by Krista Wolf
“Dowling mansion?” I knew what he was talking about. They did it often. “That’s not silly Hunter, that’s actually prestigious.”
He squeezed me tightly and I melted into him. The stubble from his chin was tickling my neck.
“First time for me,” Hunter shrugged. “I was going to go see it tonight. Did you want to join me?”
I gasped and spun around so quickly his eyes went wide. “YES! Yes, of course I want to go with you!”
I felt overwhelmingly special. First he’d trusted me enough to show me his work, and now he was inviting me to his first art premiere. I couldn’t believe the progress.
“We’ll get dinner first,” Hunter murmured, his mouth so close to my ear I started tingling. “Then head over there afterward. Apparently it’s fancy. I suppose we’ll have to dress up.”
Dressing up was something I hadn’t had the opportunity to do in a long while. Between fixing up the house in throwaway clothes and Garrett not taking me anywhere, well… just like my sex life, it had been a while.
But also just like my sex life, things were looking up.
“Six O’clock sound good?”
He began kissing my neck. Chewing sexily on my shoulder. I sighed, throwing my hand back to sift through his hair as the arm around my waist tightened.
He has such good hands…
Hunter’s palm moved lower, sliding down over my thigh. I closed my fingers over it. Tried guiding him inside… between…
“You’re insatiable,” he chuckled. “You know that?”
I bit my lip and nodded. I wanted to be taken by him. Our arrangement fully consummated, right here, right now, on his unmade bed.
Instead he took his hand away. He spun me around to face him. There was a look of mischief in his eyes.
“Six O’clock,” he said sternly. “Right here. Got it?”
Damn.
“Y—Yes,” I said obediently. “I’ll be ready.”
All at once he stepped forward, and his hand slipped between my legs. Hunter pressed his lips lightly against mine. At the same time, he pushed against my swollen mound with three firm, masculine fingers.
“You’re mine tonight,” he whispered. “The others might’ve had you, but just for tonight, you belong only to me.”
The strength and authority in his voice made me instantly wet. A shudder of intense desire ripped through me. My shoulders slumped in submission.
“Tonight I’m yours,” I repeated.
He smirked, kissed me, then ushered me out of his room. I was still in a daze as I heard the door close behind me. So preoccupied by the idea of fucking him, it wasn’t until I was downstairs again that I realized I’d left my coffee in Hunter’s room.
I shrugged, grabbed the pot, and poured a fresh mug. Down on the counter, a message flashed across my phone’s screen. One missed call.
I froze when I realized it was from Garrett.
Twenty-Six
CLAUDIA
“And this guy…” Lauren went on. “He’s an artist and a football player?”
I giggled from inside the dressing room. Pulled on the top of the dress I was trying on, bringing it higher up on my breasts.
“Yup.”
“And he’s a swimmer too,” Lauren said. She sounded skeptical now. “And you say he’s handy around the house?”
“Very.”
I laughed inwardly this time. Hey, technically I was telling the truth. To an extent, at least. Lauren didn’t have to know I was talking about three guys instead of one.
Not yet, anyway.
“So what the hell does he look like? Superman?
“Like an athlete,” I called out. “Tall and ripped and totally gorgeous. Washboard stomach. And also—”
“Well shit!” she interjected. “Does he have a brother?”
A whole fraternity of them, I wanted to say. Or at least, used to…
I stepped out of the dressing room and spun around. Lauren looked me up and down, then let out a low whistle.
“Good?”
“No,” she smirked. “Not good.”
I lowered my head in disappointment. “Oh.”
“Astonishing!”
“Really?” My face lit up as I stared into the mirror. She was right. The tight red dress was slit up the side, the perfect mix of sexy and classy. Even with the plunging neckline it looked great around my hips and thighs. I turned to the side and beamed.
“Yeah yeah,” she said, pretending to be peeved. “It also makes you ass look magnificent.”
Holy shit it actually did. I clapped my hands together.
“You some lose weight while I was gone?” Lauren asked.
“A little,” I said. “Been working out at the University gym. Probably tightened a few things up.”
In truth, Brandon had been working out with me when he could. He’d showed me where the gym was to begin with, plus a few new exercises while he was there. I figured the place was free to students and faculty, might as well take advantage of it.
“So this is the one, right?” I asked. “You’re sure?”
“Hey,” said Lauren. “If I was going to an art premiere with my football player, swim-star, artistic boyfriend?” She winked. “Yeah, this would be the dress.”
“Good then let’s go,” I said, heading for the register. “Lunch is on me. And no more about my sad pathetic dating life,” I teased. “I want to hear all about Italy.”
Lunch was fantastic. Seeing Lauren, even more so. She told me all about her trip with her sisters and family. The things they saw, the guys they met…
By the time it was over, it was sad to watch her leave. I’d forgotten how good it was to hang out with friends again. Silently I vowed to keep more in touch, and be less of a ghost in my friend’s life.
That wasn’t entirely your fault though.
I sighed as I walked back to my car. Even after the divorce, living with my ex had pretty much felt the same as being married to him. To some extent I still answered to him. Still shopped, cooked, even cleaned for the both of us sometimes. Looking back now, I realized more than ever I should’ve gotten out of there a long time ago.
