Page 100 of Her Passionate Hero

But the thing that she knew would tickle the hell out of Hunter was last Saturday’s upset. She’d been dying to tell him about that. Hunter had been looking kind of ragged the last time they talked. He couldn’t really say anything about what was going on in his world, so she worked hard to try to be entertaining, and by God, she’d struck gold with this latest event.

They’d had to postpone the book club meeting for a month, which was just as well since Aliana had so much to get done. But when they did have it, it was a doozy. They were due to discuss Fifty Shades of Gray. Everybody was gathered, except for the lady in pink. Florence showed up to the book club fifteen minutes late. This time she wasn’t wearing pink, she was wearing a black trench coat and red lipstick. Her hair was no longer pink, it was blonde.

“I can’t stay long,” she said. “I did want to talk about the book, though. It was transformative.”

Esther gave her a long considering look.

“How so?” Velma asked.

“It occurred to me that I wasn’t living my life to its fullest.”

Aliana’s grandmother nudged her and gave her a questioning glance. “I’ll explain later,” Aliana said in Czech. She was just thankful she hadn’t been able to find a translation of the book in Czech for Babička like she had wanted. Aliana didn’t think she could have handled having those discussions.

“Are you living your life better now?” Velma asked.

“Oh yes.”

The doorbell to Mamie’s apartment rang.

“That’s probably my ride. Raoul is very punctual.” Florence got up from the couch and swayed across the room. That was when Aliana noticed that the woman’s stockings had seams running up the back.

Florence let in a man who had to be twenty years younger. “Everyone, this is Raoul Delacroix, he and I have a lunch and dinner date.”

“My dear, it’s going to last much longer than that,” the man said as he kissed the side of her neck. “It was lovely meeting you.” He gave a wave to the crowd and escorted Florence out the door.

“She’s paying for that,” Esther said.

“I don’t think so,” Mamie disagreed.

“Who gives a damn. If she is, he’s worth every dime,” Velma said.

“I need a drink,” another woman chimed in.

She had been holding onto this nugget for a week, picturing Hunter’s face when she told him. Why wasn’t he calling?

“Dammit, I just wanted to see him, was that too much to ask?” she yelled in Czech. She went to the closet and pulled out her yoga mat and guitar and sat down so she could calm herself in music. For just the slightest moment as she looked at her guitar pick, she thought of using it for other things, but then she gave a relieved grin as the feeling passed.

She was in the middle of her fourth song when there was a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole and all she saw were sunflowers and daisies. It couldn’t be.

“Who is it?”

“Open the door, Alia.”

She’d only been in the apartment for a week, so she fumbled with the lock. She kept twisting it the wrong way. Her hands were getting sweaty.

“Cariña, if you don’t hurry, I’m just going to break down the door,” Hunter laughed.

She yanked the door open and looked up into a mound of flowers. She wanted them gone. She wanted to see him.

“Easy,” he said as she shoved the flowers out of her way.

There he was. He had dimples. “Hunter, thank God you’re home.” He swept them both inside the apartment.

“Cariña, this is really nice,” he said as he made his way straight to the kitchen. What was he doing? She watched him dump the flowers in the sink. Then he turned back to her, and the smile changed from happy to hungry. She thanked God again.

He pulled her into his arms. Fire exploded as their lips collided. Every pent-up feeling, every unsaid word, every lost day was set free. The lush burst of passion sent her reeling, Aliana felt like she was on a merry-go-round. The world was literally spinning around her. When she realized Hunter was carrying her, she broke free of their kiss and laughed out loud.

“Having fun?”