Hunter (HC Heroes Series Book 8)

by Donna Michaels

  Shutting the door with his foot, he flicked the light switch on then pulled her into his arms. The fact she didn’t hesitate but burrowed right in and held on wasn’t lost on him. Neither was the fact she was shaking, but not like the last time he’d held her in his arms.

  No, this time she felt cold, so he rubbed her back and whispered reassurances he knew she’d want to hear.

  “It’s all right. Let it out. I’ve got you,” he murmured, realizing he’d meant every word.

  He did have her. He held her tight and everything would be all right. He’d had plenty of broken bones before. Dillan would be fine.

  The question was…would he?

  Because he realized something else as he stood there holding the shaking woman in the middle of the Champion Bakery storage room.

  She wasn’t the only one shaking.

  Chapter Eleven

  Hunter wasn’t sure what was happening to him. Tremors and quivers he was used to during sexual encounters, but not while comforting a sweet woman.

  Perhaps that was the reason.

  The fact he was comforting someone. He hadn’t done that in years. He’d beat down compassion and any and all emotions associated with empathy during his years in the shadow ops organization. It was a necessity in order to complete jobs. A necessity in order to stay alive.

  Which he now found humorous. The very thing he needed to bury to stay alive was exactly what he needed to uncover and release in order to feel alive.

  He had to turn off his feelings in order to live while traversing in the darkness and turn them on in order to thrive in the light.

  “Sorry.” Christa sniffed, her face still pressed against his chest, which made him feel…good. He felt good that he could help her. It wasn’t much. Just a hug and a proverbial shoulder to cry on but he understood with her lack of a familial support system, his small gesture probably was huge to her.

  And once again, it pissed him off that the kid’s father wasn’t around to help out, even if the couple had split. He should shoulder half the responsibility of raising a child. The guy had definitely contributed to the pregnancy.

  Hunter’s stomach bunched as if punched at the thought of another man touching this kind, soft, giving woman pressed against him, her warm hands skimming down his back.

  Wait…warm?

  He pulled back a little and dipped down to stare into her eyes. “Feeling better?”

  Heat ricocheted down his body. Her gaze was still cloudy but this time it was from something much warmer.

  She nodded and he wasn’t sure if he should rejoice or protest when she pulled out of his arms completely and stepped back. “Yes. Thank you. I’m sorry. I—”

  Lifting his hand, Hunter set a finger on her lips to stop her words, but the zing of awareness that shot through him nearly derailed his train of thought. “Nothing to be sorry about. Don’t ever apologize for feeling.”

  She nodded. “I didn’t mean to take you from your break, though. I know you probably have to get back to work soon.” A smile spread across her lips and thankfully, this time it reached her eyes. “And I definitely don’t want to keep you from your bear claw. It could disappear with Dean and RJ out there.”

  “I can get another,” he told her. “And today is just a maintenance day at work since Mac and Stef are still on their long weekend visiting her sister and his brother. But truthfully, there’s not much to do that hasn’t already been done.”

  Twice.

  He was almost out of ideas on what to tackle that could keep him from being idle.

  She nodded. “I took today off. My hands were still a little too unsteady. How stupid is that? I might start going to those tai chi classes the sheriff’s wife holds at the rec center when Dillan is old enough to do something there too.” She smiled. “It should help me learn to control myself.”

  “I kind of like when you’re out of control.” Shit. The words were out before he could stop them.

  Color rushed into her face. “I…kind of like that too.”

  Well…hell.

  His body leapt to life with his thickening dick leading the charge.

  “But it’d be great if I could work in my booth without memories of you and me and that wall popping into my head at the most inopportune moments.” She grinned. “Like while I’m trying to ink someone.”

  A smile tugged his lips. He scratched his jaw. “Sorry about that.”

  She laughed. “No. No you’re not. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “Oh?” He stepped toward her. Couldn’t help it. He couldn’t fight the damn need to touch her again. “What else can you see?” he asked, stopping in her personal space.

