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“Making sure you’re not a threat to me, Hunter. We’ve had some heated moments in this room and I’m concerned about my safety,” I say.

Once I ‘check his pockets’, he sits down. I sit in a chair across from him and cross my legs. Hunter sucks in a breath. “I’m thinking this attraction isn’t one way, Dr.”

“What would give you that idea?” I ask.

His eyes dip down to my legs. I chose a skirt specifically for him and I’m sure he knows it. I shift and grip the side of my chair as the pearls move over my clit. Dear god, this is going to be a long session. Hunter lets out a slow, controlled breath as his eyes focus on my legs.

“Are you wearing-”

“Hunter, you know the rules of our session. We remain impartial to one another while here and stay professional,” I say.

He licks his bottom lip. “I believe you infringed on that this time.”

“So, you’re getting married and that’s bringing your family together. I believe that’s the topic we left on last time,” I say while trying to force a calm.

“I did say that.” He rubs his bottom lip. He adjusts. “I’m less concerned about the marriage itself. I know my fiancée can be wild, but she thinks things out so well ... most of the time.”

His eyes focus on me again as I adjust and try not to moan. Hunter crosses his legs. “I’m more concerned about the pressures that come with marriage.”

“I see. Do you have specific pressures in mind?”

“My mother seems to believe that babies are necessary in marriage. She talked with my fiancée about it, but she’s also been talking to me about it,” Hunter says.

My hand trembles and I swallow. “Really? That could be stressful, considering your relationship with your mother.”

“She doesn’t get to tell me to have children,” he says, forgetting all about the flirting. “She wasn’t around. She was a mother for a few years, then left. How can she tell me that they’re necessary, especially considering the business I’m in? It’s the same business she ran away from!”

“Hunter-” I try.

“I’m serious. She can’t just put all her wishes on me and Chase. That’s not fair to us. I mean, she’s trying to make our lives like the one she ran away from. It’s like she wants our fiancée to leave us just like she did, even though everything’s different. Valerie isn’t my mother and ...” he stops and sinks in his chair.

“When will it be too much for her? When my father gives her a weapon as a wedding present? When she realizes that enemies are just going to keep piling up? When I suggest a plan that makes her bait? And if she doesn’tleave, when is she going to lose the parts of her that make her so wonderful? How far can a person be pushed before they break?”

He takes a few breaths, and I let him calm while taking a few notes. I lift my head and meet his eyes as I shift. I almost curse at the stupid pearls. This whole idea was stupid. Hunter takes his counseling sessions seriously even if he doesn’t like to admit it.

“Are you talking about your fiancée or you, Hunter?”

He pegs me with a look I can’t escape from. “What are you talking about?”

“We’ve talked about how you dislike your father and you hate the way he controls you. We’ve talked about your brother being named head of the business. We’ve talked about your mother leaving. It’s natural that you may want to leave too. Do you consider running away? Do you worry about breaking under everything you see and do?”

“No, I ...” he trails off.

“It’s okay to admit that,” I encourage. “Everything you say here is only between us.”

Hunter looks at his fingers for a long while. “I know I’m good at what I do. Chase still relies on me for some things, but I don’t want to be around death anymore. I don’t know how much more I have in me. It’s the weakest thing I’ve ever said. And I can’t say it because it means I’m not cut out for the job and the job is the only thing I know.”

“How do you feel saying all this?” I ask.

His eyes flick up to mine. “I feel like I’m not a man. If I can’t protect my fiancée, if I can’t trust myself and my strength, I’m not good enough to exist.”

I hold up my finger, go to my desk and take a few breaths. “Do I need to be concerned about that?”

“Are you asking as-”

“As your counselor,” I say in a wavering voice.

“No,” he shakes his head. “My fiancée would tie me down and give me a lecture about how much of a man I am. That feeling emotions is human and running from the emotions won’t fix anything.”

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