Wild Thing (14 page)

Hunter rubbed his eyes. Mom wasn’t the only one with a bullshit meter. He knew Gramps had better things to do than to take a day off and drive to Stanley. The old man usually had companies to run and small countries to take over. But maybe Gramps was listening to his doctors since he’d had a double bypass and had given up vying for world domination. His version of slowing down meant he had more time to mess with his family’s love life.

“Well, boy, I guess when Karma dropped off that book on dating you asked her to bring, she hadn’t expected to stay for a week.”

“If I’d known she’d be coming to stay, I never would have asked her to bring the damn book to me in the first place.” Hell, he’d known he was asking for trouble. He just didn’t know how much. “I was hoping she’d go home the same day. When that didn’t pan out, I figured she’d only stay for a day or two. Thanks to you and Mom, I’m suck with her for the duration.”

Gramps’s eyes twinkled. God only knew what Karma had said when she called home. She must have mentioned Toni, or Gramps would never have made the trip. She was dead meat.

Hunter’s mother pulled a bag from the back of her Range Rover. “Karma and the boys are meeting us for dinner in the inn.” She handed the bag to him. “You take this and join us.”

His mom wore that take-no-prisoner’s look, which meant he didn’t have a choice. He’d freely admit he wasn’t man enough to take on his mother when she looked like that. But that didn’t bother him. Gramps wasn’t either, and he was technically her boss. That too was up for debate, since when it came right down to it, Mom had bossed Gramps around for as long as Hunter could remember. Sure, Gramps groused about it an awful lot, but when push came to shove, Kate Kincaid always came out on top.

Hunter nodded his acquiescence and took the rear, hoping to pull a Toni and fade into the woodwork. When he stepped in behind his mother and grandfather, he cringed. There was Karma, taking a big bite of a salad, sitting next to Toni, who had a deer-in-the-headlights look. “Son of a bitch.” His mother pulled Toni out of her chair for a hug.

Trapper appeared next to him. “I see Karma’s been up to no good.”

Fisher took the other side. “We certainly had nothing to do with it. But damn, I’m glad it’s you and not me.”

Hunter turned to Fisher. “What in the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It means Gramps is back on the marriage bandwagon, and tag, you’re it.”

Chapter 11

One minute Toni was eating her salad and listening to Karma tell embarrassing stories about Hunter, and the next she was being introduced to Hunter’s grandfather and mother. Oh my God, not only introduced, but hugged.

Kate Kincaid, Hunter’s mom, pulled Toni right out of her seat and hugged her like she was some long-lost relative. Toni looked over her shoulder and saw Hunter wincing. Trapper, Fisher, and Karma were all smiling and enjoying themselves far too much. So was the old man.

“Mrs. Kincaid, it’s um… great to meet you.” Toni wanted to run and hide. Unfortunately, she was stuck between Hunter’s mother and grandfather. Trapper and Fisher blocked the only exit.

“Just look at you.” Kate held Toni at arm’s length, giving her a once-over.

Toni hadn’t even been back to her cabin to change after the photo shoot. Her stockings had more runners than the New York City Marathon, her boots were ruined, and her pigtails were probably crooked.

“Karma told me you were beautiful, but she didn’t do you justice. It’s no wonder Hunter is so taken with you.”

Toni shook her head and reached for her collar. “Um… I don’t think… I mean, Hunter and I aren’t—”

Hunter’s grandfather wore a Wile E. Coyote smile. He looked like a nice old man at first glance, but she saw something more—he had that man-on-a-mission look. Unfortunately, that look was directed at her.

“Mom, Gramps, leave Toni alone.” Hunter must have come up behind her to save her again. Thank God.

“Oh come now, boy.” Hunter’s grandfather stepped closer to Toni and threw his arm around her, pulling her close to his side. “We’re just introducing ourselves. You don’t mind us joining you? Do you, Toni?”

“I… um—”

“Good.” Hunter’s mom smiled and finally let Toni go. “Trapper, Fisher, pull a few tables together.”

Karma stood and helped the guys, while Toni tried to come up with an excuse to get the hell out of there.

She glared at Hunter as he pulled out her chair then whispered in her ear as she sat. “I’m really sorry about this.”

She was relieved when he took the chair beside hers. Unfortunately, Hunter’s grandfather sandwiched her between them, and his mother faced her. Fisher and Trapper flanked their mother, and Karma sat at the end of the table. She was surrounded.

Toni covered her mouth with her hand. “How can I get out of here?” she whispered in Hunter’s direction.

He placed his napkin on his lap and leaned toward her. “If you figure it out, let me know, and we’ll both make a break for it.”

Toni toyed with her salad. She’d lost her appetite.

“So Toni,” Kate said. “Karma tells us you’re from New York and work with children.”

Toni looked over at Karma who slouched in her seat.

“No, it only feels like I do. I manage Action Models.” Fisher and Trapper were all smiles. If she didn’t know better, she would swear they were enjoying this.

“Karma, I thought you said Toni worked at a rec center.”

Trapper raised his eyebrow. “Figures. Karma’s the stoolie.”

