass!” The word slipped so easily from her mouth, she hadn’t realized what she’d said until she felt Hunter tremble. When she flicked her gaze to him, his hand was over his mouth, but she noticed the humor in his eyes. She couldn’t help it, she burst into a fit of giggles herself.
“Yeah, that’s mature. Cursing and then laughing about it.” Vince folded his arms over his chest.
“Oh, lighten up. Live a little. So I used a swear word. So what? I’m twenty eight. I’m not this young, naive wide-eyed child that you grew up knowing and apparently plan on making your wife one day. That’s just not the life for me. I don’t have those kind of feelings for you. When I do get married, it’ll be for love. End of story. Simple as that. Now if you don’t mind, I’m tired and I think this tirade has gone on long enough. I’m going to walk away now before I really say things I can’t and may not want to take back. Good night, Vince.”
Chapter Ten
Hunter was just as stunned as Vince at Becca’s outburst, but the man deserved it. He had some kind of stick up his ass. Becca speaking up as she had saved Hunter from making his own spectacle. She stalked off without another word and Hunter went to follow her until Vince stopped him.
“What is it you want from her, really?” Vince snapped, giving him the evil eye.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I happen to care about Becca. She’s a wonderful, very special woman and deserves to be treated as such. I don’t know what your motives are, nor do I care unless you plan on hurting her,” Hunter retorted, giving the man a glare.
“She’s stubborn, reckless-”
Becca, reckless? Did Vince know her at all? Hunter fought back the urge to roll his eyes. “She’s none of those things. Well okay, maybe a little stubborn, but look where it got her in life. She’s walking again. She’s living a normal life, something you and her grandparents don’t seem to want her to have. Why? Becca is bright, full of life and needs encouragement.”
“I should have known you’ve been the one to plant these silly ideas in her head.”
“I’m not going to stand around and argue with you. Obviously, you don’t know Rebecca that well. If you think you do, then you just don’t care about her wants or needs. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to leave now before I muster up even more desire to punch you, and that wouldn’t solve anything.” If Becca could hear him now, she’d laugh at his boldness, considering the conversation they’d just had on the beach.
“You’re not good enough for her, you know,” Vince sneered as Hunter started to walk away. “Why would she want to be tied to a man that reminds her of her tragedy? It’s no good for her. Why not walk away and just leave her alone?”
“I guess that’s not really up to you to decide,” he replied, not even looking back. Damn it, he knew Vince was trying to rile him, but the words hurt. They stung. He already worried about how things would turn out for the two of them. Vince’s jealous outburst didn’t help, even though he knew damn well that’s all it was. A stupid outburst because Becca hadn’t chosen Vince.
He caught up to Becca by the elevators. She looked up at him, her face red.
“Just for the record, that guy pisses me off! And nice one on calling him an ass.” Hunter chuckled. Yeah, he’d admit it. She made him proud by using a swear word! She’d always held her tongue before.
“I would have kept a straight face if you hadn’t laughed! I had no idea I said that until your reaction!” Becca giggled. “Okay, as immature as that was, it was kind of fun and it felt good. I don’t know what his problem is, but it has me worried.”
The elevator doors opened and the two stepped inside. “Well, if you still want me to stay with you, we could always go to my room. He has no idea where I’m at. Considering the way I acted with the hotel staff earlier, I’m sure they won’t be persuaded any time soon to give out my room number.” As the doors closed and the elevator moved up, Hunter wrapped Becca in his arms for a hug. His pulse quickened having her so close and a shot of awareness went all the way down to his groin.
“I’d like that. I’ve never been so uneasy around him, but right now…”
“I get it. With everything else going on, it’s understandable. Let’s go grab whatever you want from your room, then we’ll head to mine.” He ran a hand through her hair and rested it on the back of her head, keeping her close.
Ten minutes later, Hunter opened the door to his room and his gaze immediately went to the floor. No notes. Good. He was a little paranoid now, but he checked every little thing. He’d done the same in Becca’s room when they first walked in there, too.
She set her bag on the bed and faced him. Her black hair fell down her back in long, curly locks and he just wanted to run his fingers through them. He marveled at how she felt the same way he did, wanting to see where things went. He’d known her for so long. Though she lived far away, he always found it easy to pick up the phone and call her, or write her a letter. Putting up her artwork in his house made him feel like a part of her was there.
Had he always had deeper feelings for her and just never realized it? Becca was everywhere, even though not physically. When he traveled, he loved the idea of finding something to pick up and send to her. And she’d been so receptive of him being back. He’d worried about that. When he showed up, he’d wondered how she would react.
“What did he say to you?” Becca broke the silence.
Hunter sighed. “He wanted to know what I want with you, and to say I’m not good enough for you.”
Her jaw dropped and she curled her fists. He reached for her hands, prying them open and held them. “Let it go. It doesn’t bother me. What I see is a man who has his own intentions and I don’t think they’re honest, nor do I think he has your interests at heart. He lashed out because I have what he wants-your attention.”
