"So," he says, trying to keep the laughter from his words, but bombing big time. "I can see this is a bad time, but little man says he's ready for Zootopia or some shit."
"Shit," I whisper-groan, only just now remembering that Jenna made me promise to have him back in time to go to the movies with her. "Jenna's taking Mav to the movies to watch the new cartoon that just came out," I answer regretfully, and curse when Hunter's hands grip my ass tighter.
He doesn't want to let go, just like I don't want to let go.
The only problem is ... we have to.
CHAPTER 38
By the time Maverick and I get back to the apartment, Jenna is basically running out the door with her arms wide open and waiting for me to hand him over. I had my worries that he'd be too tired to go, but thankfully, he seems just as energetic as he was during the cookout at Hunter's house.
"Remember, no candy past seven, okay?" She nods, taking his bag. "Also, no small piece because he tends to choke, and watch him with popcorn, too."
She interrupts me. "I got it." Then she smiles, patting my arm. Maverick mimics her actions, making me laugh. "This isn't my first rodeo."
"Yeah. Not her rodeo," Maverick says, pursing his lips shamelessly.
"When does the movie start?" I ask.
Checking her watch, she chirps, "About thirty minutes. It's the 6:55 showing, so we should be back around 9, just in time for bath and bed. Isn't that right, little man?" He nods, his smile nearly splitting his face in two.
Shaking my head, I smile and give him a kiss on his tiny cheek. Jenna shoots me a wink before walking away with a bouncing Maverick in her arms, already asking her a ton of questions about the movie. I can't help but smile. They make such terrific friends, those two.
After settling inside, I decide that it's a good chance to get some homework done before the holidays hit, so I get all my books out and sit down on the couch, tucking in. By the time I look up from my English work, I see that it's getting dark. Stretching, I toss down my pen and check the time, seeing it's almost 7:30, and since it's becoming wintertime soon, it gets darker sooner.
Craning my neck from side to side, I try to massage the ache in my muscles. Kneading, I inwardly wish there were another ache I could take care of just as easily. Ever since leaving Hunter's, I've been primed and ready. Stupid me for getting caught up in the moment and nearly forgetting something Jenna planned nearly all week for.
That's what happens when I'm around Hunter, though. Everything of importance simply floats away. Not because I want to shirk my duties or anything, but because his proximity leaves no room for anything else.
Just the nearness of him is enough to fog all my senses. I thought it was terrible in high school, but present Hunter is no match for sophomore year Hunter.
This Hunter knows what he wants, even more so than the one from high school. He's not a fumbling teenager, but a man who brings me to my knees with a single look.
Hunter and I have always had a connection, but now, since we've worked on things, there seems to be something stronger growing there. Probably not enough for a sustainable relationship, but most definitely a friendship. To be honest, I doubt there'll ever be a chance at anything more as long as that bitch is in the picture.
While Hunter says there's nothing going on between them, I still have my worries about her. She's a freaking psycho. Nearly killing me by forcing my head in the toilet. While it may be degrading and humiliating, I was only worried for my life. If Cass will go that far to keep me away from Hunter when they’re together, how far will she go when they're not?
A desperate woman is a woman with a loaded vendetta.
Pondering over that, I decide to try and soak my feelings away. Maybe if my body can heal itself, my mind will be able to sift through all the bullshit and figure out what it wants to do. Because my mind is running the show now, not my body. I can't count on that little bitch to make the right choices.
While getting my things ready, I run the bath and put my lavender and honeysuckle bath salt in the warm water. Ridding myself of my clothes, I can't help but stop and stare at the small roll of my stomach that my clothes mostly hide. In high school, I was a thin rail. But now, I have childbearing hips and full-fledged stretch marks from carrying Maverick for nine months.
Just remembering what I used to look like and what I do now scares me a little into submission as well. What would Hunter think? Would he be disgusted by my marks or turned on? I know some men think that sort of thing is hot, having “tiger stripes” from carrying their children. Is Hunter that type? Just the fear of the unknown makes me pause.
