The next morning, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and it only took a few passing glances to remember where I was. The room was still dark, just a sliver of sunlight peeking through the curtains, and as I sat up slowly stretching my arms over my head, my gaze settled on the clothes scattered about the floor; both mine and Hunter’s. I smiled as the previous night replayed through my mind, and warmth spread through my chest knowing that the man lying beside me wasn’t a dream… and he was all mine.
Speak of the handsome devil…
He pressed his lips to my shoulder and pulled me in closer, slipping a leg in between mine so that we were locked together like a pretzel. I loved how possessive he had become, and he wasn’t afraid to show it, but it wasn’t like I had any desire to get away from him any time soon… if ever. I’d stay here wrapped up in him for all eternity if I could.
“Go back to sleep, babe. I know how much you like to sleep in,” he mumbled groggily and buried his face in my hair.
I giggled softly. “Mmm, true, but check out is around ten and we both need to shower before we leave.” I crinkled my nose, feigning that his odor was a bit offensive. “Maybe some more than others.”
“Baby, are you trying to insinuate that I stink?” He rolled me over on my back, trapping my arms above my head as he pushed his body up against my breasts and tickled them with the soft hairs that coated his hard chest. He kissed and nipped at my neck, causing that pool of heat to return low in my belly, and my craving for him intensified.
“I would never.” My words dripped with sarcasm, but really I loved the way he smelled; all woodsy and masculine, a scent all his own. Even when Hunter was coated in a sheen of sweat after spending hours wrestling me to the ground at the gym, it just seemed to enhance his delicious musky aroma. “But seriously, we’re going to be late, especially if you keep getting me all worked up like… oh, ohhh.”
Hunter slipped his hand between us and began teasing my sweet spot, rubbing slow circles around the sensitive bud. “Oh God, that feels so good. Please don’t stop,” I said breathily.
“Wasn’t planning on it, sweet cheeks.” He grazed his teeth along my neck and jaw while continuing to circle my * with the rough pads of his fingers. The friction it caused set my whole body on fire, and Hunter smiled against my chin, pleased at how easily I was affected by his touch. It only took a few more strokes, and I was drenched with my arousal. Hunter dipped his fingers inside me, drawing out the juices from my slick channel, and spread it over my *, circling even faster until my hips jerked up to meet his hand. He applied a bit of pressure to my swollen bundle of nerves, pinching it gently between his finger and thumb, and I came completely undone.
“Oh f*ck, Hunter, I’m coming!” I choked out.
I rode out my orgasm with my body pressed against his, digging my nails into his back and holding on as if my life depended on it. He groaned in appreciation, and my head fell back against the pillow with the biggest grin on my face, fully satiated and high on Hunter.
Lying back down beside me, he cupped my face, brushing his finger over my cheek gingerly, and I could see his steely gray eyes were glazed over with so much love and devotion; it was such a beautiful sight to see on a man like Hunter, even more so because he was mine, and I knew that look was reserved for my eyes only. I leaned up on my elbows and brushed my lips over his as I spoke. “Best. F*cking. Wake-up call. Ever.”
I felt the corner of his mouth pull up into a crooked grin against my lips. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Oh, and just so you know, we’re not running late. I paid extra so we could check out later.” He laid back with his arms behind his head and a smug grin plastered across his face.
I cocked an eyebrow at him, both loving and hating him for not letting me sleep in. “So I could’ve gone back to sleep after all?”
Hunter smirked and I smacked him with a pillow. “Hey, just think, if you’d gone back to sleep you wouldn’t have had… what did you call it again? The best f*cking wake-up call ever?”
“Hmm, you’ve got a point there, Mr. Bryant. But it seems someone missed out on his wake up call.” I looked down at his morning wood, and my mouth salivated at the sight of it. “And since I’ve been informed that we still have some time to spare…”
I traced my finger along the vein than ran up the underside of his cock, and it practically leapt into my hand. He sucked in a husky breath, and I curled my fingers around him, gripping his erection at the base and giving it one long stroke all the way to the top where pre-come was beading at the tip. I licked my lips, dying to get a taste for myself, but before I could go down on him, he dug his fingers through my hair and gently motioned for me to come back up.
