Page 16 of Embraced at Seaside
She realized she hadn’t heard from him since that text early this morning, which confirmed in her mind what she’d been thinking all day. Last night when she’d seen him with Bea, she’d seen him through girly goggles, those invisible lenses that make men appear like something they weren’t simply because of the presence of a baby, or puppy, or kitten.
She set her things by the front door and sank down on the couch with a sigh, glad to be off her feet. She toed off her shoes and tucked her feet beside her, still thinking about last night. Why was it so easy to trust him? She should probably feel embarrassed by hooking up with him again, or worry that he might tell someone like Grayson or Sawyer, when he was out with the guys. She hated that idea, but she couldn’t hold on to the worry, and she realized that she had a strong sense of trust when it came to Hunter. She tried to dissect where that trust came from. Was it a false sense of security that she needed to let go of? She hadn’t trusted a man in years—if ever—other than her brothers and father, but that was a different type of trust.
She tried to slough off the worry. Of course she trusted Hunter. He wasHunter, the guy who always tried to make sure his family and friends were happy. The guy who had dropped everything for Sky too many times to count. The guy who made beautiful art and looked at her like he wanted to devour her.
Ugh. Thatwas what was wrong with the equation.He was Hunter:The guy who looked at lots of women like he wanted to devour them—and made good on that desire.
As she leaned back and closed her eyes, she wondered why that should matter. Hadn’t she done the same thing with men? Well, maybe not lately, since she and Hunter began hooking up more regularly, but she was definitely the girl who didn’t go home alone if she didn’t feel like going home alone.
Why was she thinking about what he did with other women anyway? It wasn’t like she was looking for a boyfriend. If she were, she would walk away from him in a hot second, because he wasnotboyfriend material. But she was only looking to have fun, so…She didn’t see a need to walk away just yet. Not when everything he did when they were alone made her feel more alive than any man ever had. Not when every kiss set off a five-alarm fire inside her and every touch made her crave the next. And especially not after the way he’d carried her into the bedroom and held her until she’d stopped trembling last night.
She’d been trying not to think about those tender moments, because she didn’t believe they meant anything, but every few hours the feel of his arms around her crept back in. The look of compassion that had washed through his eyes returned.
She had to stop thinking about those seconds—and that’s really what they were.Seconds.Flashes of something she’d probably imagined.
She fixed herself a salad and ate it while flipping through a gossip magazine. She was looking forward to taking a long hot bath to soothe her aching muscles and relax her into what would hopefully be a long night’s sleep. She was having breakfast with Sky and their friends at Seaside, and she was excited to have some girl time. Sometimes her days flew by so quickly she barely had time to think.
At nine she filled a glass with wine and ran a hot bubble bath. She stripped out of her clothes, then thought better of the one glass of wine, wrapped a towel around herself, and grabbed the bottle, bringing it with her into the bathroom. She slid into the divine warmth and closed her eyes.
The ache in her shoulders was just beginning to diminish when her cell phone vibrated from within her jeans on the floor by the tub. She ignored it, determined to relax. A few minutes later it vibrated again. She gulped down her wine, and when her phone vibrated a third time, she gave up and reached for it.
Despite herself, a smile tugged at her lips when she sawDO NOT RESPOND!on the screen. She wondered what Mr. You Know You Want Me would say if he saw that. She read the first text.What are you doing?Then the second.Missing me?And finally, the third.Guess what I’m doing?
She wiped her hands on the towel, wondering why he was suddenly texting her, and sent off a quick reply.You’re texting me.
She set the phone down and closed her eyes again, hoping that was a bland enough response to warrant a little peace. When her phone began vibrating like it was on speed, she couldn’t help but satisfy her curiosity.
She opened the first message, and while she was trying to figure out whose adorable little boy was in the selfie with Hunter, several more pictures came through. She scrolled through pictures of Hunter and the green-eyed cutie. He sent a picture of the little boy sitting on his lap with an open book, and she tried to picture Hunter reading to the child. The next picture was of them both eating curly pasta. Next was a picture of the little boy in cute pajamas with bears on them, and finally, a picture of the little boy fast asleep, snuggled beside what was probably his favorite blanket.
Jana heard her voice saying, “Aw,” before she realized she’d said it aloud. Another text came through.
I’m babysitting Clark’s son so he can go out with his wife.
As good of a guy as he was, she couldn’t imagine him giving up a few hours to babysit. But that was just like Hunter, doing something that made her think he could be more than a hookup if he ever wanted to be.
She responded honestly.That’s so sweet of you.
Hunter’s response came seconds later.It’s fun, actually. The little guy is great.
Jana typed back,How late are you babysitting?
His response came quickly.All night. Clark and Nina needed time to reconnect. Billy’s down for the count.
Jana tried to process Hunter giving up an entire night to babysit, and before she could respond, he texted again.It was my idea.
Jana stared at the text for a minute. His idea? Wow. Her phone rang, and she nearly dropped it in the tub. She answered his call, and true to Hunter’s form, he spoke before she had a chance to even say hello.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said. “What are you doing?”
Her eyes dropped to the bubbles in the tub. “Taking a bath.”Oh geez, why did I tell you that?She closed her eyes, expecting a snappy comment in return.
“Is the bath helping you relax?”
“Yes. The wine helps, too. Hold on.” She set the phone down and refilled her glass. When she picked it up again, she said, “Sorry, I’m back.”
He was silent.
“Hunter?”
