Somewhere in the van, but not here. Why?
A few minutes pass before he answers, and I’m ready to send another text and ask if I should go get it when another text from him comes in.
Hunter
I placed one of my shirts in front of your door. You can wear that if you don’t have anything that can get wet. Change and meet me on the porch in the garden.
Okaaay…
As promised, a black, washed, and neatly folded shirt is waiting outside my door. I take it and close the door, giving it a quick sniff in the hopes of getting a whiff of his sandalwood sent, but it only smells like laundry detergent. And a part of me is disappointed by this fact.
I had already seen their hot tub in the garden from the window in the living room, so I’m guessing that’s where we’ll go, and a flutter kicks up in my stomach, like bubbles rising to thesurface. I strip off all my clothes, except the black silk thong, and slip on Hunter’s shirt, which goes past my knees. Then I gather my hair into a messy bun on my head but glance in the mirror to make sure it looks cute and not like I just woke up.
My heart is pounding as I open the door again and listen quietly, but there’s no sound, so I sneak over to the living room and open the glass door that leads to the porch. Hunter is standing with his back to me.
It’s already getting dark, but fairy lights are strung above us, and the hot tub is also lit, bubbling and steaming with the hot water.
“Hey,” I greet softly, and Hunter turns, smiling.
“Hey.” He reaches out to grab my hand and pulls me into a hug, sniffing my neck, which makes me giggle. “Thank you for coming. And sorry it took that long. I wanted to make sure Lio was asleep. And North is on Lio duty, so no danger of tummy aches or nightmares.”
I think about how I woke up today with a blanket over me, still lying next to Lio in his bed.
Now I know who covered me up.
I blush and grin at him. “I’m excited. I’ve never been in one of these before.” I point at the hot tub before walking over to it and testing its warmth with my finger. The water is nearly hot, which feels wonderful given how cold the air is, and I shudder a bit.
Hunter steps up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “You should get in. It’s pretty cold with bare legs.”
He slides his hands down, gripping my hips and lifting me to the edge of the hot tub so I can easily slide into the warm water. A shiver runs through me as the bubbles flow up my limbs, tickling me, while the faint smell of chlorine wafts into my nose.
Hunter’s fingers knead the tension from my neck, and I can’t help but let out a contented groan, leaning into his touch. “That’s nice,” I murmur.
He responds softly, “I want to give you a massage while you’re soaking. You’re working so hard, and I bet you’re all stiff.”
My eyes flutter open, and I arch an eyebrow. “Wait, whileI’msoaking? You don’t want to join me?” I turn to look at him, noticing a faint blush on his cheeks.
“I didn’t plan to,” he admits, his discomfort evident.
“Why?” I inquire, my curiosity piqued.
Hunter hesitates, his words caught in his throat. “Well, my leg?—”
I interrupt him, realization hitting me like a ton of bricks. “Oh, you can’t swim with it?”
Fuck, I’m so insensitive. Of course, his leg could be a problem for this.
His shoulders slump slightly, and he mumbles, “Well, I can, but it’s not nice to look at, and I didn’t want to… I don’t know, deter you with it.”
Oh, hell no.
“Are you fucking kidding me? Nothing about you is not nice to look at. In fact, I love to look at you. Now come in. I want to experience this with you.”
“You want me to… are you sure?” There’s a frown on his face, and his eyes have an embarrassed sheen.
Fuck, my heart.
“Yes, I’m sure… please join me?” I give him my best pout. “I don’t want to do this alone.”
