Page 9 of Tempting Hunter
Chapter 3
Michaela all but sprinted out of the hotel’s meeting room Thursday afternoon. The last presenter had kept them almost twenty minutes past the four-thirty ending time. She strode down the hall toward the bank of elevators, glad that she’d been able to secure a room at the conference hotel. A few people she’d spoken to had waited too late and were unable to take advantage of the convenience. When the car came, she boarded with the group of people standing there and got off on her floor. Her room, a suite, had a separate living room and a small balcony that provided a distant view of the ocean.
After changing out of her business attire and into a V-neck tee, a pair of crop pants and her sandals, she struck out for a short walk. Santa Monica had a variety of restaurants and shops and her hotel happened to be right in the thick of things, being located near the mall and only a few blocks from the pier. Michaela gravitated to the mall and ended up purchasing a black halter sheath dress, with matching shoes and purse. There was always some bank function or charity event at home and the outfit would work perfectly. On the way out, she stopped by The Cheesecake Factory for Thai lettuce wraps.
Michaela enjoyed her food while sitting on the balcony. For the first time in a long while, she felt herself mentally and physically relax. Even as the evening breeze kicked up and the weather turned cooler, she didn’t want to go inside and disturb the small slice of peace she’d found. Her phone rang, shattering her reverie. She picked it up and saw Hunter’s name on the display.There goes my peace.“Hello.”
“Hey. How’s the conference going?”
She didn’t want him to be nice to her. She wanted him to continue acting like an ass, so she could hate him to her heart’s content. “Boring, but what conference isn’t?”
Hunter’s soft chuckle came through the line. “When I find one, I’ll let you know. What time does it end tomorrow?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to lie and say it went until five, but she could hear her mother’s lecture about telling the truth in her head. “It ended today.”
“Then I’ll pick you up tomorrow at six. We can have dinner and talk.”
Dinner?“I thought we’d just meet in the lobby or something for a few minutes.”
“You do plan to eat dinner tomorrow, correct?”
“Of course.” Michaela just didn’t want to eat with him and recreate an intimacy that she’d rather not have. In the past, she wouldn’t have hesitated. More than likely, she would have suggested they have breakfast, lunch and dinner together, then end the night between silken sheets. Now, she wanted to get in, get the details, and get out. Quick.
“It’s only dinner, Michaela. Nothing more. I know of a place in Santa Monica, and if at any time you want to leave, we can.”
Stop. Being. So. Nice.She wanted to scream at him. Taking measured breaths, she focused on the fading sunlight and thought about his offer. She did have to eat, she reasoned. “Okay. I’ll meet you in the lobby at six.” The gentleman in him would want to pick her up and bring her back to her room, but she didn’t want him anywhere near her room. “See you tomorrow.” She ended the call without waiting for his reply. “I’m doing this for Mr. Prescott,” Michaela had to keep reminding herself.
She stayed outside until the cold forced her inside. After channel surfing and not finding anything, she took out her coloring book and colored pencils. Her preference would have been painting, but she hadn’t felt like lugging all her supplies across the country and paying the extra baggage fees.
Michaela must have fallen asleep while coloring because when she woke up, she still had a pencil hanging from her hand and she was fully dressed. She struggled to a sitting position and glanced over at the clock. Rubbing her eyes, she checked the time again. “That can’t be right,” she mumbled. She picked up her phone and gasped. She’d slept until eleven o’clock the next morning. It dawned her that she didn’t have anywhere to be, so she laid there a while longer. Admittedly, she felt more rested. A low rumbling began in her belly. What she wouldn’t do for a blueberry muffin. But she’d eaten them the first two days in LA.
Not wanting to go out somewhere for food, she got up and searched for the room service menu. After finding it and making her selections, she called it in, then headed for the shower. The food was delivered a few minutes after she finished. Michaela had taken to eating on the balcony every day and carried the tray out to the small table. If she had this view at home, she’d never get anything done because she’d sit here for long periods at a time thinking.
The hours seemed to fly by and the closer it got to the time Hunter was scheduled to pick her up, the more nervous she became. She hadn’t even asked him for the type of restaurant. But she knew him and figured it wouldn’t be the casual jeans and T-shirt spot. Thankfully, she’d brought a couple extra outfits just in case and chose the black pantsuit with her cream colored camisole. She let her hair hang straight around her shoulders and applied eye liner and lipstick. Taking one last look in the mirror, she stuck her room key in her purse and headed downstairs.
Michaela saw Hunter the moment she stepped off the elevator. He stood at her approach and she noticed he didn’t have the cane. And he was wearing all black. One of her most favorite colors on him, not that he didn’t look good in anything he wore. With his towering height, smooth dark caramel skin, hair cut low, beard the same, and downright fine self, more than a few women had turned to check him out. And she was no exception. The man had always, always been temptation personified. She wanted to stomp her feet and demand he turn himself into a frog covered in warts.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thanks. No cane?”
“It’s in the car.” Hunter placed his hand in the small of Michaela’s back and led her out to the silver Audi parked in front of the door. “I need to go back to my place to pick up the folder first. Something came up at the office and I had to go in, but I didn’t want to be late picking you up.”
“That’s fine.” She never had to worry about him being late to anything because he believed in being on time. She’d also wondered about where he had been staying, so in her mind, they’d be killing two birds with one stone, as the saying went. When he mentioned her being only a few miles from him, he meant it. The upscale neighborhood boasted of stately homes on a slight hill with magnificent views of the ocean.So, this is where you’ve been hiding.The beautiful stone design of his two-story home located a block from the ocean captivated her immediately.
He parked in the semi-circular driveway, came around to help her out of the car and escorted her through the front door. “I’ll be back in a second. Feel free to look around.”
Michaela didn’t even know where to begin. Walnut floors, a soaring beamed ceiling and exquisite finishes made for a magnificent structure. The living room, dining room and kitchen all had views of the ocean. How long had he lived here and had he been here alone the entire time? He’d said she could look around, however, Michaela was afraid she’d find some sign that another woman had lived there. What they’d shared was over, so it shouldn’t bother her, but for reasons she refused to examine, it did.
“Ready?”
She spun around. “Yes. Your home is beautiful. And you’ve lived here the entire time, you said?”
The seconds ticked off before he answered. “Thanks, and yes.” Hunter gestured her toward the door.
On the drive back, she didn’t say much. She stared out at the passing scenery as her mind raced with all sort of scenarios of why he’d moved all the way to California.
True to his word, the restaurant was only five minutes away from her hotel. Infuse Rhythm Lounge turned out to be a nice place that had a large bar in the rear and strategically placed tables and booths around a decent sized stage. The hostess led them to a center table, not too far from the stage. “They have music here?”