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He leaned in and kissed her mouth, sucking on her lower lip in a way that made her quiver. Good God, where had he learned that? “As long as you’re in my bed tonight when I come home, you can have as many parties as you want.”
“I’ll be there,” she told him breathlessly, and collapsed in her chair when he gave her a scorching look and headed out the door.
Gretchen stared after him long after he’d disappeared, then glanced at the clock. How many hours until bedtime? Too many.
***
Reese threw his cards down on the table in disgust. “I’m out.”
Hunter’s mouth curved into one of his rare smiles, and he raked the chips on the table toward him. “You should have stayed.”
Reese shook his head. “I can’t read you tonight. You’re being . . . weird.”
“Weird?” Griffin’s cultured voice cut through the smoky haze in the Brotherhood’s meeting room. He put down his cigar and peered at Hunter. “Weird like how?”
“I don’t know,” Reese said bluntly. He tossed back his drink and then shook his head. “I can’t put my finger on it. It’s different.”
“He’s happy,” Cade said.
All eyes turned to the blond man. Cade shrugged, grinning. “I’ve seen him smile twice tonight. He doesn’t scowl when someone suggests something, and he’s actually participated in every conversation and not all of it about business. He’s happy.”
At his side, Logan turned and stared at his friend.
Hunter ignored him, picking the cards up off the table and shuffling. He handed the deck over to Jonathan. “Your deal.” He kept his voice gruff, even though he was pretty sure his face was burning with embarrassment. Was he that obvious?
He glanced over at Jonathan. The other man was chewing on his cigar, his brow creased as if something troubled him. He shuffled and then tossed a chip into the center pile. “Everyone ante up.”
Jonathan didn’t look in Hunter’s direction. Good.
Hunter glanced over at Logan, his oldest friend. Logan was staring at him with a suspicious gaze.
“What?”
Logan’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?” He tossed his chip into the center of the table and picked up a card that Jonathan threw his way. “Cade’s right. You’re downright cheerful.”
He frowned at Logan. “You’re one to talk. How’s Brontë?”
A grin flashed across Logan’s face. “In a state of crisis. She’s trying to take classes and expand her reading charity at the same time.” He picked another card up off the table and couldn’t keep the satisfied grin off his face. “And she keeps complaining that I won’t let her get any sleep.”
Hunter’s lips twitched with amusement. Brontë had a remarkably stubborn streak when it came to Logan’s bulldozing ways, and it was a good thing. The tiny woman would never let him walk all over her like he did his business partners, and it was good to see Logan so completely confounded and besotted and happy.
“It’s a woman, isn’t it?” Logan said quietly to Hunter. “That redhead you asked Brontë about. Greta?”
“Gretchen,” Hunter corrected, and then couldn’t hide his smile. “She’s the sister of your assistant.”
“Audrey has a sister?” Logan looked surprised, then recognition dawned. “Ah, right, the one Brontë stayed with for a time. Brontë likes her quite a bit.” His tone implied that anyone that Brontë liked, Logan approved of.
“She has two sisters,” Cade added. “Daphne lives out in LA.”
Hunter glanced at Cade. “You know them?”
Cade downed his drink, then shrugged. “Old family friends. We go back to childhood. You in on this hand?”
Hunter barely glanced at his cards, then tossed a few chips on the pile, feeling reckless. “Gretchen wants me to invite a few friends over,” he admitted in a gruff voice. “A party of some kind.”
“Does this mean we’re all invited?” Reese asked with a cocky grin.
“No,” Hunter said with a scowl.
