I get through my shower, wrap my favorite bath towel around me, and complete my morning routine. There’s a sense of calm inside me now, and I’m grateful. I may not know what is going to happen, but after this morning it’s clear I need to proceedcautiously. There’s more than just Hunter and I involved and I’m not sure I realized that before—even if I should have.
I open the door, walking toward my closet, wondering how I can get Hunter to agree to slow things down.
“Take the towel off,” Hunter orders, his voice a hoarse growl.
I let out a squeal, jumping despite knowing who is in the room with me. “Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” I snap.
“I want to see my woman naked. Take it off.”
“No way. Your family is out there. I’m getting dressed because apparently, we have to go to the police station to file a report on your psycho-ex.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t want today to go this way. I wanted to keep you and Ty out of the ugly side of my life with that bitch.”
“I’d get after you for calling her names, because clearly you cared for her once. If you didn’t you wouldn’t have Ty. Yet, based on what I saw this morning, she clearlyisa bitch.”
“I was a horny teenage boy, and Robin was pretty and pretended to be a decent woman. That’s about the extent of the relationship I had with her.”
“You have a child?—”
“I don’t have proof other than she lied about being on birth control, but I suspect she purposely damaged the rubber. I don’t regret it because I have Ty, but you need to know the anger I have concerning Robin goes pretty fucking deep.”
“I think I got that from watching the two of you.” I let out a sigh as I walk toward him. “I’m sorry, Hunter. Ty is all torn up and it’s my fault.”
“How in the fuck do you figure that?” he asks, reaching up, capturing my hand, and pulling me down. He guides me so that I land in his lap, and he holds me close. I should protest, but I don’t have it in me. His hold is comforting. I don’t know what it says about me, but I’m weak enough to just allow myself to be weak and soak it in.
“I was supposed to keep Ty inside and occupied. I should have. It’s just you were out there alone with her. Mostly, I thought I could at least be with you for moral support. I made them promise to stay in the basement, but I should have known better. Ty was worried, it was oozing out of him,” I explain, guilt dripping from my words.
“Hey, look at me,” he says softly. I force my gaze to lift and he’s tenderly smiling down at me in a way that makes my heart flutter. “This is not on you. You were amazing with Ty. Fuck, Beau. Can’t you tell how proud I am to have you by my side?”
I frown. “I don’t really have experience with that kind of thing. I figure this is how you act around all your women,” I admit.
“All my women?”
“Well, yeah,” I say, trying to keep my body from tensing up. I’m not a shy woman, but I definitely feel uncomfortable and out of my depth right now.
“Harper, I don’t have women around my family or my child. Fuck, I don’t have women period. If I get off it’s a quick hookup with a club girl who knows the score and doesn’t expect anything the next morning and even that doesn’t happen that often these days. I haven’t even looked at a woman since the night I shared with you. I keep telling you, but I’m not sure it’s registering that I’m all in. That’s why my son is here along with me.”
“I think I’m getting that. You should know that it kind of scares the hell out of me,” I admit.
“You never need to be scared of me. I know I may need to work to prove that to you—especially after the way we started—but, I’m okay with that.”
“I’m not good at this. The one serious relationship I had was bad, Hunter. The man was psycho and somehow, I didn’t even see it until it was too late.”
“Does he still bother you?” he asks. I fight a smile because even I can see that he’s planning on hunting Colvin—my ex—down and making it clear that I belong to him. I can’t deny the pleasure I feel that Hunter would want to do that. I doubt it would matter to Colvin, however. After the way we ended, I’m probably the last woman he ever wants to see again.
“No. He’s in jail. He called a few times, but I never accepted the charges, so he gave up.”
“Good. What the fuck is he in jail for?” Hunter probes.
“That’s a large list and a conversation for another day, since your family is outside waiting on us, and I have to do breakfast dishes.”
“Did you even eat breakfast?” he grumbles, his forehead crinkling as if he’s trying to think back to remember if I had or not.
“A little,” I hedge. I did grab a piece of sausage before I came in here.
“Then, get dressed woman, I’ll go get you a plate if they left you anything?—”
“I’m really not that hungry. I can pick something up on my way back from the police station.”
