Stolen Memories: A Novella

by Alyson Reynolds

  “I’m fine.”

  “Are you sure? You almost fell.”

  “She almost fell?”

  Hunter appeared on my other side, concern coloring his voice. He scooped me up, carried me around the table, and sat me down in a chair. Normally I would protest, but I was too weak from the memory.

  “What happened, baby?” He kneeled down in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders so I would focus on him.

  “A memory came back. Have you gotten to Cassie yet?” He pursed his lips, but didn’t say anything. “You have to get her out of there. He said something. She’s in trouble, I know it. Hunt, you have to do something. You have to save her,” I said, panic rising in my throat. My voice was almost shrill by the time I finished.

  “Megan, baby, calm down. Breathe. What are you talking about? What did who say? You need to tell me because it might help my guys.”

  “Jack. All I remember is that he said Cassie wouldn’t be able to forgive me. When he said it I just thought he meant that she wouldn’t forgive me, but now I think she’s in danger. There was something with the wording of how she wouldn’t be able to forgive me.”

  “Shit.” He pulled out his phone and texted someone, but never moved from in front of me. “Think hard, baby. Was there anything else?”

  “No, nothing about Cassie. He said he would divorce mom, but since she’s left him that doesn’t really apply anymore. The asshole thought he was safe no matter what. He seriously thought he was invincible.”

  “I’m going to bring your sister here safely, baby. You just have to trust me.”

  “I do. I know you’ll do anything you can to help her.”

  He wrapped me up in his strong arms. I felt better having him next to me, but all I could think of were my father’s threatening words. I dug my face into Hunter’s shoulder and tried hard not to cry. My mom placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I gripped her hand like a lifeline. The guilt I felt from causing this ate at me. If we couldn’t get Cassie out safely, I didn’t know what I would do.

  Three days later, we still hadn’t heard anything about my sister. Mom and I were out of our minds with worry, and Hunter wouldn’t tell me anything. I knew that if he was keeping secrets it couldn’t be good. Even with all the worry and stress, I couldn’t keep my hands off of him; behind our closed bedroom doors, I was insatiable. I tried to think of it as a good stress release for my husband and not that I was a selfish bitch for having incredible sex while my sister was in danger.

  When I started to drown in fear, I would go and find Hunter. I would either suck him off or demand that he fuck me in all sorts of different, kinky ways. The shy virgin was totally gone and my husband was beyond thrilled.

  My need today was out of control. We’d already had sex two times in the morning before leaving our bedroom, but by mid-afternoon, I wanted him again. His office door was closed, but I knew he wouldn’t mind if I came in to attack him. Before I went into his office, I reached down and slipped my panties off, leaving me bare under my short dress.

  I opened his office door quickly and closed it behind me as quietly as possible. He was on the phone, but he looked up at me with a smirk on his face, his knowing eyes on me as I crossed the room. Hunter was relaxed in his chair and easily accessible. The tines of his zipper seemed loud in the quiet room as I freed him from his dress slacks. He was already hard and I was almost boiling, I was so heated for him.

  Surprise covered his face when I straddled his lap and placed him at my entrance instead of taking him into my mouth. His fingers brushed my clit, and I softly bit his neck to show my appreciation.

  He muffled a groan as I started riding him slowly. I sucked and nipped his neck as he continued listening to whomever was on the phone. My back arched with the pleasure and the front of my dress gaped open. His eyes never left my breasts as I moved. One of his hands wrapped around my ponytail and gripped it tightly. The pleasure and pain stretched into one, making it even harder to focus on staying quiet.

  “I need to call you right back,” I vaguely heard him say.

  The phone dropped onto the desk with a loud clatter. His lips sucked and nipped at my throat. Hunter picked me up and placed me on the edge of his desk, pushing my skirt up and out of his way. A desperate whimper left my throat as he pulled out of me and his husky chuckle filled the room. When he ran his tongue along my slit I was just fine with his decision.

