Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
It’s already after nine on Monday evening, and I’m pretty sure Hunter has stood me up. I know we didn’t set a specific time, but still.
Maybe he changed his mind about me.
After work at the shipyard, I shaved, exfoliated, and made my hair pretty and shiny—all the stuff you do when you’re excited for a date. Or at least, that’s what I thought this was.
I thought Hunter asked me on a date, but when I think about it, he just wanted to have some of my time tonight, and maybe I got way too excited over nothing.
My phone vibrates, and I look down at the screen, hoping to find a text from Hunter, but it’s Tally.
Tally
Hey, we’re back and just wanted to check on you, but the van looks empty, so you’re still in Satan’s house?
I chuckle, my chest getting warm, knowing that these two care enough to check on me.
Still here. Gonna tell you all tomorrow on our shopping spree.
Excited!
I lay my phone down, ready to change into my sleeping stuff and grab a book when my phone vibrates once more. I assume it’s Tally again, so I’m surprised to find a message from Hunter.
Hunter
Do you have a swimsuit with you?
What?
Somewhere in the van, but not here. Why?
A few minutes pass before he answers, and I’m ready to send another text and ask if I should go get it when another text from him comes in.
Hunter
I placed one of my shirts in front of your door. You can wear that if you don’t have anything that can get wet. Change and meet me on the porch in the garden.
Okaaay…
As promised, a black, washed, and neatly folded shirt is waiting outside my door. I take it and close the door, giving it a quick sniff in the hopes of getting a whiff of his sandalwood sent, but it only smells like laundry detergent. And a part of me is disappointed by this fact.
I had already seen their hot tub in the garden from the window in the living room, so I’m guessing that’s where we’ll go, and a flutter kicks up in my stomach, like bubbles rising to the surface.
I strip off all my clothes, except the black silk thong, and slip on Hunter’s shirt, which goes past my knees.
Then I gather my hair into a messy bun on my head but glance in the mirror to make sure it looks cute and not like I just woke up.
My heart is pounding as I open the door again and listen quietly, but there’s no sound, so I sneak over to the living room and open the glass door that leads to the porch. Hunter is standing with his back to me.
It’s already getting dark, but fairy lights are strung above us, and the hot tub is also lit, bubbling and steaming with the hot water.
“Hey,” I greet softly, and Hunter turns, smiling.
“Hey.” He reaches out to grab my hand and pulls me into a hug, sniffing my neck, which makes me giggle. “Thank you for coming. And sorry it took that long. I wanted to make sure Lio was asleep. And North is on Lio duty, so no danger of tummy aches or nightmares.”
I think about how I woke up today with a blanket over me, still lying next to Lio in his bed.
Now I know who covered me up.
I blush and grin at him. “I’m excited. I’ve never been in one of these before.” I point at the hot tub before walking over to it and testing its warmth with my finger. The water is nearly hot, which feels wonderful given how cold the air is, and I shudder a bit.
Hunter steps up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “You should get in. It’s pretty cold with bare legs.”
He slides his hands down, gripping my hips and lifting me to the edge of the hot tub so I can easily slide into the warm water. A shiver runs through me as the bubbles flow up my limbs, tickling me, while the faint smell of chlorine wafts into my nose.
Hunter’s fingers knead the tension from my neck, and I can’t help but let out a contented groan, leaning into his touch. “That’s nice,” I murmur.
He responds softly, “I want to give you a massage while you’re soaking. You’re working so hard, and I bet you’re all stiff.”
My eyes flutter open, and I arch an eyebrow. “Wait, while I’m soaking? You don’t want to join me?” I turn to look at him, noticing a faint blush on his cheeks.
“I didn’t plan to,” he admits, his discomfort evident.
“Why?” I inquire, my curiosity piqued.
Hunter hesitates, his words caught in his throat. “Well, my leg—”
I interrupt him, realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. “Oh, you can’t swim with it?”
Fuck, I’m so insensitive. Of course, his leg could be a problem for this.
His shoulders slump slightly, and he mumbles, “Well, I can, but it’s not nice to look at, and I didn’t want to… I don’t know, deter you with it.”
Oh, hell no.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Nothing about you is not nice to look at. In fact, I love to look at you. Now come in. I want to experience this with you.”
“You want me to… are you sure?” There’s a frown on his face, and his eyes have an embarrassed sheen.
