Chapter Ten
Hunter took a step back, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. “What?”
Lila climbed off the bed and stood in front of him, tilting her head back to stare at him directly in the face. One of the main reasons she’d avoided looking at him for so long was because she knew she’d be forced to throw out her preconceived notions about this man. In her mind, Lila had wanted him to remain a tyrant—not a man who hurt and experienced emotions like anyone else. Now that she’d seen this side of him, she could no longer treat him with the indifference she’d set out to do.
Hunter flinched at her boldness. Inwardly, she chided herself for having behaved so cowardly. In a way, she was glad he’d forced her to take a good look at his face in full, scars and all, because it gave her a glimpse into his tortured soul. She could no longer ignore his anguish, the pain lurking deep within him. There was something inside of him which touched her in a way she didn’t think possible. A connection was made she couldn’t quite put her finger on, but it was there nonetheless.
It had probably been there all along, but she’d been so hell bent on fighting it. Now there was nothing left but to deal with these feelings brewing inside of her. Did he feel the bond between them or was it only one-sided on her end? Perhaps the question she should have asked herself is, was she insane? This man was supposed to be her enemy. There should be no tender emotions toward him. Yet there were. By no means did she think it was love, but it was something nonetheless.
Lila would be with him for the next three months and she might as well stop fighting Hunter every step of the way. From now on, if there was to be any conflict between them, it wouldn’t originate from her. She placed her hand against his chest. “I said I would rather stay here with you.”
His gaze roamed her face. He was probably trying to figure out whether she was serious. Abruptly, Hunter turned his back on her. “I don’t want your fucking pity.”
She pushed away the urge to match his anger. Breaking the barrier he’d erected between them wouldn’t be easy. Besides Lila realized he’d be suspicious of her motives. Since she’d come to his home she’d told him in not so many words of the contempt she felt toward him. Of course he’d question the sincerity of her change of heart. There had to be some way she could reach him. “That’s good because you won’t be getting any from me.”
He snorted. “Then why the sudden about face?”
“Could you please turn around and look at me while I’m speaking to you?” The irony of her words wasn’t lost on Lila.
“Why? Haven’t you had your fill of me already? Do you want to stare at the freak some more?”
The man had more barriers than Fort Knox. She circled him until they were facing each other again. “You probably don’t want to hear it, but I’m sorry for how I acted. I mean, yes I was resentful about being here, but it has nothing to do with how you look.”
He rolled his eyes in his apparent disbelief. “Go ahead and pull the other one.” Hunter turned his head to show off his scars.
Lila suspected he did that to deliberately put her off, but she wouldn’t let him. Not anymore. For some reason it had become important to her convince him he wasn’t the monster he believed himself to be.
She could tell Hunter was still determined to call her bluff. There was only one thing she could do. Capturing his face between her palms, Lila stood on her tip toes and kissed his lips.
Hunter stiffened, remaining immobile as she moved her mouth over his. She ran her tongue along the seam of his lips before pushing it past his teeth to fully explore the cavern of his mouth. His taste was so wonderfully male, she deepened the kiss. She’d never been so forward with any man before and she found the experience of taking the lead titillating.
With a groan, Hunter wrapped his arms around Lila, giving in to her insistent kiss. His tongue met hers in an erotic dance. He ground his lips over hers as if he was afraid to let her go.
Lila pressed her body against his, twining her fingers through his loose blond locks. Heat surged through her and she wanted him all over again, but this time it would be different. She’d let her defenses down.
He was no longer the man she’d grown to dislike. Hunter Jamison was simply a man and she was a woman; two people who were in desperate need of a little compassion and loving. She was the one who finally broke the tight seal of their lips, but only to catch her breath.
Then, she kissed his jaw line on his scarred side.
“Lila,” he growled softly.
“Shut up, Hunter. I’m in charge now,” she shot back before touching her tongue to where her lips had been. Lila refused to let him deter her from what she intended to do. Running her hands over his hair-roughened chest, she slid her fingers down until they encountered his cock.
He was rock hard.
“Lila, I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing…”
“This is no game.” She moved down the length of his toned torso to his ripped abs and then went to her knees. Wrapping her fingers around his thick rod, she touched the velvety smooth hood with her lips. With her free hand, she cupped his throbbing balls and fondled them lightly. “Do you like this, Hunter?”
He inhaled sharply. “You know I do,” he groaned.
She glided her lips along his cock and sucked him into her mouth, one delicious inch at a time, not stopping until its tip touched the back of her throat. As she bobbed her head back and forth, Lila continued to squeeze and play with his tense sack.
