by Mari Carr
“I just want to touch you, Ailis. I swear I won’t go any further than that. Just touch.”
“Okay.”
His fingers were still too gentle. Ailis wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her own innocent kisses to his chest. She kept her face pressed against him so he couldn’t see her when she made her request. “Harder. Squeeze them harder.”
Hunter complied, then dropped character for just a moment when he pinched one of her nipples tightly. She groaned, then mimicked his rougher touch by biting his nipple.
He jerked away, surprised by her action. “Wild child,” he murmured. “Will you take off your jeans? I won’t put it in if you don’t want me to.”
Ailis unfastened her jeans, tugging the denim and her panties off. She was completely naked, while Hunter had only lost his shirt. The shyness she’d worn around for so many years fell away too. His words had taken root. She did feel wild, reckless.
Rising, she twisted on the bed, straddling his lap. Hunter’s hands flew to her waist when she bent her head and kissed him. Hard.
With the element of surprise on her side, she pushed him to his back on the bed, following him down, refusing to give up on the passionate kiss. Hunter’s hands roamed over her back, pulling her flush against him, her breasts crushed against his hard abs.
She cradled his erection, covered by his jeans, against her opening. Unable to resist, she began to rub herself against his crotch, seeking stimulation.
Through it all, they kissed. One of Hunter’s hands rose to her hair, twisting the strands around his fingers and using his grip to hold her where he wanted her.
Ailis ran her fingernails along his sides, enjoying the shudder her scratches evoked.
“Goddammit,” Hunter grunted, when he used his grip on her hair to tug her away. “You’re playing with fire, little girl.”
She gave him a seductive grin that told him his warning had fallen short. “Seems to me you’re the one who’s in over his head.”
All pretense fell away as Hunter—her Hunter—returned in full dominant fashion. He rolled them both in one swift motion that put him back on top. He rested on his elbows, his face inches from hers as he pressed his covered cock against her clit harder.
“You sure you can handle that?” he taunted.
Rather than respond, she lifted her head. And bit his shoulder.
That appeared to be the only answer he needed. He shoved away from her for the eternal twenty seconds it took for him to kick off his shoes and shed his jeans. Rather than resume his place above her, he gripped her ankles and tugged her ass to the edge of the bed. He knelt on the floor, placed her legs over his shoulders, then gave her a much better brand of French kiss.
She wasn’t the only one who’d been stripped bare of control. Primal was a much better word for how she felt. Eager. Grasping. Clawing.
Hunter nipped at her clit before applying a powerful stroke with his tongue as he drove two fingers inside of her. Her back arched.
“Finally,” she growled, her fingers gripping his hair, holding him to her pussy as if he were her very own concubine.
Two fingers became three and Hunter moved faster, sucking harder on her clit.
Stars erupted as she screamed, coming with the force of a freight train.
Hunter ignored her climax, continuing to finger fuck her as if it had never happened. Her body didn’t have time to recover, to adjust. In the past, she’d been a one-and-done girl, but Hunter didn’t play that way.
“Hunter,” she protested.
“Do it again,” he demanded.
“I—” She was on the verge of telling him she couldn’t, but the words never made land. They couldn’t because the second orgasm took her down even harder. “Holy. Fuck!”
She trembled, the pleasure of it so intense, it sort of fucking hurt. “God,” she gasped.
Now, like before, Hunter seemed oblivious to her response as he cranked up the sexual torment. He drew his wet fingers out of her pussy, so that he could use her body’s juices to press one thick digit into her ass. Three thrusts—two shallow and then the one that lodged it deep.
Her breath was ragged and so loud it was drowning out the music. Her gaze found Hunter’s. His name suited him at the moment. He’d stalked his prey and now, the all-powerful hunter was going in for the kill. The finger in her ass started thrusting at the exact same time he drove the thumb of his other hand into her pussy. She was doubly penetrated and her nerves were too sensitive from the first two climaxes.
When he bent his head once more and sucked her clit into his mouth, she erupted like a volcano before things went gray.
Ailis wasn’t sure how long she’d been out of it, but when she opened her eyes, Hunter was above her once more.
“There she is.”
“What the fuck was that?” she whispered.
Hunter chuckled. “Foreplay.”
If she’d had an ounce of strength in her body, she would have laughed. But in truth, his words also provoked a fair amount of panic. “There’s no way I can take any more of—”
Hunter cut her off. Not with a kiss, as she was accustomed to. But with something that packed a much bigger punch.
He thrust inside her in one hard shove, his cock buried to the hilt. Her inner muscles quivered at the invasion.
“Fuck,” she grunted. “Seriously, Hunter—”
He retreated, halting her complaint with another rough thrust.
This time, her body adjusted, softened. Responded.
Hunter sensed the change, because he stopped giving her time in between each retreat and return. Instead, he took her the way she’d always fantasized about in her raciest daydreams. He fucked her like she mattered, like she was sex and passion and love and everything he needed in the world.
It was beautiful. Perfect.
He paused for a second, his eyes narrowed with concern. “Jesus. Am I hurting you?”
She was surprised by his question…until he reached up to wipe away a tear.
“Oh my God, no. Not even close.”
