Sex, Not Love(25)

I bet he fucked hard and was attentive in bed. Unconsciously, my tongue ran along my bottom lip as a thousand dirty thoughts flooded my mind. Of course, Hunter picked that moment to open his eyes and glance up at me. A boyish grin crossed his face as our eyes locked. God, my stomach fluttered like a teenage girl’s.

I forced my eyes back shut for the rest of grace, which wasn’t an easy task. Just like the first time we were together, I found myself amazed that a man had such a visceral effect on me—a lot like things had been at first with Garrett. That thought was better than a cold shower. At least my ex-husband was still good for something.

It took less than two minutes after prayer for the Rossi women to start the inquisition. Hunter had no idea what he was in for sitting at a table of seven Rossi women and one teenage girl with an attitude.

“So, Hunter, how did you and my sister meet?”

“At Derek and Anna’s wedding.”

My mother chimed in. “Hunter caught the garter, and Nat caught the bouquet. Isn’t that romantic?”

A room full of awwws ensued.

Mom added, “Hunter has a degree in architecture. He’s in commercial building.” It sounded like Mom and Hunter had spent a lot of time on the phone. Of course, my mother probably thought he was ready to give her grandchildren next week. She’d invite Jeffrey Dahmer to dinner if it meant I got married again and popped out a baby. Little did she know, Hunter Delucia only wanted to defile her daughter.

“It sounds very romantic.” Did my sister Alegra just bat her eyelashes and swoon?

Izzy looked at me. “You’re dating that guy?”

“No.”

“Because don’t you have a date with that dweeb Marcus this week?”

Thanks for keeping my secrets there, kid. “Ummm…. Yes. But like I said, Hunter and I aren’t dating. We’re just friends.”

Hunter smiled at Izzy and winked. “Friends who sometimes kiss.”

My eyes went wide. Izzy seemed to find the situation amusing. I put down my napkin and stood. “Hunter, can I speak to you in the kitchen for a moment?”

He looked to my mother before standing. “Please excuse me for a minute, Bella.”

I heard Izzy say, “She probably wants to kiss him again,” right before the dining room broke out in laughter.

My hands went to my hips as Hunter shut the kitchen door behind him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He feigned innocence. “Having dinner. Getting to know your family.”

“You just told them we kiss sometimes!”

He leaned against the kitchen island and folded his arms across his chest. “We do.”

“First of all, it’s inappropriate. Izzy is not even sixteen yet. And it’s none of my family’s business. And secondly, it was only twice, and the first time I was drunk, so that doesn’t count.”

“It was five times, and I’m counting the time you were drunk. By the way, that time, you kissed me.”

“Five? It wasn’t five times. And I seriously doubt I initiated the kiss. You’re just making that up because you know I don’t remember it well.”

“Five times.” He held up a finger. “One—the night of the wedding.” A second finger came up. “After the wedding—the next morning against the hotel door.” A third finger came up. “At my house—started at the window, ended on the bed.” The fourth finger rose. “In the elevator, when I said goodnight to you like the gentleman I’m not.”

Okay, so maybe I had forgotten about the house. Damn. That was a good kiss. “Fine,” I snapped. “But that’s four and not five.”

The devilish look on Hunter’s face made my knees weak. He closed the gap between us faster than I could come to my senses.

“Kiss me,” he said gruffly.

He didn’t wait for a response before crushing his lips to mine. God, can this man kiss. It was slow, confident, and had the perfect amount of aggressiveness that made me want to claw at his skin.

When the kiss broke, Hunter leaned his forehead against mine. “That’s five, sweet pea.”

He must have sucked the brain out of my head along with my tongue, because I smiled back at him like an idiot instead of telling him to shove it up his ass. His damn, sexy ass, I might add.

“I can’t believe you’re here.”

“Me either. But get used to it. I took an assignment out here for a while.”

“How long are you in town?”

He looked into my eyes. “Two months. And don’t bother to try to hide anymore. Your mother gave me your number a week ago.”

***

Seven at one blow.

I remember reading the Brothers’ Grimm Fairy Tale where the giant is impressed because he thinks the tailor slayed seven men with one blow. The tailor had nothing on Hunter Delucia, who’d charmed seven Rossi women and one disgruntled teenager over one dinner. Okay, so maybe it was eight Rossis, including me, but who’s counting anyway?

After dinner, both of my sisters and my mother peered out the front windows to watch Hunter play basketball with Izzy in the driveway. I sat in a chair across the room, attempting to pretend I had no interest in looking.

“Jesus Christ, every time he does a jump shot, his shirt rides up. I hope he kicks Izzy’s ass,” Alegra said.