A Date for the Hunt

by Dover, L. P.

  “No,” I gasp, waving him off. “I wasn’t even going to mention high school. I’m just shocked.”

  “Why?” he asks.

  I bite my lip. “Because that’s exactly one of the things I was going to say to you. I’m a realist too. I’m also a good listener.”

  Hudson grins. “So am I. I’m stealing that one from you. And for my fifth, I’d have to say I like to live life to the fullest. We’re only here for a short amount of time and I don’t want to miss any of it.”

  Holding my arms out, I gaze around at our surroundings. “I’d say we’re living life to the fullest right now. That’s one of the things I know I need to work on.”

  Hudson takes my hand and kisses it. “I think you’re already doing it.”

  Footsteps echo off the wooden walkway and we turn to see Sandor coming toward us, carrying a silver wrapped box with a huge red bow. Hudson stands and helps me up. “I wonder what that is,” he says.

  Sandor holds the box out to us and smiles. “I’ve been instructed to give you this.” Hudson holds the box and I lift the top. Inside is a video camera and an envelope with Interview Questions written on it.

  Hudson and I stare at each other and I can tell he’s thinking the same thing I am. “Where are our camera guys?” I ask.

  Sandor nods toward the path. “They left on the boat about an hour ago. The island is closed now. No more boats will be coming or going.”

  Eyes wide, I gasp. “Closed? How are we going to get back?”

  Sandor smiles. “You’re staying here tonight. If you need me, all you have to do is call. Some toiletries have been left in your cabana.” He nods at Hudson and turns to walk away while I stand there speechless.

  Hudson is just as surprised as I am. “Well … looks like we’re not going anywhere.”

  He carries the box inside and on the bed are two large gift bags. One is black and the other pink. The pink one has my name on it. I peek inside and there is a pair of black pajama pants and a black cami to match, and a pair of shorts and a tank top along with a bag of mini-sized toiletries, including a toothbrush and toothpaste. There’s also an envelope inside with my name written in my sister’s handwriting.

  I open the envelope and pull out the letter.

  Hey sis,

  I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the heads up, but my team wanted to do something different with you and Hudson. I know you’re wondering if there are hidden cameras around. I promise you there are NOT. You have the island all to yourself. We look forward to seeing your private interview.

  Love you,

  Erin.

  “What’s that?” Hudson asks as he sets the box with the video camera down on the dresser beside the bed.

  I hold the letter out to him. “It’s from my sister.”

  He reads it and smiles. “Wow. We’re alone. That’s nice to know.” When his eyes lift to mine, they make me tremble. I can see the heat behind them. Is it a good thing we’re alone? It’s what I’ve wanted, but now I’m nervous.

  Hudson holds up the interview questions. “Want to go ahead and get this over with?”

  I nod. “Yes. I’m curious to see what the questions are.” He tosses me the envelope while he sets the camera up across the room to where it faces the bed. The floral dress I had on earlier is draped across the couch so I slide it on over my bathing suit and then take a seat on the bed. Hudson turns on the camera and sits beside me. The little red light blinks at us and my heart starts to race.

  Hudson bumps me with his bare shoulder. “Thought it’d be good if the viewers could see us reading the questions for the first time.”

  I laugh. “Makes it more nerve-wracking too.” I look down at his bare chest. “Are you seriously going to do this with no shirt on?”

  Hudson winks at the camera. “You guys don’t mind, do you?” Then he turns around so the camera gets the full view of his back. “Look everyone, badonkaskonk is almost gone.”

  I lean closer to the camera, cupping a hand by my mouth as if I’m whispering to someone. “So he thinks.”

  Hudson sits back down and bumps me with his shoulder. “I heard that, cupcake.”

  It’s hard not to smile when he calls me that. I slide my finger under the envelope flap and pull out the paper inside. “All right,” I say, glancing quickly at the questions. “It says here that these are the top questions the viewers have been asking about us. Some are for Hudson and some are for me.”

