I awoke with a start the next morning to the room feeling like a blistering sauna. Groaning in disgust, I peeled my sticky body away from the source of heat, but it wasn’t until I forced myself to pry my eyes open that I remembered I hadn’t gone to bed alone. Hunter was still there, lying on his back with his arm across his face to shield his eyes from the morning’s rays that had just begun to peek through the curtains. I reached over and brushed my thumb across his cheek, admiring his handsome features as he slept. His lips were slightly parted, much like they had been the morning I first woke up in bed with him, and his warm breath swept over my hand. I slid my thumb further down over his soft, plump lips, and before I knew it, my body was moving of its own accord, and I was leaning over and pressing my lips against his.
Hunter stirred beneath me, and I quickly tore my lips away before he had a chance to figure out what I had done. His eyes slowly flickered open, confusion wrinkling his brow as he swept over the unfamiliar surroundings, but when his beautiful gray eyes struck mine, his face softened and a smile broke through his sleepy daze.
“Hey.” He ran his fingers through his perfectly kept hair, not one strand misplaced since the night before.
“Hey yourself. Did you sleep all right?” I leaned up with my elbow resting on the bed.
“Best sleep I’ve had in ages. Must’ve been that storm that lulled me to sleep.”
I smiled, knowing that wasn’t the only thing that helped me sleep.
The deafening sound of feet stomping down the hallway filled the silence of the early morning, and my bedroom door flew open and slammed against the wall. Brett stood there, his eyes passing back and forth between us, and his eyebrows shot up as he took in the sight before him.
“Jesus, Maddie, you already got him in your bed?!”
Leave it to my brother to ruin a perfectly good moment. I shook my head, throwing myself back against the mattress and pointed a shaky finger toward the door.
“Out! Get out!”
“But—” Brett took another step into the room.
“I won’t have you come barging into my room and then start making assumptions. Get the f*ck out!”
Brett held his hands up, slowly backing away from me. “Look, I’m sorry, but you really need to come outside.”
“Brett it’s too early for this. Can you just come back later when I’m fully awake?” Wait a second; didn’t I take his key away the last time this happened?
“Uh, no, this can’t wait, Maddie. I need you to come outside… like now! Someone vandalized your car!”
F*ck! I threw a sweatshirt on over my barely-there pajamas, and looked back to find Hunter reaching into my dresser drawer and pulling out a gun. A f*cking gun! Where the hell did he get a gun, and how had he slipped it past me without me noticing?
I stood there frozen with my mouth agape as he flew into action and ran out of my room. By the time I made it outside, Hunter had placed the gun in the waistband of his sweatpants, and he and my brother were walking around my car assessing the damage. From the looks of it, it wasn’t good. The windows had been smashed in, all four tires were slashed, and spray-painted along both sides of my little, black Honda Civic, in dripping red paint, was a word I was all too familiar with.
SLUT
My knees buckled, but Hunter caught me before I hit the pavement. I suddenly felt as if the air had been punched from my lungs, and my heart was slamming against my chest vehemently. I couldn’t breathe. Oh God, I couldn’t breathe!
Hunter pulled me into his chest, closing the space between us, and dipped his head into the crook of my neck. He pressed his lips against the pulse beating rapidly against my throat, and I could feel his hot breath cascade me. I focused on each steady breath as he released it, trying to match it with my own. He slowly pulled away, and his gaze rushed over me.
“Are you okay now?”
“Yeah, thanks.” I gave him a weak smile. “Did… did you do that to me the night that Tucker—”
“You remember that?” Surprise emanated from both his husky voice and his unwavering stare.
“Vaguely. I remember feeling your breath on me. And that smell. It was something like cedar and… you.”
Hunter stood up, allowing me to lean on him for support.
“Maddie, when did you start having panic attacks like that? I’ve never seen anything like that.” Brett came up behind me, pulling me into a tight hug.
“I guess they started the night Tucker drugged me. I’d never had one before that.”
“Well, shit. I’m glad Hunter was here because I sure as f*ck wouldn’t know what to do.”
“Thank you, Hunter.” I smiled up at him appreciatively.
“That’s what I’m here for. Now we need to get the police out here to take pictures and file a report.”
“I still can’t believe we never heard anything. No breaking glass, nothing.” I ran my hands through my hair and realized it was still a mess from having just woken up.
“I’m not surprised. That storm last night even blocked out Lance’s snoring.” Robbie appeared out of thin air next to me. “F*ck, baby girl, what did they do to your poor car?”
“Looks like we’re going to be sharing your hatchback for a while, huh?”
My shoulders slumped, and I leaned into Robbie’s side, seeking his comfort. Why would someone do this to me? Who could possibly hate me that much?
