Hunted (Love like Yours Series Book 3)

by Nicole S. Goodin

  It was too funny. I exploded into laughter as El appeared in my doorway, tears in her eyes from laughing so hard.

  “Oh god.” She cackled. “West thinks I’ve lost the plot.”

  I took a deep breath and tried to stop giggling.

  I slid my phone across the desk away from me like it had a contagious virus. “I swear it’s been happening all week. It’s like it’s trying to make a fool out of me.”

  She sat down in the chair opposite me and picked up the stress ball I kept on my desk.

  “Why don’t you just call him?” She asked when we finally got ourselves together.

  “I would normally.” I admitted.

  She tilted her head to the side and molded the ball into shapes, waiting for me to explain.

  “I don’t know what it is… there’s just something about him that makes me want it to be him that’s doing the chasing.”

  She smiled knowingly. “That’s coz he’s different!” She jiggled and clapped like a little girl.

  He makes me feel different.

  “He’s certainly something.” I replied without much enthusiasm.

  ***

  I stepped out of the elevator and headed for the café to grab my lunch. I glanced up and saw the figure leaning against the wall, but it wasn’t until I took a double take that I stopped dead in my tracks.

  “Hello Quinn.” He smiled so big I would have sworn it touched his eyes.

  I couldn’t help the huge goofy grin that spread across my lips.

  “Harrison.” I’d intended it to come out with humor, but instead I sounded all breathy and flustered, not at all like myself. “What are you doing here?”

  I gave him a quick head to toe – I couldn’t help it.

  No cast… he looks good.

  He glanced upwards. “There’s this woman that works up there.” He pushed off the wall and stood tall in front of me. “And she’s waited a long time for me to ask her out.”

  I laughed at his teasing. “Today’s the day is it?”

  “It’s as good a day as any.”

  “You think she’ll say yes?”

  His eyes shone. “I hope so.”

  “So where are you taking me?”

  ***

  “Favorite movie?” I asked as I bit into a slice of pizza.

  Harrison had taken me a couple of blocks over to a little pizza and pasta joint I was yet to try.

  He shook his head. “You’ll judge me.”

  I smiled, suddenly desperate to know what it was.

  “C’mon now…be brave.” I teased.

  “All time favorite…” He paused dramatically. “Gladiator.”

  I rolled my eyes and laughed. “You’re such a guy.”

  He puffed out his chest. “I sure as hell hope so.”

  “Recent favorite?”

  “Fast and Furious.” He answered quickly.

  I laughed again. “Total guy.”

  “What’s your mom like?”

  His question took me by surprise yet again. Not once had he returned the same question to me that I’d asked him. My stomach was in knots and I found my mouth opening on its own accord and asking him stupid, generic questions. Not Harrison though – he was trying to dig deeper.

  I smiled. “She’s the best. She lives in Dallas.”

  “Ah huh. So that was a Texas twang I detected.”

  “Indeed it was. It’s not so strong anymore… my brother Lawson has virtually dropped it all together.”

  “And what’s he like?”

  “Uh-uh.” I shook my head. “My turn.”

  He waved his hand for me to go ahead and took another bite of pizza.

  “I assume you talked to Colt?”

  He nodded.

  “How’d that go?”

  He swallowed his mouthful slowly and then took a swig of his drink before answering. “It was worse than I expected, but then better.”

  “That’s really helpful.”

  He chuckled. “He wasn’t happy, but he’s stepping down and giving us space. He just asked that we do the same for him.”

  God this is awkward.

  “Of course.” I breathed. “I don’t want to make life hard for him.” I could feel myself blushing. “I’d hate for y’all to be fighting because of me.”

  Subject change… please dear god, subject change.

  Harrison cleared his throat and sat his drink down. “My turn. What’s Lawson like?” He asked, wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

  I was momentarily distracted by his lips.

  “Ah…” I snapped myself out of it. “Lawson?”

  He nodded with a knowing smirk.

  “He’s the best brother a girl could ask for. He’s pushy, but he’s a big teddy bear, I’d just have to ask and he’d do anything for me. And he’s married to my best friend. So he’s in the good books forever for that one.”

  “He sounds like a good guy.”

  “He really is.”

  “Do Lawson and…”

  “Ellerslie.” I chimed in.

  “Ahh of course. Reeve’s little sister.”

  “That’s the one.” I smiled.

  “They’ve got a kid right?”

  “Now that’s a long story.”

  He glanced as his watch. “I’ve got nothing but time babe.”

  My stomach fluttered every single time he called me babe. He’d done it four times so far – I was counting.

  “Express version?” I prompted.

  He winked.

  “So my parents split up when we were little, my mom raised Lawson and I on her own, with the help of her parents. Our dad had nothing at all to do with us after he left.”

  “I’m sorry.” He reached for my hand and stroked it gently. I didn’t need his sympathy but no woman in their right mind would turn down affection from him.

  “It’s fine.” I smiled reassuringly. “Anyway, last year he and his new wife were killed in a car accident.”

