13. River
Chapter Thirteen
RIVER
He fit right in.
I stared at Huntley like he’d grown three heads as he and Bre won yet another game. I’d like to say my daughter was humble, but she was gloating and tossing their wins in Lennon’s and my face. The man himself, he smirked at all of it.
It dawned on me just how sexy and handsome he was with that devilish smirk on his face. He was hard not to look at with his strong, heavily stubbled jaw, dark hair and piercing green eyes that noticed everything.
Every time I caught him looking at me throughout the night, I felt my skin heat and a tingle raced through me. I had no clue what to do with that.
“Mom, can we watch a movie now? This winning thing is getting old,” Bre teased.
“Aren’t you a funny one,” Lennon told her.
My son, despite losing, had a good time. I could tell. He didn’t mind his sister's teasing and would do anything to put a smile on her face. Those two had it as tough as I had growing up but at least they’d had each other. And they were thick as thieves.
Bre gave him a smug smile. “I thought so.” She looked at me, waiting for an answer.
“Sure, go ahead.”
She grabbed her brother's hand, pulling him from his chair at the dining room table where we had been playing. “Come on, I’ll let you pick the movie just to make you feel better.”
“Wow, thanks for taking pity on me, sis,” he mocked as they walked away.
I watched them go, then I felt that heat again and turned my head to look at the man sitting across from me.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I blurted nervously.
He shook his head slightly. “I just can’t get over how free the three of you are during game night. It was great to witness.”
Huntley was right. I dropped my gaze to the table, unsure what to say. We probably seemed like entirely different people but that was because we were comfortable with each other. And we let him come. We trusted him to see us like that and were comfortable enough to drop our shields.
“There is one other thing.”
My head snapped back up at his soft, gravelly voice. Our eyes met and held, just like my breath as I waited to see what he was going to say.
“You’re beautiful.”
All the air left my lungs and my eyes widened. A weird sensation struck every nerve in my body. Those butterflies were back as I felt my cheeks grow warm.
I sat dumbfounded, not able to speak. Thankfully, I was saved by a knock on the door .
Jumping from my chair, I yelled, “I’ll get it!” And I ran. Not just for the door but away from the man who’d just rocked my world.
Checking the peep hole, I saw my sister and threw the door open to find not only her, but Stormi too. They would serve as the perfect buffer.
“Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” Lake asked as she and her daughter stepped inside.
Looking over my shoulder to make sure nobody could hear me, I leaned in a little toward her and whispered, “He said I was beautiful.”
Lake giggled and clapped her hands. More clapping followed and I looked down at my niece.
She looked up at me, a confused expression on her face even though she had joined her mother in the crazy celebration over one sentence. “Why are we clapping?”
I shook my head at the silly girl as her mother leaned down and whispered in her ear. Stormi smiled and said matter-of-factly, “He’s right.”
Then she took off toward the table and my cheeks burned with embarrassment when she said, very loudly, “Uncle Huntley, do you like my aunt River?”
Throwing my hands over my face, I mumbled, “Kill me now.”
I was frozen like a statue.
After Lake and Stormi left to head back home, Bre convinced Huntley to sit down and watch the movie. Since it was Lennon’s pick, Bad Boys for Life was currently blasting through the television speakers.
Lennon was in the chair, Bre was on the couch situated at one end, Roxie cuddled up next to her. That left Huntley and me to take the two seats left on the sofa next to one another. And I didn’t think I’d moved a muscle since I plopped down, my hands entwined together in a death grip on my lap.
My face still flamed from Stormi’s embarrassing question, along with Huntley’s answer. Lake had pulled my hands from my face and twirled me around. The strikingly good-looking fireman was gazing straight into my eyes when he said, “I like her very much.” This caused my niece to squeal and clap her hands excitedly once again.
Me, I was hoping the floor would open up and swallow me whole.
But even with the embarrassment, I couldn’t contain the giddy feeling that swept through me at his words. Ones that stayed with me all night. With Huntley’s body so close to mine, our thighs almost touching, I wasn’t able to squash the nerves that had my heart racing as the heat from him soaked into me.
