Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Hunter
The first gala event of the season took place a few evenings later.
“How do I look? Is this okay?” Josie asked, twirling in front of me as we were getting ready. She was wearing the white-and-silver dress we’d bought on that shopping spree. The one that had driven me crazy with lust even back then.
“You’re beautiful.”
“Your voice sounds a bit growly. Is this too revealing for you, husband?” She twirled again, giving me a view of her exposed back, all that soft skin on display. The dress was long enough that it reached the floor, but the plunging back was just killing me.
“Are you teasing me?”
“Yes, sir, I am.”
“You look too fucking beautiful. But… it’s… if we go to the event with you wearing that, I’ll have to fight off men for you. You’re not wearing it.”
“Then why the hell did we buy it?”
“Because you look absolutely gorgeous in it.”
“See? I have to put it to good use.”
“I have an idea. You can wear it just for me. In here.”
She narrowed her eyes. “That’s a waste of a dress.
Right… when I asked your opinion, I just meant if it’s appropriate for the caliber of the event.
It’s the first Ballroom Gala of the season.
But I won’t change it because you’re jealous.
” She tapped her ring. “This will keep men at bay. Also, you’re the host of the event. Everyone will know I’m your wife.”
“How? You’re not sharing my last name.”
She rolled her eyes at me. “If I had a penny every time you said that. Now, come on. Or we’ll be late. I’m nervous.”
“Don’t be.”
“This is a huge thing. How did you get the idea?” she asked once we were in the back of a car. We were arranging transport for all the guests.
“Had been reading about Bill Gates, and how he convinced various high earners to donate to causes he’d donated to himself. It’s much easier if you have skin in the game. Plus, if you gather everyone in the room, the social pressure to make generous donations is higher.”
“You’re devious.”
“But it works.”
“Smart man.”
“Besides, it was an opportunity to have a joint project with my cousins. It’s a lot of fun.”
“I can tell.”
I started organizing these the same year the company made the Forbes 500 list. It was a way of giving back, of supporting those who hadn’t had my opportunities and my luck.
I’d known what it was to fall from the top. To have everything and then almost nothing. Those hard years had changed my view of the world.
“Everything okay? You’ve been quieter than usual,” Josie said.
“Just… thinking about my speech.”
That wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.
My dad’s birthday was today, always a day when I could barely keep all my emotions in check.
She clasped her fingers with mine. My heart rate sped up.
It was a small gesture, but it was as if she knew it would calm me down.
As if she felt I needed it. All my cousins were at the venue, at the organizers’ table.
“Come on, the raffle will begin right after your speech,” Tess said.
Instead of simply inviting one to dance, you had to buy a ticket for the person you wanted to dance with.
There was a raffle for every dance—only men bought tickets for the first few rounds, and only ladies for the next ones.
All the money went to charity, of course, though this wasn’t the main donation, just provided an element of surprise and kept everyone laughing and guessing.
When we were brainstorming ways to keep the balls entertaining and unique, Tess came up with the idea, citing Gone with The Wind as inspiration. I had no idea what the movie was about, but Tess talked our ears off, and before we knew it, we’d all agreed to it. It proved to be a success.
“I’m thinking we should also participate in the raffle,” Ryker said. As organizers, we’d stayed out of it because we had plenty to do.
Skye laughed, but Cole nodded in appreciation. “I’m with you, brother.”
“I’m sure I’d bring in the most tickets,” Ryker continued.
Cole cocked a brow. “When I’m competing against you? Ha! No chance.”
Josie looked between the two of them. “Well, well. The Flirt vs. the Charmer. I’d pay money just to watch that.”
Tess clapped her hands. “We don’t have time for brainstorming now. Hunter, your speech. And by the way, your pretty wife could totally join the raffle. Josie, what do you say?”
“For a good cause? Of course.”
“No,” I said firmly. The whole group turned to look at me. The corners of Josie’s mouth twitched. Ryker and Cole shook their heads. Tess and Skye were radiant.
“We need to make the rounds for this ball,” I said. “I want to introduce you to everyone as my wife. You won’t have much time for dancing.”
No one seemed to buy my explanation, not even Josie—the corners of her lips twitched again. I was a territorial bastard. I just didn’t want to share her.
“I’m going to the restroom to freshen up before you start introducing me, husband .”