The police showed up a few minutes later to take photographs of the evidence and question all of us. I answered the best I could, but without any witnesses present, there wasn’t much more for them to go on. After they got everything they needed, I headed back inside and threw myself on my bed.
“Don’t get too comfy. You and I have a date.” Hunter hovered over me with his arms on either side of my tiny frame, locking me in place.
“Excuse me?” I shoved against his chest. “I’m not going anywhere today, and I’m sure as hell not going on a date with you. I just want to lay here and wallow in my misery.”
“Well, that’s not a very positive attitude, is it? Now get up. I don’t have all day.” He stood tall with his arms folded over his chest. Geez, when did he get to be so pushy?
“I already told you I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you have any other plans today, princess?” He tilted his head to the side.
“No, but—”
“Good.” He cut me off before I could get another word in. “Now get your ass out of bed.”
I stood my ground, not moving an inch from my spot in the center of the bed. If he wanted me, he could come and get me.
Unfortunately, Hunter was prepared to deal with my stubborn ass, and he climbed over me on the bed, tucking his arms beneath me. I tried to wrestle free from his grasp, but I was no match for his strength, and he threw me over his shoulder with ease.
“Where the f*ck are you taking me? Put me down!”
He carried me into the bathroom and didn’t stop until I was seated in the shower. Then he turned the water on full blast, plastering my clothes to my body and soaking them until they were nearly transparent.
“Ohmigod, that’s freezing! Have you lost your Goddamn mind?!”
“No, but I’m not going to let you sit around all day when you could be proactive about this.” He stepped into the shower with his sweatpants hanging lower on his hips as water continued to saturate through. “Maddie, I won’t always be around to protect you. You need to learn how to defend yourself, and after what happened at the party and now your car getting all f*cked up… I think this would be the perfect time to do just that. Finish up in here and meet me outside.”
“You still haven’t told me where we’re going.”
“You’ll see when we get there. Now finish getting ready. I’ll give you ten minutes.”
Ten minutes… did this guy know anything about women? Never in the history of mankind has a woman ever been able to get ready in just ten minutes. Screw him, I was going to take my sweet old time whether he approved or not. I finished showering and leisurely got dressed. I figured after the little stunt he pulled that he deserved to be put through some torture, so I picked out a pair of my tightest black jeans, an extremely flattering purple tank top that threatened to let the girls spring free, and a pair of black, knee-high stiletto boots. F*ck yeah, I was dressed to kill!
When I sauntered outside, Hunter was seated on his bike and had changed back into his clothes from the night before. I walked right up to him, straddled the front tire of the bike and placed my hands on both handles. I leaned forward, pushing my bra up higher and exposing my cleavage, but he just wasn’t taking the bait. He looked up when I finally got his attention, but his eyes remained locked on mine.
“Hop on.” His eyes shot back down as he adjusted his gloves and handed me my helmet without another word.
What the hell? I had my tits practically shoved in his face, and he could’ve cared less. Huh. Maybe I was beginning to lose my touch.
I slowly stepped around to the back of his bike and climbed on. When I was all settled in, with my arms wrapped snug around his waist, the motorcycle purred between my legs and we quickly made our way down the road. Hunter slowed down just as we approached an indoor shooting range, and it finally clicked what his intentions were when he said I needed to learn how to protect myself.
“So this was your crazy plan? To show me how to shoot a gun?”
He looked over at me with a devious grin, and it was the first time I had seen him smile since we woke up in bed together this morning. I absolutely loved that smile on him… but right about now I wanted to smack it right off of his handsome face.
“I figured it was best if you learned from a professional.” He held the door open for me and nodded at the woman seated behind the counter before steering me over to one of the stations. It appeared he was a regular here.
“Oh, is that what they are calling G.I. Joe wannabes these days? Professionals? And since when do you carry a gun around? Do you even have a permit for that?”
Hunter ignored my rambling and placed his large hands on my hips, directing me in front of him so that I was centered with the target. He took his gun in his hand and held it out in front of me.
“I’ve been shooting guns since I was six-years-old. My brother has one, my father has one, and every single one of my uncles has one.”
“Well, remind me to steer clear of your family.”
Hunter let out a hearty laugh, and the sweet sound resonated straight through to my heart. “Babe, I’m from Texas. Carrying a gun on me is equivalent to y’all carrying purses. That’s just how it is. And yes, I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon.”
I chuckled under my breath, remembering how Robbie referred to his penis as a concealed weapon.
“Now pay attention, because I’m only going to explain this once. This is a Glock 30 .45-caliber Subcompact Automatic Colt Pistol.” It went in one ear and out the other. “It’s not very heavy, but you will experience some recoil when you fire it.” I held the gun in my hand, and the cold steel caused a shiver to run up my arm. He reached over and pressed something on the side of the pistol, releasing the base of the gun.
