Heaven With You (10 page)

“She’s not making me a cheeseburger and fries, is she?”

“Is there something else you’d like?”

“No.”

“Then you’re having the cheeseburger. I’m paying.”

It was mortifying that he knew I didn’t have enough money to buy a lousy cheeseburger. “I’ll pay you back.”

He might have been about to protest, but the look on my face stopped him. “Okay.”

“With interest,” I added.

He smirked. “Like I said, stubborn.”

My temper flared. “I don’t need charity.”

“It’s just a burger and fries.”

I withdrew the four dollars and handed it to Hunter. It was plain to see that he didn’t want to take my money, but he didn’t return it. “How exactly are we going to figure out the winner of our deal?” he asked, changing the subject.

I didn’t like thinking about that anymore than I liked Hunter knowing I was broke. Picking up a packet of sugar and folding the edges, I thought. “We’ll have to see who wants to go on a second date.  If we both like our dates, I guess we’ll have to figure something else out.”

“Ever made a deal like this before Isabelle?”

“This is a first for me.”

Did he really not know that the only reason I’d suggested this arrangement was to spend time with him? Amazingly, I don’t think he did.

“Are we going to go on the dates alone or are we doubling?”

“Which do you prefer?”

“We’ll double the first time we meet someone. If we go on a second date, we can do that solo.”

“So next Saturday’s the first date. Where should we meet?”

“The Pit.”

I glanced up. It was one of my favorite places, a barbeque house with a live band and huge patio.

Andrea came and dropped off our food. “So how long have you two been seeing each other?”

I didn’t wait for him to answer. “We’re not seeing each other. I’m actually his daughter’s friend.”

Her eyes lit with interest and I knew she was remembering my comment about having sex with Hunter. “Well, now that’s interesting.”

Andrea’s eyes moved back and forth from me to Hunter. Suddenly, she tossed back her head and snorted. “One month, maybe less,” Andrea told us. “That’s how long I give the two of you before you end up naked and doing the horizontal tango.”

Hunter’s expression was carefully blank.

“I can even feel the sexual tension between the two of you.” Smiling, Andrea turned and walked away but glanced back over her shoulder. “Have fun.”

My eyes clashed with his and a sizzle zipped through me.

“Sure, Andrea,” he agreed, probably just to be polite. His gaze never left mine.

I was hyperaware of Hunter McAllister so much so that I wondered if Andrea might be right; maybe it was inevitable that we would become lovers.

The idea was thrilling and for the rest of the night it was never far from my mind.

Chapter Seven

I woke up the next morning to the smell of coffee. Stretching, I sat up, confused and still groggy from a deep slumber, which was unusual for me. Most of the time I was a light sleeper and awoke at the slightest noise. If I was having a particularly bad night, I’d lie awake tired and restless but unable to sleep.

Hunter.

Thinking his name was like flipping the ‘on’ switch in my body, and I was suddenly alert, eager to see him.

Last night when we’d come back to my apartment complex there were flashing blue and white lights in the parking lot and two men on the ground in handcuffs. After finding out the suspects were being arrested for breaking and entering, Hunter had walked me to my apartment and told me to lock the door.

Later he’d called me and told me to answer the door. He’d insisted on sleeping on my couch and I didn’t argue. His presence was more comforting than I could have ever imagined.

I got out of bed and glanced down at my oversized t-shirt. Grabbing a bra, shorts and top, I headed toward the bathroom to make myself look a little less scary before confronting Hunter.  I turned the nob, pushed open the door and crashed into a solid wall of naked muscle. Startled, I stumbled backward but Hunter’s arm shot out and caught me around the waist.

My knees wobbled.

My body quivered.

My heart pounded.

I might have fallen if he hadn’t been holding me against his naked body.

“Isabelle.” His voice was gravelly, thicker than I’d ever heard it.

I looked up and saw the hunger burning in his eyes.  He smelled incredible. Leaning forward, I inhaled. Hunter sucked in a sharp breath. I could not believe I’d just sniffed him.

“You smell good.” Whoa, did I just say that aloud?

His head dipped, his lips brushed my neck.

Desire shot through me, and I shifted, rubbing against him.

Hunter groaned.