Hunter moaned out loud, placing his hands on either side of his head. “What are you doing to me, woman?”
She pulled back, releasing his cock with a decisive, wet pop and looked up at him. “Making you feel good, I hope.”
The hunger in his gaze told her that was exactly what she was doing. His heavy breathing was all the confirmation she needed. Lila licked his rod along the side before taking it back into her mouth.
Giving him pleasure filled her with a blistering heat that surprised her. She hadn’t expected to feel this way. Her pussy was on fire. Needing to ease some of the ache burning between her legs, she released his balls, and speared her pussy with two fingers, working them inside her channel in cadence with her mouth moving over his cock. Her movements grew frenzied as the intensity of her arousal increased. She sucked him harder, fingering herself deeper.
Hunter’s grip on her head grew firmer as he guided it along his dick. “Lila, I’m going to come.” He tried to pull away, but she wouldn’t let him. “Lila!” he yelled hoarsely.
His seed filled her mouth and she attempted to swallow as much of his essence as she could. She was so close to her own orgasm, she shoved another finger into her passage, stretching it until an explosion ripped through her body.
He reached down and hauled her against his body, then crushed her mouth beneath his. His kiss was hard and hungry. She didn’t notice they’d moved until she realized Hunter was laying her on the bed.
She eyed his erect cock in amazement. “You’re ready for me again?”
Covering her body with his, he slid easily into her wet hole. “Did you think after that I could leave you alone?” His gaze roamed her face with tenderness lurking within its depths.
Something twisted inside her heart as he began to move inside of her. “Come here,” she whispered.
He pressed his body into hers and she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. This time their coming together transcended fucking and mere sex. It was something different entirely, as though their souls were coming together. He was so gentle, Lila felt like crying all over again, but not from anger, pain or shame, but because of the deep connection she felt with him in this beautiful moment.
Lifting her hips to meet him thrust for thrust, she moved and strained against his body. Her nails grazed the back of his neck. When Lila came yet again her climax gave her peace. A wave of contentment flowed over her.
Hunter pushed in and out of her for several more strokes before reaching his climax. Resting his forehead on hers, his breath mingled with hers. “That was amazing. You were amazing,” he whispered.
A smile tugged the corners of her mouth, exhaustion making it difficult for her to reply verbally. Hunter was heavy, but she welcomed the pressure of his weight, pressing her into the bed. It felt right for some reason.
He was the one to break the silence, lifting his head with wonder in his eyes. “Why?”
She brushed the side of his face with the back of her hand. “Why not?”
He captured her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Don’t.”
“I thought you enjoyed my touch.”
His expression grew stormy, his bright green eyes turning a deep jade. Hunter rolled off her and sat up, shaking his head which made his hair fall into the style he usually wore it. “I told you I didn’t want your pity.”
Lila joined him in a sitting position, wrapping the comforter around her body. She’d need to be patient with him if she wanted to break through the wall he’d erected around himself. “Hunter, after what just happened, do you honestly think what I did was out of pity?”
He raised his shoulders in a shrug. “I don’t know what to make of what you did. One minute you can’t look at me, and then the next you can’t stop. What am I supposed to believe?”
If she was to gain his trust, Lila knew she’d have to be honest with him. “You’ll probably think I’m silly, but the reason why I never looked at you was because I didn’t want to think of you as a real person. As nutty as this sounds, in my mind, I had you built up as some monster who was trying to destroy everything I held dear. And before you get defensive, I’m not referring to your face. I hated you, or at least I thought so before I learned of your accident.”
“Because of your father’s store?”
“Exactly. Deep down, I always knew what your company was doing isn’t something new, or anything another property developer in your position wouldn’t have done, but Ramsey’s was going after something I loved and the stress was damaging my father’s health. If it weren’t you, my anger would have been directed to whoever was in charge, but I had to fight. Maybe you’re right about one thing. I probably do have a do-gooder complex. In my wild imaginings, my father and I were the victims and you were the villain.”
“I see, but that still doesn’t quite explain everything.”
She placed a hand on his arm. “Please let me finish.”
“Okay, but I still don’t understand.”
‘“I guess I’m not explaining myself very well. Basically, when we received that last letter from your company, I thought you were a completely reprehensible man to do something so underhanded. It gave me this preconceived notion of what you were like. Coupled with all the stories of your playboy lifestyle, I even began to believe you deserved what happened to you.”
Hunter flinched at her statement. “Perhaps I did. A lot of my business associates and women I’ve dated would probably agree with you.”
