Her Real Alpha

by Sherie Keys

“Well, we’ve got about another five hours give or take, when was the last time you’ve eaten?” I asked and she shrugged feebly. “Come on then, Dad wouldn’t want you out here wasting away over him and you know it,” I said and both Ari and I had to do some convincing to get her to at least go down to the cafeteria for some salad.

  The only thing that looked appetizing and Ari coached me from her own hospital’s cafeteria food, was the mac and cheese and the desserts. I figured that getting a slice of chocolate cake wouldn’t be so appropriate for the situation.

  “So what happened, Mom?” I finally asked her as we all sat down with our food.

  “Well…we had just come in from playing a game of tennis at the club. Your father played hard today because he wanted to beat a colleague of his for some stupid rivalry. We won and your father…he was excited. When we got home, he went to fix us a couple of smoothies and then I heard a crash in the kitchen and ran in from the family room. He was just there, on the ground,

  clutching his chest and his eyes were wide open, he couldn’t even talk. So I called an ambulance and they rushed him here, by the time we got here, he wasn’t even conscious, then they just talked at me and took him into surgery,” she said and I rubbed her back soothingly.

  “He’ll be okay, Mom, he’s a healthy guy, this should have never happened to him…” Ari nodded in agreement.

  “Which is probably exactly why it did happen to him. I don’t know…I just, I just need to see him,” she said shakily and then dabbed at her eyes before she took one bite of the salad and then pushed the plate away.

  I had to admit that I found it hard to eat, too. Waiting around in the hospital was depressing and it was driving me nuts just waiting. Ari and Mom went back up to the ICU, but I went outside for some air…and called Melanie.

  “Hey! How are you?” she answered and I took a deep breath. “Hunter? Is everything okay?” she asked, concerned about me, even though I could have just taken a breath from jogging, did she know me that well already?

  “I don’t know…my dad, he’s in the hospital, getting a bypass done on his heart, he had a massive heart attack…and I just don’t know how I feel right now,” I said and then pressed my hand over my chest because it felt tight.

  “Alright, just take a few deep breaths, Hunter. Listen to me while you breathe okay?” she said and I nodded, as if she were right there in front of me, she continued as if she saw me nod. “Whatever happens, from what you told me about your father, I know that he is proud of you and what you’ve accomplished. You and your sister. I also know that as a father, he most likely blames himself as well for your brother’s death and therefore understands why you cut yourself off from him.

  So don’t let any negative thoughts get you, okay? Just have hope that he’ll come out of this okay…okay?” she asked and I had to admit that it worked.

  The tightness in my chest was gone and I saw the sense in her words.

  “Okay…thanks, Mel,” I said and she sighed softly.

  “Of course, you’re a strong guy, Hunter, but you have feelings, I know you do. You just have to take a few deep breaths every once in a while,” she said and I nodded again, it was like I couldn’t talk or something.

  “I just don’t want him to die yet, I want to at least come to an understanding with him,” I admitted and then hung my head.

  I had never told anyone else that before, hardly even myself and there I was, just talking to Mel about it as if she were in my head and would keep all my secrets. I needed her too, though, at that moment I really needed her.

  “You will, Hunter, you just have to be honest with yourself first. Where are your mom and sister?” she asked and I inhaled deeply.

  “They’re inside, I couldn’t be in there for so long, I was…going crazy,” I admitted and then exhaled deeply.

  “I get it, but I’m sure your mom is a wreck and your sister is probably freaking out just as bad as you are right now, you should go and be with them. At least give your sister a break so she can go outside to get some air,” Mel said and I nodded again.

  “Okay,” I said softly and then we stayed on the line, quiet, for a moment.

  “Call me when you know something okay?” she said and I promised her that I would. When she hung up, I felt a lot better and kept together. I walked back to the ICU and found that Mel was right, Ari was on the verge of tears and she needed some air. I hugged her before she left and then sat down next to my mom and held her hand.

  “I’m glad you’re here, Hunter,” she whispered and I looked down at her. “It means we haven’t lost you either,” she said and all I could do was nod.

  Chapter11

  Melanie

  I had been worried about Hunter all throughout the beginning of the week. He called me on Tuesday to let me know that his dad was alright, awake in the hospital and doing well, according to the doctor’s standards. Hunter sounded tired and even though I really wanted to see him, I told him to go home and rest on Wednesday.

  It was around noon when he called me and I answered on the first ring.

  “Hunter, how are you?” I asked almost anxiously.

  “I’m doing a lot better, I slept practically all day. My partner at the firm offered to pick up the slack with work so I could have the rest of the week off and I was wondering…” Hunter trailed off and I quirked my eyebrow as I waited for him to continue. “I was wondering if you’d like to come away with me for a few days, not far, just in the Hamptons.

