by A. J. Macey
She reached back with one hand to cup my balls, the other keeping her braced against my chest. My hips thrust upward at the sensation of her gently kneading them, her moan short as she popped up at the reaction. That seemed to be all the invitation she needed, picking up her movements with each bounce.
Unable to hold back, I released her hips, cupping her breasts and squeezing gently. Her lip tucked between her teeth when I rolled one tortured nipple between my fingers, her body trembling as she cried out. I could feel she was close. A steady trickle of wetness dripped down my cock and pooled at the base of my shaft, her pussy tightening as she faltered.
I took over, driving up into her as she rode out her orgasm. My balls tightened, and my body shivered as I neared my own release. It only took a few more thrusts before I roared, grabbing hold of her and bringing her to my chest as I gripped her tight. Her panting breaths washed over my chest as she held on, letting me come down from my high until she slumped against me.
Neither of us moved for a moment, both too sweaty and breathless, but when she pulled her head back, she smiled at me. The sight solidified that I hadn’t been the only one who truly enjoyed myself.
Not that the multiple orgasms hadn’t said that already.
“I’m hungry,” she murmured, trailing her finger over my chest.
“Mhm, for what?” I asked quietly.
A mischievous sparkle glimmered in her eyes.
“Dinner, then dessert.”
My cock twitched at the seductive tone of her innuendo, and I knew our night was far from over.
12
Chloe
The bed was soft and cozy, and the spot where Hunter had just left was warm. As much as I wanted to lounge in bed as I had for the last few days, my stomach growling was hurting. Shoving out of bed, I eyed the sun slowly rising on the horizon through the window, wondering how it had been three days since we’d first arrived at the safehouse. It had been a blur of eating stale food, sex, cuddling, and bingeing the few DVDs the place had had on hand. Not that I was complaining. Hunter had finally thawed, no longer an insufferable ass every five minutes, making the time spent here quite enjoyable.
Groaning as I shifted to sitting, I tried to stretch my shoulder, the joint stiff and sore from sleep. I slipped out of my sleep shorts and t-shirt I had tucked into my backpack, digging out the only other outfit I had. It was wrinkled from the last two days of wearing it, but I had little choice, so I tossed it on and made my way out of the bedroom.
Hunter was standing at the refrigerator in only a pair of sweats, eyeing the contents with a frown. Smirking, I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arms around his unclothed waist. His skin was warm as I laid my cheek against his back, and I couldn’t help but trace over the edges of his defined abs.
“Morning, Short Stuff,” he greeted, reaching back and hooking his arm around my shoulder. Shifting me gently, he positioned me so I was hugging his side.
“Good morning,” I murmured happily, angling to look up at him. His lip quirked up as he held onto me, his thumb tracing leisurely circles over my shoulder blade. “Anything good for breakfast?”
“We have half a jar of pasta sauce and a bottle of mustard, so… no,” he told me, chuckling at my jaw dropping.
“Does that mean we’re going to the store?”
“Me? Yes. You? No, you’re staying here.”
I pouted. “But I need some stuff, and I don’t want you to go by yourself.”
“I think I can take care of myself, Short Stuff,” he murmured, smirking as he closed the appliance door and gave me a quick kiss.
“What about what I need?” I continued, not giving in that easily.
“What do you need?” he questioned, still not releasing me as he opened a cabinet to look at what else we had.
“Basic toiletries would be nice. I had this extra outfit, but brushing my teeth with my finger and some old toothpaste you found in the drawer is wearing on me. Please, Hunter? I could grab a change of clothes or two, some basic stuff, and we can get groceries. One trip, in and out.”
“I know what I’d like to be in and out of,” he whispered sinfully.
I rolled my eyes.
“That was cheesy, but we can definitely do that,” I murmured, pausing as he leaned down to kiss me. “After we get back.”
“Fine,” he grumbled under his breath, his lips brushing mine with each word. “We can make a quick trip to the store. I don’t want to be out too long.”
“Yay! Thank you,” I exclaimed, kissing him briefly before pulling away. “I’m going to grab my shoes, and you should put on a shirt.”
“What? Don’t like me like this?” he teased, waving a hand to his exposed chest. I tossed him a sassy glance and winked. “Yeah, I thought so.”
I couldn’t stop the laugh from escaping. It seemed the Hunter I first met wasn’t really Hunter at all, at least not how he was acting now. Warmth filled my stomach thinking about it, and butterflies I hadn’t felt in a long time fluttered as I pulled on socks and shoes, watching Hunter come in and pull on his t-shirt.
What would come after all this was over, though? My mind seemed to know what was making me worry, but I tucked it away for later contemplation. Hopping off the bed, I took Hunter’s outstretched hand, intertwining our fingers as we left the house.
The drive to the store was quick, thankfully only a few miles from the safehouse. It was nice to have the warm wind whipping around me with the window down. I had gotten a bit stir crazy the last few days.
“Alright, Short Stuff, remember this is a quick trip,” Hunter urged, bringing my knuckles to his lips, his warm breath washing over my hand. “And if I say we have to leave, we leave immediately, okay?”
