Hunter (In the Company of Snipers Book 14)

by Irish Winters

  He cupped her jaw, his mouth making tender, passionate love with hers. The taste of him was rich and decadent in the history of all forbidden males. He was the ultimate bad boy. An untamed beast of a man in a god’s body. She inhaled the sweet, smoky scent of clean, manly sweat, the essence of the male body she’d missed.

  Before she knew it, she was on her feet and her holster dangled off a branch within reach. Her borrowed pants were wedged between two forked branches. Reduced to nothing but her bra and panties, she latched onto a leafy vine, drawing it across her nakedness. She had it wrong. Hunter wasn’t Tarzan. He was Adam and this was paradise.

  With a wave of his hand, he brushed the vine aside, a delightful glow of male adoration lighting his handsome face. His lips pursed into an O. His dark eyes glistened as they roved over her body. He must’ve liked what he saw; he licked his lips like he was ready to dive into a feast.

  With one hand, he reached behind her and unsnapped the bra. The straps slid to her elbows. Arm by arm, he tugged it free as he took in her nakedness. Dipping low, he trailed a line of warm, wet kisses down her sensitive neck.

  “Oh, Merry.” Reverence whispered against her skin, his voice achingly deep.

  Fire bloomed in her belly. She had no idea where her bra ended up. She could only gasp at the chills the suckling lips on her breast drew out of her. The fiery heat of his manly mouth turned her wanton. Closing her eyes, she let go of the branch and clung to Hunter. This was what she’d wanted all these wasted years. Who she needed. This man. This once in a lifetime match.

  His tongue bathed her sensitive nipples with liquid fire, carefully attending to one with his mouth while he cupped the other, massaging and softly pinching her nipple. The whiskers around his mouth scraped when she arched into him, offering everything she had into his keeping if he’d never stop doing—that.

  Moonlight filtering through the branches spilled over his broad shoulders. She saw it then—the trusting boy within the battle-hardened man. The only thing he had hold of was—her. Meredith reached up to latch onto the fibrous vine straggling overhead.

  He groaned when she stretched, his mouth filled with her. Suddenly, there wasn’t enough air in the jungle. A raging fire roared through Meredith, scorching her with need. Her nearly virginal body wept for wanting him. She stroked one foot against her other calf, her body clenched and aching. “Hunter,” she begged.

  “Not yet, Merry,” he murmured as he dropped to his knees.

  Tears filled her eyes as a sharp ache for this warrior unfurled in her heart with a good stiff snap like a flag in the wind. God, she loved Hunter. Meredith wrapped both hands on that vine, prepared for what might happen next. Drenched and needy, she wanted him seated deep inside. She let his name be enough because—it was. “Hunter.”

  He growled as, very slowly, he kissed his way to her hip, then bathed her navel in sizzling heat that drove her crazy. No man had ever taken this kind of time to pleasure her. His fingers were gentle, his mouth demanding but firm.

  His fingers dropped to her hips and peeled her panties down. She stepped out of them and there he stopped, placing another fervent kiss just below her navel.

  Meredith looked down to the top of his head, his short-cropped hair glistening in the ambient light from the moon. Barely able to breathe, she wrapped the vines around her hands. Quivering. Waiting. Hoping.

  Hunter blew a slow heated breath at the juncture between her legs. “God, I wish I had a bed,” he muttered. “I’d lay you down and eat you up.”

  A wellspring of moisture unleashed, and Meredith couldn’t stand still. “Then do it,” she begged.

  Hunter lifted to his feet, and she could’ve killed him. The tease!

  “Not here, Merry. One taste and I won’t be able to stop. I’m saving dessert for later.” A soft glow lit his eyes as he settled his palms to her now over-sensitive ribcage.

  “But I want you,” she breathed, her voice a growl.

  He cocked his head. “Where? Tell me.”

  She captured his hips between her legs, casting her eyes down their as yet uncoupled bodies. “There. Right there.”

  A smoldering smile cracked his left cheek wide open. Ah, that sexy dimple!