“But-”
Hunter moved closer to her and rested his forehead against hers. He kissed her cheek. “Really, it’s not a big deal. I’m proud of you for standing up to him, but I’m ready to just let it roll off my shoulder now. Do you want to go parasailing tomorrow?”
She giggled. Her laughter warmed his heart. “There you go again. Just like that, you change the subject with no warning whatsoever. Tomorrow works. If I wait much longer I’ll lose my nerve, if I already don’t do it by morning.”
“You won’t lose your nerve. I know you. Once you set your mind to something, you usually jump on it all the way.”
“True, but I’ve never committed myself to something like that before! I have a thing about keeping my feet on the ground.”
He knew that. She’d been physically and emotionally scarred from the crash.
“I don’t know if this comparison works, but think about this. You love the swing. You love the way you can kick your legs freely. Your feet are off the ground then, but you feel safe and secure. I know this because not only do you say so, it’s written on your face when you swing. You’re also okay with the water. So put those two together. You’ll sit on something that you can pretend is a swing. Kick your feet freely while we’re up there, and tilt your head back, let the wind through your hair, and swing. Forget where you’ll be and think about where you love to be.”
“I never thought of
it that way before. That was beautiful, Hunter. I don’t know how, but you managed to make me feel instantly better about doing this. You’re so right.” Her voice choked up with emotion.
“I do that every so often.” He cracked a smile.
“I’d say a little more than every so often.”
“Maybe so.” He brushed his fingers along her neck. He wanted to do so many things with her, and to her, but he would make sure to take it slow. His desire for Becca spiked, but his respect for her took precedence. He had no idea what she wanted in that regard and wasn’t about to bark up that alley until he got some kind of sign. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her off. “Are you tired? I know I’m getting there, even with how early it is. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“I could probably sleep. Especially if we’re going to be having an adventure tomorrow.” She half-closed her eyes, and he noticed how long her eyelashes were. He noticed little things here and there about her this entire trip, things he’d never paid attention to before.
“I’m excited about it. I think it’ll be fun. Of course, I do like a good adrenaline rush, though this one is mild compared to others.”
She snapped her eyes open and stared at him. “Don’t you be getting any wild ideas of other things! Let me get through this one first!” She almost smiled.
“Hey, I said nothing! I’m still shocked you agreed to this. No way am I going to press my luck with things like sky diving or something!” He held up his hands.
“Sky diving? Yeah, you’re nuts!” she sputtered, laughing.
“That’s probably true,” Hunter shot back. He gestured to the bathroom. “First dibs?”
“You bet!” She reached for her bag. With a toss of her hair, she looked back at him for a second before she walked into the bathroom.
Hunter changed, thinking about tomorrow and the rest of the summer. He looked forward to having Becca with him and couldn’t wait to take her home and spend more time with her.
Becca’s night attire consisted of a pair of black shorts and a spaghetti strap tee shirt.
He caught her watching him. “What?” he asked quietly.
She leaned against the door frame. “How is it we’ve known each other twenty years and now have this new feeling developing between us? Are we bonding stronger because of the storm and the turn of events? So many questions are running in my mind right now.”
Hunter bolted, crossing the room to hold her. He kissed her lips. “I have the same worries, Bec. I didn’t expect this when I came back to the island. Hell, I wasn’t even sure if I’d find you here or not after four years. I was worried before about taking things to a new level because we’d both come out of a relationship, but I feel differently this time. I don’t know what these feelings will lead to. All I know is I’m looking forward to a summer of getting to know you on an even deeper level. I want to take you home and show you all the parts of my life and hope that you’ll still want to be part of it. I’m unsure of so much, but the one thing I know is that I never want to lose you.”
He pulled her closer. Becca rested her head against him. “I’m looking forward to it all, so very much.”
“Thank you for sticking with me. It means more than you know,” he whispered, running a hand through her hair.
“You’ve stuck by me, too. I don’t know where I’d be without you.”
He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. They held so much compassion and longing, something that matched how he felt right now. Hunter told himself to back off and get some rest, but his heart told him something else. He wanted to be close to her, in more ways than one.
He needed to slow things down. Now. But he couldn’t get his head and his heart to agree. Instead, he pressed his lips to hers again, longing for the sweet taste of her. His hands slid down her back as he pulled her closer to him. Becca whimpered and went with it, running one of her hands through his hair and placing the other against his cheek.
“We’ve got to stop,” he murmured half-heartedly. “All this makes me want to do is strip you bare and explore you. And as good as that sounds, I don’t have any protection and I don’t want to rush you into anything.”
Becca licked her lips, and it nearly sent him over the edge.
“Just so you know, you’re not rushing anything, Hunter. I wish you didn’t worry so much, but I understand. Although…” She leaned up and whispered seductively in his ear. “There are other ways we can give in to that desire to get around not having a condom.”