  “Do you need my cock, you naughty girl?”

  I nodded and reached for him, but he moved away before I could grasp him. He slid his chair back, and I moaned as he licked me again. My body arched off the desk when he slid two fingers inside my core.

  “Come for me, baby. You came in here because you needed it. Fuck my fingers, then I’ll let you ride my cock.”

  His words pushed me over the edge. My head hit the desk as it fell back, and my mouth opened in a silent scream. Before my orgasm fully faded he slammed his length into me. I moaned as he rubbed at my clit, thrusting in and out, determined to make me come again. I grabbed his shoulders and tried not to break the skin on his back with my nails as his pace increased. When his mouth clamped down on my nipple through my bra, I started begging.

  “Please, Hunt.”

  “Come again, baby. Give me another one.”

  “I’m so close.”

  “Now, Megan. Come for me now.”

  I pulled him down to me, and my lips caught his in a blistering kiss. His lips muffled the sounds of my orgasm as I came apart again. I convulsed around him and I heard his deep groan in my ear as he fought off his own orgasm.

  He stood up next to the desk and grabbed my legs, placing one on either side of his neck. He pinned me to the desk so when he moved his hips he just barely entered me. With slow, shallow thrusts, he brought me back to the edge again.

  My knuckles turned white as I gripped the desk. His fingers found my clit and pinched down. I cried out and he slammed his mouth down on mine to muffle my cries. He brought his body down over mine and climbed on top of the desk with me. Our ragged breathing filled the office and the sound of Hunter’s grunts made me tighten around him. I bit down on his shoulder through his shirt as I came, causing him throb inside me as he finally found his release.

  I snuggled against his neck and he wrapped his arms around me as we caught our breath. My mind was calm for now, but it wouldn’t be long before the noise would take over again.

  “You give the term ‘forced orgasm’ a new meaning.”

  A cocky grin covered his face. “You’re going to fucking kill me, woman.”

  “Are you really complaining that I’m using your cock like my own personal valium?”

  “Hell, no baby. Use it any way you want. Can you maybe wait until I’m off the phone next time though?”

  “That was part of the fun,” I said nipping at his earlobe.

  “I’ve created a monster.” He chuckled and I felt lighter. We’d been fighting the darkness for too long.

  His phone vibrated on the desk and he answered lazily. I listened to his one sided conversation trying to catch my breath. His demeanor changed instantly when he answered.

  “What’s up Smith...when....okay. We’ll be ready.”

  He hung up as quickly as he answered. I watched as he looked at me wearily.

  “They got your sister out, baby. She’ll be here in twenty minutes. I need to tell you this now. It’s bad.”

  My sister looked terrible. We probably should have taken her to a hospital, but Hunter was afraid that my father might have a way to get ahold of her if we did. He made one call and the same doctor that checked me out was there within thirty minutes. It was amazing what money could accomplish.

  I stayed on one side of Cassie and my mother on the other as the doctor examined her. Between the two of us, we were able to keep her calm enough that he could fully assess her condition without causing a panic attack. Hot tears fell from my face as I watched her wince or jerk back in pain over and over again. The doctor was
as gentle as possible, but there was no way possible to make it comfortable for her unless we put her to sleep. Cassie pleaded to stay awake.

  Her husband had dislocated her jaw, broken her wrist and a few ribs; there were so many cuts and bruises we could barely recognize her. Both of her eyes were black and I hoped he hadn’t broken her nose, but as it was she would probably need surgery one day. The worthless man had also raped her, once that she actually confirmed. More than likely he had forced her a lot throughout their marriage. My greatest fear had been that my father had married her off to someone like Michael, and it killed me that I was right. The guilt I felt about not saving her sooner suffocated me.

  We got Cassie settled in the guest room next to my mom’s, and I breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe with us. My heart broke for everything she had gone through, but I was thankful Hunter had gotten her away before her monster of a husband killed her. After the past week and a half, my nerves couldn’t take anything else. Hunter stood outside the bedroom door as we settled her in bed.