He didn’t seem to believe her and he rose, pulling out as he went.
“No.” She panicked, rising, desperate to drag him back inside. “Please. I mean it.”
His gaze raked her body, landing on the damn bruise from the hit-and-run. “Ailis,” he started.
“You’re not hurting me. I’m not crying because I’m in pain. I’m crying because every single dream I’ve ever had just came true. In case you’re wondering, that’s kind of an earth-shattering moment in a woman’s life.”
He bent his head, his chin falling to his chest so that she couldn’t see his face. Then his shoulders started shaking, and she realized he was laughing.
She narrowed her eyes angrily. “Seriously? You’re laughing.”
Hunter set loose the sound he’d been trying to hold back, howling with mirth, and her temper spiked even more.
“Unbelievable!” She started to climb out of the bed, but he grasped her waist, halting her escape.
“Hey. If you get to cry when you come to that realization, then I’m allowed to laugh when I come to the same one.”
She froze, trying to make sense of his words. It sounded like…
“I’m your dream come true?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, I wasn’t smart enough or brave enough to dream up anything as perfect as you, mouse.”
“I feel like you should be writing this down.”
“What?”
“Do you know what those words would sound like in a song?”
Hunter started laughing again. “Ever the manager. Do you mind if we finish where we left off before I start composing you symphonies?”
“I’ll wait.” Ailis reached out, pulling him over her body once more, her thighs parted, ready to welcome him back.
He slid in easily, but the entire tenor changed. They both recognized the importance of the moment. Hunter made love to her, kissing her, caressing her, cherishing her.
12
Hunter woke up just before dawn to the sound of a gunshot.
Ailis sat straight up, and Hunter panicked as another shot was fired, crashing through a window near the front of the bus.
“Oh my God!” Ailis cried out.
He pushed her down on the mattress, covering her as a third bullet struck the bus, closer this time. She shivered beneath him, struggling a bit.
“The floor,” she gasped. “We should get on the floor.”
Before he could respond, the siren of the police cruiser parked next to them pierced what had been a quiet morning. The cop car peeled tires and took off after…something. Hunter was blind to what was happening. Helpless.
Ailis lay beneath him, her breath coming in rapid, panic-stricken gasps.
Everything outside went quiet again.
The whole episode had lasted less than thirty seconds, yet Hunter felt as if he’d lived a thousand lifetimes in that span.
“Do you think it’s over?” Ailis whispered.
Hunter didn’t move, refusing to leave her unprotected. “I don’t know.”
She tried to push up, but he wouldn’t give way. They were still in her parents’ bed, completely naked. They’d fallen asleep last night after making love. Funny how the most perfect night in history could end in the world’s most terrifying morning. “No, mouse. Lay still.” He reached over for his cell and called Aaron’s number.
“Hunter, are you and Ailis alright?” Aaron yelled through the phone by way of greeting.
“Yeah. Somebody fired off a few shots at the bus.”
“I know. I just heard it come across the wire. The cop I had posted outside is in pursuit. Bullets were fired from a car driving by. Same vehicle fired shots at Rory’s hotel window. My guy was stationed in the foyer and by the time he got to his car and started pursuit, the vehicle was gone. We didn’t realize it was headed straight for you.”
“Is Rory okay?”
“Rory!” Ailis shoved hard until Hunter had no choice but to let her sit up.
“She’s fine,” Aaron said, as Hunter put him on speakerphone. “Wild shots. Fired by a desperate man.”
“Or men,” Ailis corrected.
“Either way, the police protection must have thrown them. Listen, I need to get to the station. Stay put. I’ve got another officer coming to take you both back to the pub.”
“No,” Ailis said. “I don’t want to put the family in danger. We’ll go back to Hunter’s, bunker down there.”
“Okay. I’ll be in touch.” Aaron disconnected before they could say goodbye.
“We better get dressed,” she said, rising from the bed. Hunter watched her try to pull her shirt on with trembling hands and reached out to help her.
“Let me,” he said, aware that his hands weren’t exactly steady either. Together, they managed to get their clothes on and the bed made.
“I guess we should go check out the damage up front while we wait for the police officer.”
Ailis blew out an unsteady breath. “Yeah.”
Hunter led the way, shaking his head as they traversed the narrow hallway. “It’s not worth all this,” he muttered. “It’s just a contest.”
“Maybe to you.”
Ailis screamed as Robbie stepped into view, his gun trained directly at Hunter’s chest.
Hunter glanced toward the door of the bus. They hadn’t been firing shots wildly. They’d hit what they were aiming for. With the glass of the door broken, it had been easy for Robbie to push his way through it.
“Where’s your brother?” Hunter asked.
His question didn’t appear to take Robbie by surprise, which proved the other man knew the jig was up.
“High-speed police chase. He was just a diversion.”
“Obviously. But you have to know the cops are on to you,” Hunter said, silently praying he played this the right way. It was hard to know what would cause Robbie to pull that trigger. Right now, Hunter’s number one priority was keeping the man talking and keeping Ailis behind him and safe until the cops got here.
“Ten years,” Robbie muttered, waving the gun around. “Been performing for ten fucking years. And you know what I have to show for it?”