“Yup, I promise I’ll listen to you,” I emphasized, squeezing his hand.
“Good, you’re already doing better than Harper did with Liam.”
“So, what exactly happened with that?” I questioned at his laughter, feeling out of the loop on the joke. “I know she got taken.”
“She witnessed something she shouldn’t have. Liam was able to get to her before the Phantoms, but she was officially marked on their list,” he explained as we grabbed a cart.
“Ah, no wonder you were so put off when I came strolling in.”
Hunter cringed. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry for being an ass right off the bat. It had only been about a week, week and a half since everything went down, and I was still trying to deal with that, I guess.”
“What else happened?” I asked as we strolled through the vegetables and fruits, the two of us grabbing a few things here and there as he explained.
“Phantoms got her before we could figure out how to get them to stop targeting her. She and Liam got their asses handed to themselves at the beginning of the final showdown, but Harper’s a tough thing, shot the one in charge, while Sam, Theo, and I handled the rest.”
“Oh, wow,” I breathed.
“Yeah. Good thing she did ‘cause Liam was at gunpoint, but they’re pretty protective of each other.”
“Wait…” I cut in. “They’re together?”
“Not in the beginning. They were strangers, like we were, but by the end of her stay with him during the duration of everything, they ended up together. She still lives there, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Huh,” I mumbled thoughtfully. If they could stay together…
“What’s on your mind, Short Stuff?” he questioned, seeming to know I had something weighing on me.
“I don’t know…” I trailed off with a one-shouldered shrug. “Just a bit… curious to know how this will end.”
“What? With the Phantoms?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. Someone bumped into me just as I went to explain, the movement making me hiss in pain as my shoulder throbbed. Hunter’s free arm wrapped around me, pulling me between him, the cart, and the aisle we’d just turned down. The other shopper gave a small apology before continuing on, their gaze immediately dropping to the flo
or. Curious why they reacted in such a way, I looked up at Hunter.
Who was glaring at the man with a harsh frown.
It was hard not to smile, and despite my best attempt, I couldn’t stop my lips from twitching up.
“What?” he asked when he saw me fighting a grin.
“I kind of like when you’re all protective,” I admitted softly.
“Careful now, Chloe, or I’ll turn back into the asshole,” he smirked.
Scoffing, I turned and continued down the aisle.
We both know that’s a lie.
Hunter
True to my instructions, the trip to the store was quick. Less than a half-hour of shopping, and we were back in the car with everything Chloe needed—toothpaste, toothbrush, shower stuff, a couple pairs of clothing, and enough food to hopefully last us another week.
I hadn’t forgotten about her soft frown and sad gaze after talking about my brother and his girlfriend, but I didn’t want to push her until it was just the two of us, and she was comfortable in her new pajamas instead of her frequently reworn outfit. As she slipped away to shower and change, I put away the groceries and got started on breakfast, well, lunch now that I looked at the time, and tried to think of what could have been bothering her.
My phone ringing cut off any trail of thought. Snatching it off the counter, I stirred the hamburger meat as I answered. “Hey.”
“Hunter,” Sam started, “I think we may have something, but I’m not completely positive until Chloe can look at it. She around?”
“She’s in the shower. What’d you find?” I questioned, slowing my stirring at the news.
“Found a few photographs of Phantoms that fit the description she gave us and want to know if any of them were the guy.”
“Can you forward the photos, and I’ll show her when she’s done?”
“Already sending them. Call me if she has anything?” he prompted. After I agreed, we hung up, my previous thought now put on hold until after she was out of the shower.
A sense of worry built in my gut. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to know who exactly I was going to pay back for hurting her, but she’d been in such a good mood—save for that one snippet at the store—and I didn’t want to risk throwing her into a tizzy.
“Oh wow, I feel… so much better,” she announced not long after the phone call. “It smells delicious in here. What are we having?”
“It’s a surprise,” I countered with a grin before jumping into the Phantom conversation, knowing if I didn’t do it now, it’d just eat away at me. “So, I got some information from Sam. He needs you to look at a few photos and tell him if they’re any of the men who hurt you in the alley. Do you think you can do that?”
Chloe was quiet for a moment before nodding, her shoulders rolling back to steel herself. “Where are they at?”
Passing over my phone, I kept a close eye on her, hoping to note any negative spirals in case she reacted to the photographs. She flipped through them, nibbling her lower lip, without too much of a worried expression.
“Him,” she finally stated, holding up the screen for me to see. I didn’t recognize the man, but I committed his face to memory. “There was another one, the tall and lean man, but he wasn’t the one who cut me, and I didn’t see him in any of those.”
“I’ll let Sam know right away. Food is done, by the way,” I said, stepping away from the stove. She hopped up from the couch, practically skipping to the appliance. I was happy to see she wasn’t affected by looking at her attacker.
“Spaghetti?” she asked with a bright smile.