“Babe, this whole weekend was supposed to be about you…”
“I know… and it still is.” I shot him a seductive grin and carried on with my task. “Consider this a treat for both of us. Now just lie back and enjoy yourself.”
He loosened his grip on my hair, but his fingers remained in the soft tendrils that trickled down my back. I looked up at him through long, dark lashes and ran my tongue up his length, lapping at the salty bead awaiting me at the tip of his crown. God, he tasted so f*cking good, and the groan that tore through his chest made it so much better. Normally, I would protest giving a guy a blowjob, no matter how hard be begged, since there wasn’t much in it for me other than a cramped jaw and a sore wrist. I also never let anyone come in my mouth; that was one of my main bugaboos, but I wanted to experience new things with Hunter, and I liked the idea of sharing one of my firsts with him.
I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock and slowly sank my mouth over him, loving the feel of his smooth steel as it ran past my lips. His hips bucked as I took him further in, and I alternated stroking him as I bobbed my head. I could tell it took every ounce of willpower for him not to thrust himself fully in my mouth, but I rewarded him by taking every inch of him deep in my throat.
“F*ck, Maddie. If you keep that up, I’m going to blow any second. It feels too f*cking good.” Heat flared in his eyes as he gazed down at me, and a deep moan ripped through his throat.
I increased the tempo, licking and sucking fervidly while I reached down to cup his balls. That caught him by surprise. I smiled around his rigid length and gently massaged his sack, feeling the weight of his family jewels as I slowly rolled them in my hand. I looked up at him just as his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, and I knew he was getting close. I could feel his balls tighten, already drawing up.
Without warning, Hunter leaned forward, grabbed my ankles, and pulled me on top of him so that I was facing the opposite direction. I looked over my shoulder, and he winked up at me as he lapped at the arousal still coating my p-ssy. Oh, f*ck me, this man is brilliant!
I swept my hair over my shoulder and took his aching shaft, which had somehow grown even harder, back in my mouth. I sucked and stroked with more avidity, loving the feel of him as he slid against my mouth, my lips and my tongue. God, I just couldn’t get enough of him! Hunter was utter perfection from head to toe, and the fact that he cared more about my needs than his own made me love him that much more. He dug his fingers into the swell of my hips to keep me from squirming above him while he sucked my swollen pink folds between his lips and flicked his tongue over my throbbing *.
“Baby, I need you to pull back soon, or else I’m going to come in that sweet mouth of yours.”
Hearing him utter that string of words was just the spark I needed to ignite the impending eruption that was about to course its way through my body. My orgasm was just at the cusp, ready to burst free, and I knew it wouldn’t take much effort on his part to take me over the edge. I continued swirling my tongue around him and sank my mouth as far as I could go, burying him to the hilt. He moaned my name, and never had it sounded more beautiful, laced with the sheer pleasure I was bringing him.
“Shit, babe, I’m gonna come…” His entire body tensed beneath me, and just as the last word left his mouth, I felt hot, creamy spurts spill down my throat. With one last sweep of his tongue against my aching center, I was right there with him, tumbling into ecstasy.
I collapsed over Hunter in blissful exhaustion, and he ran his hands up and down my thighs while I came down from my climax. As soon as I regained some of my strength, I rolled off of him and snuggled up by his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing lazy figure eights around my hipbone, and I giggled softly into his chest.
“Baby,” he shook his head while sporting the biggest f*cking grin on his face. “I don’t know where that came from, but I f*cking love your mouth. You have the softest, sweetest lips, and that thing you did with your tongue… damn. All I can say is that I am a very lucky man.”
“And I am a lucky lady to have such a lucky man.”
I looked over at him and smiled, loving the way he gazed down at me so affectionately. We laid there for about another hour with his fingers running through my hair and our bodies entwined, not wanting to lose the contact we shared and craved so desperately. It still blew my mind that we hadn’t even had sex yet, and still, we felt this crazy magnetic connection drawing us to one another; one that I had never felt so strongly before, and I was pretty sure I would never feel this strongly about anyone else again.
