“How’d you do this?” Hunter asked me, his eyes wide with surprise and…pride? “Are you okay?”
I nodded, not sure I could speak yet without sounding like a total idiot. I shifted my focus down and sure enough there was that damn lipstick again. The girl that’d been pawing him wore enough that it was no wonder it’d bled on Hunter’s light blue t-shirt.
I pulled my sleeves down out of habit, fully knowing my scars didn’t show, but still. It was like they flared up at the stupidest times.
“Hey, you sure you’re okay?”
“Happy…Valentine’s Day.” I finally squeaked out. This hadn’t gone as I’d planned, that’s for sure.
“You, too.” He glanced around. “You…did this for me?”
I nodded and glanced around him at Drey and the woman. He was walking with her toward the bar, but the woman wouldn’t stop staring at Hunter…and me. “Who is that?”
He waved his hand at them. “Sarah. She’s wasted and very gropey when drunk. Sorry you had to see that.”
“She’s beautiful.” I bit my bottom lip a little harder to try and snap my brain out of this Negative Nellie spiral it started sliding down.
“She’s not even in the same stratosphere as you.” He stepped forward. “Can I kiss you? You look beautiful.”
I looked up at him and smiled. He pressed his mouth to mine, and I positioned my palms on his chest—one of my favorite things to do.
“You’re wearing your kick ass boots.” He smiled.
“Am I going to have to kick that girl’s ass?”
“She’s so wasted you could sneeze hard, and she’d fall over. Sorry you had to see that. She’s a little out of control.”
“I’d say.” I squeeze his pecs, and he flexed, which was another thing I loved. “She’s into you.”
“Yeah.” He kissed my forehead. “But I’m into you.”
I claimed his lips with a little more force than I’d planned, but he went with it, instantly opening for me. Hunter was mine. I was worthy of him. Sarah was nothing. Seeing them together had been nothing but bad timing.
Hunter was mine. He’d never hurt me.
“I’m tasting candy corn,” he whispered.
“Ate the last of it today, but I’m not sure we’re going to find anymore during Valentine’s Day season.” I laughed.
“I can’t believe you’re here. This issweet.” His face glowed. “Let me introduce you around?”
I nodded. It seemed so strange that such a big, macho guy was fawning over a girl like this in front of everyone. I’d always pictured guys as stoic, holding a tight rein on their emotions like my dad and the few guys I’d known before the attack. Not Hunter. He freely held me and kissed me as if he didn’t care who saw. As if he were proud to.
Hunter truly did treasure me.
“Hey, Sam, this is my Lina.” Hunter knuckle bumped the guy. He was tall, had a pierced nose and shaved head and was sporting some serious ink along the neck.
“Good on ya, mate,” he winked at me as he spoke to Hunter. “She’s a corker.”
Hunter nodded and tugged me along the bar to the other end where a girl was mixing drinks. She had long, stick-straight black hair so dark it held a hue of blue, but there was a streak of hot pink through her bangs. “Hey, Gabriella. This is Angelina.”
“What’s up,chica??”
I smiled at her and said, “Nada mucho.”
She smiled and said, “Buenas noches.”
“Wait, you know Spanish?” Hunter turned me toward him.