  “Thank you for saving my daughters,” my mom whispered. Her hands cupped his face as she spoke, and she kissed his forehead before letting go. Something in that statement needled at my conscious, but none of my lost memories came forward.

  “You know I will do everything I can for all of you, Eliza. You’ve always been my family.”

  Mom leaned back and straightened up. It was so odd seeing her broken. She was the strongest woman I knew, and I’d inherited so much of her spirit that it physically hurt me to see her this way.

  “It’s been a long day; I think I’m going to go bed. I’ll see you both in the morning. Goodnight kids.”

  We both told her goodnight and watched her walk to her room. Her strong shoulders showed the wear of the day, but earlier I had only seen relief when she held my sister. My eyes closed against the pain and guilt that I felt radiating from my mother.

  All of this was my fault.

  I sat across the room watching as Hunter brooded. He stood staring into the fireplace, holding a glass of scotch in his hands. The clink of his wedding band against the glass triggered something in my memory. I grasped hard at the images flashing through my mind.

  “We got married on the beach. Then we went back to the hotel and made love twice. I was terrified about how I felt, but you made me feel better. You ordered room service and they brought us champagne. The stems of the glasses formed a heart. I smuggled the glasses into the bottom of my suitcase because I wanted a memento of our day. You laughed at me when you found them. Your ring hit made that same sound when we drank the champagne. I remember because I thought it was one of the sexiest sounds I had ever heard.”

  He turned towards me with a look of surprise written all over his face.

  “You remember?”

  “Not everything yet, but it’s something at least. I remember our wedding.”

  He sat the glass of scotch on the mantle and crossed the room. Tears stung my eyes as I peered up at him. Strong arms pulled me against him. His lips brushed my neck, and I felt the familiar flutter of need start to fill me. I ran my hands up his muscled chest, looping my arms loosely around his neck.

  “It’s something, baby.”

  “We should celebrate.”

  He raised an eyebrow and I giggled. Who was I? Before all this, I never giggled.

  “I need to talk to you. It’s kind of important.” Hunter’s phone started ringing and I groaned as he pulled it out of his pocket. “Damn it. I’m so sorry, baby, but I need to take this right now. We need to talk soon. I’ll try to make this quick.”

  I waved him off and from past experience I knew he would be on the phone for at least an hour or two. He’d ruined quite a few nights that way. Just because I was his wife now meant things would change.

  I wandered the house absentmindedly, giddy at the fact memories were starting to come back. My thoughts wandered to seeing Hunter in the hallway with my mother. Something she said triggered part of a memory, but it wasn’t enough to bring it back. It was just a glimmer and then it was gone. She’d said thank you for saving my daughters.

  Hunter had always been someone who wanted to help the people around him. He thrived being the white knight that swooped in to save the day. It was something I teased him about constantly when we were younger. I needed to ask him why we decided to get married in the first place. Amazingly it had never come up. Something about the memory prickled against my skin.

  The relief I’d felt when I found out I had married him and not Michael took over when Hunter told me we married. As much as I’d fought my feelings for him in the past, I was certainly embracing them now. Something told me I was missing a bigger piece of the puzzle, and I wanted to know what it was.

  I woke up to Hunter’s tongue lightly stroking me. A quiet whimper I recognized as my own filled the otherwise quiet room. My fingers tangled in his hair as I fully woke up. I arched off the bed as he pushed a finger inside.

  “That feels amazing.” My breath caught in my throat as he found a spot that felt even more wickedly amazing.

  His eyes met mine, but his tongue didn’t stop its wonderful ministrations. As I looked between us, I realized Hunter had taken off my panties and the tank top I’d changed into before going to sleep. How in the hell had he done that without waking me up? My eyes traveled farther down the bed and noticed that Hunter was stroking himself as he lapped at my clit. My back arched off the bed as he softly bit down on my inner thigh.

