by L. P. Dover
I felt at home with Hunter’s grandmother. It’s strange because I never felt like that with my ex-husband’s family. She didn’t look at me as if I was too old to be with her grandson. Not that I’m that much older than him, but it’s still a difference. The good thing is that we don’t get scathing looks from people passing us by. Hopefully, it’s because I don’t look my age. A life of protecting my skin against the sun will come in handy one day.
Hunter reaches over and clasps my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. “It changed the way you saw me until you got to know me.”
I snicker. “That’s because you have a dirty mouth. Once you showed me there was more to you, it was hard not to fall.”
His smile makes me tremble. “What do you want to do this weekend? I know we don’t have time to do everything.”
The plane slowly starts to descend and I glance back out the window. There’s so much to do in Wyoming and I wish we had all the time in the world, but we don’t. “There’s some trails I saw online that I want to hike. The entrance to the national park isn’t far from where we’re staying. We can drive in and go from there.” He chuckles and I face him, brows lifted. “Something funny?”
His grin grows wider. “I’m still shocked you’re into this sort of stuff. It’s almost like I learn something new about you every day.”
I squeeze his hand. “Same with you. Your grandmother made sure to document every aspect of your life growing up. I think I learned more about you in those pictures than I have from your own mouth.”
Smile fading, he turns his head, his gaze lowering to the floor. An awkward silence passes by and I bite my lip, knowing I stirred something inside of him. I knew there was something wrong when he avoided me and his grandmother while we looked at pictures, but I didn’t want to say anything. Now I think I know. There were several albums of his parents before he was born to when his mother was pregnant with him, all leading up to the final years he had with them. I cried while looking at them, at how happy he was as a toddler being held in his mother’s arms. I kiss his cheek and gently grasp his chin, his brown gaze boring into mine. “You don’t need to hide your feelings from me, Hunter. I saw the expression on your face when your grandmother brought out the photos.”
He sighs. “I didn’t think you’d catch that.”
“It wasn’t very hard. You disappeared after that and didn’t step back in the room until our visit was over.”
The pain in his face is heartbreaking. “I didn’t want to leave you, but it’s not easy seeing the pictures of my parents. You’d think after all these years it wouldn’t bother me. What I hate is that I don’t remember anything about them, just flashes of memories.”
He was really young when they died. It breaks my heart because I can’t imagine living my life without mine, even though I don’t talk to them as much as I should. I squeeze his hand again. “Well, whenever you’re ready, we can look at the pictures together. Maybe your grandmother can tell you stories. I’d love to hear them.”
A sad smile spreads across his face. “Maybe. But I don’t want to spend this trip talking about my family. This is about you and me.”
“And a good weekend it’ll be.”
The plane descends and we finally make our landing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The airport is small so we don’t even fly up to a terminal. When I step out of the plane, the air is thin and cool, and I breathe it in. There’s a whole wall of mountains behind me and I’m dying to venture into them.
Once we fetch our rental car and head to our hotel to check in, it’s still early enough in the day to go on a hike. I don’t want to waste any of the time we have. I feel like I’m someone else, like I’m the Kennedy I used to be before my job became my life. Even Hunter seems to be mesmerized by our surroundings. Our hotel is right in the middle of downtown Jackson Hole and I fall in love with it instantly. It’s everything I imagined it would be—from the deer and bison heads over the huge fireplace to the bearskin rugs on the floor.
“It’s a shame we have to be back at work on Monday,” Hunter murmurs in my ear as I open the door to our room.
“Unfortunately, some of us have work to do. But I know we promised no talking about work while we’re here.”
He winks. “That’s right. If you do, I’ll have to spank you.”
Just the thought of him bringing me over his knee turns me on. I might have to bring up work just to see if he’ll do it. “Don’t threaten me with a good time,” I tease, winking back.
He sets his bag down on the bed and looks at it before turning a mischievous smirk my way. “I don’t make threats, only promises.”
Giggling, I toss my bag beside his and pull out a change of clothes and my sneakers. “Trust me, I’ll be testing that theory soon, but we have so much to see and so little time. Next time, we’re going to spend two weeks out here. I want to see Yellowstone.”
Grabbing his bag, he pulls out his hiking boots. “I want to see it, too, but I heard the Grand Teton National Forest is better.”
“And that’s why we’re spending our time there.” I opened my Grand Teton map to the trails I highlighted. “Looks like Taggart Lake is close. We should go there today.”
Taking the map, Hunter points at another trail. “We also need to do the Hidden Falls one. I heard it’s the best one out here.”
We head down to the car and drive the few miles it takes to get to the park entrance, passing by countless bison on the sides of the road. I’ve never seen an animal that large close up before. It’s exciting. Once we get to the trailhead of Taggart Lake, there are other cars around, but luckily, it’s not many.
Grasping my hand, Hunter takes the lead and I follow beside him. The sun shines overhead and the flowers around are in full bloom. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as beautiful as this,” I whisper.
Hunter stops and looks around at the snow-capped mountains before settling his gaze on mine. “I have. And I get to see her every day.”