  Hudson’s eyes narrow at the paper. “Okay, the first question is for me from Sandy in Ohio. With a body like yours have you ever thought about doing one of those firemen calendars? If so, when do you think you’ll do it and where can I buy it?”

  He looks over at me and we both burst out laughing. “Now that’s something I’d like to see,” I say to him.

  Hudson laughs some more and turns to the camera. “Hey Sandy. Thank you for the compliment. When I get back home, I’ll talk to my guys and see if they’re up to doing a calendar with me. I think it’ll be fun.”

  “You could always do one and donate the proceeds to a charity,” I add.

  Hudson nods. “Good idea. That could work.” He taps the paper. “The next one is yours.”

  Taking a deep breath, I read the second question. “This one is from Derek in Arizona. Why would someone with your beauty and brains have to go on a reality show to find love? If you were here, I’d treat you right.”

  Hudson waves at the camera. “Hey man, those are fighting words.”

  Rolling my eyes, I smack his arm and focus on the camera. A part of me is a little embarrassed by the question. I didn’t go on the show to find love like all the other contestants. “Hey Derek,” I say, “that’s really sweet of you. To answer your question, I didn’t come on the show to find love. Honestly, I didn’t want to be on it at all.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” I move my hand away and smile. “Actually, my sister is one of the producers and she really needed me to take a spot. I did it for her.” Then I look over at Hudson. “Luckily, I haven’t had such a bad time.” Hudson and I both look down at the questions. The next ones are for us both. “You can read them out loud,” I tell him.

  Hudson reads off the next few questions and we answer them. They were pretty easy like what’s your favorite color, food, movie, and so on. It turns out that Hudson and I have the same taste in a lot of things. We answer about twenty different questions, both shocked at how similar we are.

  Then it comes down to the very last two questions. Hudson and I both look at them together and then at each other. “I’ll answer mine first,” I say. I turn back to the camera. “The question is … what are the things you like most about Hudson?” I stare at the camera and a slow smile spreads across my face. “There are a lot of things I like about Hudson. For one, he has gorgeous gray eyes. It’s hard not to get lost in them. He’s also charming, witty, funny, and sometimes a complete pain in the ass. But what I love most is his heart.” I turn to him and take his hand. “Yes, we knew each other in high school, and I hated him. I thought he was just one of the popular guys who didn’t have a brain.” Taking a deep breath, I look back at the camera. “I was wrong. Being on this show made me realize that. Hudson is so much more than I thought he was. I look forward to seeing how everything plays out in the end.”

  Heart racing, I wait for Hudson to speak out his question. It’s the same as mine, only he has to say what he likes most about me.

  Hudson clears his throat. “My turn. What are the things I like most about Allison?” I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and I can see him smiling at the camera. “What’s not to like? I think I’ve been in love with her since high school.” My heart stops and I freeze. Did he seriously just say that? “She’s always been so smart and beautiful,” he continues. “Never once did I feel good enough to call her mine. I remember seeing her in the halls and watching her smile at her friends, wishing like hell she’d smile like that at me one day. Her laugh is even more int
oxicating.” He looks over at me and cups my cheek. “I could listen to you laugh all day. What I’m so thankful for now is that you’re mine. It only took ten years.”

  We stare at each other, and for a moment, I forgot we were still on camera. Clearing my throat, I quickly focus on the lens and wave. “Thanks everyone. I know Hudson and I appreciate the questions. Hopefully, we didn’t disappoint you.”

  Hudson waves. “Good night everyone.” He goes over to it and turns it off. The room falls silent, but then our eyes meet again. He kneels in front of me and wraps his arms around my waist. “Please tell me what you said was true, or at least some of it was.”

  He looks up at me and my insides tighten. His hands grip my waist and all I want is to feel him touch every square inch of my body. “All of it’s true,” I murmur. “I meant every word.” But then his words echo in my mind, the ones about him being in love with me. “What about you? Is what you said true?”

  Slowly, he guides me further up the bed and covers me with his body, his expression raw and serious. “Yes,” he whispers back. “I’m in love with you, Allie. I just hope one day you love me too.”

