“I didn’t realize anyone else would be in here.”
“Obviously.” He licks his lips and takes a step closer to me. “I guess your FBI training let you down.”
“What?” I glare at him.
“If you were in the FBI, you would have made sure to check if anyone else was home before just… making an assumption.”
“We both know I’m not in the FBI,” I say.
“Well, just checking to make sure you haven’t infiltrated the house because you’re part of the Secret Service or something.” He starts laughing.
“Very funny, Hunter. You kind of lied to me, as well.”
“What are you talking about?” He frowns.
“I thought you were a tourist in town, and yet… you’re not.”
“I never told you I was a tourist in town.”
“I know. But you…” He shrugs.
“I nothing.” He takes a step closer to me, and my heart races even faster. I can see just how vividly blue his eyes are and how muscular his torso is, even though he’s leaner than I had assumed at first. “So, what are you getting? A cupcake? Or are you stalking me?” he teases, and I ignore him. “Is it too soon for that joke?”
“It’s not funny, Hunter,” I say. “If it were a joke, it would be funny.”
“I’m sorry that you don’t think I’m a bundle of laughs.” He opens the fridge and grabs a carton of orange juice. “Would you like some?”
“No. I think I’ll just have some water. Maybe some hot chocolate if they have it.”
“They should,” he says. “You can check the pantry.”
“Okay. I’ll do that in a little bit.” I nod slowly. He turns back around and looks at me. There’s a chemistry between us, and Ishiver slightly. The warmth of his body radiates against me, and I stare into his eyes. He’s looking at me like he likes what he sees, and all I can think is… would one night with the gardener be so bad?
Yeah, it’s Hunter, and I can’t stand him, and he stole my cupcake. But I deserve one hot night. For a moment, I think he feels the same thing.
He takes another step forward, and his fingers lightly stroke the side of my face. My lips tremble, and I can see his eyes falling to them. He takes another step toward me, but I take a step back. I’m feeling overwhelmed. Like… I don’t know what I’m going to do. He grins suddenly.
“I think,” he says in a soft, low voice, “that I know exactly what you want right now.”
“What?” I ask. He takes another step toward me, and once again, I feel his fingers at the side of my face, brushing back some loose tendrils of hair. He bites down on his lower lip and then grunts. He clears his throat and shakes his head. I feel his eyes drop to my top, and I look down. My nipples are poking through the fabric. I watch as he swallows hard. I take another step back, and he grins yet again, but this time, there’s a smirk, a sensual seduction that passes from him to me.
“I think that you want these nuts,” he says, and my jaw drops slightly. I can’t believe how brazen he’s being.
“What did you say to me?” I’m loud now, because even though he’s hot, that was an absolutely crazy comment. He looks at me and licks his lips. I feel his thumb brushing against my lower lip.
“I said, I think you want these nuts. Crunchy, chewy, salty.” He winks. “You want them in your mouth, right?”
“I don’t know who you think you’re speaking to, Hunter—” And then I see that he’s holding something up in his hand. A package of almonds.
“They’re delicious,” he says, grinning widely. I watch as he opens the bag, grabs a few, and puts them in his mouth. “Just like I said. Salty and crunchy.” He passes them to me. “You want some?” I blink rapidly, because I know the innuendo was there. I know exactly what he was insinuating, but I’m not going to say anything.
“I’m okay,” I say. “I’m not interested in your nuts, Hunter.” I smile at him, and he bursts out laughing. I quickly turn around and head into the pantry. I can feel that my face is bright red.
“You have a good night, you hear?” he says, and I assume he’s leaving the kitchen.
“You, too,” I call out, and I’m glad he can’t see me because my entire body is shaking. I hold on to one of the tables in the pantry and take a couple of deep breaths. Fuck. This is going to be a lot harder to navigate than I initially considered. Hunter is going to be a problem. And as I stand here, I realize he didn’t ask me why I was there. And I didn’t ask him about his job as a gardener. I’m about to go back to the kitchen to ask him why he didn’t question my being there, but I decide to remain where I am. My panties are wet, and my nipples are hard. Right now, the last thing I need is to be in close contact with him again. I might end up doing something I regret in the morning.
CHAPTER NINE
