Chapter Ten

Grace’s POV

The moment I stepped into the house, I felt… a shift in the air, a quiet hum of tension vibrating beneath the surface. The weight of my decision settled heavily in my chest. I had agreed to move in.

I told myself it was for the baby. I told myself it was logical. But deep down, I knew the truth. I was here because I couldn’t tell Hunter what I had seen today… that I had seen Helena with another man. Because I couldn’t be the one to break him. Hunter loved Helena.

I would have sworn there was no way Hunter would marry so soon after his breakup with his long-term fiancée, Emma Mckay. But he had proven me wrong. He had seen Helena, and within months, they were married. Trying for a family almost straight away. The family I had always wanted.

And now, I was trapped in the world I had spent years trying to escape. Stuck in the house with the man I loved and couldn’t have.

Helena swept in behind me, her high heels clicking against the marble floors, her voice smooth and pleased. “See? This will be perfect, Grace. We’ll be together, taking care of each other.”

Helena had helped me pack my clothes. Now I had to figure out what I was going to do with my apartment. But what she said gave me pause. Taking care of each other? The words felt like acid on my tongue.

Hunter appeared from the hallway, his gaze locking onto mine, assessing me carefully. “Everything okay?”

I nodded stiffly. “Yeah.”

His jaw tensed as if he didn’t believe me, but he didn’t push.

“Your room is ready,” he said, gesturing down the hall. “I made sure you had privacy.”

Helena laughed. “In other words, he made sure your room is well away from ours. Our nighttime activities are not always quiet, if you know what I mean.”

I thought it was very crude of Helena to bring up their sex life. But I said nothing, thinking that was best.

The very thought of hearing them made my stomach twist. He had no idea how much I ached for him, how much I had wanted him to want me, to see me. But I couldn’t let that show. Not now.

Hunter picked up my cases, and I followed him to the guest suite, which was huge for just one person. A king-sized bed and an attached bathroom that looked like something out of a luxury hotel. At least I would have somewhere to hide out away from Helena and Hunter if needed.

“This is… nice.” My voice came out hollow.

Hunter leaned against the doorframe after putting my cases near the bed. He was watching me. “It’s yours for as long as you need. Even after the baby is born, if you need time to adjust.”

I forced a smile. “Thank you.”

He hesitated before nodding, pushing off the frame. “Get some rest. Dinner’s at seven.”

Then he was gone. And I was left standing in a room that wasn’t mine, in a house that belonged to the man I could never have because he was married to my beautiful sister.

I dropped my first bag on the bed, exhaling slowly. My hands trembled slightly as I ran my fingers over the sateen bed cover. What had I just done? I had spent the last two years avoiding being too close to Hunter, and now I was living under his roof as well as working with him all day. Watching him every day. Watching them being so together every day.

I moved to the dresser, trying to distract myself. I didn’t feel like unpacking; it felt like the door would close on my escape if I did.

Fresh, bright-colored flowers sat in a vase. Hunter had thought of everything. He could be thoughtful at times, even when he didn’t realize it. Yes, he was arrogant and demanding, but sometimes there were the little things. Like chocolates and flowers on my birthday. Even before he had met Helena.

A knock on the door made me jump. I turned as Helena strolled in, uninvited; her smile sharp and knowing.

“I just wanted to make sure you were settling in,” she said sweetly, eyes scanning the room like she was checking her property.

“I’m fine.” I kept my voice even, controlled.

Her gaze flicked to my hands, still resting on the flowers. “Hunter had those put in here for you. He wanted you to feel welcome.”

I forced a small smile. “That was nice of him.”

“Wasn’t it?” She leaned against the doorframe, her nails tapping against the wood. “He’s always been generous.”

Something in her tone made my stomach twist. I hated the way she spoke about him, like he was a trophy she had won, a possession she enjoyed flaunting.

“I’ll let you get some rest,” she said, stepping back. “Dinner at seven. Don’t be late.”

And with that, she was gone, leaving behind the scent of her expensive perfume.

I sank onto the bed. I fell back onto the soft mattress, sighing as I looked up at the ceiling. This was going to be a long, painful stay.

Hunter’s POV

She was here. In my house.

I had told myself it was about the baby, that it was only logical for her to stay close. But I knew better. I needed to keep her safe from Max. Max was a playboy, and Grace could get hurt. There was something so innocent about her. She wasn’t a woman of the world, someone able to deal with a man like Max.

I poured myself a drink, ignoring the tightness in my chest. Helena came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist, pressing her body against my back.

“See?” she purred. “This is better. Everything is as it should be.”

I reached for my glass, downing half the whiskey before pulling away from her hold. I didn’t want Grace to feel uncomfortable with Helena’s constant touching. I loved Helena, but she did have a need to… almost stake a claim on me when other women were around.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Perfect.”

But even as I said it, my gaze drifted toward the hallway, toward the room where Grace would now sleep.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was about to change.

Helena talked for a few more minutes. I didn’t really pay attention to what she was saying, but when I looked up, she was gone.

I sat back at my desk, pretending to focus on my work, but my mind was elsewhere. I was very unsettled. I wondered if we made the right choice in bringing Grace into our home. Helena seemed to think so. But the way Grace had looked when she stepped inside—there was something in her eyes, something she wasn’t saying.

A soft knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

“Come in.”

Grace hesitated in the doorway. “I just wanted to check if there was anything you needed me to do before dinner.”

I frowned. “You don’t have to do that, Grace.”

She bit her lip, shifting slightly. “I know. Just… force of habit, I guess.”

Her words twisted something in my chest. She was always taking care of people, always putting herself second.

“Come in,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

She hesitated before stepping inside. “This house is… big,” she admitted softly.

I smirked. “Too big.”

She met my gaze. There was something there in her eyes, like she wanted… what?

“Hunter...”

The door suddenly burst open, and Helena walked in, her usual confidence wrapped around her like armor.

“Dinner’s ready,” she said smoothly. “Hope you two weren’t talking business. The working day finished hours ago, and I will not allow it.”

Grace’s shoulders stiffened, and she took a step back. “I was just leaving.” She turned, walking out without another word. Helena studied me for a moment before sauntering over, draping herself against the desk.

“You seem tense.”

I downed the rest of my drink. “Long day.”

She smiled, trailing her fingers down my arm. “Let me help you with that.”

Her hands were on me again, sliding over my shoulders, her lips grazing the side of my neck. She knew exactly what she was doing.

But for the first time, I didn’t react. I didn’t pull her closer. Didn’t want what she was offering. What the fuck was wrong with me? I was a highly sexed male.