Page 70 of Tangled Up In You
We’d decided to walk around the beach after the shoot and take a tour of the historic lighthouse. The three of us had laughed and talked a lot, and I’d been relieved to see Hunter and V getting along. They talked even more than I did. We ate a late lunch at one of the restaurants nearby and were now getting ready to head back to the hotel. Veronica was heading back to London first thing in the morning.
“Yeah,” I answered, putting my phone in my pocket. “Ready to go?”
Hunter wasn’t fooled, but he didn’t press me on it
As we got into the car, I fought waves of apprehension. A prickling traveled along my arms and legs before digging its claws into my nape. A weight settled in the pit of my stomach after reading those texts.
William was threatening me, but I had no idea what he planned to do. Maybe they were empty threats, and he was bitter that I was living my life just fine without him.
An idea struck me, and I leaned forward to get the attention of the driver.
“Can you stop at the nearest liquor store?”
“Yes, sir,” he said before changing his course.
“The liquor store?” Hunter asked, arching a brow.
I looked at Veronica. “Remember when you called me and I said we’d need to get drunk when we’re in the same city again? I’m a man of my word.” I put my hand on Hunter’s knee and grinned. “And don’t worry, babe, I’ll get you some apple juice.”
“It’s not apple juice. It’s apple ale,” he responded, covering his face with his hands. “God. You’re an ass.”
“Only sometimes,” I said, winking at Veronica.
“Whoa.” She put her hand up. “That’s more info than I needed.”
After I got the booze, we went to the hotel and up to Veronica’s room. Mine and Hunter’s room was closer, but hers was a lot fancier and had more space. Not to mention we’d probably get a little loud once we started drinking, and her room was away from everyone.
Keeping my word to V was only half of the reason I wanted to drink that night.
The other—and bigger—reason was the fact I was becoming more and more nervous about the whole William ordeal. He was high-maintenance and money grubbing, but I’d never thought he was wicked. Or spiteful.
“Here’s to men,” Veronica said, holding up her third—fourth?—glass of wine. “And their sticks.”
Hunter nearly spewed his drink. Veronica laughed and patted him on the back as he coughed.
“Hell, I’ll toast to that,” I said before clinking my glass to hers. I already had a few beers in me at that point, and I was onto my favorite Jack and Coke combo. So feeling buzzed and not giving a fuck about anything, I leaned over and kissed Hunter. Fuck he tasted good. “But your stick is my favorite.”
He chuckled. “Thanks?”
“You guys are so cute,” Veronica said, watching us with a dreamy expression. We were on the small loveseat in the sitting room and she was on the chair in front of us with her legs pulled up under her. “I want that.”
“He’s my everything,” Hunter said, leaning against me and laying his head on my shoulder. He’d had a few drinks too by the way his words were a bit slurred. “This above all…to thine ownself be true.”
“That was beautiful,” Veronica said with wide eyes.
“That wasHamlet,” I said, grinning like a fool. “Hunter breaks out in random Shakespeare quotes, just so you know.”
“You love it,” he said, nuzzling into the crease of my neck.
“Yes, I do.” I kissed the top of his head and let my lips linger there for a moment.
Warmth coursed through me, and it had nothing to do with the alcohol. V and I made eye contact, and I realized how comfortable I was with showing affection for Hunter in front of other people.
With time, hopefully I could do the same in public, in front of everyone, and not care what anyone said.
I asked Veronica about her love life, which then set into motion an epic tale of her last few sexual conquests. One of them involved a guy who spoke very little English, and she couldn’t speak Russian, and yet, they’d still understood each other enough to fuck all over the town: the backseat of a car, the dressing room at one of her shoots, the sitting room in a fancy theater, and of course her hotel. Many…many times.
“Do you plan on seeing this sexy Russian again?” I asked, resting my cheek on the top of Hunter’s head.
