“Where?”
“You’ll see. Hang on, it’s a bit of a bumpy ride.” Hunter winks at you.
He peels off out of the parking lot and onto the road like he’s in a race against time. You twist your fingers into his jacket, then lock your arms around him, desperate to stay put. He weaves in and out of traffic but quickly heads out of the city, abandoning the metal and glass world for the dusty mountains and sparse, open spaces. It’s refreshing to leave society and all of its trappings behind. Even if it’s only for an hour or two.
The roads start to get bumpier, like Hunter warned, but also less paved and less maintained. He keeps driving upward. His engine is in a constant state of growling at him as he forges a path that apparently not many have traveled. Finally, he follows the dirt road to its end, and the roar of the motorcycle is tamed when he turns it off.
“We’re here.” He helps you down.
You rip off the helmet and look out in awe. He’s taken you to a ridge overlooking the city. With the crazy path it took to get here, it’s no wonder it isn’t overridden with tourists. It’s just you and him up here where the air is a little cleaner and your problems a whole lot smaller.
“This is amazing.” You scan the horizon and imagine a world where only you and Hunter exist. It’s easy to get lost in the fantasy up here, too far from the world below to hear the bustle of the city.
“Before I joined the Marines, I did some soul-searching. And again after I got out and Myra had left me for that twat-waffle I met today.” He shakes his head, but he doesn’t seem sad about it now. More like relieved.
“That’s a great description for him, actually.” You laugh.
“Yeah, I figured. Anyway…” Hunter looks out onto the horizon and a calm seems to wash over him. “This is a place where I come to figure shit out. It’s always helped me gain perspective in my times of need. I wanted to share that with you. I think Hollywood fucked with your head, Meghan. So, now you’re back here, starting over and you feel like that’s the end of something, but if you look out there”—he points over the ridge—“and open your heart, I think you’ll feel the truth.”
Hunter walks you to the edge of the cliff and holds you tight. His arms are wrapped snugly around you; at no point are you afraid or even intimidated by the drop. You just feel an enormous sense of calm as you lean back into him and breathe deeply, wondering what you’re supposed to do with your life.
You look out at the mountains and then down at the city. He’s right. Coming back here, it felt awful. Like your life was just spiraling out of control. Like you failed.
Letting your mind wander over the past, you realize you’ve never felt everything click into place when you went out west. It was always a struggle. There was no point when you finally felt like the universe was working with you on your dream. In fact, you wonder why it took you so long to see that, if anything, it was pointing you home.
Since you met Hunter yesterday, everything has felt like it was meant to be. Like, for the first time that you can remember, everything is finally clicking into place. You jump as a realization hits you. This is not failure. This is not the end. This is the beginning of where you were meant to be at this very moment. Standing here, in Hunter’s arms, this is…
“How do you feel now?” he whispers in your ear and you roll your head back with a smile.
“Like I’m home,” you confess.
“Did it work?”
You nod. It really did. Whatever this magical place is, it gave you a clarity you have never felt before. A calm washes over you, but it doesn’t last long because Hunter kisses your neck and grinds into your ass.
So much for calm, cool, and collected. More like hot, horny, and his.
“Good, ’cause there’s another reason I wanted to bring you up here.” He sucks your earlobe in over his teeth and mumbles his hot breath in your ear. “Because I’m going to fuck you over the back of my Harley, right up here out in the open.”
He lifts you from the edge and carries you easily to his bike as you squeal with delight. Hunter drops you back to your feet by his motorcycle and runs his hands up under your shirt, his fingers seeking every inch of your skin. “I need you, sweetheart, I can’t wait another second,” he growls as he pulls his hands down and quickly opens your pants.
“Oh! Yes, please, Hunter. I need you to take me,” you mewl weakly.
He turns you around and yanks your pants down along with your panties, exposing your pussy to the morning air. Hunter pushes down on your shoulders, bending you over the long seat of his bike and you hear him tug his cock free from his pants. He lines it up to your entrance and you cry out as he thrusts it inside you wildly.
