31. Greedy

Chapter 31

Greedy

now

Christmas Eve brunch was as awful and awkward as I anticipated.

I can't even blame Hunter's extra guests at what should have been a family meal. Spence was annoyingly polite, and Levi was his usual reserved, respectful self.

Magnolia's presence—at the table, in my family's cabin—is what truly made it an insufferable experience.

Nothing specifically terrible happened. In fact, the woman barely participated in the stilted conversation we engaged in. She wore this sort of vacant, far-off expression throughout the meal.

If her absenteeism hadn't been a much-needed break for Hunter, I would have been upset on my father's behalf.

Fuck. I shouldn't care.

Hunter isn't of any concern to me anymore.

It was easy enough to avoid her the first day, but then last night…

The dish I'm scrubbing clanks when it slips from my grip and sinks in the soapy water .

Clearly, none of them realize that the upper balcony has a straight-on view of the hot tub.

I brace my arms on either side of the counter, blowing out a long, pained breath.

Fucking hell. I can't think about it right now. Not again.

My mind has been plagued by the sights and sounds all day: the three of them in the hot tub. Together. Literally.

What I witnessed? I thought it would be us. Hunter and Levi and me . Maybe not right away, but for the briefest of moments, I got my hopes up, thinking that's where we were headed. The three of us. Together, despite the odds.

But with the unceremonious arrival of His Royal Highness, I've clearly been replaced. Not that I could have been with them after his revelation anyway. Levi and Hunter withheld information. They lied by omission.

I'm fucking livid about the bomb Sir Kabir What's-His-Ass dropped, but I'm even angrier at the way Hunter and Levi are going on with their lives as if they're completely unaffected.

I blow out another breath, my chest constricting painfully. At least the kitchen is benefiting from my hurt and frustration. My mom used to stress clean, too. The countertops and table are spotless, the entire kitchen pristine, save for the pile of dishes I'm still working on.

I dismissed the caterers half an hour ago so I could hand wash these on my own.

They were my mom's.

They weren't expensive, and they're not particularly fancy. Magnolia called them "garage-sale chic" when I was setting the table, whatever that's supposed to fucking mean.

They're simple white dishes, outlined in green with red berries. Holly, maybe? The set includes matching teacups and saucers, as well as silverware.

They belonged to my mom's mom. She loved using them during the holidays .

Once my temper settles, I reach for the plate on top of the stack.

Once each piece is clean, I lay it out on the kitchen island on long strips of paper towel so they can properly dry. That's how my mom used to do it.

My heart aches at the memory. God, I wish she was still around.

I'll put these away tonight. I can't stand the thought of Magnolia St. Clair-Ferguson commenting on them again.

The caterers can figure out the table settings for tomorrow. I'm already over this godforsaken trip. I need to be done. It's time for me to finally move on.

I'm laying out the last of the plates, ready to move on to silverware, when she enters the kitchen.

Before I see her, before I hear her, I sense her. Just like I always do.

That initial pang, the tugging sensation of my heartstrings. The physical, visceral pull toward her. My soul informs me Hunter is near before any of my senses have registered that I'm not alone.

With a centering breath, I turn around slowly.

Her marble-green eyes are wide, her mouth pink and pouty. Fuck . That mouth. She's got her bottom lip trapped between her teeth, and I bet she doesn't even realize it.

"Hey," she offers quietly. "Do you need help?"

I bite back a cutting remark and force my shoulders to lower. "No, I've got it."

With that, I turn my back on her and get started on the silverware.

"Are you sure?" she asks behind me, her voice more meek than I've ever heard it.

I glance over and track her movements as she approaches. She smooths one hand over the pristine countertop I just wiped down.

"I could dry?"

"I said I got it," I snap through gritted teeth.

The last thing I need is her in my vicinity. Her presence, her scent. I was abundantly clear when we got here that all I want for Christmas is for her to stay out of my fucking way. That desire is stronger than ever after the hot tub shenanigans last night.

I ignore her for several seconds, but she doesn't take the hint.

Finally, with my heart pounding against my ribcage, I turn to her and glower. "What?"

