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“We’re out of condoms,” she reminds me.
Okay, so she has a point, but that doesn’t mean I want her to leave. “You don’t believe in cuddling?” I ask, striving to sound teasing and not like a possessive maniac. I reach for her wrist and tug her back to me. “Because I want to wrap you in my arms and hold you ‘til morning.”
“That’s probably not a good idea.”
Dammit, she isn’t going to make this easy. “What’re you so scared of?” I ask, cutting straight to the chase.
“I’m not scared,” she states, pulling her wrist free. “We said this would be a one-night thing.”
“No,yousaid that. I never agreed to any such bullshit. You know why?” I get up on my knees, moving closer. “Because you fucking enthrall me, Hunter. I want to get to know you better, share secrets, give you more orgasms. I want to take you out on a real date when we get back to Denver. Show you around the city and convince you never to leave. Fuck California.”
Her eyes widen. “We barely know each other,” she whispers.
Yeah, so maybe I sound a little crazy. But my head is in the clouds and I’ve never felt so good. I don’t ever want to come down from this high.
“So, let’s change that.”
For a split second, I think I’ve convinced her and she’s going to give in, but then she shakes her head. “I-I can’t.”
“Why not?” Maybe I’m being a little pushy, but I don’t care. I need to make her see reason, see how good we could be together.
“Because this” —she motions back and forth between us— “all ends in a few hours. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. Please.”
Her voice catches and frustration fills me. Why is she so damn scared?
“It doesn’t have to end. Not if we don’t want it to,” I tell her. “Don’t run away from me, Hunter. Stay.Please.”
I’ve never begged a woman to stay in my bed. It’s fucking humbling, and also terrifying because she has that deer-in-headlights look. My stomach twists with the kind of panic I very rarely feel—like when a heist is about to go wrong.
I force myself to smirk, trying to cover my desperation with charm. “What’s the worst that could happen? A couple more orgasms?”
But she doesn’t smile. Just slides off the bed, grabs her clothes and hurriedly starts getting dressed. “I have to go check on the jet soon.”
No. I jump out of bed and stalk over, not caring about being naked and more vulnerable than I’ve ever been in my entire life. She’s about to walk out this door and not look back, and I can’t let that happen. “You’re running,” I accuse her. “I thought you were fearless.”
She swallows, hands curling into fists at her sides.
“Not when it comes to you,” she finally whispers, then whirls around. Before I can figure out what the hell she means, the door swiftly opens and closes.
She’s gone, and all I’m left with are questions.
We had such a perfect night, and somehow, I just screwed everything up by suggesting we keep seeing each other.
What in the actual fuck?
Chapter Fourteen: Hunter
What is wrong with me?
Back in my bedroom, I take a quick shower, needing to wash Knox’s scent off my body. It’s too intoxicating, and I need my head to clear. Once I’m clean, all traces of him gone, I dry off and pull on a pair of jeans, tank top and my bomber jacket.
I need to get out of here because it feels like I’m suffocating.
There’s no point in denying it—panic made me run. Knox is right. I’m a coward.
But right now, I don’t care. I have a job to do, and that’s to get this crew back home. We still have a few hours until take off, but I’m leaving before everyone gets up. Knox and I weren’t exactly quiet last night, and I don’t think I can handle all the knowing looks and smirks.
Since I’d already consulted with Addie about taking one of the SUVs, I grab the keys and haul ass. I can’t get out of here fast enough. Part of me is scared Knox is going to be waiting for me at the front door. And another part of me feels a strange prick of disappointment when he’s not. I remind myself it’s for the best and keep moving forward.