Hunter grabs your shoulders tight, fucking you so hard and fast you are lost in the sensation of his cock owning you. You ball your hands up into fists and bang them on the seat of his motorcycle, and he holds you steady under his control as he claims you. It must be the urgency, the heat between you, the unexpected rush of being bent over his bike like this, out in the open for anyone to stumble upon. Whatever it is, it makes you come. Fucking hard. A ripple of pleasure drives through you, building up like a crashing wave. You cry out, your face contorted and your eyes squeezed shut, but you don’t care.
You don’t care how loud you are. All you care about is the feeling overwhelming you. Hunter grunts, burying his cock inside you, and his cum fills you deep in your pussy. He holds you tight as he makes sure you take every last drop of his cum. When he pulls out, you take a second to stand up and he gives your bare ass a slap.
“Hey!” You pretend to protest, but he can see how much you loved it.
He laughs, but it’s interrupted by his ringing cell phone. Hunter tucks his cock back into his pants and you quickly dress as he answers.
“Hello?” He frowns. All the joy he just had dancing on his face is gone. “Okay, gotcha. Yep, I’d say in about an hour.” He looks down at his watch. He hangs up and looks out at the horizon.
“Who was that?” You stand up straighter and try to read his face.
“The mechanic. Your car is ready now.” His voice is flat. “I told him you’d be there in about an hour to pick it up, so we should probably move out.”
“So soon?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Neither of you moves. There’s no noise between you other than your breathing.
“Listen,” Hunter interrupts the silence. “I’m a man of my word and a deal is a deal, so I’ll pay for the car. But, I’d be lying if I said I’m okay with watching you just drive it off into the sunset or whatever. I’ve really enjoyed having a fake fiancée, even if it was just for twenty-four hours. I’d kinda like to see what it would be like to have a real girlfriend.” He turns toward you and levels you with his intense dark eyes.
“Are you asking if I’m interested?” You bite your lip.
“I am.”
“I’d love that.” You break out into a grin and jump into his strong arms. He twirls you in a circle and gives you a deep, passionate kiss. “You were right about this place. It really puts what’s important into perspective,” you whisper.
“It sure does.” He kisses the tip of your nose.
THE END
3
A Night to Remember
Chapter 1
“This is going to be so much fun,” Lizzy squeals and clasps your hands as the plane takes off from the tarmac.
You try not to show on your face that you’re a bit freaked out by the jostling and shaking. You’ve never been on a plane before. It’s just one of those luxuries your family hasn’t been able to afford.
Your mother hasn’t been perfect, but she’s worked her tail off to give you more than she had. Since your father hightailed it out of your life on your second birthday, she’s had to work two jobs to provide a stable life. Sometimes that life meant painfully unfashionable hand-me-downs to wear. Most times it meant things like no cable or extracurricular activities.
Maybe that’s why yo
u did so well in school. You didn’t have the same distractions as your peers. You were never rich enough to have the latest version of iPhone in your hand and the fact you dressed like a dumpster diver meant you were never cool enough to get invited out to parties.
When you got your full scholarship to Harvard, your mother dropped to her knees and wept. She was so happy for you and the future you had in store. Even though she always told you that you were her “little genius” she still scraped together every penny she could for university. Now, with your scholarship paying for all your tuition, books, and board, that money has given you the freedom to enjoy life at your Ivy League school.
For the first time in your life, you fit in. You have nice clothes. You have enough money to enjoy the social life at the school. All because of your mama.
You smile and stare out the window on the big plane. Outside the world is slipping away under the wing. The houses and buildings are growing smaller every second. It makes this whole thing even more surreal.
“It’s gonna be a blast,” you agree. “Thank you so much for inviting me to your place for spring break.” You turn back to Lizzy and smile.
“Oh, like I was gonna leave you alone in the dorm? Come on!” She rolls her eyes.
