Tears prick her eyes. “But Keira?”
“What about her? She is no one, a mistake, one I never should have made. But I won’t make any more.”
She works her lip, pondering on this newfound honesty, which has D2 fist pumping in pride. “So, what happens now?”
And that’s the million-dollar question.
Cupping her cheek, I kiss over her trembling lips while she mewls. “What happens is that we don’t use labels. We just continue this, because this”—I sashay my mouth over hers— “feels fucking incredible. I may not be the Prince Charming type…”
Mary smiles, placing her palm over my heart. “Who said I want Prince Charming? Just smack me on the ass and tell me that ass is yours.” And just like that, I fall deeply, and eternally in love with Mary Mitts.
“I love it when you talk dirty.” She laughs, her fingers curling into a loose fist.
“I have baggage…like lots,” she confesses. “My ex-boyfriend, he broke me. He thought it was okay to cheat on me and then blame me for his infidelities because I wasn’t exciting enough for him. I have trust issues because of it, and seeing all these women fawn over you…it just makes me feel like an insecure crazy person most of the time.”
When she sniffs, the urge to find this asshole and hang him out to dry shoots to priority number one. “He’s clearly an idiot who lacks balls. We all have baggage, Shortcake. Mine is…” I search for the right word. “Complicated, because well…”
“What?” she asks, searching my face for clues.
Here goes nothing. “I’ve never really dated. Like ever, really. It’s not because I didn’t have options, it’s because well”—I rub the back of my neck—“I guess I just never really wanted to spend that much time with anyone and be tied to them in such a serious way. It wasn’t personal, it was just me. I just wasn’t wired that way. The thought of dating…it scared me, it still does.” Just because we’ve made progress doesn’t mean I’m ready for her to move in. “I have no fucking idea what dating involves and odds are, I will mess up. A lot.”
“I’m scared too. Sometimes I can be kind of crazy.”
I burst into a gruff laugh. “Then let us figure this…whatever this is, out together,” I say, hoping my confession doesn’t make me sound like Captain Needy.
“So you’ve never dated, and I’ve only ever dated one guy?” I nod. “I can’t believe you’ve never been in a serious relationship before. I just figured someone special broke your heart, hence the need to change partners every week.”
“Sorry to disappoint. I’m not Dix. And it wasn’t every week,” I state with a smile.
She folds her arms, full of spunk. “I’ve seen your black book.”
Busted. I don’t bother denying it. “I guess I was just waiting for the right woman…”
When a gasp escapes her and she pales, I know I’ve said too much. I need to hold off with the heartfelt confessions until we figure out what exactly it is we’re doing. But once again, Mary leaves me breathless.
“Take me back to your apartment?”
Oh god, I am gone. She owns every piece of me and I’ll wear that fact like a fucking badge of pride. “Oh, Shortcake, you’re in so much trouble.” My cock will soon kick itself if I don’t take this woman home and gorge on her until I’m stuffed full.
“Trouble is what I do best…so is sitting on your face,” she states, nonchalant, while I gag on air as the image is just too much.
Reaching for her hand, I interlace our fingers, smiling like a creep at such a simple union. She senses my happiness, and before long, we’re both smiling like depraved circus clowns. “Lamb?”
That shot of reality rattles the cage, and we both turn to see Madison and Dixon standing feet away. Dixon is standing behind Maddy with his arms crossed, not at all surprised by the fact we’re holding hands like we’re in the second grade.
Mary’s guilt is instant. She exhales. I gently squeeze her fingers, a silent promise I’ll never let her go. “Maddy…” She pauses when Madison looks down at our hands like we’ve just given birth to the antichrist.
“What the fuck is going on?” Dixon smirks, because whenever Maddy curses, it’s on like Donkey Kong.
Mary sniffs, her remorse for not telling Maddy what we were doing sooner is palpable, and my inner barbarian rises to the challenge, ready to defend my woman, because I can’t stand to see her cry. “Mary and I have called a truce because, well…” Jesus, this is a lot harder than I thought. Looking into those virtuous eyes, I feel like a thief stealing her innocence. Poor Dixon. He doesn’t stand a chance.
