Mistress to the Beast (15 page)

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Eve Vaughn

Hunter was close to his own orgasm, but the inner workings in his brain wouldn’t allow him to speak. He shoved deeper into her, getting closer and closer to his climax until the buildup that had started in his toes moved along every inch of his body, throughout every limb, every fingertip and every nerve ending, resulting in something so powerful he shouted his release. “Lila! Lila! Lila!”

Shooting his load into her pussy, he held on to her so tight, never wanting to let her go, frightened that he’d never experience this almost spiritual feeling coursing through his soul again. Hunter buried her face against her neck. “Oh, God, Lila. I lo—loved it.

That was…”

She nodded. “I know,” she said with a whisper, holding on to him just as tightly as he was to her.

Hunter knew they should go inside. It was chilly out, but he wanted to stay like this just a little while longer. Lila didn’t seem to be in any particular hurry to move either.

What had happened here? Even if he was forced to put it into words, he couldn’t. There was one thing he knew for certain: after tonight, things would never be the same between them again.

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Finally, the damn meeting was over and Hunter couldn’t wait to get the hell out there. If he left now, he could make it home in under an hour.

Home to Lila.

The very thought of her brought a smile to his lips. Closing his laptop and shoving it into its case, he was ready to leave when Thomas walked over to him.

“Hunter, are you okay?” Confusion crinkled his friend’s forehead.

The question took him aback. For the first time in a while, Hunter felt great. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been walking around with this shit-eating grin all day. It’s kind of creepy, man.”

Usually a comment like this would have made him scowl, but nothing could rob him of his good mood today. Plans for the megaplex were going accordingly: in fact the new arrangements he’d proposed a couple months ago were working out better than he anticipated they would. His passion for his job had returned, but it was different. Hunter realized it was only just that. A job. And he wouldn’t allow it to consume him as it had before. “Is there a reason why I’m not allowed to smile? It’s a beautiful day.”

Thomas narrowed his eyes. “Okay. Who are you and what have you done to Hunter Jamison?”

“Can’t a man be happy for once?”

“But you’re never happy.”

Hunter should have been offended but he knew Thomas had a point. It made him feel guilty at how he must have come across to others in his depression. “Sheesh. You make me sound like a miserable bastard.”

“I wouldn’t be a good friend if I lied to you. I haven’t seen you like this since…”

“Before my accident? Don’t worry. You can say it.”

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“Now I know something’s up. What’s going on? First you come into the office whistling. Then, during our meeting not once did you halt Peter in the middle of one of his pompous tirades. Your tolerance is usually pretty low for his crap. To top it off, you’re referring to your accident so casually. What’s the deal with you?”

Hunter sighed. There was no point in keeping quiet. Thomas would get it out of him eventually anyway. He was also the only person who knew of Hunter’s agreement with Lila because Thomas had wanted to know why he had pushed so hard to change the plans for the megaplex.

“Walk with me to my car.” Hunter pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched in Ernest’s number.

The driver answered. “Are you ready, Mr. Jamison?”

“Yes. I’ll be out in ten minutes.”

“I’ll have the car out front.”

“Thank you.” He flipped the phone shut.

“Okay, shoot,” Thomas prompted.

“There’s really not much to say other than someone special showed me what an ass I’ve been. It’s never easy to change, but I’m trying.”

Thomas adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. “I’ve been telling you that for years, but you never listened to me.”

“You never put it as eloquently as Lila.”

Thomas’s eyes widened behind his glasses. “Lila? As in Lila Saunders, the woman who could have cost this company hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of dollars?

The very one you’re practically blackmailing?”

Heat swamped his cheeks and Hunter was sure his face was bright red. He didn’t care to be reminded of how he and Lila had come together. Deep down, he knew she wouldn’t have looked his way had the circumstances not thrown them together, but the last two months of her stay had meant something to him. He liked to think she actually enjoyed being with him. Not once did she flinch when she looked his way, instead, she had a ready smile that seemed like it was just for him.

