A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House)

by Reese, Jaime

  He was game.

  * * * *

  For God's sake, there was no way in hell he could control this raging hard-on in his pants. Hunter didn't have the strength to tear his eyes away from the sliver of skin peeking out from under Cam's shirt. With each additional stretch of his arm, his shirt would rise and fall—hiding then revealing just a tiny bit more. Hunter couldn't look away and risk missing even a millimeter of skin.

  Hide, reveal, hide, reveal.

  Fuck.

  He could tell Cam's abs were tight and sculpted, his waist narrower than the jeans he wore. One of those quick shifts revealed a slim line of hair traveling downward. God, he wanted to explore, lick, and taste every inch of him. Hunter groaned again.

  Cam stepped down the ladder and smiled.

  Is he smiling because he knows I was watching? Hunter's face heated.

  Cam walked over to Hunter's table. "I thought you weren't coming by today. It's later than your usual time."

  Hunter cocked his head to the side. Cam looked different today, more relaxed, casual—and thankfully, had dropped the 'sir' when he spoke.

  "Work sorta caught up with me."

  "Just coffee today?"

  "Yeah, I was too late for Lucy's cookies," he said with a shrug.

  "You should eat something."

  "I will if you join me." Hunter's throat tightened as he let the invitation escape. Better to throw it out there before he had a chance to think about what he was actually saying.

  "Give me a minute." Cam walked into the back room. He exited within seconds, the ladder replaced, with a bag and two drinks. He walked toward the sandwich station where Bill was wiping down the bins.

  He watched Cam wash and dry his hands then grab the items to start assembling a sandwich. Bill and Cam chatted while they worked, an occasional laugh escaping the conversation. Hunter closed his eyes and let the sound of Cam's laughter filter through his system. Everything this man did excited each of his senses. He pulled out the chair when he saw Cam amble over to the table with his hands full.

  "Thanks," Cam said. He sat and set the bag and bottle of soda to one side, gave Hunter a bottled water, then split the sandwich in half. "Only water for you until you eat something," he said in a playfully chastising tone.

  Hunter smiled when Cam handed him the half sandwich. "Thank you," he said before taking a bite. It was nice to have someone make sure he ate a meal.

  Hunter was distracted, watching Cam, seeing how his throat worked with each pull of his drink. His took a deep breath, trying to dispel the visuals his mind conjured. Cam looked over at him from the corner of his eye as he tipped up his soda to take a drink.

  "You like watching me," Cam said matter-of-factly as he put down the bottle.

  "You're easy on the eyes."

  Cam chuckled. "You need to get your eyes checked."

  He looked at Cameron and couldn't resist reaching out to wipe away the little bit of sauce at the side of his mouth.

  Cam jerked to the side and looked at Hunter's slightly smeared thumb. He looked back to Hunter, hesitated for a moment, then slowly licked the sauce off. He then pulled Hunter's thumb into his mouth with his tongue.

  A tidal wave of lust traveled Hunter's body in an instant. His heart began to brutally pound against his chest and his almost hard-on was now in full force and painful as hell. He focused so intently on trying to control the rhythm of his breathing he couldn't remember to finish chewing the bit of sandwich in his mouth.

  "Mmm…that's the best part," Cam said once he released Hunter's thumb.

  Cameron's eyes darkened and a wicked grin slowly spread across his face.

  "Swallow," Cam commanded.

  Shit, that brings on an entirely different visual. Hunter had a hard time connecting thoughts with actions. Cam pointed at Hunter who still had a mouthful of turkey sandwich stuffed in one of his cheeks. Finally snapping back to reality, he quickly finished and carefully swallowed the food, trying to avoid choking. He chased it with several gulps of water, hoping to cool off the rising heat in his body. Hunter tried to regain control of himself as the desire thrummed through his veins. He looked at Cameron as he reached into the bag and pulled out a single chocolate chip cookie.

  "I saved one for you when I noticed you were late."

  "We share," Hunter said in a gravelly voice, trying to stave off the need coursing through his body.

  Cam casually glanced over at the empty counter area where Bill had left only moments ago.

  They were somewhat alone now and mildly sheltered from view in that corner. Well after the lunchtime rush, there were no other patrons in the diner and the exterior streets had only a handful of pedestrians racing to cross the street.

