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“You could—” My voice gave out and I had to clear my throat to try again. It was so freaking hard to say the words, but I had to, or else the thought would nag at me forever. “If you wanted to have your family again, I wouldn’t blame you. Toby might be happier.”
“Toby’s happiness matters to me,” Hunter said. “Of course it does. But Clark, Holly and I already made the choice about what was best for Toby. Ultimately, we’re not our best selves when we’re together. We hold each other back in different ways, and the tension in our house wasn’t good for Toby. He might miss having his parents together, but he wasn’t happy. None of us were.” He exhaled. “And that doesn’t sound nearly as romantic as what I wanted to say. Damn it.”
“What did you want to say?”
“You’re the most incredible person, Clark. I’d like to say I’d put Toby first, but goddamn, all I can really say is that I’m glad you’re so good for him and I don’t have to make that choice. Holly is never going to have my heart again. It’s yours, Clark. I’m yours, if…” A hint of vulnerability entered his voice. “If you’ll still have me after all this.”
“Of course I will,” I said, touched by the raw emotion I saw in his eyes. “I love you too.”
He squeezed me tighter to him, lowering his forehead to mine. “Thank god.”
“I love Toby too, though,” I said, “and I don’t know if he’s ready for our relationship.”
“He will be.”
“Hunter, he might need some time…”
“Then we’ll give it to him.” He drew back as the song ended. “But it can’t be like this past week, where we barely spoke, okay? I need to see you. We can be respectful of Toby and give him some space, but that doesn’t mean we’re not together.”
I nodded once, unable to argue. I’d missed him too much to put up a fight. “Okay. But if he doesn’t come around…”
“He will.”
“I just need you both to be happy,” I said. “I can’t do it halfway, okay?”
“Oh, angel, you’ve already made us both so happy. Toby might need a minute to realize it, but he will. I know it. I just need you to have some faith.”
“Okay,” I said, tentative hope blooming. “I can be patient if you can.”
“Oh, I don’t know about patient.” Hunter placed a hand to my lower back and nudged me to walk with him. “Like right now? I don’t feel patient at all. Which is why we’re going to take a walk outside.”
“We are, huh?”
“Yes. We’re going to find a nice secluded dark space…”
“It’s a little chilly,” I pointed out as we stepped out the barn door.
“That’s why I’ll have to warm you up.”
With a laugh, I let him pull me around the side of the barn, press me against the rough wooden exterior, and kiss me breathless.
“How about I come over tonight?” he asked between kisses. “Holly can watch Toby.”
“Won’t he…uh—” I lost myself in another kiss. Then another. “Won’t he wonder where you are? We said we’d be discreet.”
“I’ll come up with an explanation,” he murmured. “Just say yes, Clark. Miss you so much.”
He rocked his hips against mine, how much he missed me very much evident in the hard press of his body.
“Okay, yes,” I gasped, tugging him closer. “Let’s go before I lose it right here.”
He laughed, the sound warm and smug, full of satisfaction at what he was doing to me. “Let me make sure Holly gets home. I’ll meet you at your place?”
I swallowed and nodded, my body on fire at the thought of finally having him in my bed again. “See you then.”
He pressed one more kiss to my lips. Then one more. “Damn, it’s hard to stop kissing you, Clark.”
I grinned and yanked him to me as he backed away. “Just don’t leave me waiting too long. It’s been a lonely week.”