“This is a magazine. It holds seven bullets, and there will be one in the chamber. This gun doesn’t have an external safety on it, so when it’s not in use, it needs to remain unloaded. Since Glocks have three safety mechanisms, the gun will only fire if you pull the trigger all the way back.”
I let most of what he said sink in before sliding the magazine back in myself. “So when do I get to fire this baby?”
Hunter positioned himself so that he could wrap his arms around me and held the gun up with his hands encompassing mine. The warmth of Hunter’s hands was a sharp contrast to the cold steel between my fingers. I took a short step back until I was pressed flush into his firm, toned chest and gave a subtle shake of my hips, grinding my ass against the front of his jeans.
He leaned in to whisper, and his lips brushed against my ear. “I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work.” I looked back at him incredulously. “Keep your eyes on the target.”
I returned my attention back to the paper target in front of me just as Hunter moved one of his legs between mine, spreading my legs further apart. He placed a pair of earmuffs over my head, doing the same for himself, and then handed me a pair of safety goggles. Seeing him with his goggles on gave me a nice little preview of what he’d look like if he was wearing glasses… definitely Clark Kent material.
“Keep your finger outside of the trigger guard, and always aim it downrange if you’re not ready to fire.”
I did as he said and waited for further instruction. He reached his hand over to show me how to load the chamber, and motioned for me to keep my thumb down so it wouldn’t get hammered. I struggled as I pulled back the slide and finally heard it click into place as I released it.
“Make sure you keep a firm grip on the pistol the entire time. Good. Now raise the gun toward the target, aiming the front sight just slightly lower than the bulls-eye. Since you’ve never fired a gun before, I’ll have you use both hands.”
He took my other hand and showed me the correct way to hold it. He pressed his chest into my back, and I relished in the warmth of our connection.
“I’m going to stand close to you to keep your shoulders steady, in case the recoil startles you and you flinch in response. Now move your index finger over the trigger and take a deep breath. It’s best to time firing with your breathing. When you feel confident that your aim is accurate, pull the trigger back all the way.”
I could feel Hunter’s breath wash over the side of my neck, and I matched my breaths with his. When I felt relaxed enough to shoot, I lined up the sight just as he instructed and pulled the trigger. Even with the earmuffs on, the sound of the blast filled the entire room, and it rattled straight through to my bones. The recoil threw my shoulders back a bit, but Hunter’s hard chest was there to take the blow.
“Not bad for your first shot. Try it again. This time, spread your legs a little bit further apart.”
If I had a dollar for every time a guy told me to spread my legs…
I lined the sight up with the target again, and now that I had a sense for what it was like to shoot a gun, I was feeling a little ballsier. I took a few deep breaths, corrected my stance, and proceeded to empty the entire magazine. The shots rang, piercing through my ears, and when I lowered my gun, I was surprised to find that almost every bullet had hit the center of the target.
“Whoa there, Little Rambo! I have to say I’m impressed. Not bad for a first time shooter.”
“Thanks.” Inside I was doing a little happy dance with the rush of adrenaline that still coursed through my veins.
“I’m going to take a few shots, and then we can get out of here.”
I handed him the gun and watched as he took his stance, his legs spread apart and his broad shoulders steady. He slid a fresh magazine in and took aim, slowly raising the gun.
Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop, pop!
With my jaw slack and eyes wide, he emptied the entire contents of the magazine within a matter of seconds. Not one bullet had missed the center of the target. Seeing him let loose, clearly in his element, I was swooning hard. I wouldn’t be surprised if my panties were drenched just from watching him.
What the hell was he doing to me?
He lowered the gun and looked back at me with the most adorable grin. Tucking the gun back into the holster at his waist, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and tugged me to his side as we walked back out to his bike.
“So what did you think?”
“I think I want a gun of my own. Do you think I could get one in pink?”
Hunter threw his head back, laughing boisterously, and pressed a kiss against my temple. “Yeah, I think we can manage to find you a pink one. C’mon, Little Rambo, let’s get you home.”
We rode to my apartment, weaving through the traffic, and I savored the feeling of having my body pressed up against his. It was difficult to put into words the way he made me feel, but I knew I didn’t want to let that feeling go. I mean, this was insane, right? Two people meeting just by chance and then instantly falling for one another? That just doesn’t happen. At least not to me.
When we pulled up outside my apartment, I sat there for a moment, refusing to let go of him… of us. I could feel Hunter’s body quake beneath me in laughter, and he removed his helmet to peek back at me. “You gotta let go sometime, Little Rambo.”
