20. Hunter #3
Her cheeks redden, and the heat that radiates off her body has nothing to do with anger. “That sounds a lot like you dictating my future,” she mumbles, but a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth.
“Got a problem with that?”
“Nope,” she says, leaning in to press her lips gently to mine. “And I suppose I do need to move now that someone’s broken my bathroom door.
When she goes to step away, I wrap my hand around her neck and pull her back. I plunder her mouth with my tongue until her body softens. Only then do I break the kiss.
“You know where to find me,” she says, her smile spreading as she glances down at my thickening cock that’s impossible to hide in my sweatpants.
If anything’s going to get rid of my erection, it’s the frosty glare Ash directs at my wife as she draws closer to him.
Maddie might not know how volatile my brother can be, but she’s had to deal with worse.
I shouldn’t be surprised when she walks right up to him.
He blinks as if he can’t believe she isn’t running away to hide.
Maddie puts a hand on his shoulder and kisses his cheek. “I know this isn’t the best start, but we’re not enemies,” she says. “I will prove you can trust me, but in the meantime, you should have an early night.”
Ash doesn’t react. The stubborn bastard isn’t going to be easily won over.
“Oh, and Asher,” Maddie says when she reaches the door. “Please don’t keep my husband too long.”
And then she’s gone.
“That could have gone worse,” Mace says glibly to break the silence.
“You two fuckers have a lot of explaining to do,” Ash says, glaring at our brothers. “Hunter isn’t the only one who’s been lying through his teeth.”
Chair legs scrape as Reid gets up. “And we’d do it again,” he says.
“You didn’t have to speak to Maddie like that.
She’s been through enough.” He rests his hands on the table as he squares up to Ash.
It’s a sight to behold. I can’t even remember the last time Reid raised his voice in anger at anyone, the only exception being Mace, obviously.
“If you don’t want to be involved in this, fine.
Get on the next flight back to Scotland and leave us to get on with the job. ”
Mace stands up too. He doesn’t offer his own argument for fear of giving away his affection for Maddie, but the way he places a hand on Reid’s shoulder, speaks volumes.
“Have you all been pussy-whipped?” Ash asks.
I was dreading this showdown, but I’m feeling better prepared now. “Let’s get this done,” I say, marching out of the kitchen and heading for the office.
I hear Mace mutter something about keeping away from his equipment, but it’s the sound of heavy footsteps behind me that carry a warning.
When I turn to face my big brother, Ash is right in my face.
“Have you lost your goddamn mind!” he roars. His nostrils flare and veins bulge at his temples. “Do I seriously need to tell you how fucked up this is?”
I wipe the spittle from my cheek, and keep my voice low and controlled.
“Reid had the right idea. You should slink back to Scotland and pretend you’re lord of the manor.
I respect you, brother, and you have the right to be angry that I didn’t tell you what I was doing, but I’m seeing this through to the end. With or without your blessing.”
Ash throws his hands in the air and steps away. He stalks around the conference table, putting office furniture between us before he shows his hand. “Sorry, Hunter, but that’s not going to happen. I’m staying. And I’m pulling the plug on this.”
“The hell you are,” I growl.
“Not your choice,” he says simply as our dynamics shift. He’s getting calmer, and I can feel my blood starting to boil. “I’m going to veto any move to buy the mill. And you can’t do it without me.”
“Fuck you!”
“Don’t like it? Tough shit, Hunter. It’s called damage limitation,” he says.
“By staying here, we’re playing into Barrett’s hands.
We need to preempt what he does next, or better still, give him something to think about.
I was hoping Killian might go after Barrett for retribution, but he and John want to leave it to us for now. ”
“So you’ve been speaking to Killian?” That’s how Ash knew about Maddie.
“At this moment, I’m inclined to trust him more than my own brothers,” Ash says curtly.
“Well, good for you, Ash. Feel free to take him on your next crusade, but I’m staying here.”
Ash closes his hands into tight fists. “You’re choosing her over family?”
My stomach twists. It’s not something I’d ever want to consider.
I’d take a bullet for my brother, but I can’t leave Maddie.
“I’m choosing to stay here and keep my word to my wife,” I explain.
“If we leave, Hugo will take back control of the mill and Maddie will be trapped forever in his sick little world.”
