Page 63 of Shades of You

“I am,” I said quietly. “This cruise… it’s been unexpected. And welcome.”

I nestled closer, breathing in his mix of clean linen and the underlying musk that was pure Hunter. The slanting rays of the setting sun burnished his angular features, bringing out the rich brown tones in his neat beard. He’d never looked more handsome. Though quiet and watchful during our sail, he hadn’t wandered far from me as he balanced being supportive with letting me find my own way.

I tilted my head. “What about you? This little sunset sail had to give you a few nerves too. You feeling okay?”

He nodded. “I’ve enjoyed myself. Evan’s been a bit standoffish—we’re still finding our footing around each other. By the way, Gabe told me a few minutes ago thatintroducing you like this was a good idea. I think he’s convinced you don’t have invisible horns and a tail.” Amusement glinted in his eyes.

I laughed softly, a tentative warmth filling me. Relief. After giving him a slow wink, I turned back to the spectacle on the western sky. Hunter pulled me tight, and we watched another day end.

Eventually,Catch of the Dayreturned to the tranquil waters of the Calypso Key canal. Aiden expertly maneuvered the sailboat into its spot, the gentle bump against the dock signaling the end of our evening. One by one, we disembarked.

April padded over and clasped my hands. “Don’t be a stranger, okay? You’re practically part of us now. We’ll catch up soon.”

I squeezed her fingers back, my heart full. “Book club coming up, right?”

She grinned. “Yep, I’m almost done with the book. And don’t worry—so’s Liv.”

Maia and Wyatt waved from the dock, Skye drowsing against her father’s shoulder. Even Gabe, known to be the grouchiest of Markhams, smiled and waved before helping his wife off the boat.

As Evan disembarked, he gave me a measured, polite nod. “See you around.”

I smiled, but it was tight. He was the only one who hadn’t appeared to warm up to me, but maybe I should count my blessings. As he turned away, his eyes lingered on Hunter for a long moment.

I blinked in surprise as a thought struck me. Evan’s aloofness might not be entirely about the feud or even my presence. Perhaps it had more to do with the reemerging bond between him and his younger brother. Evan’s guardedpoliteness, the tension that seemed to coil around him… maybe it was a protective instinct, a desire to shield Hunter from harm. I liked that idea.

Hunter steered me toward where his Range Rover waited in the twilight. He opened the passenger door, but before I could climb in, he tugged me back against his chest and captured my lips in a kiss that stole the breath from my lungs. The heat of it zinged through my veins.

“I’ve been waiting to do that all afternoon,” he rumbled against my mouth, his voice low and throaty.

Dazed, my lips tingled as he sauntered around the front of the car and slid behind the wheel with a satisfied smirk playing about his lips. I folded myself into the passenger seat and buckled in. As the engine growled to life, Hunter reached over and laced his fingers with mine, the calluses rough against my palm. “That went well, don’t you think?” Pride colored his tone, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“It did. Your family welcomed me more than I expected. I actually had a good time, and I wasn’t anticipating that. I just hope…” I trailed off, the unspoken fear curdling in my gut. The palms whizzed past the window, their silhouettes stark against the deepening dusk.

Hunter’s hand tightened on mine. “Just hope what?”

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to voice the words threatening to choke me. “I just hope my family can be as accepting of you. Of us.”

The winding coastal road soared over the narrow cut between Calypso and Dove Keys, and the water below had turned to rippling onyx under the night sky. A heavy beat of silence stretched between us as we both thought about the afternoon and the next step.

When we arrived at my apartment, the cozy space feltdifferent somehow. Charged by the fact that we’d surmounted one hurdle, but another one lay just ahead.

Hunter followed me inside, his presence filling up the room. “So when should I meet your family?”

Anxiety clawed at my throat as visions of Hunter facing off against Ben and Eli played out in my mind like a movie I couldn’t pause. And a couple of quick calls over the past few days to Braden and my brother Austin had confirmed my fears. They were concerned about me being involved with Hunter too. The Markham bad boy and my Coleridge siblings, mortal enemies standing on opposite sides of a battle line drawn in the sand long before any of us were born.

“Hunter, I…” My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard. “Today went so well with your family. Better than I could have imagined. Can’t we just… focus on that? Figure out my family later?”

He drew his brows together, a flicker of unease darkening his chiseled features. “Brenna, if we’re going to make this work, I’ll have to meet them sometime.”

I knew that. Logically. But my heart kept searching for an escape hatch. Because even though I wanted this to work out more than anything I’d ever known, the tentative acceptance his family had shown me made me afraid. It was chickenshit, but I wanted a way to hold onto this happiness without putting it to the test.

Because I had a sinking feeling I knew how that test would end.

“I know,” I continued. “And we will. But I still think one potentially explosive family meeting is enough for one day.”

Seeing the turmoil etched on Hunter’s striking features, distress shot through me. He was an irresistible forcepulling me into his orbit, and all I wanted to do was make him feel good. Closing the gap between us, I placed my hands against his broad chest, the thrum of his heartbeat steady beneath my fingertips. I rose onto my tiptoes, leaning in closer until our breaths mingled in the air. All that mattered was this moment and the man standing before me.

“I don’t want to think about our families anymore,” I said in a low, throaty voice. “I want to think about you. Only you.”

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