  Encouraged by the fact she hadn’t taken another step back, he reached out to lightly run his hands up her arms, noting goosebumps chasing his fingers.

  “Heat.” She swallowed, her voice sexy and low. “Lots of heat.”

  He nodded. “So, it appears we have another problem.”

  This time she nodded. “Any suggestions?”

  Too many, and they all involved getting naked. But he didn’t want it to come back and slap her in the face.

  “A repeat of our last encounter would be great,” he replied. “But I don’t want you to get hurt. I’m not relationship material.” Or father material, but he refused to bring Dillan into the conversation unless she did.

  She ran her hands up his chest to set them lightly on his shoulders. “But you are friend material whether you want to admit that or not.” She smiled up at him. “I consider you a friend and I’ve heard there are times when that could come with benefits.”

  Friends with benefits?

  His heart stopped a beat then resumed at a faster rate, pushing more heat through his veins. “I’ve heard that too. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

  She nodded. “Yes, as long as we leave my son out of any of our encounters. We’d have to uh…hook-up, I guess is the word, when he normally isn’t with me. And I don’t want you to think it’s because I’m ashamed of you or anything. Because I’m not. I’m happy to call you my friend.”

  “I understand,” he said.

  Once again, her feelings toward her son, putting his needs front and center, keeping Dillan her number one priority only endeared the woman to him more. Which was probably dangerous but at the moment, he didn’t care.

  “So?” She cocked her head, exposing the delicate curve of her neck, but he resisted dipping down to trace her angel tattoo with his mouth, needing to make sure they ironed out all the details of this new contract. “Are you in favor or opposed? I will follow your lead.”

  His erection went full tilt at the thought of commanding her in some very hot ways and he had to talk himself down from the edge, wondering how the hell he’d gotten there so fast.

  Releasing one of her arms, Hunter cupped her chin and brushed his thumb across her lower lip. “Oh, definitely in favor.”

  Her mouth curved into a smile. “Good,” she said, her lips brushing his thumb as she spoke. “When is good for you?”

  Right the fuck now, his throbbing dick insisted, stretched painfully behind his zipper.

  But since he already knew the sexy, responsive woman wasn’t exactly quiet when she came, he wouldn’t make that suggestion.

  Exactly.

  “When do you pick Dillan up from daycare?”

  She blinked. “At five.”

  He glanced at his watch. It was almost half past noon. That gave them a good thirty minutes. And he could do a lot in thirty minutes. Perfect. “Then I think we should take this conversation to my place. It’s closer than yours.”

  He knew most women preferred to have sex in their own bed, but his cottage was a five-minute walk down the street.

  Three, if they hurried.

  She inhaled and heat funneled into her eyes as she blinked. “Don’t you have to get back to work?”

  “Not yet.” He shook his head. “Not for another half hour.”

  Although, he was tempted to text
Dex, the guy in charge when Mac was out of the office, and take the rest of the day off. There was nothing left to polish or tune up. And he had a much better use for his hands.

  “Well, then…” Her chest rose on another inhale. “I have a few more tattoos to show you that you haven’t seen…thanks to the wall.”

  His erection pulsed.

  Son-of-a-bitch.

  “Time to go.”

  Without waiting for her to reply, he grabbed her hand and clenched his jaw against the pain of walking with a fully inflated dick, grateful his baseball T-shirt was long enough to cover his damn crotch as the exited the storage room.

  “Here,” Loni said getting up from his vacated seat at the table to shove a large white bag into Christa’s hand.

  Had their conversation been overheard?

  Surely, they hadn’t talked that loudly.

  “It’s those superhero cupcakes you ordered for Dillan,” Loni said, dividing her smiling gaze between them. “And a few bear claws for you both to enjoy.”

  Dean remained seated but smiled up at them. “No need for you to go back to work.”

