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Hunter Reese.
Where in the world had he come from?
She had to be dreaming. He was an image, an illusion, that had nothing to do with reality. After all these years, after all this time, it was impossible to believe he was actually standing before her, as handsome and rugged as ever.
"Hunter," she gasped, struggling to stay on two feet with knees that now wobbled like Jell-O.
He didn't say a word, didn't move a single muscle. He just stood there, staring at her, those deep gray eyes of his flickering over her body. The heat of his stare burned her skin. She struggled for composure, stunned by the sight of him standing so close after all this time.
In less than five minutes, she was due to marry Grant, and before her stood the one and only man who had ever held the key to her heart. The one man she had ever truly loved.
This wasn't possible. She had to be dreaming. Hunter Reese was a part of her past. He didn't belong here on her first step into a brand new future.
He took a step in her direction and Paxton fought against the urge to back away from him. One by one, his steps echoed against the hard floor, drawing him closer. Still, he did not speak, his eerie silence sending a shiver up her spine. He stopped with only an inch between them, dark, clouded eyes boring straight through her. The warmth of his breath brushed against her cheek. The beating of his heart pounded in unison with hers.
Seconds felt like hours as he loomed in front of her. His lips formed a tight, grim line. The creases in his forehead stretched fiercely over his brow.
What did he want?
Why was he here?
Before she could utter either question, Hunter took yet another step toward her. His arms shot out from his sides to settle around her slender frame. In the flash of a second, giving Paxton no chance to respond, he hoisted her off her feet. White lace bunched against his arms as he tossed her cautiously over his shoulder. Without a second's hesitation, he turned back toward the door, his hold tight on Paxton as he nudged it open with his knee and carried her out of the room.
They were halfway down the hall before she was able to regain some control. Closing her gaping mouth with a violent snap, she kicked her legs in desperation, twisting her body from side to side, hoping to break free from Hunter's determined hold.
"Hunter Reese, what in the world are you doing," she demanded from her awkward position over his broad shoulder. She couldn't see where they were going, only what they were leaving behind. "If you don't put me down, right now, I swear I'll start screaming at the top of my lungs."
In response to her threat, Hunter reached around with the arm that had been holding her shoulders steady, clamping a firm hand over her mouth. Paxton sputtered over the sudden barrier, unable to utter another word through the thickness of his palm.
In desperation, the reality of what was happening quickly settling in, she bared her teeth. Finding the tender skin between Hunter's thumb and index finger, she clamped down as hard as she could with her pearly whites. Satisfaction soared when he cursed from the pain she caused, but still he didn't let go.
This couldn't be happening to her. Paxton kicked her legs in a fury, feeling the pointed toe of her satin shoe making contact with the hardness of Hunter's leg. Any minute now, someone was going to turn down the hallway and see what was happening. Any minute now, someone was going to appear and put a stop to whatever crazy scheme Hunter had in mind.
Any minute now.
The hallway remained empty, much to Paxton's disgust. Only minutes earlier it had been bustling with activity. Now it lay motionless with not a soul in sight. The dressing room grew further and further away as Hunter's rushed steps took them deeper into the back of the church.
Desperation gripped tight against her nerves. She opened her mouth in another attempt to speak, but Hunter's hand still held tight. Her wiggling and kicking hadn't accomplished anything. She was helpless. Helpless in the arms of a man she was convinced had lost his mind and gone way off the deep end.
Door hinges creaked just a second before a blast of sunlight showered over her. From the top of Hunter's shoulder, she watched the heavy metal door swing shut behind them, its dull thud leaving finality in its wake.
Outside the safety of the church, she struggled violently to get away from him. Somehow, someway, she had to free herself. She didn't have any idea what he had in mind. He was leading her further and further away from the back door, maneuvering them through the rows of cars crammed into the tiny parking lot behind the church.
The man was crazy. That was the only answer Paxton could find to explain his actions. Obviously, over the past ten years, something inside of him had cracked, leaving a mad man in her presence.
A mad man she had to get away from.
Hunter stopped short at a royal blue sport vehicle parked towards the back of the lot. "Nice plates," he commented, shifting her weight over his shoulder to get a hold on the drivers door.
Paxton silently cursed the personalized plates she'd ordered for her vehicle. With her name splattered just below the back fender, Hunter had no problem finding what he was looking for. She knew what he would locate next and gritted her teeth against the frustration settling in.
Her body leaned forward with his as Hunter easily opened the unlocked door and leaned inside the sun burned interior. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled the visor down, bringing a set of keys tumbling into his grasp.
"I always told you it was asking for trouble, leaving your keys in the car." He shook his head in disbelief. "Ten years and you're still hiding them in the same place as always."
Desperate, Paxton watched the back door of the church, praying with all her might for somebody to find their way outside. She wasn't a fool. Hunter had a car and keys. Obviously, he wasn't planning on sticking around here and Paxton had a sickening feeling he intended to take her along with him.
She struggled in vain while Hunter squeezed them through the drivers door together. In one swift movement, he dropped her onto the passenger seat while pulling his door shut. His finger instantly found the automatic door locks. Even as Paxton was scrambling to unlock the car, he had a hold of the little lever, preventing her side from working as she fumbled with it in desperation.
"Damn you, Hunter," she cursed, turning on him with eyes of fury. "Let me out of here right this minute."