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She continually sent his body into a tailspin like he’d never experienced with any other woman, and Hunter was glad to face a new day knowing Lila was a part of his life.

His cock stirred as he thought of what he intended to do to her later tonight. A more passionate woman, he doubted he’d meet.

When Hunter had first met her, he’d only seen the surface, but as he got to know Lila better, he saw her inner beauty shined as bright as her outer shell. She was a rare jewel.

“Yes. The same one,” he finally replied, tight-lipped.

“Don’t get all defensive now. I’ve never seen you so over the moon, especially over a piece of ass.”

Hunter halted in mid-stride and turned on the other man, baring his teeth. “If you refer to her as a piece of ass again, I’ll knock your teeth in. Her name is Lila. Use it.”

Thomas held up his hands. “Whoa. I meant no offense, and it’s not more than what you yourself have called your other women.”

“But she’s not them.”

“I guess she’s not if you’re getting so riled over her. I’m just saying.”

“Saying what?”

“If you keep walking around with that dopey grin on your face, I may begin to think you’re in love.”

“I’m not―” Hunter broke off, wondering if there was any validity to Thomas’s words. For so long he’d scorned that emotion, never seeing any proof of its existence. His mother, who seemed to throw that word around so freely, was on her fifth husband. Most of the married couples in his social circle were either bitterly unhappy or trying to put on a front for the rest of the world, while the others didn’t bother to pretend.

Was what he felt for Lila more than just lust, friendship and companionship? She made him smile without trying and he missed her when she wasn’t around. When she was with him, Hunter didn’t want to let her out of his sight. Was that love? He wasn’t sure.

He didn’t have the right to use that word in conjunction with her because in a month she’d leave him. The very thought caused him pain.

“Finish what you were going to say,” Thomas interrupted his thoughts.

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“I don’t know. Look I have to get home, but I’ll call into the office tomorrow so you can fill me in on how your meeting went with the Carver group.” When he would have moved on, Thomas grasped his arm.

“Wait. I didn’t mean to piss you off.”

Hunter sighed. “You didn’t. I’m just being overly sensitive.”

“She must be a remarkable woman. Not only has she managed to tame the Beast, you’ve been wearing your hair tucked behind your ears. You didn’t even turn your head when that jackass in the meeting kept staring at you.”

Hunter hadn’t noticed. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t dwelled on his scars in weeks. As a force of habit, he touched the imperfect side of his face. Maybe he was healing on the inside so much that the outside didn’t matter as much anymore, another thing he had Lila to thank for.

“No. I suppose I haven’t and yes, she is pretty special.”

“Have you told her how you felt?”

“What do you mean?”

A knowing smile split Thomas’s face. “I think you know. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Hunter didn’t bother to dwell on his friend’s words. Ernest was outside waiting for him.

His driver hopped out of the car and opened the door for Hunter. “Good afternoon, Mr. Jamison. I trust your meeting went well?”

“Yes, thank you.” He was about to get into the car when he remembered something important. “How are the grandkids by the way?”

In all the time the Coates had worked for him, he hadn’t bother getting to know them, too wrapped up in his own world to even care. It was through Lila he’d learned more about his two employees in two months than he had in years.

Ernest’s grin widened. “They’re doing wonderfully. Mary is taking ballet classes, dances like an angel that one. Nathan is into soccer. As you know, his eighth birthday is coming up. I’d like to thank you again for giving Maddie and me the time off to attend.”

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“Anytime. Please don’t hesitate to ask for time off when you need it. I think the two of you are due for a paid vacation pretty soon.”

“You’ll have a devil of a time convincing Maddie of that. She’s not happy unless she’s busy.” Ernest chuckled. “Now let’s get you home. I’m sure Miss Lila is waiting for you.”

At the mention of Lila’s name, he slid into the car. Usually, Hunter worked on his laptop on the ride home, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to concentrate. Thomas’s words came back to him. Did he love Lila? He went over it in his mind the entire way home.

When Ernest pulled the car to a halt, Hunter opened the door and got out, not bothering to wait for the engine to shut off. He hurried into the house and called out.

“Lila!”