  “Yeah.” RJ nodded, his arms around Lori, who sat on his lap wearing an identical smile as her sister. “We’re all taking the rest of the day off. Dex’s orders.”

  He nodded. “Roger that.”

  It appeared he had more than half an hour to give the sexy woman still holding his hand and he intended to use ever second…once they got to his cottage.

  Watching Christa come apart as he’d lapped at her sweetness in her booth over a week ago had nearly taken Hunter with her. Her reactions to his kisses and touches only seemed to make him hungry for more.

  Even now, as they walked the block to his cabin, he was barely holding it together. He couldn’t wait to get his mouth on her again. And judging by the way her hand shook, he could tell she was eager for it too.

  As soon as they entered and shut the door, he led her straight through the small living room to his bedroom where he crushed her close. She moaned and eagerly rubbed her sweet curves up and down his body.

  “Hunter.” She fisted her hands in his hair and tugged his mouth close. “I’m so looking forward to this,” she said, her lips brushing his as she spoke. Then she kissed him, sighing into his mouth as if giving herself over to him, content with whatever he wanted.

  He wanted it all.

  But, damn, the woman had him so hard he needed to slow things down or he was going to lose it. Fast.

  When her hands slid down his shoulders then chest, he shoved his into her hair and took over the kiss, slowing the pace, nipping, tasting, brushing his tongue along the inside of her lower lip. She moaned and clutched his shirt, so he did it again and again, loving how she shook against him.

  But if he didn’t get them naked soon, he’d probably die from lack of blood to his brain.

  He released her, dragging in air as he stripped, and she appeared to be on the same page because her clothes were hitting his floor almost as fast as his.

  Normally, he’d prefer to have her strip much slower while he watched, but at the moment, stripping fast was necessary.

  He finished first and had the pleasure of watching her tug the last of her clothes off. Her gorgeous skin was flushed, lending a warm hue to her sexy apple blossoms and butterfly masterpiece, and his mouth dutifully watered just thinking about touching her and tasting her.

  “Turn around,” he told her, his voice as strained as his erection. “Slowly.”

  He’d make time for this part. The part where he got to see those tattoos she’d alluded to back at the bakery.

  She smiled and did as directed, and Hunter nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight of her sweet hourglass figure, gorgeous heart-shaped ass, and long, supple legs. And the full-length flower tattoo that ran the length of her spine with several closed and open buds as well as delicate monarch butterflies, all in orange, blue, and purple tones sent a surge of heat down his own spine. The tattoo was as beautiful as it was sexy.

  Just like the woman.

  “You like?” She turned back to face him with a crazed hunger heating her gaze.

  The same hunger was eating him up from the inside out.

  His dick bobbed and her gaze zeroed in on the movement. “What do you think?”

  “I’d say that was an affirmative.” She grinned wickedly at him.

  “You’d be right,” he told her. “Sit on the edge of the bed.” Again, his voice sounded rough, and heaven help him, she inhaled at his tone and her eyes flared with the same fierce hunger gripping him.

  Hunter stalked her to the bed and when she hit the mattress, her gorgeous breasts bounced, beckoning his attention. More than happy to oblige, he dropped to his knees and cupped each beauty, thrilled when her nipples puckered under his touch.

  So damn responsive.

  “Hunter.” Her half plea, half needy tone sent another shot of heat through his body, and when she arched into his hands, his blood whooshed through his ears.

  His name on her lips was a balm to his soul.

  Needing to get his mouth on her, he placed a hand on each knee and spread her wide. His entire body tightened.

  So gorgeous. He leaned in and flicked his tongue where she glistened then slid a finger inside.

  She moaned long and loud, shoving her fingers in his hair. “So good.”

  He licked and tasted and upped the strokes of his finger and soon she was panting and rocking into him, her sweet body strung tight. Then he added another finger and on the second stroke, she flew apart with his name on her lips echoing around them.