He didn't respond as he turned the engine over, bringing the car to life with a gentle hum. His silence stoked the raging fire behind her anger. "You're crazy," she spit out, continuing her relentless pursuit on the locks.
When she moved to the button that would roll down the windows, she found, once again, Hunter had beaten her to the punch. Without her knowledge, he'd already engaged the lock mechanism on the side of his door to prevent any of the windows from rolling down.
This was unbelievable. Ten years had slipped by without a single sighting of Hunter Reese. Long ago, she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never see him again. She certainly hadn't ever imagined he'd re-enter her life in such a crazy way. One minute, she was seconds away from walking down the aisle to be married, and in the next minute, Hunter had her slung over his shoulder, carrying her off to who knew where.
Even in her anger and frustration, shock continued to drum through her. She didn't understand one bit of what was happening. How in the world did Hunter know she was getting married today? How did he know where to find her?
"Let me out of here," She demanded when Hunter guided her car out of the parking lot and into the alley. "There is no way I'm going to let you take me anywhere but back inside that church."
The smirk he threw her way let Paxton know her demands did nothing for him. With ease, he wound his way down the alley to the main street. She thought about screaming her lungs out, but reasoned it would be a waste of breath. There was little chance anyone would hear her, and even if they did, what good would it do.
Her only chance to get out of this strange situation was to try to talk some sense into Hunter. Hopefully he still had some brains left inside that head of his. Fidgeting in her seat, Paxton pulled her gown down over her knees, smoothing out the creases gathering around her legs.
She turned to face Hunter, taking a deep breath to erase the anger from her voice. She would reason with him. That's what she would do. Surely, once he realized how crazy this was, he'd take her back to the church.
"In case you weren't aware, I was due to be married in just a few minutes," she informed him.
"I was aware of that," he returned, never taking his gaze off the window in front of him.
"Then don't you think it would be smart for you to take me back before someone realizes I'm gone. It only make sense that my absence will be noticed."
His only response was a shrug of the shoulders.
"Look, Hunter." She tried again. "I don't know what you're up to, and truthfully, I don't want to know. All I care about is getting back to that church. If you take me back now, I promise this little incident will be forgotten completely."
He didn't answer, nor did he turn around. Paxton scowled out the window as the downtown scenery passed her by, leaving the church, and her wedding, further and further behind.
Her desperation grew stronger. By now, her father had to have discovered she wasn't in her dressing room. It wouldn't be long before they figured out she wasn't inside the church either, and then she was sure the search for the missing bride would start in full force. With five hundred guests waiting for a wedding that had been talked about for months, they weren't going to give up easily. Paxton was sure of that.
Unfortunately, if she couldn't convince Hunter to take her back, there wouldn't be a wedding today. She could just imagine Grant's reaction to that. His public image meant so much to him. It wasn't going to make him happy to be embarrassed in front of all those guests. It would definitely leave a black mark on the reputation he worked so hard to keep up.
"Please, Hunter." She tried a different tactic. If reason didn't get through, maybe pleading would. "Please, just turn the car around and take me back. You and I both know it's the smartest thing you can do right now."
"Sorry," Hunter offered with a casual shrug. "But there will be no going back. You can plead and beg or fight and scream. To me, it doesn't make a difference. You won't change my mind either way."
The fact that he had caught on to the different tactics she'd been using irked her more than she wanted to admit. At one time, he had known her better than anyone else, better than any other living soul. But those days were long gone, and the last thing she wanted was a reminder of how close they had once been. It had taken too long to get him out of her system the last time around and she refused to struggle through such an ordeal again.
"Then at least give me the decency of telling me what exactly it is you're up to. Or do you make it a habit of kidnapping brides from their weddings only seconds before they are due to walk down the aisle?"
"You're my first." Hunter's deep voice vibrated inside the tight confines of the car. That voice used to slide over her skin like silk. At one time in her life, she had craved the sound of it, had spent her days hearing it repeatedly inside her head.
"Then why, Hunter? Is this some sort of sick revenge on your part?"
The chuckle he returned lacked any kind of humor. "Don't flatter yourself, Princess. I don't have the time, or the want, to find revenge on you. In my opinion, it wouldn't be worth it."
His words hit painfully, though she shouldn't have expected any less of a reaction from him. Their parting hadn't exactly been a friendly one. It had left large, gaping holes in both of them. Holes she knew had never fully healed.
In one last jab of desperation, she glanced behind her. The church was no longer within her sight. They had slipped through the heart of the city, leaving the skyscrapers and crowded streets behind. In that last look, Paxton knew she'd lost all hope of getting back to her wedding. Whatever Hunter's plans were, they didn't consist of taking her back to the church. There wasn't going to be any wedding today. Of that, she was now certain.
Fear was an emotion she should have had growing inside of her. She had no idea what was going on inside of Hunter's thick head. Had no idea why he had come after her or where he was taking her.
And yet, something inside of her refused to be afraid of him. Even with his strange actions, he didn't frighten her. Worried, yes. Confused, even more so. But, even after all this time, she knew Hunter wouldn't harm her in any way. A small thread of trust continued to exist inside of her. A trust she hadn't been aware she still carried with her until now.
"All right," Paxton released with a resigned sigh, sinking back into the passenger seat in a defeated slump. "If this isn't for revenge, then what is it for? I think I at least deserve some sort of an explanation from you."
"And you'll get it," Hunter conceded. "Later."
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