His eyes flashed dangerously, and he kissed her again, slowly and maddeningly raw. She broke off with a whimpering gasp, the only sort of noise she could make. Hunter layered her jaw with grazing kisses, then brushed his lips across her earlobe. She shivered, his hand moving from her face to her waist, pulling her tight into him. Mal kept her eyes closed, though her eyelids twitched and fluttered with the rest of her.
“Nothing about this is a one-time thing,” he growled into her ear, breathless and panting a little. “Nothing.”
“Even the pantry bit?” she managed to quip, finding her voice at last.
His low laugh sent a ripple through her. “Especially the pantry bit.”
She slid her hands around his waist under his blazer and cleared her throat again. “Better make it worth my while, then. We’ve only got a few minutes, and I need something to tell the others when they find out.”
Hunter made a noise of amusement and appreciation. “Tell them to use their imaginations.”
And then, still smiling, he kissed her again.
Feeling much better about life in general, Hunter walked into the entertainment room at the lodge. It was already mostly filled, and the first group was ready to go on. He hadn’t thought that Jenna and Tom would have included the events at the resort into their extravaganza schedule, but when he’d shown them the calendar, they had both insisted that the live music and karaoke night be part of their package. He didn’t mind, not at all, and it would give the tourists and locals something to talk about, when they were permitted to. He really enjoyed spending time with his guests and neighbors.
Mal was on one side of the room with Taryn and Dan, giving direction. He wouldn’t distract her. Not again. She looked over at him and seemed to lose her train of thought. He smiled and inclined his head, but made no move to go toward her. He saw the flash of relief and pleasure, and she returned his smile, then went back to work as if nothing had happened. He wasn’t entirely sure what was going on between them, but he was enjoying it.
He headed to the table where the rest of the group was, ordered a drink from one of three waiters floating around, and settled in to enjoy what was destined to be an entertaining, if not at times downright hilarious, evening.
The first group turned out to be a folksy bluegrass ensemble that was really quite good, and the crowd enjoyed it. They were followed by a number of fair but fun karaoke numbers from various audience members, and then a truly stirring young man with an acoustic guitar.
Hunter saw Sophie furiously texting away on her phone during and after that one, which was a clear indication of his talent. Her father was one of the biggest names in the music industry and, while Sophie didn’t inherit his taste or his ears, she knew what he liked and looked for.
During the intermission, the wedding group mingled again and warmed up to the idea of participating. Hunter glanced at Mal, who was at the end of the table, camera in her lap for the moment. She rolled her eyes once and folded her open cardigan closer around her, as if settling in. Taryn, meanwhile, was poring over the karaoke list, and Dan was shaking his head at her.
There was an interesting family dynamic between those three, and Hunter liked what he saw. Mal was not what he would call a people person, and she was struggling to reconnect with her family while maintaining her self-image and allowing for their wealthier eccentricities. She’d never talked to him about it, and he wasn’t sure she would, but he could see it.
He pulled out his phone and texted her quickly.
What are you singing?
She glanced at her phone briefly, then looked up directly at him, her expression incredulous. He shrugged, and she snorted softly, shaking her head before texting him back.
You first.
He smirked but didn’t look back at her. Instead, he looked over at the stage, where three of Jenna’s bridesmaids were about to sing. It was horrible. But then, they knew it was going to be, and it was all about fun, wasn’t it?
He’d never do something this impulsive and exposing; it just wasn’t in his nature. But he could appreciate the bravery of doing so if you were serious, and the lack of inhibition if you were not.
Two more acts followed—one, a sweet duet from an older couple he’d seen at the resort every year for at least five years, and the other, a group of guys doing a fantastic a cappella rendition of “I Will Wait.” Hunter made a note of that one, signaling to his MC to get the necessary information from them. Talented and popular acts were always worth bringing back.
“Now what?” Jenna asked quietly of the table. “Who’s next?”
“Not it,” Tom answered, putting a finger on his nose, which most of the group followed.
Lucas sat forward. “I think everyone in the group should do at least one number. Call it a dare.”
That was received well with hushed voices and significant looks.
Hunter looked at Tom with a raised brow, and Tom shook his head. “Hunter has a forfeit. He runs the place.”
Lucas rolled his eyes but smiled. “Fine, fine, boss man doesn’t have to. But that means we get some wings off tab.”
Hunter grunted and shook his head with a smile. “Sure, whatever you want. So long as I’m not going up there.” He flagged down the waiter and put in an order for them.
“I think Mal should go next,” Sophie said with a sneer in her voice.
Hunter’s smile faded, and he turned to look at her in disbelief. He wasn’t alone.