Hunter shook his head slowly.
“Nothing. That’s what. Everyone is conspiring against me. I know. I’ve heard everyone talking about me, my career, working to keep me down.”
Hunter was fairly certain “everyone” in this scenario were the voices in Robbie’s head. “That’s not true, man. You were picked to compete in this show because you’ve got real talent. How many performers would have killed for a slot? And you got it. Because you’ve got what it takes. Hell, you came in third. That’s incredible. Do you know how many recording studios are probably looking at you right now? Planning their deals, calling your agent.”
Robbie’s eyes didn’t even brighten at the prospect. He looked out of it, maybe even stoned. “That’s not true. You’re lying. They told me you were a liar. That you’d do whatever it took to win. You’re fucking her just to get to her parents. To get…” Robbie’s eyes began to scan the bus as if he’d only just realized where he was. “To get here.”
Hunter wanted to refute Robbie’s accusations, but the guy was seriously unsteady and he didn’t want to do anything to piss him off, to make him pull that trigger. If it was just him on the bus, maybe he’d take a chance and jump him, but right now, all Hunter could think about was getting Ailis out alive. This asshole had nearly killed her once. He wasn’t getting another shot as long as there was breath in Hunter’s body.
So he took a different path. “You’re right, Robbie. I’ve been taking the easy way, using Ailis. I knew I couldn’t get in the contest on my own, figured she could get me there and she did.”
He felt Ailis’s hand on his back.
“Didn’t realize,” Hunter continued, “she’s got fuck all to do with the contest. She can’t help me win like I thought. She’s useless. Tell you what, why don’t you let her go and you and me can sit down and set things straight. I’ll call Les and tell him I’m bailing on the show. You’re the one who should have been in the finale all along. Let’s get Ailis out of the way and we’ll make it happen.”
“I’m not leaving,” she whispered, low enough that Hunter was certain Robbie hadn’t heard. Hell, he wasn’t sure Robbie heard anything. His eyes were still roaming around the bus.
He glanced at her over his shoulder, but didn’t move his body, careful to keep her completely shielded from the weapon aimed their way.
“Sorry, mouse,” he said, evoking as much disdain as he could into the nickname. “It’s been fun, but I’m afraid I don’t have any more use for you.”
Her eyes narrowed angrily.
Please God, let her forgive me for this.
“Why don’t you leave and let me and Robbie handle this?”
“She’s not going anywhere!” Robbie yelled, his attention back on them. “Neither one of you are.”
In the distance, through the front windshield of the bus, Hunter could see the lights of a police car, heading their direction, just a few blocks away. As agitated as Robbie was, it was obvious all hell was about to break loose.
Hunter looked around at where they were standing. He was next to the dining table. If he timed it right, if he managed to use the element of surprise against Robbie, there was a good chance he could shove Ailis under it before a shot was fired. Unfortunately, he was pretty sure he’d only have time to save her. Meanwhile, he was stuck out in the open, with nothing to hide behind and too far away to charge the man.
Ailis’s hand left his back and Hunter worried about what she was doing, but he didn’t dare turn to look at her. He was counting the seconds until Robbie realized the cops were there.
“You’re both to blame for this!” Robbie was screaming now, and they were hitting cri
tical mass. “You and that bitch, Rory. She’s next. That bitch is next!”
Those were the last words Robbie spoke.
At that point, Hunter went into shock as he watched events unfold. Terror overtook him and the only noise he could hear was his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Robbie’s last word still hovered in the air as the police car squealed to a halt next to the bus.
Hunter saw his moment as Robbie’s head whipped to the left.
But Ailis saw it first.
She shoved him down by launching herself onto his back, even as something whizzed by his head.
The frying pan she’d thrown struck Robbie soundly on the forehead. The man flew back and his hand rose up involuntarily. He fired, but the bullet went skyward.
The cop was out of the car, firing in the open door at Robbie before he could get another round off.
Three shots later and Robbie was lying on the floor of the bus. Dead.
Hunter had watched it all happen from the floor of the bus in the five seconds after Ailis had tackled him. It had felt like twelve lifetimes. They lay still, neither of them moving, until the cop flew up the steps of the bus.
“Are you two okay?”
Hunter nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. It’s okay. It’s okay.” He’d become a parrot, everything coming out twice.
The cop glanced down at Robbie’s lifeless body and picked up the other man’s weapon. “I’ll take care of this and radio for an ambulance.” He left the bus and returned to his car.
That’s when Hunter’s brain reengaged. He rose up from the floor, standing as Ailis slid down his back, finding her own feet.
He twisted around, more furious than he’d ever been in his life. “What the fuck did you just do?” he bellowed.
“What?” she scowled, clearly confused by his sudden anger.
“You could’ve been killed! What the fuck were you thinking?”
She put her hands on her hips and when she spoke again, her fury matched his. “I thought I was saving our lives!”
“I had a plan!”
“What plan?”
He pointed to the table. “I was going to shove you under there.”
She rolled her eyes, backing up the mocking expression with a loud, “Ha! Yeah, that would’ve worked. What about you and the gun that asshole was pointing at you? He would have shot you.”