Page 32 of Imperfect Saint
Hunter dismounted as well though not nearly as easily. He stumbled but caught himself before he fell. Millie was grinning at him when he straightened and turned back to her. That look on her face made heat sear through his chest and he instantly stepped into her personal space.
“The world is a dangerous place, Millie, and I can’t always be at your side to protect you, even if I’d like to be.”
“You’re pretty good with the sweet words, St. James.” She teased, her lips curving as she let him back her against one of the wooden stall doors.
“For you, I try.”
Millie wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up to accept the kiss he intended to give her. God, the taste of her drove him crazy. Sweet and a little bit salty, he licked at her lips and she opened, letting him in. He groaned as her tongue teased his and he pulled her closer, melding their bodies together.
It had been too long since he got to kiss her. Even if they’d only been out on the horses for a couple of hours, it had been too long. Hours of being near her, hearing her laugh, letting her tease him, earning her smiles, it had all made him want her back in his arms where she belonged. He’d waited so long to kiss her that first time and now it seemed impossible to exist without the taste of her on his lips.
Millie rocked her hips forward, rubbing her body against his and he growled as he jerked his mouth from hers. He pinned her to the wooden stall door. She only smiled. The little minx knew she was pushing him. She knew what she did to him now and he loved that she seemed to revel in the knowledge. He’d let her revel all she wanted, but not right now, not when he was barely containing the urge to lay her down in the hay and make love to her.
“Not here, babe.” He kissed the soft spot beside the corner of her mouth, “Not now.”
“Hunter.” She gasped his name when he ran his tongue along her throat.
“We don’t have enough time for me to touch you everywhere I want to touch you and kiss you everywhere I’ve dreamed of kissing you.” He nipped at her ear, his voice low and husky with desire, “I promised that I’d have you spread out for me, begging for me to make you come and I don’t break my promises Mills. Not to you.”
She shivered at his words, even her voice was shaky when she found it, “Nobody’s ever said things like that to me before.”
“Well you better get used to it babe, because I love the way your pretty skin turns pink when I tell you what I want to do to you. Love the way your beautiful eyes get all glassy with desire when I talk dirty to you. Love the way your lips part, all pink and full, as you try to breathe through the need I make you feel.”
Millie groaned, “Hunter, please…”
“Later, baby. Right now, I think there’s somewhere you’re supposed to be.”
“Ah, crap.” Millie pouted adorably, “Is it noon already?”
Hunter glanced at his watch and nodded, “Yep, and you better hurry. I don’t want your brother blaming me for you being late to rehearsal.”
“What if I said I don’t want to go? That I want to stay here with you and force you to fulfill all those dirty promises instead?”
He grinned, loving the way she was opening up to him more and more, showing him these new facets of her that he’d never seen before, “You don’t have to force anything with me, Mills. I come willingly and so will you.”
“Such a tease.” She sighed, leaning up and pressing a quick kiss to his chin, “Are you sure you’ll be okay alone while I go to this stupid rehearsal?”
“I’ll miss you, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He motioned to the horses, “I’ll find Hank and help him get these guys all sorted out and then I’ll head back up to the house too. I’m sure there are emails and calls to return since I left my phone upstairs. Come find me when you’re done with rehearsal?”
“I will.” She gave him another soft kiss and then another and before he knew it her hands were in his hair, pulling him down for more and he was sliding his tongue back into her mouth.
He nipped at her bottom lip and pulled away, “Go Millie. Now. Before I break all my pretty promises and take you in the hay like a madman.”
That made her grin and a light flush colored her cheeks as she stepped away from him, “See you in a bit.”
“Find me or I promise, I’ll find you.” He winked.
Millie was still grinning as she turned and jogged out of the barn. Hunter watched her go until she disappeared out of sight and then he let out a sigh of contentment like he’d never known. That girl drove him absolutely crazy. Just yesterday she was pushing him away, keeping him at arm’s length, telling him that she had secrets he wouldn’t like, and today she was kissing him and begging him to take her to bed and opening up enough to tell him about her childhood and making plans for when they got back to the city.
He could only hope that with a little more time, she’d also feel like she could share whatever those secrets she was still keeping were too.
“You should feel special.”
Hunter whirled at the sound of the deep male voice. He’d thought he was alone in the barn but the sound of someone behind him had him searching the shadows. He’d let his guard down and someone had snuck up on him. He hated that Vaughn’s reminder to be careful took that opportunity to resurface, accusatory and correct, in his head. It took a second for his eyes to adjust but when they did, he saw the man that had spoken move between two wooden slats before stepping out into the light, making his presence known.
Whether he was a threat or not remained to be seen.
Chuck Turner leaned a big shoulder against the side of the barn and peered at Hunter over the top of a tumbler filled with brown liquid. Considering it was barely noon, he’d have liked to give the man the benefit of the doubt that it was simply tea but he’d heard enough of the rumors about Millie’s father to know it probably wasn’t. Hunter figured it was safe to assume it was the Tennessee whiskey the man preferred but there was no telling how many glasses he was up to for the day, so Hunter tread lightly.