Is this what it felt like to…
No, I didn’t have a crush. And this wasn’t a date. We were not only adults, but we were also friends.
“Relax, sweetheart,” Huntley’s husky voice whispered in my ear.
I finally moved, jumping as his warm breath tickled my neck and caused goosebumps to go scurrying over every inch of my skin. He must be crazy if he thought I could relax after that. I was wound up like a jack-in-the-box toy and two seconds from popping right out of my skin.
“I’m so sorry I scared you.” His voice sounded defeated like he’d done something wrong.
He had only been doing right by me since we met.
Not wanting him to feel bad, especially since I hadn’t jumped because I was scared, I turned my head toward him. I realized my mistake in an instant .
Our faces were so close, his eyes bored into mine. Those green eyes of his darkened to almost black but flickers of gold shimmered in them, illuminating the intensity of his gaze. I took a deep breath and his heady scent that reminded me of leather and spice was so intoxicating I almost forgot what I was about to tell him.
I shook my head to clear it. “You didn’t scare me. I just don’t know what to do when you’re around. You make me feel…” I didn’t know how to explain something I had never felt before.
What was wrong with me?
Huntley lips turned up a fraction. “You make me feel too.”
“Shows over, I’m going to bed,” Bre announced, and we both jumped, moving away from each other.
I almost giggled because I could imagine we looked like two kids getting caught too close to one another by our parents. Not that I knew what that was like, but I counseled enough teens to hear them talk about the ins and outs of dating, being irritated with their mom and dad, and those of the opposite sex.
“Night,” my daughter said as she walked by me, her dog snuggled in her arms.
Lennon got up then too, but he stopped in front of us. Always the protective one, he looked at me and asked, “You good?” His gaze never strayed from mine as he waited for an answer.
He liked Huntley, was learning to trust him, but leaving me alone with someone, especially a man, was something he wouldn’t do. Not without asking anyway.
“I’m good,” I confirmed.
After studying me a second longer, he nodded and then turned to say goodnight to Huntley. “See ya around, man. You’ll have to come to game night again.”
Looking pleased, Huntley replied, “I’d like that. ”
And then it was just the two of us.
Immediately begging to panic, I started to tremble.
“Easy Warrior, I’m not going to hurt you.”
He’d got it wrong again. The panic or my shaking body wasn’t out of fear, it was because I felt so off-kilter around the man.
“I know,” I told him softly.
All the things he’d said since the day I moved into the lake house and the way he treated me, told me he had a hunch about my past. Not that I or anyone else had told him, but after flinching and the way I’d acted it was obvious something happened. Just not to what degree.
“I…” The words were on the tip of my tongue. Could I say them? “I trust you.”
Looking stunned, he sucked in a harsh breath. “That means the world, sweetheart.”
We sat staring at one another. I got lost in his eyes, the undercurrent of emotion swimming in them pulled me in so deep I needed a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way out.
Roxie’s bark had me coming back to earth. Looking down on the cute pug who soothed my daughter and brought her happiness, I could tell she needed to potty.
“Good thing I hadn’t gotten too lost, or she may have left a trail of her own,” I said, still feeling out of sorts.
My eyes rounded when I realized I’d spoken out loud.
Huntley let out his own bark, but his was of laughter.
“I’m pretty sure you’re not trying to tell me you have to go to the bathroom.”
I needed to shove a sock in my mouth real damn fast.
“You’re adorable when you are flustered,” he told me.
Jumping off the couch, I raced toward the door to grab Roxie’s pink harness and leash that hung from the entryway coat rack, the little ball of fur following me .
“I’m just going to take her o-out,” I stammered, clipping her in and then throwing open the door.
“I’ll come with you so you’re not alone.”
Before I knew it, the man who was making me act like a total looney toon was upon us.
Glancing at him as I was already halfway out the door, I told him, “I can do it. I do it alone at night all the time.”
