by Lexi Hart
He makes a bee-line towards me and throws the carcass at my feet, then sits and wags.
“Aaaw. He’s a sweetheart. What’s his name?”
Cold metal digs into my palms as my fingers clench the keys way too tightly. “Um, I haven’t gotten around to naming him yet,” I mumble.
As she pets the dog and scratches his ears, I’m barely capable of drawing breath.
My skin starts to heat; my mouth suddenly runs dry.
After nearly a month apart, just the idea of seeing Hunter again is enough to make my heart thump around in my chest.
I’ve spent so many weeks trying to convince myself I don’t miss him, that I’m not thinking about his incredible body, his kisses, the way he makes me feel alive, just knowing he’s so close is enough to give me cold sweats.
With a sigh, Grace stops giving the dog her attention and steps towards her car.
She turns around at the last minute, a wry expression on her face. “Nice to meet you, maybe next time it’ll be less clandestine?”
I nod vaguely, wishing I had something intelligent to say, but my body is already disconnecting with my head and is half-way to where Hunter is.
I FIND THE TINY HUNTING cabin, tucked away from prying eyes beside a stream; I’m sure I recognize from fishing with Dad.
I’m steeling myself to open the door when my cell trills beside me. My heart jumps in my chest as I try to prepare for what I hope isn’t bad news.
Jemma’s voice is high and excited when she near screams down the phone. “Nat! He got the all clear! His doctor said his white blood count is the lowest it’s been in six months.”
Tears sting at my eyes as I try to come up words to match the level of relief I’m feeling. “That’s wonderful. That’s so wonderful.”
Jemma starts to sob down the line so hard I can barely make out what she’s saying. I don’t bother to stem my own tears until they are streaming down my face.
The dog pushes against me, cocking its head and looking at me like I’m a maniac.
I pat his scruffy head as Dad’s voice comes on the line, making me cry even harder. “Nat? Now don’t get all weepy, I need to say something. Something I should have said a long time ago.”
His voice is a little shaky, and I’m sure there’s a touch of thickness to his throat that has nothing to do with cancer. “Nat, you need to know that your mother left because I forced her too. She wanted to come home—”
I sniff and manage to speak. “Dad. It doesn’t matter now. It’s okay. I’m happy she’s back. She’s obviously doing you good.”
Dad wheezes down the line but all considering, he sounds well. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you girls see her. I’m a selfish prick. But you know that more than anyone else.”
My lip starts to wobble as I think all the times I wished Mom was there for me in my teen years when I needed her. My first heartbreak coming just months after she left. The bitchy girls calling me and Jemma names.The way I had to play Mom to Jemma, console her, and take care of the house when I just wanted someone to take care of me.
All the pain, the hurt and enormous hole she left in my heart the day she walked out the door. And it wasn’t her fault. Not really.
“Put Mom on. I want to talk to her.”
Scrambling sounds come down the line as I wipe away my tears in the mirror. My mom’s voice is uncertain as she speaks. “Natalie? You wanted to speak to me?”
I stare at my reflection, at the flaming red hair I inherited from Mom. Blue eyes I got from Dad, nose that’s all my own and can’t find any reason to stay holding on my hurt. “Dad told me the truth. I’m sorry I was so angry at you.”
My mom’s voice breaks. “Oh, Natalie. I’m so sorry too. And you have every right to be angry.”
Fresh tears build as I stare at the dog. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice you were so miserable.”
She sighs down the line. “Don’t apologize. I hid most of it from you girls. By the time I realized I was depressed, I’d pushed everyone away, including your Dad.”
I’m so stunned; I just listen as she tries to explain. “I found out your father had...well, that’s not important now, I was devastated. I got it in my head you’d all be better off without me. When you and Jem went to school that morning, I packed a bag, left a note and just drove until I ran out of gas. I ended up in a church in Denver of all places.”
I know she needs to talk, so I let her. “The pastor at the church convinced me to contact your father. But he was furious. He thought I’d left because of, well, something that happened. I’d hoped if I just stayed away for a while, he’d calm down. But he was so hurt, nothing seemed to convince him.”
