"The shareholders obviously were shocked by the vision and I immediately offered my resignation from the Bellafonte Board. But after many hours and face to face meetings with my board members, both past and present, the offer of my resignation has been withdrawn," I take a deep breath before looking over the small gathered crowd, a series of camera flashes occurred. "Irrespective of how I spend my time in my office, I am most certainly aware of the impact of my actions and I again offer my sincere apology. What I will not apologise for though is the actions of others. The reason for today's interview is to confirm the rumours that have been circulating around, I am sure everyone has heard a version of what has happened so I wanted to clear up a few of those details, because I am the victim of ongoing abuse, both physical and verbal. A brutal crime that has impacted my business and personal life for many years and that is the issue we are here to discuss. I have no issue talking about this, in fact, I encourage anyone who is a victim to stand up, do it your way, but enough is enough. I will not be silenced anymore," The reporters all lean in closer.
I pause my tablet, looking at Hunter, who is still confined to his hospital bed. I hadn't let go of his hand since I sat perched up on his bed, both of us watching the raw unedited version.
"It went better than expected. Although, I have received so many calls and texts from Hartley that I have Leah manning my phone. Seemed she didn't like me calling her fiancé out," I say looking at him. The bruising on his face is vivid.
He offers me a weak smile through his pain meds.
"I'm proud of you Gigi," he says squeezing my hand. "Help me out?" he asked, his eyes squinting a little.
"What do you need Hunter?"
"You," he replies before attempting to close the distance between us.
"Pretty sure you have me Hunter," I whisper as I near his lips. Stopping our talk with the sweetest of touches. He sighs and sits back into his pillows but I follow him till his back is rested and I am smiling at him between each soft kiss.
"Alright you two, we are good to go. You have been discharged, so let's get going," Matthew strides further into the room as I hop off of Hunter's bed.
"Are you sure Gigi?" Hunter asks again.
"This is the one thing I am sure of Hunter," I say before quickly leaning in and laying another kiss on his lips. "Besides I just ordered a sweet little nurses outfit, it's being delivered this afternoon to the apartment," I haven’t even finished speaking before he is trying to kick back his blankets in his eagerness.
"Hospital policy is we have to wheel you out of here. So sit your ass back down for a minute Hunter," Matthew replies. It is good to see him slowly returning back to his usual narky self. We have all spent a fair bit of time drowning in our self pity but then the four of us speak through how we think we let the other one down. In the middle of a few tears, lots of laughs and a few expletives we are on our way back to some semblance of normality.
What will be different for the four of us all living together under one roof. Without a doubt, my relationship with Hunter is happening crazy quick but the spare room that he is going to be in will provide us with a little buffer from each other. We also started advertising for a new IT Head for Bellafonte. It will be awesome to work together but at the same time I think we both recognise that we struggle to stay focussed. I have no shame in being the first to admit that Hunter takes my ability to think away.
Before coming to collect Hunter and take him home I visit with Grandpa. He is looking a lot better, still pretty gray and worn out but at least we had the best team on hand to look after him. Currently, there is a lot of talk about Grandpa either having a stent inserted or perhaps a pacemaker, his heart specialist and surgeon aren't giving away too much but another family meeting is scheduled for two days away.
Seeing them for the first time after the video was released and subsequent attack did not go as expected. They all wrapped me up in cuddles and kisses before wanting to know the juicy details about Hunter. True to her word Grandma was annoyed at having to delay their morning tea. Still harping on about how hard it was to get an appointment with her jeweller. I left her to her little fantasy. I refused to rush when it came to him, I wanted to enjoy every minute getting to know him again.
"Are you really putting me in the spare room Gigi?" Hunter interrupts my thoughts as I am gathering all his stuff.
"Yeah, actually I am. Let's talk more after you wine me, dine me, sixty-nine me,” he sputters at that but I continue. “Date me, buy me flowers, spoil me rotten. I love little get-aways. Just saying," I finish with a huge smile.