“But I was wrong. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m still willing to fight tooth and nail for my father’s business. I just believe my way of thinking was a bit overboard. When I stormed into your office that day, I wasn’t really prepared to see your scars, but when I did, they made me angry, they humanized you, gave you a vulnerability I didn’t want to associate with you. I saw your pain and then I knew if I kept looking at you I wouldn’t be able to hate you as I had before. I couldn’t compartmentalize you into a neat little body. Knowing this, I tried not to look at you because I was afraid of caring about you. And before you ask, I fainted because I hadn’t eaten all day.”
Hunter furrowed his brows. “Are you saying you care about me?”
“No. I’m saying I could, and that’s what I was fighting so hard against.”
She brushed the hair on his face aside and touched his scars, wanting him to know she wasn’t frightened of him. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore, Hunter. I’d like us to be friends.”
His mouth slanted into a half smile. “Are you by any chance trying to wiggle your way out of sleeping with me?”
She laughed. “I don’t think that would happen even if I tried.”
“Damn right it wouldn’t.”
“I don’t want to stop.” Heat rushed to her cheeks and Lila felt shy all of a sudden.
“Lila if you’re messing with me…”
“I’m not. I’d like us to be friends. Since I’m going to be here, we might as well try getting along outside of bed as well. Is this something you’d be agreeable to?”
Hunter stroked his chin. “I’ve never had any female friends before.”
“Maybe that’s why your relationships didn’t work in the past. Women are more than playthings and so am I. Look, I know our arrangement isn’t conventional, but we might as well make the most of the situation.”
“Ok. Why not? Do you really not care about the way I look?”
“Your scars take some getting used to, but they don’t define the person you are. I’m a nurse and trust me, I’ve seen a lot worse. I once had a patient who’d been a victim of a gunshot wound to the face. I won’t bother getting graphic about it, but I’ll always remember that kid. He was only sixteen when it had happened, but he was always upbeat and positive. It makes one appreciate their own life. When you think you have it bad, remember, someone always has it much worse.”
“When put like that, you probably think I’m a shallow son of a bitch.”
“A little.”
He scowled. “Your honesty is going to take some getting used to.”
“Friends are honest with each other.”
Hunter’s gaze roamed her face for several moments before he replied. “You’re really trying to push this friendship thing aren’t you? I’m surprised you’d want to tangle with the Beast?”
“I wouldn’t call you that, although I’m still annoyed about the city council getting involved.”
Hunter exhaled deeply. “Honestly, that was the work of an over-enthusiastic executive who thought he could score some points that way. It’s not normally how I do business.”
“But you taunted me about it when I confronted you.”
“And I’m sorry for it. My day wasn’t going well, and I’d only just learned what that executive had done.”
“Would you have really gone through with it?”
“To be truthful, Lila, I don’t know how I would have dealt with the situation and now neither of us ever will because you chose that very day to storm into my office. But I will say it’s not a tactic I’ve ever used before. In most cases, Ramsey’s usually builds in abandoned areas or on vacant land.”
“But not this time.”
“No. But as we were planning, we tried to find an area which would displace the least amount of people. I can’t apologize for that.”
Lila appreciated his honesty, but it was still a sore topic for her so she decided to change the subject. “How did you get such an awful nickname anyway?”
“When I took over Ramsey’s, I felt I had a lot to prove because most of the employees felt I didn’t deserve my position.”
“Why not?”
“One of my stepfathers took me under his wing. At times, I was probably more aggressive than I should have been, but my business decisions often got positive results for the company, hence the nickname.”
“Ah, your stepfather used to run this business.” She at least understood how he’d come to work for the company he now ran.
“Yes. Ben had no children of his own and he was pleased when I wanted to learn the business.”
“You said stepfathers in the plural.”
“Yes, I’ve had a few growing up, but I’m sure you don’t want to hear my life story.”
“I wouldn’t mind. It would give me some insight into the man himself, and maybe I’ll understand this chip on your shoulder in regard to women.”
“I don’t have a—”
“Yes you do, and it’s the size of a boulder. Spill it.”
“Are you sure I won’t bore you to death?”
She winked at him. “As long as you resuscitate me if I show any signs of dying, I think I’ll be okay.”
“If nothing else can be said about you, you’re definitely a persistent lady, Lila.”
“So they tell me. Now stop stalling.”
“Truthfully, there’s really not much to tell. I had a pretty average childhood until my father died when I was ten.”