  His jaw dropped at my matter of fact statement.

  “Yeah…” I grimaced. “So anyway… they had a little baby girl, Stella.”

  “Oh no... was –”

  “She wasn’t in the car.” I interrupted, reassuring him

  His look of utter relief warmed my heart.

  “Long story short, they had named Law and El as her guardians and they adopted her, so now they’re a happy little family of three.”

  “Um. Okay. Wow. That is not at all how I was expecting that story to go.”

  I laughed. “I’d be a little surprised if you had called that one.”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “So she’s your sister.”

  “Technically… yeah. But I’m her aunty Q now… and Reeve’s her uncle.” I smiled thinking about Stella.

  “You really love her.” He stated.

  “She’s an angel.”

  “I’d like to meet her one day.”

  There go those damn stomach flutters again.

  “Then maybe you’d better ask me on a second date.”

  “She’s the kind of woman who will drive you crazy by doing absolutely nothing except being herself.”

  - Daniel Saint

  17. Harrison

  I looked away from her and tried to focus on the screen in front of me again.

  She squirmed and twisted her long bare legs over to the other side, so they were pointed in my direction.

  Again, I found myself watching her instead of the movie.

  Focus.

  The main characters were having yet another bust up.

  Focus.

  I caught sight of her from the corner of my eye; she was twirling a long strand of dark hair around and around her finger and I could smell her raspberry shampoo again.

  I groaned. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  She looked at me in confusion. “Me?” She asked, as though the idea was ludicrous.

  “Yes you.”

  “Wha–”

  “You’re making it impossi
ble for me to watch this movie.”

  “I’m just sitting here.” She cried.

  “Like hell you are.” I leaned back and threw my arm up over the back of the couch. “You’re wiggling and shimmying, and playing with your hair… giggling and pouting and you smell amazing.”

  God she smells amazing.

  She arched a brow at me, a smile playing on her lips. “I thought we were watching a movie?”

  “We are.”

  “Really?” She nudged my knee with hers. “It sounds like I’m watching a movie, and you’re watching me.”

  I chuckled. “Like I said… driving me crazy.”

  She smirked. “C’mon… it’s easy. You just look at the T.V and watch what the people on the screen are doing.”

  Smart ass.

  “Easy for you to say, you don’t have to sit next to this maddening woman, who’s all sexy and annoying and trying her hardest to distract you.”

  She grinned triumphantly. “She’s sexy huh?”

  I nodded. “Oh yeah. The sexiest.”

  “I suppose you’re just after her for her looks then?”

  “Who said I was after her?” I teased.

  She laughed softly and shook her head at me.

  “Who am I kidding… I’m after her like a dog with a bone.” I confessed.

  She propped her elbow up on the back of the couch and rested her chin in her hand.

  “I want to kiss her. Do you think I should go for it?”

  She pretended to ponder my question. “Hmmm, I’m not sure… how many dates have you been on?”

  My laugh came out loud and low. I’d jumped at the chance to ask her out on a second date, only I’d insisted it be today. We parted ways after lunch and I’d picked her up only a few hours later from her house… and here we were. She’d argued that a second date couldn’t be on the same day as the first and I’d proceeded to inform her that all the rules went out the window the minute she agreed to a date with a guy like me.

  That had shut her up for a few minutes.

  “Two. I told her it didn’t count, but she insisted it was two.” I grinned.

  She threw her head back and laughed at me

  “Does she seem interested?”

  “Hell yes, she’s practically throwing herself at me.” I told her with a smirk.

  She smacked me lightly on the leg, a huge smile on her face. “I am not.”

  “Hypothetical situation remember?” I chuckled.

  “Right.” She nodded, slipping back into our game. “Well if she’s as keen as you say she is, maybe you should put her out of her misery.”

  I reached out and ran my hand slowly down her arm, her smile faded and her eyes watched my fingers.

  “She doesn’t look miserable.” I murmured as our eyes locked.

  I pushed up to my feet and faced her. I rested my hands on the back of the couch on either side of her shoulders, caging her in.

  Her breath caught in her throat as I lowered my face closer to hers.

  I teased her, not quite coming close enough to kiss her, but close enough that I could feel her breath.

  An image of her and Colt together flashed through my mind and I forced it back down.

  It doesn’t matter now.

  “She looks flustered.” I said quietly.

  Her tongue darted out and moistened her lips and I smirked.

  “Tease.” She murmured before reaching out for my neck and pulling my lips down towards hers.

  ***

  She caught me looking at her and grinned.

  Now, I didn’t want to go sounding like a pussy, but it was like a little part of me shattered every time she smiled.

  It wasn’t only that… her touch had me instantly hard, and that kiss she’d unleashed on me earlier was proof that I was exactly where I was meant to be.

  It’s official. You’re a pussy.

  Fuck if I care.

  I’d never had a kiss like that before. A woman that kisses like that… shit… there has to be fireworks in the bedroom. And damn if it didn’t take all of my self-control not to strip her naked and take her right there on the couch.

