Page 34 of Dare To Kiss You
I jerk back at the sound of a familiar voice, and Hunter does the same. I look up at Kelly, the manager of The Nutty Muffin, who’s approaching our table with her boyfriend Jensen. She looks between the two of us quizzically, and I brace myself for them to ask what the heck is going on. But they don’t.
“Hey, Kelly,” I say, the words sounding shrill to my ears. “What are you doing here?”
She tilts her head at me but smiles. “We live a few streets over. Everyone knows the maple bourbon pecan pie is the best around, and I was craving a slice.”
“Itisgood pie.” Hunter chimes in. He turns on his mega-watt grin, the one I am now almost certain is a front for when he’s worried or nervous about something.
Kelly nods enthusiastically, tugging on Jensen’s hand. I don’t know him well, but from what Mila says, they were friends for a long time before finally admitting their feelings for each other.
Kind of like Hunter and me, I guess.
“See? Told you it was good. It’s not just me,” Kelly says excitedly. “Anyway, we’ll leave you two alone, we’ve got a hot date with our couch, some pie, and some Christmas movies.”
“Die Hard?” Hunter asks, and Jensen chuckles.
“You know it.”
We say our goodbyes, and Kelly and Jensen leave. Turning back to Hunter, I take in the tight lines of his body, full of tension. I’m guessing he was worried they’d ask why we were out together.
“Well, at least it was just Kelly and Jensen, and not The Walkie Talkies that saw us.” I try to make a joke because Hunter is obviously withdrawing. And the crack in my confidence that follows is really uncomfortable. “Hunter —” I start to reach my hand over to him, but he pulls it back at the last minute. “We need to tell everyone about us,” I say quietly, looking down at the hot chocolate in front of me. “I hate having to hide.”
I hear his sigh, and it makes me lift my head.
“I know. I hate it, too.”
“So, when should we tell my family? That’s the first step, isn’t it?”
He’s tearing the paper napkin in front of him into tiny pieces, his brow furrowed. I ache to reach over and smooth it out, but even that won’t take away whatever is holding him back. I have my suspicions about what’s going on in his head, but I don’t want to say anything. He needs to come to me, and I can only hope he does when he’s ready.
“How about the gala?” I ask. “Everyone will be there, so we get it over with all at once.”
The waitress chooses that second to set down plates with our slices of pie in front of us. After she leaves, I don’t lift my fork, even though the dessert smells incredible.
Finally, Hunter looks up at me. “Okay. Yeah, let’s tell them at the gala.” He purses his lips, then slowly relaxes them into a small smile. “Can we eat some pie now?”
I make myself smile back at him, and finally pick up a forkful of pie and bring it to my mouth. “Holy crap, that’s delicious.”
Now his smile grows. “Told you.”
Hunter pulls into his driveway and cuts the engine. The silence is deafening for a split second. Then his lips are on the patch of bare skin at the base of my neck.
“Can I come over?” he asks, and the hesitation in his voice makes my heart ache.
“Of course.”
We get out, and I pretend not to notice Hunter checking the street to make sure none of our neighbours are out.
I’m starting to really hate this. The novelty of dating in secret is wearing off fast. And in its place is my own worry that maybe I won’t like the reason for the secrecy. That maybe it’ll be something we can’t overcome.
Once we’re inside, we make our way down the hall to my bedroom, both of us lost in our heads.
I undress to my bra and panties and slide into bed facing him. Hunter, clad only in his boxer briefs, does the same, and we lay there, mirror images of each other in the dark silence.
“Hunter.”
“Kat.”
The tension breaks as we speak simultaneously, and we both let out a low chuckle. Hunter’s arm snakes out and wraps around my hip, pulling me into his arms. I snuggle in, my head resting on his chest.
