A soul she’d uncovered and cleansed with her sweet, caring, acceptance.
“Hunter,” she whispered again on a hitched breath.
He loved how her fingers squeezed his, her head arched back, and lips parted. Unable to resist, he bent down and captured her open mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside. Her tongue brushed his as she rocked her hips, and he broke the kiss on a groan.
Lifting up, he stared into her eyes, needing to watch the crazy rush of heat and need and want reflecting his in her eyes. She wrapped her legs around him and he felt himself slipping further inside.
And further in love.
Yes. He loved Christa. She did it for him. Understood his moods. His silence. His needs. With her he was no longer lost. He was found. She got him. And, damn, it was such an incredibly powerful feeling.
He could tell she was falling for him, too. It was in her kisses and sighs, and the tender way she sometimes touched him. The way her eyes lit up when he walked into the room.
It used to scare him, but now…it strengthened him. Made him invincible.
Although, right now, the feel of her soft curves trembling beneath him, the way her breasts brushed his chest, how she hugged him tightly inside, was all too much. His control was depleted. It was time to start moving, to take them to the next level.
He squeezed their entwined fingers and began to move.
A low, sexy sound rumbled in her chest. “Hunter…” Her gaze was open and full of all the emotions he was feeling in her touch.
“I know,” he murmured, letting her see exactly what she did to him, exactly how he felt about her.
He was done talking. He could only feel.
Riding a wave of heat, he locked his elbows and upped their pace. Damn, she felt good. Her low moans and the way she arched into him stole his breath.
She tugged her hands free from his and shoved them in his hair, as if she needed to hold onto him, needed him to ground her. Needed him to be there for her. To catch her. To love her.
He did.
And Hunter realized then that this was what it felt like when it was right.
He slid his arms beneath her and gripped her shoulders. The movement brought them closer and he slid deeper inside. She cried out and whispered his name over and over as she flew apart, shuddering and quivering against him and around him in the most amazing damn climax that spurred his own fierce release.
A few minutes later, once he found his bones and cleaned up, Hunter climbed under the covers with Christa. He knew things had changed. For the better. More progress, thanks to the soft, sweet woman in his arms.
Satiated, exhaustion set in, and he fell asleep to the gentle sounds of her breathing, knowing he didn’t ever want to let her go.
Chapter Fifteen
Sunday afternoon sex was something Christa was going to have to figure out how to pencil in…in the future. She wasn’t sure how, since she normally spent them helping at the shelter with Dillan. But given the way Hunter had just taken her to heaven and back from behind while spooning her in her bed…made her not want to get out of said bed.
She certainly didn’t want to move. Not that she could. Heck, she was lucky she still had the ability to breathe.
“You okay?” Warm breath hit the back of her neck and shoulder, and she shivered when Hunter kissed behind her ear. “Come back to earth yet?”
Still sucking in air, she half snickered, half coughed and swatted the leg he still had draped over her hip. “No. Let me…enjoy my descent.”
He chuckled and after a kiss to her shoulder pulled all the way out and what little breath she found caught in her throat as he rolled off the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.
How could the man make her feel so hungry for more so quickly? They’d pretty much spent the weekend eating, showering, having sex and sleeping, and not necessarily in that order.
Christa rolled onto her back and smighed—a new word she created for when she smiled and sighed at the same time. Usually because of Hunter. She smighed again and glanced at the clock on her nightstand.
Shoot.
She sat up then swiped her phone by the clock and checked to make sure she hadn’t missed Stef’s call. Or text. They were due back with Dillan soon and she needed to tidy the place.
Good. No missed anything. But she did miss Dillan and looked forward to having him home. Hunter was good at keeping her busy and distracted, but she still had moments of panic that someone working for the Ackermans had snatched him.
Stupid. But her panic was definitely real.
After getting out of bed, she straightened the covers then pulled on some clothes, shoving her phone in her pocket as she recalled the state of her kitchen and living room from the last time she’d past through.
Nothing to fix.
“Stef called?” Hunter asked, walking in stark naked and smoking hot.
“No,” she replied, talking her body out of moving to the man. “But, I’m sure she will any minute, so I made the bed before I got any ideas.”
A smile spread across his face. “You, huh?”
“Yep.” She grinned, keeping the bed between them.
“I came here on Friday with a lot of them,” he said. “And we barely scratched off page one.”
Heat flickered through her veins. “Good to know.”
He nodded as he pulled clean clothes from his duffle bag and began to get dressed. “It sounded like Dillan had a good time from his call earlier.”
“Yeah.” She brushed her hair and pulled it back in a ponytail. “The McCalls have been asking to see him for months now.”
Dillan had been on speakerphone and talked about Katie, ponies, Gwandma and photos on da book face, basketballs, and cars. Not a lot of it made sense, but she understood loud and clear, that he’d had a great time. And he did ask when he could go again. So, she definitely had the promise of another weekend of waking up in Hunter’s arms sometime in the future.
Although, now that she’d gotten a taste, Christa wasn’t sure how long she could wait for it to happen again.