“Warrior, I know you are capable, but I’m here, so you don’t have to do it alone.”
The way he said it, soft and sweet, sounded kind of nice. I may have been running so I didn’t keep making a fool of myself, but I couldn’t resist taking him up on the offer to come along when he said it that way.
“Okay. That would be nice. I promise to not make any more crazy comments or ask you to pee outside with the dog.”
I smacked my head as Huntley chuckled.
At least he seemed to find me amusing and he did call me adorable.
I took my fingers and made a motion that I was zipping my lips, only making him laugh even more. Then I took the dog over to a group of trees to do her business while I looked out over the lake.
It really was peaceful in our new spot. Losing our home was hard but we found a good place to land and were truly lucky Bronson was willing to give up his childhood home to us. Huntley moved toward me and stood by my side, soaking in the view too.
“This place is great during the day but at night…” He gave a low whistle. “It's gorgeous.”
He was right. Millions of stars twinkled in the clear, dark sky and the glow of the moon illuminated the water below. The crickets and frogs sounded like they had their own symphony going on and the bushes around the lake swayed slightly adding a soft, hypnotic sound to the mix.
When I turned to look over at Huntley, he wasn’t looking at the sky, the stars, or the water. He was staring at me.
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he whispered.
Those butterflies were back, fluttering like mad in my stomach. “W-What?”
“Have to be honest. You take my breath away, sweetheart.”
The cool air had nothing on this man as those crazy goosebumps danced across my skin again. Nope, Huntley was the one responsible for them.
Roxie barked as she tugged on her leash letting me know she was done. “Guess she's ready to get back,” I said. Before he could reply, I practically ran for the house, Huntley right behind me.
What the hell did I do with all his sweet words? When we got inside, I unleashed the dog who wasted no time darting off to find Bre. Standing there trying to think of something to say, I fidgeted with my hands and shifted from one foot to another.
Huntley, who was probably picking up on my unease, jingled his keys in one hand. “It’s late, so I should probably let you get some sleep.”
“Oh, okay.”
He gave me a tender look. “Can I touch you?”
Touch me?
I hesitated a moment too long so he started to turn, taking that as a no. He didn’t look upset or mad which made my decision even easier. Plus, I admit, I was curious. Even if I was scared.
Worried he’d leave and not do what he was thinking, I rushed to say, “You can touch me.”
Whipping back around, he gave me the most genuine smile filled with happiness, stepping closer to me. He slowly reached up bringing his hand toward my face and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear before bringing it to a rest on the side of my neck. His touch sent a shiver down my spine.
Anticipation spiked as he moved slower than a snail, drawing out the moment, and leaned in. My breathing picked up the closer that he got. Was he going to kiss me?
The panic was real.
With our height difference, him being a giant compared to me, his head was above mine. Before I had time to freak out too badly, he ducked down and pressed his warm lips to my forehead.
Every nerve in my body came alive and tingled. I felt like I was being shocked, but not in a bad way. My whole system just buzzed with electricity.
Huntley pulled back and in a gruff voice, his tone telling me he was as affected as I was, he said, “Thank you for that, Warrior.”
No words. I had none.
“Stunned you speechless, huh?”
A part of me wanted to beg him not to go. I liked being around him. But I needed to think. Or maybe it would have been better if I hadn’t. My head was already spinning. I did know one thing I wanted so I put my brave face on and asked for it.
“Will you call me when you get home and fall asleep on the phone with me?”
He gave me a megawatt smile. “I thought you’d never ask. Of course I will.”
I smiled back at him as he moved toward the door. “Lock up behind me and set the alarm.”
“Bossy much?”
‘You haven’t seen nothin’ yet, sweetheart,” he told me before motioning to the lock on the door and alarm panel, then heading out in the cool March air.
Had he been flirting with me?
I stood there staring dumbfoundingly at the door.
Reaching up, I pressed my fingers to the place on my forehead where his lips had touched me.
I’d been kissed. Even if it wasn’t my lips, it was still…
Sweet.