Gone.
Vanquished.
Bye-bye.
I took joy in the small victories.
As I entered the building, I nodded to Arnold, who sat at the front desk.
“Evening, Ms. Wales. I see we have a new tenant.”
“Hey, Arnold. Yes, the team has a new consultant.”
He gave an approving smile. “That’s progress. Hopefully, he’ll be able to keep those hellions under control.”
“Here’s to hoping.”
I liked Arnold. He was in his late fifties, with silver hair and an easy smile. Since I’d come to Kentucky, we’d gotten to know each other in our brief, daily encounters. He had a lovely family, including an adorable four-month-old granddaughter, and loved to share pictures. When I saw pictures of his daughter, I wondered if I was ever meant for that type of life with a husband and children. Business was my life. I had no idea how I would navigate an actual boyfriend.
Later. I’ll think about it later. Focus on the job.
“Night, Arnold.”
“Night, ma’am.”
I walked to my apartment, tense from my head to my toes. It occurred to me that the fitness center was still open for a few hours. Maybe a quick run would clear my mind and help me sleep. I needed some sort of release. With no fuck buddy and my vibrator packed in some unopened box, physical activity would have to suffice. Something that would wear me out so I could get a decent night’s sleep.
My unit was at the end of the hallway with four other units to the left of the main desk.. Nothing looked different as I passed the other units. Hopefully Hunter was at the opposite end of the building.
I opened the door and entered my boring apartment. Boxes still lined the beige walls. The place really needed some color. And at some point, I needed to unpack. Hell, I’d hardly slept since I arrived. One box a day. That was my new goal—starting tomorrow. It would be easier that way, and before I knew it, I’d be moved in.
I quickly changed into my workout shorts and tank top and headed to the back of the apartments. As I approached the glass doors, I stopped short, cursing my luck. It was nearly ten. The place should have been deserted.
Why, cruel world? Why me? What have I done to deserve this punishment?
Hunter sat on a bench in the gym, shirtless, his profile to me. He had earbuds in and was clearly focused on his workout. Leaning forward, he curled a weight that was probably heavier than I was. The tattoos on his arm shifted with each movement, and I may have drooled a little bit. I wiped my mouth, hoping I hadn’t.
Walk away, Kendall. Walk away now.
I was rooted in place as I stared, taking in everything about him. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. After another set, he put the weights down and moved to a bar where he proceeded to do one armed pull-ups. How is that even possible? I’d never seen this done in real life. No wonder he’d been able to jump that fence at his ranch.
Hunter switched arms, and have mercy on me, I thought I might die on the spot. His abs were like a washboard. I’d have bet I could crack an egg on them.
Bang!
I dropped to me knees and lifted my hands as pain radiated through my face. My worst nightmare had just come to life. How did I walk into the glass door? The cleaners must have cleaned really well.
I was afraid to open my eyes.
From the tingles on my skin, I knew Hunter Owens was staring at me.
Kill. Me. Now.
8
Hunter
Hearing a noise I turned and saw Kendall back away from the glass door and drop to the floor.
“Shit!” I whispered as I grabbed my stuff and made my way out of the gym. To my surprise, Kendall was crawling along the floor, apparently uninjured. With a smile, I leaned against the wall and watched her attempt to make her escape.
“Whatcha doing?”
She stopped, then began to run her hands along the floor as if looking for something.
“I dropped a… um… my contact! I dropped my contact.”
She was something else. One minute I wanted to strangler her, the next I wanted to drag her into my arms and kiss her.
“Your contact?”
“Yes, my contact. You know, the little things that help visually impaired people see better.”
I couldn’t help but notice she was slowly making her way back toward the apartments. She was dressed like she’d been planning to work out. Her shorts were riding up her ass just enough to cause my imagination to get the best of me.
Fuck, if she didn’t get up soon, I was going to do something I might regret. Instead, I reached for her arm and helped her up. My heart stopped when I saw that she was bleeding.
“Damn it, Kendall. Your nose is bleeding.”
She reached up, touched her nose, and then flinched. Drawing her fingers back, she stared at the blood on her hand. “Oh, wow. I hit it pretty hard.”
“Come on, let’s see if we can get that bleeding under control.”
Kendall seemed to be in shock because for the first time since I’d met her, she was silent. And she was willingly allowing me to lead her back to the apartment the team had provided me.
I stopped at my door, where I took out the keys Amber had gi
ven me.
“This is your apartment? This one?”
She looked so confused, and for a moment, I began to wonder if Amber had given me the wrong apartment.
“Yes. Why?”
Kendall looked panicked, but she pulled herself together fast. This woman had a will of steel. “It appears we’re neighbors.”
With a smirk, I leaned in closer to her, ready to say something that would surely have me fired for sexual harassment. She held her breath, as if waiting for my response.
“Sit down and let me look at your nose.”
Her body relaxed, and if I hadn’t been looking, I would have missed the flash of disappointment on her face.
She sat down in the large leather chair as I assessed her nose. Good thing this place had come furnished or she’d be sitting on the floor.
“Lean your head forward, and let me pinch your nose.”
She gave me a weak smile. “I take it you’ve done this a time or two?”
“Yes, but mostly for football players, not for women who walk into glass doors.”
Her cheeks flushed, but she shifted her eyes away. The sight of her blush made my body jerk in reaction.
What can I do to make her flush like that again?
Kiss her? Tell her how I can make her come with the softest touch of my fingers? Maybe my mouth, too.
Shit. Stop this, Hunter.
“Your eyes—they’re so dark.”
Her words were nothing but a whisper. We stared at each other for a good minute before I pulled my hand away.
“I’ll get you some ice. It looks like you’re getting a knot on your forehead, too.”
Kendall simply nodded and placed her fingers where mine had been. As I walked into the kitchen, I shook my hand to get the damn thing to stop tingling. The moment I’d touched her and helped her up, it had felt like my entire body had come to life.
You need a good fuck, Hunter. That’s all.