He nods, reading my thoughts loud and clear.
“Mary and I are…”
“We’ve been fucking,” Mary blurts out, while I’m tempted to holler a hell yeah, we have!
“Ha ha. Very funny,” Maddy says with a laugh. But that soon dies in a strangled heap when no one laughs with her. “Oh my god. You’re serious?”
Mary nods once. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I just…I didn’t know how.”
Madison pales. Dixon places his hand on her shoulder. “Angelo, are you okay?”
She stares at Mary and I like we’re body-snatchers, holding her friend’s hostage. “Did you know?” she simply says.
I really hope the spare bed is comfortable, because I have a feeling that’s where Dixon will be spending many lonely nights from here on in. “Yes.”
Damn, that even hurt my cock.
“You told him?” Mary exclaims, tilting her chin to look up at me. There goes my hard on and the prospect of eating Mary out all night.
Just as I’m about to try this honesty shoe on for size, Dixon steps in. “No, Mary, he didn’t. I figured it out myself. Hunter is all beauty and no brains.”
“I’m offended. And so is Hugh,” I rebuke. That plan was supposed to be foolproof, but Dixon is no fool.
“We’ll talk about it later,” Maddy says, while Dixon sucks it up like the true champion that he is. “So, you’ve been…” She uses her hands as gesturing tools, because saying it aloud will mean she’ll need to accept it as truth.
Mary nods, letting my hand go and stepping toward Maddy. “Yes, but not for long. I know that doesn’t excuse the fact I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t even know what was happening until about five minutes ago.”
Madison waits for her to continue, but it’s now my turn, because I should have done this weeks ago. “I like Mary. A lot. That shouldn’t come as a surprise. But you can imagine my surprise when I discovered she liked me too. It’s not just sex, Cherry Pie.”
I want her to know that I would never treat this like some game. I know we’ve all got something to lose if this goes south.
Madison sighs, her compassion, which we all love about her, shining through. “Okay, good. I just…wow, this is just…wow.” Her cheeks puff as she blows out a heavy breath.
“I know. This is why I was trying to find the right time to tell you, but I should have just been honest. I’m so sorry. Can you forgive me?”
Madison is Mother Teresa incarnate, and in this moment, I think we all fall in love with her. “There’s nothing to forgive. We all need to deal with our demons in our own time. But if you hurt her, Debbie, I will fucking kill you.”
A laugh erupts from me. It seems she’s not so saintly after all. “Understood.”
Dixon smiles, attempting to wrap his arms around her slender waist. But it seems her understanding nature ends with us. “Don’t even think about it.”
He raises his hands in surrender, unable to wipe his grin clean. “I’m at your mercy, Angelo.”
“You’ll be at your own mercy for the next few days,” she bites back, turning over her shoulder to look at him.
I’m pretty sure I just witnessed him coming in his pants. She drives a hard bargain—hard being the operative word.
Mary throws her arms around Maddy, and it appears she’ll never let her go. But that’s okay, because now that our secret is no longer that, we won’t have stolen
moments, but rather memories which are ready to be made.
Dixon meets my gaze and nods. If I don’t know better, I’d say the son of a gun was proud of me for finally stepping into the land of the adults and embracing it with both hands. “Don’t fuck this up,” he mouths.
And he’s right. I can’t, and I won’t.
Crossing my heart with my middle finger, I play it off, but I mean every word, because I would rather break my own heart then break Mary’s.
Celine Dion sounding from my back pocket reminds me that before I decided to join the hopeless romantics of this world, I was having dinner with my friends and parents, who are still back at the restaurant.
Dixon bursts into husky laughter when he hears my ringtone. “I still think it’s you who likes that song and not your mom.”
I scoff, wrapping my arm around Mary’s shoulders as she nestles into my side. The gesture is so natural, but both Maddy and Dixon almost fall over their feet. Just wait until they see me take her pretty lips and indecently make out with them.