  Cam broke off a tiny piece of cookie for himself and finished eating before he offered a much larger piece to Hunter.

  Rather than take the piece from Cam's hand, Hunter slowly leaned over and took the offering into his mouth, never breaking eye contact. He swiped his tongue along Cam's finger, savoring the way his skin tasted. Cameron let out a moan as a slight shiver visibly traveled his body. Cam intently watched Hunter suck his fingers clean of any melted chocolate. Hunter withdrew and slowly chewed the piece of cookie, waiting for Cam's reaction.

  Cam's chest heaved slightly. His bright blue eyes changed to a deeper shade and his pupils began to dilate. He continued to stare at Hunter's mouth, apparently captivated, until Hunter finished chewing then swallowed.

  Cam seemed to be in a trance when he slowly inched closer to Hunter, parted his lips as if anticipating a kiss, then hesitated.

  Hunter leaned forward and quickly grabbed Cam's face with both hands then closed the distance with contrasting gentleness, cautiously observing Cam's reaction. Cam reached up when Hunter was only inches away. Hunter instantly halted before closing in. The tips of Cam's fingers slowly outlined his features, down the side of his face, then along his jawline before Cam withdrew his hand and hesitantly looked at Hunter with a worried expression.

  "Don't stop," Hunter whispered before he closed his eyes and tried to control the surge of desire Cam's gentle, tentative touch ignited within. Hunter patiently waited and held Cam's face, reluctant to let him retreat. He gasped when Cam's fingers returned to his face, ghosting over his cheek, his eyes, and the slope of his nose. His entire body shivered with the current generated from the barely there touch tracing his features then moving down his neck. Hunter parted his lips when Cam's touch circled his mouth. His breathing became labored in anticipation of the kiss. He opened his eyes and saw Cam's vision following the same path as his exploratory fingers. The subtle yet teasing touch drove him mad. He resisted the urge to pull Cam in and cease the exploration, worried Cam would withdraw completely.

  Cam finally stopped the gentle torture and met Hunter's fierce gaze. The reverent look in those crystal blue eyes staring back at him caused a moan to escape Hunter. He cautiously pulled Cam closer, breathing him in slowly as if his inhale of breath were a rope pulling Cam closer.

  Their lips finally met.

  Hunter slowly ran his tongue along Cam's soft lips, unable to resist the opportunity to taste the man who invaded every waking thought since they'd met. He tasted chocolate and a hint of spice from the sauce mixed in with an enticing unique flavor that was obviously Cam. He slowed when he sensed Cameron's hesitation but refused to release him. Within seconds, Hunter felt the subtle tug behind his neck and the whisper of air across his face as Cam inhaled deeply before responding in kind. Hunter's heart slammed against his chest and a rush of desire coursed through his body when Cam became aggressive, pulling him closer, demanding more.

  Every thought left Hunter's mind and only Cam existed, the taste of him, the scrape of his stubble against Hunter's flesh. Hunter became dizzy with desire and overwhelmed by the need for the heat of Cam's body pressed against his own. His hand followed the curve of Cameron's spine until it reached the small of his back. He greedily pulled Cam closer, yanking him roughly off his seat and
onto Hunter's thigh. Hunter groaned into the kiss and his heart raced with excitement when Cameron's hardness pressed against him.

  Hunter's pulse escalated further. His body craved more, to claim and possess. He lifted the back of Cam's T-shirt and splayed his hand along Cam's strong, narrow back, absorbing the fireball of heat emitted from Cam's body. Their tongues battled for dominance. The small flicker of passion ignited into an inferno of desire that consumed Hunter. The kiss became more heated and urgent, absent of any hesitation. He tightened his arm around Cam's back while the other firmly gripped the back of his head, forbidding Cam's escape. Cam wrapped both arms around Hunter and forcefully pulled him closer, deepening the kiss.

  Cam separated from the kiss with a gasp moments later, his chest heaving. His Adam's apple bobbed as he desperately sought some air. Hunter was bereft with the separation. He leaned in and kissed the base of Cam's neck and worked his way up, kissing, sucking, biting—trying to tame the desperation to own this man in his arms. Hunter rubbed his cheek against the side of Cam's face like an animal trying to mark his mate. The scrape of Cam's stubble left his skin growingly sensitive to each additional graze. A strangled growl escaped him as he fought to control this desperate need to possess. He touched, licked, and smelled every millimeter of skin he could reach. He heard a moan escape Cam's throat when he inhaled Cam's scent at the crook of his neck—the scent amplified by Cam's body heat invaded and drugged his senses, spurring him on just as much as the sounds Cam's made with each touch.

