Page 101 of 2204 Hunter Lane
“No, no, Marley. I’m glad you’re stayin’.” He finally replied.
“Then why are you being so quiet?”
His long legs paced around the tiny area before the doorway as he stopped to face me. “Are you sure ‘bout this? Him?”
I wanted to roll my eyes, because this entire situation felt like it was taken out of a ridiculous soap opera. But an overwhelming sensation of appreciation floated through me upon realizing I’d never had people in my life who cared so much about my wellbeing. People who wanted to vocalize their concerns because they wanted me in good hands.
“I’m not sure of anything.”And that was true.“But I want to see it through. He really opened up, Cramer.”
And with a snarky snicker, he turned the point of his toe to the door and threw me a side smile. “I bet he did.”
Oh my God!I balled up a piece of scribbled paper and chucked it at his head, which he dodged easily and left the room with a prideful simper.
“You’re a fiend!” I called after him, blushing myself.
It was then that my cell chimed with a text from Hunter, telling me to be ready for seven tonight.
A dozen butterflies swirled in my stomach as I agreed in response, shutting off my phone before I exploded some more.
Could this really be the beginning of something good? Something substantial? Was this a fresh start?Hunter was so unpredictable. The second I thought I could figure him out, life threw a curve ball my way and I’d wound up back to square one. He wasn’t easy, Payton was right about that. But the easiest things were never worth it.
Maybe that’s why it took years of mistakes to find the missing puzzle pieces of my life… because the wait for something good always leads to something great.
???
I just finished pulling on my red short sleeve when a series of knocks alerted me to the entrance.
“Coming!” I called, spritzing some honey lavender perfume on my skin.
When I opened the door, Hunter was leaning against the frame with a bouquet of white roses and a pack of…starbursts?
My words drowned in my throat as I averted my eyes from the items he was holding to scan his attire. Grey trousers were fitted around his muscular legs and rolled up at the ankles, while his white t-shirt contrasted against his tan skin. His blonde hair was a disgustingly sexy mess, tempting me to rough it up even more.
“Red’s your colour, Bambi.” He smirked, drooping his eyes to survey my outfit.
I couldn’t hold back a smile as I let him into my place, shutting the door. “Flowers and candy, Hunter? Didn’t peg you as a cliché.”
“Ain’t a cliché red roses?” He combatted, placing the bouquet down on the kitchen counter.
We stood a few feet apart, in an air conditioned room, but I was scorching hot. Hot like I was tanning on the Sahara desert sand, hot like I wanted to rip off all my clothes and melt into the blue lagoon of his eyes.
But I didn’t know what we were, if we even were anything. We barely spoke about what happened between us and I didn’t want to be the first to initiate it. What if he just came over in a heated moment and he regretted it?Marley, stop. He asked you out. He wants to be here.God, how I wish I could turn off my brain sometimes and just enjoy the moment.
I walked over to the counter and picked up the roses, running a finger over the soft petals. “I didn’t know guys still did this.”
He turned his body to face me, leaning against the wall. “Did what?”
“Brought girls flowers on a first date… I mean, if this is a date.” I blushed, unsure of our current situation.
The one and only time someone ever got me flowers was my brother when I graduated from college. But my brother was always a gentleman like that and the only guy I knew that actually enjoyed rom-coms and dramas. Maybe he got the idea from those films, but I definitely didn’t peg Hunter as the romantic type.
I brought the roses to my nose as Hunter’s footsteps stopped directly behind me. Nimble fingers lightly grazed the skin above my hip as he wrapped two arms around my waist, drawing my back to his chest.
“It’s a date, sweetheart.”
I could barely contain my breathing as he lowered his lips to my neck, brushing them against my ear. “The first of many.”
???
