Hunter's Fortune (River Jewel Resort Series Book 2) (2 page)

She watched as Jason tossed his tie onto the long oak dining table. “Like I said, what’s the occasion, Hunter? I know you want something. Why else would you be tramping around like some Suzie-homemaker? We both know that isn’t you. You’re too rich and powerful to serve a peon like me.”

Hunter felt the sharp sting of his words as Jason sauntered over to the bar and put the drink she’d made for him in the sink. He grabbed a bottle of her finest bourbon, unscrewed the cap and took a deep swallow of the amber liquid. It took all Hunter had to keep herself from telling him to “Choke on it.”

“All I want is a romantic night with my boyfriend. I thought I’d surprise you.”

Hunter steeled herself and walked over to stand beside him. Looking Jason in the eye, she ran her hands slowly down the front of his shirt, across his chest and tugged at his belt a bit. Hunter watched as Jason shivered and she assumed her touch had stirred his desire.

“Hunter, I…”

“Ssh. Let’s have a nice dinner and some fabulous dessert. Can’t we just forget our troubles, the outside world and everything else for just a little while? We need this, Jason
.
I
need this.”

Hunter cupped her hand around his silk trouser-covered shaft and kissed him with passion until he pushed her away slightly.

“You’re right. Let’s eat.”

She fought every urge she had to be offended. He wanted dinner and that was a start. They ate
in silence and any attempt she made at a conversation was stunted by an offhanded mumble or shrug by Jason. Still, Hunter stayed the course. She poured him another drink before dessert and watched as her boyfriend took an extremely long amount of time to finish the small sliver of cake she given him.

“I’m going to go freshen up. Enjoy your dessert and I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Another shrug from Jason and Hunter hurried from the room before the tears she’d been holding back would belie her calm demeanor. Alone in the bathroom, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, commanding herself to push onward. Hunter slipped into the pink, satin baby-doll nightie she’d bought at a ritzy lingerie store in town and opened the door with a flourish to shame any Hollywood starlet.

“Are you ready for some fun, big guy?”

“Why not? If it will keep you quiet, I’m game.”

Not exactly the enthusiasm she was hoping for, but at least he followed her to the bedroom. Jason removed his clothing but after many minutes of vigorous petting and coaxing by Hunter, Jason still wasn’t hard. Hunter tried everything and when it still didn’t work, Jason instructed her to roll over.

“What am I doing wrong?”

“Get on your knees and face the headboard.”

Hunter did as he wished. She purred and flaunted her ass in front of him. He ripped the panties from her bottom and plunged into her from behind. For a few moments, everything was great. Hunter made the appropriate noises and though the position wasn’t one of her favorites, she began to relax and get into it. She arched her back to feel him deeper inside of her.

“Yeah baby, right there. Oh, Jason!”

And that was it. He pulled out of her and it was over. “Did you have to talk? Why can’t you ever just shut the fuck up?”

He masturbated until his dick grew hard once more. Hunter remained on all fours in the hopes they’d finish what they’d started and maybe they could just be a couple for a
little while. However, as soon as Jason attempted to stick his cock inside of her, he went limp once again.

“Fuck it! I can’t do this anymore. You’ve ruined it.”

Jason grabbed his pants and left the room, slamming the door behind him. No longer able to hold back the tears, Hunter locked herself in the bathroom, turned on the hot water faucet, slid into the tub and cried as she tried to scrub the memory of the disastrous evening from her mind. Why had he grown to despise her so? What had she ever done except love him, take care of him and give him everything he ever wanted?

“Where did we go wrong and when did he become such a bastard. I never liked doggie-style? What the hell is going on with him? He can’t even look at me anymore. Why did I even bother?”

The questions and tears went on for what felt like eternity. Hunter knew deep down that she and Jason would never work out. She was so tired of trying to go through the motions of their so-called relationship. Ending it however, would be tricky. Who knew what kind of stunt Jason would pull to get his hands on her money. Would he claim she owed him after their years together? Would it be better to simply pretend they were a couple to avoid a nasty breakup?

Hunter tossed and turned all night. The next morning, Jason was gone. He’d left a note saying he’d be late again.

“Good.”

That was the official beginning of their demise as boyfriend and girlfriend. She was fine with that. Hunter was so sick and tired of feeling like garbage over a man who obviously bedded her for her money.

*
* * *

Hunter shivered in an attempt to rid herself of the memories and ambled into her father’s office to refill her glass. “Good thing I can afford the large bottles.”

She sat down at the large, mahogany desk and turned on the computer. “There has to be a clue somewhere in all of this mumbo-jumbo. I can’t believe an entire fortune could simply vanish. Someone, somewhere, fucked up and I’ll find it.”

Hunter pored through hundreds of records and files, refilling her glass as she did so. Before she knew it, it was three in the morning and she was no closer to finding the truth or her money. All she knew was that she was the proud owner of a bankrupt company, the family home, one secluded cabin, and she had about fifty-thousand dollars to her name.

“Shit!”

How was she supposed to survive on fifty-thousand dollars? Hunter liked her lifestyle and she wasn’t about to become one of the floundering middle class! She shopped, she had a maid, and she loved her expensive car. There had to be a way to fix this debacle!

“But not tonight. I know I’m missing something and these people are expecting answers I can’t give them. Thanks, Dad. Your life-long accountant has completely destroyed everything you screwed everyone over to get.” Hunter couldn’t think of a time when her father had ever shown desperation. Jack Golde was very well-known. He wasn’t some fly-by-night businessman. Jack had been an in-your-face, let’s get it done kind of guy. And get it done he did. He hadn’t cared who he had to fuck to get ahead. Jack had always been the man who needed to own it all, do it all, and no one had stopped him.

