Hunter
“It’s late,” I say as I pull Katie toward my pickup. “Are you sure you don’t want me to take you back to the hotel?”
She gives me a seductive little grin. “I’m sure. I want to go back to your place for a while.”
The drive back home is quiet. Katie seems a little lost in her own thoughts. I want to be with her. More than I’ve ever wanted to be with anyone in my life. But I also don’t want to start something I can’t finish. I’m not a hit-it-and-quit-it kind of guy. I’m not like Jake. I’m more like a beaver that mates for life.
“Did I tell you how much I love your house?” Katie says when I park the car.
We left the bar a little early, right after Wilde Riders finished our last set. The crowds were starting to diminish and Jake said they had enough hands to close the bar.
I open Katie’s door and help her out of my truck. I like touching her and feeling her skin against mine. I like the way we seem to fit together, our hands, our bodies, everything just works.
I lead her into an empty guest bedroom set up downstairs. It used to be my parents’ room before they died.
She glances around. “Why can’t I stay in your room?”
“I didn’t want to make any assumptions…”
She moves closer to me. When she looks up at me she has a hint of mischief in her eyes that makes me a little nervous.
“You could stay in the guestroom with me,” she suggests. There’s a hint of seductiveness in her voice.
I’m torn. A big part of me wants to be inside of her as quickly as humanly possible, but another part of me wants to be a gentleman and do the right thing. A one-nighter is definitely not the right thing.
“Maybe I can convince you to stay with me.”
As soon as she places her hand on my chest it’s all over. All I can think about is the two of us naked in bed.
“Your heart is racing,” she observes.
I grab her hand and remove it from my chest. “I’m not sure this is a good idea.”
“Why not?” She’s starting to blink back tears.
Shit.
The last thing I want to deal with is a crying woman. It happens a lot when you’re a cop. Women crying when you pull them over. It’s not easy to give someone a ticket when they have tears streaming down their cheeks.
And it’s not easy to tell a woman “no” when she’s crying. But I have a sneaking suspicion she already knows that.
“Please stop crying,” I urge.
She sniffles a few times then makes an effort to stop the waterworks.
“Can we have a conversation about this without you crying?”
“Yes,” she mutters.
“Good. Now tell me why?”
“Why what?” She looks puzzled.
“Why you want to be with me? I’m a small town cop and you’re a celebrity. Aren’t there plenty of actors you can be with?”
She frowns. “Maybe I don’t want to be with an actor. Maybe I don’t want to be with another celebrity.”
“Maybe you should.”
She turns and walks over to the bed then plops herself down. I take that as a cue and make my way over to the bed and sit down beside her.
“Do you have any idea how good it felt not to be recognized? To spend just one night being a normal person again? I forgot how much I missed it. My old life. Being just little Kat from P-burg.”
“And you think sleeping with me is going to keep making you feel normal?”
She shrugs.
“I told you I don’t do one night stands. I don’t use girls like that. I’m more like a beaver than a bonobo chimpanzee.”
She furrows her brow. “A beaver and a chimpanzee?”
I shake my head. “Forget it. It’s not important.”
Her cute little crooked grin is really getting to me. “What if I want to use you?”
A girl using me for sex? That’s a first. “Why would you want to do that?”
When her face turns somber I regret the question. “I’ve never had a chance to actually be young. I’ve been working since I was seventeen years old. I had just graduated high school when I got my first acting job and I’ve been working ever since. Do you have any idea what it’s like to have the success of a movie worth millions of dollars resting on your shoulders? I don’t feel like my life is even my own anymore. Managers and agents tell me what to do and when to do it. They make demands about everything from the clothes I wear to my hair style. Apparently cutting your hair at the wrong time can ruin your acting career. Did you know that? Just this once I want to do something just for me. I want to do something that’s young and wild and reckless.”
“And then what?”
She looks so sad my heart is actually aching. “Then it’s back to having everyone else run my life I guess.”
Talk about a guilt trip. How could I possibly say no after a speech like that? It’s not like I don’t want to have sex with her. I crave it. I can feel my entire body aching to be with her.
“Okay,” I agree before I have time to take the words back.
She raises an eyebrow. “Okay? Really?”
I nod. “You convinced me.”
Seeing the broad smile overtake her face makes my decision worth it.
“So what happens now?” she asks.
I can’t help but grin. “I thought you were the one who was seducing me.”
She scrunches up her nose. “I guess I’m not really good at seducing. I haven’t really had that much experience.”
“Before we get too far down the road give me just a minute, okay?”
She looks puzzled again. “Okay. Why?”
“Unless you have some condoms in your purse.”
Her eyes grow wide. “No. I guess I wasn’t really thinking about that.”
“That’s why I’m a cop. We’re always prepared.”
“I thought that was the Boy Scouts.”
“Them too,” I yell back as I head out the door.
It only takes a few moments for me to grab a box of condoms from Jake’s room. Half of his closet is filled with them. For a split second I wonder if he has them inventoried, but knowing his poor accounting skills I highly doubt it.