“Yup, figured it was easiest since we could get it in bulk. I’m going to call Sam. Feel free to help yourself.”
As Chloe dished up her bowl, I made a quick, one minute call to Sam. There wasn’t anything else for him to report, so I ended up joining Chloe in the kitchen as she was pulling out a clean bowl for me.
“Thanks,” I murmured, taking it from her. “Chloe, what was going through your head at the store today?” The question came tumbling out, and I wanted to groan but didn’t, too curious to let her know I regretted asking.
“Uh,” she started hesitantly. “Just… wondering about us. You know… when this is all said and done.”
My brow knitted, questioning what brought that on until I remembered she seemed surprised that Liam and Harper were together now. As much as I wished I had an answer, to say it’ll all work out, I couldn’t. Not that I didn’t want to be in a relationship with Chloe, but we were from two separate worlds. Worlds I wasn’t sure would ever cross again unless we really made an effort.
“Just forget it,” she muttered, her face flaming when I was silent for too long. Setting my bowl down, I intercepted her trying to walk out of the room with her food. Her eyes didn’t leave the pasta in her hands, despite my attempt to get her to look at me.
“I’m not going to just up and leave the moment this is over if that’s what you’re worried about,” I explained truthfully. “Can I promise forever? I don’t think anyone can promise that because life’s a fickle bitch, but I won’t cut and run as soon as you’re no longer under my watch.”
“Okay,” she mumbled, finally looking at me. The worried frown and sad glimmer faded as I tucked a wet strand of her onyx hair behind her ear.
“Besides, I think it’s pretty clear I actually like you. Otherwise, I think being stuck in a tiny one-bedroom house would have gone very differently,” I joked, earning a full laugh.
“Yeah, it’d be like the first time we had a conversation but on steroids,” she countered.
“I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
“Nope.”
Her bright smile made it all worth it.
Not that I’d tell her, or I’d never hear the end of it.
13
Chloe
That morning, everything was calm… serene, almost, yet something within me shifted, putting me on edge. My lips pursed as I tried to figure out what had thrown me for a loop, but there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary in our bedroom, and after I changed and headed out to the living room, there was nothing there, either.
So why the hell is my internal alarm bell going off?
“Morning,” Hunter greeted, holding out a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
“Morning,” I murmured, taking it with—I hoped—a thankful smile.
“What’s wrong, Short Stuff?” he questioned with a concerned expression.
Guess that attempt was a fail.
“I don’t know,” I told him, stepping up to where he stood in the kitchen. “Something just feels wrong. Off.”
“What does?”
“I have no clue, but my gut is telling me something’s wrong.”
“Do you want me to check outside for any suspicious people?” he asked seriously, but I shook my head quickly. The last thing I wanted was him to go out on his own, fear icing my veins at the thought of him getting hurt because of me.
“No, I’m sure it’s nothing,” I murmured, leaning into him. His signature cedar filled my nose, his new plaid button-up soft against my cheek as I cuddled him.
“It’ll be alright, Chloe. I have you.”
I hope so because right now, all I have is panic and worry.
Hunter
“Need more?” she offered, looking in my cup and finding it almost empty.
“I can get it,” I murmured, pulling away slightly to look through the cabinets to locate more coffee. That morning, I’d finished the small bag that had been in here for God knew how long, but we bought more at the store the day before.
Except I couldn’t find it.
Frowning, I closed the last cabinet door. “Huh, must have left the new coffee canister in the car. I’ll go grab it.”
“I can grab it if you want to get the coffee pot filled with water,” she told me with a smile. My heart warmed at her happy expression, but I shook my head, pressing a kiss on the top of her head.
“I’ll get it since I have the
keys, but I would be grateful if you put the water in the machine.”
“Meh, fine.” She pouted, her adorable lip curling out. “Can we open the windows then? I want some fresh air—”
The sound of several slamming doors outside cut her off, my adrenaline kicking in as soon as I heard the loud bangs. Releasing Chloe, I darted over to the window at the front of the house to peek out.
Two cars. Over ten Phantoms.
“Fuck!” I hissed, dropping the mug without a care, the shattering ceramic softened by the increasing sound of my heartbeat in my ears. “We have to hurry,” I instructed, turning the knobs of the gas stove, blowing out the flames as quickly as possible. I wanted to create a distraction. Whether or not it exploded was a different story, but hopefully, it would give us cover to get out. As soon as the room was filling with the pungent scent of gas, I hustled her to the back door. “Come on, out the back. Liam dropped off another car a couple blocks down behind the backyard.”
“What—” she tried to ask, her brows furrowing, but when there was a startling crash of the window being broken, she snapped her jaw shut and followed me.
“We know you’re in here, Hunter!” a gravelly voice hollered out. “Just give us the little lady, and we’ll be on our way!”
No time to be gentle, I grabbed her elbow and guided her through to the back door into the yard. Although neither of us wore shoes, we didn’t slow as we sprinted away from the house. Chloe kept up the best she could, staying as close to me as possible, but I could see her pained expression growing with each pump of her arm.