CHAPTER 4
Kylie
I could feel goosebumps up and down my arms. The back of my neck was burning up and I felt like my belly was on fire. I had felt an instant attraction to Hunter that I couldn’t understand. This feeling was like nothing else I’d had before. Not with Tony, or with anyone else before or after him. It felt like I was ready for the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I was pretty sure that these two men could easily see just what I was going through and I was embarrassed by my reaction.
From the instant my eyes landed on this guy, my body had reacted in a way that I had no control over. Hunter was an unmissable presence in the room, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
He was tall, and lean and muscular at the same time. He had a slight stubble with a strong straight jaw and sandy blond hair. His eyes were blue, glacial and dangerous and he had a way of staring at me like he was trying to read my mind. Almost like he could read it quite clearly. He knew just how crazily I wanted him.
I had vowed to stay away from guys like him, especially after Tony. Guys that were covered in tattoos and looked like they were nothing but bad. But here I was again, feeling helplessly attracted to a man with an intricate tattoo sleeve on his right arm. He was in a black cotton t-shirt that stretched over his chiseled abs, and dark jeans. His shoes were heavy-duty and dusty, and I sensed that this was a guy who drove a muscle car or rode a bike. There were so many things similar between him and Tony, and yet there was a world of a difference between them.
Despite the fact that Hunter was staring at me, undressing me with his eyes; I felt no form of aggression from him. I didn’t feel like he wanted to possess me.
I kept my back firmly to him, while I helped his friend, Marco, out of his wheelchair. Hunter was keeping his distance from me too, as though he didn’t want to interfere with my job. I was grateful for that because I was already nervous around him. Especially since I could sense that he was staring at me. He was watching my every move.
I smiled and talked to Marco encouragingly as I helped him place his hands on the bars. Marco’s foot lay limp as he hauled himself up, grunting like a wild animal as he pushed himself to keep balance. I tried to concentrate on my patient. My job was to help Marco get better, not blush every time his friend looked at me. But I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help but glance at Hunter from time to time.
I tried to remind myself to stay calm and focused. I had a son to think of, I had my own well-being to take care of. I had learned my lesson once, which was enough, by daring to be with a man like Hunter. I knew exactly the kind of man I needed, if I had to be with somebody. It would be a kind, gentle man…like an accountant, or a doctor or a school teacher. Someone reliable, someone with a steady income and a permanent job. Someone who wouldn’t keep me awake at night because of his lifestyle. What I absolutely did not need was a man like Hunter, who seemed to be someone who didn’t shy away from a fight. No matter how drop-dead-sexy he might be.
I held on to Marco as he tried to walk. I was speaking to him kindly, trying to encourage him to keep walking, but then I found myself glancing back at Hunter again.
He was standing at a distance, with a brooding, dark expression on his face. He wasn’t really looking at Marco, he was looking at me. Our eyes met and I forced myself to turn away from him. He had seen me blush. He must have seen the lust on my face. I wanted Hunter. I wanted to feel his large hands on my body. I wanted him to lift me up and press his lips to mine. I felt like I was going crazy.
I needed to stop. I needed to concentrate on Marco. I had to maintain a professional air in the room, no matter what my body was telling me. No flirting; I firmly reminded myself. In fact, I didn’t even remember how to flirt. For the past four years, since I met Tony and since I had Carter, I couldn’t even recall the last time I had flirted with someone. But then again, I had never met someone like Hunter before. I had never experienced this desperate need to fling my legs around someone’s waist and draw him to me. I wanted to be kissed. I wanted to be touched.
I glanced at him again before I could stop myself, and just when I was breaking my gaze away from Hunter’s, I heard a groan and then saw Marco crashing to the floor. He growled and I lunged at him, cursing myself under my breath.
I should have been paying attention. I should have been making sure that my patient wasn’t about to fall. I had been trained to watch out for signs for when someone couldn’t push themselves anymore. I was supposed to be a professional for a reason!
“I am so sorry, Marco! Are you hurt?” I was trying to lift him up, but the man was heavy.
“I’m fine,” Marco was grumbling and I could tell that his pride had been wounded. I tried to haul him up again, but it was of no use. Lifting Marco up was beyond my capacity.
I felt Hunter’s arms graze mine just then. He had appeared at my side, expertly lifting Marco up like he was a feather in his hands. He helped Marco sit down with a thump on his wheelchair and I stepped back, feeling embarrassed and angry with myself.