When I get back into the guest bedroom Katie is already in the bed under the covers. I notice her clothing is strewn on a chair in the sitting area near the window.
She gives me a sly little smile. “Hope you don’t mind that I got into bed already.”
“I thought you said you weren’t good at seduction.”
She must be doing something right because I can feel myself getting hard just thinking about her naked under those covers.
“I think you have entirely too many clothes on,” she teases.
I may not be the smartest guy on the planet, but I can definitely take a hint. As I remove my T-shirt and jeans I watch Katie’s face to gauge her reaction.
When she bites her bottom lip I have a feeling that she likes what she sees. I know this is only a one night thing, but I want it to be a special one for her. Or as special as someone like me, a rookie cop from rural New Jersey with very little experience in the sex department, can make it.
As I place the box of condoms on the nightstand Katie opens the covers inviting me into bed with her.
I join her in bed but I don’t let her cover herself again. I want to see every part of her.
“Why don’t you let me pull the cover back over us?” She sounds a little nervous.
I shake my head.
“Turn the lights off?” she suggests.
I shake my head again. “I need to see you, Kat.”
“But…”
“But what?”
She turns away.
“Look at me…please…”
When she turns back she’s blinking back tears. I smooth them away with my thumb.
“Devon always made me turn the lights out. He said I was flabby and didn’t work out enough and he didn’t need to see it.”
I�
��ve never wanted to slug someone as much as I want to slug that prick. The asshole had this crazy amazing woman and he didn’t appreciate her at all.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her. “Absolutely perfect.”
I kiss her. A crazy amazing kiss. A kiss so charged my dick completely stands at attention.
I need to be inside of her before I explode, but I want to take my time with her. Give her everything I possibly can to make this one perfect night.
As I run a finger down the milky white skin between her ample breasts she shivers in response.
I lean in and whisper in her ear. “You deserve to be worshipped.”
I take in the light scent of her shampoo —strawberry—as I kiss her neck. I’m rewarded with a low moan.
As I kiss my way down her neck and collarbone she takes in a sharp breath. I’ve always been extremely goal oriented my entire life. I knew I wanted to be a cop from the time I was in grade school and I focused everything in my life around that singular objective.
But right now—at this moment—my only goal is to please the woman with me in bed.
Kat has amazing breasts full, but still firm. I take my time licking and sucking her nipples until they’re completely erect.
When I glance up I notice that her eyes are closed, but she has a satisfied little smile on her face so I continue my journey downward, kissing her round little stomach and hips.
Then I spread her legs and kiss my way down her inner thighs giving each one equal attention.
When I move further between her legs she flinches.
“What are you doing?” she whispers.
I frown. “What do you mean?”
Her face is flush and I’m not sure if it’s because she’s turned on or embarrassed. Maybe a little of both.
“Are you going to put your tongue inside of me?” she asks.
I nod—vigorously.
“Seriously?”
I make my way back up the bed and lie down next to her. “Devon never went down on you?”
She looks puzzled so I elaborate. “He never put his tongue inside of you?”
She shakes her head.
I place my hand on her cheek. She feels a lot warmer than she did before. I hope that’s a good sign.
“I want to make you feel good, Kat. That’s what this is about.”
She frowns. “What about you feeling good?”
“Making you feel good makes me feel good. Trust me. Okay?”
She nods, but I can still see some hesitancy in her eyes.
I make my way back down the bed and take my place where I left off. As soon as my tongue is inside of her she takes in a sharp breath.
I take my time pleasuring her, licking and sucking her clit until her entire body tenses and she lets out a moan of delight.
Quickly I make my way back up the bed and kiss her. I want her to taste herself on my lips. Then I pull her in close and grab her small ass, which fits perfectly in my palms. I want her to feel my desire for her. I want her to know how much I want her. How badly I want to be inside of her.
“Are you ready for me?” I whisper in her ear.
She nods, but it’s not enough. I need for her to speak the words. “Tell me what you want,” I urge.
“I want you, Hunter. I want to feel you inside of me.”
I quickly remove a condom from the box and rip the package open with my teeth. I sheath myself and then look into Kat’s lovely brown eyes—the eyes that melt my heart with a just few flutters of her thick lashes.
“I want you,” she repeats, but this time it’s more of a plea.
As I push inside of her she flinches just a bit and it shocks me. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing. It’s just…it’s been a while…a few months.”
“Do you want me to stop?”
“No!” She’s nearly breathless. “Keep going.”
I forge ahead, pushing deep inside of her. As I continue to thrust she relaxes a bit more.
I feel like a volcano ready to erupt, but I do my best to hold off the explosion for as long as possible.
As I push harder and deeper she takes in a sharp breath and claws at my back. Then she clenches tightly around me and lets out a long, shuddering sigh. That’s the final breaking point and I can no longer keep the tide at bay. I completely let loose.