  But I couldn’t.

  Not her.

  There was just something about her that called to my inner gentleman and told me I needed to take it slower.

  One touch, one kiss… one time with her was never going to be enough… it wasn’t even close to what I wanted. If I wanted to keep a woman like Quinn, I was going to have to up my game.

  “Come lay with me for hours so we can talk thousands of nothings while it means millions of something’s.”

  - Author unknown

  18. Quinn

  “I know I sound about fifteen, but oh my god it was the most amazing kiss of my life.” I swooned into the phone.

  “Eeeeek!” El squealed. “I can’t believe you saw him twice in one day.” She cried, her voice sounding too high.

  “Are you taking the piss?”

  “Little bit.” She laughed loudly. “But I’m actually so happy for you Quinn. Was it more?”

  I nodded to myself. “It was definitely more.”

  She sighed in a dreamy way.

  “Exactly.” I breathed. I knew I had a goofy grin back in place on my face. I wasn’t sure if it had ever really left.

  “It was electric. I can still feel it now.”

  “One, two, brother combo, coming right up.” She teased, laughing again.

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Ellerslie!” I heard Lawson’s voice boom in the background. “What the hell is a one, two, brother combo?”

  “Oh shit.” She groaned, still in fits of laughter. “Gotta go!”

  I hung up in fits of laughter.

  Good luck explaining that one El.

  ***

  “Is it too soon to ask when I can see you again? I don’t really know 1st/2nd date texting etiquette, I wouldn’t want to scare you off – H.”

  It was ridiculous how giddy I felt reading his words on the screen of my phone.

  I needed to get my emotions together – grown woman should not be this easy to get tied up in knots.

  I’d typed out four replies and deleted each one.

  Too lame… too cheesy… to smart ass…

  So I was surprised to see his name appear on my screen again.

  “Can I ask your advice? There’s this woman I’m dating… I know she’s really into me, but I sent her a text 17 minutes and 43 seconds ago asking to see her again and I haven’t heard back. Should I be worried? – H”

  I burst out laughing at what had become our little way of communicating, of breaking the ice.

  I easily found the words.

  “How smart is she?”

  “Could rule the world smart.” He replied quickly.

  “She’s probably packing her bags and planning an escape...”

  I couldn’t help the silly grin on my face.

  “Urgh I’m wounded. On second thought… I think she’s about 80% smart, 20% brutal”

  Big girl pants…

  “I bet she hasn’t stopped thinking about you since you drove away from her door.”

  I was seriously as bad as a teenager right now. I couldn’t help but check my phone every three seconds, waiting for him to reply. Thankfully I didn’t have to wait long.

  “I can’t get her out of my head either. If I came over there right now, do you think she’d be waiting up for me?”

  He can’t be serious…

  I was ninety percent sure he wasn’t going to turn up on my doorstep. But that ten percent of uncertainty had me mentally calculating when I last got a wax and had me peeking under the covers to see if my bra matched my underwear.

  “Three times in one day? She’ll be sick of your mug by now”

  “Nah she wants me bad. I could see it in her eyes. I’ll find my keys”

  Panic laced with excitement shot through me.

  “You’re not seriously coming over here are you?”

  I could
picture his grin.

  “I’ve got the key in the ignition… should I take it back out?”

  I debated internally with myself… on the one hand, I’d already spent a lot of time with him today… and inviting him over here at this time of night was probably being pretty damn suggestive. But on the other hand…

  Who gives a fuck.

  I’d been dying to see him again since the moment he left my sight.

  “I’ll see you in 15” I grinned as I hit send.

  “10”

  “But it takes 15 to get here?”

  “Not if you’re already on the way…”

  My heart sped up into over drive. I threw off the covers and flew across the room to find my robe – the sexy silk one with lace trim. I slipped it on and headed for the door.

  He’s coming here…

  I looked down at what I was wearing again as though it might have somehow changed in the last two seconds.

  Wine… we need wine.

  It was official… I was freaking out.

  My phone dinged as I was halfway out the door and I ran back to check it.

  “There’s no pressure Quinn. Not from me”

  Just breathe…

  “Wine.” I thought aloud and dashed down the stairs.

  ***

  “And you thought the best place for us to hangout was your room then?” He chuckled deeply.

  I’d just finished spilling my guts about how nervous I was when he announced he was coming over here. A few glasses of liquid courage later and I was far more relaxed.

  I shrugged and sipped my wine. “I didn’t really think about it.”

  “Bullshit woman. There’s no way you overlooked the fact that you were bringing me into a room with alcohol, a bed, and you half dressed.”

  I made eyes at him over the rim of my glass. “Maybe I did… maybe I didn’t. Guess you’ll never know.” I told him deviously.

  He just grinned and shook his head at me.

  “This wine isn’t so bad after half the bottle.” He mused as he took another swig.

  I couldn’t help but laugh.

  He’d insisted he couldn’t drink out of a wine glass – it just wasn’t manly enough for Harrison Hunt. ‘More of a beer man’ he’d told me.