Page 34 of Something Borrowed, Something You

I still couldn’t believe Hunter was in New York, much less sitting at the head of my mother’s dining room table. Everyone’s hands were joined and our heads bowed to say grace, which gave me the perfect opportunity to stare at him without being caught. God, he was so damn handsome. Dangerously so. As my mother prayed to the Holy Mother Mary, I found myself thinking what it would be like to be underneath this man. Bella would spend a week in church praying for my soul if she knew the thoughts I was thinking during her prayer.

I bet he fucked hard and was attentive in bed. Unconsciously, my tongue ran along my bottom lip as a thousand dirty thoughts flooded my mind. Of course, Hunter picked that moment to open his eyes and glance up at me. A boyish grin crossed his face as our eyes locked. God, my stomach fluttered like a teenage girl’s.

I forced my eyes back shut for the rest of grace, which wasn’t an easy task. Just like the first time we were together, I found myself amazed that a man had such a visceral effect on me—a lot like things had been at first with Garrett. That thought was better than a cold shower. At least my ex-husband was still good for something.

It took less than two minutes after prayer for the Rossi women to start the inquisition. Hunter had no idea what he was in for sitting at a table of seven Rossi women and one teenage girl with an attitude.

“So, Hunter, how did you and my sister meet?” Alegra asked.

“At Derek and Anna’s wedding.”

My mother chimed in. “Hunter caught the garter, and Nat caught the bouquet. Isn’t that romantic?”

A roomful of awws ensued.

Mom added, “Hunter has a degree in architecture. He’s in commercial building.” It sounded like Mom and Hunter had spent a lot of time on the phone. Of course, my mother probably thought he was ready to give her grandchildren next week. She’d invite Jeffrey Dahmer to dinner if it meant I got married again and popped out a baby. Little did she know, Hunter Delucia only wanted to defile her daughter.

“It sounds very romantic.” Did my sister Alegra just bat her eyelashes and swoon?

Izzy looked at me. “You’re dating that guy?”

“No.”

“Because don’t you have a date with that dweeb Marcus this week?”

Thanks for keeping my secrets there, kid. “Um… Yes. But like I said, Hunter and I aren’t dating. We’re just friends.”

Hunter smiled at Izzy and winked. “Friends who sometimes kiss.”

My eyes went wide. Izzy seemed to find the situation amusing. I put down my napkin and stood. “Hunter, can I speak to you in the kitchen for a moment?”

He looked to my mother before standing. “Please excuse me for a minute, Bella.”

I heard Izzy say, “She probably wants to kiss him again,” right before the dining room broke out in laughter.

My hands went to my hips as Hunter shut the kitchen door behind him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He feigned innocence. “Having dinner. Getting to know your family.”

“You just told them we kiss sometimes!”

He leaned against the kitchen island and folded his arms across his chest. “We do.”

“First of all, it’s inappropriate. Izzy is not even sixteen yet. And it’s none of my family’s business. And secondly, it was only twice, and the first time I was drunk, so that doesn’t count.”

“It was five times, and I’m counting the time you were drunk. By the way, that time, you kissed me.”

“Five? It wasn’t five times. And I seriously doubt I initiated the kiss. You’re just making that up because you know I don’t remember it well.”

“Five times.” He held up a finger. “One—the night of the wedding.” A second finger came up. “After the wedding—the next morning against the hotel door.” A third finger came up. “At my house—started at the window, ended on the bed.” The fourth finger rose. “In the elevator, when I said good night to you like the gentleman I’m not.”

Okay, so maybe I had forgotten about the house. Damn. That was a good kiss. “Fine,” I snapped. “But that’s four and not five.”

The devilish look on Hunter’s face made my knees weak. He closed the gap between us faster than I could come to my senses.

“Kiss me,” he said gruffly.

He didn’t wait for a response before crushing his lips to mine. God, can this man kiss. It was slow, confident, and had the perfect amount of aggressiveness that made me want to claw at his skin.

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