"As soon as I am up Gigi. I am doing all of that and more," he promises.
"Good incentive then," I tip my head at him and wink before I refocus on getting his stuff out of the drawer near his bed. His hand shoots out quickly though and wraps around my wrist, pulling me into his open legs that are hanging off of the bed. His huge frame tugging me in until I am enveloped by every inch that is Hunter.
"Best incentive ever," he whispers quietly before leaning in and kissing me. Instead of sweetness, Hunter steals my breath with his intensity, moving my head slightly before his tongue swept in and stole my thoughts. His mouth is hot, demanding and he keeps pulling away to watch my face with each sweep of his tongue, nibble on my lip.
"I can't leave you two for more than a minute!" Matthew says as he walks in pushing a wheelchair.
"Probably true," Hunter responds before laying one more soul searing kiss on my lips. He turns me quickly out of our embrace and carefully manoeuvres me to his side so that we can make room for the wheelchair.
"Let's go," Matthew passes over all the bags to me and we are on our way in moments. Getting to the car takes a little while, it is important that I find each of the doctors, nurses, and volunteers that helped both myself and Hunter. Thanking them feels inadequate, but each of the staff that we locate, is touched that the three of us took the time to do it.
We are in the car driving back to our apartment. Andrew, our designated driver, is new to Maximus Security, coming to us highly recommended. A little older than we usually hired, after all the travelling I had done in the past two days between here, home and work, we had started to get to know each other. He is going to work out just fine.
"I have a plan," Hunter says once Andrew has engaged the privacy screen. Hunter’s eyes are closed, his head laying back. We are nearly home but the rest of the journey he spends explaining his plan to us.
Spending the week with Hunter while we both get better is easy. I am not at all surprised by how well we got along, I keep waiting for us to start niggling at each other but it never comes. I discover he is a wicked chess player, he makes the worst cup of tea ever and he discovers how ticklish I am in the weirdest of places. But most of all I discover that Hunter is the best thing ever to have happened to me. And I would do it all again, except this time I would say no to Dom’s invite to the dance and accept Hunter’s strange invitation. Without a doubt.
Mary is currently acting CEO at Bellafonte, but I am eager to go back. We just have to survive the next week and the plan is that I will be at the helm once again. Refocused and re-energised.
We have just finished a meeting with Ian, our solicitor who seems to be spending way too much time at our house either in meetings with Hunter, myself or both of us together. I have to have a lot of faith in client privilege for what Hunter had proposed. I am showing Ian out of my apartment, and have just closed the door when Hunter appears at my back. His hand trailing up the back of my neck, running his fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp before grabbing a handful of my hair and tugging me back into him.
I look up at him and there is a darkness in his eyes that has slowly been building in the last couple of days.
"Matthew and Caleb are out. They won't be back for hours. We are locked up safe. I'm going to wine you, dine you, then how did you put it?" he speaks his words softly into my ear, while he positioned his body around mine, closer still. It takes me only a moment to r
ealise that he had lost his business shirt somewhere between the finish of our meeting and me closing the door, but either way, it works for me. I twist in his arm, his hand still holding my hair tightly and he wrenches my neck over to the side before his mouth finds it. He roughly pushes the collar of my dress further exposing my shoulder to him and then he starts a slow, hot journey involving way too many kisses and licks. Hunter blows his breath over where he had focused his mouth again onto my neck, kissing and sucking his way up to my mouth. When he reaches my lips, his hold in my hair drops away so that he can instead hold my face. He is demanding in his passion and I open myself to it all willingly. It really is like everything before Hunter has been nothing but preparation for the real thing. I keep my eyes open watching him, his eyes now obsidian in his desire.
He steps back quickly, to grab at my dress with both arms, but grunts out in pain when he goes to draw it up. It is only then that I noticed he isn't wearing his brace for his collarbone. I go to ask him if he is okay, but he growls before I can, swallowing my protests in his kisses.