Those words shot straight through me. It was a sad reminder of what I had always told myself. What I had convinced myself would forever be my mantra, because deep down I knew nothing lasted forever. I would never be good enough for any man. Never be wanted for anything other than my body. Never know what it felt like to be truly loved for me… just me. That’s why I never bothered to keep anyone around long enough to see if it developed into something more.
You gotta let go sometime.
“Madelyn?” Hunter’s tender voice broke through my thoughts.
“Sorry. I just…” I let out a soft sigh and knew I couldn’t tell him how I really felt. It was far too soon to even be having these feelings for him anyway. “I guess I’ll see you in class. Thanks for taking me to the gun range. I really enjoyed it.”
I climbed off of the bike and handed the helmet back to Hunter. “Nope, that’s yours, sweetheart. Hang on to it. You’ll need it for when I pick you up for class Friday.”
“Oh, um, thanks.” It was totally unexpected, but I couldn’t help the bashful smile that spread across my face.
“I’ll be here around eight-thirty to pick you up.” The corner of his mouth pulled up into a half grin, and he winked before placing his helmet back on.
I watched him pull out of the parking space and head back down the road, the smile on my face never faltering. I didn’t know how long I was standing there before I finally realized he was gone, but Brett came up behind me and wrapped his arms across my collarbone.
“I like him. I think he’s good for you, Maddie.”
I looked back up into my brother’s eyes, seeing the sincerity of his words. “You’re still here?”
“Yeah. Robbie, Lance and I cleaned up the mess from your car. I didn’t want any of the kids from your complex playing around in the glass.”
“Thanks, Brett. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” I turned around and wrapped my arms around his waist so that I could hug him in return.
“Well, I think it’s safe to say with Hunter in the picture, you might not need me around as much.”
“Don’t say that. I’ll always need you. You’re my big brother. I’m sorry to say, but you’re kinda stuck with me.”
“Yeah, I guess I am,” Brett chuckled and kissed my forehead. “I was just about to head out and grab some lunch with Liberty and Shayne. You want to tag along?”
My eyebrow slowly rose, wondering if I had heard him correctly. “You sure you want to do that? I mean, isn’t it still hard for you to be around her now that…”
Brett released his arms from around me and tucked them deep into his back pockets. “I’m working on it. It’s not easy. The whole situation still royally sucks ass, but as long as he makes her happy, then I’m happy for her. I don’t want to lose her as a friend just because she chose the wrong guy.”
There’s the brother I knew and loved. I knew he still wasn’t completely over her yet. “Whatever you say, bro. Let’s go get some grub. All that gun shooting worked me up an appetite.”
“Wait… what? Where the hell did Hunter take you?” His eyebrows pinched together.
I shook my head and laughed as I climbed in Brett’s truck. I might as well tell them the whole story over lunch.
“A gun range? Hunter took you to a gun range? Who in their right mind would ever trust Maddie Harrington with a gun?!” The look on Liberty’s face was priceless.
I slid into the booth across from Shayne and Liberty, and Brett squeezed in next to me. “Well, he thought it would be a good for me to learn how to defend myself with everything that’s been going on lately. And why is the idea of me with a gun such a crazy idea? I’m actually a pretty good shot!” I picked up my menu with a satisfied grin.
“I think that frightens me even more,” Shayne chimed in.
“Oh, hush, or I’ll put a bullet where the sun don’t shine,” I chewed my lip, fighting back a smile. I glanced over the top of my menu and caught a glimpse of Shayne moving his hands over the front of his pants as he sat up straighter in the booth. Seeing his reaction made me laugh out loud, and he shot me a weak smile.
The waiter came over to take our orders, and while everyone picked out something light, I chose the heartiest, most likely unhealthiest items on the menu: a huge bacon cheeseburger, chili cheese fries and a chocolate shake. Yum!
“Man, you weren’t kidding when you said you worked up an appetite, sis. I don’t know where the hell you put it all.”
I shrugged my shoulders and laughed when he poked at my ribs, trying to emphasize how tiny I was. I couldn’t help that I was blessed with a high metabolism.
“So who do you think was responsible for trashing your car?” Liberty shot me a knowing look before taking a sip of her Cherry Coke.
I tipped my head down. “I have a few ideas.”
That seemed to catch everyone’s attention at the table, because when the police had questioned me earlier, I told them no one came to mind. I tangled my hands together and fidgeted in my seat. I tried not to think about it, but if it were true, I might actually need to watch my back.
“Maddie, why didn’t you say anything to the cops?” Liberty reached across the table and held my hand with concern lighting up her eyes. “I mean, I’m sure we all have the same person in mind, but why are you protecting him?”
