Because of You

by Lafortune, Connie

  “Why did your mother show up yesterday?” My throat’s dry and I’m out of water. Damn.

  “She wanted to invite me to a memorial service today, for Brady and my grandparents. I told her I had to work. ” She gasps as she looks up at me.

  “Why didn’t you go, Hunter?” I see the shock on her face.

  “My parents don’t do nice, so I knew they had an ulterior motive. I found out from a mutual contact that they hired him to find me. ” Being this close to her is perfect.

  We’re almost home when I get a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have to know if we’ll be okay. “I hope I answered all your questions. Is there anything else you need to know?”

  She takes a sip of water from the bottle, then hands it to me. I take a few big gulps and when I try to give it back, she shakes her head.

  “I have a million questions I’d like to ask, but you’re not ready for them. Maybe we should take a break—at least until you’re ready to trust me. ” She touches my cheek before turning to walk away.

  Reaching out I grab her wrist. “Riley, I trust you with my life, with my heart. Until you came along I didn’t know how to love. You proved to me that it’s worth the risk. Please don’t walk away; I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you. ” I feel the bile rising in my throat… I’m going to be sick.

  “How did Brady die? You said your grandparents were in the car, so where was he?” She’s frowning at me, waiting for an answer.

  “I’m afraid if I tell you what happened, you’ll blame me as much as I blame myself. I can’t take that chance right now. Please understand. Brady stayed with me that day. He didn’t want to go to the wedding. Either way he lost his life,” I say quietly, barely above a whisper.

  She cups my face with her small hands. “I’m desperate to know, why the man I love, blames himself for his brother’s death. You’re scaring me more by not telling me. Just tell me the truth. ”

  A part of me wants to tell her but I’m so scared that when I do, she won’t love the man who’s left standing. All I can do is shake my head, because I have a fucking lump in my throat the size of a baseball.

  She wraps her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my chest. I nuzzle into her neck, afraid this will be the last time I get to hold her. I want to take in her scent, drown in it, so I can remember every second of the last five weeks. I’m hoping it’s enough to last me a lifetime.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Riley

  Today marks one month after I turned eighteen. I can’t believe how much my life has changed in such a short time. I moved to South Carolina to go to college, to spend more time with my dad, but that hasn’t happened yet. I moved away from my best friend Ashley, which sucks. I met a guy who wanted to get inside my pants and that turned to shit. I wouldn’t change anything, though—it was all worth it because I met a man whom I fell deeply and passionately in love with, and his dead brother’s ghost is ripping us apart.

  It took every bit of self-control I had not to go to Hunter’s last night. I knew how upset he was when we left the beach, but I promised myself I wouldn’t give in. I want him to trust me enough to talk to me about his brother. If it was another girl I could fight like hell for the man I love, but I don’t know how to compete with a ghost.

  I want to call Ashley so I can tell her everything that’s been happening. Hunter was teaching me how to text but I need to hear her voice. I feel sad when I think of all the things he was teaching me—texting, driving, surfing, and the most important one of them all, loving….

  I try to call but it goes directly to voicemail. “Hey Ash, when you get this could you call me? I really need someone to talk to. ” I feel guilty after leaving the message since I haven’t talked to her in a few weeks. I’ve been so happy spending time with Hunter that I forgot about my best friend.

  Opening the doors I go sit out on the balcony, taking my Kindle along with me. It’s such a beautiful day I’d be crazy not to take advantage of it. There’s a light breeze coming off of the ocean; it’s refreshing against my warmed skin.

  I lift my legs up onto the railing, open my Kindle and begin reading. I’m a sucker for a good romance story, and this one hasn’t let me down yet. I’ve almost finished my book when I hear a distress signal off in the distance. The public beach has to be three to four miles away. That’s when I know it’s time to turn around in my jogging routine. I stand up to get a better look, but it’s too far away for me to see. I wish I had a pair of binoculars right now, so I go racing down the stairs, almost crashing into Rosie as she’s heading up to put laundry away.