When he didn’t get a response, he tore upstairs to the library where she spent a lot of her time. She wasn’t there. His next stop was the kitchen. Maybe she and Mrs. Coates were chatting over tea? It amazed him how Lila had even made his normally stiff housekeeper unbend.

Mrs. Coates was there, but Lila wasn’t. “Have you seen Lila?” he asked without greeting.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Jamison.”

Suddenly remembering his manners, he grinned. “Good afternoon.”

His housekeeper smiled. “Miss Lila was out back, the last I saw her.”

“Thanks.” He didn’t stick around for her reply before heading out to the backyard.

Grinning broadly, he paused when he saw Lila running around the yard with the dogs. Her face was animated and she was laughing at Shadow and Deja’s antics. She presented a lovely sight. He wondered if he’d ever get used to how lovely she was.

Somehow, Hunter doubted it.

He saw she was wearing one of the new outfits she’d bought recently, a hot pink track suit. They had come to a compromise about her clothes. He had Ernest take Lila to her favorite department store to pick out anything she liked, which turned out to be www.samhainpublishing.com 113

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mainly casual clothes. But at night she wore the items he’d selected for her. Hunter was glad he’d relented on that subject. She seemed happier because of it.

He observed her tossing a stick and the dogs running after it. Her face fell and a wistful look suddenly turned into a frown. Something was wrong. Hunter could feel it.

His heart skipped a beat as he watched Lila maintain that sorrowful expression. Yes, something was definitely the matter.

“Come on, guys,” she spoke to the dogs, “time to go in.”

As the three made their way toward Hunter, Shadow and Deja noticed him first.

They barked and then ran toward him in their excitement, tails wagging.

Lila’s eyes widened in surprise at his appearance and then her smile reappeared, but it couldn’t erase from his mind what he’d just seen. As she drew closer, he noticed her eyes were red. She’d been crying! He’d bet his last dime on it.

“Hi, Hunter. How did things go at the office?”

“They went well. Did you do anything exciting today?”

She shook her head. “Not really. Playing with the dogs has basically been the highlight of my day. You’re home earlier than I thought you’d be.”

Hunter raised a brow. “Is that a problem?

“Not at all.” He studied her face for a moment. She seemed distracted.

Grasping her chin, he dropped a light kiss on her lips. “Are you sure everything is alright?”

She lowered her lids and nodded. “Lila, I thought we were going to be honest with each other. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

“It’s nothing.”

“I can’t help if you don’t tell me.”

She nibbled on her bottom lip and looked as though she was debating on whether she could open up.

“Are you unhappy with me?”

Her head came up sharply. “No! You’ve been great company.”

“So what’s the problem?”

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“I’m so used to keeping busy I’m going out of my skull. Plus I’m getting major cabin fever. I’ve only been out of this house a couple times since I’ve been here and it’s wearing. I know what our arrangement is and I have no right to complain, but…”

Hunter felt like a jackass. Of course she’d get bored staying cooped up in his house all day. Why hadn’t he thought to provide her with something to occupy her time? He’d been so caught up in his own needs, he hadn’t dwelled on her. He had a nagging feeling she hadn’t told him everything.

“There’s more isn’t there?”

“I miss my dad. This is the longest I’ve gone without seeing him. When I talked to him last night, he sounded happy actually. With the construction beginning, he’s getting a lot of business from the workers who come in for lunch.”

“But?”

“But I miss him and even though he says he’s doing fine, I worry.”

“Would you like to go home and visit him?” The words were out before he realized what he was saying, but there was no taking them back once he’d said them. When he saw the pure joy flit over her face, he knew what he had to do.

“Do you really mean that? You’d let me go home and see him?” Her eyes lit up and her face became more animated than it had been in days. He hadn’t realized how unhappy she was until this moment. So wrapped up in the joy she brought to his life, he hadn’t stopped to consider how she must feel. Of course Lila missed her father; he was after all the reason she was here in the first place. And seeing how full of joy she’d become at the mention seeing her father, Hunter knew he couldn’t deny her that pleasure.