“Because I don’t want to make things worse! If I throw anyone else under the bus, who knows what might happen to me. I know Tucker is to blame for this whole chain of events, and now that I pressed charges against him, not only does the whole soccer team have it out for me, but probably every other male athletic team on campus.”
“So you’re saying that…” Shayne spoke up, but I didn’t want to hear him finish.
“Yes. I hate to admit it, and this probably makes me sound like an even bigger whore who spreads her legs for just about anyone, but I’ve been with quite a few guys from the teams. I guess we have that much in common, huh Shayne?” I laughed sardonically at how ironic it was that I had become the female version of who Shayne used to be. “I imagine that they all think I’m going to pull the same shit with them and say that they tried to rape me at some point, too.”
I sank back against the soft padding of the booth, feeling completely ashamed of myself. It was true. I was a whore. The freakin’ campus whore. God, how had I let my life get so messed up? It was literally spinning out of control, and now I was caught in the middle of the crossfire of it all.
“Maddie, no one thinks you’re a whore. A little… promiscuous, maybe, but not a whore. And trust me, you are nowhere near as bad as I was back then. At least you remember who you slept with.” Liberty gave Shayne’s shoulder a hard shove and crossed her arms over her chest in disapproval of his former man-whore ways. At least she wasn’t around to actually witness it back then… or experience it.
Brett slung his arm over my shoulder and pulled me close. “I know you’re scared, and it’s great that Hunter wants to help you, but I think what you really need is to learn how to protect yourself without having to carry a gun. Maybe try something like kick boxing or judo.”
“I can help her with that.”
My heart leapt into my throat, and I nearly jumped right out of the booth at the sound of his voice softly floating through my ear.
“Jesus H. F*ck, don’t sneak up on me like that!” My hand flew over my thumping chest. “What are you doing here?”
“It seems I pulled the short straw and was nominated to pick up lunch for the cadets today.” He smiled down at me warmly, and I couldn’t hold back the smile playing at my lips.
“Oh,” was all I could utter. I was still speechless that he was standing there, listening in on our conversation, and had yet again selflessly volunteered to help me.
“I agree with Brett, though. I think it would be very beneficial for you to learn some hand to hand combat. If you want, I could teach you a thing or two.”
“That would great, Hunter. I’m sure Maddie would looove to learn a thing or two from you. Oww!”
I kicked Liberty under the table, and she shot me a sharp glare. Serves her right. When will that bitch learn to keep her damn mouth shut?
“Perfect. We can start next week. It was nice seeing y’all again. I’ll see you Friday, Madelyn.” Hunter shook hands with my brother and Shayne, and winked in my direction before he made his way over the counter to pick up his order.
“Madelyn? Oh, I love him already. I can tell you right now that he’s a keeper, Madelyn.” Liberty wiggled her eyebrows at me suggestively.
“Oh, shut it, cockgobbler. We’re not even dating, so don’t get any ideas.”
“Not yet,” she replied snarkily, and everyone else at the table joined in on the silly banter.
I looked back just as Hunter was leaving the diner and smiled at him. He caught my glance, giving me a two-finger salute and a show-stopping grin. Oh, the things I pictured myself doing to that man…
“Hello, earth to Maddie.” Brett waved his hand in front of my face, snapping his fingers to break my concentration. “Did you even hear a word Liberty just said?”
“I’m sorry, what’s that?” I turned my attention back to the group.
“I asked if you wanted to help plan the Halloween party with me. We were thinking about renting out one of the hotel suites at the Ocean Plaza Resort. You in?”
I couldn’t get my mind off of Hunter, so I just nodded and replied, “Yeah. Sure. Whatever you want, Liberty.”
“Awesome. You should invite Hunter, too. Maybe get him to dress up in his Army fatigues.” Now that grabbed my attention and she smiled knowingly.
“Army fatigues?” Shayne shook his head laughing. “Damn, Maddie, you sure know how to pick ‘em.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Med school, Army… is there anything boy-wonder can’t do?”
“Oh hush. For your information, he joined ROTC to pay for school. You don’t necessarily have to join the Army when you graduate. And I think it was a very responsible choice, so don’t bash him for actually putting some thought into his future.”
“I didn’t mean to put him down for it. I’m just surprised that you finally found someone worth going after.”
“Oh. Well, who says I’m going after him? Can’t I spend time with a guy without everyone assuming I’m trying to get in his pants?”
Three sets of eyes passed around the table, sharing a silent conversation that I was clearly not a part of. It seemed they were all in mutual agreement when it came to me pursuing Hunter. I couldn’t lie. I was definitely attracted to him, much more so than I should be, but it was all new territory to me. I was like the Virgin Mary when it came to monogamous relationships. More like Mary Magdalene.
