Page 31 of In This Together

Oh God,she felt that everywhere he intended. He pulled her against him, digging his fingers into her buttocks and allowing her to feel him against her.

‘Hunter,’ she managed to say hoarsely. ‘Stop. We need to talk.’

He rolled his pelvis against her and moaned his displeasure before he pulled away. ‘I know.’

Andrea was still holding both glasses of wine as he retrieved his jacket from the countertop and reached into the inside pocket. At the sight of a small, rectangular, velvet box, she put the drinks down.

He stood in front of her and opened the lid of the box to reveal a dazzling bracelet that looked to be a continuous row of diamonds and sapphires.

She felt her eyes widen. No one had ever bought her anything like this. It was beautiful, sparkly and, without a shadow of doubt, expensive. ‘Hunter, I…’

He set down the box and unleashed the bracelet. ‘Hold out your wrist.’

She did, still focused solely on the way the gemstones glinted under the soft lights of her apartment.

He fastened the bracelet around her wrist then kissed the palm of her hand. ‘I know last night must have been tough. I hated it, too. I hated that you were put in that situation.’

Last night. Yes. The concert. Rosalie. His wife.‘Hunter, listen, we can’t keep?—’

‘This gift is to show you how much you mean to me, Andi.’Oh.‘I want you to know that I am committed to you. To us.’Huh.‘I know that things aren’t… straightforward. But I want to be with you.’You do?‘What we have is something special, kiddo.’It is.

Just like that, what she had thought was going to happen tonight was obliterated.

She dipped her head to compose herself. Hunter raised her chin. ‘I love you, kiddo.’

He loved her? He…lovedher?

Every nerve ending in her body tingled as he held her and pressed his mouth to hers. She dug her fingers into his hair and pulled him harder against her. Their tongues entwined as they swallowed the sound of each other’s moans and whimpers.

Love? He loved her? It was a line. Surely, it was a line. Did she love him?

‘God, you’re beautiful,’ he told her, lifting her onto the kitchen counter.

She had spent the day preparing herself for their relationship to end and now, here he was, in her home, expressing his commitment and showing her that what they had physically was not just about his pleasure but hers too.

And helovedher?

He couldn’t. She wouldn’t.

She rewarded his efforts by leading him to her bedroom, letting sex take her out of her head.

* * *

For the first time, Andrea woke under the bright light of the sun shining through her linen curtains and under the weight of Hunter’s arm.

The first thought that came to her was,How is he going to explain this to Loretta?

She was grateful that today brought the weekend. They had a lot to talk about. She was supposed to end things and Hunter had declared his love to her. Was that even real?

She needed to be rational for both of them. She would nip out for coffee and pastries. They could plan their next steps – like how and when to tell people about their relationship. No.Relationship?That was not something she had been looking for.

It would hurt people they cared about. Would he move in? Would they be girlfriend and boyfriend?That was ridiculous. She had never called herself anyone’s girlfriend. By choice.

She lifted Hunter’s arm and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. Rosalie. His wife. What would Sofia think of her? Some kind of role model. Her father. What would he say?

Hunter murmured, snored and rolled over until his back was turned to her. She stared for a moment at the dark hairs that lightly covered his back and shoulders. She hadn’t noticed them before, but now she thought it was peculiar that the dark colouring was a contrast to his silver hair. She wondered if his wife had ever had the same consideration.

Urgh, she was driving herself crazy.

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