Free i d236ce2fd225c71c by Zamzar Page A

expected to break down. I’d planned to yell, if need be. Not whimper.
    I couldn’t help it, though. What I had said was true. I was scared. I needed him. I wouldn’t lose anything by letting him know it.
    “I need you to be a man, Hunter. I need you to be my man, and not go running at the first small issue we come across. Because there will be many more things that remind you of your past. I’m sure
    of it. Are you going to fly off the handle for all of those?”
    I tried to regain my hard stare. Instead, I had soggy eyes and a trembling lip. So much for the
    tough-girl approach.
    Hunter sagged a fraction. He lowered his eyes to his desk. With a small shake of his head, he
    stood slowly and came around the desk. When he reached me, without a word, he pulled me into his
    hard chest. “This isn’t easy for me to let go of,” he said in clipped tones. “I am swinging between
    wanting to walk away from you to save myself eventual pain, and locking you up so I don’t have to
    worry about someone else getting you. I realize both of those things are ridiculous, but do you see
    how an innocent encounter morphs into a disaster? All I hear is that I’m not the father. That it was all a lie.”
    “It’s yours, Hunter. I’ll repeat it as often as I have to. Seriously, Jonathan was just trying to get a job. He wanted to meet us both to chat. It’s you he’s after. I need to be jealous of him running off with you, not the other way around.”
    I felt a tiny squeeze. “I wanted to kill him. Still do. Stay away from him, Olivia. I can’t be rational where this is concerned. There’s too much at stake.”
    “I was already trying to stay away from him. Kimberly didn’t know he’d be there. She didn’t
    know he was with Tera, either. The whole thing was weird, actually. But you have nothing to worry
    about.”
    “And the beer?”
    “I tried to order a Sprite. I was distracted by Jonathan wanting to tell you some ideas he thought
    you’d be into. Before you jump at it, he has a job. He’d be willing to hear your offer, though. Just so you know.”
    I felt another squeeze. “I’ll have to go with you to these meetups. Make sure they know not to
    pressure you.”
    I thrilled at the idea. “You don’t need to be overprotective, but hanging out with my friends might
    be nice. Having a life isn’t just a young man’s game, Hunter.”
    “I need to try harder, is that what you’re saying?”
    No, it wasn’t. But if that was what he took from it, I wasn’t going to say boo!
    “I’ll arrange it,” Hunter said softly.
    “You don’t have to arrange a meetup. You need to loosen up. I’ll just call Kimberly and see what
    she’s up to next time you take an hour away from work. No biggie.”
    “I saw that your game is still on top. Congratulations.”
    Ah. The ol’ diversion technique. He was going to arrange it anyway.
    I decided not to push. One thing at a time. “Yes. I saw the latest terrible review before I came in
    here. It’s a doozy.”
    “You shouldn’t look at reviews. It won’t help you.”
    “Some might. The critical ones.”
    “You’ll dwell. It won’t do you any good. There isn’t a single game in the charts with that high of a rating. What you designed is working. When did you plan to develop new levels?”
    I leaned my forehead against Hunter’s chest. “I’ll start working on it tonight.”
    I expected Hunter to remind me about my forthcoming decision, but he just stood and held me
    silently. It was louder than if he’d uttered the words.
    I ran my hand up his chest and angled my face to him. His came down immediately, connecting his
    lips with mine. I fell into the kiss, into the solid warmth around me, his firm touch. My body heated up.
    Before I knew what I was doing, I had his jacket halfway off.
    “Are you sure?” he asked with a heady voice.
    I hadn’t seen any more evidence of danger, and the doctor had given me the go-ahead shortly after
    I was discharged. It was a green