Page 21 of Playing My Rivals

I reach his side. “Sorry. My stuff fell out all over the table.”

“Yeah, right.” He grabs my hand and takes me with him as he makes his way to the elevator.

The doors close right as we round the corner. I know that was the elevator Jamison was on, so I relax a little. Hunter presses the up button and eyes me up and down.

“What?” I pull my hand away.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we will discuss it once we get upstairs.” He crosses his arms and his jaw twitches.

If he were wrong, I’d be furious right now. But he’s right, and I’m falling apart in front of him. He can’t find out Jamison told me he wanted something with me.

Hunter will go insane with jealousy. Ever since he told me he loved me and we got back together, he’s been more possessive. That is when he can get away with it.

I try to hide my face and figure out a way out of this mess. The doors slide open. He grabs my hand and practically drags me in.

He knows I hate when he does this, so I heave my arm away. “You know how I feel about you manhandling me, so quit doing it.”

He steps back like I’ve slapped him and it gives me an idea. Our eyes lock together. He’s trying to read me, so I glare. Pissed-off Dori is a lot stronger of an adversary than guilty Dori.

My sudden change in stance confuses him. His gaze bounces around my face. “I wasn’t manhandling you.”

“Anytime you put your hands on me in an aggressive or forceful way, that’s manhandling me. You just did that to get me into the elevator and don’t say you didn’t.”

He pauses for a moment and then presses the up button. We ride the rest of the way up in silence. He’s waiting for me to say something, but I know better than to lead when trying to cover up lies. My parents taught me that and they’re pros.

We get to his apartment and he punches in the code. He pushes the door open so I can go in first. I walk to the table in the foyer and place my purse down, trying to come up with a plan.

He strides behind me and stops when I do. I still don’t know what to say, so I march to the bar and pull out a bottle of sauvignon blanc. He stands with his arms across his chest as he watches me open the wine.

Once I pour myself a glass, I face the shelves. “Do you want scotch or bourbon?”

“Bourbon.” He steps up to the other side of the bar and sits on one of the stools.

When I turn around to pour his drink, I swear there’s a smile hidden beneath his stare. For a second, I relax. Once his drink is made, I slide it across the bar.

As if nothing’s wrong, I purposely relax. I lift my wine and sip, savoring this incredible French delicacy. I lick my lips as it goes down.

His eyes drop to them as he throws back his entire drink. He places it back on the counter and slides it back to me. I take it and pour him some more.

I give it back to him. “Are you going to sit there and get drunk, or are you going to tell me what happened downstairs?”

He sighs heavily, almost like a growl. “Why don’t you start first?”

“I would if I knew what was going on.”

His expression softens. “If I didn’t love you so much, this wouldn’t hurt so much.”

“Hunter.” I round the bar and hurry to him. “Why are you hurting?”

I pull his head into my chest and hold him in my arms. He wraps his around my waist and breathes in deeply.

His body weakens in my embrace. “I know you’re hiding things from me, but I don’t know why.”

Guilt fills to the rim of my heart. “What would I be hiding from you?”

Besides the fact I’ve known Jamison most of my life and he has a thing for me now after years of me having feelings for him.

We’d both be fucked if Hunter found out.

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