That was a first.
And it was also a terrible sign. Something was wrong. I knew it in my bones. That was why I’d come in when no one answered the door.
I had ridden home as fast as I could when the blackout started. There were already people on the streets looking for trouble in the dark. I hadn't liked the thought of Claire here unattended with her Gran.
I'd already started thinking about her as belonging to me, even if she didn't know it yet. She would, though. Soon.
Very fucking soon.
I grinned. I was right. Damned if the girl didn't look glad to see me for half a second. Before the disapproving look settled over her face again.
"Didn't mean to scare you, but the door was unlocked. I was worried."
"It's okay, Hunter. I told you that you're always welcome to stop by."
I smiled at Miss Ellie, choosing to ignore her cranky granddaughter. Women hated to be ignored. Of course, I wasn't really ignoring her. I was just pretending to ignore her.
I couldn't ignore Claire if I were in a goddamned coma.
“What happened?” I asked, realizing something more was wrong.
“Nothing,” Miss Ellie said primly. “But we are glad to see you,” she added with a warm smile. But her face looked pinched. Claire was watching her with a worried expression.
“Gran fell, but I think it’s just a sprain.”
I exhaled. The sweet lady in question was injured. I hated that.
"So, what can I do to help?”
"I'm getting some ice for Gran. Maybe you could help us get the candles down? They're on the top shelf."
I reached up into the cabinet and pulled down the candles. I used my Club Zippo to light them, setting them on the kitchen table.
"You all right, Ellie?"
"She'll be okay, I think. She needs something for the pain, though."
"That I can help you with. Hold on, I'll be right back."
“Hunter!” I turned to face the girl standing behind me in the darkness. “Wait. Do you want the flashlight?"
I grinned at Claire. She'd followed me out the door to the street. How sweet. She was already acting like a proper old lady. I wanted to pick her up and kiss her. But Miss Ellie needed us, so I held back.
"It's okay. I have excellent night vision."
I could tell by the look on her face that the implications of that were clear. Yes, girl, I am talking about that. Her luscious curves were visible even in the darkness of the street. I ran inside my house and got the stuff, smiling the whole time. Claire sure did shock easily. She was a prissy little thing, but in a weird way, I liked it.
I'd love to really make her blush one of these days.
Maybe tonight.
A full-body blush would be quite the sight to see. I could just see it now . . . her long legs and gorgeous curves all lit up and pink . . . while she trembled and wiggled around under my lips, tongue, and hands . . .
Oh, yes, I would take my time making her squirm before I made her mine, once and for all. Why should I be the only one to suffer?
I was back at Ellie's house in less than five minutes.
"Here we go, Ladies. Pain killer."
The two women stared blankly at the bottle of tequila I'd put on the kitchen table.
"What? It works, believe me."
"Gran can't drink excessively."
"Oh, hush, child. I'm fine. Hand me a shot glass, will you, Hunter? In the cabinet over the fridge."
I grinned and opened the cabinets again. Sure enough, there was a neat little row of shot glasses behind the wine glasses. I grabbed three.
Claire's eyes were sharp as ever, scowling at me and Miss Ellie as I gleefully poured out three shots.
"Gran, I don't think this is a good idea."
Bless her heart, the old lady looked up at her granddaughter with the saddest puppy dog eyes I had ever seen. Oh, yeah, I had an ally in Miss Ellie. I had a sneaking suspicion that she'd been planning on playing matchmaker all along.
"It hurts something awful, Claire Bear. You don't want that, do you?"
I watched as the girl sighed and shook her head, giving in.
"No, Gran. But I need to stay up and keep an eye on things."
"Hunter will do that, won't you? He always keeps an eye out. You should relax too."
"That's right.”
Miss Ellie giggled like a schoolgirl and winked at me. Oh, yeah, she was definitely up to something. I smiled. I cared about the old bird, and more than a little.
"Don't be a stick in the mud, Claire. It isn't every day you have an excuse to stop working so hard. You can't study in the dark. Loosen up a little, girl!"
“Yeah, Claire Bear,” I said with a smirk. “Live a little.”
I watched as Claire joined us at the table, picked up the shot, and downed it without a moment’s hesitation. Then she looked at me straight in the eye. I nearly fell over at the challenge in those eyes. But hell if I wasn't always up for a challenge. Particularly one where the potential reward was so damn sweet.