“Hunter, I don’t need you to feel bad for the rest of your life because I’m fucked up. I can handle my job. I had one freak out on the job in all these years. I don’t think it was too much to ask that you mention that to Cap instead of agreeing that I needed counseling and couldn’t perform my job.”
“That’s not what happened and you know it. Derek and I could see that we weren’t helping you. All we want is for you to talk to someone. Is that really too much to ask?”
“Maybe it would have been fine if you had just talked to me about it as a team, but you cornered me in front of my boss. You made it seem like I couldn’t handle myself. How will he ever think that I’m capable again?”
“You just have to show him that you are. We’ve all been pushed to our limits at some time or another. Look at Cazzo? Did you really think that he would come out of his situation the way he did? He came out stronger for it and I know you will too.”
“Hunter, you’re missing the point. You broke my trust and I’m just not ready to come back yet. I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now.”
She hung up without another word. That didn’t go as I had planned. In fact, it probably went worse. I was no closer to getting Lola to come back here than I was to getting Lucy to let me in.
✯✯✯✯✯
Two weeks of sleeping outside Lucy’s apartment was killing me. Knight joined me every night, but part of me wondered if it was to win back his best friend status. I called Lucy every night when I heard her screaming and she wouldn’t wake up. She hadn’t caught on yet that I seemed to always know when to call her. I’d also been able to play it off when I overslept outside her apartment and she fell over me.
But I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up. I was exhausted and I needed some sleep on a real bed. I knew Knight was getting a little tired of this also, but as much as I told him to go home to Kate, he insisted on staying with me. I was grateful. There was a very good chance I would go insane if he wasn’t there to keep me company as I watched the video feed from outside her door all night. I wanted to be in there with her. I just didn’t want to revert to my old ways and push my way into her life. She had to come to accept that I really wanted this and until that happened, I just had to go with the flow.
I groaned as I tried to stretch out my neck after leaning against the wall all night. I had been tempted a few times to lay down on the floor, but it was so dirty that I didn’t dare put my face near it. I heard thumping up the stairs and then I saw Kate’s pissed off face.
“I can’t believe that you two are still doing this,” she huffed. She walked past me and banged her fist several times against the door. I scrambled to my feet and tried to wipe the sleep from my eyes.
“Kate, you need to leave. Don’t fuck this up for me.”
“Fuck this up? Hunter, you’re sleeping on a dirty floor in a hallway. I can’t possibly fuck this up for you.”
She turned and banged against the door again. The door opened seconds later and Lucy stood there with a questioning look on her face.
“Can I help you?”
“I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Kate, Knight’s girlfriend.”
“Fiancé,” he said, stepping up behind her and pulling her against his body.
“Do you mind if we come in for a minute?” she asked.
Lucy waved us all in and looked at me strangely. What’s going on? She mouthed to me. Before I could say anything, Kate spun around and started in.
“Look, I know we don’t know each other, but I’m going to lay it out here for you. Hunter and Knight have been sleeping outside your apartment every night because Hunter is too chicken shit to tell you that he needs to stay here with you.”
“I’m not chicken shit,” I said defensively. Kate shot me a glare that told me to shut the fuck up.
“See, these men don’t have boundaries. They don’t know how to let a woman do things her own way, which is why they’ve both been sitting outside your apartment every night with video feed, watching both of us as we sleep. I don’t know about you, but that’s a little creepy to me. I’ve already been through this once with Knight and it’s even weirder now that we’re an actual couple and he’s still doing it.”
“It’s not weird,” Knight insisted. “I’m making sure you’re safe.”
“Right, from all those crazy people that are out to get me. I get it. You’re a big, strong man and I will always need your protection.” She turned back to Lucy. “Unfortunately, Hunter seems to have taken up Knight’s stalking tendencies and is now going to continue to do the same thing to you until you let him stay with you every night so that he can assure himself that you really are okay. Which means that Knight will be sleeping out here with him every night, which is strange on a whole other level. So, I’m asking that tonight, you let Hunter stay with you so that they can both get some sleep and don’t look like the walking dead anymore.”
Lucy stood there stunned and then turned to me. “You’ve seriously been sleeping outside my apartment every night?”
“Yeah. I knew you weren’t okay and I wanted to be close in case you called me.”
“And you were watching me from fifteen feet away on video feed?”
“Ten feet,” Knight clarified.
I slapped him upside the head, not really needing his help. “I’m sorry. I know it was over the top and I shouldn’t have done something so stupid, but I love you and I don’t like the thought of you alone and scared over here.”
“But wouldn’t it have made more sense to just tell me that so that I hadn’t spent every night alone and scared? I didn’t know you were outside my door, so it didn’t make me feel any better.”
“Well…” I didn’t really have an answer for that. “I just didn’t want to push.”
She stepped into my arms and kissed me. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
“So, we’re good now?” Kate asked. “Hunter can sleep inside and Knight can come home to me?”
