Page 8 of My Mail Order Valentine

I take it while gazing at his strong, muscular arms. What would it be like to belong to a man like Hunter? I catch him looking at me, too. He's probably trying to figure me out. Good luck with that; I don't even know what I'm doing half the time.

The chocolate is delicious, and the temperature is just right. I let out a moan of pleasure when I take the first sip and realize Hunter is still standing there, staring at me.

"What?"

"Do you always make those sounds when you eat?"

I scrunch my nose in distaste.

"Yeah. It's a bad habit. If I like the food, I will make happy sounds while I eat it. I just can't help myself."

His lip twitches a little as if he's about to smile, but he doesn't. He just sits down on the couch and takes a few sips of his chocolate.

"It's really good. Thank you."

"It's my grandmother's recipe. She raised me and my sister."

He frowns again as if signaling that this part of his story isn’t something he meant to share. Suddenly, he reaches for his phone, and his frown deepens into a scowl.

"I can't find a place for you to stay tonight."

"Can't I just stay here? I won't be any trouble."

"I don't have anywhere for you to sleep. The guest bedroom is full of boxes, and there's no bed."

"I'll sleep here on the couch. Please, I don't want to go back out there. It's still winter, and it's cold. Plus, I need to figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow."

"Elena…"

"Look, I get it. You didn't ask for a mail-order bride. I'll get out of your hair as soon as I can. I have my pride, you know. I don't want to be where I'm not wanted."

He's silent for the longest time. So much so that I start to think he didn't hear me. Then he gets up and checks on the baby monitor. When he glances my way, he looks defeated.

"You can sleep in my room."

The gruff response takes me by surprise. I let out a weak thank you and take another sip of my beverage. My mind is racing. If I'm sleeping in his room, where is he going to sleep? He disappears into a room, and I try to calm myself. Thankfully, I have a nighttime routine that helps me get to sleep more easily.

When I finish my chocolate and Hunter still hasn't come back, I start to feel anxious. I get up and begin looking around the room. There are a few photos of him and his crew at the fire station, as well as some family ones.

I see pictures of what must be his grandmother and sister. They look happy, and I wonder where they are now. His sister looks younger than him. I don't dare ask him, though. I'd rather he volunteer the information.

The door to the bedroom opens and closes, and I see him approach me.

"I've changed the sheets for you."

"Thank you, Hunter. This means a lot."

He seems completely unaffected by my words and simply goes to get my suitcase before taking it inside the bedroom. When he comes back, he eyes me warily as if I'm going to ask for more favors.

"I was going to have a sandwich for dinner,” he says. "Is that okay with you?"

"That's fine, thanks."

I watch him go back to the kitchen, and I wonder if I were to stay here if I would get used to looking at his handsome faceevery day. Wow, I need to shake this mood off, so I do exactly that. I vigorously shake my body, and it actually helps me get more focused and out of my dangerous train of thought.

Hunter comes back and sets the table for us, then goes and gets the baby. It takes him a few minutes, but he comes out with her. She's rubbing her eyes as if she's fighting off sleep. I swear, with her blond hair and blue eyes, she looks nothing like her father.

He sits her in a high chair and starts feeding her. I sit down at the table across from them and watch for a bit, but the curiosity is killing me.

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