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Stace’s face fell. “Shit, Hunter. That’s kind of bleak.”

“Not all of us grew up with loving parents, Stace,” I snapped.

She set her hands on my shoulders and pushed me into the room. “I know that. Now go get in bed.”

This was ridiculous. There was no way I was doing what she said.

Chapter Twelve

Stace

This wasn’t what I had planned when I came over. I hadn’t exactly had a plan when I decided to hop in my car with Buck and go to see her. Her voice had just been so sad that I couldn’t hang up and let it go.

The tucking her into bed thing came to me spur of the moment too, but it felt right.

I left Hunter to get her pajamas on when I went to her kitchen. Her place was so nice I was scared to touch anything. I knew she had money, but now that I was here, I knew for sure.

The kitchen was immaculate. Not a single crumb to be found. She hadn’t had enough time to clean this well before I got here, so I bet it was just like this all the time. What the hell had she thought of my place? I was a slob in comparison.

Putting those thoughts aside, I went through her cabinets and found her tea stash, as well as her mugs. Her fridge was like something I’d seen from an influencer who did lifestyle content. The organization was next level.

“Jesus, Hunter,” I said to myself as the kettle whistled and I tried to find something that resembled a bedtime snack. I found some fancy crackers and almond butter, so I put together some little sandwiches along with her tea. I picked a chamomile blend. If she’d had hot chocolate I would have made that for her. I’d bring some with me next time. Every year for Christmas my mom got me a huge supply of this expensive hot chocolate mix that I could share with her.

Hunter’s door was closed when I approached the bedroom again with the tea and crackers and a book I’d pulled off her bookshelf. I’d thought about a newer romance novel, but that would be a bad idea, so I found a classic instead. It was still romantic, but there were no sex scenes or descriptions of heaving breasts or anything so it seemed safer. Less likely to cause lust.

“Hunter?” I asked, knocking softly.

“Yeah?” She was definitely still irritated and had a scowl on her face when I walked in, but she was in bed and wearing a soft-looking tank and no bra.

No bra and her blanket wasn’t covering her chest. Maybe lust was going to be a problem, at least for me.

“Look at you all tucked in,” I said, refusing to let myself stare at her nipples.

I passed her the tea and the plate and found a chair to pull over next to the bed. Her room was decorated in soft blues and yellows and tans. It was a gentle and floral space, more so than the rest of the apartment. This was a pretty space for a princess. Her bed was made of white iron that twisted in vines to form the headboard and footboard. Definitely a bed for royalty.

The chair was upholstered and comfortable as I settled in and then realized that poor Buck was probably lonely.

“Buck! Come here, boy.”

He skidded on the floor in his haste to get to the bedroom.

“Is it okay if he gets on the bed?” I asked Hunter, considering that this was her room.

“Oh, I guess?” she said.

There was a blanket folded over the foot of the bed and I spread it out and commanded Buck to lay on it. He settled right down and stared at me, his tail wagging as if he was ready for a story too.

“This is ridiculous,” Hunter said, holding her tea.

“Why?” I asked.

She raised her eyebrows. “Because I’m not a child?”

“I know you’re not a child. I just wanted to do something nice for you. Isn’t this nice?” I asked.

Hunter let out a breath. “If I say it isn’t then I sound like an asshole. I don’t need you to do any of this, Stace.”

She kept saying that. That I didn’t have to do anything for her. What she didn’t get yet was that I wanted to. I liked doing it and she deserved it.