  Hunter ran his tongue hesitantly up Cam's neck, tasting the salt from the beads of sweat bursting from every one of Cam's pores. Wanting more, he kissed and bit Cameron's jawline until Cam hissed. When their eyes met, Cam's pupils were so dilated there was no visible blue in his eyes. His lips were kiss-swollen and richer in color. His breathing labored and his cheeks were flushed. Cam looked debauched and incredibly alluring.

  Cam's gaze traveled to Hunter's lips, and before Hunter could react, Cam plundered his mouth again and grabbed at his clothes with more fervor, his arms, anything he could grasp while Hunter did the same. Desperation surged in response to Cam's aggression. He gripped the back of Cam's head and held him in place as he feasted on him like the last meal of a death row inmate. Stubble scraped, fingers dug into skin, and both struggled to pull closer. Everything else was irrelevant—the age gap, anyone watching, or whatever anyone said. Every fiber of his being craved this man with pure need. Only Cam's heat, taste, and smell flowing through Hunter's senses could satisfy the desire coursing through his veins. He couldn't remember ever wanting anyone or anything more in his life.

  The sound of the vibrating phone across the table broke into their haze of lust. They parted slowly. Their heavy breathing mingled as they each glanced toward the register area, thankfully, still absent of the owners. Looking at the surrounding glass exterior, only a handful of pedestrians raced by, oblivious to them and their closeness.

  Hunter sighed and looked over to the insistent phone. Cam tried to free himself from the embrace but Hunter held him tight around the waist.

  He wasn't ready to let go.

  Cam hesitantly rested his forehead on Hunter's shoulder and took a few more deep breaths. Hunter reached for his phone with his other hand, looked at the display, then pressed the button to ignore the call. After returning the phone to the table, he wrapped his other arm around Cam and just held him close. Hunter relished Cam in his arms, the way Cam's body flawlessly fit against his own. He thought he heard Cam sigh before hesitantly resting his cheek against Hunter's shoulder. Hunter closed his eyes and pulled Cam closer—reveling in the warmth and weight of his body, and the intoxicating scent that soothed the desperation within.

  It was shockingly perfect.

  After a few moments, Cam raised his head to look at him. Hunter unwillingly released one hand from the embrace and softly brushed Cam's cheek with his knuckles. "You have no idea what you do to me," he whispered softly.

  "Then you should have kissed me sooner." Cameron shyly smiled and bit his kiss-swollen lower lip.

  Hunter moaned. He leaned in and delivered a soft, slow, tender kiss. Cam's tentative, shaky fingers combed through Hunter's hair. Hunter ran his hand down to Cam's lower back and traced random patterns on Cam's skin, hoping to soothe the new hesitation in Cam's touch. He brushed Cam's cheek with his other hand and slowly wrapped his fingers behind Cam's neck while his thumb continued to stroke Cam's skin. The raging hunger and desperation was replaced with a welcomed tenderness. The pace was slow, exploratory rather than demanding, but Hunter's heart still punched feverishly against his chest. Nothing existed in time and space but this man and this tender, leisurely discovery of taste and touch, the soft brush of lips and gentle graze of fingers against his skin. Hunter's body shuddered. He held back a strangled moan that threatened to escape with each subtle gesture. This was more than a lust-filled kiss or the passion of a new partner. It was rooted in something much deeper, more connected, purer. A shiver traveled his body at the thought. It was too right, too perfect.

  They reluctantly parted when Hunter's phone rang again.

  "You should get that," Cam said in a hoarse voice. "And I need to get back to work before I get fired for mauling the customers." Cam withdrew from Hunter's arms with a grin.

  The annoying phone stopped ringing.

  Cam stood and adjusted himself with a wince. If he was anywhere near as turned on as Hunter at that moment, he could probably smash a brick wall with his hard-on.

  "See you tomorrow?" Cam asked as he combed his hair with his fingers.