"Can I ask you something?" She's still worrying her bottom lip. She's going to make it bleed if she doesn't quit it. A vision of me biting into her swollen flesh infiltrates my brain.

With a shake of my head, I banish that thought from my mind.

I need her gone. I need her out.

"If I say no, will you leave me alone?"

She glares in response.

I turn back to the sink, but a second later, she takes a step closer. Then another. It's not until I turn and cross my arms over my chest that she halts.

"What do you want, Hunter?"

She grimaces at the use of her name.

Good .

It's rare I call her anything but Temi. That's an old habit I need to break, once and for all. That name had an important meaning to me. But no more. It's all been destroyed.

"What's up with the library?" she asks, planting one hand on her hip.

Now it's my turn to grimace.

Fucking hell.

It was stupid to hope she wouldn't go in there. That even if she did, she wouldn't notice the changes.

The library in its current state is my personal shame personified.

She left.

I waited.

She moved on.

I curated a whole goddamn library, filling the shelves with books she owned and special editions I worked like hell to track down for her over the last few years .

That library is an embarrassment. A trophy room honoring my stupidity. My na?ve hope that she'd come back and still want me.

Scoffing at my own foolishness, I turn back to the sink, keeping my head low and scrubbing at a fork with a little too much force.

"Greedy, what happened to the library?" Her tone is terse this time. Like that'll make me open up to her.

I grit my teeth and shake my head. Fuck. Why won't she just take my silence as her cue to leave me the hell alone?

At the gentle caress to my shoulder, I flinch, pulling out of her hold like I'm dodging a linebacker who's got me cornered in the pocket.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I take a step back so there's space between us once more.

That's what does it. That's what finally makes her snap.

"My books, Greedy. Some of the books up there are mine ."

All the books up there are hers. But I don't correct her. I can't. I'm not doing this with her. Not tonight. Not fucking ever.

With a glance at the dishes laid out on the bar, then the silverware still soaking in the sink, I toss the sponge into the soapy water. Then I stalk out of the kitchen.

I'm done.

I have to be.

Hunter clearly disagrees.

"Greedy!" she howls from behind me as I pick up speed and jog down the hall. "Don't pretend like this is nothing."

I stop in my tracks and spin on my heel. She lurches to a stop just inches away from plowing into me.

Head bowed, I get right up in her face and glower. "You're allowed to pretend, but I'm not?"

"No," she says, reeling back. "I just meant…" Her voice trails off as she reaches out. Before she can touch me, though, she drops her hand back down to her side. "I just don't understand," she whispers.

With a harried breath, I exhale.

"You left, Hunter. "

Lips parted, she searches my face with sad, wide eyes.

"You left, and I was still here, planning out the life I thought we'd share."

Emotion clogs my throat, but I choke it back.

"I waited. I gave you time. I gave you space."

Shaking my head, I slam my eyes shut, itching to claw at my scalp. Yet another old habit I need to quit.

"I waited for you," I croak out, dropping my focus to a spot down the hall just over her shoulder. It hurts too damn much to look at her. "I waited, and I agonized about everything . Should I stay in North Carolina? Should I fly to London and find you? Every month, I'd sneak into my dad's office and go through his credit card statements, looking for clues."

"Greedy…" She reaches for me, but I yank my arm away with so much force I nearly stumble.

"I waited, and I was patient. I was even okay starting over, if that's what you needed. But I'm done waiting now." The words are quiet, jagged, my throat full of gravel. "Now that I know the truth—what you kept from me, and how easily you moved on—"

Her breath shudders out of her. "It wasn't like that, Greedy. I swear."

Every word is laced with a sincerity that nearly breaks me.

That sensation dries up quickly when I think of Kabir. When I think of the years she stayed away. What she was doing while she was gone and who she was doing it with.

I'm a fool. So fucking stupid. I wasted so much time holding out hope.

Anger coils in my chest, overtaking the sadness and sorrow that gripped me moments ago.

I turn away from Hunter once more and lengthen my stride until I reach the stairs.

"Don't follow me," I bark over my shoulder, only to discover that she's already on my tail.