I hold Kat as tight as I can without crushing her, but I don’t want to ever let her go.
“How was that?” I ask as I look into her eyes. She looks sad. Not the way you want a girl to look when you’ve just made love to her for the first time.
“It was crazy amazing,” she replies then gives me a forced smile.
“Then why do you look so sad?” I brush my thumb down her cheek.
“What did you mean when you said you’re like a beaver and not a bonobo chimpanzee?”
I sigh. I know I probably shouldn’t have said it, but I also want her to know the truth. I want her to know how I feel.
“Bonobo chimpanzees are kind of like the hippies of the animal kingdom and practice free love. Beavers are one of the species that mate for life.”
Her eyes grow wide as the significance of my words sets in. “Have you ever had sex before?”
“I’ve had a few girlfriends, but I never went all the way with any of them. I was so focused on school and getting into the police academy I didn’t have enough time for anything really serious.”
She purses her lips and furrows her brow like she is really giving it some thought.
“Why me?” she says finally. “Why did you—you know—do it with me?”
I swallow. “Because you asked me to and I wanted to give you what you asked for. I wanted to give you that one special night that you would always remember.”
She places her small hand on my cheek. “Thank you. For everything.”
I nod. “As much as I’d love to stay inside of you, I need to get this condom off.”
“Sure. Of course.”
As I withdraw I can see the sadness return to her eyes and it makes my heart ache. I wish things were different, that there was some way we could actually be together, but I know it’s just a fantasy.
I grab a pair of sweats and hurry into the bathroom. I dispose of the condom and clean myself off then slip on the sweats.
My jaw drops when I reenter the bedroom. Katie is already dressed and sitting on the bed putting on her shoes.
“What are you doing?” Any dreams I had of us falling asleep in each other’s arms or waking up together quickly fade.
She looks up at me and gives me a sad smile. “I think you’d better take me back to the hotel while it’s still dark.
“Why?”
“It’ll be easier for you to sneak me in. There probably won’t be paparazzi waiting in the middle of the night. I’m sure people are dying to know why I didn’t show up at the wedding. That’s going to be a big enough scandal to deal with. A walk of shame the next day would make it a million times worse.”
“Please don’t call it that.”
She frowns. “What?”
“Walk of shame. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” I walk over to the bed and pull her up and into my arms. I hold her close for a long minute. “I have feelings for you, Kat. There’s no shame in being with you. In us being together.”
“It’s just an expression.”
“A really bad one.”
“I’m glad I met you.” She smiles. “And I won’t ever forget you.”
I wish that was true, but I have no illusions that I’ll be anything more than an irrelevant footnote in her extraordinary life.
When she throws her arms around my neck and squeezes me tight I can feel myself choke up a bit. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of this girl. I need to maintain some shred of masculinity around her.
I throw on a sweatshirt and some sneakers and tell her to be as quiet as she can as I lead her through the dark house and out the door.
We’re bo
th silent on the short drive back to Tawnee Mountain. Not that there’s really much for either of us to say. She’ll be heading back to LA. Back to her life as America’s Sweetheart. And I’ll be the small town cop who spent one crazy amazing night with her.
As I pull into the back of the resort it’s dark except for one lone street light. And there’s not a sign of life anywhere. I don’t think she’ll run into any paparazzi.
Neither of us makes a move after I park the car. It’s almost like we’re trying to make time stop so our night together won’t end.
“I’ll walk you up to your room. I want to make sure you’re safe.”
She nods. The pain in her face is almost too much for me to handle. I feel like I’m being stabbed right in the chest.
“Will you just hold me for a few minutes?” Her voice is shaky. If she starts to cry I know I probably will too.
I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. I want to memorize everything about this moment, everything about our night together. I want to remember how she feels in my arms, and the scent of her strawberry shampoo as her hair tickles my nose, and the way she tastes when I kiss her…
Before I know it we’re making out like teenagers in the cab of my truck.
“Come up to my room,” she says breathlessly.
I jump out of the truck and hurry over to the passenger side as quickly as I can considering I’ve got the hard-on of my life.
I pull Kat out of the truck and the two of us practically run into the resort. The place is eerily quiet as we hurry down the hallway toward her room. She has her keycard out before we even make it to her door and we’re inside her suite within seconds.
She grabs my hand and pulls me into the enormous bedroom area. I feel like a kid who’s just been told he can have recess again when he thought for sure he’d be stuck in math class for the afternoon.
Kat and I are like animals ripping each other’s clothes off and when we’re both naked I grab her and pull her close. Our lips and tongues quickly find each other again. Even though it’s been such a short time since I was inside of her I feel like a starved dog who has just been given his first meal in days. I can’t keep my hands off of every part of her body.
Of course I didn’t bring the condoms with me. Never in a million years did I think I’d find myself in this position again.
“Do you have any protection?” I sound breathless, and needy.
A Wilde Night (Old Town Country Romance Book 3) Page 8