“What happened to your smile?” he asked, stepping close to run his hands up her arms.
She sighed. “I just realized I have to wake up in bed alone tomorrow.”
The last thing she wanted was to push the guy too far too fast, but she hoped he was as lonely as she was when they were apart. By the way he’d greeted her on Friday and hadn’t left her side since, she was fairly certain he was, and like her, wanted to do something about it. But what, she had no idea. However, she was definitely open to suggestions.
Skimming her hands up his chest, she sighed again. “And you can’t even make it up to me at lunch.”
“True,” he said. “But just think about how great lunch will be on Wednesday.”
She frowned. “Wednesday? I thought you were coming back on Tuesday.”
“I am,” he said, brushing her cheek with his thumb. “But it’ll be closer to late afternoon or early evening, depending on traffic. And if it’s me, Cooper, or Mac who’s driving.”
And by then, Dillan would be home playing Go Fish on the neighbor’s front porch.
Her lips twitched. “True.”
“Do I need to put another one on your face?” he asked, leaning in to kiss a path from her cheek to her ear, then nibbled her lobe.
Christa gasped and clutched his shoulders, pressing against him to keep from falling, since her knees were now wobbling. “Maybe.”
Now his talented mouth was on its way to hers and just when he reached her lower lip, his dang cell phone rang.
He stiffened.
“If it’s Mac, can I punch him when he gets here?” she asked, although, Stef was the one who was supposed to call when they were close.
But when Hunter released her to pull out his phone, any amusement that had been in his eyes disappeared. Weird.
So…definitely not Mac.
Even weirder was the fact Hunter walked out of the room before answering the call.
Three year olds were a lot more observant than some people realized.
Satisfied that both her appearance and the bathroom were passable, Christa headed for the kitchen to take care any dishes in the sink but halted when she found Hunter staring out of her patio door. His body stood stiff, as if on alert.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, stepping closer and frowned when he turned around.
A serious expression pulled the life from his face. “Is Dillan related to Tate Ackerman?”
Everything inside Christa stiffened, but her pulse raced like an out-of-control baby goat. “W-why?” Then her mind caught on a horrible idea. “Oh my God, is Dillan okay?”
Hunter reached out and lightly cupped her shoulder. “Yes, he’s fine. I didn’t mean to scare you. He’s still with Mac and Stef,” he said, his chin lifting. “So, I’ll take that as a yes on the Ackerman connection.”
More than a lot confused, but also relieved her son was okay, she nodded. “Jesus, you nearly just gave me a heart attack.” Then her mind cleared, and her heart lurched to her shoes. “What did you do?”
Tugging free, she stepped back, trying not to panic.
She’d never once told him or anyone where she was from, not even Stef and Chloe. As far as they knew, she was from Vegas, where they’d met. So how in the world had he linked Dillan to Tate Ackerman?
Christa had been very careful about leaving paper trails or electronic ones, something Jack had warned her about…and the only reason she’d taken the money he’d shoved into her hand.
“Christa.” He stepped toward her, but she backed up again.
She shook her head and held up her hand. “No. I need to know, Hunter. How did you link them?”
“My instinct told me you were in danger, and when you wouldn’t talk about Dillan’s father or that side of the family, I looked into it.”
“I didn’t talk about it for good reason.” Her heart dropped back to her feet again. “Oh my God, Hunter. You’re searching could alert them.”
He frowned. “Tate doesn’t know his son fathered a child?”
She shook her head. “But now, thanks to you he could.” Her heart was racing so fast it was almost difficult to catch her breath. “Dammit.” She sucked in air, watching as he cursed and rooted around in her kitchen. “Why couldn’t you leave it alone? Why…couldn’t you…trust me?”
When he returned, he had a paper bag and made her hold it to her face and breath. She remembered learning the trick to stop hyperventilating in school and understood she needed to up her carbon dioxide levels. As she did this, she also forced herself to calm down.
Dillan would be here any minute. Although, Stef would call first.
“I was worried about you,” Hunter said. “And Dillan. The thought of someone out there wanting to hurt either of you made me nuts. I had to know who I needed to protect you from.”
She understood the worry, but there wouldn’t be any if he had let things be. She removed the bag from her face and shook her head. “We didn’t need protection until now. You’re the one who just put him in danger.” She backed away from him again. It was too difficult to think clearly with him nearby.
“No one can trace what my sources do,” he said, which made her feel about zero better.
“Jack said his family had a far reach. People everywhere,” she said, wrapping her arms around her middle, shivering.
God, I hope I’m overreacting.
Maybe Ackerman’s people didn’t notice the inquiry into Jack. Maybe their organization didn’t have the expensive security system to alert on something like that. Maybe—
Her phone sounded with an incoming text.
She jumped then fished it out of her pocket, relieved to see a text from Stef. She wasn’t sure she had herself calmed down enough to keep the shakiness from her voice, but she needed to work on it fast.
“Stef said they’re ten minutes way.” She inhaled then exhaled and met Hunter’s gaze. “You should leave.”
Pain flashed through his eyes and he stiffened.
