Pretty Prize (Rags to Riches 2)

“Do you want to share things with me? I’m not one to pry, Hunter. If it’s not the direction you want to go, I won’t force you. We can go on with the deal as it is and I’ll know where I stand.”

His face grows angry and an audible growl leaves his chest. “You mean marriage. You are not a deal to me, sweet Rose, and it makes me angry when you refer to yourself as anything but my wife.” My mouth turns up a little at his visible anger, which in turn has his doing the same.

My heart is beating at an unsteady rate with Hunter’s last declaration. I only asked the question because I needed to know that he truly wants to share the information with me. I don’t want it to be something he feels obligated to do because I am upset. Hunter looks as though his mind is working overtime. I rephrase my question in hopes that it will do the trick.

“I want you to share things with me because you want to and not because I’m your wife.”

He steals a tiny kiss from me. “If this is what will please you then I’ll do it. I want to do whatever makes you happy. If me opening up and laying it all out for you is what it takes to put that pretty smile on your face, then that’s what I’ll do.” There he goes again. This man really does have a way with words. His words work their way right into my core, causing me to lose my breath for a second. The urge to forgo this whole line of questioning is strong, but I know I need answers in order for us not to get stuck in anger. Why play a game if we could have more? Or, as he said, everything.

“Is your revenge against me? Am I merely a casualty of your plan?”

His eyes grow sad, causing me to lift my fingers to his face in an effort to comfort him. I’m used to so much anger behind his eyes that this causes a different ache inside of me. One that is for him.

“It was against your family,” he answers. “Then I saw you and I told myself I’d use you in my plan.” I swallow, not sure how I feel about that. I had plans to use Hunter right back but then something changed. “It was a lie. I just wanted you. I told myself I needed you for a part of my plan. I see now that I was only lying to myself. You, I want for myself.”

My heart gives a flutter, thinking that he’d merely seen me and wanted me so badly. I know I’m probably starved for attention and enjoying this more than I should, but I don’t care. How many times did I not get what I wanted? Screw it. I am going to enjoy the twisted way Hunter wants me because I can. As much as I didn’t want to be the pretty prize on his arm I will be happy if I know he truly cares for me.

“But you want me to want you too?” I ask.

He nods, his jaw tight. I don’t think Hunter is used to not getting what he wants with a snap of a finger. This isn’t something you could buy.

“I wasn’t supposed to care.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “I was lying to myself about that too.”

“You didn’t need to know everything about me.” But he did know. Down to how I order my steak. “But you wanted to.” He nods again. I think it’s really dawning on both of us. I smirk. He learned these things in order to care for me the best way he knew how. He’s shown me affection in tiny glimpses without realizing it. His intentions may not have been pure to begin with but I know his need to have me is no longer based on revenge. He has subconsciously learned to care for me and make me happy before he realized he was doing it.

“Don’t make me out to be a good guy. I’m like your brother.”

The smirk drops from my lips. “Don’t say that!” I snip at him. Getting mad on Hunter’s behalf. He is nothing like my brother. My brother gives no shits about how I feel. Hunter, I’m seeing, cares about everything when it comes to me. He’s having as hard of a time understanding his feelings as I am with my own. Maybe that’s why it’s been so difficult to get a read on him, because even he doesn’t know how he feels.

“What makes me so different?” He’s truly asking.

“You feel for me,” I say simply. He cares about how I feel about things. He has a need to make me happy. He wants to be by my side. “In fact I think you might be in love with me.” The shock in his eyes amuses me. Love hasn’t occurred to him. He thought it was all lust and revenge and obsession and maybe it was a mixture of all of those, but deep down, I think it might be love.