“Yes,” Lucy smiled. “I’m really sorry, Kate. I never would have let Knight sit out here all night knowing that he was leaving you.”
“Don’t sweat it, Lucy. When these guys make up their minds about something, there’s no stopping them. Sometimes, we just have to step in and take over.”
Knight and Kate left, leaving me alone with Lucy. I wasn’t sure if she was really okay with what I had done or if she just didn’t want to explode in front of Kate and Knight. I cleared my throat and stepped back. “If you don’t want me here, I can leave.”
“Are you kidding? Then Knight would show up here again and it would creep me out to know that you’re sitting outside my apartment. And watching video feed. That’s just weird, Hunter.”
“I know. I just wanted to keep an eye on you.”
“So, I guess that’s how you always knew when to call me.”
“Yeah, we could hear you screaming and I wanted to try and wake you up. I kept hoping that you would ask me to come over. I don’t like seeing you get so upset.”
“I know, but it’s still something I need to work through.”
“Just promise me that you’ll let me help you with that.”
“Okay.”
I kissed her hard and then pulled back before I mauled her. “I have to get to work, but tonight, I’m sleeping here with you. I need an actual night of sleep, so don’t plan on staying up past six.”
She laughed and slapped my arm. “Don’t worry about it. I haven’t been getting much sleep either, so I could use the early bedtime.”
✯✯✯✯✯
“So, everything’s good now?” Knight asked as we walked into the conference room.
“Yeah. I’m staying over there tonight.”
“Thank God. I need some fucking sleep.”
“Hey, I never asked you to stay with me,” I snapped.
“What’s going on?” Sinner asked as he sat down. Cap, Burg, Cazzo, Derek, Gabe, Jackson, and Chance were already at the table.
; “Hunter finally got an invite into Lucy’s apartment, so now we don’t have to sit out there every night anymore.”
“You’ve been sitting outside every night?” Cap asked. “Why didn’t you just tell her you wanted to stay with her?”
“Because, I didn’t want to push it with her. We just got back together. I don’t want to ruin things.”
“What good did it do to sit outside her apartment if you couldn’t go in?” Cazzo asked.
“Knight hooked me up with her video feed.”
“You weren’t supposed to say anything about that, jackass.” Knight punched me in the arm and swore.
“What? Like Cap doesn’t know what a creeper you already are?”
“He knew I was. He didn’t need to know that I still do it.”
“So, you two seriously sat outside her apartment all night and watched video feed of her inside her apartment?” Burg asked.
“I did. He sat next to me and watched video feed of Kate.”
“You two have some serious issues,” Cap said. “That’s not what having a security system is about. We’re supposed to make clients feel safe. Not like they’re being watched.”
“But these aren’t clients. These are our women,” Knight pointed out.
“It’s still fucking creepy,” Sinner said. He leaned his elbows on the table and whisper-hissed to Knight. “Can you show me how to get the live feed?”
Knight shook his head and shot me a nasty glare. “I told you not to fucking say anything.”
“What I want to know is why Knight sat outside with you every night?” Derek asked.
“Because I’m his friend and he needed someone.”
“I didn’t need anyone,” I said, not wanting to sound like a pussy.
“You’re just trying to get back your best friend status,” Derek grumbled.
“His best friend status?” Burg asked.
“Yeah. I’m his old best friend and Derek’s his new best friend.”
“Derek, don’t be jealous, man,” Sinner grinned. “I’ll be your best friend.”
“What the fuck?” Cazzo said. “I thought I was your best friend.”
“Nah. That’s me, you dickhead,” Burg laughed.
“I would have sat in the hallway with you,” Gabe said. “Why didn’t you ask me?”
I glanced over at Derek, not wanting to say because I think you’re fucking gay and I didn’t want you hitting on me. Derek must have read my mind, because he burst out laughing and slapped his knee.
“What?” Gabe asked. “Why is that so funny? I’m a great friend.”
“I’m sure you are,” Derek laughed.
“Would you all shut the fuck up?” Cap shouted. “I’ll get you all some BFF necklaces and we’ll call it a day. Seriously, I can’t believe I have to put up with this shit first thing in the morning.”
He opened up some folders and started handing out assignments. Since we were still down one team member, Derek and I were stuck on security installations until Lola came back. I wasn’t going to complain though. It ensured that I would be home with Lucy every night.
“Alright, Cazzo, I need you guys in New York City next week.”
“Uh, Cap, I can’t do that,” Burg interrupted. “I need some personal time.”
“Everything okay?” Cap asked.
Burg glanced around the table and sighed. “My dad’s been battling non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I just found out that he has more tests next week and he doesn’t have anyone to take him.”
Cap nodded. “No problem. We’ll put Chance’s team on this. If you need more time off, just say the word.”
“Thanks, Cap.”
I looked around the table, seeing that everyone looked as confused as I was. Why hadn’t he said anything sooner? We would have all chipped in any way we could to help him out.