I take the stairs two at a time, aiming for the second-floor guest room where I slept last night. Once I'm in the room, I pivot and reach for the handle. But before I can get the door shut, she slips in .

God fucking dammit.

"Can we please talk about this?"

Fire floods my veins, and I bark out a humorless laugh. "Are you for real right now? After three and a half years, you finally want to talk? Why? Because now that I know the truth, or at least some of it, you think—"

"You know the whole truth about what happened before I left," she snaps.

"Not because I heard it from you," I counter.

Her expression tightens with a mixture of indignation and guilt.

In the next moment, she's blinking rapidly, no doubt trying to keep tears at bay. She's an angry crier. Always has been. But she has no right to that emotion. If anyone deserves to be angry, it's me.

"Just talk to me," she tries, softer, her shoulders falling. "I want to know about the library."

Tough shit. She made her choices. She shut me out and lied by omission. Now it's my turn to do the same.

"Get out." I jab a finger at the door.

Rather than giving in, she steps closer, getting right up in my space.

"No."

Heart hammering, I grit my teeth. "I swear to god, Hunter, I'm only going to tell you once more. Get. Out."

Her chest brushes mine, sending a shock of electricity through me and pulling a hiss from my mouth.

"And if I don't?" she asks calmly.

Too calmly.

A switch has been flipped. She's not asking anymore. She's not looking for common ground. She's defying me.

She's gone into Brat Mode, and she thinks she's got me trapped.

Little does she know that I won't back down. Not this time.

With a pointed glare directed at her, I inch forward, forcing her to step back. I do it again and again, creeping into her personal space .

She matches my steps one at a time, her chest heaving and her breaths coming quickly.

I don't stop until her back is flat against the door and the handle clicks in place.

"If you don't leave this room right now," I start, hovering close enough that her quickened breaths tickle the skin at the base of my throat. "I'll fuck the sass right out of you like His Royal Highness did that night in your room."

Her eyes widen, first in what looks like shock, then her pupils blow wide.

"Or maybe you'd rather I choke you with my cock the way he did in the hot tub last night while Levi railed you from behind. Is that it?"

Her mouth falls open and her eyes widen further, this time in horror.

A disgusted scoff escapes me. "Did you really think I didn't know? You thought you could get filled and fucked by other men in my house, and I wouldn't find out?"

"You're vile," she spits out, rolling her shoulders back.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I bark out a laugh. "He called you a cum dumpster, Tem. And you ate that shit up. What sort of man—"

"The sort of man I need," she hisses.

I snap my mouth shut. Fucking hell. She can't be serious. But the resolute glare she gives me makes it clear she isn't joking.

It was one thing to hear it from Kabir, but for her to admit that she likes it? That she needs it?

"This isn't you," I whisper, dipping lower, desperate to get through to her. "For god's sake, Tem. I have half a mind to remind you of exactly what it is you need."

Chin lifted, she narrows her eyes. "Fuck you, Greedy."

Licking my lips, I lock gazes with her. "Fuck me, huh? Maybe that's what you need. What we both need to get this out of our systems and move on with our lives. "

Her breath hitches, and she searches my face, those green eyes I still see in my dreams going glassy.

I tuck a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, then tug on them when the motion feels too soft. "What do you say, Tem? It wouldn't be the first dick you've taken in the last twenty-four hours. Not even the second, if my eyes weren't deceiving me last night."

With a disgusted huff, she splays both hands on my chest. "Fuck. You."

I swat her arms down and pin them to her sides, then crowd her space until our chests brush with every heaving breath. My body aches to push into her, to pin her against this door, to feel every inch of her writhing below me.

"You keep saying it, baby. Do you really mean it?"

Anger and disgust rise between us, twisting and transforming into something new. Her every exhale mingles with mine, and between one heartbeat and the next, my cheeks heat and arousal courses through my veins. We've always shared a connection, but now it's morphed into an ungrounded jolt of electricity, a live wire hissing and sparking.

We stand against the door for a breath. Then another.

My throat burns with emotion. My pulse hammers in my head.

Just when I think I can't take it a second longer, Hunter rises to her toes and smashes her lips into mine.