I gasped.

He was hard.

On the heels of that thought came the realization that he was no longer holding me, but my hands were still planted on his chest. I took my hands off of him and stepped back. As soon as I did, Hunter wrapped the towel he’d been holding in one hand around his trim waist.

“There’s no lock.” His baritone still sounded strangely thick.

“What?” I blinked, dazed.

“I’d have locked the door, but there’s no lock.”

“I know,” I replied needlessly. “Is there anything you need?”

His brows rose.

So did mine. “I meant towels, shaving cream, razors, those sorts of things.”

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “I know what you meant. I found everything. It’ll just take a couple of minutes for me to get dressed.”

“Ok, great.” I should be mortified, but I was actually getting used to making a fool of myself in front of Hunter. My face was flaming and he was staring at me expectantly.

Suddenly, his sensual lips split into a slow, heart-stopping smile that made me melt. “I don’t mind if you watch.”

“Watch?”

Gesturing down his naked body, draped only in my thin white towel, his eyes locked with mine. “Me. Getting dressed.”

Oh! A shot of embarrassment spurred me into action. “Sorry,” I muttered. Spinning around, I fled the small bathroom, hearing Hunter’s laughter following me out.

Hunter strolled into the kitchen a couple of moments later, clothed and seemingly unfazed that I’d seen and been pressed against his naked body. I guess when you had a body like his you didn’t mind people seeing it.

After the naked bathroom moment, I thought things might be awkward between Hunter and I but I was wrong. There was a sense of ease between us that most people only felt with close friends. I made pancakes and, thankfully, they were only slightly burned and Hunter didn’t complain. He even acted like he liked them.

“They’re delicious.”

“You don’t have to say that. This is only the second time since I’ve lived here that I’ve turned on the stove. I only have the syrup because peanut butter and syrup is one of my favorite meals.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No, it’s really good.”

“You eat sandwiches every day?”

“And soup. Cooking for one is a waste, and I’m saving my money so that I can start college next semester.”

“What do you want to do?”

“I’ve always wanted to be a kindergarten teacher. I love Izzy, but I think I could be a great teacher.”

“You would. So that’s why you live here.”

I sighed softly. “Look, I know you’re protective and you mean well, but I’ve lived here for three years and I’ve never had a problem.”

“I guess that’s a nice way of telling me you don’t want me crashing on your couch every night.”

“You can do that anytime you want. Just don’t feel obligated.”

Our eyes met and held.

“I suppose you do this sort of thing all the time.”

“What sort of thing?”

“Sleepovers with women. I’m guessing that’s why you have that change of clothes.”

“You think I spend the night with a lot of women?” He looked as if he was trying not to smile.

“Don’t you?”

“No.”

“That’s right. You have your friend. I guess she wouldn’t like that.”

“She wouldn’t care. That’s why our relationship is what it is. If either of us wanted to date someone, we’d stop seeing each other. The change of clothes was in my gym bag.”

Well, that explained things.

His eyes darkened and he tensed. “What about you, Isabelle? Ellie says men are always hitting on you. Do you go home with a lot of them?”

“What do you think, Hunter?”

“I don’t think you do.”

I felt my lips curl into a smile. “You’re right. The only man I’ve ever left a bar with is you.”

Something flashed in his eyes. “I’m not the man for you Isabelle.”

I got the feeling he was trying to convince himself of this. “What’s wrong with me?” I whispered, my eyes glued to his.

“You’re young and beautiful. It’s not you, Izzy. It’s me.”

“That line is overused. You could have come up with something more creative than that.”

His hand caught mine. “It’s the truth.”

 He leaned in.

 I swallowed hard.

 “You’re looking for a commitment. I can see it in your eyes. That’s not the kind of relationship I’m looking for.”

“Are you telling me you’re only interested in sex?”

 “I’m sorry, Izzy.” He sounded regretful.

“Don’t be. I respect your honesty. I’m not going to fall apart so stop looking at me like you’re scared I’m going to need an exorcist to calm me down.”

His phone rang. Glancing down, he silenced the call and I couldn’t help but think he didn’t want to talk to whoever it was in front of me. A knot of jealously sat like a heavy rock in my belly.