Fuck, my heart.
“Yes, I’m sure… please join me?” I give him my best pout. “I don’t want to do this alone.”
Hunter hesitates for a moment, his uncertainty palpable. “Well, okay. If you… I’ll go change real quick. Back in a second. Don’t go anywhere.” He kisses the top of my head before he goes inside, leaving me smiling.
I sink into the water, enjoying the warmth and watching the stars appear in the ever-darkening night sky. A short while later, Hunter returns wearing navy swim shorts.
And holy hotness.
He might be a bigger guy, but his arms are defined, and he’s sporting chest hair that is freaking sexy.
Hunter leans against the hot tub’s edge and carefully removes his prosthetic leg, placing it on one of the porch chairs. He then perches on the tub, turning to face me, and I can’t help but admire how incredibly handsome he looks.
In my eyes, he’s perfection personified.
I rise from my seat and approach him, my wet fingers moving up the outside of his thighs.
“Sloan,” he breathes out, and I detect the insecurity in his eyes.
“You don’t have to do this. I know it looks…
strange. And I’m thankful that you’re willing to overlook it.
But you don’t have to pretend to like what you see. I know what I look like.”
“The first thing I thought when I saw you was that you’re so handsome,” I whisper, my voice filled with sincerity.
“And the more I got to know you, the more handsome you became in my eyes. Your kindness, your strength, your protectiveness, it’s so sexy.
There is nothing that would ever deter me.
The more I see of you, the more I want you. ”
He expels a terse breath, clearly not entirely convinced, but the longing in his eyes flares. “I feel like half a man. How could you think that’s sexy?”
I reach up to cup his cheek, running my fingers through his beard. “You’re not half a man. In my eyes, you’re a hero. You’re brave and willing to give up yourself for the people you love. There is nothing sexier than that.”
My fingers come down to play with his chest hair, my eyes following the movement. When I look back up at him, my heart swelling with admiration, his eyes are locked onto mine. There’s still insecurity there, but a glimmer of desire is hidden within.
His hand gently moves to the nape of my neck, pulling me close to kiss my forehead.
“Sit down. I’m getting in with you.”
He eases into the tub, settling opposite me, and takes one of my feet into his hands, massaging it gently. “Ugh, your hands are pure magic.” I moan softly, closing my eyes and letting my head fall back, basking in the warmth of the water and the newfound intimacy between us.
“Happy you think so,” Hunter mumbles with amusement. “How are you, Sloan? Somehow, I think we never have time to just talk. I want to know everything about you, and yet here I am, not even knowing how you are today.”
My eyes open, and I pull my head back up to look at him.
How am I?
Fuck, how am I? Stranded, lost, confused.
“Good, I’m good.” I give him a small smile. “How are you, Hunter?”
“No, this isn’t enough,” Hunter tells me, his hands reaching out to grab my thigh and pulling me over, the water making it easy.
A rush of warmth floods through me, not from the swirling hot tub water but from Hunter’s proximity.
His hands are insistent, strong yet gentle, guiding me into his lap.
The motion sends a ripple across the surface.
He manhandles me so I sit with my back to his chest, and the bubbles from the hot tub make the shirt lift in the water.
A small gasp leaves me as his arms come around my belly from behind, now landing on my bare stomach, stroking me.
He sets his chin on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, “How are you really, Shortcake?” The softness of his breath on my ear sends a shiver skittering down my spine.
I take a deep breath, letting the moment wash over me. He can make me feel safe within seconds. His aura, his strong arms around me, the fact that I feel small in his arms, yet at the same time, I know he would never hurt me intentionally.
“Confused,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Mm-hmm…” He hums, one of his hands squeezing my thigh. “Is there anything I can do to help with that?”
“I-I don’t know,” I whisper.
He chuckles. “Fits the problem, right? What are you worrying most about?”
“The van. I know you said I can stay here, but it’s still my home, as much as you can call it that. And now it’s only a few miles away from falling apart and barely livable. I’m such an anxious person, and knowing my sanctuary is short of giving out, it’s a constant hum in the back of my mind.”
“Are you going to allow me to help you?” he asks, drawing figures on my thighs underwater, making me shiver some more.
“I don’t want to bother you, Hunt. I’m already pushing it with staying here this long, and—”