Tossing my clothes into the dirty hamper, I wrap a robe around me. It's silk, and one of the only things I really overspent on when it comes to myself. The material is soft and silky against my skin, and I love the way it makes me feel. Light rose in color, nearly a champagne, and hits about mid-thigh. It's gorgeous and so sensible.
Tying my hair into a messy bun, I hum under my breath as I pour a small glass of wine to enjoy in my bath. Taking a drink, I start making my way down the hall and shut off the water. Just as I’m about to disrobe, I hear a knock at the door. The knock is strong, assured, and causes a buzzing undercurrent to zip through me. There's only one person that could be.
I put down my wine and slowly make my way toward the door. I curse under my breath when I remember what I'm wearing, with nothing at all underneath. I contemplate changing, but then think better of it. He probably just forgot something over here the other day.
Unlocking the locks, I swing open the door with a smile. "Forget something?"
"When did I have a chance to forget something?"
Instantly, the smile drops from my face, and my guard comes up. "Traven?"
He gives me a lecherous grin. "Hey, Harloe. Long time, no chat."
I haven't talked to him since that night we had dinner. Didn't have a reason to. I knew the moment I left the restaurant, that he and I would be pursuing nothing together. Traven Lockridge throws up too many red flags, especially when we're alone. Much like we are now.
"Oh, yeah. I've been pretty busy."
He holds a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "Ouch."
I don't miss the way his gaze eats up my body like a fat cat would lick up warm cream. It's disgusting and makes me feel like nothing more than a piece of meat. Closing the door a little, blocking half my body from view, I ask, "So, what brings you here?"
His eyes snap back up to mine, and he grins, but even I can tell the emotion doesn't quite reach his eyes. If anything ... I'd say he doesn't look happy to be here. If that's the case, I pray he leaves soon. There's just something off about him. I don't like it when we're alone.
He leans to the left, lounging against the door jamb. I close the door another smidge, knowing what he's trying to do. I really should have gotten something on. But considering I thought it might be Hunter, I didn't. Of course, it wouldn't have been appropriate then, either, but still, at least I feel Hunter's honest intentions.
With Traven, all I see is debauchery and darkness.
"Wanna go out tonight?"
I crane my head to the right, furrowing my brows. "You know I have a kid, right? I can't just go out all willy-nilly."
His gaze flicks toward the inside of the apartment shortly before he brings his eyes back to mine. "Is he here? I could've sworn I saw the little tyke with Jenna. Going to the movies or something?"
My guard inches higher. "How do you know that?"
"I live in the same house as Hunter, silly," he forces out through a laugh, but I don't get what's funny.
This is the same guy who was trying to get into my pants last month. This is the same guy who puts off serious creepy vibes. This is also the guy who Hunter caught with Cass, looking like they were up to no good.
Fuck, I wish Hunter were here.
The thought makes my eyes round marginally. I've never wanted Hunter to protect me more than I do now, and you know what ... it feels good. Not right
now, with all things considering. But just the thought that if he knew I needed him that he'd be here. That's the kind of reliance I want to have on someone, and I know, right here and now, that no matter what went down in high school, Hunter is still that guy for me.
"That still doesn't answer my question." Plus, only Maverick was talking about the movies to Leo, and when he did, I know for a fact Traven was nowhere around.
He gives me a smile meant to charm, and then allows his head to jerk toward the exit like he's talking about someone. "I met Jenna as she was going out before coming up here."
That was nearly an hour ago. "Oh, really?" I try to appear nonchalant, even though I'm seriously beginning to freak out.
He nods like this isn't the biggest creeptastic conversation ever. He must think he's slick, saying he met them as he was coming up when I know he didn't. She left thirty minutes before the show started. If he's just now knocking on the door, then he was either waiting for something, or he doesn't have nice motives for being here.