After grabbing a quick shower together, we packed up our belongings and ordered some lunch, making sure to utilize every last minute of our time here before we had to check out. A light knock tapped at our door, and I let the service attendant wheel our food over to the table, but it didn’t slip past me that she wrinkled her nose as soon as she entered the room. It finally dawned on me why she must’ve looked so repulsed, and after leaving her a more than generous tip, I reached into my suitcase and pulled out my bottle of perfume.
“I feel bad for the cleaning crew that gets stuck with our room.” I shook my head.
Hunter leaned back in bed, shoveling a forkful of his Caesar salad in his mouth. “Why? We barely made a mess other than tangling the sheets up a bit.”
“Yeah, but it reeks of hot, sweaty sex in here,” I said as I spritzed my perfume around the room.
He quickly swallowed his food before releasing a hearty laugh. “Babe, I’m sure they are used to that. It is a hotel after all. Would it make you feel better if I requested that girl at the front desk to come up here and take care of things?” His devious grin had me smiling right along with him.
“Oh, you are so bad.” I sat down next to him on the bed and took a bite of my turkey club sandwich. “But in all seriousness, I’ve had it up to here with that skanky bitch and her wandering eyes. I couldn’t stand the way she was staring at you, like she was ready to strip down and f*ck you right in front of me. I mean, have some f*cking self-respect and find your own man. If there’s one thing I absolutely hate, it’s sharing.”
“Tsk tsk, how did you ever manage to pass kindergarten with an attitude like that?” He chuckled.
“Shut up.” I smacked his chest. “If that’s how you feel, then you wouldn’t mind sharing me, would you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, cocking an eyebrow at him.
“Like hell!” He set his salad on the nightstand and pulled me into his lap, giving my ass a firm squeeze for good measure. “You’re all mine, sweet cheeks, and don’t you forget it.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses. After a weekend like the one we just spent together, I think it would be pretty hard to forget a detail like that. Hunter Bryant was embedded so deep under my skin, it would take the Jaws of Life to pry him back out.
Driving along the coast back to Savannah with Hunter smiling over at me from the passenger seat—yes you heard me right; he actually let me drive Lola!—I couldn’t wipe away the silly grin that had permanently molded my lips. For the first time in my life, I was happy, truly happy, and I had him and him alone to thank for that. It wasn’t just because of the mind-blowing orgasms he gave me, either, although I had no complaints in that department. Hunter was the whole damn package and then some!
In little to no time at all, he proved to be both my biggest weakness and my greatest source of strength. He literally had me weak in the knees from his loving words and affectionate touches, but he also showed me that I was capable of standing on my own two feet when the world felt like it was caving in around me. How was that even possible? Well, with Hunter, I was finding that all things were possible… even believing in my own self worth again.
When I pulled up to the garage behind Hunter’s apartment, I caught a glimpse of Liberty and Shayne in the side mirror, leaning against his Jeep. What were they doing here? From the looks of it, they hadn’t been waiting very long, and judging by the sullen expressions on their faces, the reason for their visit was not a pleasant one. Hunter had picked up on it, too. He reached over and took my hand, feathering his lips over my knuckles. We walked back around to the front of the apartment complex, and Liberty met me halfway, pulling me into her arms.
“Did you guys have a nice weekend getaway? You look like you got a bit of color.” She held me at arm’s length and smiled, but I could tell it was forced, because the happiness peaking in her voice never reached her eyes.
“Yeah, in fact it was perfect.” I smiled over at Hunter, who was chewing his bottom lip and holding back a knowing grin, before returning my attention back to Liberty. “But I assume you guys aren’t here to hear about the juicy details, so out with it. What couldn’t you wait to tell me over the phone?”
Liberty’s smile faded when she made eye contact with Shayne, and he nodded, urging her to go on. “We went to check on your apartment and clean up a bit before you guys got back. I figured you might need some more of your things, so I packed up some of your clothes, shoes, makeup… your usual necessities.”
I chuckled under my breath, not only because my best friend knew me so well, but because for once, I wasn’t even concerned about any of those things. It made me quickly realize how shallow and materialistic I used to be. “That was thoughtful of you guys. You really didn’t have to do that.”