  “And I want you screaming when I’m done with you, Meredith, but this isn’t the place and we’ve got neighbors.” His voice turned into the rumbling growl of a hungry jungle cat. Hunter palmed her ass in his big warm hands. “Trust me?”

  She nodded, the vine wound around her hands and her body throbbing. “Always.”

  “Then get a good hold, Merry.” Slowly, he lowered her, impaling her inch by incredibly hot inch. She dropped her lashes and watched it happen. Her nostrils flared at the rich sultry scent of their sweaty bodies.

  She arched backward, thrusting her belly forward. That brought him forward. Hunter nuzzled his nose between her breasts, spreading fire with his tongue even as his velvet shaft settled deep, claiming what she’d always known belonged to him. Her body. Her heart. Her soul.

  She ground her hips into him, gasping with unadulterated pleasure that she finally had the right man where she wanted him. She clung to the vine as Hunter took her by storm. He backed her into the wide trunk of that tree, and, with determined strokes, he pistoned into her with force. She met each stroke with equally determined energy, granting more access, and forcing him to reach deeper. He complied, his body in sync with hers.

  And she flew. Her body launched a bottle rocket of scorching light that ravaged every last nerve. The stars! A whimper escaped her throat as he clutched tightly, his fingertips digging into her hips as he found his release, too. This man was her Fourth of July fireworks. Her one true love.

  Meredith gripped the vines tighter and pushed for more, milking every last inch of him, needing all he had to give. Aftershocks surged up her spine, forcing her body to clamp onto him, to hold him where he belonged.

  Hunter groaned in the crook of her neck, his hands at the small of her back. Heavy breathing filled the air, their hearts pounding together in the jungle heat. She let one hand go of the vine to hold Hunter’s sweaty head against her, wishing this moment wouldn’t end.

  His tongue lapped up the valley between her breasts. “Next time,” he whispered breathlessly, “we’ll do this right. I’ll bed you in silk and rose petals. I’ll cover you in kisses and chocolate. Whipped cream. Strawberries. Bubbles.”

  “And you?” she asked, the rough feel of her warrior between her legs the most comforting thing she’d felt there—or anywhere—in a long time.

  “And me.” Hunter lifted his head as he engulfed her inside his arms, still breathing hard. “You can let go of that vine now.” He shifted his weight while he lavished her neck with moist kisses. “I love you. Can I ever tell you how much, Merry?”

  Meredith dropped her arms around his neck. Leaning her forehead onto his chin, she sighed as the tattooed snake on his arm circled her. “You just did.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “Shhhhh,” Hunter whispered when he landed, but Merry couldn’t seem to stop giggling. The notion that they’d just made love in the tree like a couple of monkeys seemed the perfect ending to what had, until now, been a ghastly day. Maybe she was out of her mind, or beyond the point of exhaustion, but the dangerous night had turned her silly. It could’ve also been because, for the first time in years, she felt truly loved.

  Hunter didn’t know, but her contentment made him wonder what she’d endured with a man like Welch for a husband. He knew damned well she’d been hit; he could tell by the way she flinched when he made a sudden move. Had any of their time together been good?

  He caught her clothes first, the holster second, as she eased out of the tree branch and into his arms, still completely naked.

  “Ouch,” she hissed. “I’ve think I’ve got slivers in my butt.”

  He kept careful eyes on the jungle as he handed her clothes to her. His moment of joyful idiocy had long fled. He’d put her at risk in one out-of-control moment of
passion and that wasn’t smart. Hoping to not be a complete douchebag and ruin their first time, he spun her around and popped her ass. “No you don’t. Put these on. Be quick.”

  “I will,” she whispered, the silliest smile on her face. Hell. How could they go into the cave with her grinning like that? She had the perfect I’ve-just-had-sex glow in her eyes, and normally, he’d be damned proud he’d put it there. But Eric would surely notice. Hell, all the guys would notice a light like the one in her eyes. Meredith was happy, and that made him happy. He wanted to shout it to the world. Just. Not. Now.

  He left her briefly and strode beneath the overhanging branches to retrieve his clothing on the riverbank. Within minutes, they were both presentable. His shirt still hung in the shadows because, truth be told, he didn’t much like wearing some asshat’s clothing any more than Meredith did. He snagged the three fish he’d caught on his way back. “I was going to roast these tonight. Now I’m not so sure I’ll have time.”