Toni took a bite of her salad before looking at Kate. “I do volunteer at a rec center a few blocks from my apartment. I’d love to work there, but the rec center can’t take on any more employees. We have a hard enough time keeping the doors open as it is.”

Kate sat back in her chair and folded her hands serenely on the paper place mat. “You and Hunter have so much in common. You’re involved with the rec center, and Hunter has his River Runners Camp.”

Hunter seemed to be looking everywhere but at Toni. “Yes. Karma just told me about the camp. It sounds like a wonderful program. I had no idea Hunter was involved with anything like that.”

There now, maybe his family would lay off when it came to matchmaking. She smiled and gave herself a mental pat on the back. When she looked up, everyone at the table glared at Hunter, who, if she wasn’t mistaken, had blanched.

Hunter cleared his throat and slid his chair back before taking her hand and standing. “Excuse us. Toni, could I have a word?”

“Now?” Everyone’s attention went from Hunter to her. Great. Of course Hunter would stand there brooding silently. The whole man-of-few-words thing was really beginning to get irritating. “Fine.” She took her napkin from her lap, laid it next to her barely touched salad, and removed her hand from his. “Excuse us,” she said as she rose without meeting anyone’s eyes.

With his big hand on the small of her back, Hunter steered her out of the dining room, into the next room, and around the corner.

“Way to screw up all the progress I made, Hunter. I had them believing there was nothing between us until you pulled your little stunt.”

“While I’m not happy with my family’s involvement in my love life, that doesn’t mean I’m going to lie about it.”

Toni crossed her arms. “What lie? Everything I said was the God’s honest truth. Karma told me about your camp, and you didn’t.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked just as contrite as he had after he’d jumped in the river.

“You’re sorry? Why? Are you sorry for not telling me about the camp or for the Kincaid family fiasco going on in the dining room?”

Hunter couldn’t keep from touching Toni, so he stepped a little closer and rested his hands on her waist. She didn’t look angry—just confused. For a very bright woman, she had no clue what was expected in a relationship. “People who care about each other share things like their goals in life and their work.”

“Okay. So?”

“I care about you, and I didn’t tell you about River Runners camp. I was going to after you mentioned the rec center, but then you gave me the brush-off.”

“I wasn’t interested in you then.”

“But you changed your mind. You do that a lot when it comes to me.”

Toni shrugged. “Hunter, you’re like exceptionally good dark chocolate. What’s not to love, right? So I get a huge box of Belgian dark chocolate.” She stuck her hands out to show him the size, which would weigh in at twenty-five pounds easy—obviously an exaggeration.

“Okay. I’m the chocolate?” He was confused. Since all the women he knew couldn’t resist anything chocolate, that couldn’t be a bad thing. But with Toni, one never knew.

“You’re the chocolate, but not just any chocolate. You’re Belgian chocolate. It’s the best chocolate on earth.”

“So that’s a good thing?”

“Yes, I just love Belgian chocolate. So much so, I unwrap the huge box, and I eat and eat. It’s so good I can’t stop. I make a total pig of myself. The next thing I know, I feel sick, I’ve gained ten pounds, and I have a zit the size of Manhattan on my forehead.”

This was a ridiculous comparison, but she obviously didn’t think so. She was serious.

“Don’t you see? Nothing that decadent can be good for me. You’re my Belgian dark chocolate, and I suck at resisting you. I have no willpower.”

“Thank God.” He kissed the crease above her nose that showed up every time she was confused then kissed the tip of her nose. “Chocolate has been proven to be very good for you.”

Her lips parted, and her eyes darkened.

“High in antioxidants.”

She looked more stunned and turned on than confused now.

He leaned in and teased her lips. “It stimulates endorphins.” His nose rubbed hers before he kissed the corner of her mouth. “It gives you a feeling of pleasure.” He nibbled her bottom lip. “It’s a natural antidepressant.”

Her fingers tunneled into his hair and gripped his head as she kissed him with promise and desperation.

Hunter groaned, leaning into her, pinning her against the wall. Need like none he’d felt before grabbed him in a stranglehold. If she kept kissing him like that, they’d get enough exercise to keep from gaining weight for sure. Hell, they’d have to guard against withering away to nothing.

Someone cleared his throat. Toni stilled, and her eyes shot wide open.

“Sorry to interrupt, but Toni’s dinner is on the table.”

“Fisher.” Hunter didn’t turn around. “She’ll be there in a minute.”

He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers until his brother’s footsteps faded. “Resistance is futile. Let’s just give up trying to avoid this and enjoy our time together.”

“Okay. But not at work. Work is work, and this is… well, whatever it is.”

“Agreed.” He gave her a quick kiss and stepped back, fighting the urge to pick her up and get the hell out of there.

Hunter took Toni’s hand and returned to his family. He held her chair while Trapper and Fisher exchanged money. God only knows what they’d bet on. Karma teased Gramps around a mouthful of cheeseburger about his low sodium and low cholesterol diet while he snuck fries from her plate.

