Hunter stepped in front of me, blocking Trevor from my view. “Get out of my fucking sight.”
“You want to fuck her, fine. Have fun blowing your knees out. And the deal for the rigs for New Year’s is over. And that six-figure deposit—consider it gone.”
Dread sank its claws deep into my chest. No, the concert was so important to Hunter and his business. Why’d I have to freak out? I’d put up with assholes before. I could’ve laughed it off and played dumb. This was a big deal for Hunter. And I’d ruined it for him.
“Leave, now,” Hunter growled with a barely leashed fury.
Somewhere in Trevor’s lizard brain, he must’ve realized how serious Hunter was. His face paled as security took him by the arm and led him away, but he wasn’t done. Trying to jerk free from security and failing, he whipped around and jabbed a furious finger in Hunter’s direction. “Good luck finding someone else within a thousand miles who’ll work with you. I hope you’ve got extra money to get all your gear from Chicago from here on out.”
Confused heads turned in our direction at the shouting drowning out some of the music.
Then Trevor was gone and it was only me and Hunter—and the twenty other people who’d been an audience to what just happened.
Hunter turned to me.
My stomach knotted, and my throat tightened. I didn’t have the words.
Rage reverberated through his body, and he stared at me with his eyes still blazing. “Let’s go.” His voice was harsh and clipped.
I wanted to be anywhere but here. How had things gone so wrong? Tears prickled at the edges of my eyes, and I lifted my chin and blinked to keep them from spilling over.
Hunter turned me and placed his hand on the small of my back, not so much pushing me toward the door, but more forcefully ushering.
Partygoers went back to laughing, dancing, and drinking with glances in our direction, trying to figure out what just happened. I was still in shock, not able to get a handle on it myself. But every step toward the door felt like a trip back to the real world and not the magical place this had been before it turned sour.
I opened my mouth, trying to find the words. “I’m—”
“No,” he bit out.
My lips slammed shut.
A black town car idled by the curb, and he jerked the door open and got me inside without even asking if this was the right car. I slid across the leather seats and pressed my back against the door on my side, not sure who this Hunter was I was dealing with.
I’d fucked up his big deal. I knew how important the New Year’s Eve concert was to him. Over our puzzles, he let me in on all the details and how much time and energy he had put into it. How much it meant to the business.
He had so much riding on it, and I hated that now a crucial part of it was in ruins. This was what I got for leaving the apartment. Why hadn’t he let me stay in my bubble?
The stifling silence smothered the car ride back home. The whole time I kept running through how I’d screwed that up for him, how upset he was and how the whole evening had been ruined.
“I’m—”
Before I could get the sentence out, he cut me off. “Don’t say another word.” It came out as more of a bark than a shout, but I jumped all the same and tilted my head back, staring at the marked roof of the car.
I clammed up and tried not to cry, blinking back my burning tears.
The town car pulled up to the curb in front of the building. Hunter got out. I’d reached for the handle on my side when I saw he held out his hand to help me out.
Scooting across the town car, I took it and stepped out onto the curb beside him.
His nostrils flared, and his body was rigid.
“Head upstairs.”
“You’re not coming in?”
“I need to go for a walk.” He shoved his hands into his pockets turned away from me.
It felt like a gut punch or like someone had shoved their hand into my chest and decided to explore for a bit. “Hunter, I’m sorry.” I hated the pleading tone in my voice. My shoulders rolled forward, and I wrapped my arms around myself.
He leaned his head back, staring up at the night sky.
“I know this is a big deal for you—”
He whipped back around with eyes full of fury. “I swear, if you apologize for him and what happened back there again, I’m going to hunt him down and beat him unconscious.”
I gasped, confusion slamming into me. The November air stung my teeth.
His hands were out of his pockets and he squeezed them in fists in front of his face. “I’m seconds away from rushing back across town and knocking every capped tooth out of his goddamn mouth, and you’re here apologizing to me about it? For what he did?”
“I… It was my fau—”
He stepped closer so quickly I took a stumbling step back. He jammed his fist against his mouth like he was trying to hold back and shook his head, letting out a long, low breath that filled the air with steam.
Some of the tension in his body drained away, and he opened his arms to me.
Hesitantly I stepped forward.
One hand pressed against the center of my back, and the other traced down the side of my face. “This wasn’t your fault. Don’t for one second believe I’ve thought that. I knew he was an asshole. I just never thought he’d put his hands on you like that or say what he said to you. I’m sorry. But never think that I’d put New Year’s Eve or anything else happening in my life above you or let someone treat you like that for a deal. Never.” The words came out forcefully, vehemently. “Tell me you understand.”
I nodded, my throat clogged with emotion.
He wasn’t upset with me. He was upset for me. More than upset. He was raging and ready to beat the crap out of someone for me.
I wasn’t one to condone violence, but I had to lock my knees so I didn’t turn into a puddle at his feet.
“Can I hear you say it?”
Right now he reminded me of Cat. It was good to have someone else in my life who I could count on.
“I understand. Now can we go upstairs?”
The corners of his mouth dipped. “I think I should still probably take a walk.”
Wind whipped past, freeze burning my ears. I wanted him to be with me and didn’t want him beating himself up about this any more than he’d admonished me not to.
“It’s freezing. Come upstairs.”
“I’m a little too amped up still, and after how I’d been thinking about you in this dress all night, I don’t want to…” He tried to pull away.
“You don’t want to what?” I locked my hand onto his, not allowing him to let go, and ducked my head to catch his gaze.
“Ruin tonight by losing my cool.”
I let go of his hand, leaned in, and whispered, “If you losing your cool means tearing this dress off me and having sex on any available surface in the apartment, then I’m letting you know right now, I’m all for you losing every last bit of your cool.” With my palms pressed against his chest, I explored his neck and the shell of his ear with my lips before nipping him.
His hold on me tightened and he shuddered.
If I hadn’t been trying to keep up my cool, brave-girl front, I’d have pumped my hands overhead at his reaction.
Gripping my chin, he traced my bottom lip with his thumb before his lips crashed down onto mine. The chaotic chemistry spilled out onto the pavement. His insistent lips and sweeping tongue danced with mine and drew a gasp from me.