  I have a house there on the beach and we can relax and stuff…you can bring all the things you need to paint, too, so you don’t get behind or anything,” Hunter said a bit awkwardly, which was unlike him. Maybe he was nervous to ask me to do it.

  “Sure, I’d love to get away with you,” I said automatically and he exhaled in relief on the other line.

  “Great, can I pick you up in like a half hour?” he asked and I told him that I’d be ready by then.

  I finished the last brush stroke on the painting I had been working on and then quickly went to shower the paint off me and get a bag packed. I took pictures of the work I had already completed for reference and then got some blank canvases together and broke down one of my traveling easels.

  I spent the most time making sure I had all the stuff I needed in order to paint and was ready by the time I heard Hunter knocking on the door. He looked as sexy as ever in a cool looking grey pullover hoodie and jeans.

  “Hey, I’ve missed you,” I said and Hunter hugged me tight when he stepped into my apartment. He buried his nose in my hair and I held him tight around the hips.

  “Same here, I hate it when you disappear on me, Melanie,” he said and then pulled back so he could raise an eyebrow at me. I smiled, of course classic Hunter was still around.

  “I’m sorry, but that’s how I keep things interesting you know. You always need an element of mystery.” I winked at him and he smiled super reluctantly, which was a funny as hell facial expression.

  “Don’t laugh at me,” he said and then chuckled as I was laughing so hard.

  “I’m sorry, don’t make that face,” I said and then I lifted up on my tip toes to press a kiss to his lips. He held my chin and then kissed me deeply, which had me breathless when he pulled away.

  “Shall we go then?” he asked and I nodded.

  “Yep, I’m ready, though I have kind of a lot of stuff, which is mostly my painting’s fault,” I said and Hunter chuckled as he grabbed two of the heavier bags and I slung the last one over my shoulder and then locked up before following him down the hall to the elevators.

  “So tell me now, are we going to be sleeping in, having sex and eating good food while we’re in the Hamptons?” I asked Hunter and he laughed.

  “Of course, what else is there?” he said.

  “That’s why we get along so well, he just gets me,” I sighed dreamily and Hunter laughed again.

  “You’re so silly,” he said and shook his head with a smile as we reached his car and he loaded
my bags into it.

  The ride to the Hamptons was nice, it was quiet, but comfortable. It felt really nice just being in the car with Hunter, looking out at the city as it went by and then seeing the beach as it came into view. I felt oddly calm and content by the time we pulled up to Hunter’s huge house right on the beach.

  “Wow…this place is gorgeous,” I said and Hunter actually seemed a little bashful.

  “It’s way too big for just me, but I liked the architecture of it and didn’t really want to stint the artist I had draw up the place for me,” Hunter said.

  I got out of the car and looked up at the giant modern looking house. It was like Tony Stark’s house, if it were made to be on a beach instead of on a cliff.

  “Do you have like some secret lab in there or something?” I asked and Hunter laughed.

  “No, but I actually…I have a studio in there for…dancing,” Hunter admitted and I looked at him in pure shock.

  “You dance? Like how?” I asked him and he shrugged.

  “Ballroom, swing, Latin, Caribbean, you name it…I just like to dance as a hobby. My old partner and coach lived out here so she would come by to give lessons. Eventually, I mastered the art pretty much, according to her. So now the studio is just there, I don’t know what to change it to,” he said and I smiled at him widely.

  “You know what the first thing we’re doing when we get inside is, right?” I asked and Hunter laughed.

  “Sure, but you have to try your best to keep up,” he said and then stuck his tongue out at me.

  I slapped his butt as he bent into the trunk to pick up a couple of our bags. He swiveled around and I jumped away from him before he could do anything.

  “You’re so gonna get it,” he said and then grabbed three bags from the car while I grabbed the last one and followed him inside.

  The foyer was open to a grand staircase and on the right side of the stairs was an open archway into a living room with a floor to ceiling view of the beach in the back that I could see from the door.

  On the left of the staircase was a wide hallway. I followed Hunter upstairs to the second level where the stairs emptied to a sort of common area, or family room. There was a huge balcony towards the back and another floor to ceiling view of the beach. We went to the left down a hallway and then up a spiral staircase that led to a master bedroom suite.

  “My goodness, Hunter, this is like, dream home status,” I said and he laughed.

  “I do love this house,” he said and then he walked over to the huge four poster, canopy bed to set our bags down.

  Adjacent to the bed, was yet another huge, breathtaking view of the beach. I was pretty sure the entire back side of the house was glass.

  “Which of these has your painting stuff in it?” he asked and I pointed to one on the bed and the other I was holding. “I want to show you where you can paint,” he said and then pointed to the fireplace across from the huge bed.

  To the far left and right of the fireplace were two archways. I followed Hunter through one into a little parlor of sorts. It was cozy, but still spacious. There was a sitting area with a small couch and chaise, across from which was a TV mounted on the wall and flanked by two bookcases. To the right was another view of the ocean, but the space in front of it was empty.