“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have pushed you this hard on your first day,” I said, my voice shaking with apology.
Marco settled himself in his wheelchair and looked up at me. I was expecting rage, which I wouldn’t have blamed him for but instead, there was a wide grin on his face.
“Don’t worry about it Kylie, I know you were distracted by my handsome face,” Marco said and then laughed, while I turned as red as a tomato with embarrassment.
***
“I wouldn’t blame you if you tripped this guy on purpose,” Hunter said to me, and I blushed some more.
“This was my fault entirely. I shouldn’t have pushed him to do this much,” I said and tucked in stray hair behind my ears. I didn’t know what to do with my hands or where to look. The more I stared at Hunter, the weaker I felt and it didn’t seem like he was going to break eye contact with me.
“I’m fine Kylie, these falls are good for me,” Marco spoke up and I smiled apologetically at him.
“Yeah, he needs them as reminders for why he needs to work harder with you,” Hunter said and I felt like I was trapped between the two men. Marco was grinning from where he was sitting and even though Hunter had a casual, joking tone to his voice…he wasn’t exactly smiling. He was doing that thing again where he was trying to read my mind.
“We should just be careful next time,” I said and clapped my hands together, trying to jerk myself back into motion again. “Anyway, why don’t I make my notes and we can come up with a schedule for your therapy sessions?” I said, looking at Marco now, just so that I wouldn’t have to stare into Hunter’s hypnotizing blue eyes.
I walked over to my desk and brought back a ledger which I concentrated on filling up.
“Maybe I should wear a mask the next time, just so that you don’t have to be distracted by my gorgeousness,” Marco joked and I wrote on the ledger as I blushed. We all knew exactly who was distracting me. It wasn’t Marco and he knew it. It was his roundabout way of making it clear to me that he knew there was a spark between his friend and me.
“Yeah, wear a mask, Marco. Nobody needs to see your face,” Hunter spoke up and the two men glared jokingly at each other. I chanced a glance at Hunter again and noticed how sharp his brows and his nose were. He had a face which looked like it deserved to be on the front cover of a glossy magazine. And at the same time, he dressed and carried himself in a manner that was fit for prison. I tried to push those thoughts out of my head.
I had no right to judge him. I was in no position to judge him. Why should I? I had nothing to do with Hunter. He was just a patient’s friend and with any luck, he wouldn’t come for these sessions again, and I wouldn’t have to see him.
“Does tomorrow evening work for you, Marco? Say, four?” I spoke to him, aware the whole time that Hunter was staring at me.
“Four is fine,” Marco said.
“Fine for me too,” Hunter added and I felt like my breath had caught in my throat. I had been hoping against hope that Hunter wouldn’t be able to make it to the next session. That I would be able to get a breather and have a chance to work with Marco in peace. Instead, I had to turn to Hunter and smile.
“You don’t seem to too thrilled to see me again,” Hunter said, in that same deep casual voice of his, which went straight for my soul. He was dripping with raw sexuality, his body looked like a machine built to fuck. I tried to force myself to smile again.
“I am thrilled to be working with Marco again, if that’s what you mean,” I said and Hunter’s brows arched up.
“So, he is right then. You can’t keep your hands off my friend,” Hunter said and crossed his arms over his massive chest. I felt my throat run dry and I gulped. When I threw Marco a look, I caught him grinning. He knew exactly what was going on.
“Are you jealous?” I found myself asking, sensing a certain glimmer in my eyes as I looked at Hunter now. This was the first time that I saw him really smiling. A wide genuine smile which added a sudden boyish charm to his face. Some strands of his dirty blond hair had fallen over his eyes, and I wanted to do nothing more than submit myself to kissing him.
“Yes. I might not bring him back here,” Hunter said and we were staring each other. His blue eyes studied my body, drank in the shape of my breasts, of my hips. He was looking me up and down like he was measuring me for size.
“Don’t worry, Hunter, I’ll be attentive to you too if you want,” I said, surprising myself by the jovial, flirtatious tone that my voice had taken on. It made Hunter smile again.
“I’ll be sure to break a bone before I come back here,” he said and then without waiting for a reaction, he walked over to Marco’s wheelchair and started wheeling him away.
Hunter turned his head to the side once, to look at me while he walked towards the doors of the room. I was sure that they both could hear my heart beating out of my chest.
“Take care of yourself, Kylie,” he said when he pushed open the door, and then they were gone.