I flick a glance to the cabin I’m parked outside of wondering if Hunter is watching. “Mom, it’s okay. You don’t need to explain.”
“I do. I owe you an explanation. But I can’t fix what I did. I can only offer an apology and ask for you to forgive me,” she says.
I sniff and lean forward so I can find the tissues I keep in my purse. I take a shaking breath, knowing I mean it. “I forgive you both.”
My mom starts to cry, and I don’t think I can stand to hear anymore, so I clear my throat and make sure she hears me. “Mom. I really have to go now. There’s something I need to do.”
I can hear my mom’s relief over the phone. “Okay. You know where we are if you need us.”
I smile and blink rapidly as more tears start to brew. After ten years. Mom really will be where I needed her to be. But it’s ten years too late. I’ve grown up. I don’t need her the way I did. I don’t even need Dad the same way anymore.
I end the call and push the phone back in my purse. My face is a mess, skin blotchy, and eyes puffy. But I don’t care. I’ve waited a month to see Hunter Sloan, and I’m not waiting anymore.
I tell the dog to stay, roll the window down with shaking hands, and climb out of the car.
I take a breath, close my eyes, and make my way across the grass, readying myself for seeing him, and to finally get the truth.
I knock lightly and stand, chewing my lip, on the grass out front. When I’m sure a minute has passed, I knock again, then decide I may as well use the key Grace gave me.
I push it in the lock and twist the door open with an audible squeak. The cabin is simple. Smaller than ours was. With just a single room, a double bed, a few shelves, a table and sink for the kitchen, and a fireplace that’s currently blazing.
I close the front door to the cold and turn around to hear the bathroom door creaking open.
All the things I wanted to ask vanish as I take in Hunter, standing, watching me, wrapped in a towel, body still wet from a shower.
I swallow hard, fire rushing through my body as I note he has a new addition to his dragon tattoo. Above the woman, ‘Natalie’ has been etched in swirling ink.
His lip curls as though he’s fighting a smile. “I went to see Tim on the sly to get it added. He nearly had a heart attack when he found me in his basement.”
I keep staring at him, heat tearing through me, my eyes flicking between the tattoo, his smile, and the way his muscles look when wet. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve been crying?”
My pulse quickens, feet moving as though pulled by an invisible string until I’m directly in front of him. “Dad’s probably in remission, and Mom is taking care of him,” I hear myself murmur.
His eyebrows rise as he seems to struggle to find the appropriate response. “That’s fucking awesome,” is what he comes out with.
It is. But I’m not thinking of anyone in my family right now. My thoughts are solely on the insanely gorgeous man standing almost naked in front of me.
I reach up and run my fingertip over the faint red where my name is branded into the skin right over his heart. “I’m the redhead,” I whisper.
Hunter’s expression turns soft. “You’re my redhead. And I’d give you anything I have. Just say the word, and it’s yours.”
I don’t even have to think as my eyes
roam over his body. “What I want right now, is you,” I breathe.
I press my body into his and kiss him with all the desperation of a month’s denial. He moans into my mouth as his tongue meets mine, and he pulls me closer.
His hands creep under my clothes until he’s lifting my shirt to yank it over my head. He kisses me again, then unsnaps my bra, so he can lean down and flick his tongue over my stiff nipples.
Hunter slowly unbuttons my jeans, fingers brushing my skin, sending shivers running down my body. He kisses me, tugging my jeans down over my hips as anticipation causes me to start trembling.
My heart is thumping too rapidly, skin tingling as I kick off my boots, wriggle out of my jeans then take his outstretched hand as he leads me to the bed.
He tosses his towel aside so I have a clear view of how hard his beautiful cock is. In a slick move, he gets on his knees and pushes my legs apart so he can slide his tongue inside me. I squirm as pleasure starts shooting through me as I grab his hair.