“I’m sorry. I only had my dad growing up, so I know what it’s like to only have one parent.”
“You, at least, had the advantage of being close to your father. I’m sure Mom cared about me as best she could, but she wasn’t the most maternal of women. She wasn’t the kind of woman who liked to be alone. She remarried within three months of my dad’s heart attack. She was—is—an attractive woman and has never been short on male attention. I guess I grew a bit resentful at how quickly she was able to move on while I was still grieving.”
“Do you think that’s where your mistrust of women began?”
“I won’t say I mistrust women entirely. In my experience, unfortunately the ones I’ve had dealings with were more interested in what a man could give them rather than the other way around.”
“We’re not all like that. I’m not.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“Hmm.” He neither agreed or disagreed.
Lila silently counted to five before she spoke again. She had to remember it would take time for him to get over his hang-ups. “What happened when your mother remarried?”
“My first stepfather wasn’t a bad guy. Ben was as good to me as any man who’d had a ten year old stepson suddenly thrust upon him. He’d even offered me the Ramsey name. I refused out of respect for my father though. I was just starting to get used to the arrangement when Mom decided she couldn’t handle what she called his workaholic attitude. I was fourteen then.”
“That’s a shame.”
“It was upsetting, but Ben and I kept in contact in the following years. Stepfather number two was a widower with a daughter. He resented the hell out of my presence and made no secret of it. Being a self-made man who’d come from nothing he liked to throw his money around, making sure everyone knew how much he shelled out for everything. Ted made sure I realized I was in his house because of his largesse. I hated him for constantly putting me down but I started to despise my mother even more for letting him. In retrospect, I didn’t exactly demonstrate model behavior.”
“But you were a teenager, he was a grown man.”
Hunter’s lip quirked briefly. “You’re very generous.”
“I’m just calling it like I see it. Did you get along with your stepsister at least?”
“Karen didn’t make matters easier for me.”
“She teased you?”
“In the worst way a girl could do to any hot-blooded teenage boy. She loved to show off her body, flashing me when no one was looking, and touching my knee and rubbing my crotch under the dinner table.”
Lila gasped. “How old was this girl?”
“Seventeen and very developed. I didn’t stand a chance. I don’t think I have to tell you what happened next. She came on to me and I took what she offered. Unlucky for us, or me rather, we were caught. Ted gave me an ass kicking I’ll never forget for taking advantage of his innocent angel.” He snorted. “She wasn’t a virgin when I had her, but she was always so well behaved around him.”
“But she was older than you—knew better. Surely he could see she was just as responsible.
“Karen could do no wrong in Ted’s eyes. Hell, she even turned on the waterworks and said I’d forced her. That earned me another pummeling, although I did get some nice shots in myself. Anyway, I was sent to boarding school after that incident because he refused to have me under his roof anymore. Mom stood back and said nothing as usual.”
“You can’t hold women responsible for what your mother and some girl did to you. Whatever happened to them by the way?”
“Last I heard, Ted made some bad business deals and went bankrupt. I hear Karen got knocked up from some soldier who abandoned her. I believe she’s married to a pastor and they have six or seven children. Ted lives on their charity which is a fitting end to him. I hear they’re both miserable according to my mother.”
“Do you have a relationship with your mother?”
“Not really. I hear from her occasionally when she remembers she has a son. She’s currently married to a guy who owns a couple of car dealerships. They travel a lot. The last time I saw her was shortly after my accident. She took one look at my face and cried. She made small talk and then pretended she had somewhere else to be. Sometimes she sends a postcard from wherever she. She calls on my birthday. That’s about all the contact with have.”
“Well I guess it’s something that she remembers your birthday.”
He shrugged. “I suppose.”
“Don’t judge all the women based on those bad experiences.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t but I haven’t seen any shining examples of female virtue. After I took over Ramsey’s for Ben and made it what it is today, all the attention from the women went to my head. In my mind, I was getting a little of my own back for past hurts. I didn’t give a lot of them a proper chance to find out who was using me and who genuinely liked me. They were all the same to me. My earlier experiences hardened me against the fairer sex. I suppose my accident didn’t help matters. Until tonight, I didn’t realize how bitter and angry I’d become at people, the world and myself.” He took her hand in his. “I don’t want to be this way anymore. I want to heal. Teach me how, Lila.”
Her heart went out to him. Hunter’s impassioned plea touched a part of her she didn’t believe he was capable of. Her response was to lean over and offer her lips him.
With a groan, Hunter lowered his head to accept. For the first time since her arrival, Lila didn’t feel homesick.