“So I’ll see you next Saturday,” I said lightly.

“I’ll talk to you before then,” he assured me.

I walked him to the door and he kissed me on the forehead. After he left, I got ready to spend the day at the lake with Ellie and Cora but the visual of a naked, aroused Hunter kept trespassing in my mind, and one regret refused to leave me in peace.

If only I’d stayed in the bathroom with him…

The late September sun soaked into our skins and revived our fading summer tans. We’d set up our tent, grill and cooler on the strip of ‘beach’ that bordered the lake and were now chilling in our pop-up chairs. Kids played in the sand, a couple was throwing a Frisbee, and in the gentle waves people were on jet and water skis.

“Is it just us today, or are Dr. Hot Kiss and Jase coming?”

Cora and Ellie both looked at me. Ellie was the first to speak. “If you keep calling him that one day you’re going to slip and say it to his face.”

Cora laughed. “It wouldn’t matter if she did. From what I’ve heard all the women call him that at the hospital, and who can blame them. Hotchkiss, Hot Kiss, that kind of name is begging for jokes.”

“Does he really give a hot kiss?”

“I wouldn’t know,” Ellie said, shaking her head. “For the umpteenth time, I am not dating Stephen Hotchkiss! We’ve only been on one date.”

“Must not have been a good date if you didn’t kiss him,” Cora quipped.

“He kissed me, but it wasn’t that kind of a kiss.”

“What kind of kiss was it?”

Ellie took a sip of wine from the plastic flute we’d brought as she pondered the question. “It was the sort of kiss you’d give a friend.”

Cora and I shared a look.

“You don’t kiss friends.”

“It was closed-mouth and quick.”

Cora’s expression was one of clear disbelief. “How the hell did he get the nickname with closed-mouthed and quick?”

“I don’t know, Cora. He probably doesn’t kiss everyone that way,” Ellie replied.

I laughed. “So did you invite Jase?”

“Why would I do that?” Cora asked defensively.

“Because you like him,” Ellie said, grinning.

“Yes, but I don’t like his harem. He’s got too many women and I’m no harem-girl.”

“Jase can’t help it that women love him, and he really is a nice guy,” I told them.

“Isabelle, wasn’t it you that called him a man-whore?”

“He wouldn’t be that way if he had a girlfriend.” I turned to Cora. “I think he likes you.”

Cora didn’t say anything, but I could tell my comment intrigued her. Pulling off my t-shirt, I draped it over the back of my chair and sipped my wine.

“Ah, now that you know there won’t be any men around, the shirt comes off,” Cora smirked.

“What?” I asked, confused.

Ellie frowned. “Cora, stop.”

“I’ve noticed that you’re an outrageous flirt and you talk a big game, but then you won’t even take off your t-shirt until you know that no men will be around to see that little bikini I gave you.”

I resisted the urge to glance down self-consciously at the tiny, red, string bikini Cora’s mother’s boyfriend had given her for Cora’s birthday. I hated even thinking about the pervert. “There are plenty of men on the beach Cora.”

“But you don’t know any of them. None of them stand a chance with you, because if they did you’d cover yourself up like a nun. I’m beginning to think you’re not as experienced with men as you let on.”

“I never said I was experienced.”

“You implied it.”

I finished off my flute of wine. “Experience is relative, and since you’re still holding you’re V-card, I am experienced compared to you.”

“Leave her alone, Cora.”

“It’s fine, Ellie.” I didn’t mind Cora’s bluntness. Actually, I liked the honesty and appreciated that I didn’t ever have to wonder what she was thinking because she always spoke her mind.

Maybe I didn’t need a therapist after all since I was spending so much time discussing my screwed up past. “If you really want to know, I’ve been with three guys.”

“That’s it. You’re not much more than a virgin yourself.”

“You haven’t been getting any more texts from Scott, have you?” Ellie asked worriedly.

“No. They just stopped.”

“Too bad you had to go to the police to get his attention,” Cora told me.

Guilt flooded me. They assumed I’d reported Scott’s threatening texts to the police, and I wasn’t going to tell them differently. I didn’t want them worrying, and it wasn’t an issue anymore because Scott had finally forgotten about me.