"Take it off, Gigi," he requests, his voice low and gravelly.
I step away so that my back is pushed up against the door before I start to undo the ties of my black wrap dress. I watch his face, taking my time to open the bow and his emotions flash from desire, to annoyance, to appreciation. They seem to be moving like a vortex until he all but explodes.
"Stop fucking around Gigi!"
I laugh then hurry up. Even from here I can see his need. I let the dress drop from my shoulders and I hear his intake. Through gritted teeth he grimaces at me, his lip sneering up slightly. I might have planned a few things myself.
"What the hell are you wearing?" he snarls.
"Do you like it?"
"You know I do. Turn around. Slowly," he demands.
"Please?"
"No. You can beg later, not now. Stop messing around Gigi," Hunter stands in our hallway, the lights above us blazing so there is nowhere to hide. His skin is starting to lose its tan, but it is still a rich golden colour. His muscular chest heaving slightly from his barely contained need.
I like tormenting Hunter, it fills me with a burning satisfaction. But he lets me. It speaks volumes about how safe he makes me feel. I stay pushed up against the wall in my black stilettos and my cerulean blue lingerie, that really are too small and barely there to be called lingerie. His eyes are dancing all over my body as he slowly inches closer.
"Stay there," I say, stealing his dominance now that he is temporarily distracted.
His eyes flare and then they follow the path, my finger makes after it leaves the wall and trails over my opposite shoulder. My gold nails drag over my shoulder and chest before I follow the line of my breast, pausing before I pinch my nipple, twisting it gently. I watch my finger pull on the lace, planning on moving over to the other side, when Hunter speaks. He has to cough to clear his throat.
"Show me," he asks.
"Hmmm," is all I reply before I start my other hand moving over the opposite side of my body, following a similar route. This time, my fingers only tease over my nipple before I place both index fingers into my mouth, licking them before I drag them slowly down my body. I stop when I hook the edges of my panties, shimming my hips for him. The blue strings are so slender, holding up the scantest pieces of lace. Instead, I pull them out quickly, clapping my hands together, to pull his attention back to my face, before offering him a dirty smirk. He is grimacing again, his top lip curling up slightly, his eyes twinkling in interest. So, I do a little spin for him, before showing him my ass.
My hands are splayed on the wall so I step back a bit, to give myself space before I bend over, keeping my legs straight, showing him just now thin the lace thong is.
“More,” his voice growls again.
I spread my legs even wider and bend over a little more, one hand dropping to rub over myself, showing him what he does to me.
"Enough teasing," he commands. His voice so loud that it reverberates through the hallway. He doesn’t move though. I like his restraint.
"I'd never tease you Hunter," I purr back, turning to face him again before crouching down so that I can crawl to him. I move slowly, too slowly obviously, because he takes a step towards me.
We meet in the middle when he bends down, pulling me up to my knees so he can kiss me again. His hands roam over my body, following a very similar route as I had. His hands are hotter though, and both of them quickly settle around my breasts. With one hand he kneads one breast, while with the other he pinches my nipple. His teasing has me moaning into his mouth.
"I’m going to taste you," I say between each lick of his tongue.
"You put your lips on me Gigi, here in this hallway, and I'll embarrass myself almost straight away. You got me all wound up tight," he replies huskily as he bends down, hissing through the pain of his recent injuries, to suck one of my nipples into his mouth.
"Let me," I insist.
"Fuck Gigi!" he barks out loudly, but then he stands abruptly fumbling with the buckle of his pants before undoing them, letting them drop to the floor. Then he gently guides my head to him, despite still being in his tight black boxers.
I pull back enough for him to recognise his mistake and he offers a desperate laugh, that quickly morphs into a frustrated sound when I take him in my mouth, still covered. I squeeze his length through his boxers before letting my hands find their way inside, grabbing firmly onto his erection that is straining within his boxers. Impatient as ever though Hunter pushes his hips forward and I stop fondling him to remove his boxers, he steps out of one leg. Lucky he remembers now, he will have tripped later.