  Tears burn my eyes and I smile. I think I already do. “I’m sure there’s a very good chance of that.”

  Dipping his head low, he parts his lips and touches them to mine. Soft and gentle at first, but then his kiss turns hungry and possessive. It’s what my body has been craving. His arousal presses against my stomach and I moan. “I want to make love to you, Allie, but I understand if you don’t want me to.”

  My eyes widen and I buckle under his gaze. I’ve never felt such raw heat flow off a set of words, and the words that just left his lips caresses over my skin, making me shiver. I need him, and I need him now.

  “I want you to,” I whisper. “You have no idea how much I want this.”

  Fire burns in his gaze, and in one quick swoop he lifts me further up onto the bed. The warmth of his tongue caresses mine greedily as he tastes and licks his way into my mouth like a starved animal.

  He stares right into my eyes as he slowly slides my dress down off my shoulders. His fingers untie the straps of my bikini top and he skims my breasts as he exposes my bare skin.

  “You are so beautiful, Allison,” he murmurs before locking his lips around one of my sensitive nipples. I gasp as he sucks it into his mouth and swirls his tongue around my heated flesh. Instantly growing wet at his torture, I arch my back off the bed to move closer to his touch and to his lips. He moans and cups my other breast, massaging it feverishly with his rough hands. Ever so slowly, he moves down my body, trailing kisses over my bare stomach as he removes the rest of my bathing suit.

  He spreads my legs apart and rubs my inner thighs, making me jump in response. His warm breath tickles me as he spreads me wider. A deep growl rumbles in his chest as he pushes a finger inside me. Tilting my head back, I bite my lip and savor the feeling of his touch.

  “I’m going to make you come this way,” he growls huskily. His tongue flicks across my swollen clit and desire shoots like flames up my body. He pushes another finger inside me and lowers his tongue to my clit, swirling it around and making me moan in pleasure. I’m so close to losing control. My orgasm rapidly approaches and when I try to pull back, Hudson holds me in place. “I want to taste you.”

  “Oh, my God …” I breathe, gasping out the words. My hands fist in his hair and I tug him closer as the orgasm rocks through my body.

  Breathing heavily, he slides off the bed and smirks at me while licking his lips. He puts his fingers in his mouth and sucks them slowly, never taking his eyes off of me. “Did you enjoy that?”

  I hold a hand over my chest. “Yes. It felt amazing.” My eyes instantly drop down at his waist to his arousal that’s straining against his shorts. The man is seriously going to drive me crazy. “I want more,” I say, nodding down at his shorts. “Might want to take those off.”

  He does as I say and drops his shorts to the floor. Like a lion, he crawls up my body; stalking and hunting as if I’m his prey. He grabs my thighs with his strong grasp and pulls me down the bed. His weight settles in between my legs and I can feel his cock eagerly wanting to penetrate me, to claim me.

  Hudson holds my face in his hands and kisses me tenderly on the lips. Expression serious, he closes the distance between our bodies and enters me fully in one hard thrust. I gasp, but he cut off my moans by claiming my mouth with his. Hudson encloses me in his arms and holds me tight as he ravishes my body over and over with his hard, penetrating thrusts.

  “You’re killing me, cupcake,” he groans in my ear before securing his warm lips over my nipple. Sucking hard, he takes my other nipple and pinches it between his fingers, drawing out a strangled cry from within my body. It feels so damn good. On the verge of orgasm, I moan and dig my nails into his back.

  “I can feel you getting tighter. I know you have to be close,” he teases, flicking his tongue across my ever so sensitive nipple.

  Moaning again, I nod my head. “You have no idea.”

  His lips find mine and he quickens his pace between my legs. His thrusts are deep, claiming me because I’m his. I want to be his. And I want him to be mine. I tighten my legs around his waist and rock my hips against his, the perfect friction. The second he feels me tighten against his cock, he grunts with each thrust, pulsating inside of me. I cry out his name as my body explodes all around him. He trembles and jerks, slowing his pace until every single drop of him releases inside of me.