I stared out the window of the diner, watching Hunter straddle his bike as he was just about to slip his helmet on, but he must have sensed me watching. He slowly turned back and winked in my direction. He slid the kickstand back with the heel of his boot, and the motorcycle flew out of the gravel-filled parking lot, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. That man out there, the one who was slowly but surely cracking through my iron-clad walls, would either be my whole world or my complete undoing… I just hadn’t quite figured out yet which one of those roles he was going to fill.
Friday morning, as I was sleeping peacefully through a deliciously naughty dream involving Charlie Hunnam and Scott Eastwood, I awoke to a loud, obnoxious banging. The unrelenting noise didn’t cease until I rolled out of bed and swung the front door open to find Hunter on the other side with his arms weighed down by several bags. If he was trying to suck up and get on my good side, this was definitely not the way to go about doing so. For Christ’s sake, he just pulled me away from two fine as hell naked men!
“Mornin’, sweet cheeks.” He gave me a quick once over with a cocky grin. I looked down to see I was only wearing a thin tank top and a pair of boy-short undies. Lovely. “Mind if I come in?”
I rolled my eyes and opened the door wider. “Oh sure, why the hell not? Not like I’m going to fall back to sleep anytime soon after all that banging. Let me go grab a robe.”
“I’ve got an even better idea. Why don’t you go change into this?” He handed me one of the bags filled with stretchy workout clothes. I cocked an eyebrow at him, wondering what the hell they were for. “You said you wanted to learn more self-defense, so here I am, at you service. Now hurry up and get changed. We should get to the gym before it fills up.”
I looked over at the clock on the wall to find that it was only six-thirty in the freakin’ morning. Ughh, why did I even bother opening the door? If he seriously thought I was going to let him drag me to the gym at the ass crack of dawn, he had another thing coming. “I don’t think we’ll have a problem with the gym filling up,” I said, yawning through my words.
“You’d be surprised. It’s not unusual for the gym to be packed by seven. Now let’s go, sweet cheeks.” He slapped my ass, causing me to yelp. “Time’s a wastin’, and we need to get a session in before class.”
I grunted and dragged my tired feet back to my bedroom. Looking over the clothes he had bought, I was caught by surprise because he actually got everything in my size. There was a wide selection of Under Armor products, from tank tops to capris, and even a set of sparring gloves. I giggled as I picked up a hot pink sports bra, dangling it between my fingers. I could only imagine what the cashier must have thought when he purchased these, but I guess I had to give the guy props for trying.
When I stepped back into the living room, Hunter was looking over some pictures of my family that were displayed on the mantel, and I could see the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth from his profile. He spun around when he heard me approaching and whistled.
“Damn. I gotta say, Madelyn, you are a vision of beauty first thing in the morning.”
“Yeah right.” I blushed at his compliment.
“No, I’m serious.” He came over to me, catching a strand of hair that had fallen free from my messy bun and slipped it behind me ear. His hand lingered there against my cheek, and I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch. “So beautiful.” His hand was warm, rough, inviting, and the way his thumb brushed against my cheek had the butterflies taking flight in my chest. My eyes fluttered open, and I found him staring down at me with so much passion emanating from his gaze, but the moment quickly passed when Robbie walked by us with his naked ass in plain sight as he headed into the kitchen. I leaned my head against Hunter’s chest and bellowed out a frustrated growl.
“Robbie! What have I told you about covering up your baloney pony when you’re moseying around the apartment?”
Robbie peeked about halfway out of the kitchen with the morning paper covering up most of his naked body, but it wasn’t enough to shield us from the view of his morning wood. Dear Lord, if I wasn’t embarrassed for answering the door in skimpy boy shorts, I sure as hell was embarrassed for Hunter to have to see this. “I thought that was only when company was arou— oh, hey Hunter! Good to see you again.”
Hunter quickly diverted his gaze toward the ceiling as he responded, “Yup, you too, man.” He turned to face me, mouthing the words “baloney pony,” and I had to bite my bottom lip and shake my head. It was all I could do to keep myself from full out laughing. I quickly grabbed Hunter’s hand, lacing our fingers together, and pulled him toward the door. “I’ll see you later, Robbie. And for the love of God, please have pants on when I get home!”
Hunter’s laughter trickled behind me as we approached his bike. I swung my leg over the side as I slid my helmet on and got into position. Hunter slipped off his leather jacket and handed it back to me. “Here, why don’t you wear this, babe? It’s a little cool this morning, and I don’t want you to freeze your cute, little behind off.”