Garrett…
In all the happiness of shopping with Lauren, I’d forgotten all about Garrett’s missed phone call. What the hell did he want, anyway? He hadn’t left a message. Maybe he’d finished boxing up the rest of my stuff?
Whatever it was, it could wait. I wasn’t calling him back anytime soon. Tonight was special, and I wanted to focus solely on—
“Hey Claudia.”
The sight of my ex husband standing there on the sidewalk threw me physically backwards. I had to blink three times to make sure it was him.
“W—What are doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Garrett said. “You didn’t call me back so…” His statement trailed off awkwardly.
“So you stalked me?” I asked incredulously.
“Oh relax,” he said, with just a hint of his trademark sneer. “It’s nothing that ominous. I saw you were in town so I came to see if we could sit down for a few minutes. You’re still sharing locating services with me, remember?”
Oh shit.
I pulled out my phone. Pressed a few buttons. “Not anymore.”
Garrett sighed. “Fine, I guess I had that coming. But now that we’re both here, could you at least give me ten minutes?”
My better judgment told me to walk away, but Garrett was never any good at taking no for an answer. I’d spend ten minutes just arguing that I wouldn’t spend ten minutes with him.
“I’ll give you five.” I grumbled.
Less than a block later we were at an old coffee shop, sitting across from each other in the front window. I wanted as public a place as possible. Not that I didn’t trust him — Garrett was many things, but not that big of a creep — but mostly because I wanted an excuse to duck out as soon as I’d heard what he had to say.
“You sure you don’t want anything?” he asked, dumping su
gar in his cup.
“No, I just ate.”
“Fine,” he sighed. “By the way, you look really good…”
Flattery. That’s a new one.
Actually it was an old one. Garrett hadn’t actually said something nice about me in just about forever.
He must want something.
“What do you want Garrett?”
He looked away for a moment, his eyes wandering across the street as if staring off into nothing. I could see him thinking. Trying to form the words. Trying to say as much as possible by revealing as little as possible, because that’s the way he always worked.
“I want you back,” he finally blurted.
The words were alien to me at first, like he was speaking a different language. When their meaning finally struck home, I nearly choked on my own laugh.
“I’m serious,” he went on. “Claudia I made a huge mistake. I never should have let our marriage fall apart. And when we were separated… I should’ve fixed it. I should’ve never—”
“Screwed a half dozen other women?” I jumped in. “While trying to ‘find out’ what you really want?”
He winced as he sipped his coffee. “Yeah, that’s fair. I guess I had that one coming too.”
“You already got what you had coming,” I told him. “Her name’s Chastity.”
He looked like shit. I mean complete, utter shit. Garrett’s once pretty eyes were sunken, and he had three or four days of growth going on with his beard. And not the sexy stubble of my three gorgeous boyfriends, either.
Half of me was secretly happy he was doing so poorly without me. The other half just felt bad for him.
“Chastity was a mistake,” Garret said.
“Oh?” I replied, injecting as much bitchiness into the word as possible. “What happened with her? Did she go through all my makeup and move on?”
“Claudia, I—”
“What about Debbie, was she a mistake too? And Melissa? How about—”
“All of them,” he said. “All of them but you.”
I glanced down. Sometime during the conversation he’d placed his hands delicately over mine. There was a time I would’ve thought the sentiment adorable. Right now, it repulsed me.
“I’m not really sure what you’re thinking,” I snarled as I yanked my arms backward, “but we are never getting back together.”
His eyes changed. They grew harder and fiercer. A lot more narrow.
Now this is a look I’m used to.
“C’mon,” Garrett pleaded roughly. “You can’t possibly enjoy living in that half-finished rat trap you’ve been renovating.”
Nothing he could’ve said would’ve made me more angry.
“Rat trap?” I laughed. “Rat trap?”
“I don’t mean it like—”
“And how the hell do you know where I’ve been living?” I demanded. “Have you been following me this whole time or—” I stopped suddenly, looking down at my phone. “Oh yeah. Shared location.”
My ex-husband shrugged apologetically. He looked sad now. Even pathetic.
“Claudia, please think about moving back in. It can be like it was before, I promise. I’ll make it right again! Just… just give it a chance.”
In a brief moment of weakness I actually felt sorry for him.
“Garrett look,” I said placatingly. “I am never coming back. It’s over between us.” Then, after a slight pause: “I’ve even moved on.”
My last words struck him an almost physical blow. He sat back in his chair, unsure of what to do or say next. I seized the opportunity to rise to my feet.
“I wish you well, I really do,” I said. “But you need to move on also.”
He opened his mouth to say something else, but I cut him off.
“Goodbye Garrett,” I said, gathering my bags. “And good luck.”
Hurrying back to my car, I prided myself on how well I’d handled the whole thing. Seeing my ex wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. It actually felt good, even therapeutic. I smiled as I slid the key into the ignition.
I had my boys to thank for that.
Twenty-Seven
HUNTER
She looked absolutely fucking stunning.
