But something was going on with him. He kept watching her, his look so dark she couldn't fathom what was the matter. If Rourke hadn't been there, she would have asked. But she didn't want to in front of him.
Rourke noticed Hunter's ominous mood, too. Even though he was pissed about her and Hunter's relationship, he wasn't saying a word about it. But she bet he would if Hunter hadn't looked so lethal.
"You didn't make that list of names for me," Hunter finally said to Tessa, fixing her with a piercing gaze as he shoved his empty plate at Rourke.
Although Rourke was supposed to do the dishes, he wasn't finished eating, and he cast Hunter an irritated look.
Tessa had forgotten all about the list of suspects. "I'll do it after I finish dinner."
She realized then, the change had come over Hunter after he'd left to gather firewood earlier. She frowned. Although she knew she shouldn't bring it up, she wasn't used to burying problems. "Did you discover anything when you went down to the beach to get firewood?"
Rourke glanced up from his roast.
"You said Ashton wasn't anything to you. You said he only saw you as Michael's annoying sister. What the hell's going on between the two of you? Is he your lover? Former lover? Is that why he shot me?"
A sickening flood of fear washed over her. He watched the emotions playing across her face, his hard look instantly changing to a hint of compassion. How did he come up with the conclusion that she and Ashton were lovers?
The... the incident in the shed out back? How could he know about that?
"Don't lie to me, Tessa."
His voice was so stern she might have cowered if she had done something wrong.
But she hadn't, damn it. She hadn't even known Hunter back then. What right did he have bullying her?
No longer hungry, she rose from the table. "You want a list of possible suspects, I'll give you a list. But beyond that, go to hell."
She swore his lips turned up a fraction before he stood like one pissed-off giant grizzly.
He tossed a pair of her shredded silk panties on the table. "Want to talk about it?"
"Where... where did you get those?"
"In the shed."
Rourke looked anxious, like he wished he hadn't agreed to stay the night. Some hero he would make. On the other hand, he looked like he wanted to know what the panties had to do with Ashton Wellington. Good news for the morning paper?
"It was my fault," she said, gathering her composure. Once she told Hunter the truth, she figured he would want to kill Ashton, so somehow, she had to minimize the seriousness of what had happened.
"So tell me. Did you seduce him in the shed, Tessa?" He advanced on her. "Did you? Or did something else go down?"
She fought fleeing to her bedroom to avoid the topic.
She had never told anyone about it. How could she? No one would ever have believed her. But Hunter had instincts that were more attuned than anyone she had ever met. She didn't think she could get away with outright lying.
"What business did you have in the shed?" She tilted her chin up and glowered right back at him, but wondered again where the panties had been that she hadn't found them.
"The intruder had been there. I was looking for clues when I found those." Hunter motioned to the incriminating evidence.
Oh, hell, the stalker.
"Ashton had been drinking, okay?"
Hunter's face turned even more hot-tempered. "He forced you? Damn it, he raped you?"
"No! He tried to get me to do it with him, but I... I knocked him out with a shovel and when he came to, we never discussed the incident. All right?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why? No one would ever have believed me! Ashton can do no wrong! I tried to tell my brother, but he wouldn't hear of it. I'd seen Ashton smoking out by the shed. Michael was still at the art gallery at one of his special exhibits. I thought it was a good opportunity to tell Ashton to go to hell."
"Like you did me?"
"Yeah, well, you deserved it. I told Ashton I didn't want him seeing my brother any longer. He was a bad influence, but it was my fault for confronting him. I shouldn't have interfered. Not when I saw that Ashton was drunk. He left before Michael came home, and we didn't see him for a couple of weeks. He wasn't pleasant to me after that, but he kept his distance."
Rourke whistled. "Hell, a shovel, eh? Good thing you didn't crack that worthless skull of his in half. Not that he wouldn't deserve it, but you wouldn't have deserved the consequences either."
Hunter took Tessa's hand, but she jerked free and folded her arms. "Next time you want to ask me a question, do it in a nicer way, and not with a reporter in audience, all right?"
Rourke shook his head. "I swear, Tessa, on my mother's grave, I wouldn't breathe a word of this to anyone. I swear it. Although that worthless piece of shit deserves the bad publicity."
Hunter took Tessa's arms and unfolded them. Holding onto her hands, he scowled, "I don't often apologize for my actions, but finding the evidence in the shed made me a little crazy."
She wanted to say for someone who didn't want to make a commitment, what was the big deal? But she bit her tongue, because somewhere deep in this mountain man's psyche, he seemed to be fighting with himself over wanting to be with her longer.
She gave him a wry smile. "Apology accepted. But don't you dare kill that tapeworm."
"I can't make any promises." He cast Rourke a look like he better not print a word of any of this.
Rourke threw his hands up in capitulation. "Secret's safe with me. But you can't bind me to any oath either if that bastard gets in my way after what he's pulled."
She wanted to laugh. As if Rourke would ever get more violent with a body than shoving a recorder in his face to do an interview. Hunter smiled, as if he were thinking along the same line.
"You're making up to me tonight for this," Tessa warned Hunter, poking her finger against his solid chest.
He learned over and cupped her face, gliding his lips over hers, then captured her mouth and gave her a searing kiss that promised much more. He bowed his head slightly, touching his forehead against hers. "I'll do my best to apologize more, later."
Her lips tingled with heat and pleasure, and she wished Rourke hadn't been here. "Hmm, you'd better."
He grabbed her hat and Michael's jacket and gloves. "Got to take a look around now that it's getting dark. Keep her inside the house no matter what, Rourke. Even if you hear gunfire, don't let her out of your sight."
"Be careful," she said, her heart in her throat, because no matter how capable he seemed, someone had already nearly killed Hunter, and she was having awful feelings about this. Just like before.
Chapter 6
WHY HUNTER HAD JUMPED TO THE CONCLUSION HE had concerning Tessa, he didn't know. Well, yeah, he did. She had really gotten under his skin and one thing he didn't like was being lied to. When he had found her panties on top of a shelf of some old paint cans, an unreasonable rage had filled him. But seeing her expression made him realize he had gotten the scenario all wrong, and he wished to hell his wolf instincts had played more of a role in his handling of the situation.
He meant what he said. He would make it up to her. Hopefully, she was being honest when she seemed to understand his anger and didn't hold a grudge against him for it. But maybe if she stewed about it for a while, she would be mad at him all over again. He wouldn't blame her. Why he had brought up the matter in front of Rourke was another thing.