Page 15 of Imperfect Saint
“I didn’t want to sit on the sidelines and look pretty, which is all he wanted his princess to do. Don’t challenge the boys. Never make them look bad by being smarter than them.” She snorted with disgust at the memories, “So no, I didn’t want to be his little princess and I don’t want to be yours.”
She hadn’t realized she’d dropped her gaze to her hands and was twisting the solitary gold band on her middle finger until she felt Hunter step into her personal space. He tipped her chin up until she was forced to face him. With her sitting on the bed, he was standing just in front of her, his legs brushing hers. She swallowed hard when she met that golden green gaze of his, as serious and probing as it ever was.
“You’re right.” He didn’t release his hold on her chin but he loosened his grip and stroked a rough finger over her cheek, “You’re not a princess. You’re so much more than that. You’re strong, Millie. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. I’ve been in this town and this industry for a while now and there aren’t many people that would’ve given up the life you had laid out for you to make their own way in the world. You’re stubborn and resilient and we’re gonna get through this weekend without you forgetting that. Okay?”
Millie chewed the inside of her cheek again but the whisper soft caress of his fingers on her jawline stopped her. Did he know? Could he tell? It was a nervous habit and yet, as soon as he soothed her she was able to consciously stop and still herself. He seemed to be able to see through her, to the wide-open nerve endings and the doubts she tried so hard to keep at bay. She only prayed that he hadn’t guessed the biggest of her secrets and that he wouldn’t before they left this place.
“Okay.” She managed softly just as the door of the bedroom swung open unexpectedly.
“Oh!”
Millie heard the surprised squeak behind Hunter and tried to pull away from him but he wouldn’t let her. The hand that had been on her cheek slid back into her hair and his other hand settled on her hip. He kept her exactly where she was with nothing but his firm touch. If anything he moved closer to her instead of away, his big body shielding hers and it was that thought that reminded her of what he was…not just her fake boyfriend but a bodyguard.
He was guarding her.
Her heart warmed a little at the idea that he thought she needed protecting. Even though she didn’t. She’d told him that she didn’t need saving just a half hour ago. Yet here she was softening like the princess she’d just sworn she wasn’t because her white knight was standing between her and the intruder.
The intruder that was absolutely no threat whatsoever.
“Sorry to interrupt, Mills. I uh… I just wanted to have a word with you before dinner if I could.” Her brother cleared his throat.
“Oh, uh…” She glanced up at Hunter who raised an eyebrow at her where her brother couldn’t see. She gave a slightly imperceptible shake of her head and then leaned around Hunter to look at her brother. “I was about to hop in the shower. I’ll find you downstairs before dinner.”
Colin looked at her for a long moment and then glanced at the back of Hunter’s head. She saw him frown and frowned right back at him when his gaze returned to her. He sighed and straightened his mouth back into a more amicable look.
“Okay. See you down there.” He pulled the door shut behind him and Millie whooshed out a relieved breath, leaning forward to rest her forehead against Hunter’s chest without really thinking about it until she felt him wrap his arms around her.
“Are you avoiding your brother for a reason you want to tell me about?” He smoothed her hair back gently and she hated herself for not pulling away, for giving him the wrong idea, for letting him believe for even a moment that there was anything real about this moment.
“You and I need to talk before they start their interrogations.”
“About what?”
Millie forced herself to pull back from him and this time he let her, “Us.”
“There’s an us?” His grin flashed those adorable dimples and made his eyes twinkle.
She groaned and pushed him backwards with her hands on his chest. He chuckled but stepped back and let her stand. She walked as far as she could get from him. She needed the breathing room. Letting Hunter get close to her in public was one thing, it was part of the act they’d have to put on for her family, but they were alone now, here in her room, and she needed to make sure that when they did their act that it was believable.
“As far as my family is concerned, yes, there’s an us.” She reached the far corner of the room and turned, starting to pace again, “Since you told them that you’re my boyfriend, they’re going to expect you to know things about me and about my life, things that you can’t possibly know. They’re going to expect me to know things about you too. Plus, they’ll want to hear our stories. They think I’ve been keeping you a secret so they’ll want to know why, how we met, our first date, our…”
“Hey.” Hunter grabbed her by the arm and she realized she’d been circling the room, faster and faster, talking faster and faster as her mind whirled and she began to lose control. “Hey. Stop. Just stop.”
She frowned at his easy tone and smacked his hands away from her arms, “You stop. This is your fault.”
“My fault?” He was grinning at her despite the fact she was all but yelling at him.
“Yes, your fault. You just had to go and call yourself my boyfriend when they all know the only boyfriend I’ve ever had is Joshua.” She gasped as the last word fell from her lips and clamped her mouth shut.
“He’s your only boyfriend?” Hunter’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline and she winced.
Stupid. God, she was stupid. She hadn’t meant to let that slip out. She hadn’t wanted Hunter to know just how pathetic she really was. She kept her mouth shut when he continued to eye her and slowly his smile returned.
“Oh, sweetheart…”
She wanted to kick him, “Don’t.”
He ignored her and pulled her against his chest, hugging her gently and then chuckling again as he set her back, “You’re so goddamn cute. Calm down. Let’s get a few things straight, okay?”