Claudia took my hand as I helped her out of the car. She wasn’t used to wearing heels, that much I could tell, but the red dress she had on looked like she was born to flaunt it. It dipped down low between her full, rounded breasts. Hugged every curve of her incredible body. But my favorite past was the slit up the side — and getting a glimpse of those amazing legs — every time she took a full step.
“Thanks,” she beamed, and I grinned back. She’d spent time on her hair and makeup too; so much that she looked utterly flawless. Not that she didn’t look great without all that, but I was used to seeing her in torn jeans or a paint-splattered sweatshirt — the stuff she wore when working around the house.
I’d never really seen her like this.
Dinner had been excellent, filled with talking and flirting and fun. We’d had the quiet corner of a cozy restaurant, and had made it back on campus just as the exhibit was in full swing.
“Do we have to check in or anything?” she asked, wobbling a little on the way to the door. The Dowling Mansion was one of the oldest and most historic structures on the University grounds. In heels, the cobbled walkway was treacherous.
“Not that I know of.”
It was my first art exhibit. I really had no idea what to expect. If one of the other art teachers hadn’t talked me into putting something up, I wouldn’t even be here in the first place. Somehow though, having Claudia with me took away the nervousness.
I looked back at my date in her tight red dress. She really was gorgeous. It made me feel lucky.
And tonight? She’s all yours, the little voice in my head reminded me.
I could hardly wait.
“Ever been here before?” I asked.
“Not at night,” Claudia replied, looking up at the entrance. “Wow, just look at it, it’s beautiful!”
Covered in ivy and sprawling with outdoor gardens, the front of the old mansion held a special beauty right now, especially beneath the cold moonlight. We reached the door with Claudia practically leaning on my shoulder.
“You could’ve worn flats you know,” I teased.
“With this dress? Screw that.”
Once inside, the mansion was warm and well lit. Someone smiled at us and took Claudia’s coat. Someone else handed us two flutes of champagne with a tiny sliver of strawberry bubbling up from the bottom.
“This is wonderful,” Claudia said, pressing herself against me. “Thanks for bringing me.”
“Uhh… you might not be thanking me once you see my work,” I chuckled.
“Yeah right.”
“No, I’m serious,” I told her. “In fact, let’s hang out here and get another two glasses of champagne before—”
“Come on,” she said, pulling me playfully into the next room. “You’re not getting out this that easy.”
The art exhibit was actually pretty amazing. Several local artists had work on display, some of them even semi-famous. Important-looking people milled around in important-looking suits, talking and laughing and forming their own little cliques.
Room by room we went, taking our time, looking at paintings and photographs and even a few sculptures. Some were even for sale. The prices were outrageous, though.
“So where’s your stuff?” Claudia asked.
“Student exhibits are in the back half of the house.”
We continued down a paneled hall, through some sort of beautiful Conservatory. Another tray of champagne was there, resting atop a grand piano. Claudia swapped out her empty glass for a full one, then reached out to take mine.
“You’re not going to eat your strawberry?”
“Nah.”
She tilted my glass back and let the strawberry drop into her open mouth. Looking back at me, lips slightly parted, she showed it to me on the flat of her ton
gue.
“Sure you don’t want it?” she winked playfully.
I grabbed at her, and she laughingly retreated into the next room. There were less people in the back area, but more paintings. We passed a few other people I recognized as students. When suddenly—
“Hunter, hi!”
I whirled, and my stomach dropped into my feet. Deanna was standing there in a sparkling blue dress, her long black hair fanned out over both shoulders. Her eyes were bright and hopeful. Just like always.
Shit.
“I thought that was you,” she laughed. “From the back it was difficult to tell. I’m not used to seeing you so dressed up and—” She stopped mid-sentence as her gaze shifted to Claudia. “Oh. It’s you.”
“Yeah,” Claudia said sharply. “It’s me.”
My girlfriend looped her arm possessively through mine. Deanna looked crestfallen.
“So uh…”
“Yeah,” I said awkwardly. “Sorry.”
Deanna’s shoulders slumped, but then she abruptly stood up straight. Something in her expression told me it was alright.
“Well good luck,” she said, almost cheerfully. “Oh, and your pieces are down there,” she pointed. “Next room, on the left.”
“Thanks,” I told her.
Claudia sized her up as we walked by. “Thanks Deanna,” she added as well. “And goodnight.”
I breathed as sigh of relief as we reached the next room. There was hardly anyone in here as well.
“Awkward?” I asked hesitantly.
“No,” said Claudia. “I mean, of course we’d run into one of your ex girlfriends,” she laughed. “Or ex… whatever she is.”
I didn’t know what to say, really. So I didn’t say anything.
“Look, I knew you were sort of a ladies man when we decided to try this,” Claudia said. She turned toward me, pulling at the collar of my pristine white button-down shirt. “I mean, look at you. My man is hot. Women are always gonna want him,” she smirked and shrugged. “What’s a girl supposed to do?”
I slid my arms around her and pulled her to me. “You don’t have to do anything,” I said. “Because I don’t want those other girls. Not anymore.”