Page 6 of Sexy Summer Flings (Bear Mountain Rescue 2)

“I am not your father. But I care about you. Don’t you get that?”

Penny’s heart beat a rapid tempo in her chest as she nodded, her gaze straying down to those full lips.

When his hand came up to cup her cheek, she was rooted to the floor with shock.

“You don’t have to get snarky every time someone says something nice to you, especially me.”

Penny licked her lips, waiting. Was this it? Had he finally realized that he wanted her as much as she wanted him?

But as her eyes started to flutter to a close, he pulled away.

“I should let you get back, or Vince might decide to spike my drink with rat poison.”

She would have banged her head against the wall if he wasn’t standing there watching her. Stupid. Did s

he actually think that Hunter Gracin was going to kiss her in the back alley of the Grizzly? That he was going to confess his undying love for her?

Pushing past him without saying more, she fought back tears. Hunter had had years to express interest in her, yet he’d always kept her at arm’s length.

Well, except for that one night years ago. That had been a fluke. An anomaly.

Since she’d always been responsible for her younger brothers and for her dad whenever he had one of his spells, she’d taken that night as her one chance to be young and wild. And that night, when they’d both been way too drunk, she’d almost hooked up with Hunter.

It was glorious, but apparently, it wasn’t meant to be.

Penny pushed that memory back into the locked box in the most secret part of her heart. She cleared her throat as she approached the crowded bar, turning her focus on an eager patron and away from Hunter.

“What can I get you?”

Chapter 3

Hunter Gracin didn’t need to be at work the next day, so he planned on using his night off to hang out…and maybe flirt a little.

But his gaze kept straying back to Penny, who was chatting up a couple at the bar. Her dark hair was pulled back from her pretty face in a long ponytail. Even from down the bar, he could see the freckles over her nose and cheeks—the same freckles he remembered counting as he’d kissed them.

Shooting back his whiskey, he closed his eyes. He shouldn’t think about that night, especially since he had told himself to forget about Penny. He wanted to settle down. Have kids. You didn’t do that with a twenty-six-year-old party animal.

But that night, he hadn’t been thinking of anything but the way she’d tasted. Like strawberries and a hint of tequila.

He’d moved to Bear Mountain five years ago, and Penny’s brothers, Wes and Cal, had come by the hospital on his very first day. They’d asked for him because they wanted to know about his time in the military, since they’d just enlisted.

Hunter had struck up a friendship with them, and they became the little brothers he’d never had. Hunter was the youngest in his family, and Lord knows he was a lot kinder to Wes and Cal than his own brothers were to him.

The night the boys left for basic, Hunter had gone to the Grizzly. The first thing he’d noticed was a gorgeous brunette sitting on the bar, tossing back a shot. There’d been any number of men around her, but when she’d locked eyes with Hunter from across the room, there had been a pull between them. He couldn’t deny that.

But he didn’t approach her, not until he had about four whiskeys in him.

He’d pushed his way in next to her, and when she’d smiled brilliantly at him, he’d held out his hand. “Hunter.”

“I know who you are.”

Her voice had a teasing lilt to it that he really liked. “Oh, yeah? Wish I could say the same.”

“I’m Penny.” She squeezed his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Gracin.”

“Word does get around.”

“Only because my brothers won’t shut up about you. Wes and Cal Davis?”

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