~Hunter~
It’s a struggle to get out of bed this morning. Even though the curtains are drawn, the bright sunlight rousing me, my desire to get up is nonexistent. For a split second, I wonder if I’m depressed. But I don’t do depression. It’s not in my repertoire. I’m just in a rut—one that I need to break out of soon.
There’s no need to wear a suit today because no one will be in the office, so I shrug on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers. I’ll just finish up some paperwork then get the hell out of there. I honestly don’t want to spend my weekend working, and I owe Rex a trip to a strip club, God help me.
“Good morning, sir,” Louis greets me as I walk out of the building. “Are you taking the car today?”
“No, thank you, Louis. I’m going to walk,” I reply, glancing up and admiring the clear blue sky, instantly reminding me of Autumn’s eyes. I need to stop. Plus, that’s not even her name. Who the hell knows what her name really is? The irony is that I think Autumn really suited her.
“Enjoy your day, sir.”
“Thank you, Louis. You as well,” I reply. “Oh, and Louis,” I add, looking back, “remember, call me Hunter.”
“Yes, Hunter, sir.” He tips his hat on a half-smile and I shake my head, taking long strides, charging in the direction of my office.
Along the way, I take in the place that has always been my home. The constant hum of the city, the eclectic mix of people, endless shopping, fabulous architecture, and street vendors selling any item you could possibly imagine.
I pass by a couple of restaurants, the aroma of bacon and eggs spilling out onto the street, my stomach rumbling in response. After walking a couple more blocks, I decide I need to grab a juice and some breakfast to take to the office. I’ll need fortification if I’m going to plow through the mountain of paperwork awaiting me.
There’s a coffee house at the end of the block. I’ve passed by it several times but never wandered in. When I get closer, a wagging tail and paws scratching against the sidewalk greet me.
“Hey, there, little fella.” I crouch down beside the dog, patting him on the head. He jumps up on my knees and gives my face a couple of sloppy licks. It’s somewhat gross, but the most affection I’ve received in a while, so I’ll take it.
“All right, little guy, I’m going inside. I’m sure your owner will be out soon.” He cocks his head, his bushy tail still wagging.
At least someone’s happy to have me around.
The line is long, but I’m starving so waiting isn’t an issue. I glance around at some of the pictures on the walls. A couple kissing in the corner catches my attention, instantly worsening my mood. Another glaring reminder of how alone I am. I shake it off and move up as the line is advancing quickly.
“Thanks, Trent. Have a good day.”
The sound of that voice stops me in my tracks, my heart doing a mad dash in my chest. I recognize it immediately because it’s the one that I hear in my dreams.
“Autumn?”
She turns around, a sudden blast of sunlight in my dark little world, as I unsuccessfully try to pull oxygen from my lungs and tell myself to breathe.
My lips form a smile, my heart smiles—shit, even my dick smiles. Those fiery blue eyes, that radiant smile, those contoured lips. She’s breathtaking.
Autumn’s lips flip up at the edges too, as if she’s happy to see me, but the expression disappears quickly. She comes over and I resist the urge to grab her, to never let her go. “Hunter,” she acknowledges, and I’ve missed the sound of her voice. “Good to see you. I’m just on my way out.”
I latch on to her arm, but quickly release it. Still, there’s no way I’m letting her get away. “Autumn, wait. Can we talk for a few minutes?”
Her teeth gnaw on her lip as she looks to the door then back to me, my fingers aching to touch her. It’s taking all of my restraint to stand here, my hands fisting at my sides while I wait for her answer.
“Sure, I’ve got a few minutes.”
She picks a booth by the door. I hope it’s not because she’s looking to make a quick getaway. I may just have to restrain her. Sliding onto the worn leather upholstery, I follow her lead and scoot in next to her.
For the first time in over a month, my chest is lighter, my limbs relaxed, all irritation gone simply by being in her presence. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been trying to find you? Searching the internet? Walking up and down the Upper East Side, hoping to catch a glimpse of you? Every time I saw a woman with wavy, dark hair, I kept thinking it might be you. Hoping it was you.”
My pulse leaps under my flesh as I move closer to her, praying she doesn’t back away. Unable to control the urge to touch her any longer, I bring my hand up and cup her cheek, our gazes meeting. “I missed you, sweetheart.” I close my eyes on a quiet inhale at the feel of her skin. Is it possible to miss touching someone? Because I have, so God damn much.
Her lashes fall lightly against her face, and there’s a softening in that ocean of blue, a sprinkle of hope in her eyes. She angles her head to lean in, but pulls back abruptly, my hand dropping with a pained sigh.
“You lied to me.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. I should’ve been honest… But… you lied to me, too.”
She nods her head, casting her eyes down, clasping her hands in her lap. “Yes, I did,” she murmurs quietly. After a minute, she looks up at me. “Why?” she delves, and I nearly crumble at the hurt in her voice.
“Because for the first time in my life, I actually cared what someone thought of me, not my money, not what I could offer them, just me. I wanted someone to want me, and I wanted that someone to be you—”
“I saw those pictures,” she interrupts, insecurity swimming in her eyes. “You told me you weren’t attached.”
“I didn’t lie about that, Aut—I didn’t lie about that. Did I sleep with a lot of those women? Yes, but they meant nothing. All I was interested in was one night and all they were interested in was sex and money. The truth is, I haven’t slept with anyone since I met you. I’ve never done relationships, haven’t wanted to,” I confess. “I’m not even sure I know how to, but I want to try… I want to try to have something with you. Can we start over?” I plead, my eyes reaching out to hers. “Please?”
Each second that passes feels like an eternity, until her hand inches toward mine on the table, the tips of our fingers touching, my world righting itself in this one simple moment.
I extend my free hand. “Hi, I’m Hunter Grayson, filthy rich CEO of Emperon Software.”
A slow smile spreads across her face as she slips her hand in mine, shaking it. “Hi, I’m Olivia Redmond, erotic romance author.”
“Olivia…,” I say it slowly, trying it out on my tongue. “That’s a very pretty name. And you write erotic romance, huh?” I comment, raising a mischievous brow, and she smiles shyly. I embrace her hand, holding it in mine. Her eyes drift down, noticing my tattoo.
She opens her mouth, but it takes her a minute to speak. “You got a tattoo… your brother,” she remarks, astonished.
“Yeah.” I smile. “Rex did it for me.”
“It’s… beautiful,” she says, a shudder surging through me as her thumb traces a path around my wrist.
“I think you’re beautiful,” I whisper against her ear, my lips brushing her cheek. She still smells of peaches and it makes me smile.
She pulls back, her skin a soft shade of pink. “So, Hunter Grayson, my apartment is nearby, do you want to come by and have some coffee, maybe get a tour of the place?”
“I don’t know, we just met. For all I know you could be some kind of serial killer.”
She playfully smacks my shoulder and I chuckle. When she laughs, too, my heart jumps out of my chest. I can’t believe how much I missed her. “Come on.” We ease out of the booth and I follow her outside.
With deft fingers, she unties the leash from the post. “I’d like you to meet Charlie.”
“We’ve already met,” I say, as we start walking down the block.
“Oh?”
“Yes, he wagged his tail the moment he saw me. It was love at first sight… if you believe in that kind of thing.”
She smiles, pulling Charlie alongside her.
“You know… ‘I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,’” I quote, glancing over at her, grinning, watching her lips quirk up into a gleaming smile.
“Yeah.”
Then I weave my fingers through hers and suddenly life is good.
Life is really fucking good.