Dangerously Close, page 10
He frowned and lifted on his elbow to peer closer. Adjusting his vision, he finally saw the outline of her face. She grimaced and her eyes raced underneath the lids. She whimpered again and her whole body jerked.
The poor girl was having a bad dream. Dare he pull her next to him? That had seemed to soothe her the other times she’d slept. He scooted over, adjusting his body on the bed beside her, but just as he touched her arm, she sat up straight.
“Michelle!”
Hearing his sister’s name on Ashley’s panicked voice, unnerved him greatly. He grasped her shoulders. “Ashley? What’s wrong?”
At first she looked as though she was in a daze, but soon she blinked and her gaze moved around the room. When it landed on him, she crumbled against his chest and cried.
“Oh, Hunter. I saw her.”
He pulled her against him as he wrapped his arms around her. “You saw Michelle in your dream?”
“No, in my memory.”
He pulled back just enough to lift her face so she could look at him. “You remembered something?”
“Yes, but I don’t know what it was. My hands were tied. Probably my feet, but I don’t know. I was in a room. It was dark. Other women were in there because I heard them crying. Then Zander was there, forcing me to drink some disgusting drink with liquor in it. I couldn’t spit it out. He slapped me so hard I rolled against another woman.” She sucked in a quick breath. “Michelle was the woman I’d rolled against.”
Anger rushed to his head, but he had to think clearly. He had to listen to her and figure out what she was talking about before jumping to any conclusions. “Are you sure it was my sister?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re sure it wasn’t a dream?”
“No. It was real. But that’s all I remember.” Her voice broke.
“Shhh...” He pulled her back against his chest. “At least your memory opened for a brief moment. I’m sure more will come, but you need to relax now.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything.
He kept her against him as he laid her back on the bed. He waited for her to protest it, but thankfully, she didn’t. She even rested her palm on his chest. Being very gentle, he stroked her arm. Her tears dampened the skin on his chest, but he didn’t mind. Her body shook with silent sobs, and his chest ached, wishing he could take away the pain. And his gut knotted with the knowledge that his sister might have been tortured before her death.
Gradually, her crying slowed and her body didn’t shake very hard. He hoped she was falling asleep.
Tomorrow he’d try to get her to talk more about the memory. If they could figure out a location, that would be so helpful. Hunter realized they couldn’t stay forever in their safe haven, but going back into the world scared him. He wasn’t worried about himself, but Ashley was innocent in so many ways. It would be harder to protect her.
“Hunter?” she asked in a low voice, startling him through the stillness.
“Yes.”
“Is it all right if I stay right here tonight?”
He grinned. “Of course, you can stay in my bed.”
“No, I mean right here.” She softly touched his chest.
He held in a groan. She was going to be the death of him one way or another. He swallowed the dry lump that suddenly formed in his throat. “Sure, sweetie.”
She cuddled against his side and he pulled the blankets over them. As he listened to her deep breathing, his mind was wide awake and didn’t have any thoughts about sleeping. Strange to think, but Ashley had been the first woman to share his bed without anything sexual happening between them. But that decision wasn’t up to him tonight.
“Hunter?” she asked again in a whisper.
“Yes, my sweet Ashley.”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For understanding.”
Did he really understand or was he just the kind of guy who liked to console women and let them cry on his shoulder – or in this case, on his chest? “Sure thing.”
She rose up and looked at him. “But keep in mind that just because I want to cuddle doesn’t mean tomorrow I’ll be all lovey-dovey again.”
He didn’t know if she was serious or just being funny. However, he couldn’t stop the chuckle from lifting from his throat. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Sighing, she settled back against him. Silence grew between them, and gradually, his eyelids became heavy with fatigue. Perhaps he’d get some sleep tonight after all. He’d really have to work hard on convincing Ashley to forgive him, and especially to change her mind about the lovey-dovey stuff. He rather enjoyed being affectionate with her. He loved pretending that she was his girlfriend, and he was her one and only boyfriend.
He stopped stroking her arm and began to relax. Having her lying next to him like this soothed his soul – something he hadn’t felt for quite a while. But how long would it last? How long did he want it to last? In his frame of mind right now, he never wanted it to end.
Just as he allowed his mind to drift off, something jerked him back to awareness. Her breathing had accelerated. Was she having another dream? Would she remember something more? But yet, it seemed different this time.
Slowly, she brushed the tips of her fingers across his chest. At first, he didn’t know what she was doing, but then he realized she was exploring. He lay still, but his smile widened. He’d pretend to be asleep just to see how far she’d take it. After all, hadn’t she just told him that she wasn’t going to be lovey-dovey tomorrow? However... it wasn’t tomorrow yet.
Her fingers softly studied his ribs and then his tight abs. As every second ticked by, he found it more difficult to feign sleep. How much longer would this wondrous torture last?
No longer could he keep his breathing normal. Soon, she’d realize he’d been awake this whole time. There was only one thing he could do.
