Page 68 of Hunter

“I thought I explicitly told you to stay up in the room.”

“I swear you said recommend.”

“Why do you never listen to me?” Hunter groaned, dropping his head until his forehead rested against mine. I realized he did that a lot, and not just with me, but Adair as well. I had no idea what meaning it held for him, but it seemed affectionate, and that was okay by me.

“I was curious. Besides, there was a naked girl lying on the hallway floor. I had to check if she was okay.”

“And …?” Hunter arched his brows.

“And what?”

“And where’s the naked girl you so considerately disobeyed me to come check on?”

“Oh, about that, Jax whisked her away to his kinky sex lair.”

Hunter choked on a laugh, his shoulders shaking silently as he shook his head. “Jesus, woman, the mouth on you.” Then he looked at me with a simple smile, his beautiful, green eyes shining back at me. The expression said he was content with saying nothing more.

When the silence continued, my mouth fought to rectify that problem.

“You smell like tequila,” I blurted.

Hunter smirked. “Probably because I was drinking it.”

“From one of the girls?”

Hunter’s eyebrows rose, the smile thinning into a flat line, and I realized what had come out. I hadn’t considered him out there with all the girls throwing themselves at him and drinking, and then one thing leading to another, and …

Okay, I had been thinking about it for a little while after he had gone downstairs to drink with his brothers and I had gone to bed like a good little housewife, but that wasn’t the reason I was upset.

“You asking me if I’ve been cheating?”

“No, I just …”

“Just what?” I could see Hunter getting annoyed, and I didn’t like it. “You don’t trust me?”

“It’s not that,” I snapped.

“Then what is it, Mallory?” Hunter snapped back. “Because I sure as hell don’t like you accusing me of shit like that. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t want a relationship.”

“Look, I trust you, Hunter. I don’t know why I said it like that. I guess I don’t like the idea of a girl with her hands all over my man. And—Why are you smiling?”

“Your man?”

Oh, shit, that’s right. It wasn’t like we were official or anything yet. Shit, he was pissed because I was acting like a jealous girlfriend when we weren’t even like that.

My thoughts ended as Hunter pressed his mouth to mine, the bitter taste of tequila mixing on our tongues. It was hot and delicious, and I was panting by the time he pulled back.

“Don’t think that,” he growled, pulling my body flush against his. “All that time down there, all those girls, and this”—he took my hand and pressed it against the rock-hard bulge in his jeans—“didn’t even twitch. But one kiss from you, Mallory, is all I need to be as hard as steel.”

“Ah …” I whispered, still holding his jeans even after he had long since let go of my hand.

“Mallory,” Hunter growled, his voice low and guttural. “You better let go of me now.”

I palmed the denim. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Mallory.” This time it was a warning.

I didn’t want to listen. Instead, I moved my hands up to his waistband, ready to flick the button undone on his jeans.

---