Page 24 of Shades of You

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling fan as it cut lazy circles above me. Hunter’s deep, tight reply sent a guilty pang ringing through me. What was I doing here, adding tension to already strained ties? After a few more minutes, the sharp thump of his bedroom door closing echoed through the apartment in a definitive end to the sibling tête-à-tête. In the thick silence that followed, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering to the room where Hunter had retreated. The mental image of him pacingback and forth made me close my eyes—those powerful legs that ate up the ground in long, confident strides, the broad chest that could shield against anything.

I bit my lip, warmth blooming deep in my belly and spreading like wildfire. His tattoos, which I had only seen in tantalizing glimpses, added layers to the enigma that was Hunter Markham. Desire curled its fingers around my thoughts, fueling my hunger for him. It wasn’t just the idea of his body or the raw power that seemed to pulse just beneath his skin that sent shivers dancing through me. It was also the quiet moments we had shared—reading a book or enjoying a kitten’s company. The sense of safety that wrapped around me whenever I was in his presence.

But oh, those tattoos!

And the more I envisioned that unseen ink trailing beneath his shirt, the more I wanted to trace each one. To learn their origins and lose myself in the story of Hunter’s past, a tale mapped out on his very skin.

With a firm shake of my head, I forced myself to remember the mundane events of my day as a distraction. During my completely normal shift at the store, I’d seen no hints of Garrett’s presence, though I had no doubt he was nearby. Knox hadn’t come by either. I had spent hours lost among the shelves and helping customers. Yet as the day wore on, I found my thoughts drifting back to Hunter and looking forward to seeing him tonight.

When I had, he’d promptly informed me of coming up empty in his search for Knox, but that he wasn’t giving up yet. His persistence in keeping me safe felt personal, and I began to wonder if there was something more behind his protective instincts. Initially, I thought his resolve was tied to his guilt over Evan’s accident. But now, suspicion gnawed at me that perhaps it stemmed from adeeper wound, a scar left by his military service. He was a man whose very essence was as dangerous as it was comforting.

But with Knox having made no appearances, I had no logical reason to stay here any longer. Other than wanting to stay close to that mountain of hard flesh. I’d told Hunter I’d stay a couple of days, and I had. With a sigh, I got off the bed and packed my suitcase. Afterward, I peeked my head out the door. Hunter’s bedroom door was firmly shut, and the idea of going home and spending the night alone—and unguarded—made me swallow hard. Plus, I was sure I’d never get out of the building without Hunter’s alarms going off. And he deserved a goodbye. The word sent a pang slicing through me. Tiptoeing to the guest bath, I then brushed my teeth and prepared for another night in safety. And temptation.

In the morning,I clutched the handle of my packed suitcase and awkwardly entered Hunter’s living room. The sunlight streaming through the windows seemed to mock the turmoil inside me.

“Going somewhere?” Hunter’s voice from the kitchen was low and gravelly, the sound of it sending an unbidden but very pleasant shiver down my spine. As usual, he wore all black, but today had on a form-fitting shirt that showed the line of every muscle, even shades of his six-pack.

“I think it’s time for me to go home,” I said, though my heart hammered its protest. It wasn’t just the threat of Knox that tethered me here—it was Hunter himself.

He poured a second cup of coffee and pushed it across the quartz island, placing a bottle of creamer next to it. He’dquickly learned how I liked my coffee. “Don’t worry about last night. Stella is nosy, but she won’t be an issue.”

“Hunter, Knox hasn’t bothered me. He might not even be around anymore.”

“I’m going to check his job site again today. And I had a report come in overnight that gave me some of his old addresses. Give it one more day.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to cause any more complications. With Stella or anyone else.” I hesitated, torn between my logical reasoning to leave and my desire to stay right where I was. This man had the gravitational pull of a black hole. His eyes bore into mine, an unspoken plea swirling in their depths. Was it just about protecting me from Knox, or was there something more?

“Our families have nothing to do with this. You might be right and Knox has bugged out. Let me be sure of that. Stay.” He said the last word simply, and it wasn’t a command—it was vulnerability cloaked in a single word.

This wasn’t about Stella or Knox. It was about what lay between us—an invisible force building like a tidal wave. What had started out as a simple reconnection between old friends had blown into something altogether different. For better or worse, I couldn’t walk away. Not yet. And just like that, my decision was made.

I set my suitcase on the carpet. “Okay, one more day.”

“Thank you.”

Hunter crossed the room to pick up my suitcase and carried it down the hall once again. I followed. I stood rooted outside the open bedroom door as he set it gently on the carpet inside my room. After turning around, he walked slowly toward me, moving with the grace of a tiger surveying its realm. Our eyes met and held like a tractor beam. With my heart taking off at a dead run,I backed up until I was near the hallway wall. He continued to stalk toward me. We no longer stood in a narrow corridor of plaster and paint. It was now a conduit of pulsing energy, crackling with a tension that made my skin tingle and my breath hitch.

“Tell me,” I said, my voice coming out deeper, huskier. The air between us vibrated, heavy with building desire. “This isn’t all about protecting me, is it?”

Hunter stopped in front of me, his shadowed figure a towering presence in the dim light. “It doesn’t matter what I feel.”

I took in the sight of him—broad-shouldered, muscles outlined beneath his shirt, the raw power in his stance—and something inside me unraveled. He was the storm on the horizon, thrilling and dangerous. And I wanted to run straight into the eye of it.

“Doesn’t it?” I asked, my gaze never wavering from his darkened eyes.

The words hung between us. Desire surged through me, as undeniable as the pull of the tide, and drawing me ever closer to the edge of reason. He stalked silently forward. I moved backward until I touched the cool and unyielding wall behind me, a stark contrast to the furnace emanating from Hunter. He reached out, his hands forming brackets as they framed my head. Not touching me but close enough that I could imagine the roughness of his palms against my skin.

“I know what you want.” My words came out in a whisper, floating on the air. My eyes met his intense gaze, and my heart raced like a wild beast trying to break free. Every fiber of my being was calling out to him, yearning for him. “You want to kiss me.”

Hunter’s reaction was visceral. He jerked as if I’dtouched a live wire deep inside him. He hesitated, his breath catching in the tight space between us. “I can’t kiss you.”

His words were strained, and the air appeared to tremble with the effort it took for him to restrain himself. Yet he leaned closer, his fingers now close enough to trace my hair.

My lips parted of their own accord, an invitation I couldn’t disguise. We were so close our breath mingled, a warm dance in the charged space.

With deliberate boldness, I asked the question burning on my tongue. “Why can’t you kiss me?”

A muscle worked in his jaw, and his chest heaved as if he’d run miles instead of just standing there, inches from me. “Because I’m afraid that if I start, I won’t be able to stop.”

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