Page 18 of The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary
They silently ascended the stairs and then stopped when they reached one of the middle bedrooms on the left. He set his luggage down in the hall, and she followed him inside. The bedroom was just as warm and inviting as the living room.
“Uh, is there anywhere special you want me to put this?” Hunter asked, gesturing toward the suitcase.
“No, just leave it by the bed.”
He complied, and as he passed her to leave, she placed her hand on his arm. “Your mother seems wonderful. So does Josiah.”
A flash of sadness crossed his features. “Yeah, they’re pretty great.”
“But you don’t get to see them often?”
“It’s not that. Just…you know how you said you sometimes feel like you can’t stack up against your sister?”
She nodded.
“Well, multiply that by four. Bear bought this ranch, Josiah is a top real estate agent in Dallas, Wyatt was a pro bull rider, and my little sister, Carrie Anne, is a teacher. A great teacher. I guess…I guess I just don’t feel as successful as them.”
This was a side of him she never expected to see. A vulnerability she would have sworn didn’t exist just a few weeks ago. She placed her hand on his chest. “The impression I got from your mom was of a very proud parent. I don’t think you give yourself enough credit.”
A smile quirked on his lips, completing a gaze so smoldering she could hear the whoosh as the air was sucked out of the room. “I guess we’re two peas in a pod, huh?”
Her head was screaming,Move, get away!while her heart was whispering,One little kiss wouldn’t hurt, right?In the end, her head won out, and she stepped back. “I guess we should get down there, huh?”
He held her gaze a moment longer. “Yeah, we should. She’ll send a search party if we take too much longer.”
They stepped into the hallway, and Hunter quickly stashed his luggage in the room across from hers. As they reached the last few steps, he paused and threaded his fingers through hers. “Here we go.”
That’s right. This was business. The only thing that happened in that room was a momentary lapse in judgment. He needed a fiancée; she needed funds.
“Yep,” she said, adding extra confidence to her words. She wasn’t sure who needed to buy it more. Him or her. It was only Wednesday.
Her head had the ball and was ready to do a touchdown dance, and her heart was the referee throwing a penalty. She was in so much trouble.
* * *
The promised hotchocolate had turned into a smorgasbord of finger foods. Veggie trays, fruits, and little bite-size pastries were brought out. Caroline, Bandit, Hunter, and Reagan were seated around the island in the kitchen. It wasn’t until she popped a tomato into her mouth that she realized she was kinda hungry.
Hunter had offered to get something to eat when they landed in Amarillo, but she’d declined. At the time, she was a ball of nerves and the very thought of food made her stomach churn. Now that she thought back, he’d not eaten either.
She leaned over and whispered, “It just dawned on me that you didn’t eat earlier.”
His breath tickled as he put his lips against her ear. “You said you didn’t feel good. I didn’t want to get something and make you feel worse.”
Color her gobsmacked. None of the men she’d dated in the past had ever been that thoughtful. Not a single one of them. But this man? Every time she turned around, she was seeing a new facet of him. She cupped his jaw and kissed his cheek. “That was kind of you. Thank you.”
“So, Reagan, Hunter told us you run a bed and breakfast on Tybee Island. The Sandy Pelican, right?” Caroline asked.
“Yes, it’s been in my family for four decades.”
“Well, he’s had nothing but wonderful things to say about it,” his mom said.
“She could show Bandit a thing or two.” Hunter laughed. He’d teased Bandit several times.
Reagan bumped him with her shoulder. “Stop that.”
“It’s true.” He smiled.
With a grin, Bandit slid off his stool. “Th-th-that’s all right. I d-d-don’t mind.” At first, Bandit hadn’t spoken much, but as time passed, he’d begun speaking more. Reagan suspected he needed to feel comfortable around her.