  "You can bet I'll be here," Hunter replied with a teasing grin.

  Hunter's eyes were drawn to the casual sway of Cam's hips as he walked away.

  Cam turned and walked backward as he spoke. "Don't get here so late."

  "I think I prefer late if I get to have lunch with you like this again."

  Cam laughed and shook his head then turned to walk into the back room with a wave good-bye.

  The sound of Cam's laughter was a song he could easily commit to memory. Hunter took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart. He hadn't kissed someone like that since he was a teenager with raging hormones.

  Maybe Mondays aren't so bad after all.

  The phone rang again and he knew he could no longer ignore Melanie's call.

  "Hi, Mel," he finally said when he answered.

  "Get your ass back here, please. We've got a stack of stuff to go through."

  "I'll be there in a few. Bye."

  He ended the call and returned the phone to its place on the table. He wasn't ready to leave just yet. He didn't even want to move and risk wiping away any memory of his kiss with Cam. He smugly smiled. Cameron had gotten just as worked up as he had.

  Reluctantly, he rose from his seat and finished straightening out his suit. Bill walked toward the register from the back room and looked over to Hunter with a smirk. He was busted and he was damn sure not going to be embarrassed about it. Cam was going to be his. Period. One time wasn't enough.

  He grabbed his briefcase and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow, Bill," he said over his shoulder with an extra perk in his step.

  "Bet I will," was the last thing he heard Bill say before the man burst into laughter as Hunter exited the diner.

  Cameron worked the morning rush with smooth, practiced movements. He couldn't stop thinking about Hunter and their kiss. Not only was it incredible to inspire that much desire in someone, but it was that last, completely unexpected, tender kiss that seemed to leave the greatest impression. He inhaled a shaky breath.

  He hadn't realized how much he liked being kissed.

  He reminisced about the way Hunter touched him and the way he let Cam touch him.

  Cam hadn't known that type of attention, for someone to want to hold him so closely and not want to let go. Sure, he had kissed some guys as a teen and even had a boyfriend, but it was different. Based on his experience, having sex didn't necessarily includ
e affection of any kind. It was sex, plain and simple, a discovery of bodies and sometimes awkward and usually too fast. His one boyfriend had never held his hand and rarely found the occasion to kiss. And he sure as hell never wanted to hold Cam or touch him unless he was getting off in the process.

  Everything about Hunter was different. The way he smiled, the way his eyes danced with mischief. Most importantly, in Hunter's arms, the world could crumble around him, and somehow, Cam knew he would be safe.

  It felt perfect.

  It felt right.

  Cameron closed his eyes and took a deep breath before tending to the next customer. It was dangerous to hope for anything, pointless to want something that would be taken away quicker than it had arrived. He could have easily misunderstood the signals.

  He took another deep breath. No sense in hoping for something that wasn't there. He really liked Hunter, more than he cared to admit to himself, but he figured there was no way someone like Hunter would feel the same. Sex, sure—why not. He was human, very male, and had a libido that was bitching about being on hold for a decade. He wasn't bold enough to think it was mutual, but something in him continued to fight his resistance and demanded he dare hope for more.

  It felt perfect.

  Cameron looked up and his chest tightened when Hunter entered the diner. A grin spread across his face.

  "Good morning, sir," Cameron said when it was Hunter's turn at the register. "How may I help you today?"

  Hunter's smile grew and spanned the entire width of his face.

  "Good morning. When do you take your break?" Hunter asked quietly.

  "When the morning rush is over, in about ten minutes. You're really early today," Cam said in a hushed tone. He looked over to the other customers rattling off their breakfast sandwich orders to Bill.

  "I couldn't stay away," Hunter said, leaning over the counter. "I've got a few minutes before I need to head back to the office. I'll just have a coffee and wait, if that's okay."

  Cam eagerly nodded and swore his heart actually skipped a few beats. His body hummed. Hunter excited him and injected life into his dormant desire. He prepared Hunter's latte, told him he'd be with him in a few minutes, then began to complete the morning rush orders in record time. Finished sooner than expected, Bill left for the store to get some lunch supplies, and Lucy went to the back to start her lunchtime baking. Cam grabbed a bottled water, took off his apron, and sauntered over to where Hunter waited patiently in the corner.