Page 48 of Hiding Secrets

“Father–”

“I know you’ll take good care of me, Samuel. I am your mother after all, a widowed woman in the town of Everton.” She pats her lips and stands, walking around the table and stopping at my side. “And I’ll take care of you because you are my son. A mother would never turn on her son.” She kisses the top of my head before leaving the dining room. Abigail trailing right behind her.

Fuck.

39

Hunter

She was sitting here in my study again, wearing clothes that finally fit her. Marcus had ordered her every god damn thing on the list, but the pajama set was something I didn’t know she’d be wearing right now. The fluffy, teddy bear-like fabric was hugging every curve of her ass from this angle.

I wasn’t mad that she was here, I loved that she felt comfortable enough to be in here with me. It was the temptation I was trying to handle that had me cracking my neck and bouncing my knee under my desk as I answered emails for the company and dealt with phone conferences. She didn’t bother me one bit during all of it. As if she knew I was busy and she wanted to be close as she did her own thing.

She was reading the new book she picked out from my shelves a few days ago and at the rate she was reading them, I was going to need to order her more, maybe even add a new shelf for her.

No, stop.

She looks so comfortable sitting there, only getting up to grab her snacks. She even brought me a plate and another coffee as well. I wasn’t used to that. I haven’t had a woman do things for me in a very long time. It reminded me of when my mom would bring snacks for Marcus, Kam, and I as we studied or played video games in high school. We wouldn’t ask for them, she just knew we would need to stay hydrated and fed and she wanted to help.

My coffee mug and plate were empty now as the day was ending. The sky outside the window was dull as the sun dropped below the tree lines of the woods that surrounded us.

I look up as I hear Elliott let out a deep breath, closing the book before laying it on her chest with a smile plastered on her face. I grin to myself as her eyes close.

“That good, huh?”

She turned her head to me, but kept her eyes shut, “Very good.” She says with a smile still on her face. “I didn’t realize love could be like that.” Her eyes open, looking straight at me.

I don’t break eye contact, “Like what?” I rest my elbows on the desk, ready to give my full attention to what she’s about to tell me.

“So…caring?” She shakes her head at her own words, “No, that’s not the right word for it. I mean yes, they care about their partners but it’s more than that.” She pauses, taking a deep breath, “It’s as if they can’t breathe without one another.”

“That's a romance book for you.” I give out a small chuckle.

“You don’t think love can be like that?”

“I think love can be anything you make it.”

“Have you ever been in love?”

“I am in love.” Her pupils dilate as she rolls over to her side to listen to me more attentively. “I have Kameron and Marcus. And while yes we are…” I run a hand down my face at my own frustration now, “not on the best of terms. Not the terms I would like to be on, I will never stop loving them or beinginlove with them.” I push off my chair, crossing the room and pulling out a bottle of wine from the small bar I have in here for these exact moments.

“How did you all meet?”

I smile to myself as I pop the cork and grab two wine glasses from the bottom shelf, “That’s a long story,” I give each glass a generous pour before turning to her, holding the glass up slightly as a silent offer, “You up for that?” I cock a brow at her.

“Yes.” She sits up on the sofa, moving to one side and pats the now-empty spot next to her.

I bring the bottle with me, setting it on the small side table and handing her the glass as I take the seat. She has her legs curled up towards her chest and she pulls the throw blanket from the back of the couch over herself, covering her smooth legs from my sight.

I welcome the lack of temptation but can’t help but long for her to remove the blanket again.

“We all met in junior high, I was in the eighth grade while Marcus and Kameron were in seventh.” I smile, remembering how they looked. We ran into each other in the hallway, but the way they made my heart stop beating. It really pissed me off back then. “We didn’t like each other at first.”

“What, really?”

“Yeah, I thought Kameron was a smug and cocky douche, and Marcus…well he was always sulking around as if the world was ending. But that was before we found out.” I snap my gaze to hers, her brows pinched together, trying to decipher my words. “Not my story to tell.” I say before she can ask me. “Just know that he went through a lot of shit and I’m proud of him for coming out the other side, even with all of the damage it caused.” She doesn’t push for more information, just keeps listening, taking a sip of the wine.

“Well, when I first met Kameron and Marcus, they were inseparable. Their foster family had just moved into town and enrolled them. They were like night and day. Marcus dressed like a punk and Kameron looked like he was ready to join the country club. I couldn’t comprehend how they were best friends. I was also struggling with the fact that they were also the most handsome guys I’ve ever laid eyes on. I wasn’t out back then–not with my father around.”

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