Hiding From The Tycoon

Part 17

Present

I was reluctant to leave the dream world and face reality but my body wasn't; which had me opening my eyes hoping to see the sun's rays only to see the blackout curtains preventing them from entering this room. I muttered a curse under my breath as I stretched and sat up. The blackout curtains reminded me strangely of Hunter and his power to eclipse everyone and everything. The man couldn't be ignored. It wasn't in his nature. And me thinking about him as soon as I gained consciousness was proof of that.

"Where is he?" I muttered to myself as I searched the room for his magnanimous presence but didn't find him.

Was he able to find me last night? I only hid from him to mess with him a little, but it looked like he never came here. But it wasn't like Hunter. He didn't drag me all the way to his home only to ignore me or not care where I was. So where was he? What kind of a game was he playing with me?

The door opened before I could get out of bed to look for him and Hunter sauntered in, looking dangerously handsome in a navy blue shirt with half sleeves and cream-colored pants. He looked freshly showered and the scent of his cologne took me back ten years ago to when I first became addicted to it. Was he doing this on purpose?

It's his signature scent. It's what he always wore.

"Good morning, Lori," Hunter greeted and it was only then did I notice the tray of food in his hands as he strode towards me. "Did you sleep well, baby?"

He found me. He knew I was here.

The heaviness I didn't know was occupying my heart dissipated at the sight of him. But I forced myself not to smile at him. I was angry at him for dragging me here and he needed to know it.

"What's this?" I asked, my words coming out sharper than I intended.

Hunter flashed me the smile he reserved solely for me before sitting down beside me. I wanted to scoot away from him but my body refused to obey my mind.

"It's breakfast. I made it for you. You didn't eat anything last night so you must be hungry," he said, as if he wasn't angry with me for trying to escape. He technically didn't have any right to be angry with me considering he was barging into my life after I told him to stay away. I should be angry with him.

"Yo—you made breakfast for me?" I asked, unable to believe him. The smile refused to leave his face as he nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Seriously?"

He chuckled. "You don't believe me?"

I shrugged. "I didn't know you could cook. August always did the cooking."

"I learned a few years ago," he said. The sparkle in his eyes dimmed and I knew he was thinking of the past.

"Still, you didn't have to cook for me. Is August busy?" I asked, trying not to notice how he'd prepared everything I loved to eat from the breakfast pizza to the chocolate chip bread pudding. There was a glass of juice instead of a cup of coffee which I normally drank, but I wasn't surprised. Hunter never approved of me consuming coffee because he considered it bad for health. But I drank as much coffee as I could over the years we were apart, and I wasn't ashamed to admit it was my own way of rebelling.

He shook his head. "He's not busy. I just wanted to cook for you. I hope you still like breakfast pizzas."

The sincerity in his words fissured the ice around my heart. "Thank you. But I take coffee."

"Coffee's not healthy for you. I prepared fresh juice."

"But I want coffee," I argued.

"There's no coffee in the house," he stated and I knew he was telling the truth. But that didn't mean I'd just accept it.