Page 22 of Playing My Rivals

Hunter hugs me like he’ll fall if I let him go. “I don’t know, Dorothy, but I know I’m right.”

His pain seeps into me and my heart aches. Shame slams against my chest as I close my eyes. After a minute, he releases me.

“I don’t know what else I can do to make you love me.” He stands and retreats to the sofa. He sits, bends over his legs, and rubs his temples.

I sink next to him and run my hand over his back. “Where is this coming from?”

“You know where.”

“I don’t, so help me understand. Let’s talk about it so I can work on it.”

“Nothing adds up anymore.” Hunter swallows and studies me.

There’s so much uncertainty coming off of him.

I feel terrible, but I’ll only make it worse if I come clean about Jami. “What does that mean?”

“Last night, you left me to go out with two guys you say you haven’t been out with in a while. But then you changed your story and said you went out when we were broken up and I was out of town.

“We got back together that Sunday. I asked you point-blank what you did that week while I was away. You told me you sat at home and cried while you ate too much ice cream.”

Shit.

He can’t find out I was with Zengi and Grant when he was with Jami at the club. Then Hunter will figure everything out, I’ll lose him and my job, and Jami’s contract will end. I can’t let him find out.

I move closer, trying to stop this from escalating. “Well, I changed my story because I remembered we went out one night for a quick drink. It wasn’t for long, nor did it mean anything to me, so it just got jumbled up in my memory when that happened. They mean nothing to me, so stop worrying about them.”

His brows crease. “It’s not just that. Anytime something comes up that I question, you start acting very peculiar.”

“How so?” Anxiety shoots up my spine. I swallow hard and steady myself.

“Well, there’s the thing with the two guys. Then there’s the thing that happened between you and Jamison on the elevator, and the last thing is your locket.” He eyes it and frowns.

“I explained the two guys. You have nothing to be worried about with them. We’ve already been around and around about the elevator incident. I told you and my answer will never change.

“I freaked out because we were making out in public, and when the doors opened, someone from work was staring at us. It was enough to give me a heart attack. I don’t understand why it’s so hard for you to see that I’m risking everything to be with you.”

“I do see that, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to Jamison and you.”

“I would never cheat on you, Hunter, so don’t even go there.” I stand and retreat to the bar area.

Could my time with Jamison be considered cheating?

Jami kissed me like I was finally his and I was too eager to sink into him. My decency collapses into my soul. But Hunter and I were broken up. Ugh, this is hard.

Hunter gets up and follows me. “I didn’t say you would cheat on me, but something feels off and I can’t put my finger on it.”

I sit on a stool, rest my arms on the counter, and hide my face, pressing my forehead against the cool surface. He stands next to me and I swear I can feel the heat coming off him.

“Why do we still have to use condoms?” he asks.

Not this again.

I hold in a scream.

I lift my head, huff a heavy breath, and glare at him. “Is that what this whole thing is about? You want to fuck me bareback. And because I won’t, you think I’m cheating on you with Jamison. That’s rich, Hunter.”

“That’s not what I said, but I don’t get it. You’re on the pill, so why? Help me understand because saying you want to make sure you don’t get pregnant doesn’t make sense.”

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