“Not exactly,” I whisper.
Hunter kisses my forehead softly. “I’m yours tonight if you want me. I’m not leaving the house. I’ll answer any question, we can watch movies, swim, whatever you want.”
“Except leave.”
He nods and kisses my temple again. “But I will give youeverything, Valerie. You’ll want for nothing. Just name what you want. Material things, experiences, my attention, anything.”
The earnestness in his eyes, the determination, all of it makes me think he’s determined to give me better than he’s had … which means he’s been in this situation. He didn’t just throw me into it lightly.
Fucking hell. “Make this okay.”
HUNTER
Ihug Valerie tightly, moving to the couch so she can cuddle against me. I stroke down the back of her neck and over her back, pressing my face to her neck before kissing her cheek. I let her hair down and feel her shiver as her sweet perfume washes over me. My mouth waters and I know I’m already starting to get hard, even though it’s inconvenient as hell.
Chase comes down, gives me a thumbs up on the computer, and leaves to deal with our father who I know is going to throw a whole fit about this. The door closes and Valerie jumps, looking over at it.
“Chase is going to deal with our father,” I say gently. “Remember that guy?”
“From what you’ve said, that’s not good.”
“We don’t necessarily want him to know about you. Not because of how … undefined this is or anything.”
“Because you’re not allowed to date? That’s why you’re still unmarried?” She strokes the hair on the back of my neck which is a one-way ticket straight to my heart. She kisses my neck softly. “I know you wouldn’t let him hurt me, Hunter. I know that.”
“Doesn’t mean you’re getting out of the safe house,” I grumble. My heart beats a little faster. I swear, she has me on a leash, complete with a collar, and she just doesn’t realize it. “And I can ensure you don’t even want to leave. Just give me an hour.”
“You’d need a whole hour?”
I groan and try to tell my cock to stay down. I’m supposed to be comforting the girl, not working her up to bed. I exhale slowly. “What do you need to accept this, sweetheart?”
“The truth.” She draws back and meets my eyes. “No sugar coating.”
“If Stefan puts a hand on you, I’ll break it. That might just start a whole family war. And trust me, he will put his hands on you.”
“I’m not all that like you guys seem to think. You know what I’m like in bed, but remember when I was just a bitch?”
“You’ve never been a bitch, Valerie. You’re sassy and sometimes prickly, but a bitch … no.”
She studies my eyes intently, but I’m not lying. I stroke over her thigh. “Stefan will want you because I have you and you are beautiful and intelligent. That’s enough reason.”
“I’m not some shiny toy!”
“Not to us you aren’t,” I agree with her. “But Stefan and I ran into each other in college. If I had it, he wanted it. He borrowed my car and just happened to crash it. Stole girls from me with pretty promises just to ruin them.”
“It’s not the forties. A girl isn’t ruined if she gets laid.”
“I’m well aware.” I hold her gaze. “It takes a special kind of woman to survive our world. Stefan didn’t take the steps necessary. Some were slandered by paparazzi. Some were called whores. He took videos of some. Never posted or anything, but … how would that knowledge hang over your head?”
Her face heats and I recognize those dilated eyes. I shake my head. “Don’t you dare get all sexual with me right now. We’re having a conversation. About something you don’t like.”
She sighs and pulls my head to her chest, stroking over my shoulders, then my arms. How is it possible for me to feel small when she’s sitting on my lap. I don’t care, I hug her. “I want to keep you safe, sweetheart. We can bond here too. I want to know your favorite movie. I want to see what you do in the kitchen. I want to see you with bedhead.”
Her heart thunders in my ear.
I squeeze her closer. “Say something.”
“How do you find a way to make house arrest sound nice?”