When he talks like this, he takes my breath away. I half expect him to laugh and joke around, but he doesn’t. Most of the time, his head is still in the club and he’ll say things that a stripper will say. I like it and I think it’s hot, but there’s something about his deep side that really touches me in ways I’ve never been touched before.
We finally get to the lake and the water is so clear you can see the rocks way below the surface. I follow Hunter to one of the boulders and we sit so I can take pictures. “Where do you see yourself in ten years?” I inquire.
Settling behind me, he wraps his arms around my waist. “Hopefully, being one of the best lawyers in Vancouver.”
“Is that it?”
He chuckles. “I’d like to have a family, too. Maybe meet a beautiful woman and make her my wife. Know anyone up for the job?”
“Hmm … not at the moment. I’ll let you know if I find someone.” I glance back at him and wink.
“What about you?” he wonders. “Where do you see yourself?”
It’s a good question and not something I’ve really ever given a great deal of thought on. The only thing I’ve been able to see is my job. I turn around so that we’re facing each other, taking his hands in mine. “Honestly, I don’t know. All I’ve done for the past few years is live for my job. After my relationship with Aaron went sideways, I was fully prepared to just swear off everything. But now that I’ve met you, things are different. I want …” I stop and stare into his eyes.
His brows furrow. “What do you want, Kennedy?”
I take in a breath and release it slowly. It’s been a long time since I wanted more than just my work. “I want … more. I just don’t know how to get it.”
He brushes a finger down my cheek and kisses me softly. “Let me handle that.”
Our vacation goes by so fast I can barely believe it. I don’t want it to end. We spent one day in downtown Jackson Hole, walking around hand in hand, visiting all the shops. My body was sore from hiking so much, but we saved the best t
rail for last … Hidden Falls. The sky was cloudy and I could feel a couple drops of rain as they fell through the trees. It feels good against my skin.
I thought it would be hard not talking about work, but surprisingly, it never comes up even though I want to test him to see if he’ll actually spank me.
“Your grandmother told me you were in the Boy Scouts,” I say, smiling wide when he glances at me over his shoulder.
“I was a good boy up until college.”
I can hear the waterfall up ahead and gasp when it comes into view. It’s over a hundred feet high with roaring waters cascading down. I walk down to the water’s edge and touch it; it’s so cold. “This is amazing. I’d hike another five miles to see it.”
He laughs. “Well, you’re about to hike the five miles back.” The trail is long, but it’s worth it.
We stand in silence for a few minutes and I take a gazillion pictures in case I never get to see it again. It’s not until another couple approaches that we decide to leave.
“Will you miss being a stripper when you quit the club?”
His reply is instant. “No,” he says with a shake of his head. “It’s something I enjoyed for a while, but things have changed. I don’t find enjoyment in it anymore. The money, however, is something I can’t pass up. I like being able to pay for my schooling and not have to worry about loans.”
In a way, I want to just offer him a job at my firm to get him out of the club—that way I won’t have to worry about him and other women—but I can’t do it. I can’t control everything even though I really want to.
We’ve walked a mile down the trail and we still have another four to go. “What about you?” he counters. “When you were young, what all were you in to? You already know I was in the Boy Scouts.”
“What wasn’t I in to?” I laugh, thinking back to all the activities my parents put me in. “Let’s see … I did dance, gymnastics, t-ball, piano lessons, and even had singing lessons. You name it, I did it.”
His eyes go wide and he grins. “Wow, that’s a lot. I kind of want to hear you sing now.”
I wink. “Maybe if you’re lucky, you can hear me in the shower.”
Biting his lip, he pulls me in close and leans me up against a tree. “That can be arranged. What do you say we get back to the hotel and fuck before dinner?” His mouth closes over mine and he nips my bottom lip. “Sound good?”
“Yes,” I moan, feeling his arousal against my leg. “We just have to get through four more miles.”
He pulls back and smacks my ass. “Let’s get it done then.”
The four miles go quickly; especially since I saw numerous heaps of bear dung. The more I saw, the faster I went. We get back to the hotel and my muscles are on fire. Hunter turns on the shower water and the steam billows out into the room.
“I thought you wanted to have fun before dinner?” I ask, watching him take off his clothes.
He licks his lips. “I do. We’re just going to have it in here,” he replies, nodding toward the steaming bathroom.
I take off my clothes and he watches me with hungered eyes, stroking his cock as I approach. Aaron never touched himself in front of me. It’s sexy to watch Hunter do it. He reaches for my hand and opens the shower door, letting me go in first.
The heated water feels good on my heated skin. It’s like it heightens every feeling inside of my body. It doesn’t help that Hunter’s touching me, his body rubbing against mine. Taking a washcloth, I slide the bar of soap over it and use it to clean his body. I wash his arms and stomach before moving around to his back. He moans and then hisses when I drop the washcloth so I can cup his balls, wrapping my other hand around his arousal.
I press my breasts to his back and work my hands up and down relentlessly, loving the way his cock pulsates in my hand. He leans forward, placing his hands on the shower wall. “Kennedy, I’m going to come if you don’t stop.”
