Page 35 of Crossed Wires: The Complete Series

Dashing out into the hallway, she ran straight into Hunter.

Her face must have betrayed her fear. “Annie. What’s wrong?”

“Spider. In there,” she gasped. “You have to kill it.”

She’d expected him to rush to her rescue, but instead, an amused grin covered his face. “What kind of spider?”

She scowled. “A fucking big-ass spider! Go find it and kill it.”

Hunter rubbed his face but the movement didn’t fool her. He was trying to hide the fact he was laughing.

“Hunter. I can’t sleep in there until I know that thing is dead. What if it crept under the sheets?” She shivered at the thought and realized regardless of the spider’s imminent death, she was facing a few rough nights, imagining bugs crawling all over her. She hated spiders.

Her complaint didn’t trigger the same disgust in Hunter. Instead, the twinkle in his eyes faded and morphed into something much more thrilling as his gaze drifted lower, studying her dripping hair and body. “I have a better idea.”

He didn’t bother to explain. He didn’t need to when he grasped her hand and led her to his bedroom. “I think you should start spending your nights—and even some of your days—inmybed.”

Her heart slammed into her throat. He couldn’t possibly be offering the invitation she was hoping for. Could he? “And where will you be?”

“Beside you. The only thing crawling over your body tonight is going to be me.”

“But I thought?—”

“I spoke to Dylan on the phone. Explained things.”

Annie narrowed her eyes, confused. “I see. So why don’t you explain some of thosethingsto me too.”

Hunter pulled her into his room and shut the door. He pressed her against it, his body so close, the chill she’d felt since leaving the shower disappeared completely.

“You may have come here for Dylan, Annie, but if you leave, it’ll be asmygirl.”

Too many words resonated in her brain.

If you leave.

My girl.

She wasn’t sure how to respond, but it didn’t matter. Hunter clearly wasn’t expecting an answer.

He backed off, his gaze dropping to the towel she was still clutching around her. “You’re wet.”

She nodded stupidly, afraid to speak, to break the spell. Hunter wanted her. His reservations had disappeared, replaced by sheer, unadulterated lust…and need.

He lightly pulled her hands away from the towel where she held it in place, then gripped the cotton and dragged it from her body.

She forgot to breathe as the soft material stroked her damp skin in its retreat. Then Hunter had the towel hanging loose in his grip as she stood naked before him. He’d seen her in various states of undress over the past few days, but never like this, never totally nude in a well-lit room, standing in front of him. Her nakedness was made more thrilling by the fact he was still fully dressed.

She was on fire. How could he make her feel this way so quickly?

“You’re stunning,” he whispered.

She felt the flush creep to her cheeks, but it wasn’t humiliation fueling the fire. It was nothing short of all-out, balls-to-the-wall need. “I want you. So badly.”

His gaze snapped to hers as she spoke. “Jesus, Annie. I want to do this right, but I think I could come just from looking at you.”

She smiled. “Seems to me like we have all day…and night.”

Hunter growled. An honest-to-God growl. Her body responded as if she were a bitch in heat. Her nipples pebbled and her pussy grew even wetter. “Everynight. Every night you’re here, I want you in my bed.”