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I nodded and let out a long, slow sigh. Why couldn’t I have fallen for a guy like Bobby? He was a big oaf of a man, just like Jasper. Beautiful and deadly, but he was a nice guy, a good guy who probably wouldn’t leave me heartbroken.
“You too. And I am really glad to see you back on American soil.”
“Same, babe.” With a kiss to my forehead, Bobby’s long legs ate up the path to his bright orange hummer. He jumped inside the machine with ease, a double tap on the horn signaling his departure as I made my way to Hulu, feeling even more exhausted after that short exchange.
Hulu flashed a wide grin as he held the back door open. “That was a big motherfucker,” he said, hoping to dig for more information.
“That big motherfucker is Bobby, a friend on leave from the Marines.”
“Just a friend, huh?” Hulu’s knowing look in the rearview mirror put a smile on my lips, and I shrugged.
“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.” I knew what all the guys thought of me, and I kept a level of distance between us, so they didn’t get too familiar.
“Strange.” Hulu started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot, driving carefully as he made his way to the hotel. “I always thought you had a thing for Jasper.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at his words, his all-seeing gaze. “Yeah, well. We’re all entitled to be stupid about one person in our lives. That’s the rule, isn’t it?”
“Is it? I guess I haven’t found that woman for me yet.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his over-confident tone. “A guy like you will definitely find her. And you will be extra stupid over her, I’m sure.”
“Thanks?” Hulu’s deep rumbling laughter put me at ease as I sank into the leather seat.
“Anytime. But hey, don’t say anything to Jasper, yeah?” The last thing I needed was for anyone to mention to him that I might be feeling anything other than cock hungry. Things were complicated enough with the baby, and I hadn’t even figured out if or when I would let him in on that little fact. I didn’t need the drama of my heart’s greatest desire added to the mix.
“Your secret is safe with me,” Hulu assured me, locking his lips and tossing the key out the window. “But you’re such a badass, I’m surprised you haven’t tried to shoot your shot yet.”
I shrugged and stared out at the starry sky as we rolled through traffic. “It would be pointless. A guy like that with a girl like me? Never gonna happen. I mean, I love a good nineties rom-com as much as the next girl, but that’s not real life.”
“Maybe not, but every fucking day around the world, people fall in love, and you know what? It surprises them. Terry and Kat finally got together after years of pretending they hated one another. Best friend’s little sister, that’s like a whole romance subgenre, ain’t it?”
I laughed and shook my head. “You read romance, Hulu?”
“No, but I love women, and they love romance.”
“That’s because we love the fantasy. It’s not real, just a way to get lost in a happy ending for a little while. The problem comes when you start to believe that the big bad alpha is going to wake up one day and realize you’re the girl of his dreams, and you’ve been there all along.”
Even saying the words sarcastically made my heart stand up and take notice. It was what I wanted most, deep down in my heart of hearts. But that didn’t make it real, and that sure as shit didn’t improve my chances of it becoming a reality.
“Bullshit,” Hulu spat the word at me, glancing at me in the rearview mirror at a red light. “People fall in love all the damn time; with people they thought didn’t see them or didn’t think of them that way. Know what I think? You’re scared.”
Hell yeah, I was scared. The last man I trusted betrayed me in a way I didn’t even know was possible. Now, I felt a little sick whenever I heard a doorknob twist. Trust wasn’t easily earned, and as much as I loved Jasper, I wasn’t all that sure I trusted him either.
“Maybe I am, but scared people are diligent and diligent people stay alive.”
A knowing expression flashed on Hulu’s face, but he didn’t comment, just gave the nod of those who had a shared experience of hell. He didn’t know what my particular hell was, and I didn’t know his, but we had both been there, survived it, and carried our scars as souvenirs.
“That they do.”
I knew I had a lot to think about where Jasper was concerned, mainly if I would tell him that his baby was growing inside of me.