That did it. He growled and claimed her lips again. This sweet woman would be the death of him, but it would be a death of pleasure, one he’d take any day. “I love the way you think.” He grinned after he finally stopped kissing her.
“I’ll show you more of what I’m thinking, if you want.” Her sexy grin was that final push. He was putty in her hands. Where did this side of her come from? He liked it!
*****
He smelled the blood. Tasted it. Metallic. Bitter. Something he would never forget as long as he lived. He’d tasted blood before, of course. He had a habit of biting his lip sometimes until it would bleed. But this was different.
Everything hurt. He ached from head to toe. And it was so damn cold! Mom and Dad would be so mad at him for using that word. Then it hit him.
Mom and Dad weren’t around. They were dead. They didn’t make it through that plane crash. Death surrounded him.
He had to be strong. Be a man. But all he wanted to do was cry. He swam through the rough waves, through the blinding rain. The plane was on fire, even in the water. He’d wanted to pull all the bodies out even if it did no good. Hunter couldn’t think clearly. He should get away.
What happened to the youngest girl? He hadn’t come across her yet. Her parents and her sister were still on that plane. Where had she gone? He’d first noticed her when she’d been singing some kid song that her older sister yelled at her to be quiet about. He thought that would start an all out war, but the girl instead quieted down and went back to her coloring. That was right before the lightning hit and all hell broke loose.
If she wasn’t in the plane, then she had to be in the water nearby. The thought of another young life taken and him being the only survivor made him sick. He swam against the current in the cold waters and searched for her, his hope fading fast. From the corner of his eye, he spotted a large piece of debris and someone hanging onto it. Please let that be her!
It was so hard to see in the dark. The only thing lighting his way was the orange glow from the fire.
“Hey! Just hold on! I’m on my way!” he yelled, even though she probably couldn’t hear him over the loud roar of the wind and the rain. Still, it probably helped in case she did. He swam toward her as fast as his tired, aching arms would push him. As he neared, he saw her little arms slipping off the debris. He had to get to her in time! “Come on, just a minute more. Hold on, just hold on!”
She raised her head and he gasped at all the blood. She was in much worse shape than he was. She coughed and sputtered, but she seemed to hear him, or at least understand the dire urgency that she hold on. Hunter finally reached her and he made a grab for her.
“I’ve got you now,” he whispered, holding on to her. He wasn’t the only survivor! Part of him wanted to cry for the fact that now there were two children that lost their families. “I think we’re close to shore. I don’t know where we are, but we’ll be better when we’re on dry land. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone comes to find us,” he reassured the shivering girl. How much truth was there to it? It wasn’t like this was a large plane, and this place had so many little islands it would be hard to figure out which one they were on. But he had to hold on. He couldn’t just give up hope now. They had to make it out of this alive. Both of them.
“I want Mommy, Daddy and Ellie,” she said through chattering teeth. She clung to him as he held one arm around her. The other he used to swim. “Where are they?”
His stomach clenched. How did he te
ll this kid that her family was dead? She had no idea. Hunter had to do a lot of things in his twelve years of life, but to tell a kid she was an orphan? He didn’t want to do that. He thought long and hard about what to say before answering her.“Right now, they want you to get to safety with me, okay? I know you are scared. So am I. We have to stick together right now. My name is Hunter.”
“I’m B-Becca,” she replied. Geez, they were shivering, bleeding, and had no dry clothes. What were they going to do?
“Just hold on to me, Becca. I think we’re coming to shallower water. My feet are touching something. We should be near land.” And then what?
“It hurts!” Becca cried.
“I know. I hurt too. We’ll stick together. I promise I’ll keep you safe.” What a thing to promise. He had no idea if he even could. At this point, whatever he could say to keep the kid calm would work. “We’re in shallow water. Ready to walk?”
She shook her head. ” I can’t! There’s something stuck in my leg!”
What? He never even asked her what hurt and why. He never thought of it. Damn it, what would he do now? Carry her? Get whatever it was out of her leg? He was just twelve. He wasn’t meant for this stuff!
“I’ll carry you, then we’ll look and see what’s wrong.” Hunter held her in his arms. The sight of a large metal piece from the plane sticking out from her leg with a ton of blood seeping out made him turn his head and vomit. He couldn’t hold it in. As they reached land, a loud boom came from behind them. Even though they were faced away from the sound, a large, orange glow lit up the air. He knew exactly what that was. Oh God, the plane had to have exploded.
“Mommy!” Becca screamed, bursting into uncontrollable tears. She buried her face in his chest and clung to him, sobbing.
Hunter couldn’t take it anymore. He broke down and sobbed with her. His vision blurred. Still holding her in his arms, he fell forward onto the wet soil. “I’m sorry, Becca. I’m so sorry. It’s just you and me now. I know you don’t know me, but I’m going to protect you.” He held her close to him. As he raised his hand, he noticed it was soaked in blood.
Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom Page 89
