Page 22 of Unwrapping His Naughty Secret

“I, uh…” I wave my hand. “Removed myself. When I went to send you another message and I saw the message about the account being deleted, I knew it wasn’t the app for me.”

Because the whole thing had been humiliating.

“Shit. Cara, I’m sorry.”

I shrug. “I’ll get over it.”

“I won’t. I should have thought about how it would feel to you. I’m sorry that I didn’t.” His voice gets even deeper, and he comes around the island. Suddenly very close. Very big. “I wish like hell I’d still been online when you got back that afternoon. I want to know what you’d have said.”

“I don’t know anymore. I can’t remember.” I lift my chin. Defiance feels safer than vulnerability.

Regret slashes across his face.

From outside, there’s a shriek.

He pauses, closes his eyes, and mutters under his breath.

I smile slightly, but swipe it away before he blinks and twists to look out at the progress. “They’re fine,” he says.

“So am I,” I manage to say. “You don’t needto be sorry anymore. It’s fine.”

“But I want more for you than just fine.” He closes the gap between us and plants one hand on the counter beside me, and brings the other one up to ghost beside my upper arm. Not quite touching me, but almost.

Heat radiates between us, and my breathing goes shallow.

“Hunter,” I whisper.

“What would make you happy, Cara? What do you need?”

Chapter 10

Hunter

Cara parts her lips,and my gut pulls tight in anticipation of whatever she’s going to say, but at that exact moment, my dumb-ass brother falls off a ladder with a loud clattering thud, and this time the shrieks are urgent.

A tap on the window is next, as Heath alerts me that he needs a hand helping Wyatt inside.

“I’m fine,” my brother protests as he hops between us, his arms slung over our shoulders.

I’m this close to banning thewordfinefrom Christmas Eve.

“Stand on your left foot then, you idiot,” I snap.

“I mean, I will be fine.” He sighs. “I might need to sleep on the couch, though.”

“We can make that happen.”

“I’ll sleep down there with you,” Emily says, hurrying along beside us.

“But then who will keep Heath warm?” Wyatt worries.

“All three of you can sleep downstairs,” Hannah suggests. “But remember, there’s no door.”

“Hannah,” I bark.

“What?”

“Stop it. They’re grownups.”

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