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“You really want to know why?”
She turned to look at him once more, saw all the anger blazing in his eyes, the frustration tensing his jaw. “Yes, I really want to know.”
“Damn it, it’s because I’m—I’m jealous.” Hunter thrust his head back against the headrest hard and closed his eyes. “Yep, I said it. I’m jealous of my brother, the slacker. He doesn’t do shit but have a good time and Alex is still wanting to bail him out. Help him out, forgive him and forget it, whatever, Alex always does it. I work my ass off and yeah, Alex appreciates me, I know he does, but he always goes that extra step with Rhett. An extra step that he never takes with me, he never has.”
Gracie felt like she’d made a breakthrough. Had he ever confessed that to another person? “Because Alex knows he doesn’t have to. You can do it all on your own.”
“Maybe I don’t want to be the dependable one. Maybe I want to fuck off and have a good time. Get drunk and party and make out with some chick whose name I can’t remember in the middle of a crowded nightclub.”
Jealousy crept her ugly hands all over Gracie’s heart, and she tried to ignore it. But it was so hard. “Do you really want to do stuff like that?”
Hunter shrugged, rubbed a hand over his face. “Hell no. Not really. It just feels good to want it, even briefly, you know?”
She did know. She knew all about unwanted responsibility b
eing thrust upon her at too young an age. She didn’t like to think of how scared she’d been to get an apartment on her own and work the job she’d had and go to school. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Two lifetimes ago.
“I thought you liked your work.”
“I do, I love it. But I’m not as obsessed with Worth as Alex is. He’s a workaholic. He lives and breathes Worth, and it finally took the love of a good woman to get him to relax once in a while.” Hunter shook his head with a rueful smile. “I bet that bastard dreams about Worth every night. He’s ridiculous.”
“And ridiculously good at what he does.”
“Exactly. It takes that sort of effort to maintain the success that Alex has. I work my ass off and I secretly think I don’t want to do it anymore. Isn’t there something more to life than working? Can’t I take a vacation for once and relax?”
“Why don’t you? I know Alex would never begrudge you vacation time. We all get it.”
“I can never make the time. I’m caught up in the hamster wheel almost as bad as Alex is. Every once in a while, I just realize I want to stop. Not permanently. I just…need a break.”
The car pulled up in front of the hotel, and the conversation ceased completely when the driver opened the door for them to exit. She entered the lobby, Hunter just behind her and she strode toward the bank of elevators, turning toward him when they arrived. “Thanks for dinner.”
“You’re welcome.”
The air became charged as they stood staring at each other. She didn’t know what to say, what to do and when the elevator dinged its arrival, she hurried into it, Hunter following her inside.
The doors slid shut, and it was just the two of them headed up to their hotel rooms, which were right next to each other. How convenient.
How dangerous.
“Early morning tomorrow, right?” she finally asked to break the weird tension.
“Yeah, has to be extra early if we want to beat the traffic, what with the drive.”
She nodded, nibbling on her lower lip. “I’ll be up already, considering I’m on East Coast time.”
“Same.”
“Are you an early riser, Hunter?”
He shot her a knowing glance. “Not as early as you, I gather.”
Considering she’d sneaked out of his apartment before the sun had even come up that one night they’d spent together, yeah. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment. “Shall we meet in the lobby say around six-thirty?”
“Let’s make it six-forty-five and you’ve got a deal.”
“Okay then.” She clutched her hands together, hopped from one foot to the other. She was nervous, rightfully so, and she wondered if he’d try to make a move on her before they entered their rooms.
She was half hoping he would.
