AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hunter caught me, his arms around my waist, his strong hands on the small of my back.
I could feel the heat of his hands through the fabric of the borrowed shirt I was wearing.
I could smell him, bourbon and vanilla and soap and sweet clean sweat. His arm was only inches from my mouth and I wanted to lick along his skin.
Danger, danger, danger!
I leaned away from him, away from all that tempting skin. I didn’t quite break his hold, though. Instead, I struggled through my lust to try to explain myself: “The company, iss—it’s more than jussa—jussa—just a name. It’s the choices you made. The, you know. Ideas. Chuck and all those douches might’ve won control, but you could, you know. Start someshing—something fresh.”
Somehow my hand had found its way onto his arm and was stroking it. Somehow even now that I had noticed, I couldn’t stop doing it.
I sighed softly. “You could build something of your own again.”
He shook his head. “Like what? They have the bourbon recipes and brand.”
I opened my mouth, and realized I didn’t have anything to say. It did seem pretty hopeless.
I took a swig of his drink instead. His eyes followed the neck of the bottle as it pressed against my lips.
“Now that’s a good idea,” Hunter said with a small smile. He settled himself onto the grass, tugging me gently down with him and grabbing a bottle of his own. He removed his arms from around my waist to do so, and I missed them instantly. But to reach the bottle he had to put his arm around my shoulders, his weight pressing against my back for just a second. It was heaven.
He popped the cap and for a few minutes we drank in an oddly companionable silence, our hands not quite touching each other on the grass. I savored his company and this strange new peace that seemed to have fallen over us like the softest of clouds, and I savored the taste of the mystery drink; each bottle seemed to have a slightly different flavor, and this one had strong overtones of burnt sugar and apple.
“What is this stuff, anyway?” I finally asked.
“Bourbon beer,” Hunter said after swallowing. “I’ve been experimenting with it for a few years.”
I frowned, puzzled. “And what exactly is bourbon beer?”
“What it sounds like,” he said. “Beer brewed in bourbon barrels. Doesn’t affect the alcohol content, but gives it a real complex, full-bodied flavor.” He shrugged, suddenly self-conscious. “Well, it does to me anyway.”
A high-intensity halogen lightbulb went off in my head. I grabbed his hand. “Oh my God! This is it!”
Hunter looked perplexed. “This is what?”
I wanted to leap up and swing him around and around, I was so happy. “This is the new product!”
Hunter had been staring down at where my hand was touching his—and yes, that expression on his face was interesting, I was definitely going to have to come back to that later and what it really meant and if it really meant what I hoped it really meant—but at my words, his gaze jolted back up at me. His eyes widened. “You really think so?”
“Hunter,” I said, my words spilling from my mouth before I had a chance to organize them, “this thing I am drinking right now. It tastes like a beer and bourbon got married and had a beautiful baby, who married an apple and flew a caramel chariot all the way to heaven. It is amazing. It is so amazing that you could sell it with the crappiest ad campaign in the world, but with me doing it, you’re solid gold.”
That last bit made him grin, and I watched, an answering grin on my face, as I saw the excitement slowly win out over the trepidation on his. Then he squeezed my hand back. “All right. Let’s do this!”
SIX
“Aaaaand he’s back!” Martha gave a whoop of approval, and clutched at a string of imaginary pearls, pretending to swoon.
I just couldn’t stop staring.
We were back at the estate library, and Hunter had just emerged from the shower looking like his old hot self, which was to say, a Greek god that had been hitting the gym lately. His wet hair was tousled and tumbled over his ears, practically begging me to run my fingers through it. His smooth, freshly shaved cheeks demanded the same. His golden eyes glinted with fire.
His skin was still slightly wet, and his clothing clung in all the right places.
He smirked, leaning back against the bookcase. “Ladies. Contain yourselves.”
I blushed, started shuffling papers on the desk. “Stop parading around like a cologne ad model and join us, then. Martha and I have practically already figured your business plan out for you, so this is your last chance to make a real contribution.”
Hunter raised an eyebrow. “Besides brewing it?” he snarked, still smirking.
? Also By Lila Monroe
· Billionaire With a Twist 3 · Billionaire With a Twist 2 · Billionaire With a Twist · The Billionaire Bargain 3 · The Billionaire Bargain · The Billionaire Bargain 2 · The Billionaire Game 2 · The Billionaire Game · The Billionaire Bargain 3 · The Billionaire Bargain 2 ? Last Updated