We walk back to the restaurant, couples embracing how normal couples do because that’s what Mary and I are—I think. The thought has me wanting to clarify something. “So…I know I said we weren’t going to use any labels…”
Mary’s head snaps up, worry reflected in her eyes. I soothe her concerns, kissing the tip of her nose. “But just so we’re clear, you’re my girl, and fucking anyone except me is off the table. However, fucking me on a table or wherever you please is completely acceptable.”
She smirks. “I thought that was pretty self-explanatory. Why would you think otherwise?”
“Keira said she overheard you talking to someone about fucking them like an animal.” My teeth clench at the memory, so I envision Mary riding a unicorn, naked.
Mary stiffens in my arms. “Why would she tell you that?”
By her rigid response, I don’t want to sully something amazing with talk of Keira. Delivering the basics, I reveal, “She just said she’d overheard you. Is it true?”
When she nods, I breathe steadily, attempting to calm down. “Yes, it’s true, but…”
Covering my ears, I sing Katy Perry loudly, not at all interested in the details. When she removes my hands, I wonder if she’ll see me in the same light if I broke down and cried. “But I was talking to Maddy.”
“What now?” I shout, unable to contain my excitement. Dixon looks over her shoulder at me, while I wiggle my eyebrows. He turns back around, not at all entertained by my enthusiasm.
She laughs, slapping my arm. “No, you pervert, I meant she was telling me she hadn’t seen Dixon all week cause of work, and she was…” She pauses, leaving the rest to my very vivid imagination which has no problems filling in the blanks.
“So what Keira thought she heard was actually not true, which doesn’t surprise me, because she’s a gigantic liar.”
There’s no reason to continue this conversation because all that matters is that Mary hasn’t been fucking anyone but me, and I plan on keeping it that way. “If it makes you feel any better, I can engrave your name in my underwear. Like they did in the 50s.”
“You don’t wear any,” she giggles. She does have a point.
Leaning in close, I whisper, “I’ll get your name tattooed on my cock then.” I suck the shell of her ear into my mouth while she groans.
The sound is too hot for words. But when she purrs, “You’d have to ink my middle name and surname too, otherwise there will be a lot of room left to play with,” I almost lose it right then and there in the street.
“Okay, deal, what’s your middle name?” I’m surprised I can construct a coherent sentence right now. I lose the ability soon after however.
With a slanted grin, she replies, “Annabelle.”
My cock struts his shit cause that’s a whole lotta words. “That’s quite a mouthful.”
Subtly reaching forward, she rubs over my hard on and cups me firmly. “So are you.”
Holy fucking balls.
If this is what being in a relationship entails, sign me up.
“You’re in so much trouble,” I repeat, humming when she continues rubbing my dick just how she knows I like it.
However, when she rears upward and bites over my racing pulse, I know I’m the one who’s in trouble—deep, deep trouble.
Alley Cats
One month later
“So, I think once the filing cabinets I ordered arrive, I’m pretty much done. I…” But I lose all train of thought when Hunter presses his hardened chest to my back and sucks over my racing pulse.
You’d think I’d be used to his kisses by now, but nope, each kiss, touch is something new.
The past month has been something else. No more stolen moments or kisses because now that Hunter and I have kissed, we can’t seem to stop. I didn’t even realize how much I loved making out like a teenager, but kissing Hunter is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
He stuck true to his word and we haven’t resorted to labeling what we have, but that’s okay, because I know he’s been faithful, and that’s all I ever wanted. I don’t need to declare to the world that he’s my boyfriend, because as long as we know what we mean to each other, then screw everyone else. I also think it’ll freak him out, seeing as he’s never had a serious girlfriend before.
I still can’t believe I’m the person to break the mold.
Considering this is his first “relationship,” so far, on most days, he’s taken to it like a duck to water. Sometimes he forgets to call, or I catch him looking at an attractive woman, but old habits die hard. He’s learning and so am I. When I catch him, I want to pluck out his eyeballs, and push the unsuspecting woman down the stairs. But instead, I tell myself he’s with me and me only, and I have to remember that. My insecurity still lingers, but it’ll take time.
