Devastated (Anger Management, #1)(57)

There was a small gasp and then…

“I told you!” the small woman in his arms said with an excited squeal as she shoved the blanket aside so that she could climb off his lap, grab the bowl of candy and race to the front door before whoever was fucking stupid enough to ring his doorbell could leave.

“Don’t give them my Snickers,” Hunter called after her as he shoved her blanket aside.

“They’re not yours!” came the reply that had him shaking his head, wondering when she was going to learn as he began searching for a movie that met her criteria.

“Definitely fucking bossy,” Hunter mumbled, unable to help but smile because she was just so fucking adorable.

“It wasn’t trick-or-treaters,” Kylie mumbled sadly, as she walked back into the living room, hugging the bowl of candy against her chest.

“Who was it?” he asked, not really caring as he tossed the remote aside and moved to pull her back down on his lap when the asshole that he’d been avoiding all day dropped down on the couch next to him.

“Thanks for returning my calls,” Ryan said, as he dropped a file on the coffee table.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Hunter asked, as Ryan gestured to Kylie to hand over the bowl.

After a slight hesitation and the saddest sigh that he’d ever heard, she reluctantly handed over the bowl of candy. With a glare aimed solely at him, Ryan accepted the bowl with a muttered, “You wouldn’t answer my calls.”

“And you can’t take a fucking hint?” Hunter asked with a glare of his own.

“I can, but unfortunately for you, the D.A. has been on my ass all fucking day, which is why I’m here instead of spending the night with a yoga instructor whose idea of a Halloween costume is chocolate syrup and a smile,” Ryan bit out as he ripped open a Snickers bar in clipped motions and shoved it in his mouth.

“What for now?” Hunter asked, sighing heavily as he rubbed his hands roughly down his face.

Ryan’s gaze shifted to Kylie. “We should probably talk about this in private.”

Taking the hint, Kylie murmured, “Goodnight,” looking almost as disappointed as he felt as she reluctantly headed for the door, ending movie night early.

“Goodnight, Miss Bendix,” Hunter said, as he watched Kylie head upstairs.

Over the past few weeks, he’d taken his time, learning what she liked and what she didn’t like, something that he’d never done with another woman. He knew that she liked to be touched, fucking craved it almost as much as he did. When they weren’t trying to find new and interesting ways to make each other lose control, she was with him, by his side until even that wasn’t enough for him and he dragged her onto his lap.

She never complained. She’d just sigh, shake her head as she settled back on his lap and continued to work, but he never missed the way that she bit back a pleased smile or the way that she relaxed as soon as he had his arms around her. Sometimes when he was working, she’d simply push him back, climb onto his lap with a satisfied sigh and promptly ignored him.

Other times she-

“We need to talk.”





Chapter 31

Maybe she should go back upstairs, Kylie told herself as she stood there, watching as Hunter stood by the open patio doors watching the storm that had been rocking the house for the past two hours.

She should definitely go back upstairs, she decided after another minute. Maybe she should-

“What do you need, Miss Dawson?” he asked, sounding bored as he continued standing there, watching it rain.

“I was just coming to check on you to see if you were okay,” Kylie said, worrying her bottom lip even as she berated herself for coming down here when it was clear that he wanted to be alone.

“I’ve been trying to figure that one out for myself,” he said quietly only to shake his head with a sigh and say, “Go to bed, Miss Bonner. I’m fine.”

“What’s going on?” she asked instead because she’d never seen him like this before.

“Technical violations.”

“What does that mean?” Kylie asked, as she stepped into the room.

“According to the DA, it means that I haven’t met the requirements of my house arrest, Miss Gill,” Hunter explained with a humorless chuckle that had her frowning as she joined him.

“What are you talking about? You’ve done everything that you’re supposed to be doing,” she said, really not understanding this since she’d made sure that he followed the rules outlined by the District Attorney’s office.

She kept meticulous records of everyone that came to the house, filled out paperwork as soon as they sent it, and made sure that he never missed a therapy appointment. He was doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing so whatever this was had to be a mistake.

“They’re arguing that the therapy sessions have been inconsistent,” he said absently, as dread crawled up her spine.

“But you haven’t missed an appointment,” she said hollowly because she’d actually been afraid something like this would happen since every therapist they’d sent his way had quit before the first session was over.

“It doesn’t matter,” he murmured calmly while she stood there, feeling like she was going to be sick.

“W-what’s going to happen?” she asked, forcing the words out as she released a shaky breath.