Page 4 of Prey

A burst a laughter came from me at that.

“I’m serious,” he went on. “If I’m going to take you, you’ll stand up at one of those lounges and you’ll sing for me. And not one of those choir songs I used to get to listen to. You’ll sing my favorite and blow all those New Yorkers away.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks and I reached out, pushing against his shoulder playfully. “You flatter me, but I’ll tell you what. If we ever do go to New York, I’ll sing you one song. One,” I emphasized.

His eyes searched mine and I looked away at the uneasiness. I couldn’t stop the tingling in my stomach. My skin was practically vibrating at the intensity. The need to flee left me confused. I glanced toward the window before facing him.

“I’m holding you to that.” Hunter rotated his shoulders and rubbed against the back of his neck, reaching out with his other hand to give me the next gift. As I opened it, I couldn’t stop the nervousness from stealing some of my enthusiasm. I loved each one and the more time that went by, the antsier I became. And I didn’t appear to be the only one. As I unwrapped the teddy bear, he stood up to pace. It didn’t take me long to follow.

“Thank you so much. I love them.” My arms lifted and I pushed away the need to stop myself. Instead, I let him embrace me. Long arms pulled me in close, wrapping around me. Fingers buried in my hair while his other palm came to settle on the small of my back. I felt so small, yet safe, in those seconds. The moment he broke away, the tingling came back. Heaviness pulled at my stomach and I licked my lips, reaching over and collecting all the gifts.

“I’ll just put these away. Would you like some coffee?” My smile lit up. “Actually, I know the perfect thing.”

I raced in my room, setting the bear on my bed and the rest on my dresser. Mid-step to leave, I paused, turning to try to look outside. Adrenaline spiked and fear exploded, causing me to shake. I forced my feet forward until I was able to pull back the curtain. My reflection stared back at me and I cupped the glass, looking out. My fenced in backyard was empty from what I could see. My head shook and I turned around, nearly screaming as I faced Hunter.

“You hear something out there?” He moved in around me, glancing out.

“No, I just thought I’d check things out. That’s what you get for moving in with me. I spook over everything. You should know that. I have weapons hidden all over this house.”

He laughed, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and leading me back to the living area. “You can stop worrying now. I’ll protect you.”

Something in his words comforted me and I let myself try to relax as I headed over and pulled open the fridge. The cake sat at the bottom, still in the Tupperware I’d placed it in. It would never make it to the fancy tray I bought. If I knew Hunter, the cake wouldn’t last past tonight.

“German chocolate?” His eyes were big and he was already walking forward.

“Your favorite, just like my mother used to make.”

A moan came from his mouth and the cake was suddenly gone from my grasp. “Oh my God, you have no idea how many times I’ve dreamed about eating this. Seriously,” he said, looking over from the small round table at the side of my kitchen. “When I was overseas, I’d wake up smelling chocolate. It was the oddest thing.”

I reached over, bringing out two forks and joining him. The utensil was pulled from my hand and he didn’t even wait for me to get a plate. I laughed, digging my fork in for a bite, too.

The mouthful brought out another moan and he closed his eyes, chewing slowly.

“Good?”

His finger rose silently, telling me to hold on. I took a bite, waiting.

“Heaven. And you’re an angel for making this for me.”

“I don’t know about that. I just know you.”

Hunter’s head tilted as he glanced over. “You do know me. And I, you.” Silence grew between us and I tightened my grip on the fork as Hunter looked as though he wanted to say something, but was holding back. I wasn’t sure why that scared me.

Knocking had both of us looking toward the door.

“Are you expecting someone?” He stood and so did I.

“No.” I took a step when his hand settled over my shoulder.

“I’ll get it.”

I felt myself following behind him, even though my legs almost felt like they were sinking through quicksand. Everything within told me to run. To hide. But another part of me kept going. Hunter looked out of the peephole only to pull back and pause. The hesitation sent my heart racing even more than it already was.

“Who is it?”

My whisper was drowned out by my pulse and I could feel my whole body inexplicably shaking. And those butterflies…they were back. I could even see Hunter trembling slightly as he reached for the knob. He turned to me, his brow creasing. “No one’s there. At least…not anymore.”

Chapter 3

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