  Prolonging as much of her climax as he could, Hunter eventually released her and fished a condom out of his nightstand. He’d purchased the box last week, hoping they’d need them.

  “Mmm…that was amazing.”

  “Yes, you were,” he said, walking back to the bed.

  “So, how do you want me?” she asked, a wicked gleam in her eyes. “After that orgasm you just gave me, it’s only fair you get to choose yours.”

  His pulse jumped. “You okay with on all fours?”

  Another wicked gleam entered her eyes a second before she rolled over onto her hands and knees, wiggling that mouth-watering ass at him while she grinned over her shoulder.

  Fuck yeah…

  Chapter Twelve

  Hunter’s heart stopped for a full beat then nearly rocked out of his chest at the sight of her. “Damn, Christa…you’re so beautiful.”

  The sight of her breasts hanging beneath her, begging for attention while she spread her legs wide open, had him kneeling behind her on the mattress and leaning over her to kiss her gorgeous tattoo all the way up her spine while he glided a hand over her sweet ass and slid between her legs.

  So wet. He swallowed. Hard. And clenched his jaw in an attempt to keep from exploding.

  No way in hell.

  He intended to enjoy what this beautiful, giving woman offered.

  But he wouldn’t be the only one enjoying this position.

  “Mmm…” She shifted her knees and stared at him from over her shoulder, need dark and fierce in her eye. “Hunter…I…don’t know how I can be ready, but I am. Please.”

  He was going to please her.

  She didn’t have to beg.

  He straightened, guided his erection to her heat then grabbing her hips, pushed slowly inside.

  Damn…so good. Always so good.

  “Oh…Hunter,” she barely whispered.

  Clenching his teeth, he fought the urge to plunge all the way in. “You okay?”

  “Yes,” she murmured on a hitched breath. “Don’t stop.” Then she backed that sweet ass of hers up until he was completely inside.

  Ah, hell…she felt so damn good.

  “Still with me?” God, he hoped so. If Hunter had to pull out now, he’d probably die.

  It would kill him. But, if she needed him to, he would.

  “So with you,” she murmured. “I need you to move.”

&
nbsp; He gripped her hips and began to move. Slowly, at first, but when she started to buck hard, he took it as a sign to let go and give them what they both wanted. Both needed.

  A hot, hard, crazy, consuming release.

  Even though he knew it was foolish, he gave into the fierce hunger raging inside him. He pressed his chest to her back, cupped her swaying breasts and took her hard and fast, kissing and nipping the angel on her neck.

  “Oh, damn…Hunter…” Christa moaned beneath him, bucking harder and harder. “I’m so close…”

  Reaching his limit, he slid his hand between her legs and brushed their connection with his thumb. She cried out his name again, this time louder and longer as she burst, and her slick walls clamped around him.

  A burning surged down his spine and into his balls, signaling his release was eminent. Hunter straightened his spine and grasped her hips again and pulled nearly all the way out so he could plunge in hard and deep. This time it was her name echoing around the room as it left his lips while he exploded in a fierce, incredible climax. Savoring the feel of her surrounding him, he pumped in and out of her until he was completely spent.

  Finding strength from somewhere, he pulled out of her then collapsed onto the bed and managed to roll onto his back and pull her against him.

  “So good…” She sighed and snugged closer.

  He agreed. It got better and better each time and his last thought before exhaustion claimed him was that he couldn’t wait for the next time.

  ***

  It was a beautiful, warm Sunday afternoon in March and Christa kept catching herself smiling for no reason. She couldn’t help it. Actually, there most definitely was a reason. Her hot, demanding, sweet and generous lover. And friend.

  Hunter Donovan.

  She was well taken care of and satisfied, and he gave her the space she wanted with her son. He never interfered. Never even hinted he was upset if she had to break any of their rendezvous arrangements because of Dillan. He seemed to admire and encourage her to give her free time to her son.