  “Rosie, do you know if my dad has a pair of binoculars anywhere?” She looks puzzled.

  “I don’t know about your dad but I have a pair on the kitchen window. Help yourself. ” She chuckles as she rounds the corner.

  Snatching them from the window I take the stairs two at a time. When I step back onto the balcony, I hear the sirens in the distance. I break out in goose bumps from my head to my toes; I hate that sound. I adjust the binoculars as far as they will go… it’s a little blurry, but I can make out a couple of ambulances and a large crowd. As I take in the scene, my throat goes dry and my palms begin to sweat. My mind starts to play all kinds of tricks on me as I see Hunter lying on the beach, not breathing, EMTS performing CPR, oh my god….

  Racing back down the stairs I fly out of the kitchen door. As I round the corner I say a silent prayer that his Jeep is in the driveway. It’s gone. He went to work today… this can’t be happening!

  What do I do? Do I wait to see if he comes home, or do I have Paul drive me there? Then if he’s okay, the joke will be on me, but if he’s not… Yesterday, I told him we needed to take a break. What if it’s a permanent one, what if he died? I didn’t get a chance to tell him how much I love him; I just wanted him to tell me the truth. I decide to sit on the stairs leading to his apartment. I really want to go in and throw myself on his bed and ask God for a do-over. I lay my arms across my knees, burying my face so my cries are muffled into silence.

  I don’t know how much time has passed when I hear a couple of car doors slam. I walk slowly down the steps and peek around the corner. When I see Connor and Hunter walking towards the apartment, my knees become weak.

  Connor says, “So I guess you’re the real hero now, right Hunter?”

  I hear a raspy chuckle coming from the man I love. “Yeah, my name will be in the papers, only this time it won’t be in the police reports. ” They both crack up laughing, until Hunter starts to cough and can’t catch his breath.

  When I step out of the shadows, both heads snap up instantly. I’m looking into his eyes when I feel my lip trembling. I’m so relieved he’s okay.

  In a few short strides he’s at my side. “Riley, what’s wrong?” His throat sounds hoarse.

  “I heard all the sirens down at the beach. I was afraid something happened to you. ” A whimper escapes me as he rubs my arms to warm them.

  “We were blowing our whistles, yelling for everyone to get out of the water because of the riptide,” started Connor. “There was this kid who got caught in it. He started going under when Hunter dove in; the guy didn’t even hesitate. He saved that kid’s life. He was freaking amazing!” Connor was all out of breath after his moving narration.

  “I was just doing my job, that’s all. Isn’t that what they pay me for?” He smiles at Connor like it’s no big deal.

  One moment I’m hysterical and the next moment I’m pissed. When I put my hands flat on his chest and give him a push he’s caught off guard and stumbles backwards. “Do you have a death wish or were you just doing your job?” I jab my finger into his chest with every word.

  He lifts his hands in surrender. “I don’t have time for this SHIT right now, Riley,” he growls at me.

  Connor steps in between me and Hunter. “Riley, don’t. He’s been through enough today. They wanted to take him to the hospital, but he refused. He drank quite a bit of the Atla
ntic Ocean so go easy on him. ”

  Walking past Connor I look into those perceptive blue eyes. He knows exactly what I meant by death wish. “I’m sorry, I was afraid that something happened to you today and I didn’t get a chance to tell you how much you mean to me. ” He captures me in his arms like he’s never letting me go.

  “Do you have this covered Riley? Because he needs to be observed for twenty-four hours. I was going to stay, but since you’re here I’ll take off. I’ll bring your Jeep back after work tomorrow, Hunter. Oh, and you’re my hero. ” He blows us a kiss before peeling out of the driveway.

