“I made you a plate, too. It’s next to the stove,” he says. “And I made coffee.”
I step into the kitchen, find everything, and then join him at the table. “Thank you. It looks good.”
We eat in silence. It’s awkward. Finally, I can’t take it anymore.
“Any updates on Bob?” I ask.
“They haven’t found him.”
Hunter leaves the table, and he begins to clean up.
I try to eat, but my stomach is churning. The air is thickwith tension. Or is it just me? Because I need to know what happened last night.
“We need to talk.” The moment the words exit my mouth, I regret them. I wanted to ease into the conversation.
He turns off the sink, dries his hands, and turns to face me. His arms are crossed, and he doesn’t exactly scream that he’s open to communication. “Something wrong with the food?” He nods to my mostly still full plate.
“The food is fine.” I stand and take a few steps toward him. “But I’m not fine. Last night, you said you were sorry. Sorry for what?”
He maintains eye contact as his arms drop to his sides. “I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’m assigned to protect you, and I can’t let myself get distracted.”
“So, it’s a work issue?”
He arches a brow. “Yes, it’s a work issue.”
I take a step closer. “For the record, I kissed you.”
That draws a smile from him, but he quickly suppresses it.
“You mentioned your sister.”
He nods. “She’s another reason.”
I take another step closer. “Are you worried I want something more serious than you ever would?”
His good mood darkens. “What does that mean?”
I shrug. “Your sister has mentioned that you aren’t one for relationships. I’m okay with that. I want to see where our chemistry goes.” I take another step and am standing right in front of him. “But I understand if you want to wait until Bob is arrested.”
I place my hand on his chest. In one swift move, he grabs my wrist and spins me around, pinning me against the counter. I lean back into him. Now I’m incredibly turned on.
“It’s not that I avoid relationships. I haven’t met someone worth the risk. And yes, I want to wait until you no longer need protection before we explore anything. You might be caught up in the excitement of it all.” He releases me and walks away.
The excitement of it all? Is that a thing?
I follow him. “Excitement? How often do you protect women?”
He stops. “Not often, but it does happen from time to time.”
“And do you feel this way about the other women you’ve protected?”Please say no.
He finally turns to face me. “Not once. This is different.” He motions between us. “Let’s get past this, and then we can see where it goes. If you are still interested.”
This man could take advantage of this situation. I certainly have dated men who would. But he’s not. That only makes me want him even more.
“I’d like that,” I say.
“I need to check in,” he says as he grabs his phone.