I took the jacket from him, smiling graciously, and soaked up the delicious scent embedded in the soft, worn leather. The jacket swallowed me whole, but I couldn’t have cared less because I loved wearing it, and from the sultry look on his face, I could only assume he liked seeing me wear it, too.
When we arrived at the campus athletic center, it was apparent that Hunter hadn’t been kidding. The place was filled with your typical early-bird gym rats, and I shook my head at the sight of them. Did these people not understand the meaning of a good night’s sleep? For me, that usually consisted of sleeping in until at least noon, except on days that Hunter and I shared a 9:00 AM class, and even that was pushing it.
Hunter stopped to look around before leaning in close to my ear. “I’ve got a better idea. Come on.” He placed his hand against the small of back, leading me over to a door on the opposite side of the gym, and I smiled, loving the way his simple touch set my whole body on fire. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a key-card, and swiped it in the slot next the door. I heard a buzz as the tiny light turned green, and Hunter motioned for me to enter what looked like a mirror image of the gym we were just in… except for it being completely empty.
“Where are we?”
“This area of the gym is designated for ROTC only.” He motioned me over to a set of foam mats that were dispersed across the floor and set down his gym bag.
I stopped in my tracks and looked over at him, chewing my lip worriedly. “Will I get in trouble for being in here?”
Hunter chuckled softly. “That depends.” He took my hand and, in the blink of an eye, had me pinned against the mats. “Think you can keep a secret?”
My breath hitched as my words got caught in my throat. Being pinned beneath him like this felt so wrong and yet so, so right. I stared at his lips as he traced over the smooth, pink flesh with his tongue. His minty breath passed over me in intoxicating waves and the next thing I knew, my lips were on his. I reached up, running my fingers through his hair, and pulled him even closer. Our mouths moved together, freely devouring one another, and just as my lips parted, his velvety tongue slipped through. Oh my word, I had never in my life been kissed like this before. The hunger and need was present in our all-consuming kiss, there was no denying that, but the ferocity and aggressiveness was held at bay. Instead, there were underlying emotions filled with passion and tenderness, and in that moment, I had never felt more vulnerable.
I was putty in his hands.
Hunter quickly tore his mouth away from mine, causing me to whimper at the loss of contact. He looked down at me with a deceiving smirk teasing at his lips and flipped me over as though I were light as a feather. I shrieked in surprise at how quickly he had changed positions and overpowered me.
“Wh-what the hell was that?” My voiced hitched, echoing throughout the gym.
“That, my little lip-locking minx, is why you need lessons in self-defense. See how easily I was able to distract you? Guys will use that vulnerability to their advantage. You need to remember to never let your guard down, no matter what situation you’re in. Always be aware of your surroundings and plan for the unexpected.”
I huffed out a deep breath, disappointed that the best kiss I had ever experienced meant nothing more to him than a pitiful lesson showcasing my own naiveté. Hunter released his hold on me and helped me back on my feet, but the second he turned his back I lunged at him, pummeling my fists against his back. Apparently, it was a waste of expended energy, because no matter how hard I tried to take him down, he stood there unmoving, barely even registering my boney-knuckled blows. Great. Now I only managed to make myself look like a dimwitted blonde who doesn’t know the first thing about protecting herself.
Hunter -2. Maddie -0.
Before I could make contact with his back again, Hunter grabbed my wrists and shoved me up against a nearby wall with my arms trapped above my head.
“Stop, okay? Just stop!” he barked. “You’ll be out of breath before I can even teach you one damn thing. Are you always this impulsive? Jumping into a situation before thinking through the consequences of your actions?”
“Maybe I am!” I shouted back in his face while my chest rose rapidly, and I tried to catch my breath. “Sure would explain why I always manage to f*ck things up, huh?”
Hunter loosened his grip and lowered my hands so that they were pressed flat against his chest. Gazing into my eyes remorsefully, he rubbed his thumbs over the faded bruises. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.” He leaned in close, pressing his forehead against mine. “Look, I’m not trying to dig up old skeletons from your past and shove them in your face, but I need you to understand why this is so important. I told you before, I won’t always be around to protect you, and I want to be sure that you can hold your own against someone like Tucker… or even me.”
I shook my head. “But you’re nothing like Tucker. I know that, Hunter.”
“Do you?” He closed the distance between us, pressing his pelvis into mine.
I gulped nervously. “At least I thought so.”