  Hunter

  I don’t dare tell her that I could have died saving that kid today. I knew I should have waited for backup before entering the water, but I couldn’t. Every second I hesitated could have cost him his life, so I did what I was paid to do. The kid panicked, trying to pull me down with him, but once I got a good hold on him, I knew we’d be fine. Riptides are a bitch, but once you realize you have to swim horizontally until you pass it, you’re out of danger. That’s why I’m drained, I hit it dead on so I wouldn’t waste time. Thank God I’m a strong swimmer.

  What she said earlier to me really hit me hard—the part about not getting the chance to tell me how much I mean to her—because that’s exactly how I felt when Brady died. I was angry at him too.

  “Stop fussing over me, I’m fine. ” She keeps tucking the blanket around me like it’s winter. It’s summer for fuck’s sake. I’m sweating.

  “I just want to make sure you have everything you need. ” She’s sitting in the recliner with her legs tucked under her. She doesn’t get it. I Need Her.

  “Baby, I would like it much better if you would come snuggle with me over here,” I say giving her my saddest puppy dog look.

  She ambles over to the couch, almost reluctantly. “Riley, tell me what’s on your mind. I know something’s bothering you. ” When I reach out for her hand, she grabs it immediately. I pull her down right beside me so I can wrap my arms around her. She sighs.

  “I was so scared when I heard the alarm. I used Rosie’s binoculars to see what was happening. I started to have a panic attack when I thought it could be you; I almost asked Paul to take me so I could check on you. ” She sniffles and I can’t help but smile.

  “I’m not going to lie, it was pretty intense. By the time I reached him he had swallowed quite a bit of water. He clawed at me, pulling me under, so I drank my share too. ” I cup her chin so she’s looking into my eyes, and stroke my thumb over her bottom lip. “All I could think about was you and what you said yesterday about needing a break. I was afraid I was never going to be able to kiss you ever again. ” She gasps before straddling my hips; her arms circle my neck.

  “I’m so sorry. I was being selfish and stubborn yesterday. I realize now that everyone’s different. I talk on and on about everything that’s happened to me but you’re more guarded and I have to respect that. ” She takes my face in her hands, kissing me so gently, tenderly, that I tremble.

  “I knew you were cold. ” She tightens the blanket around us as she whispers in my ear. “I love you so much, babe. Consider our breakup over; it was the longest twenty-four hours of my life. ” I can’t help but chuckle.

  “I love you more. I’m never letting you go again, no matter how much you bitch. ” I tickle her ribs as she squirms in my lap, throwing her head back and laughing hysterically. I’m getting turned on by her jerky movements against the hardness in my shorts, and all of a sudden her body stills as she feels it against her core. Her head snaps down as she searches my eyes; my hands tangle in her hair as I pull her mouth to mine.

  My tongue skims across her lips. They eagerly part so I can explore that sweet mouth. Her tongue glides over mine and I can’t help the moan that escapes me; she whimpers against my lips so I know she wants this as much as I do. I run my hands under her shirt, grazing my knuckles across the smooth, flat stomach. Gliding my fingers up further I gently brush them across the soft fabric of her bra. I rub my thumbs against the thin material, causing her nipples to harden instantly.

  “Riley, I need to be inside you. Please let me make love to you,” I breathe against her lips.

  “I’m not sure if you’re supposed to have sex; Connor said I need to observe you. ” I can’t help the grin that spreads across my face.

  “Then why don’t you observe me making love to you. ” Grabbing her ass in the palms of my hands I get up from the couch and carry her into my bedroom.

  Standing her up by the edge of the bed with her back against my chest, I peel off her shirt, then slide down her shorts. When she’s standing in just her bra and panties I kiss her neck, shoulders, back, and thighs, then lick my way back up to her neck. Unclasping her bra I let it fall to the floor. I hook my thumbs into her panties and slide them down the curve of her hips.

  As I press my hands against her stomach I pull her tighter against my erection, her hips instantly grinding against me. Sliding my hand down further than the curve of her stomach I can feel how wet she is for me. Using my two fingers I rub her swollen bud as she spreads her legs further apart to give me easy access. Slipping my two fingers inside of her, she moans and leans her head against my chest. I pump them in and out of her while using my other hand to cup her breast. I circle my thumb around her hardened nipple and pinch it lightly in between my thumb and forefinger.