Releasing a sleepy groan, he rolled on his side toward her, pinning her beneath his arm and leg as his face rested in her silky hair. She smelled so good – like he was lying in a bed of roses. At least she wasn’t touching his chest anymore. But now he wanted to kiss her. Unfortunately, he didn’t see that happening.
After a few minutes of trying to decide what to do – and what not to do – she began caressing his arm that now lay across her. Slowly, she shifted her body until she lay on her side, facing him. Excitement jumped inside of him from this unexpected turn of events.
Her hand moved to his chest again, touching him as she’d done previously. He could take no more of this. He had to either stop it – or kiss her passionately. The second choice sounded much better.
She placed a kiss on his neck, and he released a heady groan. What kind of punishment was she giving him? It didn’t matter, as long as she kept going.
“Ashley,” he whispered. “What are you doing to me?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t stop. When we’re so close, I’m tempted to touch you. I know I’m weak, but I can’t help myself.”
He groaned again. “But what about not wanting to be lovey-dovey?”
“I don’t want to think about that tonight. All I want to think about right now is you and me, and... this.”
In one swift movement, he lifted her up enough to capture her mouth with his. Eagerly, she answered his urgent kisses. He crushed her next to him as his hands moved over her back, pulling her closer. His mind whirled with passion, and he couldn’t stop kissing her. He never wanted to. Ever.
A foreign emotion filled him, and although he didn’t want to think about it, he knew what was happening. They’d only known each other for a full day and a half, but he’d grown to care for her, and yes, even love her. No more did he want his heart and mind at war with each other. He wanted to accept his feelings, and trust her completely.
From downstairs, a sound crashed through the house as if one of the chairs in the kitchen had fallen over. Sucking in a quick breath, he stopped their passionate moment and listened more intently.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered.
“I heard something downstairs.”
Within seconds, the sound of the chair legs scraping the floor in the kitchen disturbed the silence. Cursing under his breath, he knew someone was here. Had Zander found their hiding spot already?
“Stay in bed,” he told Ashley before sliding out and grabbing his jeans. He silently pulled them up his legs, over his boxer shorts, and zipped the front. He reached for his Glock inside the drawer of the nightstand.
Frightened eyes watched him as she clutched the blankets to her chin. He tiptoed to the door and quietly turned the knob until it clicked open. Slowly, he pulled the door open, keeping his ears trained on whoever was downstairs. The alarm hadn’t gone off, which surprised him since he remembered turning it on before they went to bed. Whoever was here must be an expert with turning off alarm systems.
Footsteps crept up the first set of stairs. Then a thump and scrape. The intruder grumbled.
“Harvey, are you all right?” a woman asked.
“Yes, dear. I just stubbed my toe.”
Squeezing his eyes closed, Hunter cussed under his breath again. What were his parents sneaking in the house at this time at night? Rotten timing! They couldn’t have possibly known their son was here with a woman in his bed.
Hunter hitched a breath and quickly shut the door, trying not to make any noise. His parents were very old-fashioned. They would have a fit if they knew Ashley was in his bed right now... and they weren’t even officially dating.
He slid his gun back into the drawer before climbing on the bed. Dropping beside Ashley, he cuddled her next to him as he pressed his mouth against her ear.
“My parents are here.”
“What?”
Her voice was louder than he’d wanted so he placed two fingers over her mouth. “Shhh... I don’t think they know we’re here. Then again, I can’t figure out why they’d be sneaking around in their own home.”
Hunter listened as their footsteps moved past his room and up the hallway to their own room. His father opened the door, and then seconds later the door clicked closed. Hunter blew out a frustrated breath.
“What are we going to do?” she asked. “Do you want me to go back to Michelle’s room so they don’t think that we... well, you know.”
His mind spun with ideas of what he could tell his parents, but he knew they wouldn’t understand. He’d only known Ashley a little over a day, and yet here they were getting very cozy in his bed. His parents wouldn’t think very highly of her, and he definitely wanted them to like her.
Cupping her face, he smiled into her shadowed eyes. “My parents are very old-fashioned, so having you here in the house with me will shock them no matter what room you’re staying in. However, I think I have an idea of how to ease their minds and not give them a heart attack when they see us together.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m going to tell them we’re engaged.”
She chuckled, and then it turned into a laugh.
He quickly placed his mouth over hers to quiet her, and it worked. She kissed him sweetly before pulling back.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that the suggestion was funny, but—”
“But it is, I know. We’ve only known each other a little over twenty-four hours, but they don’t need to know that. I can tell them we’ve been dating for a few months now, and I popped the question last night.”
She stroked his cheek and shook her head. “But I don’t have a ring. Why would you pop the question without giving me a ring?”
He grumbled. She was right, darn it! He scrambled through the cobwebs of his mind to figure out what they could do. And then he remembered. He did have a ring!
He quickly left the bed, dimmed the light, and hurried to his grandfather’s jewelry box that had been passed to him after his grandparents died six years ago. When he found his grandmother’s ring, he grinned widely. With this piece of jewelry on Ashley’s finger, his parents would definitely think he really loved Ashley enough to give her this ring.
