“So men and women can’t be friends because of your need to publicly urinate?”
“Last time we were diving, Derek sliced his hand on a coral reef. We tossed him electrical tape to wrap around his hand to keep the cut shut and went back for another dive. He probably needed a stitch or two, but if he’d gone to the hospital, we would’ve called him a pussy for a month.”
“And if I was diving with you, you wouldn’t toss me electrical tape?”
“Nope. Would take you to the hospital for stitches.”
“What if I didn’t want to go for stitches?”
“Wouldn’t give you a choice. You get hurt, I’m gonna take care of you.”
“But you won’t take care of your best friend, Derek?”
Hunter smirked. “Nope.”
“You’re really a chauvinist, you know?”
“Taking care of a woman is being a gentleman.”
“Not when you do it because you think your sex is superior and the woman can’t take care of herself.”
“Didn’t say that. You cut your hand, I’m sure you can get yourself to the ER for stitches. But I’d want to take you, nonetheless.”
I sipped my drink and smirked. “Chauvinist.”
Hunter leaned in. “Bet you can give yourself an orgasm. But I’d rather be the one to take you there with my mouth. Does that make me a chauvinist, too?”
The thought of him going down on me had me squirming in my seat, chauvinist or not. Of course, he couldn’t be a gentleman and let it go unnoticed. Instead, a dirty smile curled at the corners of his sinful mouth.
I was glad the waitress appeared and interrupted. Despite my protest, Hunter paid the bill and then held out his hand.
“Come on, I’m taking you home and coming in while that asshole Damon fixes your sink.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Give me this gentlemanly act since you won’t let me have the one I’d really prefer to do for you.”
Chapter 16
Natalia
Turned out I didn’t need to call Damon when I got home. Because the asshole was sitting on my couch when I unlocked the front door.
Startled, I jumped back. Hunter, who was close behind me, caught me and immediately shifted so I was behind him.
Every muscle in his body tensed as he growled, “Who the fuck are you?” Hunter was not a man I’d want to meet in a dark alley.
Damon stood and glared right back. “Damon Valente. Who the fuck are you?”
I squeezed H
unter’s shoulder. “It’s fine. This is Damon. I just didn’t expect him to be in the house.”
Hunter responded to me by speaking to Damon. “He shouldn’t be. How’d you get in here?”
Damon was such a smug asshole. “I own the building. We have keys to all the apartments. Who is this guy, Nat?”
Feeling the need to diffuse the situation, I stepped back in front of Hunter and tried to play it off. “This is Hunter Delucia.”