  She leaned into him with her arm around his waist as they walked toward the hideaway together. “We could make an outdoor oven.”

  That took him by surprise. This woman had a few tricks up her sleeve. “You know how?”

  “Sure. We’ll need to dig a foot deep hole, maybe two feet wide. Flat stones make the best oven, but not river stones. They might blow up. And banana leaves. Oh, yes, and dry wood. Go get the matches. I’ll find something to dig with.”

  He caught her wrist before she could escape. “Oh, no, you don’t. The fish will keep just fine where they are until morning. Let’s call it a night. We both need some decent shut-eye.”

  “Aw,” she sounded like a little kid. “I don’t want to go in. Just fifteen more minutes?”

  He knew better, but caved like the sucker he was.

  He chose a shadowy spot beneath the tree they’d been in. Backing against it, he lowered to the ground. Her plump backside fit nicely between his legs. They were no more than seated when she pointed to the riverbank where a dog-sized rodent sniffed at the stones. “Ewww, look. A rat.”

  “Might taste good,” he whispered, his chin in the crook of her neck.

  “Don’t say that.” A full on body shiver wiggled through her. “I’m not eating rat meat. Never.”

  With her small hand in his, he rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring. “Why the ring?”

  “It keeps men away.”

  That helped. “All this time, I thought you were married. So why the divorce?”

  Her shoulders lifted. “From the start, we wanted different things. I wanted Courtney. He wanted himself, I guess. The day I brought Courtney home from the hospital, he moved out. Said he needed space, only he never came back. By then I had a restraining order anyway.”

  “He hurt you?”

  “He, umm, played rough.” The tremor in her voice gave her away. “He could be mean. Most of the time it was over stupid stuff, like which movie to see. Everything had to be his way.”

  “Did he hit you?” Hunter had to know how bad things were.

  Her lashes fell. “Yes, he…” She cleared her throat. “He did.”

  She seemed to have a hard time saying Welch’s name. Fine by Hunter. He curled her into his arms, inside what would forever be her safe zone. “He’ll never hurt you again, trust me.” Because I’ll kill him the next time I see him.

  “Did he hurt your son?”

  She shook her head. “He’s never seen Courtney.”

  Un-fuckin’-believable, sprang to Hunter’s lips, but he reduced it to, “Just as well. Courtney’s too good for him.” He spun the ring on her finger. “Is this his?”

  “No. Mom gave it to me the day Courtney was born. She said it was a New Beginning ring to celebrate the birth of a brand new life for both of us.”

  “Where’s his ring?”

  Meredith grunted. “Where do you think? I threw it in the toilet and flushed it away.”

  Wasn’t that the perfect comeback? A smile cracked his face at her vehemence. Hunter lowered his chin into the crook of her neck and let the comfort of holding this woman—his woman—seep into his soul. He was a lucky man. “I’m sorry for all the questions. I just needed to know. It’s behind you now, Meredith. You’re not alone.”

  “Us.” She wiggled against his chest, her fingers on his thighs. “You mean it’s behind us. I did learn some things while I was married to him, though. Like how strong I am. How resilient. The time I spent with him was a fire I had to walk through to get where I am today.”

  “The refiner’s fire,” he muttered, hating that she’d suffered, but thrilled she’d finally seen Welch for the lying POS he was. “Walking through crap does tend to change us. Did you ever finish college?”

  “No. I’m taking night school on and off to get my engineering degree, but it’s tough. I’ve got Courtney, and I can only take a class or two at a time. That’s why I like working for Jed McCormack. He pays for any education his employees need, even if it isn’t related to our jobs. How about you?”

  “Yeah. Online classes. No big deal.”

  She twisted in his arms to look at him. “Good for you! What degree?”

  “Business Management. I figured it’d help get me a job once I left the Corps.”

  “I’m so proud of you.” She wrangled an arm around his neck and gave him a squeeze as if he’d accomplished something great.

  “Yeah, well, it’s not like I’m rich and famous like Welch.”

