Page 49 of Imperfect Saint
Her eyes went big behind her glasses, “He showed it to you? Just, out of the blue? Like, hey, want to see the hidden family still?”
“Uh… kinda.” He shrugged and Millie tipped her head back and laughed.
People around them turned to look but Hunter kept his eyes on the woman in his arms. She was laughing up at the sky like he’d just told the best joke. Only he didn’t know what the punch line had been. He waited until she finally got hold of herself and calmed to short little giggles before he spoke again.
“Mills? What’s so funny?”
“You.” She finally looked at him again and her cheeks were streaked with tears, from her laughter he realized as he moved to wipe them away. She’d laughed so hard she made herself cry. And because of him?
“I don’t… what do you mean? I don’t understand.” He held her face between his hands and the slow, easy, heat of her smile warmed some part of him that he hadn’t even known needed it.
“You’re worried that you can’t give me the life I’m used to?” She stepped closer to him and lowered her voice, “Hunter, I don’t need you to give me ponies or land or big houses. I have all those things. They’re great but they don’t buy happiness and they sure as hell don’t equal love. I know that better than anyone. Tell me, honestly, are you just worried that my family won’t approve of you because your last name isn’t on a building downtown?”
He shrugged, fidgeted, and then shrugged again, “I mean, it kinda is. All Saints Security is downtown but that’s Vaughn, not me and…”
“Honestly, Hunter. Is that what you’re worried about?” She surprised him when she mirrored his stance, raising her hands and holding his face between her small palms.
He swallowed hard, “Maybe. Yeah. Yes.”
Her smile was instant and beautiful. Millie slid her hands back and into his hair as she moved closer. She pressed her body against his. He stifled a groan at the feel of her breasts against his chest but he couldn’t hold back the shudder that went down his spine when her warm breath tickled his ear.
Millie leaned up and whispered, “The thing is, they already accept you. You protected me and Colin respects you for that. And Dad? Well, the still is a closely-guarded family secret, Hunter.”
“So I hear.” He raised an eyebrow, “Rumor has it even you don’t know where it is.”
Millie grinned, “That’s what Dad thinks. He doesn’t know that Colin showed me where it was less than a week after Dad let him in on the big family secret.”
Hunter chuckled, “You have a good brother.”
“I do.” Millie agreed, “I have a good father too, even if sometimes I forget it. He showed you where the still is, Hunter. Maybe you don’t understand how huge that is but clearly he expects you to become part of this family someday. If you don’t, he’ll have to kill you.”
Hunter leaned back to meet Millie’s eyes. Her words were so light, funny even, but there was seriousness in her eyes. She meant it. She wasn’t worried about how different their lives had been up until this point. She wasn’t worried about her brother or her father accepting him or thinking he was worthy of her. She’d just all but proposed to him in the weirdest way imaginable and she was grinning at him in that way she had of making him grin right back.
“Well, I don’t want him to kill me so, I guess that could probably be arranged.”
Millie laughed again, long and loud, and then she leaned forward and kissed him right there on the dance floor, under the moon and the stars, in front of her entire family and all the wedding guests. She kissed him and Hunter instantly kissed her back. He kissed her for a long time and he only pulled away when she gasped for breath.
“Hunter?” His voice came out a breathy sigh and he had to keep himself from kissing her again. “You want to know what Colin and Reed were talking to me about?”
He nodded and then grabbed for her hand when she stepped away from him suddenly.
Millie glanced back at him over her shoulder, a wicked grin on her face, “Come on, I’ll show you.”
She laced her fingers through his and led him off the dance floor. They walked past the crowd enjoying the reception and then out of the ring of lights that lit up the yard. When she started down a small pathway into the woods, he thought about asking her where they were going but then he realized it didn’t matter.
He’d follow this girl anywhere.
15
Millie led Hunter down the small, almost overgrown pathway through the woods at the back of the yard. It had been a while since she took the path but she knew it by heart. Even in the darkness with only moonlight as her guide, she easily found her way through the overgrown brush and trees until she saw the little cabin that she’d been looking for.
Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Hunter had come with her without a single question. He’d let her lead him into the dark woods at night. He hadn’t asked where she was taking him. He’d simply trusted her and followed her and he had no idea how much that small gesture meant to her, but he would.
She was going to show him.
“There it is.” She smiled as she looked back to find him eyeing the small structure.
“What? Is that a…”