  Hudson collapses on top of me and I jolt as the remnants of my orgasm ebbs off and sends shivers throughout my body. Breathing hard, he lifts up on his elbows and cups my face in his strong hands. “Things will never be the same after this.”

  I lean into his touch. “I know. They’ll be better.”

  10

  Hudson

  Hot, stinky, sweaty . . . all words I hate to think about when I’m waking up, but remembering what happened the night prior, in the middle of the night, and about two hours ago—those words no longer bother me. I’ll gladly take the situation I’m in now, with Allie, every day for the rest of my life if it means she’s by my side. My fingers brush through her hair as those thoughts roll through my mind. When I first saw her, when we came face to face to meet for the first time after I picked her egg, she left me breathless. I knew from the moment I reached through the cactus to get her egg she’d be the perfect companion for me. Without even knowing who I was, she challenged me, and that is what I want out of a partner. Someone who isn’t willing to take the easy route through life. The icing on the cake is finding out she’s the one I was crazy about in high school. It’s like the producers knew to put us on this show together, to put us in each other’s paths. I know for certain, if I hadn’t found Allie’s egg, I would’ve swapped boxes the other night.

  Allie rolls onto her side, facing me, and lets out the softest of purrs. I’ve never really been the guy that hangs out in the morning. On my days off, I’m up before the sun, working out and just doing my bachelor thing. My work schedule is crazy. I work for twenty-four hours, off for forty-eight. Holidays don’t exist in my line of work because fires don’t care when they start. I suppose, this is something I need to discuss with Allie—assuming she wants to see me after the show.

  My fingers brush her hair away from her face and she stirs. I can’t help but smile. Her lips are red and plump, a result of me kissing her all night. Something I want to do for many, many days to come.

  When she finally opens her eyes, she smiles and gives me a whispery, “Good morning.”

  Good morning indeed. I lean forward and kiss her. I haven’t done it in hours and have been dying to do so since I woke up. Allie shies away and covers her mouth with her hand. “Morning breath,” she mumbles, which makes me chuckle.

  “You do realize where our mouths have been in the last twelve hours, right?”

  Allie blushes and it’s the sexiest reaction I have ever seen because I know she’s thinking about the epic bl
ow job she gave me or when my face was buried between her legs and she started to come with her thighs locked around my head. I couldn’t fucking breathe but let me tell you something—if you’re going to suffocate, it might as well be while you’re eating the best damn pussy you’ve ever feasted on. I would’ve gone to heaven with a fucking smile on my face.

  “Last night was amazing.”

  “Last night was everything,” I tell her. “Want to take a shower with me? I think we should do everything we can to conserve water and all that.”

  She nods and sits up. The sheet slips down her chest, slowly, almost as if it knows I’m waiting for my present to be unwrapped. I’m staring so hard, I see her skin pebble and her nipples harden. I don’t waste any time and move so I can scoop her up. Her legs wrap around my waist and she’s at the perfect spot where my dick is tickling her center. One move and I’m in her. I’ve never walked and fucked, but I’m about to see if it’s feasible.

  “Damn, how is it that you’re always ready for me?”

  “You make me horny,” she tells me as her lips find mine. Her tongue finds mine as she slides down my shaft. My fingers dig into her hips, using them as leverage to move her up and down as I try to navigate us toward the shower stall.

  “I’m going to turn the water on now, baby,” I say after pulling away from her mouth. Her teeth push into my shoulder and I hiss. Not sure if it’s from the water, the pain from her bite, or the fucking exhilaration I feel.

  Lukewarm water sprays down over us and Allie tilts her head back until it touches the wall. I use this to my advantage and drive into her as hard as I can, thanking the people who ever built this because they left a nice ledge up top for me to grip onto. With each thrust of my hips, her perfect tits bounce. She moans and her hand finds her center. My eyes go everywhere, from hers to her fingers rubbing over her clit, back to her eyes. She’s looking at me and I swear she’s asking me if this is okay.