The second she was out of earshot, my cousins pounced on me.
“So, is it just me, or did he sound jealous?” Cole asked.
“Not just you,” Skye confirmed. She was grinning from ear to ear. If possible, Tess’s grin was even bigger.
“Did you tell her how you feel?” Tess asked.
“Not… explicitly,” I admitted.
“What are you waiting for?” Skye asked.
“What if it ruins everything? What if she doesn’t feel the same?”
Tess tilted her head. “You always take chances, Hunter. You’re going to hold back now?”
“What exactly do you feel?” Skye went on.
Cole cleared his throat. “Let’s not corner him before the speech.”
Ryker sighed dramatically. “Yup, let the man focus on his speech. He’s a goner for Josie anyway. Even I’m not that clueless.”
I didn’t get another word in, because the evening’s moderator called me into the main room. Showtime.
Getting up on a stage and giving a speech wasn’t one of my favorite activities, but over time, I’d learned to view this as an opportunity rather than something to dread. The better my speech, the easier donors would part with their money.
At the end of it, I pulled out a check, reading the sum out loud before handing it over to our treasurer. I always set the bar high, donating six figures. People tended to follow suit.
Josie watched me from right next to the stage for the entire duration of my speech. Tess and Skye were right, of course: I had to tell her, but having the guts to do it was another story.
Josie was the star of the night, and not because she was my wife. Well, partly because of that. Several regulars weren’t shy about expressing their surprise that I’d married.
But Josie stole the show with her clever input and her charm. I was proud to be her husband.
“You know, everyone here is a potential client for you,” I whispered to her while we danced.
“I’m not here for that tonight. I’m here for you.”
She threaded her fingers through my hair, looking at me with happy eyes, as if sensing that I needed all that warmth and sweetness she had to give.
No one had ever cared about what I needed, looked at me as if I was her sole focus, as if nothing else mattered—not the opportunities to strike business contacts or to advance her own career. I almost didn’t dare think it, let alone hope it, but… was it possible I was so important to her?
When we arrived home, I was restless. I couldn’t avoid my own thoughts, sinking into that melancholy I did every year on the anniversary.
“Coming to bed?” Josie asked.
“You go ahead. I want to finalize a few emails.”
I was beating around the bush. I doubted I could concentrate on emails. I just didn’t think I could lie next to her and not lay every thought bare. I didn’t want her to see this weak side of me.
“Hunter, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”
“Go to sleep, babe. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
She fidgeted in her spot, frowning before finally turning away.
I simply couldn’t sit, or even stand still. Forget emails. I headed to the guest room where I kept the treadmill. I quickly discarded my tux, changing into the running gear I kept there, then hopped on the machine.
Our bedroom was on the other side of the house, so it wouldn’t wake up Josie.
I’d intended to only run fast enough to be able to block my thoughts.
That usually happened at level ten. It wasn’t enough this time.
Memories poked around in my brain, the deep sadness twisting in my chest. I kept increasing the speed and the inclination of the slope, until I had to concentrate on the treadmill only, or I risked falling off.
One foot in front of the other. One in front of the other. Faster. Faster. That was it. The effort drowned out the memories, how much I missed him. How much I hoped he looked down and was proud of everything I’d achieved, of restoring the dream he’d worked on for his entire life.
My lungs were protesting. My chest ached with every breath. The deeper I tried to breathe in, the worse the ache became.
The muscles in my legs started burning. My buttocks were in pain. I glanced at the screen. I’d run for over an hour at this speed? Fuck. I wouldn’t be able to walk tomorrow.
I pressed the End Program button, and the speed decreased gradually. The slower I went, the weaker my thighs felt. I didn’t think I was able to walk right now either.
I nearly twisted an ankle stepping off the treadmill. My legs almost couldn’t sustain my weight. Jesus, what I had been thinking? My throat was as dry as sandpaper. I was completely dehydrated.
A soft whoosh made me look toward the door. Josie was standing there in a white nightgown that barely covered anything, holding a bottle of water.
“Babe… did I make too much noise? I’m sorry.”
“No, I just woke up and you weren’t next to me, and I went looking for you.”
“How long have you been standing here?”
“Forty minutes, give or take. Noticed you didn’t have a bottle of water and brought you one.” She handed me the one she was holding.
“Thanks.”