10. Hunter

Angel rests on my shoulder, her warm body snuggled into mine. She's breathing deeply, and I don't know how long she's been asleep. It was joyous listening to her laughing through The Princess Bride, and I was envious of her discovering the classic movie for the first time.

I wasn't going to complain when she wanted to watch it again. She snuggled into me, yawning, her eyes finally drooping shut about ten minutes in.

I remain on the couch for long minutes enjoying the press of her body against mine and the scent of her skin. I've got a dead arm, but there's no way I'm disturbing her and ruining this moment.

Today didn't turn up any new news about Kaci, and I offer up a silent prayer for another day before her memory comes back. I'm not sure where she got the name Anna from, because she's definitely Kaci Peterson, Maybe Anna is the name of a friend of hers.

It's getting late, and my girl needs a proper rest. I gently scoop my arms under her sleeping body and lift her off the couch. She stirs in my arms, and her eyes flicker open.

The smile she gives me cuts at my heart, and I smile back.

"Did I fall asleep?"

"Afraid so."

Instead of climbing out of my arms, she turns her head into my chest and closes her eyes. My heart squeezes. She's like a kitten burrowing into my heart.

"I'll take you up to bed."

I climb the stairs with Kaci in my arms and lay her down on the bed. She wiggles under the covers, and I pull the comforter up to her chin.

"Sleep tight."

I flick the light off, and her face is illuminated softly by the glow coming from the other room. A frown creases her brow.

"Stay," she whispers. "I don't want to be alone in the dark."

Her arm reaches for me, and she looks so vulnerable. I can't imagine what she's going through. To not know who you are. All I know is I want to protect her, to give her everything she needs.

This is going against what I promised Landon. She's vulnerable and I should say no, but every instinct in my body is telling me to get into the bed with that woman. To wrap my arms around her and never let her go.

I follow my instincts and climb into bed beside her.

Kaci wiggles backward until her hips fit perfectly into mine. She gives a content sigh, and I put my arm around her.

"Goodnight angel."

I lean forward to kiss the side of her head, but she turns at the same time. Instead of the sweet goodnight peck I was intending, her lips meet mine.

We're both startled for a moment. Then her lips move against mine, and I'm kissing her soft and gentle and savoring every detail of this moment. She moans into my mouth, and her body twists around to press against me.

Landon's warning echoes through my head. She's vulnerable. I'm all she knows. She won't feel the same when she remembers. I can't do this knowing what I know about Kaci.

I pull away, and she lets out a whimper of frustration.

"K…" I almost say her name before I stop myself. "Angel, we can't do this."

She pulls back like I've slapped her.

"I'm sorry… I read the signals wrong. I thought…"

"Thought I was into you?" I finish for her.

She sits up in bed, pulling her knees to her chest, unable to meet my eye. She's embarrassed, but I need to make her understand she's not wrong.

"I am into you, angel."

I take her hand and press it to the hard bulge in my sweatpants. Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open, and it takes all my restraint not to kiss her again.

"Does that tell you how much I'm into you?"

She nods.

"But this isn't right, angel. You're hurting and vulnerable, and it wouldn't be right to do this when you can't remember who you are." I run my hands through my hair. "Hell, you could be married for all we know."

She cocks her head and looks to the left in the expression I've come to learn means she's trying to remember something.

She shakes head and looks down at her left hand. The nails are painted a pastel green thanks to Izzie. Kaci holds up her ring finger. There's no ring and no indent or tan line around the skin.

"I don't think so."

"Or you might have a boyfriend. Or even if you don't, it wouldn't be right to take advantage of you."

She sighs in frustration. "You're the only thing I'm certain of, Hunter. I don't know what it is, but I feel safe with you. You seem familiar to me, but that can't be right because you don't know me."

Her words freeze my heart. I'm lying to her. I'm lying to her big time, and when she remembers she's going to hate me.

"I get it." She rolls back onto her side. "No sex until I get my memory back. But promise me that once I get my memory back, we'll see where that kiss might take us."

I lie down next to her and put my arm around her, savoring her warm body pressed against mine.

"I promise that if you still want to kiss me when you get your memory back, I'll kiss you so hard you'll forget all over again."

She giggles and gives a satisfied sigh.

Soon her breathing is regular, indicating she's fallen asleep. But I spend a long time awake wondering what the fuck I'm doing lying to the only woman I've ever loved.