“I’m sure her brother can fix her up with another fool once you’re divorced.”
I lean forward over the conference table, my whitened knuckles pressing into the wood. “Maddie was right. You’re as much of a misogynist as her father was, and her brother.”
Ash’s jaw ticks. “I can accept that kind of comment from Maddie because she doesn’t know me, but you do.
You know why we have to do things the way we do.
We don’t have the luxury of settling down and living normal lives.
Partners . Wives . They’re a distraction.
And they’re a weakness our enemies can exploit.
Keep your mind off Maddie’s pussy for two seconds and see sense, Hunter,” Ash says in exasperation.
“It’s in her best interests that she cuts ties with you as soon as possible.
I’ve already asked the lawyers to look at an annulment. ”
It's not unheard of for Ash and I to make decisions on each other’s behalf, but there are lines we wouldn’t cross, especially when it comes to personal matters.
Ash has just overstepped by a fucking mile, so I follow.
“Perhaps I should have my own conversation with our lawyers. If I break our partnership and take my share, I can buy the paper mill on my own.”
Ash’s stare cuts straight to my heart. “I’d be very careful about making idle threats, brother. I might just call your bluff.”
“It’s no bluff,” I say, my answer shocking us both. “My duty to my wife comes first.”
There’s a rumbling sound that rises from Ash’s chest just before the eruption. “Can you stop calling her your fucking wife like it means something!” he roars. “You’ve only known her a week!”
I don’t raise my voice to his level when I correct him. “Eleven days.”
“And that makes a difference? You don’t know her, Hunter!” he says, continuing to yell as he stalks back towards me. “If ever there was an example of why we don’t fuck around with relationships, this is it! You’ve lost your fucking mind!”
I take a step towards him, letting him know I’m not backing down. I wait until we’re in each other’s face. “No, I’ve just moved out of your shadow. We share a childhood that molded us, but it’s time to recognize that it shaped us in different ways.”
“Yeah, and maybe you’re more like our mother than I thought,” Ash says with a snarl. “I honestly didn’t think you’d be the one to choose someone else over your own flesh and blood.”
If I’m honest, I never could have imagined it either.
“You know something, Ash?” I ask, giving him a shove that’s just hard enough to test our positions.
“I think you’re more like her than you think too.
Your moral compass seems to have gone south, pointing somewhere between ruthless and heartless. ”
Ash shoves me a little harder than I did him. “I’m not like our mother,” he hisses through gritted teeth.
My next shove forces him back a step. “Neither am I.”
My brother snatches hold of my t-shirt. I grab the lapels of his suit jacket. As Ash pushes me, I push him and we ricochet from desk, to table, and back again. What neither of us do is throw the first punch.
“Do you love her?” asks Ash.
I’ve been fighting against my feelings for Maddie ever since we met.
It’s too soon to talk of love, but when I try to form the word no, I can’t.
I’m certain the possibility of love exists.
I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, and it’s reassuring to know that my heart isn’t as dark and lifeless as my brother’s.
It wasn’t always that way. Ash had loved someone once, and he loved her deeply. When the relationship ended, it broke him. Business and love can’t co-exist in our line of work, and I’ve tried to learn from Ash’s mistake. Tried and failed.
“Maybe I just like the idea that I could,” I admit. “Damn it, Ash. I know it can’t lead to anything, but I just want to enjoy the possibility of what can never be for a while.”
“Tell me you will get divorced.”
“Yes,” I say, my heart sinking at the thought.
“And Maddie knows that too. Our futures can never align, but at this moment, what we have here works. I’ll be damned if I know why, but it does.
You just need to get to know her. She brings fresh ideas to the table.
And she’s not pulling my focus away from anything. Right now, you are. ”
Ash releases his grip on my t-shirt. “Fine, I’ll go along with this for now, but I’m still not happy.”
I let go of his jacket and flex the tension from my hands. “Nothing new there,” I mutter, relaxed enough to smile.
“And it’s laird,” he says, his face as hard as granite. When I frown, he adds, “In Scotland they have lairds, not lords.”
“Jesus, Ash. You’re spending way too much time with Rory.”
“And apparently you’re not spending enough time with your needy wife ,” he replies with a grimace.