  “You can set up right here,” he said.

  “This is perfect,” I said and Hunter smiled, then helped me get everything set up.

  Afterwards, we went back into the bedroom portion of the suite and I realized that there was a private balcony outside with a huge view. We went outside to breathe in the cold ocean air.

  “This is really nice, I already love it here,” I said and Hunter smiled at me.

  “I’m glad you do, now how about that dance?” he said with a smirk and I turned to him with an excited smile.

  “Yes, definitely!” I said eagerly and then Hunter took my hand and led me back downstairs and through that hallway.

  We passed by the kitchen and a dining room and then went down a set of stairs at the end of the hall that led to the basement, which was the dance studio, an open space of polished hardwood floor and a long wall of mirrors. There was a strip of windows at the top of the room to let natural light in. Hunter walked over to a small table near the doorway and placed his phone down on it.

  “I just have to connect this to the sound system. What do you want to dance to? Feeling fancy, like maybe some Russian ballroom dancing? Or maybe some swing dancing?” he asked and I thought about it a little bit.

  “How about we dance merengue?” I asked and Hunter smiled.

  “Nice choice, I have just the song for that.”

  Hunter tapped on his phone for a short moment and then he chose a song that started to play smoothly through hidden speakers in the room. The song was a moderate pace, so we wouldn’t be going too slow or too fast.

  “May I have this dance?” he asked as he walked over to me and offered his hand.

  I took it and then Hunter placed his hand on my back and I put mine on his back near his shoulder. We started out close and I had to admit that I was surprised and not surprised at the same time.

  Hunter had rhythm, but of course he did. From the first time we had sex I had my suspicions. We alternated dancing close together and then with some space between us, but as the songs changed, they got slower and we were soon pretty much just pressed up against each other with our hips swaying to the music.

  “Um, Hunter?” he nodded as he was already looking down at me, his gaze was hypnotic on mine. “You’re an amazing dancer,” I said.

  “You aren’t bad either, you can move,” he said and then he tilted his head down and brushed my neck with his lips. His hand pressed tighter at the small of my back and brought us even closer together, not that there was much space in the first place.

  His lips slid up to just underneath my ear and I shivered against him as he sucked on the delicate skin there. His hand slid down to cup my bottom and he squeezed.

  “Hmm, we should go upstairs,” he whispered and I shivered again as his breath tickled my neck and then I nodded.

  “Yeah, yeah definitely,” I said and then Hunter suddenly picked me up and tossed me over his shoulder and I squealed and giggled as he walked up the stairs and all the way to the living room.

  “What is it with us and couches? I can never make it to the bed right away with you,” Hunter said and he set me down on the couch and pulled off his hoodie. He was naked underneath it and a little sweaty from our dancing. His defined chest glistened and I became entirely distracted by the movement of his muscles as he tossed away the sweater.

  “Can I tie you up again?” Hunter asked me and I nodded almost immediately. He chuckled. “You liked that before?” I nodded, biting my lip.

  Hunter got excited and then picked me up again and all but ran to the bedroom. I laughed as he laid me down on the bed and then he rummaged through his night stand and pulled out some thick white nylon rope.

  “You just have that on hand?” I asked and he shrugged.

  “I’m not going to lie to you, I have taken women here before,” he said and I rolled my eyes.

  “Well, I could’ve guessed that, Hunter,” I said and then stuck my tongue out at him.

  He bent down to kiss me and then he pulled my bottom lip in between his teeth. Hunter licked my bottom lip and then pulled back to quickly pull off all of my clothes. Then he bent over to kiss my collarbone and suck on my neck. A breathless moan left my lips and then I felt his fingers brush my wrist.

  Soon after, I felt the rope circle around it and then he pulled back to tie my hands and feet to each of the four posters on the bed with a little leeway. My heart was already speeding up in my chest and I felt the moisture between my legs. How was it that he’d barely touched me and I was so turned on already? He still had his pants on for Pete’s sake!

  “I promise I’m not like into pain or anything, I just really like to…” he trailed off almost as if he were shy to be telling
me what he liked sexually. Yet I was the one naked and spread-eagled on the bed.

  “You like to tie women up, it’s okay,” I said with a laugh to my voice and Hunter grinned.

  “Cool, close your eyes, don’t open them until I tell you,” he said and I closed my eyes.

  I heard him undo his pants and I wanted to open them so badly to watch him undress. But the last time I didn’t follow his instruction during sex, he denied me an orgasm.

  I felt his fingertips brush the line from between my breasts to the bottom of my belly. I shivered as the light touch sent a myriad of sensation through my body.

  “Don’t open your eyes, Mel,” Hunter warned me and then he pressed a kiss just under my breast and I shivered again.