“Yeah, spring break would’ve been brutal if I wasn’t going to your place,” you agree.
Your thoughts go back to your mother. When you called her and asked about coming home for the week, you were absolutely shocked to find out she had other plans.
“I’m sorry, honey, I forgot all about your time off. I won’t be here,” she told you bluntly on the phone.
“What? Where are you gonna be?”
“I’m taking a little vacation,” she answered hesitantly.
“Really? Well, why don’t I come with you?” You brightened at the idea.
“Well…”
“Mom, what’s going on?” You pressed her.
“The truth?”
“Um, yeah.” It wasn’t like your mother to be so secretive.
“Scarlett, I met a man. We’ve been dating since the summer and it’s gotten pretty serious. He wants to take me to California for a couple weeks. I’ve never been on a vacation in my entire life. Can you imagine?”
Your eyebrows pinched together. There was so much that surprised you about her confession.
“A man… in the summer? You were dating someone before I came to Harvard? Who?”
“Mr. Beasley.” Her voice softened. “Ted Beasley,” she clarified as if you didn’t remember your middle school teacher.
“What? How?”
“We met at church,” she answered breezily. “Now, I’m sorry I forgot about your spring break. I should’ve paid closer attention to your schedule, hon. But, now is finally the time in my life where I can live it for me again. Ted and I love each other, Scarlett. I know you’re a beautiful, responsible adult now and that you’ll be all right. You’ll find something to do for your break, right?” Her voice was tight but hopeful.
“Right,” you gave in.
The fact was, your mother did deserve her time. She never had a boyfriend or even flirted with a man the entire time she raised you. Her only focus in life was giving you what she could. And now, look where you ended up. If your mama wanted to have a romantic vacation with a single man, even if that man was the guy you and your classmates called “Mr. Weasley” behind his back, then she deserved that.
“I’m happy for you, Mama.” You smiled and realized there were much worse things than spending spring break alone.
You blink and look back at Lizzy’s bright face. She’s clearly happy to be bringing you back to her place, and you’re grateful for it. “I can’t believe you’ve never been skiing before. This is gonna be a blast. My dad is a great skier, but his friend, Luca, he’s amazing. Like, seeing him, you’d never guess he’d be so graceful on skis. He’s, like, bigger than Dad and just shredded. Oh my God, wait until you see his tattoos. He was a SEAL for a bunch of years and he’s got all these tattoos from his time in. Some are from his missions and some for his career, I dunno.” She shrugs with her classic sweet smile. The one that always has just a hint of mischief behind it. “All I know is it’s hot.”
“As hot as your father?” I tease her.
Lizzy’s nose crinkles and her brilliant blue eyes darken as her lips turn down in disgust. “Eww! You’ve gotta give that up. That’s just so icky, Scarlett.” She sniffs.
“What? He’s single, isn’t he?” You give her a nudge and she shakes her head.
“Ugh, God, if you hook up with my dad you better not tell me. Okay? La-la-la.” She plugs her fingers in her ears and sings the words, “I don’t want to know!”
You’ve teased her about her hot dad since he dropped her off at your shared dorm room. The truth is, you’ve never had time for boys in your life. You’ve always been so focused on your books and studies that the immature and awkward antics of high school boys just never interested you.
Then Lizzy and her dad walked into your life. Or, more precisely, your dorm room. Her dad was no boy. Just 100 percent man. From his grizzled, strong jaw, to his bulky muscles rippling as he carried your roommate’s belongings inside. The edges of his thick, brown hair had just a sprinkling of gray. Only enough to truly separate him from the boys wandering around the halls. His crystal blue eyes made your breath hitch in your throat and you couldn’t help but lift your nose from your books and spend your time studying him instead.
You blink hard and bring yourself back to the present. There’s no point in drooling over Lizzy’s father right now. It’s not like you’re ever going to act on this surge of sexual desires he’s awakened in you. Your mother was right. You’re all grown up now, and your body is trying to tell you you’re ready.