Once he is standing naked in front of me, his eyes intense as he looks down at me. With a final look at his beautiful face, I turned my attention to his cock in my hand, licking his crown.
"Gigi," he moans, "you're killing me babe. Just fucking blow me," his words tumble out as I open my mouth for him and he pushes himself inside. He is right, he is just about to cum like a horny teen. I can taste his saltiness already. I didn't want to tease him anymore, my own needs are starting to smoulder too much also.
I focus on twisting his length as my hand travels up and down, while I take him in my mouth, kissing, licking, and sucking his cock. His hands are tangled up in my hair again and the groans that fall from him flood me with desire. I can feel him harden even more in my mouth, his hands pulled gently as they clench in my hair, in time with my sucking. I look up at him just as he glances down. He offers me a gorgeous smile before pushing himself even further into my mouth. I am pretty sure I am going to tap out soon, but he is too careful for that. He slows his pistoning hips, keeping his dick out of my throat before his pace falters, he speeds up suddenly and I watch to see him biting his lip, which is outrageously sexy. I met his pace and squeezed him harder, running my hand along his dick faster and with one last thrust, he cums in my mouth.
As soon as he finished moaning my name, he pulls me up with one arm. I barely finish wiping my mouth and his lips are on me.
He turns out of our kiss, kicks off his pants, somehow still wearing his dress shoes before grabbing my hand and together we stumbled into his room. He slams the door shut behind us before kicking off his shoes.
"On the bed, leg's spread wide Gigi, my turn to taste you. Fuck eating and drinking," his voice is still cracked, it comes out broken but I understand clearly.
"Oh, god yes, Hunter," is my last coherent sentence for quite some time.
"Thanks for meeting me," Hunter speaks quickly reflecting his nerves no doubt. The inflection in his voice lacked his usual exuberance.
"Don't thank me yet Hunter. I am not sure why we are even here. Even when my message comes with a heavy fist or two, it seems you just don't get it. I'm sure this little meeting of ours will be over very soon," Dom replies in his usual asshole manner.
"Let's not jump ahead of ourselves, Dom. We need to sort some stuff out," Hunter leans back on his chair.
"You didn't understand the message I had delivered already. Are you just that stubborn?" he replies through an awful smirk.
"That's what we are going to talk about. All in due course. Did you want anything? Tea or coffee? Something to eat?" Hunter is rising up out of his seat to order from the counter of the small French Patisserie they are in.
"I ordered already," Dom responds looking out of the window in the busy café.
"Of course you did," he turns and goes to the counter, thankful that it wasn't too busy this morning. The less people around them the better.
"What did you mean by that?" Dom questions, looking genuinely confused, asking as soon as Hunter sits at their table again.
"Any normal person Dom would have waited until their guest arrived before they ordered. You know, being polite and all," Hunter moves to a seat opposite him, to see him better. He watches unperturbed as Dom rolls his eyes. "Okay, you ready to do this Dom?" he asks quietly.
Dom nods his head and leans back in the wicker seat, crossing his legs.
"You are going to stop all the bullshit and games. Right now. After we finish our little coffee meeting, you are pretty much going to forget all about Verginius and I, the whole Bellafonte family, actually. You will act like you do not know any of us, imagine we are dead to you, cause honestly Dom, you have been dead to her for years. And before you start huffing and puffing, yeah, she is with me. Very much so," Hunter keeps his steely gaze locked on Dom, leaning forward to drive his point home, offering him a cocky smile, atypical of my Hunter.
"That's a joke Hunter. You are obviously seriously deranged. Ginny would never do that, she can't stand the sight of you. She probably forgets some of our time at St. Joseph’s but even now I can recall her bemoaning how you left her," Dom barks out with a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
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