Subtly, my eyes check out my surroundings in my peripheral vision. I note the light at the end of the hallway, nearest the door next to ours, is out. I can't see if it's blown out or just missing, and I also don't know why I notice that as much, but I do all the same. Coincidentally, that's the same area where the camera is.
Deciding to put this conversation to rest, I make an excuse. "Well, I have a bath calling my name, I better not waste it."
He smiles once more, which is freaky, considering his expression doesn’t show the emotion. "Do you want to go out?"
He sounds too frenetic while trying to appear nonchalant. His eyes, every so often, break away, and he peers both ways down the hallway before his gaze finds mine again. He's pretty hellbent on me going out with him, and I can hear the hard undertone of his voice like he won't take no for an answer.
"Why are you pushing this?" I question, watching the slight tic of his jaw.
His nostrils flare, and it's weird because the rest of him appears unfazed. "Just ..." I can see he's barely holding himself together, but whatever restraint he had must be slipping because his tone gets rougher and angrier as he spits out, "The answer you're looking for is yes. It's not too hard to say since you did so easily with Prince. Get dressed. I will wait right here for you, or ... would you rather I wait inside?"
I gasp, shocked at his crass words—also, the innuendo. "You need to leave. Now."
"I'm not going anywhere." He loses his control completely, coming for me. "You've made me wait months, and I'm not going to wait anymore. We can skip dinner, but you will be spreading those legs before the end of tonight."
Just as I'm about mustering up the strength to fight him on it, he's forcefully slammed against the wall by my door. I jump back at the sound, cringing as Hunter pushes Traven's face into the wall, grading the skin of his cheek into the textured brick, scratching Traven's once perfect skin.
"Are you fucking insane?" Hunter growls, body growing as he huffs and puffs his anger. "That's the mother of my child, you spineless prick, so show some goddamn respect!" he roars, shoving harder.
Traven releases a grunt, mouth fishing open and closed. "She's nothing but a fucking cock tease."
I stand back, covering my mouth, appalled. "I never once led you on."
"Oh, he knows," Hunter grits out, shoving his weight into Traven farther. "This little motherfucker had a little bet going with his friends, didn't you?" He aims the question at Traven, but secretly, I know he's speaking to me, too. "They have this book they write all their conquests down in. You were Traven's."
My eyes flit from Hunter to the piece of shit groaning under Hunter's strength. "You piece of shit!"
He cackles with demonic laughter. "You're nothing but a Prince slut anyway. Who's next, huh, Harloe? Are you gonna fuck Emmerson and make it a three for one?"
Before I know what's happening, Hunter pulls his arm back and releases it with a guttural yell. His fist smashes into the side of Traven's face, knocking him to the ground, and the bastard is knocked out cold just from that hit. I can see that plain as day, but Hunter apparently can't, because he tries to go down with him.
I'm frozen for all of two seconds, and then I'm out in the hall and gripping onto Hunter's bicep, pleading with him to stop. If he gets cut loose, he'll kill him. I know how vindictive Hunter is with his words, and that's when he's not using his strength. If Hunter gets physical, there's no telling what he'll do.
"Please, don't. You don't need to get in trouble because of this asshole." I pull and tug, but nothing works.
He's huffing and puffing like a madman. Nothing seems to be getting through to him while he’s stuck in this haze of anger. So, without a thought, I wrap myself around him. It may not work, but then again, I have nothing to lose. My arms go around his neck and my legs around his waist like a spider monkey. It takes him off guard, but he quickly grabs ahold of me to keep us both from falling.
"Let's go inside," I quip, and tighten my hold further. I see what looks like contemplation, probably thinking about staying out here and finishing the job. But I can’t allow that. He doesn’t need the bad press that will go along with beating someone nearly to death because of their words and the meaning of them.
Hunter doesn’t even put me down as he stands to his full height. All he does is place a hand on my ass cheek through my silk robe and adjust my clinging grip on his body. Grumbling under his breath about “beating the shit out of him,” and “mine,” he makes his way into my apartment, slamming the door behind him with the heel of his shoe.
