Page 10 of Lore
I have no reason to be. He’s not mine and hasn’t been for a long time.
Hell, can a man like Hunter ever truly belong to one woman?
He used to be a male stripper. If that doesn’t tell you how confident, cocky, and charming he is, nothing will.
The way that Ora ran in to help him without thought, even though she’s heavily pregnant—he hasn’t changed a bit. He always had women running all over themselves to give him whatever he needed, even women who weren’t his.
“Where’s Lore?” she asks, opening the juice and handing it to Rider.
“Busy,” I reply, unable to keep the contempt from my tone. “Could you please show us to our room? It’s time for Dove to have her nap.”
“Of course,” Ora says, standing with Dove in her arms. Hunter comes out, and Ora hands Dove to him. She instantly clasps onto his cut, and I bury the emotions that hit me right in the heart at the sight of my daughter being held safely in his arms.
“Can you show them to their room? I’m not sure where you want to put them?” Ora comments, looking back and forth between us.
Hunter looks down at Dove, studying her like he doesn’t know what to do with her. Ora smirks at him before heading upstairs. “Hello, Dove,” Hunter murmurs to her.
Dove smiles, lifting her little hands to touch his beard. “Hairy,” she mutters, and Hunter laughs, awkwardly fixing his hold on her so she’s now higher up against his chest.
“Do you want me to take her?” I ask, putting out my hands.
She then buries her face into his neck, making my chest tighten. Getting close to him is the last thing she needs, especially when I don’t know how long this arrangement is going to last. She’s not his blood, not like Rider is, so I don’t know how he will be toward her. I don’t think Hunter would ever be mean to a child, but that doesn’t mean he has to treat her like he would his son.
“Dove?”
She sleepily looks over at me, then up at Hunter with her big eyes, and he smiles widely, making my breath hitch.
Hunter’s lip twitches. “How do you ever say no to her? I’m about to give her my credit card and everything I own.”
“Step one, never let her know that,” I reply, amusement in my tone. Hunter grins and looks down at Rider.
“I’m too old for a nap,” my son states, taking a sip of his juice.
“Well, why don’t we show your mom and sister their room, and then you and I can do something else?” he suggests, surprising me.
“Like what?” Rider asks, his tone a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. He looks so much like Hunter, right down to his facial expressions.
Hunter tilts his head to the side. “We could game. Or go for a swim in the pool.”
Rider grins, sharing an excited look with me. “Can I game?”
I roll my eyes. “Yes, that’s fine. As long as Hunter doesn’t mind.”
“Of course not,” he replies, frowning. “Come on, let’s head upstairs.”
We follow him up the staircase and then down a long hallway, which leads to another one. He stops at the last room on the right. “This is as far away from the other members as possible,” he murmurs, unlocking the door and stepping inside. There’s a king-size bed, a big television, mirrored sliding doors, and a table with two chairs. Our suitcases are already piled neatly in the corner. “I’ll get Dove a cot, or whatever you need,” he says, pointing to a door in the corner. “You have your own bathroom. I need to go and chat with my prez quickly, but then I’ll come back and get you, Rider.”
“Okay,” Rider agrees, climbing up on the bed and making himself comfortable. “This is the biggest bed I’ve ever seen. How many people can you fit in here?”
My eyes snap to Lore, who, instead of getting uncomfortable, flashes an amused smirk. “I don’t know, but there’s plenty of space for you and your mom to fit in there.”
“And Dove,” Rider reminds him.
“And Dove,” Hunter replies, his eyes softening. He turns to me and hesitates a moment before saying, “I’ll be back. Make yourself at home. If you need anything…”
“We’ll be fine,” I reply, forcing a small smile.
His gaze drops to my lips, and his throat works as he swallows. “I never thought I’d see you again.”
