Baked (Love Burns #3)

CHAPTER FOUR

R achel fidgeted on the bright red cushion, causing a squeak as her jeans rubbed against the fake leather. They’d only just arrived at Molly’s diner, but it already felt good to be out. Away from the bakery. Away from her apartment. And away from the reminder as to why she was under twenty-four-hour surveillance.

She’d been allowed to meet her friends Cat and Libby for lunch. Although it hadn’t been easy. She’d had to threaten Hunter with bodily harm. Not that she thought she’d be able to take the hulking giant of a man. But it would appear that just the thought of his balls being in jeopardy was enough for him to concede.

“So, Hunter texted me,” Cat announced from the other side of the booth.

Cat was married to Cody. She was best friends with Libby, who’d arrived in town a year and a half ago. While Cat was a new friend, like when Rachel met Libby, they’d immediately connected.

Rachel’s eyes lifted just in time to see her friend tuck a strand of her long black hair behind her ear.

“I didn’t even know he had my number,” she continued, “but, anyway, guess what it said? My very first message from him?”

Rachel had a bad feeling. Libby simply rolled her eyes. They both knew full well Cat was going to tell them whether they guessed or not. Which was probably why neither of them bothered.

“Okay, spoilsports.” Cat huffed. “It said, and I quote, ‘Don’t you dare leave her on her own.’ That’s it. No Hey, Cat, how you doing? Dylan okay? How’s married life? Just an ominous one-line threat.”

Libby giggled, whereas Rachel bit down on her lip in an attempt to hide her smile.

“Sorry.” Rachel felt the need to say. “He’s a little overprotective.”

“No shit.” Cat grinned. “I’m expecting him to show up here any second now and tell me off for not taste-testing your coffee before you had a sip. You know, to check for poison.”

Rachel was shaking her head now, losing the battle with that smile.

“So, how long have you and Hunter been ... you know ... a thing?” Libby’s elbows hit the metal table as she eagerly leaned forward, her wavy brown hair next to brush the polished steel.

Before she had a chance to answer, Cat slapped Libby’s arm. “Lib! We talked about this.”

“You did?” Why had they been talking about her?

Libby looked back at Cat, a silent question on her face. They were doing that thing where they talked with their eyes. The secret best friend language that Rachel hadn’t quite picked up yet.

Cat sighed, clearly defeated in the eye war, because seconds later, she announced, “We know you’re banging. You and Hunter. We’ve known for a while, but we were gonna wait until you were ready to tell us, weren’t we, Lib?”

What?

“Uh, we’re not banging,” Rachel was quick to clarify. “Nothing like that is going on. I’m not sure why you’d even think that. Nothing is happening—or ever has. We’re just friends. Swear it.”

Who are you trying to convince?

She watched as Libby and Cat looked at each other and then back at her, skepticism clear on their faces.

“Honey,” Libby started, a gentle tone in her voice, “you guys can’t keep your eyes off each other whenever you’re in the same room.”

“Eye fucking,” Cat added.

“Yeah, anyway,” Libby resumed after shooting Cat a dirty look, “we’ve noticed. We’ve all noticed. I’m kinda surprised that neither one of you has made a move, to be honest.”

They’ve all noticed?

Since Libby got together with her fiancé, Zach, and Cody fell for Cat, her friendship circle had expanded. Which meant she was regularly in the company of Zach, Cody, Hunter, Luke and Benny as, apparently, they were a package deal.

“If you’re not together, then what the hell was going on at our house the other day?” Cat piped up again. “Hunter was one second away from going all Hulk and breaking my door down to get to you. And when he did get inside, he wouldn’t let me near you. He had to be the one holding you, looking after you. No one else. He even sat you on his lap. Oh, and I’m pretty sure I heard the word honeybun come out of his mouth. What was that about?”

I wish I knew.

Cat was right to have questions though. When Rachel’s dad had shown up, Hunter had been the first person she’d called. In a panic. Rachel had then hightailed it over to Cat and Cody’s, seeing as Cody was a cop and she figured she should probably report the black eye her father gave her. She hadn’t expected Hunter to practically bang down Cat’s door to get to her. Or to be so possessive about looking after her. That being said, she still didn’t have any answers for her friend.

Thankfully, Rachel was saved by the waitress. Plates of food filled the table, but she only had eyes for the juicy burger placed down in front of her. Food would help make her brain work better.

“Rach?” Cat prompted, clearly not as distracted by the food.

Puffing out a breath, Rachel took one last loving look at her burger before meeting Cat’s blue-eyed gaze. “Look, the honeybun thing is new to me too. The truth is, we’ve hardly spoken to each other ... until now.”

“But you like each other?” Libby was the one who answered.

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” She sighed. “Do I think he’s attractive? Sure. I have eyes. But whether he likes me as more than a friend ... I’m honestly not sure. One minute I think he does, and then the next it’s like I just imagined the whole thing.”

“Oh, he likes you all right,” Cat replied. “We have eyes too. Plus, he’s named you. Next, he’s gonna claim you.”

“What?” Rachel felt her face scrunch up.

“It’s like a thing with these guys. Like some caveman shit. Cody started calling me kitten the moment we met.”

Libby’s hand raised. “Princess. Zach calls me princess.”

That’s just dumb.

“What, so ’cause he’s calling me honeybun, it means he likes me?”