But the chances that you’ll lose your virginity to a man like Lizzy’s dad are, well, it’s nothing more than a dream. All your exploding ache of longing is really telling you is you need to start dating. You need to quit sitting on the sidelines and get in the game. After spring break, you’re gonna give the whole dating scene a try, you promise yourself.
You turn to chat with your friend, but Lizzy is out cold. She fell asleep quite suddenly, but you don’t mind. It just gives you more time to reflect on your life. Your past and how hard your mother worked for you, your present and how far you’ve come, and your future… wherever that will lead.
Chapter 2
“Dad!” You stand off to the side as Lizzy jumps up and hugs her father.
He looks even more handsome than you remember. How is that possible? Your gaze slowly slides over him, soaking in the way his leather jacket hangs around his tight body. The way his shirt underneath clings to his cut muscles. Even when he wraps his strong arms around his daughter and gives her a squeeze, you can’t help but ignore the tender moment. You’re too lost in imagining those thick, meaty hands exploring your body.
“You must be the roommate,” a man with hypnotic hazel eyes and a warm smile gently pulls your suitcase from your hand.
Is this the ex-SEAL Lizzy was telling you about?
“I’m Luca.” He holds his free hand flat over his chest and waits for you to answer. However, you seem to have forgotten what your birth certificate says. In fact, the entire English language seems to have evaporated from your mind.
You’re lost in him. The spiraling tale of his military service tattooed down his exposed arms. The way his lean muscles ripple as he lifts your suitcase. The way his faded blue jeans hug the curve of his ass. But most of all, you’re lost in his eyes. The ring of green surrounds the light brown the way moss skirts the edge of an old hiking trail you once spent your youth exploring.
“Yeah, sorry about that. I guess I should introduce everyone. Dad, Luca, this is Scarlett.” Your friend points at each of you. “Nona! I didn’t know you’d be here too.” Lizzy suddenly spots an elderly lady standing near the luggage belt and she runs up to her.
“How could I forget?” Her father looks you over in
a way that makes you blush from head to toe. Is he checking you out? Luckily Lizzy is too busy with her grandmother to catch the moment. “You can call me Jesse.” He extends his hand to you and engulfs your palm in his as you give it a quick shake.
“Jesse,” you repeat his name with a smile.
“And miss seeing my favorite granddaughter in the whole world? Never.” She gives her a ginger hug.
“Nona, I’m your only granddaughter.” Lizzy laughs.
“And that’s why you’re my favorite. I know I don’t have much time with you before you all take off to Aspen, so I wanted to spend tonight with you.” Her grandmother brushes some of Lizzy’s golden hair back.
“Aww, well, I’m glad. I’ve missed you.”
“Let’s get this show on the road.” Her father jerks his head toward the door.
“Oh, Jesse, cool your jets,” the grandmother gently chides him. “What’s the big hurry?”
“Nothing, Mom. I just don’t want to stand around the airport all day, that’s all.” He grins sheepishly and it makes your heart melt a bit more.
“I suppose,” she agrees. “Well, tell me all about Harvard. I’m so proud of you, Lizzy. I still tell everyone who will listen that my favorite granddaughter is going to an Ivy League school,” she coos.
We all head toward the busy exit. “So where are you from, Scarlett?” Luca leans into you as you follow the family out the door and toward the SUV.
“Me? I’m from South Carolina,” you answer.
“Oh yeah? Is there lots of skiing down there?” He laughs, teasing you.
“No, I’ve never been on skis before,” you admit.
“Don’t worry one bit. I’ll teach you.” He gives you a smile that makes more than just your heart melt. Wow, it’s gonna be quite the spring break with these guys. You’ve only been around them for ten minutes and you’re desperately trying to keep your cool. But it’s impossible when they’re around to heat you up.
Night Time Rendez-Vous: 3 sizzling novellas that will keep you up all night Page 10