Page 19 of Hunter

7

SADIE

Iwas trembling from Wesley’s words but couldn’t think of a response, so I reluctantly blurted, “I guess I’ll head home.”

Wesley’s amber eyes locked onto mine—sharp and clear while I was still foggy from our kiss. “You’re not driving yourself.”

His tone—low, gruff, and completely unmovable—sent a shiver down my spine.

“I live with my parents,” I blurted, my cheeks filling with heat at the confession.

Hunter didn’t react except to say, “Get your stuff. I’m taking you.”

A part of me wanted to tell him that wasn’t necessary, but it was drowned out by the side still rattled from the creepy note, so I just nodded. And if I was being brutally honest with myself, I just wanted to be around him as long as possible.

Without another word, he slipped my bag off my shoulder and guided me toward the door with a hand on the small of my back.

Somehow, by the time we got outside, he had the keys to my car dangling from his fingers. Still too stunned to argue, I climbed into the passenger side and pressed the back of my head against the rest, squeezing my eyes shut as he slid into the driver’s seat.

The bakery disappeared behind us as Hunter pulled onto the main drive, his focus on the road. It wasn’t until we hit the town limits that my brain caught up with what was happening.

“You’re driving my car,” I stated the obvious.

“Yeah.”

“What about your bike?”.

Hunter didn’t look worried. “It’ll be safe at the bakery for now, and someone from the club can come get me later.”

“Oh.”

I settled back into my seat, feeling silly for worrying when he’d already figured it out. Wesley “Hunter” Hastings didn’t seem like a man who left things to chance.

I twisted my hands together in my lap, sneaking glances at him when I thought he wouldn’t notice. His jaw was tight, a muscle ticking near his beard. Knowing he was so angry on my behalf made me feel better about the situation.

When we pulled into my neighborhood, Hunter’s gaze sharpened, taking in every detail.

“This one?” he asked when I pointed at my parents’ house.

“Yeah.”

He parked in the driveway, and I climbed out of the car and followed him up the front porch steps. After he handed me my keys, I unlocked the door.

He followed me inside, shutting the door behind us with a heavy finality that echoed through the quiet. His eyes swept the living room, then landed back on me. “When will your parents be home?”

I winced. “They’re on a road trip in their new RV to celebrate my dad’s retirement.”

Wesley’s expression darkened. “So you’re alone.”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah, but it’s not that big of a deal?—”

“It is to me.”

His fiercely spoken words knocked the breath from my lungs. Deep down, a secret part of me had wanted a guy who worried about me. Who wanted to protect me as though I mattered to them. Probably because that was how my dad was with my mom.

He didn’t give me time to reply. “You’re not staying here by yourself.”

“I’m not?” I asked, my eyes widening.

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