My mom is desperate to meet Hunter, and I will introduce him soon, but I’m still getting used to the idea of us being friends and not enemies. We’re taking things slow because this is uncharted waters for us both.
“You’ve done a remarkable job. That desk is the perfect height for me to—”
“Okay, Casanova,” I say, cutting him off as I turn. Wrapping my arms around his nape, I peer into his sea green eyes. “Do you like it?”
Hunter takes my breath away and now is no exception. He looks incredibly sexy in a navy suit, his long hair and heavy scruff challenging the image of a stuffy, conservative businessman. “I don’t just like it. I love it. You’re most talented with your hands.” He smirks and my insides go kaboom!
“I’m pleased. I just have a few more things to do in your bedroom, and then I’m done.”
“I’ve liked having you in my bedroom. And in my bed,” he mischievously adds, laying a gentle kiss over the crease of my mouth. Goose bumps lick every inch of flesh and my greedy body demands more.
We had early morning sex, which extended late in the AM, but Hunter wouldn’t release me until he was satisfied I walked with a well-sated limp. But no matter how much he gives me, I always want more.
“Well, that’s because I got a state of the art, posture correcting mattress and disposed of your old one with fire,” I quip. Regardless of our newfound truce, our bickering will always prevail until the end of time.
“Now, now, there’s no need for you to be jealous. I can handle only one nymphomaniac at a time.” My mouth parts, while Hunter chuckles. “I’m not complaining. I love that you’re a gluttonous sex-crazed maniac when it comes to my glorious cock.”
I burst into laughter. “Please. It’s either we fuck, or I have to talk to you. God forbid that happens.”
That slanted grin I’ve grown to love tugs at his sinful lips. “Fuck that. Who wants to turn into one of those boring couples who…talk.” He shudders playfully, while I rein back my excitement over the fact he just referred to us as being a couple. “Speaking of his and her t-shirt wearers, are we still on for dinner tonight with Dix and Cherry Pie?”
Who woul
d have thought I’d be a fan of double dating?
Nodding, I press my chest to his, desperate to feel his burly body against mine. He hums low, the sound striking between my legs. “Yes. Maddy would have my head. She’s so nervous about everything running smoothly, and by that, I mean she’s worried you’re going to dump Dixon in Mexico with nothing but a school girl’s outfit and a bottle of lube.”
“Moi?” He fakes horror, nestling his hands low around my waist. “Please. Give me a little more credit. I’d at least be there to film it.” Arching a brow, he surrenders with a low chuckle. “Okay, fine, you win. No lube.”
“You’re impossible,” I reply lightly, biting the inside of my cheek when he dips low and squeezes my ass.
“Speaking of lube…” My cheeks flush, which is exactly the response Hunter had hoped for. Almost every part of my body has been explored by him, all but one.
I tremble in his arms, the sensation almost too much. “In your dreams, O’Shea.”
“You and your fine ass make a nightly appearance,” he counters without pause.
That mouth—I love it and I love… But I stop soon after I think thoughts which are bound to get me into trouble.
Nuzzling into my neck, he suckles along the flesh, sampling and savoring like I’m his most favorite meal. My eyes roll into the back of my head as an untamed moan slips free. “You are so fucking sexy. Please tell me you forgot to wear underwear on purpose because I need to get inside of you like right now.”
He drags the hem of my skirt up my legs, and lucky for us both, I most certainly ditched the offensive garment, as they just get in the way.
Just as he’s inches away from exposing my ass, a light knock sounds at the door. We both groan, but I know we will have to continue this later because Hunter is waiting on his “source” to come back to him with news of the infamous watch.
We’ve both looked high and low, but to no avail. Although he would rather slice off his balls with a rusted butter knife than admit he’s worried, I know deep down, he’s concerned Gail will get to Mr. Yeong first.
The Hunt - Monica James Page 21