I’m so turned on; I’m coming before I even realize I can so quickly. Stars prick at my vision as he backs away and slowly rises to standing. His eyes are glazed with lust as he stares down at me, his cock right at my eye line.
Every part of my body is firing to life as I take him in my mouth and slowly slide his cock in and out.
I stare up at him as I lick his tip and stroke his balls with my fingers. His eyes are shut, mouth parted as his voice comes out ragged. “So good, so fucking good.”
Hunter moans as I grab his ass cheeks, sucking and licking until he’s protesting he’ll come and pushing me away so he can climb on top of me.
I’m so wet, he slides in easy, making us both groan with guttural pleasure. I buck under him as he pounds me until I’m coming again and struggling to draw a breath.
But he’s not done pleasuring me. He shifts down, taking a nipple in his mouth as he pulls out and moves down my body.
I’m breathing hard, nipples hard as rocks, and skin on fire, when he puts his mouth on me again, licking and inserting a finger, sliding it in and out, making me come again and again until I’m almost screaming for him to put his cock in me.
He ignores me, probing me deeper with his finger, making me so slick I can hear the moisture over my heavy breathing. “Come here. Now,” I rasp.
He chuckles but obliges me. He grabs my hips and tugs me back so I’m on all fours, legs spread as I wait for him to take me from behind again. “I’m not done yet, sweetheart,” he says.
He pushes me apart; his tongue is back on me as he licks skilfully until I’m quivering and coming in his mouth.
I hear him groan behind me a second before he pushes his cock inside me. “Fuck, I love making you come.”
He starts to thrust slowly at first, sliding in and out, my nipples rubbing against the sheets, making me scream so loud the dog starts to whine in my car.
Hunter pounds me deeper, harder, grabbing my hips, fingers digging into me as he starts to erupt, his voice competing with my moans. “Shit, woman. What the hell have you done to me?”
Tears start to fill my eyes as my entire body responds to what he’s saying. I’ve never experienced this level of passion or arousal before. Until Hunter, I never even knew sex could be like this.
When he’s done, and I’m a shattered wreck of shaking limbs, and my core is throbbing, I collapse into the bed, taking him with me.
We lie, him crushing me with his body weight as we try to catch our breath. When I’m beginning to find mine again and thinking about everything I meant to say to him, he rolls off me and flops on his back.
I turn over and find him staring at me, a lazy smile on his flushed face. “You like the addition to my tattoo then?”
I look at the dragon tattoo and the woman riding him, bearing my name and find myself smiling way too easily given the circumstances.
My fingers brush over his lips and stubble. “Don’t lie to me again, okay?”
Hunter pulls me into his arms. “Only if you marry me.”
I jerk back, eyes wide as my heart thumps about in my chest. “What? Aren’t you still wanted by the FBI?”
Hunter grins and starts to run his hand down the curve of my hip and waist, not looking me in the eye as he answers. “Nope. I made another deal. A new identity for a few names and dates. We might need to meet in secret until your lawyer makes sure everything is okay, but if we’re smart, we can get hitched legally.”
His hand is creeping closer to my navel, fingers teasing me as much as the idea of marrying him. My brow knots as I try to focus on what he’s saying. “You know I have a lawyer?”
Hunter leans closer so he can lick my nipple. He looks up at me and grins. “Yeah. I’ve been keeping an eye on things, talking to my own lawyer, making sure I don’t get you in the shit again.”
My legs start to open instinctively as I invite his touch. His hand slides downwards as he fingers me, forcing me to pant the words. “But you’d have a new identity? Another name?”
He chuckles and starts to nibble my earlobe. “Does that matter?”
I’m groaning and struggling to speak. “This is insane! Where are we going to live?”
I don’t think he’s going to reply, so invested in what he’s doing that I have to swipe his shoulder to get his attention.
He growls as he looks up at me. “Fine. Since you have to know every damn thing. We can live in the mountains on a piece of land I’m trying to buy from a sexy red-head who needs to stop over analyzing and just trust me.”
