Page 15 of The Pucking Single Dad

“Well,” Hunter started to say. “Tomorrow has not come yet, and we can wait until tomorrow to be professional again.”

Luna did not know if this response was a blessing or a curse. She was thankful for this moment, but at the same time, she wanted more out of life.

She wanted more from Hunter. She wanted a commitment. But she did not know if she had a right to be upset about this thought. She knew she agreed to care for Adam, and from her own words, Adam came first. She agreed to take care of him without Hunter's commitment. All she needed was a commitment to herself. Yet, she found herself randomly wanting more from Hunter.

“So, you want me to stay the night,” Luna said thoughtfully.

She desperately hoped that Hunter wanted her to stay. She did not know how she would take it if Hunter kicked her out within mere moments of making her cum. That would not sit right with her.

She stepped into the shower and decided to let the rest of her intrusive thoughts go to the wind.

“Tonight,” she said happily. “At least you and I have tonight. We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow isn’t here yet” Hunter said again intriguingly. “Now, let me wash the scent of me off of you, baby.”

She stepped into the shower and let the water wash over her. No matter what tomorrow would bring, she decided to live in the moment, at least for tonight. She let Hunter pour soap over her.

Hunter gently spread the soap across Luna’s curvy body, mesmerized as the suds glistened on her skin. He loved the intimacy of cleaning her, especially after their earlier indulgence. As his hands slid over her, he felt a surge of arousal at the contrast between dirtying her and now cleaning her.

Luna reveled in Hunter's touch, allowing him to wash her thoroughly. The warmth of the moment urged her to reciprocate. She reached for the soap bottle, pouring a generous amount into her hands. She rubbed her hands together before applying it to his body. As they washed each other, the air filled with the scent of their bodies mingling.

When it was time to dry off, they playfully took turns with the same towel, their laughter and closeness deepening the romantic atmosphere.

“Can tomorrow never come?” Luna gently asked Hunter.

Her eyes were wide open, and she was genuinely concerned about what was happening between the two of them. She wanted to be professional, but the connection between her and Hunter was undeniable. She needed to flat-out ask him what to do moving forward.

“So,” Luna said while getting herself into bed.

She wrapped the covers all around her. She wanted to appear as sweet as she could be.

“So,” Luna repeated softly. “So, what are we?”

Hunter had a million things that he wanted to say to Luna, but his past, including his wife’s death and all the emotional burns of the women he dated before Luna, made him think twice before responding. He felt the need to guard himself, and whether that was right or wrong, he felt the instinct to shut this conversation down as soon as possible.

“Well,” Hunter said curtly to Luna. “Well, I am a professional hockey player, and you are a professional nanny. You are in charge of Adam while I train during the day. That is really all there is to this. We like each other, but at the end of the day, our roles have not changed, you know?”

Luna's teeth clenched. She felt the same way she did when Stella had overlooked her. She felt overlooked. She felt overused. Luna didn’t want to be just the nanny to Hunter. She wanted to be far more than that. She wanted actually to mean something to him. Yes, she loved Adam, but there was a very strong possibility that she was falling in love with Hunter. Yet, his reaction to her question told her everything she needed to know. He was not ready for a relationship at the moment. Only she felt as strongly as she did, and that was a flat-out shitty feeling. The relationship, however, was one-sided.

When he noticed her getting dressed, a sense of urgency filled him—was she planning to leave?

Luna quickly grabbed her pants, shirt, and shoes, her wet hair falling loosely around her face. She didn’t bother to style it, instead frantically searching for her purse. Hunter felt panic rising at the thought of her going.

“Are you leaving?” he asked with fear. “I thought you were going to stay the night with me. I thought we were going to spend tonight together, Luna. Why are you leaving?”

Luna looked at Hunter, who, at that moment, had no idea how much he had hurt her. She tried not to cry, but salty tears filled her bright eyes. Her face started to turn red. She didn’t want Hunter to have the satisfaction of seeing her upset.

“Tomorrow just came today,” Luna sadly said to Hunter. “Tomorrow is right now.”

Hunter was dumbfounded. What in the world was going on? What had happened? Just moments before, he and Luna were in the shower together. Just moments before, everything was romantic between them, but now, Hunter didn't understand what had changed. Yes, he knew that he had issues being vulnerable with women after the death of his wife, but he never thought that it would cause Luna to run away from him. He didn't want to see her go. The jealousy he felt earlier that day while watching Henry flirt with her was almost too much for him to take. The thought that her storming out of his apartment could mean that Luna could be with someone else intimately not only angered him, but it also made him incredibly sad. Hunter rushed over to Luna.

“Please don't go,” Hunter pleaded with Luna. “Why don't you just explain to me what is going on? What’s with the fast change”?

Luna continued to walk towards the door. As she opened the front door to the apartment, she gently looked back at Hunter and finally spoke to him. “I’m falling in love with you, but it’s obvious you don’t feel the same way,” she said, her voice steady yet vulnerable. “To you, I’m just the nanny and a quick fling. That’s what’s wrong, Hunter.” Her words were filled with a mix of longing and frustration as she searched his eyes for a sign of the connection she desperately craved.

He watched as she closed the front door, and just like that, Luna was out of his apartment and, more importantly, out of his arms for now. He walked back to his bedroom and lay down on his bed. He thought about how Luna had said that she loved him. He thought about how he, too, had feelings for her, but saying the word love to someone meant a huge commitment. Laying there, memories of his deceased wife flooded his mind.

The two of them were so happy, and it was incredibly unfair that life had taken her from him and their son, Adam. He wondered if he had ever gotten over his wife’s death, and within seconds of contemplating this, Hunter was quite sure that the answer to this lingering question was no. Sure, he had been with other women, but, emotionally opening up to them, that was a more complicated thing to do.