Once we’re inside, he sits me down on my feet, albeit reluctantly. And it’s then he gets a look at what I’m wearing. The moment I notice he gets a full-frontal, his eyes darken, and his body seems to tighten. I watch as his eyes hungrily eat up the distance between my feet and the top of my collarbone in one slow, measured sweep.
His perusal of me causes a flush to burn my skin, letting him know I notice him staring at me. His eyes finally meet mine, and I lose what little air I had in my lungs at the hunger I see. He looks famished.
Words no longer matter. The dick out there in the hallway no longer matters. Within the span of a heartbeat, both of our restraints fracture and then explode. We collide with each other in a tangle of lips and arms. He hoists me up into his arms, and I wrap every body part I can around him to pull him closer.
Opening Pandora’s box has never been so sweet.
Stumbling his way to my room, he bumps into the door and nearly falls over one of Maverick’s toys. We smile against each other’s lips, laughing at our insanity, but doing nothing to stop it. He drops me down to the bed, and immediately crawls over me, settling between my naturally spread thighs.
Breaking the kiss once again, he lays me out in front of him. I arch into him as his lips trail down the column of my neck before slowly wisping over my collarbone. Once he gets to the hollow of my throat, I feel his tongue dart out, licking. My eyes fall shut as I feel his tongue circle in smooth strokes.
To be a man of his size, Hunter has one of the lightest touches I’ve ever felt. His gentleness is out of this world like he’s treasuring every piece of me as if he fears he will never see it again. My insides clench as he nibbles on the cords of my neck, making his way back up to my jawline. Skimming his lips across my heated skin, they ghost over my lips and taunt me with their presence.
“Hunt,” I whisper breathlessly, fearing anything louder will break the spell we’re under.
“Yes?” His tongue darts out and runs over the seam of my lips, causing my stomach to clench.
Bringing my lips to his ear, I weave my hands in his hair, tugging the strands. Licking my lips, I press a chaste kiss to the soft spot behind his ear, which elicits a rumbling groan in his throat as his hips reflexively shunt forward. I smile at the sound.
Licking my way up to his ear, I whisper seductively, “I want you.”
“You have me,” he grunts, grinding his hips once more. “You’ve always had
me.”
We slowly begin undressing each other, feeling as if this is the first time all over again. His hands are timid in their actions. My fingers shakily remove his shirt. Our breaths mingle as we steal tiny kisses in between.
It’s as if no time has passed since we’ve been together. He moves his way around my body with effortless ease, knowing which spots nearly have me in a puddle on the bed and which have me teetering on the cliff of ecstasy.
He knows the right time to pull back to keep me from falling over the ledge. Kiss after kiss, lick after lick, his motions are unhurried and precise. He's reverent.
“Ah!” I cry out as he takes one sensitive peak into his mouth, sucking and twirling his tongue around the tip.
My body arches beneath his, seeking comfort in his touch. If being with Hunter is wrong, then as the old saying goes, I don't want to be right. Let me be as sinful and wrong as possible because never again do I want to go without this.
I revel in the feeling of his lips against my skin as his fingers trail down the sides of my body. He wraps an arm underneath me, giving me support where my strength has long since faltered.
My nipple slips free from his mouth, and he settles back on the balls of his feet. His face is cast in shadows, causing my heart to pick up the pace at the leering smile pasted on his face. Leaning over the bed, he starts messing with his clothes until I hear a foil package ripping. The sound seems to echo throughout the room, and I watch with excitement as he sheaths his incredibly thick, long cock in a condom.
As he leans back down toward me, he starts the painstakingly slow process of kissing me in such a way it feels like he's trying to devour my soul.
Let him. I don't need it. All I need is his touch. His laughter. Fill me up to the brim with him and nothing else, and I'll be a happy woman.
Our Secret: A College Bully Romance (Golden Crew Book 1) Page 36