Shayne stepped forward, holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He shook his head, and I could see an increasing tightness in his eyes that told me I was not going to like what I was about to hear. “Well, it’s a good thing we did, because when we came to see if you guys were back yet, we found this stuck to Hunter’s door. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but whoever has it out for you, Maddie, is keeping a close watch and knows that you’re staying with him.”
Shayne handed the paper over to me, but before I could unfold it, Hunter came up beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder so that he could read the contents of the note as well.
You think you’re safe, you f*cking slut? Think again.
He won’t always be around to protect you.
I blinked rapidly, reading the words over and over until my trembling hands let the paper slip through my fingers. My eyes shifted back and forth, wondering if the person who continued to torment me was out there watching me, waiting for my next move. My instincts were telling me to run, but it seemed at this point that wasn’t even an option, and he made that very clear.
“H-how did he even know I was here?” My voice lowered to a whisper.
Hunter leaned his forehead against mine. “Shit, babe, I have no idea. I wish I did, but you can’t let him know he’s getting to you. Scumbags like that feed off of your weaknesses, and he’ll just keep coming back at you tenfold, if you give in to what he wants. He wants you to be afraid. He wants to break you down, and once you submit, that’s when he’ll strike. Just remember everything that I’ve taught you. You are such a strong person, one of the strongest people I know, and I’m not just saying that because you can pin me to the ground in five seconds flat.” He laughed softly, and I eased into his strong, encompassing arms. “You have such a big heart, and while some might think that makes you weak and vulnerable, you use it to your advantage. You protect the ones you love, including yourself. Haven’t you ever heard the saying ‘you cannot love another, until you love yourself’?”
I nodded against him, wiping the tears that slowly trickled down my face, and Hunter lowered his voice for my ears only. “It’s the people who have never felt love that are weak. And you, Maddie… you love with your entire being. I have never met anyone as fiercely passionate as you are, and the more I get to know you, the more you let that side of yourself shine through. Don’t ever lose that. Don’t ever think that you aren’t loved and aren’t capable of loving. I could tell from the moment I met you that you had your guard up, and I’m not going to pry and ask who or what caused you to withhold that beautiful piece of your heart, but I’m glad that you finally let me see it and experience it firsthand. I can see now that you are so much stronger, and this a*shole that keeps f*cking with you, he’ll see it, too. And if he’s lucky, he’ll never have to feel the wrath of Madelyn ‘Lil’ Rambo’ Harrington.”
I was full out laughing through my tears, and Liberty and Shayne must have thought I’d lost my damn mind. Leaning back, I gazed up at the man whose words filled my heart, stretching it beyond what I thought it was ever capable of. I pressed my tear-stained lips to his, tasting the salty droplets as my mouth brushed over him
“I’m sorry I’ve been fighting these feelings for so long. It’s just… I never thought anyone could possibly want me for me.”
Hunter cradled my face in his hands, delicately stroking his thumbs over my cheeks and erasing my tears. “Maddie, I will always want you. All of you. Please don’t ever doubt that. Don’t ever doubt my feelings for you, because this…” He took my hand and placed it over his heart, covering it protectively. “This is all yours.”
I drew in a long, deep breath, savoring the moment as I permanently locked it away in my memory. I never wanted to forget the way he looked at me as he uttered those words; never wanted to forget the beautiful ache in my chest when he told me his heart was all mine. God, all of the feelings I fought so hard to contain came flooding through, and I was about ready to burst. I reached up, digging my fingers through his soft hair, and our lips collided in a feverous frenzy. I caressed the seam of his lips with my tongue, and his mouth parted, searching eagerly for me. Never in my life had I been kissed so voraciously, and when he softened the kiss just the slightest bit, a whimper escaped me, demanding he kiss me harder.
Someone cleared his throat behind us, and I smiled, dragging my teeth over Hunter’s lip. I peeked over my shoulder and found that Liberty and Shayne were still standing there, both appearing a bit uncomfortable by our blatant PDA. Shayne looked as though he were concentrating intently on something at his feet, pretending he hadn’t heard or seen us, but Liberty was panting heavily with her hand over her chest and her faced flushed like she had just had the best orgasm of her life.
