I force my gaze onto my own meal. If I don’t stop thinking about sex, we won’t even make it to the rear of the plane. I’ll end up throwing her down onto the floor and taking her right in the aisle.
“I do,” I answer, seeing no point in lying to her.
“How long have you been hunting me?”
Hunting…that’s actually the perfect term for it. “Six years.”
“That long. I thought you saw me on my birthday. That’s when my brother put me up for sale, you know.”
“I didn’t know.” I set down my knife and fork so I can study her properly. None of my reports indicated that he was accepting suitors at that time. He has turned down a multitude of offers in the past, which led to my belief he had rather impure thoughts about his own sister.
“He didn’t come out and say it, but I knew when I was being put on display. It was an expensive night and he’d never spent anything on me.” She plucks at her dress. “This outfit and the one that I wore at my birthday are the nicest things I’ve ever owned. Whenever Garrick spends money on me, he expects a return.” She gives me a pointed look which I decide to ignore.
“You went to a private boarding school and a very expensive private college,” I remind her.
“Sure, but that doesn’t mean I had nice things. In fact, everyone at school had expensive clothes and purses and stuff, but Garrick didn’t want to waste the money on me. He said it wasn’t worth it since no one of value would see me.”
I’d missed that. In the reports I received, it hadn’t occurred to me that I should see purchases of things other than school uniforms, books, and school supplies. It does make sense, though, that he began receiving offers of marriage after the party. I’d thought it was because she was finally eighteen.
“Your brother turned them all down.”
“It terrifies me that you know all of this,” she says, popping another piece of meat into her mouth. She looks as far from fearful as a person could possibly be.
“I don’t know everything about you.”
“Really? I don’t think that’s possible. You know I like horseradish with my steak, for crying out loud.” She jabs her fork in the direction of the ceramic compote holding the condiment.
“You tended to order the same things whenever you were out with your friends,” I reply.
“Stalker.”
“Not me, personally, but, yes, I had you followed.” I was protecting my investment. No one was going to take what I’d claimed as mine.
“That’s creepy, Hunter.”
I glance at her plate, which is almost empty. “You don’t seem disturbed by it. At least, your appetite is unaffected.”
“Well, a girl’s got to eat. Besides, it doesn’t change the past if I stay mad about it. I knew Garrick would sell me off eventually.” She shrugs as if being used as a bartering tool seems normal to her.
Perhaps it does. “There is one mystery.”
“Oh, what’s that?” She dabs her last bit of meat into the horseradish before eating it.
“How did you manage to survive your brother?”
Chapter 10
Rose
“Who said I’ve survived?” I answer.
Hunter gives a small jerk at my answer. I’m not sure if he’s surprised or shocked by it. I take the last bite of steak. I don’t know how it’s possible but I’ve just had the best prime rib of my life served to me on a plane. It could be that life is tasting a little different right now. Either way, it’s wonderful.
“You’re mine now. Not his.” I’m not sure if he’s saying that to remind me or to reassure himself.
“Because he agreed? Who knows how this will go? My brother always finds a way to get what he wants.”
Everyone kept saying he wanted me. Was I missing the signs? My dealings with men were only ever under the watchful eye of my brother. I was never allowed to have private interactions with any man that wasn’t him. Now I am navigating my time with Hunter on my own. For all I know I’ll be back with Garrick next week.
It reminds me that I should live in the moment. You never know what is going to come. I am going to enjoy every second that I am away from Garrick. I am going to Rome, I have gotten rid of that curse of a last name and I have a sexy as hell new husband.
My body has also decided to have a mind of its own when it comes to Hunter and I have no intention of trying to convince it otherwise. My new husband is on the top of the list of things I need to do to live my life. Whether this relationship lasts a day, a month, or a year, I will make each moment count before Hunter tires of me or Garrick gets his claws back into me.