God, that was hard. So hard. Hurting him was ripping her apart, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him anymore and if she decided not to see him, then she needed to put distance between him and Dillan.
Starting right now.
“Christa.” He reached for her hand, and although she knew she should pull it away, she didn’t.
She couldn’t dismiss all that they’d had…all that she’d wanted to have with him. And the fact she knew he really hadn’t meant to hurt her or put her son in danger.
“I...it’s…” It’s a mess is what it was, but she couldn’t even get the words out because they hurt too much. “You need to leave. Please.”
His jaw cracked a few times, but he released her. “I’ll get my things,” he said, and disappeared into her bedroom then returned a few seconds later with his duffle bag. “Can I see you when I get back on Tuesday? We need to discuss this, Christa.”
After a moment of trying to keep it together, she lifted her chin. “Wednesday. Sorry. I won’t do it while Dillan’s here.”
He nodded, and she watched him leave, her chest feeling as if it were caving in on itself. Not the best time to realize she was in love with the man who just possibly put a target on her son’s back.
God, I really can pick ‘em, can’t I?
She laughed and hiccupped a sob at the same time, but quickly brushed away a lone tear that had escaped her burning eyes. She needed to be strong for her son.
She would be strong for him.
Of that, there would never be any doubt.
As for seeing Hunter on Tuesday? Christa wasn’t sure.
Hell, she wasn’t even sure she could stay in Harland County anymore.
Chapter Sixteen
Hunter was a mere twelve miles away from Christa’s, but it felt like fifty late Tuesday afternoon. Not Wednesday. He knew Wednesday had been their originally agreed upon day to meet, but his gut was telling him today. And he always listened to his gut.
Coop was behind the wheel, so they were making good time returning to Harland from Houston. The job was one of those cut and dry cases from start to finish that were right up Hunter’s alley.
Protect the mark from the shadows.
Done.
No one suspicious ever appeared. No attempts were made on the scientist.
If ever Hunter had needed a cut-and-dry case, it was this one because he had to see Christa. And he needed to see her. God, he’d thought about nothing else, when off the clock. And even sometimes on, when the scientist had been indoors, which fell under another protection detail’s jurisdiction.
“So, what’s going on, Hunter?” Mac asked, turning in the front passenger seat to stare at him. “And don’t tell me nothing. You’ve got the same punched-in-the-gut look as Christa had when we dropped Dillan off Sunday afternoon.”
Damn. He hated that he’d hurt her. Christ. He was trying to protect her and her son.
“Yeah, you’ve got that stone face in place like when you first arrived in town,” Cooper said, meeting his gaze in the rearview mirror.
He shrugged, torn between clueing his buddies in and confessing his fears about Ackerman, or keeping Christa’s secret and hoping the alarm gripping his gut was just the result of Cooper’s driving.
Damn, the squid had a lead foot.
Hunter wanted to get to Christa as soon as possible, but he also wanted to get there in one piece.
“The only one who wears a stone face better than you is Sinjin,” Mac said, with a grin. “Speaking of the devil, he called me last night. He’s finishing up a job then will be here in about a week.”
A smile tugged at Hunter’s lips. “Good.”
He knew the job the guy was finishing up. It was more of a favor than a job.
Hunter had g
otten lucky. His buddy had contacted him on Sunday night.
In person.
Damn guy had been waiting for Hunter when he’d returned to his cottage after leaving Christa. Sinjin had needed a possible future favor, which worked for Hunter because he needed one now.
A favor for a favor was their currency.
So, his buddy had been living in Harland’s shadows, keeping an eye on Dillan and Christa ever since. Sinjin was also using his shadow resources to track down Ackerman’s whereabouts.
The two of them had discussed the possibility that the weapons dealer had no idea about Dillan. And they figured the odds were sixty/forty—not in Christa’s favor. And the more years that went by, the worse the odds would get, not better. Sinjin had shown Hunter a photo of Jack Ackerman at the age of three, and it had been like looking at Dillan.
It was only a matter of time before someone in that organization spotted the little boy, either by accident or on something as innocent as a grocery store camera.
Current technology was not in Christa and Dillan’s favor, either. She was right. Someone could track inquiries on the net. Only, that wasn’t the “net” he and Sinjin used.
“You don’t have anything else to say?” Coop raised a brow at him in the mirror. “Just good?”
He nodded.
“Nothing about Christa?”
And now he clenched his jaw, but he remained quiet.
“Yet you want us to drop you off at her place?” The squid regarded him with that damn raised brow again.
He shrugged. “We have some things to discuss.”
Mac stiffened. “Why do I get the feeling this is also something we, as a team, should discuss?”
“Because it might be.” Hunter shoved a hand through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “Look, I don’t want to keep you out, but I also don’t want to break her confidence. Can we leave it at that?”
“Not if she and Dillan are in any kind of trouble. Or Danger.” Mac’s gaze was unblinking and serious. “Because my wife will have my nuts in a sling—of barbed wire—if something happened to them, especially if we weren’t around to help and could’ve been.”
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