  “Hunter, I need you. ” She’s rocking against the palm of my hand.

  “Baby, kneel on the edge of the bed, I want to bury myself inside you from behind. ” Ripping off my clothes I position myself behind her, pushing her down against the mattress with her ass up in the air. Fuck.

  I rub myself along her slick folds, lingering on her swollen clit until she’s bucking against me, wanting more. Grasping her hips I’m inside of her in one thrust, she’s so damn tight. I slide almost all the way out before slamming it back in. When I reach around her so I can tug her nipples she cries out, “Oh God, I’m coming, baby. ”

  She clenches around me as her muscles suck me in and send me over the edge. My mouth caresses her back, my cries muffled against her damp skin as I pump my seed inside of her, filling her with my love.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Riley

  I’m vaguely aware of the sun peeking through the curtains as I stifle a yawn. When I reach out to touch the spot next to me, it’s empty. As I open my eyes I can’t help smiling. I wasn’t dreaming, I did spend the night with Hunter. As I sit up, leaning on my elbows, I can hear someone talking. It’s muffled. Sliding out of bed I throw on one of his shirts and open the bedroom door.

  He’s sitting on the couch with his cell phone pressed against his ear. He rakes his fingers through his already tousled hair, and shakes his head. I get bits and pieces of a one-sided conversation. He sounds angry.

  “Tell Chris I’ll be there at around ten, and make sure he knows how unhappy I am about this emergency meeting. ” As he ends the call, he glances up to see me standing in the doorway.

  “Hey beautiful, how’d you sleep last night?” He waggles his eyebrows at me as a devilish grin spreads across his gorgeous face.

  I walk over to the back of the couch and reach out to touch his golden hair. I then glide my tongue down his neck. “I slept great when my boyfriend let me sleep,” I say, brushing my lips against his.

  He grabs my hands and pulls me around to the front of the couch, settling me on his lap. “Baby, we need to talk. ” He stares at me for what seems like forever, which makes my heart plummet to the pit of my stomach.

  “Is something wrong? Because you’re scaring me right now. ” He leans in, kissing my forehead, no doubt trying to erase the frown that suddenly appears.

  “You already know that my grandparents left me the cottage when they died, but I didn’t tell you about my inheritance. ” He hesitates, which makes me uneasy.

  He takes a deep, cleansing breath before surging forward. “My grandfather owned an accounting firm which was passed on to
me when he died. I own fifty-one percent of the company, Chris Dempsey owns forty-nine percent. He made me the majority stockholder so when I graduate, I’ll be running the company full-time. ”

  I can’t imagine the burden that he must be carrying around with him. This is a big deal. “Where is this company located?”

  “It’s located in the Myrtle Beach area, so after I graduate I will be moving into the cottage permanently. I’d like you to move in with me; I can arrange transportation for you to get to class and back home. ” He’s waiting for my answer with hope filled eyes, but I don’t know what to say.

  “We don’t need to talk about this right now. It’s still a year away. ” The disappointment flashes across his face, then it’s gone.

  “Riley, there’s something else you need to know.” I know he’s uncomfortable when his fingers comb through his hair, a tell-tale sign. “The company’s very lucrative; I really don’t have to work another day in my life. I could sell my stocks to Chris and go wherever you want. We could live a good life,” he says pleadingly.

  “Your grandfather handed down his company to you, knowing that you are more than capable of being as successful as he was. That’s an honor that you have to accept; it’s your legacy. Don’t sell your stocks because of me. Regardless of what happens in the future, I will always be here for you. ” It’s the only answer I can give him at the moment.

  He kisses me tenderly on the lips before he snuggles into my neck. His warm breath makes me shiver. He holds me so tight, it reminds me of the day I told him I needed a break. Oh my god, what did I say?