“I don’t want to stop,” I mutter, moving faster. “I want you to come.”
I tighten my hold and keep pumping. “Ah, fuck!” he shouts, exploding onto the shower wall. I slow my pace and smile triumphantly.
“How did that feel?” I ask, bending underneath his arm so I can face him. He has me caged in his arms, water dripping all over my body. His eyes watch it run down my chest to the slit between my legs.
Pushing me against the wall, he closes his mouth over mine, licking the water off my lips. I wrap my arms around his waist and he lifts me in his arms, grabbing my thighs so he can hold me in place and spread me wide.
His heat-filled gaze bores into mine as he rests his cock against my opening. “Ready to get fucked?” he growls.
“Way past ready,” I moan breathlessly.
Lifting me up, he sucks on a nipple and then slams into me in one hard thrust. I scream and dig my nails in his back, holding on tight as he pushes into me. I can feel my body tightening all around him and I’m so close, but I hold off as long as I can. There’s no greater feeling than being on the edge and not falling over just yet.
I tighten my legs around him and he thrusts harder. “Is … this … what you wanted?” he growls in between kisses to my lips on down to my neck.
Nodding quickly, I suck in a breath. “Yes. It feels so good.”
He rocks his hips more vigorously and I counter his motions, moving my body along with his. “I’m going to come so hard in you, Kennedy, and you’re going to feel every single drop explode inside of you.”
Lowering my lips to his neck, I bite down and scream out as my release shakes my entire body. He holds me against the shower wall, pounding into me until he comes, his breathing hard and deep. When he pulls out and sets me down, I sway on my feet. “I needed that,” I say, smiling lazily up at him.
“So did I,” he murmurs back. “I think shower sex might be one of my favorites.”
I laugh and kiss him again. “I think it’s one of mine, too. Now let’s go get something to eat.”
After we’ve eaten dinner and are back at the hotel, Hunter leaves to get a bottle of wine so we can celebrate our last night in Wyoming. I’m surprised I haven’t had any phone calls, but Chris and the others at the firm know I’m on vacation. Not having any calls is a good sign.
I scroll through the pics on my phone until I get to the ones of Chad with those other women. If only I had some with his face clearly in them. The door opens and Hunter walks in, furrowing his brows when he sees me on my phone.
“Everything okay?”
I nod. “Just looking at pictures.”
He opens up the bottle of wine and pours me a glass. “Of what?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I say, setting my phone on the bed.
“Obviously it does. I can see it on your face.” He hands me the glass of wine and I take a sip.
“It’s about work, Hunter. We made a vow we wouldn’t discuss anything about it.”
Sitting down on the bed, he beckons me over. “Yeah, but if it gets off your chest, you’ll be able to relax. Just tell me.”
Scrolling through my phone, I show him the pictures of Chad and the women. “That’s Jennifer’s husband. I saw him the other night at the club, only I didn’t get his picture taken fast enough. It kills me that I was so close.”
His eyes go wide. “But you saw him, that’s good. If you saw him once, you’ll see him again.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. My last appointment is next Wednesday. After that, I’m done in the viewing room. It’s not fun being in there unless I’m watching you.”
He beams. “You don’t have to be in the viewing room to watch me. I can dance for you anytime you want.”
After finishing off my wine, I lay back on the bed. Hunter lays down with me, his body brushing against mine. “Have you told Jennifer this next time is your last?” he asks.
I look over at him. “Yep, and I hope it counts.”
Something is different between Kennedy and I; it’s like we’re connected on a deeper level since our trip. I know when she
’s standing in the doorway to the break room, or how she’s going to finish a sentence. I can tell what kind of mood she’s in by how she’s sitting at her desk and what kind of sex her body is craving. If she’s rigid, she wants it hard and fast. If she’s rolling her neck that’s when I need to take things slow and make love to her.
I’m in deep and I find myself thinking of reasons why I should quit the club now and not wait. Thing is, I can’t. I still need the money. Rent is due and so is my car payment. It’d be completely irresponsible to quit. But I see the look in her eyes when I leave here to go to the club. She hates it just as much as I hate her going there. I don’t care that she’s trying to pin some piece of shit to the wall with a divorce, the fact that she is watching others fuck drives me insane. Bryce always warned us that having a significant other while working in the club is never a good thing. ‘They won’t understand,’ he is always saying. He doesn’t like us fraternizing with our co-workers either, but it happens. There have been many times I’ve walked in on some of them having sex. They don’t even give a shit if you watch.
I used to not, but now that I’m with Kennedy I don’t think I could stomach being in any of the rooms. Each day that I walk into the club, I pray my name isn’t on the list. And if it is, it better be Kennedy in there because if not, I’ll walk out. We both know it’s my job and I’m required to do stuff, but there’s no way in hell I could be with another woman.
I’m focused on my laptop when Connie walks in, dropping her bag with a huff. “Why are you here so early?”
“How do you know I didn’t get here five minutes ago?” I counter.
“Your car was cold when I walked by.”
I peek at her over the top of laptop and look back at my screen when she catches me staring. Who the fuck touches a car to see if it’s still warm or not?