  Meredith shivered. “He has gotten wealthy awfully fast, hasn’t he?”

  “He certainly knows how to get around people. Sounds like we’ve all come a long ways from where we started.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?” She snuggled her backside into him. “These last three years have been busy. Hey, I found something in the cave. My high school graduation picture, the one I gave you. Did you drop it?”

  Ahh, damn. He scratched his scruffy cheek. “I left it with you when I went to find the guys, in case I didn’t come back. In case—”

  “Were you breaking up with me?”

  “Yes. Maybe. Having you beside me after all these years but still married to him... I don’t know.” Hunter ran a hand over the top of his head. “It was ripping my guts out. I shouldn’t have kissed you like I did last night, but I couldn’t stand being so close to you and not being able to touch.”

  She hooked her fingers over his forearms, tracing the outline of his snake. “I like touching.”

  Those three words filled the empty hole in his heart with an ocean of warmth. How she did it, he didn’t know. He was just damn thankful she was finally where she belonged.

  “Tell me about your tattoos. They seem so... hostile. Why’d you cover so much of your body with ink?”

  Where to begin? “It’s a guy thing. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Try me.”

  Oh hell. “Which one do you want to know about?”

  “The one on your back. It doesn’t make sense. A boot print looks like someone stepped on you. Is that what you think life’s done?”

  In a word—yes. “That’s not what it means. It’s for my friends who died over there. Gary Jennings’ name’s at the toe of the boot because he died first. In Ramadi. The next tread down is Luke Casper. Coming home to nothing did him in. He committed suicide.”

  Meredith twisted around to kneel between his legs. “You carry them with you. Everywhere.”

  “It’s the least I can do.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Why? You didn’t do it.”

  Her fingers strayed to the eagle on his chest. A fine American eagle, and one he was damned proud of. She traced the words outlining the symbol of America. Betrayer. Liar. “Were these for… me?”

  Hunter closed his eyes and told the truth. “At first, yes. I was mad at the world back then. I took it out on everyone, but later it meant the real betrayers, the ones who make a buck off wounded vets. The ones in Congress and Hollywood who stab us in the back.”

  She let out a deep s
igh. “I’ll never be able to tell you how sorry I am.”

  “It’s over,” he declared, turning her back to his chest again “It’s done. It’s what we do from this point on that matters.”

  “Is that really why you joined the Marines? Because of me and... him?”

  Hunter nodded. “Like I said, I was mad at the world. I needed to get away so I did. End of story.”

  “Do you regret being a Marine?”

  That was one thing he was sure of. “No. Never. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but, hell yeah. I’d do it again.” Hunter sank his nose in her hair. “So tell me about Courtney. What’s he look like?”

  “Me.” Just hearing her son’s name softened Meredith’s body. She melted into Hunter, hugging his arms over her breasts. “Courtney is the smartest three-year-old in Mrs. See’s preschool. He’s blond and blue-eyed, and he needs a haircut, but I may never cut it. I love his shaggy, little boy look.”

  “But he never saw his own son?” Hunter avoided that name. “Not even when he was born?”

  Meredith stiffened. And didn’t the difference in her body language tell Hunter all he needed to know? Little Courtney didn’t have a real father. Sperm Donor-Dad didn’t count.

  “It was just as well. Things between us were already strained. When I called to tell him I’d gone into labor—”

  “You what?” Hunter couldn’t stop the hiss. Wasn’t that just like Meredith, to keep reaching out, trying to fix things and people that were broken? Like me.

  She shrugged. “I know. It was stupid, but yes, I called him. Divorce is so final and, I kept hoping I could turn it around.”

  “But he abused you.”

  Meredith sunk into his arms as a sigh escaped her. “I honestly thought that one look at his son and he’d…” Another sigh. “I thought he’d grow up, Hunter. I thought he’d come to his senses and want to be a father.”

  He’d have to be a man first. “You’d still give him a second chance? You’d let him see Courtney after all this time, wouldn’t you?”

  Meredith ducked her head. “It’s not like I have to worry about it. It’s been three years and he hasn’t met Courtney yet, but yes. He is Courtney’s father. It could happen.”