My brow knots as my muddled mind tries to piece together what my heart and body already want to be possible. “Is my family safe? Is yours?”
He whispers in my ear as I start to feel ripples of pleasure building again. “Trust me,” he repeats.
He silences any further questions by kissing me, his stroking grows more insistent, until I come in a shuddering, screaming, glorious mess.
Pulse still rapid, I turn so I’m lying on my side. Hunter’s lips tug into a smile as he runs a finger up my spine, making my skin rise. “Do you want to know what happened on the day of the bank robbery?”
I’m not sure I do at this point. “I know a man was shot. And that something went wrong, and they never recovered the money.”
His eyes are on the swell of my breasts as he answers. “I thought it was easy money. I never expected Grace to have to move, pick up her life, and for me to end up living in my hometown again, let alone in the damn mountains for two years.”
He frowns as he runs his fingers across my stomach. “I can’t do anything to change what I did. And yeah, a guy got shot, but he was working for Eddie Falcone too, so he’s not entirely innocent.”
My mouth twists into a scowl at the extra information. “They kept that hidden from the public records.”
Hunter lifts his gaze to meet mine, and I see regret to mirror my own. “What I did, who I killed...I need you to know that’s not the kind of man I want to be.”
I kiss him softly and run my fingernails through his stubble. “I know. You want to be the man who helped me and Jack when you didn’t have to.”
Hunter smirks. “Jack told you about that, did he? What else did he tell you about me?”
“Nothing I hadn’t already figured out.”
He chuckles, and a curious smile grows on his face. “I have a nephew. Grace tell you?”
I shake my head, warmth growing at the look of sheer amazement on his face. “She said she’d never have kids. Not after our folks were such lousy parents. Guess she met the right guy and changed her mind.”
A giggle erupts, and I have to smother it. “The right guy goes a long way to changing minds.”
Something wicked flashes in his eyes as he smiles. “Oh yeah. What’d I change your mind about?”
I screw my face up. “That falling for a criminal is a bad idea.”
He kisses me then sends me a teasing smile. “You aren’t even the least bit curious about the money?”
I fake ind
ifference and shrug. “I’m more interested in where your hand is.”
He snorts and kisses me roughly. “Liar. But if you’re going to marry me, you’ll have access to my bank account, so...”
Hunter scoots out of bed, buck naked as he rummages inside his jean pocket. He pulls out a phone and jumps back into bed, grinning as he taps a few numbers into his cell. “You can subtract ten percent of that. It’s going into a trust fund for my nephew.”
He hands me the phone then lies back and crosses his hands behind his head. As the words on the screen come into focus, I almost stop breathing.
Hunter and Collector Holdings: Current Balance: 21,741,173.91
I stare at the numbers until my eyes start to blur and the screen jumbles into one digitalized blob. “Hunter and Collector Holdings?” I breathe.
Hunter takes the phone out of my trembling hands and logs out again before tossing the phone on the floor. “Shit name I know, but it’s untraceable, and that’s all that matters.”
No wonder the mob and the federal government were so invested in finding him. Twenty million dollars went missing, and Hunter had it all this time.
My brow knots into a scold I’m not sure I can commit to. “But, it’s still stolen. People would have missed it.”
Hunters nods carelessly, a wry smile on his face. “Not really. The bank was insured. And we only hit the high rollers’ safety deposit boxes. All were enemies or rivals of Eddie Falcone’s. And I’m going to give most of it away. You can help me figure out which charities to donate to.”
Too many thoughts are hammering in my head as he cocks an eyebrow at me. “You okay? You’re looking a little pale.”
I swallow. “Uh, uh,” I lie.
We have no time to discuss anything further when the dog starts to bark outside. Hunter props himself up on his elbow to look at me. “You got a dog?”
I nod and pull myself up to sitting, still reeling from his admission he’s possibly the wealthiest person I’ve ever met. “Um, yeah. From the pound. No one wanted him—"
Hunter is on his feet before I can finish my sentence. He strides across the room, buck naked, and pulls open the door with all an enthusiastic grin.