“You’re right. I’m nothing like that piece of shit. I would never hurt you, but you shouldn’t always be so trusting of everyone you meet. That’s exactly what will get you hurt, or worse.” Hunter slowly shook his head back and forth, unable to make eye contact with me. “God, Maddie, just the thought of something happening to you…”
He trailed off, turning his head to the side and shielding his emotions from me. I didn’t understand where these mixed feelings were coming from or why Hunter cared so much about my well-being, but when I cupped his face in my hands and those smoky, gray eyes locked onto mine, I nearly lost it when I saw the love pouring from his steadfast gaze. Seeing that for the first time, I couldn’t even begin to explain what that did to me. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it was going to beat straight through my chest, and without a second thought, I brought his lips down to mine in a soft, gentle kiss. We finally broke apart when a few other cadets entered the gym, and I felt my skin flush in embarrassment at being caught here lip-locked with Hunter.
“We should probably get going,” he whispered as his lips brushed against my ear, and the warmth of his breath sent shivers down my neck.
“Yeah. I’m sorry you didn’t get a chance to teach me anything today. I’m a pretty shitty student, huh?” I giggled.
“Who said I didn’t teach you anything?” The seduction in his voice matched the lust-filled look in his eyes, and I had to turn away before I got myself in too deep. Shit, I knew I was already in too deep.
I shoved him playfully and he wrapped his arm across my shoulder as we headed off toward the showers. Hunter, bless his heart, came prepared and handed me a brand new fluffy towel and a change of clothes while he dug out a few shower products from his gym bag. Somehow I had managed to forget to bring anything with me, and I smiled thoughtfully, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek.
“I guess you thought of everything. You even bought the same brands I use,” I said as I looked them over.
“Luckily I didn’t have to guess too hard since I saw them in your bathroom when I stayed over.”
I looked over to see him smiling, proud that he took the initiative to do a little snooping. “Touché. You’re very resourceful.”
“When I need to be.” He winked giving me an adorable, lopsided grin.
We went our separate ways, and I wasted no time stripping down and stepping under the welcome heat of the shower as it rained down on me. I stood there, letting the water cascade over my body, and imagined Hunter here with me, his hands running over my delicate skin and soothing the ache that was hastily building between my legs. My hand dipped down, sliding over my smooth mound, and slipped between my folds. I cupped my breast in my free hand and nimbly rolled my nipple between my fingers while my soaking wet fingers got down to business below. I continued to work my fingers over my *, circling the swollen nub until I couldn’t take any more, and seconds later, my body erupted from the pleasure I had fantasized Hunter giving me.
I laughed softly as I stepped out of the shower, amused by what I had just done. Oh, if Hunter only knew…
I was still chuckling to myself as I left the women’s locker room, and Hunter was leaning against the wall just outside, looking at me quizzically but entertained by my light-hearted laughter.
“Did I miss something while you were in there? Any girl on girl action?”
I tilted my head and smiled up at him. “Ah, so you heard about that, huh?”
“Wait, are you serious?” His eyes widened. “I thought that was just a rumor. Oh, I am so showering with you next time.”
“In your dreams, Hunter.” I giggled. Or apparently in mine!
“How about we pick up where we left off next week. I’ll teach you a few new moves every week and slowly build up to the more difficult positions. By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll have me pinned beneath you in no time.”
My jaw hung slack at his choice of words. Hunter… pinned beneath me. Oh God, my hormones were screaming at me, begging me to jump this sexy man where he stood, and I had to squeeze my thighs together to relieve my sexual tension. Why must he torture me so?
“Uh yeah.” I cleared the frog in my throat. “Under one condition.”
“All right, and that is?”
“For the love of God, can we please meet up in the evenings, because I’m in desperate need of some beauty sleep, and waking up at the ass crack of dawn does not agree with me.”
Hunter threw his head back laughing heartily and returned his gaze with a warm smile. “Yeah, I think I can manage that, babe, but I don’t see why you’re so concerned about getting beauty sleep. I’m pretty sure it’s impossible for you to look any more beautiful than you do right now.”
I felt the heat rise up my neck and across my cheeks as my face became flushed. Hunter always had the sweetest things to say, and it melted my heart that his words were meant only for me. I wasn’t used to receiving such affection from a man, unless you considered being called “sexy as f*ck” and having your ass spanked while a cock is buried deep inside you an acceptable form of endearment. The effect that his words, his touch and his smile had on me felt so foreign and yet so natural, as though that were the way things should be; and I’m sure it was. But this was all so new to me. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, and my usual M.O. was to give my body over willingly and take what I could get in return. I wasn’t sure if I could do that with Hunter.
After we parted ways, planning to meet up again for class, I decided to take a stroll around campus and soak up the warmth of the early morning sun. I needed this time to myself to clear my head and figure out what was going on between Hunter and me—if there was anything going on between us—but it was clear to me now that there most definitely was. I liked Hunter. I really liked him, but I still wasn’t sure if I was capable of putting my whole heart into a relationship. I was so afraid of hurting him, and deep down, I think I was afraid that he might hurt me, too.