TatianaI looked at the clock for the fifth time. Where was McKenna?She had told me she was going to stop by Hunter's house earlier, but what was taking her so long? The unease in my stomach grew with each passing minute.It was bad enough that I had to deal with her hanging around Hunter, always on the edge of getting taken advantage of or sucked into his lavish lifestyle. Now, on top of all that, I had to sit here and worry about her all day? My frustration and concern made it hard to focus on anything else, even my work.And that kid, Dustin, was his name? He was like the miniature version of Hunter. If McKenna was there all the time, that meant she would be around that boy, too. I couldn't shake the image of McKenna falling into the same old patterns, making the same mistakes as I did with Hunter.But she was stubborn. She wouldn't listen to me even if I asked her to visit Hunter less. And now that he turned out to be her father, it will be impossible to keep her away from him.F

Tatiana My eyes widened in shock as I witnessed Frederick's clenched fist make contact with Hunter's face. The sound of skin on skin echoed through the room, a sickening thud that made my stomach turn. Without hesitation, I threw myself between them, feeling the tension and aggression radiating from both men. With all my strength, I pushed against Frederick's chest, trying to hold him back from hitting Hunter again. My heart raced as I tried to diffuse the situation before it escalated even further. "Stop it!" I pleaded again. Hunter regained his balance and touched his bruising eye with a wince on his face. "You will regret this, asshole," he hissed. "Frederick!" I shouted. "What is the matter with you!?" "I hate him," Frederick mumbled again, shaking his head. "That's not a good reason to hit him," I said and released him. I turned to Hunter, who was standing straight, watching me interact with Frederick with a calm expression on his face. His eyes bore into me, and I fel

HunterAs I made my way into the Lab, a strange sensation tickled my senses. Dustin and McKenna were acting peculiar, their faces flushing with guilt as if they had just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar. But in this case, the culprit was likely some weird science experiment gone wrong.Or was it something entirely different?"What's going on here?" I asked, narrowing my eyes."Nothing!" they replied in unison.Their synchronized response only heightened my suspicion. Dustin exchanged a quick glance with McKenna, and they both attempted to suppress mischievous grins. It was clear they were hiding something, and my curiosity intensified."Nothing? I don't buy it. What's the big secret?" I insisted, crossing my arms over my chest."We were not doing anything wrong," McKenna quickly replied.Right...My gaze softened as I looked at her. Her cheeks were red and it seemed like McKenna wanted out of this situation, and fast. With a deep exhale, I gave in and decided not to gi

TatianaThe audacity of this man!I couldn't stop thinking about Hunter since he left me standing at the front door, feeling stupid. Who did he think he was, trying to flirt with me? I've made my decision, and I made it years ago. He was only messing with me because he thought that he still had a shot. He didn't deserve a second of my time, even if he was McKenna's father.Irritation fluttered in my stomach. Acting casually was all well and good, but don't expect me to joke around with him again like I did before!"Mom?"I looked at McKenna. "Yes, Sweetheart?""Are you okay?" she asked."Yeah. Why do you ask?" I looked at her."Hunter left five minutes ago. Why are you still standing there," McKenna said, raising her brow.I quickly produced a smile. "Oh, no reason."McKenna sighed. "You weren't rude to him, were you? I wish you'd try to be nice to him for my sake, Mom. He had been kind to me, and we really had a nice day together."I narrowed my eyes. "Oh, yeah? What did you two do

Tatiana What's happening? Why can't I resist him? Hunter had his arms wrapped around my waist as he kissed me. His lips were so soft, like velvet, as they moved with mine. Sparks of electricity ran through my body, and I felt drawn to him, unable to pull away. Hunter's scent filled the air around us, a mixture of minty cologne and something else intoxicatingly masculine that made me faint with desire. The memories of our several steamy nights came flooding back. This was not good. This was a disaster. My heart raced as his hands explored my body, gliding over every curve in a way that sent shivers down my spine and butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach. He pulled back just enough for our eyes to meet. There was an intensity there that scared yet excited me at the same time- it felt like he could see into my very soul without saying anything at all. "That's right, you should be sorry about this. How dare you kiss me?" I breathed. "You aren't pushing me away," he said.