Chapter Seven
Hunter
I left Saylor to herself for an hour. She needed to work, and what that entailed was none of my business. Still, I hated the idea of her putting her whole life out there for the world and all of its haters and trolls to see.
I had my own backlog of work so I settled on the couch, scanning emails and making calls, bitching to my staff that I was supposed to be on vacation and couldn’t they leave me the fuck alone? Through it all, I doubt a minute passed when I wasn’t distracted by the thought of a woman I found astonishingly attractive being in a bedroom just along the hall.
Nothing like the allure of something you can’t have to make it pull up a chair in the forefront of your mind.
Except, was that really the case here?
I was a problem solver, but where Saylor was concerned, I was tired of breaking it down—Rex, Matt, cousins, exes, friends. In truth, they didn’t matter in this equation. This was between Saylor and me. I shoved my laptop to one side and headed along the hallway.
The house had six bedrooms and even more bathrooms. As far as luxury rentals in the area went, this was one of the best, and I was certain it would prove itself a good investment for our company. But tonight I’d rather be staying in something small, more personal, less space. Less opportunity for Saylor to hide away from me.
Soft light leaked from around her bedroom door which was open a few inches. I leaned against the doorjamb and watched her on the bed, cross-legged in a nest of pillows, surrounded by devices. Laptop, phone, camera, and the juxtaposition of a low-tech pencil she chewed, nose screwed up as her fingers rapped in staccato clicks on the laptop keys.
I had the focus of an obsessed stalker. Every movement she made fascinated me. I could smell the faint traces of perfume and the distinct scent of Saylor that added texture to the air. I filled my lungs with her, my body reacting every time I was near her. I still tasted her kiss over the salty, sweet chocolate we’d shared and it made me want to share all of me with all of her.
Shifting from view, I leaned against the wall, pulled out my cell, tapped a message and hit send.
—What are you wearing?—
I heard her phone chime immediately, but I was forced to breathe through a minute before she responded.
—La Perla babydoll. Matching briefs. You?—
—Same. Except my briefs don’t match. They’re blue. The BD is pink—
Her chuckle reached me in the hallway. We were both lying. She was wearing sweatpants and a tight little T-shirt that didn’t quite cover the smooth skin of her stomach. I typed my next message.
—Do you always kiss and run?—
—Only when I’m attracted to the man I shouldn’t have kissed—
—Is this the same guy you just made hard by telling him you’re wearing sexy lingerie?—
—Yeah, that’s him. Have you seen him around?—
This time I laughed.
[…]
—I need to stay away from him—
—He needs to stay away from you, too—
—Why?—
Fuck. This was the turning point. Step away or dive right in. I forced all thoughts of Matt and Rex out of my head.
—Because when he’s around her all he thinks about are the dirty things he wants to do to her—
I hit send and waited.
—Same—
My chest tightened. That she felt the same made me both relieved and agitated.