Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
LOLA
“So what now?” I ask, refusing to look at him.
He blows out a breath that fills the space between us. “Now, you go home.” A pause that lasts a beat too long. “And then forget I exist.”
That makes me look at him. Really look at him.
His jaw is tight. His hands are still wrapped around the steering wheel like it’s the only thing keeping him anchored. And his eyes—those dark, devastating eyes—are full of something I’ve never seen in them before.
Resignation.
“Is that what you want, Hunter?” I ask, and I don’t bother hiding the hurt in my voice. I’m done pretending.
“No. It’s not.” He swallows. “But I can’t do messy. I can’t do complicated. I can’t hurt you or Reese. So this is where I step out of the triangle.”
The words land like a bucket of ice water over everything warm he’s ever made me feel. “There is no triangle,” I say, and my voice comes out harder than I intend. “There never was. Whatever Reese thinks about me, it’s a fantasy in his head.”
He sighs.
“Fantasy or not. He needs time to get over it.”
I nod. And something inside me—something small and foolish that had dared to hope—folds in on itself.
“I don’t give second chances, Hunter. I don’t wait for someone else’s timeline to suit me.
I know my worth. Or at least, I’m trying to.
” I hold his gaze and don’t blink. “But I agree. This would have been a mistake.”
His eyes go wide. He flinches back like I’ve slapped him across the face. “A mistake,” he repeats.
“Yep. And this conversation confirms it. Real men don’t mind a fight if it really means something.” I unbuckle my seatbelt and shove open the door.
The cool night air rushes in, and I let it hit me. Let it sharpen me back into the version of myself that doesn’t melt for cowboys in pickup trucks.
But before I go, I turn back. Because if this is the last thing I ever say to Hunter Sterling, I want him to carry it.
“And for the record, because this town seems to care so much about reputation, I didn’t fuck Reese.
I haven’t kissed him. And every time he’s touched me, it’s never been anything I’ve wanted.
” My voice cracks, and I let it. “The only man I’ve had sex with in months is you, cowboy.
And it was the best fuck of my life. So thank you for ruining me for everyone else.
Thank you for proving to me why I should stay away from men. ”
He mutters something under his breath, something I don’t catch because his hand is already reaching for me, cupping my cheek, his thumb brushing across my jaw. And I melt against his touch. Every wall I’ve rebuilt in the last thirty seconds crumbles.
“You were it for me, too, firefly,” he whispers.
Our eyes lock.
“Yet I’m not worth the risk,” I say, and my gaze drops because I can’t look at him when I say it. I can’t watch his face confirm what I already know.
But he doesn’t let me hide. His fingers gently guide my chin back up until I’m drowning in him again. His forehead presses against mine. I can feel his breath on my lips. Can feel the barely-there tremble in his hand. “This isn’t a goodbye, Lola.”
“It is,” I snap back.
“No. It’s not.” His voice drops. “I’ll be back for you.”
I shake my head. “I’m not waiting for you, cowboy. I might not even still be here when you suddenly decide to change your mind.”
“My mind doesn’t need changing. I want you, baby. I want you more than even I can comprehend. I need to speak to Reese, clear the air, and then I’ll be back.” He pulls away, and the absence of his warmth is a physical ache. Then he reaches up and takes the hat from his head.
“If you put that fucking hat on my head,” I warn him, “I will punch you in the dick.”
He lets out a deep chuckle. “You know what it means then?” he asks, tilting his head.
“I got the gist. Some stupid possessive shit men do to claim their woman.”
He laughs again, and this time it’s softer. “Yeah. Kinda. Wear the hat, you ride the cowboy.”
My mouth drops open. “He put his hat on my head.” A full-body shiver rolls through me. “Ew.”
He nods, and the humor fades from his face. “Yeah. He did, firefly. He wanted everyone to know not to go near you.”
A chill crawls down my spine. “Does he know we—” I motion between us.
“Not that I’m aware of.”
Thank God. That’s something. But I’m starting to think Reese has a few screws loose, and the ones that are left aren’t tightened properly. I don’t want him to know anything intimate about me.
“So, because I rode you, I get to keep your hat, like a trophy?” I tease, and I don’t know where the bravery comes from. “Is that right?”
He doesn’t answer. He just places his hat on my head, tips my chin up with two fingers, and looks right at me. “Fuck, you look beautiful like this,” he mutters.
I place my hand on top of the hat. “I get to keep this?” I ask, batting my lashes.
“Yep.” His voice drops, and his gaze darkens. “And I’ll be back for it. And you. And then when I do, I’ll show you all the ways you ride the cowboy.”
He dips his head. His lips hover over mine, close enough that I can feel the heat of them but not the touch.
“You really going to kiss your best friend’s girlfriend, Hunter Sterling?” I tease. Because in Reese’s crazy head, that’s what I am. When the truth is, I would rather eat shit than be his.
“Hmmm, mmm. I am. Yeah.” A breath of a pause. “Do you have an issue with that?”
“Make it a good one, cowboy. Give me something to remember you by. Pretend that you’re stealing me from him.”
His lips crash over mine, and every issue, every reason I had to walk away fizzles into nothing. He kisses me like he’s claiming me, not the way Reese tried to, with a spectacle, but the way that makes me feel like the only woman left on earth.
He groans against my mouth as his tongue slides against mine. His hands cup my cheeks as he pulls away just a touch.
“I’m not here to steal you from him, firefly. I’m here because once I start worshipping you, you’ll never belong anywhere else. You’re mine.” He growls against my lips.
“To make me yours, you gotta stick around first,” I sigh as I pull back, pressing my thumb to his bottom lip. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”
He smirks and adjusts himself in his jeans without an ounce of shame.
I hop out of the truck and slam the door behind me.
Holy shit.
I can still feel him on my lips as I cross the parking lot. I keep his hat on until I’m safely inside my apartment, the door locked, my back pressed against it, my chest heaving like I’ve just sprinted a mile.
I go to the window.
He’s still there and something in my chest splinters.
I don’t think he’s coming back. He’s not the type to go against his friends and family. He’s a man with a kid who needs him more than I do, a ranch that demands every hour he has, and I think he has a loyalty to Reese that runs deeper than whatever this is between us.
I watch his taillights disappear down the road and press my palm flat against the glass.
I set his hat down on the dining table, grab the bottle of white wine from the fridge, and bypass the glass entirely. Because after today I damn well deserve this.
I want Hunter Sterling.
And I need Reese to fuck off so that can happen.