Hurrying back to the bed, he then flopped on his stomach down beside her and held out the ring. “Here, try this on. Let’s hope it fits.”
“Where did you get that?”
“It’s my grandmother’s ring.”
“Did you take it from her?”
He chuckled. “No, silly. I inherited it.” He grasped her left hand to slip it on, but she jerked her hand away and shook her head.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
She rolled her eyes. “Because I’m a little old-fashioned, too. You’re doing it the wrong way.”
He studied her expression, not knowing how to read her right now. “Seriously?”
“I’m serious.” She pointed to the floor. “Get down on one knee.”
Now he could see the humor on her face, but he didn’t hesitate to climb off the bed, pulling her with him. Once she stood in front of him, he knelt on one knee and took hold of her hand.
“Ashley Reynolds –”
“Lynn.”
His thoughts stumbled to a halt. “What?”
“My middle name is Lynn.”
He grinned and started over. “Ashley Lynn Reynolds, will you...” He paused, not really wanting his first ever proposal to be lame. He wanted it to be romantic. It didn’t matter if this wasn’t real, he felt that he needed to do it right.
He cleared his throat. “Ashley, I know we’ve only known each other a short time, but you’ve captured my heart faster than anyone I’ve ever known. When you’re not near me, I feel lost. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life feeling that way. I want to spend my life loving you and making you happy. Ashley, will you marry me and share my world with me?”
The humor had disappeared from her face, and her throat constricted in what must have been a hard swallow. She stared into his eyes for the longest time, and then dropped her gaze to the ring he held out for her.
She licked her lips. “Yes, Hunter, I will marry you.”
His heart burst with the thrill of the moment. Was she playacting? In fact, was he? But maybe it was not the time to ask. That would come later, after they caught the bad guys and they examined their relationship more closely.
He slid the ring on her fourth finger, and remarkably, it fit perfectly. Strange, how he’d always thought she was perfect, even when he thought she’d been involved with his sister’s murder.
Taking her hands in his, he stood in front of her. Their gazes were locked, and his heartbeat hammered out the craziest rhythm. Why had this seemed so real? And worse... why did he hope it was?
ELEVEN
Ashley sat at the kitchen table with her hand near her plate, staring at the gorgeous white-gold ring on her finger. It wasn’t the impressive large diamond crowned in the middle that had her amazed; it was the twelve other smaller diamonds embedded in swirling artistic carvings on both sides of the ring. Hunter had said the ring was called Cupid’s Engagement, which was why his grandfather had popped the question on Valentine’s Day.
Hunter hummed while he stood by the stove cooking breakfast. His parents must have brought some food with them last night. The scent of pancakes and bacon filled the air, and Ashley’s stomach grumbled with hunger.
Last night had been a nightmare-turned dream. That was the only way to explain what had happened. She should be upset with him for lying to her, and part of her still was. The other part of her heart sang with unexpected happiness, although she shouldn’t take it so seriously. He hadn’t really proposed just the way she’d always dreamed about. Yet, Hunter had done it all in fun, just as she’d encouraged him to do when she told him to propose the right way. Little did she know how much her heart would be affected by his romantic proposal. Now she felt so silly – and foolish. She really needed to stop acting so twitter-pated, and concentrate on how hurt and angry she’d been when she’d discovered he’d lied to her.
Hunter moved by her side and knelt on one knee while taking hold of her hand. He wore such a carefree expression today she didn’t know what he was thinking. But so far the tone of his voice had been playful. She tried to act the same, but her mind – and heart – still buzzed with so many different emotions.
“Okay, so when my parents come down for breakfast,” he began with a twinkle in his eyes, “I’ll introduce you as my fiancée. We’ve known each other for about a year, but we’ve only been dating for the past three months.”
She nodded, but her voice wouldn’t work right now.
“I’m sure my parents won’t know your family, so we won’t lie to them about where you were raised and who your father is.”
She nodded again.
His tender gaze moved over her face, and gradually brown blended with the blue in his eyes. She knew what that meant. The rhythm of her heart quickened.
“You don’t have to be afraid.” He kissed the back of her hands. “We’ll convince them.” His gaze dropped to the ring on her finger. He ran the pad of his thumb across it. “This really looks good on you.”
Confusion twisted in her heart. Why did he say that? He couldn’t possibly have fallen in love with her in just a day and a half. “Your grandmother was one lucky woman to have been able to wear it for so long. It’s a beautiful ring,” she managed to say with a tight throat.
“Exactly. This is the perfect ring for my perfect, beautiful lady.”
His words warmed her heart, but she didn’t dare believe them. The fight they’d had yesterday was still fresh on her mind – amongst other things – and she wondered if he was still pouring on the sweetness just so that she would tell him what he wanted to know. And he was trying to earn her trust again.
The only thing she could do was try to build an ice wall around her heart so he didn’t hurt her again. “Hunter, you are too free with your words.” She patted his cheek. “Save them for when your parents are here so they’ll believe you.”
