Page 98 of Tame Me

By the time I entered my apartment, I was already five minutes late; by the time I was dressed in my Memphis disguise and my cute rust-colored shirt-style dress that buttoned all the way up the front, I was twenty minutes late.

Horrible thoughts of Hunter leaving before I got there whizzed through my brain as I rode the painfully slow elevator back to the lobby. I checked my reflection, confirming all traces of Jane were gone. Satisfied, I glided on another layer of lipstick, ensured none of my dark hair escaped from the blonde wig, and tried to calm my beating heart.

The doors opened, and I strode toward the Christmas carols still emanating from the bar. My heart thundered in my chest. At least twenty staff members were still hanging around.

That wasn’t good.

I needed to get Hunter out of there and quick. I spied him immediately. Hunter was a magnet—a hunky sex magnet drawing me in with his stunning physique and handsome features.

He smiled as I approached and stood to greet me. “Hey, Just Memphis.”

I cringed at that name. It felt so, so wrong.

I placed my hands on his hips, feeling the corded muscle beneath my fingers, and angled my face up to him. Our lips met for the briefest of kisses, and I already wanted so much more. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

“That’s okay. I ordered us a glass of wine, but after that, I thought we could go eat somewhere. I’m starving.”

“Perfect.” Even though I’d already devoured a mountain of food during the Christmas party, anything to get us out of the bar was a good plan.

Tania arrived with our two wine glasses, and I pretended to scratch my forehead as I looked away. When she left, I was grateful we were seated at the far end of the bar as it was a fair distance from where Tania, Pete, and the rest of the staff hovered.

“Cheers.” Hunter raised his, and I chinked mine to his.

“Cheers.” I sipped the wine and admired Hunter over the glass. Each time we were together, my feelings for him grew deeper, more complex, yet also more complete. Everything about him was bewitching, and I’d long ago fallen under his magical spell.

My instincts told me Hunter and I were meant to be together. Yet I still found it difficult to believe that a man like Hunter would be interested in a girl like me. But I had to remind myself that it wasn’t me he was interested in . . . it was Memphis.

The very thought just about broke my heart.

My only hope was he’d see past my deceit. I was Memphis. Everything about Memphis came from me. She was me and I was her. Hunter and I had spent so much time together, I prayed he’d understand that.

Tonight, I had to tell him the truth. Whatever the consequences of that admission were, I had to suffer them. I couldn’t go on deceiving him anymore. I just had to wait for the perfect moment.

Hunter drained his glass. “Shall we go eat?”

“Of course.”

He collected a bag from the floor, and I was about to ask him about it when he diverted my attention by flashing his brilliant smile and bending his elbow just like Dan had done with Tracy earlier.

I curled my arm in, and together, we walked from the bar and across the lobby like a couple of lovers would. Once we reached the steps, Hunter took my hand, and we crossed over to the beach side of the grass and walked in the opposite direction to Surfers Paradise.

“What do you feel like for dinner?” he asked.

“I don’t mind.”

“Well . . . I brought a towel with me.” He tapped the bag. “I thought we could grab fish and chips and sit down on the beach.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful.” The moon was barely a sliver on the horizon, and I knew from experience that within half an hour, it would light up my beach beautifully.

As we strolled to the Happy Snapper, our conversation flowed freely. Hunter talked about his business and how well it was going in Queensland, and I told him all about Aunty Ann and the funny things she was known for.

At the fish and chip shop, we ordered our meal. While we waited for it to be cooked, we went a couple of shops down and bought a bottle of wine and two plastic wine glasses. We returned to the Happy Snapper just as they called Hunter’s name.

With him carrying our meal and me carrying the paper bag containing the wine, we strolled along the grass and onto the raised wooden platform that would lead us down onto the beach. I paused where the boardwalk met the sand and stepped out of my stilettos.

“You okay with this?” The concern on Hunter’s face was highlighted in the moonlight.

“Of course.”

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