If he found himself in trouble, he’d talk his way out of it. If a man caught Jack screwing his wife, he’d pay the man handsomely to forget all about it. Money always talked and Jack had used many means to fulfill his insatiable desires. Drinking was a favorite pastime of his, as was gambling. In fact, Golde Trucking was built upon more than the backs of the little people in town.

Those folks who dared cross Jack Golde were blackmailed into doing his bidding. If they owed him money, they paid exorbitant interest. And when Jack gambled, the stakes for his opponents were sky-high. Every dime Jack Golde had ever accumulated was in fact, ill-gotten gains, and he didn’t care who knew it.

Hunter knew her father hadn’t been respected, he was feared. Even though he’d built a company that supplied jobs to many who would’ve never been able to find work in their small town otherwise, everyone had despised and feared the man. The company drivers and office workers were merely pawns in Jack’s giant game of chess. He put them in harm’s way every day with shoddy equipment and long hours, but Jack paid them enough to keep them in line. Everyone in Jack’s life was simply a person to use, someone to exploit in order to support his greed. The stockholders, in turn, hated Hunter merely by association.

She knew a lot of things need to be changed in the company. She wasn’t completely clueless. But at this point, she no longer cared about any
one else. As far as she was concerned, the employees and stockholders could figure it out for themselves. She was over it. Done. She’d never wanted to be in charge of such an operation and why he’d given the responsibility to her, Hunter would never understand.

Jack Golde had never been around and he’d made sure her mother ran away just so he could continue his Casanova lifestyle. Essentially, Hunter had been a virtual orphan. Sure, she’d never wanted for anything material; her father had been sure to provide only the best for his daughter. Everything Hunter lacked in emotional love and support was replaced with expensive clothes, shoes and copious numbers of gifts. Sadly, compassion and love were free, yet no one she’d ever known could seem to afford to give either to her. Was it any wonder she cared only about herself? How could she be faulted for that?

“Enough. I’m not about to head down this ‘poor me’ memory lane moment. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t go back. I can’t change the path I’ve taken in life.”

If Hunter was ever given a chance, she knew she’d change so many things. She’d have a husband and a child, maybe two. Her home would be filled with laughter and love instead of expensive furnishings and bitter disappointment. So many nights she’d dreamt
of a man who would come into her life and change it for the better. But that never happened.

“Where would I meet him, anyway? At work? The mall? Face it, Hunter. This is your life. Every screwed up, insane moment of it.”

  Slurring now and comfortably numb, she set her glass on the desk. Exhausted, she fell asleep alone on the brushed leather sofa and once again dreamt of the faceless man she wished would save her from herself.

Chapter Two

“Wow! Who left the lights on?” Hunter awoke to a glaringly bright morning and found she truly didn’t want to face it.

“I can’t do this. I’ll never find the money on my own.”

She tried calling Giles repeatedly and of course he didn’t answer. “I knew it. Voicemail, really? ”

After she’d ingested an incredible amount of coffee, Hunter showered and readied herself for the day ahead. She called Giles’ phone every ten minutes until the message greeted her, “We’re sorry, this number is no longer in service.”

“That sonofabitch! He really has bailed. How am I supposed to face these people? I’m not. I won’t do it.”

She resolved right then and there to leave. Hunter made quick work of calling her lawyer to bring him up to speed. He admonished her for not calling him sooner and she cut him off immediately.

“Sam, I don’t have time for this. That weasel has left me holding the bag, albeit an empty bag. In a matter of hours, those vipers are gonna’ be beating down my door, demanding my resignation and a shit-ton of money. I’m outta here.”

“Okay, I’ll do what I can. Get up to the cabin and I’ll do my best to fix what I can.”

“Thanks, Sam.”

“It’s part of the job, right? And Hunter, be careful. I’ll talk to you soon.”

She hung up the phone and grabbed her coat, purse and keys before locking the door and leaving. Only after she was on the road did she realize she still hadn’t spoken to Jason either.

“Whatever. Let the gold-digging-bastard figure it out for himself.”

* * * *

The last thing Hunter needed was car trouble, but that’s exactly what she got. Half an hour into her road trip, she found herself the proud recipient of a flat tire.

“Get the expensive, nitrogen-filled tires, they said! Of course there’s no spare. Shit! Shit! Shit!” Slamming the trunk, Hunter sat in the driver’s seat and pressed the onboard emergency button.

“No signal.” The cold automated voice informed her.

“Lovely.”

She paced up and down the steep, curvy mountain road while holding her cell phone in the air, hoping to grab at least one bubble of signal.

“Unbelievable.” This section of Indiana was virtually uninhabited. Except for the random hilltop barn full of cows or goats, Hunter was alone.

“Could this get any worse? Thanks, Dad!” She raged at the sky, trees and surrounding wildlife.

“You couldn’t even teach me to change a damn tire?” Hunter ineffectually kicked the flattened rubber.

“Dammit!” Hopping around on one foot, holding her other excruciatingly painful one, she did what any self-respecting woman in the same position would do—she sat down and cried.

“How can this be happening to me? What did I do to deserve such atrocities?” She flipped and flopped on the gravel road, alternately pounding and kicking the slim stone path.

“And fuck you, squirrels! Shut up! No one wants to hear your happy chatter! Suck a nut!” She threw a handful of pebbles at the line of trees in front of her and collapsed in another fit of crying.

“Are you alright, ma’am?”

Hunter opened her eyes and found herself staring into the deep blue eyes of a mountain man. “Get back!”

She jumped to her feet, grabbing the closest object on her way up and brandishing it, ready to beat the stranger into a bloody mess. She’d be damned if her photo would be on the front page of the local paper as the latest victim of some deranged weirdo.

“Whoa. Easy there, little lady.”

“Keep your hands where I can see them. Who are you? What do you want? And why are you staring at me like that?”