Baby Be Mine(Spinsters & Casanovas Series Book 1)(47)

“Get off me.” Clarice pushed at Hunter’s chest, but he wouldn’t even budge, keeping her wedged between him and the bushes. “I said get away from me.” She shoved him again, and this time he moved back easily. Composing herself now so her breath would behave, she said, “I don’t need you to make an exception for me. I’m not interested.”

“Oh, what kind of men are you interested in, then?”

“None of your concern.” She turned away her face in annoyance.

“Fine. Just curious, because a girl in her thirties cannot always be selective. You know the saying: beggars can’t be choosers. For now, Avocado, you’re a beggar.”

“How?”

“You’re thirty.”

“And would you be so kind as to elaborate?”

“You know how it goes. Women in their thirties are old, while we men in our thirties, we’ve just reached our prime.”

“And the point of this whole conversation is…?”

“That you can’t always wait for the right person for you. When the offer comes up, you have to grab it, because, Avocado, your time is running out fast. Dare I say that your mechanics might not be functioning properly downstairs?”

“Downstairs?”

“Yes, downstairs.” Hunter nodded, eyeing her pelvic area.

When the meaning sank in, she slapped Hunter’s shoulder with her bag. “You bastard! Mother, Father, please forgive me for swearing, but you bastard, incompetent human being. How could you say this to a lady? Just how old are you?

“Twenty-three.” Hunter laughed while being slapped around by Clarice, pretending to defend himself with his arms. Oh Lord help him, he really enjoyed teasing and tormenting this woman. He hadn’t had so much fun in ages.

“Only twenty-three and you’re saying things like that to your elders. God, if I were your mother I’d smack your bottom right now.”

Those words coming out of Clarice’s mouth suddenly made Hunter hard. He stood still, staring at her. God, he was turned on by this woman, who was a good seven years older than him. How was this possible? He’d never found older women attractive before. Yes, she was very attractive and did catch his eye in the beginning, but now knowing her age, he still felt this lustful effect from her.

Clarice, noticing Hunter had gone quite still, stopped thrashing him and stood quietly staring at him with her big black pupils.

Hunter didn’t like this. He didn’t like it one bit. He wasn’t used to these feelings. He was used to chasing women and then throwing them away, never to have any deeper involvement with anyone. This was foreign territory. He wanted to hold her and smash his lips against hers right there and then, on the damn, tiny, suffocating footpath. Feeling as if he were going to give in to this brewing temptation and with the hardness that was growing downstairs, he uttered a breathless, “I gotta go,” and then made a dash to his car.

Clarice continued to stand right there, silently watching Hunter in confusion, wondering why he had suddenly run off and drove away like a criminal pursued by a cavalcade of police officers.

Only when Hunter was out of her eyesight did her mind bring back the uncooked soup of thoughts. Extracting her last bag of chocolate cookies, she nibbled away, walking aimlessly, unaware she had made her way to the colossal Silverton Hotel until she realized she’d finished the whole bag.

The Silverton Hotel boasted five-star accommodations, with head chefs flown all the way from France and Italy. Not her type of food, but a five-star hotel sounded exciting enough when she heard she would be staying there for the conference in Queenstown.