Page 67 of Moonlight Feels Right
Hunter's hand slid up her back, his fingers grazing the nape of her neck, and she suppressed a shiver as she looked into his darkened gaze.
"Emmalyn," he began, his voice rough with emotion.
She didn't know what he was going to say because the music suddenly stopped, and then Brad's booming voice rang through the bar. "Cake time!"
They broke apart to see Serena and Ava setting an enormous sheet cake on the table. As Ava lit the candles, she and Hunter joined the group encircling the table.
Liam put his arm around Ava and gave her a kiss. Then the group sang "Happy Birthday" before Liam blew out his candles. A round of applause followed along with questions about what he'd wished for.
"I don't need to wish," Liam responded, gazing at Ava with love in his eyes. "I already have everything and everyone that I need."
"That's so sweet," Serena said. "But you could still wish for a million dollars."
"Money isn't everything."
Serena rolled her eyes, then began cutting the cake.
"What would you wish for, Em?" Hunter asked curiously, "if those were your candles?"
"I don't think I should tell you," she murmured.
A sexy smile parted his lips. "Maybe I could help make your wish come true."
Heat ran through her. "That's a pretty confident statement, considering you don't know what my wish would be."
"I'm hoping it's the same as mine."
The intensity in his gaze nearly buckled her knees. Suddenly, the bar felt too crowded, too loud, too everything. And really the only person she wanted to talk to was him.
"Do you want to get out of here?" she asked impulsively.
"God, yes," he breathed, relief evident in his voice.
They said quick goodbyes, making excuses about being tired and needing to check on Olivia and Bree. If their friends saw through the transparent lies, they were kind enough not to comment.
The night air was cool against Emmalyn's flushed skin, but as Hunter took her hand, she felt another wave of heat. She had no idea what was coming next, but right now she was just going to enjoy the walk. Because everything felt right in the moonlight, the beach stretching out beside them, waves breaking gently against the shore. She was lucky to live here and lucky to have Hunter at her side, at least for tonight.
"Won't you miss this?" she found herself asking. "This night, this setting," she added hastily. "I wasn't talking about me."
His hand tightened around hers as he gave her a hot look that sent shivers down her spine. "I will miss everything, including you. But nothing is decided."
"I know. I'm just thinking ahead."
"I'm trying not to do that because life has a way of throwing all my plans out the window."
"Well, that's true," she said. "You seem very relaxed tonight and at peace with yourself, Hunter. Is it because Bree is back?"
"I'm happy she has returned to take care of her daughter, but the past week has also changed my perspective. I see things more clearly now."
"I like this version of you, Hunter. I never would have imagined that the angry, scowling man I met months ago would be laughing, making new friends, even dancing…"
"I was in such a dark hole; I couldn't see my way out. And part of me didn't want to get out. I didn't want to smile or be happy. It felt like a betrayal."
"Because Gary was gone," she said, understanding him so much better now. "You were punishing yourself."
"I was, but talking to Olivia about her dad helped me remember Gary in a way that didn't bring pain with it. Telling her about him made me realize how much he would have gotten on me for wallowing in my pain. He would have told me to shake it off, move on, that I was wasting my life."
"You weren't wasting your life; you were grieving. And probably not just for Gary but also for yourself, for the life you were worried you might have lost."
