Page 89 of The Offside Rule
Me: Leaving Taylor’s in a minute. She isn’t coming to lunch.
Hunter watched me send it.
“You were at Taylor’s?” he asked.
“Cover story,” I said. “And I trust her.”
“Smart, except that her dad is the GM,” he noted.
“I trust Taylor. She would never say anything,” I assured him.
“We don’t sit beside each other if we can help it,” he said.
“Yup, obviously.”
“We don’t look at each other too long.”
“Define too long,” I replied.
“Catherine this isn’t funny.”
“Sorry I’m just so nervous.”
“Come here.” I walked into his arms and felt his strength as he held me. I felt the beat of his heart and knew I wanted more time with him. Then, I went to the mirror by the hallway and tried to fix my hair. It was useless. I looked freshly showered because I was freshly showered. I looked flushed because I was flushed. I looked like a woman who had spent the afternoon learning things about herself that no mother should be able to detect at lunch.
“I look obvious,” I said.
“You look beautiful,” he countered.
“That isn’t helpful.”
“It’s true.”
“Hunter.”
He stepped back immediately, like he had to physically stop himself from reaching for me. “I hate that I’ve put you in this position.”
I turned around. “You didn’t.”
“I texted you to come here. I was fighting the attraction. I should’ve continued fighting.”
“I came here because I wanted to be here. I want you,” I said.
His gaze darkened, and then he dipped his head and kissed my lips softly. I knew he wanted to see where this would lead, but I needed to hear him say it. He didn’t. If it had only been heat, maybe this would have been easier. But it wasn’t. It was the way he looked at me now like I mattered. Like he was already calculating damage and consequences and how to shield me from both. My mother thought she was inviting a lonely single dad to lunch. She had no idea she was inviting the man who was slowly becoming a problem for my entire heart. I grabbed my purse, then remembered my panties were inside it and immediately clutched it tighter. Hunter noticed. His eyes flicked to the purse, then back to my face.
“Don’t,” I warned.
“I wasn’t going to say anything.” He shrugged impishly.
“You were thinking something,” I noted.
“I’m always thinking something when I look at you.”
Damn, he was sweet and kind and clearly amazing in bed. He checked the peephole like we were committing espionage instead of going to lunch.
“Clear,” he said.
“This is insane.”
