Page 23 of Between Hate and Desire

“Perfect choice. Chef Ardoin will not let you down.” He grins, picks up the fancy, silk-papered menus and then disappears.

The smile on my face is permanent as I sip the sweet red wine. The space of the table between us feels too far. As if he can read my mind, he reaches forward and takes my hands in his.

“I love you so damn much.”

“I love you too. Actually, I love youmore,” I add with a grin.

“No way. Not even possible.” He gives me a wink, which always sends a shiver down my spine. The boat stops moving in the middle of the bay, and a set of footsteps approaches from behind me. I turn to see two violinists taking a seat in two empty chairs I didn’t notice when I walked to the table.

I turn to him with wide eyes. “There’s more?”

Brandon playfully shrugs, then stands as they begin playing. He holds out his hand. “Wanna dance?”

I nod, then grab it. He holds me close as we dance under the starlit sky. I’m not sure what I did to deserve such a good man. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’sthe one.

I rest my head against his shoulder as we sway on the small dance floor. I want him so fucking badly, I can barely stand it. After several songs, the waiter arrives with two silver platters of food. Brandon leads me back to the table, and we take our seats. When the waiter removes the covers, we both laugh when we’re served the biggest lobsters either of us has ever seen.

“If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to let us know,” the man says, giving us privacy. The violins continue to play softly in the background as we eat buttery lobster, steamed broccoli, and some fancy potato dish. I’m not sure if it’s cheese or Alfredo sauce, or what’s on top, but I could eat it every day for the rest of my life. It’s insanely delicious.

Once we finish eating and the plates are cleared away, Brandon takes my hand and guides me to the front of the upper deck. He takes off his suit jacket and wraps it around my shoulders as the boat moves effortlessly on the glass-like water.

We stand in silence, looking up at the stars with my body pressed against his. Everything about tonight has been perfect. When the yacht makes it back to the dock, I’m almost sad it’s over, though I’m more than ready to get home. Before we leave, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me one last time, and as I breathe him in, I know I’ll never get enough of this man.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.”

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “Thank you. I loved everything. You spoil me way too damn much.”

“And I will for the rest of our lives.” He brushes loose pieces of hair behind my ear and presses a light kiss on my lips.

“That’s a promise?” I ask with a hopeful smile, loving how he talks about forever with me.

“You better believe it.” He takes my hand in his. The entire crew thanks us as we walk off the boat and head toward the car. I feel as if I’m dreaming as we practically fly to the apartment, but I blame the bottle of wine I drank.

As soon as we walk up the stairs, Brandon unlocks the door, then picks me up in his arms and carries me to the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed and carefully removes the black dress that’s hugged my body all night, and all I can think about right now is how much I want and need him.

The next morning, I wake up naked, tangled in the sheets. Brandon sleeps soundly next to me, and I watch him before getting up. Sundays are our lazy day, and after our night of lovemaking, I need rest, lots of it.

“Morning, beautiful,” he says in his sexy sleepy voice, pulling me to his chest.

“Morning, baby. Sleep good?”

His eyes wander down to my exposed breast, and I laugh. “You’re insatiable. But I gotta pee, and I’m thirsty. I’ll be right back.”

He watches me as I quickly slip on some clothes.

“Hurry back to me.”

I shoot him a wink, then rush to the bathroom for sweet relief. After I wash my hands, I look in the mirror and see how swollen my lips are. Our night of passion has left my hair a mess and my makeup smeared. I wash my face, then head to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water. As I twist the top and take a huge swig, the front door swings open and closes. Walking out of the kitchen, I make eye contact with Hunter, who has regret painted on his face. He looks like he had a rough night, which causes me to laugh.

“Oh, look who’s doing the walk of shame,” I taunt, then take another sip of water.

At first, he ignores me, but then he stops and turns on his heels, taking a few steps toward me and closing the space between us. “It’s no different from when you did the walk of shame almost two years ago. Actually, it is, becauseIlived here, and you didn’t.” The annoyance in his tone is thick and harsh. He breaks our eye contact and walks to his bedroom, then slams his door. Sometimes he says things to be hurtful, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he really hates me, regardless of what Brandon says.

I shake my head and think back to that night that forever changed my life. Sure, I’d spoken to Hunter first and felt the attraction then, but it didn’t matter.

In retrospect, I don’t think Hunter ever mentioned it because it didn’t mean anything to him. I was just another pretty girl at his bar who refused to be a notch in his bedpost. I was in a toxic relationship before I met Brandon. My ex made me feel less than, like I would never be good enough for any man, and I often wore my insecurities on my sleeve. I push the thoughts away and grab another bottle of water for Brandon, then head to the bedroom. Soft snores fill the space, and I crawl back into bed and wrap my arm around his waist.

“I love you,” I whisper in his ear as my eyes flutter closed, and soon I’m falling asleep again.

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