Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94921 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
“You really don’t need to do this.”
“Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to go and see a movie?” he asked.
“No, thanks.”
“Harlow, I know you love a good movie.”
“There’s nothing I want to see,” Harlow said.
“Are you going to be stubborn?”
“Do you think you’re just going to click your fingers and everything is going to be okay?” she asked.
Hunter stared at her.
“Is that what you want?” she asked.
“I want you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to do this with you again.”
“Tell me what you need me to do? You have asked me to prove it to you, and I am doing that. I’m here every single day, apart from when the club needs me. I wait for you. I think about you all the fucking time.”
“I don’t know what I need from you,” Harlow said. “Does that make you feel any better?” She stamped her foot. “Do you think I don’t want this?” She pointed at him. “I would have given anything for you to be so … attentive. So caring, wanting to be around me, but all you cared about was sex. I thought we were keeping it secret because of my brother, but it wasn’t. It was for you as well, wasn’t it? You wanted to have fun without any of the consequences.”
Hunter got to his feet. “You think I didn’t want the consequences?”
“Clearly.”
“I was inside you without a fucking condom on.” He took a step toward her. Harlow stood her ground. He advanced until he had her trapped against the counter and his body. He pressed his hands on either side of her, locking her in place, not giving her a chance to escape. Staring into her big brown eyes, he felt like he was drowning in them. Fuck, he had missed being this close to her. Even smelling her—she smelled so damn good, and he wanted her so badly, not just for sex.
He ached for her.
Craved her.
Hungered for her.
He wanted it all with her.
Not a single moment went by when he didn’t want her.
And it was only getting worse with every passing day. The distance they had, the time they spent away, were the worst weeks and months of his life.
“I knew what I was doing, Harlow. I knew the risks and you know what, I didn’t give a flying fuck about any of them. Not one, because all I wanted was you.”
“All you wanted was sex.”
“No, you had been driving me crazy with the little lollipops you suck, and those eyes, the ones that look at me like they want to eat me. I wanted you. You’re not the only one that lost that day. Hearing what happened … I knew I had fucked up and I lost you.”
Harlow shook her head.
“You can deny it, but those feelings you have for me died that day.”
He saw the tears in her eyes. “I never stopped wanting you.”
“It’s not enough,” she said. “When the desire runs out, when the attraction fades, there’s nothing else.”
He saw the tears and he cupped her face, pressing his forehead against hers. “It has never faded for me, Harlow. Not once.”
“You broke my heart, Hunter.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.”
She tried to push him away. He wouldn’t let her go.
“Get lost. Back off. Leave me alone.” She kept trying to push him away, to make him move, but he refused. “Damn it, Hunter, leave me the fuck alone.”
And then, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She tensed up in his arms, and he didn’t let her go. He held her, breathing in her scent.
Harlow wasn’t ready to hear the truth. He needed to give her the chance to forgive him. Hunter knew he needed to earn her forgiveness. But, fucking hell, he loved this woman. He would go to hell for this woman. She was everything to him, and what grieved him the most was she had no fucking clue how much she meant to him.
She was everything.
And he couldn’t tell her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Harlow tried to contain her excitement as Hailey parked her car at the back of the beauty parlor.
“What?” Hailey asked.
“Nothing.”
“Tell me.”
“I am excited for us to go into work.” She pressed her hands together and she wanted to clap them, but she also didn’t want to spook her best friend, and there was a risk of that, so she kept her shit together, barely.
“Why are you excited? You’ve been coming in every day.”
That was true. Hunter had also been a regular visitor.
It was cold outside, and Harlow wasn’t looking forward to stepping out into the cold, but she looked at Hailey, who’d gone visibly pale.
“It’s okay. You don’t even have to see any clients today.” There were none booked but Harlow had hoped Hailey was in the mood to see a couple of clients. Harlow had promised a few that she’d call as soon as Hailey was well.