Page 105 of Back in the Saddle

‘Who is it?’

‘It’s me.’

It only took her a split-second to recognise the voice. She opened the door, puzzled expression written all over her face. ‘What are you doing here? I thought you were in Tulsa.’

Hunter squeezed through the door, closing it firmly. Water was dripping from his dark hair onto his flushed face. His jacket was soaked through.

Caroline put her hands on his shoulders and looked him up and down.

He pushed the hair away from his eyes, reaching into the inside of his jacket. ‘I was in Tulsa. I was sitting in Buck and Lorna’s living room, and there were some of our cousins there, and Mom and Meg … Everyone was chatting and starting to have a good time. They wanted to reminisce about Dad and it was nice, at first. But—’ he cupped her cheek ‘—then I looked around and realised that there wasn’t a single person there who I wanted to welcome the New Year with more than you.’

Caroline raised an eyebrow, which made Hunter let out ashort laugh. ‘So, I said my goodbyes and wished everyone a good night. Then I drove here. Bearing gifts.’

He held out a bottle of Taittinger, her favourite champagne.

She took it carefully, a shiver running through her body as she touched the cool glass surface. ‘You drove just over a hundred miles on New Year’s Eve to kiss me at midnight?’

‘The roads were quiet. It didn’t take that long.’

‘It’s still over one hundred miles.’

He shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. ‘What is one hundred miles? Nothing, really. Besides, I still remember you drove to Purcell to give me a hug when I needed one. And you came all the way to Robbers Cave to go on a date with me.’ He grinned.

‘That was my idea.’

‘But you still came.’ He shrugged. ‘I didn’t want you to see New Year on your own.’ Their eyes met.

Hunter reached out and stroked her other cheek with his thumb. ‘And it wasn’t a totally selfless act, you know. I missed you.’

‘Well, when you put it that way …’ She threw her arms round his neck, pulling him into a kiss.

His hands splayed across her back, pulling her closer.

Caroline could taste all the longing and a desperate need for closeness. She parted her lips further, letting his tongue meet hers in a frantic collision.

That was how it had been lately between them. All the sex, very little talking.

She wished she could make him feel a bit better, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. She tried not to expect anything, always tried to let his mood guide whether they met and what they did. She had tried talking, but he seemed bent on trying to numb the pain, in the most literal meaning. So,they were having a lot of sex, which was amazing. Mind-blowing, even.

That’s what she wanted from their arrangement from the start. Wasn’t it?

Hunter groaned, releasing her from his tight embrace. ‘Damn it, Caroline. We won’t last to midnight at this rate.’

‘Who said we have to wait until midnight? I was thinking we could finish the year with a bang.’

He chuckled softly in response. The sincere sound of it made her heart leap. She hadn’t heard it in a long time.

She lifted her hand, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. ‘We can do whatever we want.’

‘In that case …’ He stepped away from her, slid off his wet jacket and hurriedly put it on the coat hanger. Wordlessly, he took the champagne from the round console table she’d put it on and pulled off the wrapping from the cork. ‘I say we pop this bottle and see where the night takes us.’

She leaned her back on the hallway wall, observing him twisting the metal cap and uncorking the bottle. There was a loudpopand he looked up to her, grinning.

‘I’ll get some glass—’

Before she could finish, he laughed and took a long swig from the bottle.

Caroline looked at him aghast. ‘Hunter!’

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