Page 59 of Bargain with the Bachelor
Last night had been… remarkable.
The things Hunter had said. And the way he’dkissedme.
It had been every bit as good as our first kisses at the Charity Relief Foundation fundraiser, except this time there had been no mistaken identity, no need to hide or hurry. There was just Hunter and me and chemistry as powerful as a hurricane.
No one—no one—had ever kissed me like that before. Like it was the only thing in the world he cared about, the only thing he wanted to do.
It was like I’d been able tofeelhis emotion through the contact, feel the years of longing and pent-up attraction.
And it had felt so, so good.
He’d probably been able to sense my potent feelings for him as well, but I didn’t care anymore. I was ready to put it all on the line for him, to be out and open about my feelings concerning Hunter.
He was an amazing person—brilliant and hard-working but also sweet and charming. Anincrediblekisser.
And tonight, we’d have our first date. Butterflies hatched and wriggled in my belly, spreading their new wings for a test flight. I could hardly wait to be alone with him.
Eager to see him, I practically skipped down the staircase to the first floor and went directly to the kitchen, expecting to find him there making a healthful breakfast for all the guys as usual.
He wasn’t there.
And by the looks of things, he hadn’t been there this morning at all.
I found Josh digging into a bag of donuts and Aiden shaking a box of sugary cereal over a bowl. Reid was pouring himself the world’s tallest glass of iced coffee and making a toaster waffle.
Had Hunter slept in? That wasn’t like him.
“Good morning,” Reid said, looking abashed when he spotted me. “Listen, I, uh… I want to apologize again for what I said last night. I was totally out of line, and—”
I interrupted. “Don’t worry about it. It’s over. I’m fine. Really. So… looks like everyone’s fending for themselves this morning. Where’s Hunter? Still asleep?”
“Tuck saw him leave the house last night,” Aiden informed me. “Said he had to deal with some kind of family issue. He hasn’t been back since.”
Alarm seized my breath. “I hope everything’s okay. No one’s heard from him today at all?”
Hap came into the kitchen and apparently picked up the end of my question. “I wouldn’t worry. He texted me about the filming schedule for today. He stayed over at Jack’s house last night.”
I nodded but didn’t feel very reassured. Were Jack and Bonnie okay? Had something happened to Hunter’s father?
Leaving the kitchen, I pulled out my phone and tapped Hunter’s number. The call went to voicemail. Then I texted.
Kristal: Everything okay? Can I do anything to help?
After a few minutes there was a terse response.
Hunter: I’m fine. Be back soon.
Breakfast had ended and it was nearly time for me to leave for work by the time he returned to the mansion.
At this point, I was thoroughly twisted up with anxiety and concern, trying to imagine what kind of family matter he’d been dealing with. It must have been pretty serious for him to leave in the middle of the night and stay away.
Hunter looked exhausted. Dark smudges underlined his eyes, and his shoulders sagged as if under a heavy weight.
“Sorry guys,” he announced to the room. “Give me a few minutes to grab a bite and clean up, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“No problem,” Hap said. “I went ahead and gave the film crew the day off. We could all use one.”
I followed Hunter into the kitchen, where he stood with his back to me, peering into the coffee pot, apparently checking to see if there was any left.