His mother shifted her glare from Gramps to him and back again. When he sat beside Toni and put his arm around her, the glare disappeared. Thank God, because nothing was worse than being on his mother’s bad side. Toni stared at her dinner.

He leaned toward her. “Something wrong?”

“No one but Karma has food. It would be bad manners to eat in front of everyone.”

“Not when they hijacked your dinner it’s not. Go ahead. Eat before it gets cold. Besides, I have a feeling you’re gonna need your strength. Just leave a lot of room for dessert.”

“Leave Karma’s fries alone, you ornery old goat,” his mother said.

Gramps was caught with a mouthful of fries. He swallowed. “Maybe if you didn’t feed me so much damn rabbit food, I wouldn’t have to steal French fries from my granddaughter, you smart-aleck woman.”

Toni toyed with her food and watched wide-eyed as his family did their usual sparring.

“This is normal, nothing to worry about.”

Someone must have ordered for him because a thick rib eye was served a moment later. He bit into the rare meat and smiled. It was almost perfect. He could have done better, but then that was the problem with eating out. It was almost never as good as his own cooking.

Gramps looked over at Toni’s plate and thankfully kept his utensils on his own food. Toni’s plate didn’t have anything his grandfather would see fit to steal. Hunter was grateful. “Toni, tell me about this rec center where you volunteer. Do you handle the fund-raising?”

She took a sip of her soda. “I help out with it whenever I can. I’m able to use some of the resources of the modeling firm, and I’ve met a lot of photographers who are willing to donate their time and photos for our newsletters and fund-raising campaigns. Every little bit helps, but it’s a constant battle.”

Gramps pulled out his wallet and removed a business card. “You should give Tom Delany a call. He handles my charitable trust. I’m sure he can find some money to help out your rec center.”

“Thanks, but what about Hunter’s camp?”

Gramps smiled that smarmy smile of his, and Hunter felt his back going up.

“The boy won’t take any help. It’s not as if I haven’t tried. But even I have to follow IRS rules; unless he starts a charitable foundation, my hands are tied.”

She turned to Hunter. “If you’re trying to fund this camp, why haven’t you started a 503c?”

Hunter had the attention of the table. Fabulous. “When I want something, I earn it. I don’t expect handouts. I want to work for it, achieve it myself.” He had to admit it sounded pretty lame when he said it out loud. From the looks coming from Toni and the family, they agreed.

Toni laughed. “You’re such a guy. You doing everything yourself is helping a handful of kids. Don’t you think it would be better to start a charitable foundation, do some fund-raising, get a little help from Grand Daddy Warbucks over here—” She turned to Gramps and flashed him a smile. “No offense, Mr. Walsh.”

“None taken, Toni. But please, call me Joe, Gramps, or Grampa Warbucks is fine too.” He laughed and slapped his hand on the table. “I’ve never met anyone with the gumption to call me that to my face.” He leaned back in his chair and turned toward Hunter. “I like your girl, Hunter. She’s got moxie.”

Hunter rolled his eyes. Gramps didn’t know the half of it. The old man could really shovel on the charm, and Toni ate it up.

Toni shook her head at him. “Don’t you see? With a little help and a 503c, you could afford to help hundreds of kids lead productive lives in the future.”

He liked her a lot better when her mouth was on him. He swallowed hard, and he thought of all the places her mouth had been and hopefully would be again in the near future. He checked his watch. “Thanks. I’ll take it under advisement.”

“I do fund-raising for the rec center. I donate money as well as time, but I’m not stupid enough to think I can do it all myself.”

Stupid? What he did was not stupid. He had his reasons. “You don’t understand. This is my family. Sure, Gramps gives millions to charity every year. But I want the River Runners Camp to succeed because I made it happen, not because Gramps wrote a check.” He looked over to the man who was like a father to him. “I appreciate your willingness to help, Gramps, but I want to succeed because I made it on my own.”

Toni elbowed him. “And your freakish need for control is more important than those kids?”

He took her hand and put it on his lap to keep her from elbowing him again, or worse, slugging him. “It’s not freakish.”

“That’s still up for debate, but that wasn’t the question. Is your stubbornness more important then helping those kids?”

She had her face in his, so close he smelled his shampoo on her hair. He held her hand and felt the passion flow through her—not sexual passion, which was a real shame, but probably a good thing since they were sitting there in front of his entire family, and her hand was disturbingly close to his dick. A passion for kids he’d rarely seen in anyone. She was right. Maybe if he’d gotten some help, Emilio wouldn’t be MIA right now. “No. Nothing is more important than the kids.”

Toni smiled her thousand-watt smile. “Good. It’s settled then. All you have to do is get your brother the judge to help you put together a 503c.” She turned to Trapper. “I assume you’re a lawyer too. Am I right?”

Trapper smiled right back. “Yes ma’am, you are.”

“So you’d have no problem helping Hunter with the paperwork?”

“None at all.”

“Great. See how easy this is?” Toni cut a bite of her now cold fish with the side of her fork, raked her nails farther up his thigh before squeezing it, and popped the fish into her mouth—all innocent like.