Both Libby and Cat answered with a resounding Yes .

Screw this. She was done with this ridiculousness. She needed to eat.

***

R achel’s eyes went to the giant beside her on the couch. Hunter sure did like 90 Day Fiancé . Little did he know, there were like a gazillion more seasons of it.

“Obviously, she doesn’t wanna be with you. She’s like twenty years younger than you, dude!” he shouted at the television, his hand waving wildly. “Is it just me?” He turned to her then, losing some of his guffaw when he realized she was staring at him. “What?”

She knew she was smiling. It had been pasted on ever since the first episode. Seeing him so animated felt good. Like he was showing her a side of him not many people got to see.

“Nothing,” she lied. “You want some popcorn?”

He smiled back at her. Another big, goofy grin that she was still getting used to seeing. “Sure. I’ll make it though, honeybun. You just sit there and look pretty.”

He rose before she had a chance to argue. Her cheeks felt unnervingly hot.

Jesus. Is that all it takes?

Apparently so. Pep talk activated, she paused the show. She didn’t want him to miss anything. He was enjoying it way too much.

Grabbing a velvet throw cushion, she began hugging it. Cat and Libby had confused her. That’s why she was off-balance. But then again, Hunter was doing a damn good job of messing with her head too.

Maybe he did like her, just not enough to make a move. Why else would he stay away for so long?

A few minutes later, a bowl was placed in front of her, the toasty smell of warm popcorn hitting her tastebuds.

“You paused it?” Hunter seemed surprised as he bounced down next to her. This time closer. So close, their thighs touched.

“Yeah. I didn’t want you to miss anything.” Casting the cushion aside, she wasted no time filling her mouth with popcorn.

“You didn’t have to do that.” His head twisted to look at her, something unreadable hidden in his expression.

She simply shrugged. “It’s just basic manners. What kind of savage doesn’t pause a show nowadays anyway? Especially when their watching mate goes and makes them snacks.”

“Watching mate?” Amusement danced in deep brown eyes.

“Yeah. What? What’s wrong with that?” He was laughing at her. “You know, like shipmate . Watching mate,” she repeated.

He was still laughing.

She pushed at his arm, not able to hide her own grin. She could admit when she was being dorky. It happened a lot. Her brain didn’t always catch up with her mouth.

Just as she was about to give up on convincing him of “watching mates” legitimacy and pull her hand back, his fingers wrapped around her wrist. And tugged.

He didn’t stop until her mouth was just a breath away from his, his expression suddenly turning serious.

Oh God, please don’t have popcorn in my teeth.

Speaking of popcorn, the bowl was dangerously close to falling off her lap. He must have sensed her inner turmoil, as his free hand reached around and removed the bowl, smoothly placing it onto the coffee table in front of them, his gaze never leaving her the whole time.

“Honeybun,” he rumbled.

Was that a question?

She answered it anyway. Still not completely sure what was going on. “Yes?”

He seemed to have shifted closer, his grip on her wrist tightening. She could almost feel the heat of his spicy cologne burn her insides out as his lips grazed hers.

“I’ve waited a long time to taste you.” His voice deepened, awakening all the goosebumps along her arms. “But that doesn’t mean in that time I haven’t imagined what you’d taste like.”

Good lord. He hasn’t even kissed me yet, and I’m more turned on than I’ve ever been.

He wasn’t done making her head spin. The next thing she knew, his mouth was brushing against hers again. This time, pushing her lips apart as he spoke into her. “Like vanilla and cherries.”

Rachel’s heart was beating a million miles an hour. Feeling the burn of his stubble across her chin wasn’t helping. God, she wanted this man. And from the tremble she felt vibrate against her thigh, she could tell he wanted her too.

What is he waiting for?

“What’s the verdict?” she asked, letting her tongue run along the seam of his mouth. When he let out a hoarse groan, her stomach flipped.

Her wrist was released a second later, both his hands now cradling her head as he finally pushed inside her. She was his puppet as he tilted her face so he could get deeper.

He wasn’t kidding; he really was set on tasting her. All of her. But who was she to argue when he felt so good. Just the touch of his tongue set her body ablaze.

It wasn’t until her head hit the arm of the couch that she realized they’d been gradually moving down. Hunter’s hands adjusted to their new position immediately though, one going to her neck to hold her in place, the other going on an exploratory mission down the side of her torso. Instinctively, she opened her legs, giving room for his big body to get even closer.

Feeling him fall into her was enough to make her moan. But in a good way. A very good way. Sweet Jesus. He was big all over.

Pulling back slightly, his teeth scraped her bottom lip, causing a sting. One he kissed better moments later. Her whimper was met with a guttural rumble. Or was it a roar? Whatever it was, it was enough to warm her insides as his mouth traced a path up to her ear.

“I was right”—his teeth clamped down on her lobe—“vanilla and cherries.”

She was having a really hard time breathing. Was this normal? Was it possible to be so turned on you had to remember to breathe? She’d have to remember to Google it later. Right now, she was too busy moaning again.

Hunter’s lips were on the move. Licking a path down her throat, nipping and sucking as he went.

As if that wasn’t enough to turn her mind to goo, he had another trick up his sleeve. His hand had found something, and his fingers were pushing under her sweats. And then her panties.

“Oh God.” Her head flung back as he slid inside her, and her whole body arched. “Yes. Oh God, yes.”