“Dear Lord, could you guys be any hotter together?” Liberty raised her hand, fanning her face. “I swear you two must have just made a baby the way you were going at it.”
Hunter buried his face into my neck laughing, and all I could do was roll my eyes. “Calm your tits, Liberty. There’s nothing wrong with a little kissing.”
“Ugh, that wasn’t kissing, sweetie. That man was f*cking your mouth like there was no tomorrow. Jesus, didn’t you guys release all of that pent up sexual tension this weekend?”
My mouth gaped at her assumption. “Liberty!”
“Damn. There goes fifty bucks down the drain,” she grunted in disappointment.
I threw my hand up on my hip, shaking my head. “Should I even bother asking how you lost the money?”
“Probably not, but I’ll tell you anyway,” Liberty smirked. “Brett, Robbie, Lance and I had a bet going, on when you guys would finally cave in and do the nasty. Clearly, I guessed wrong.”
“And what about you? You didn’t join in on their little bet?”
Shayne raised his hands defensively, all the while laughing at our exchange. “Hey, I already know what it’s like being on your shit list, so I opted to stand this one out.” He smiled, knowing I’d appreciate that. Smart man.
Liberty linked her arm through mine and pulled me over toward Shayne’s Jeep to start unloading the boxes they had packed for me. “So you guys seriously didn’t fool around at all?”
“Hey, I never said we didn’t fool around.” I grinned wickedly.
“I knew it!” Liberty shouted, and I threw my hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh. Hunter and Shayne looked back at us curiously, and I shook my head, smiling at them.
“Will you keep it down and help me carry these in? We can leave the heavier ones for Hunter and Shayne.”
“All right, but don’t think you can steer me away from the subject so easily. Have you guys talked about it at all? Having sex that is.”
I opened the door to the apartment and set the box I was carrying down in the living room. “Not really. Everything escalated so quickly this weekend, but like you said, the sexual tension has been building between us for a while now, so no real surprise there. Had he been willing to go further, I probably wouldn’t have said no, but, honestly I’m glad he wants to take his time. I think it’ll be a lot more meaningful when it does happen.”
Liberty smiled and pulled me down beside her on the couch. “I’m so happy for you, Maddie. I really am. Do you remember what you told me when I first started dating Shayne, before you even knew it was him? You said that sometimes you just know when it’s right. Well, I’m telling you right now that he is absolutely, without question, the one for you. Everyone else can see it, and I think you’ve finally come around to see it for yourself. I think you’ve finally found the peanut butter to your jelly. The spaghetti to your meatball. The—”
“Seriously, Liberty?”
She shrugged. “The pearl to your oyster? Do you like that one better?”
I shoved her shoulder, giggling. “Thanks, I needed a good laugh. I’m finding it hard to find anything to smile about lately. Well… other than Hunter.”
“Girl, that is what I am here for. Now, speaking of something to smile about, have you asked Hunter about coming to the Halloween party? We already booked the hotel room, so everything’s a go.”
We headed back outside, and I leaned against the Jeep while Liberty reached in for another box. “Yeah, but we haven’t really put any thought into our costumes yet.”
“You better hurry up and decide, because the party is this Friday.”
Oh shit, that’s right! Well, if I had it my way, we’d dress up as Adam and Eve and have our own private party, but I already promised Liberty we would come so I couldn’t back out now.
Liberty went inside ahead of me, but I stayed back when I heard Shayne mention my name on the other side of his car. He must not have seen that I was still out there, because their conversation was clearly not meant for my ears.
“You’re going to have to tell her sooner or later, man. The longer you keep this from her, the harder it will come back to bite you in the ass.”
“I know, I know.” He sighed. “F*ck, I hate that I have to do this. I promised I would never hurt her, but I don’t see any other way around it.”
My heartbeat quickened, deafening me as the blood rushed to my ears. What could he possibly be keeping from me that would hurt me? And how was it that Shayne knew about it? There was no way he was cheating on me when we had only just made things official the previous day, but in the back of my mind I knew it had to be pretty serious for the guilt to be eating away at him like that. I decided to let it go for the time being until he manned up and told me himself. No point in worrying myself over something that might turn out to be nothing at all. Right?