“She knew we snuck into the towel closet too,” I said.
“Shit,” he hissed.
“Relax. She’s, my friend. She isn’t going to give us up,” I assured him.
“Okay,” he said. He caressed my hair.
“I want to finish my internship,” I said. “Then I go back to my fourth year in a few weeks. I’ll mostly be at the hospital, but I want to finish my research with the team.”
“You will,” he assured me. “I’m nearing the end of my career. I’m putting you first.”
“I don’t want that. I want us to talk things out and find solutions that make both of us happy. I have to apply for my residency this year. Internal medicine is three years, then a sports medicine fellowship is another year. My career is important to me, and it takes up a lot of my time. I want to make sure you know what you’re signing up for.”
“I know, and I want to support your dreams, but where do Isla and I fit into that picture?” he asked, and I knew it was a hard question for him.
I placed a hand on his cheek. “You and Isla are my family. I love you both, and I know it’s going to be hard because I remember my dad making dinners and staying with babysitters or Aunt Paris because Mom was working in the hospital.”
“I get it.” He nodded. “We’re your family too. We’ll be there to support you. Whatever curveballs life throws us, we’ll deal with it together. For now, it would be better if we laid low until your internship is over. That way, the media won’t get hold of our business.”
“That makes sense,” I agreed.
“And I need to take you out on a real date.” He laced his fingers with mine.
“I’d like that a lot,” I smiled. “Now I think we better get dressed. Billie Rose has probably been pacing for the past hour, worrying about me.”
“They’re going to know we just had sex,” Hunter grinned.
“It’s fine. We’re all adults.”
“Liv is like a sister to me,” he winced. “I was like ten when she was born.”
“Old man, I’m practically the same age as Liv,” I laughed.
We got dressed and cleaned up. We walked out of the guest house and went straight for the pool area.
Hunter said hello to the girls, then kissed me on the lips. The girls made oohing sounds from the water. Then he said he’d be in touch after he spoke to management. He also told me to be ready for a date tonight.
“We can’t really go anywhere without the media finding out about us,” I brought to his attention.
“Leave the logistics to me,” Hunter replied.
“Have a good day,” he waved to my friends.
I watched him walk off. Damn, he had a fine ass. Once he was gone, the girls were on my case, asking every imaginable question, starting with Billie Rose.
“Did you have sex on every surface of the guest house?” she asked.
“No,” I said quickly, and she blew out a breath. “Just the couch.”
“Okay, new couch it is,” she laughed.
I didn’t share much about what went down in the guest house, but I did assure my girls that Hunter and I were in a good place. I spent the rest of the day smiling, swimming, and enjoying time with my friends, but most of all, I was excited for a future with Hunter.
CHAPTER 31
Hunter
By five o’clock, I had spoken to Tatum Wood, rented out a private conservatory on the edge of the city, and arranged enough privacy protections to make the night feel less like a date and more like a classified operation. Catherine deserved the best I could give her, and I was done trying to talk my way into being the man she needed. Tonight, I was going to show her.