  “Hell of a way to wake a girl up.”

  “Well, when I want to fuck my wife, I do what needs to be done.”

  I love it when he calls me his wife.

  Hunter slowly crawled up the bed, positioning himself above me and balancing on his forearms. His lips brushed against mine gently as he pushed his hard cock inside. I whimpered softly as my body adjusted to him. His lips moved to the place behind my ear that drove me fucking wild and I arched into him. A small grin crossed my face as his thrusts increased.

  His hand clamped down on my breast and squeezed hard as he fought off his orgasm. My head was spinning. Two minutes ago I was asleep and now I was trying not to scream. The sound of my moans and his grunts bounced off the walls as we got closer. Hunter dug his face into the side of my neck, muffling himself as he found his release. I bent my head down and bit his chest to keep from screaming. He would probably have a bruise later, but it was worth it.

  He rolled to the side and skimmed his nose over my nipple. I yelped as his fingers pinched down on my sensitive clit. The asshole started laughing and leaned up to place a kiss on my lips. His smile was contagious and I started grinning back at him.

  “You’re insane, you know that?” I asked.

  “Yeah, but you love it.”

  I love you.

  It was too soon to say that though. Hunter wrapped his arms around me and within minutes we were both asleep.

  It was a little shocking the next morning when he kissed me before running out the door. His goodbye felt rushed, but he reminded me again that he wanted to talk to me about something important as soon as he got home from his business trip—an unexpected business trip that took three days. It was hard not to be a little upset that he’d taken off without discussing it with me first, but in the same breath I was counting down the seconds until he walked through the front door. I was surprised how easy and natural it was being married.

  My sister slowly got stronger each day. I spent every second I could with her. On day two of her recovery, I had broken down in her room and told her how sorry I was for putting her in danger. She had suffered because I hadn’t figured things out sooner. Cassie tried to make me realize that from the first month of her marriage, her life had been a living hell. None of us had known what she was getting herself into when she married that bastard. When she thanked me for stopped my marriage to Michael, I almost lost it. We all knew that she would probably be dead if it wasn’t for Hunter finding her.

  Cassie had sobbed into my
shoulder, but she assured me it was cathartic and a good release for the terror she had felt for so long. My heart ached for her. She finally felt strong enough to come and sit in the living room for a few hours on the third day of Hunter’s trip. My mother and I fussed over her, treating her like she was made of glass. We knew she was tired of being babied, but it was hard for us to rein it in after being so worried. My memory loss fell to the backburner because even though I wanted my memories back, I was more worried about my sister than trying the therapy options.

  I heard the front door open and a huge grin crossed my face. Hunter walked into the living room and I jumped up to kiss him hello. He wrapped me up in his arms, digging his face into my neck and inhaling my hair. My hands traveled up and down his back like I couldn’t believe he was actually home. His presence immediately made me feel better. My sister looked between us with a frown on her bruised face.

  “What’s wrong, Cassie?” I asked cautiously. Something told me I might not like her answer. I still had the niggling feeling that something was missing. And the frown on her face seeing us together made me believe that it might have something to do with the fact I was married to Hunter.

  “Nothing. You two don’t look like this is a fake marriage though.”

  “What?” My body stiffened and I tried to pull away. His arms wrapped tighter around me, keeping me from stepping back from him. My rose-colored bubble had burst.

  “Mom mentioned that you two got married so dad couldn’t force you to marry Michael. Are you planning on getting divorced soon now that the danger has passed, or has that changed?”

  “Keep us safe,” I mumbled trying to sort through the jumbled pieces of my memories. “Oh my God, I remember. You wanted to get married so you could protect me.” He wouldn’t look me in the eye and I knew I was right. “You also said you wanted to fuck me without guilt and it would be a perk to our marriage. I feel so fucking stupid.”

  I pulled back and pushed his arms away. This time he let me go. If looks could kill, the one I was shooting his way would have dropped him in seconds.