We finished up the meeting and Derek pulled me aside as we got our gear to head out. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hanging out at Lucy’s in the hall?”
“Because it sounds fucking creepy.”
“Yeah, but I get it. I could have had Claire talk to Lucy. We could have worked something out if you were that worried about her.”
“I know, but she wanted to do it on her own. She kept telling me that she had to do it herself.”
“It’s only been a few weeks.”
“I know, but she’s stubborn and I don’t want to take over. That’s how I pushed her away last time.”
“Yeah, well if I recall, stalking didn’t work for you either.”
“She actually wasn’t pissed at me for it this time. I’d rather have her at my place. I mean, I love her and I want to fucking marry her, but -”
“Whoa, back up. You want to marry her? Since when?”
“I don’t know. I just know that that’s where this is headed.”
“Who would have thought my little Hunter would be all grown up someday?”
“Shut up.”
“I’m happy for you. It’s just that you’ve been telling anyone that will listen that it’s a death sentence to get involved with someone and now you’re talking about getting married.”
“Yeah, just do me a favor and don’t say anything to Claire. She’ll tell Lucy and then I’ll never see her again.”
“Wouldn’t you think that Lucy would be happy that you want that kind of commitment?”
“Nope. It’s all too soon. She’ll think that I’m doing it for all the wrong reasons.”
“You know, you two really need to get your shit together. You’re both a bunch of fucking idiots.”
“That’s not any way to talk to me if you want to hold onto your best friend status,” I quipped.
✯✯✯✯✯
I spent the next two weeks at Lucy’s apartment every night. She still had nightmares, but I was always able to help her get back to sleep. She didn’t look quite so exhausted and the nightmares weren’t coming quite as often. But I was getting tired of going back and forth between my place and hers. I just wanted her to move in with me and end this madness.
Lucy rolled over next to me and her hand snaked down to my cock that was already painfully hard. I hadn’t tried to have sex with Lucy since she had been taken. She told me she hadn’t been raped, but I didn’t know how aggressive that fucker had been with her and I didn’t want to do anything to mess up her head.
I pulled her hand away from me and slid it back over to her side of the bed. She grunted at me and slid her hand back, gripping onto me so tightly that I almost cried out in pain.
“Hunter, you have to stop this. I want sex and you’re leaving me very sexually frustrated.”
“I just don’t think we’re ready.”
“We’re not or you’re not?”
“I don’t think you are,” I said quietly, caressing my hand across her face.
“Hunter, I love you, but you’re really pissing me off. I’m not fucked up in the head. He didn’t touch me in any way, and if you don’t start, I’m going to have to dump your ass and find someone else. There’s only so much a girl can take.”
“You’re really okay?” I asked, not sure that I believed her.
“Yes!” she said in exasperation. “I don’t know how many different ways I can tell you that, but you never believe me. I just want you to fuck me already.”
“Oh, thank fuck!” I tore her nightgown off her and ripped her panties from her body. I needed her so badly and there was nothing that could stop me now. Her hands went around my back, pulling me in close, but I wasn’t ready for close. I didn’t want to fuck her and be done. I had waited too long for this moment.
I picked up her shredded nightgown and tied her wrists together and then tied the scraps to the nightstand leg. “There. Now you can’t fucking move and I can have my way with you.”
“It’s about time,” she gasped as my mouth latched onto her pussy. I had missed this with her so much. Not just the sex, but the intimacy of being with her. I craved it more than I ever thought possible. I ate her until
she was screaming and writhing beneath me and then I shoved my boxers down and plunged deep inside her. I moaned at the instant relief I felt and thrust hard and deep inside her. My cock tingled with pleasure and it didn’t take more than five minutes for me to shoot off like a rocket.
I panted hard as I came down from my high, but my body wasn’t done yet. My cock hardened at the sight of her tied up in front of me and there was something I wanted more than anything, and I would have it. She had promised. I undid the ties and pulled her into an upright position on the bed. My cock bobbed in her face, and as her eyes flicked up to mine, a slow smile spread across her face.
I grabbed her by the hair as she opened her mouth. Her wet mouth licked and sucked my cock until I was hard as steel. I yanked back on her hair and shoved my cock deep into her throat. She gagged, but took me all the way in. Her hands wrapped around my ass, jerking me toward her every time I pulled out. She wasn’t lying when she said she wanted this as much as I did. When she moaned around my dick, I felt the vibrations all the way in my balls. I exploded in her mouth moments later with my cock buried in the back of her throat. She swallowed all I gave her and then licked her lips in satisfaction, but I wasn’t through yet. There was no way I was going to let her walk away with only one orgasm.
I threw her onto her back and latched onto her pussy one last time, sucking and biting at her clit. “You have to stop!” she shouted. “It’s too much. I can’t. Not again.”
I didn’t stop. My tongue flicked across her lips and up to her clit until she shoved her pussy up and started humping my face. I grinned as she rubbed herself against my lips until she came all over my mouth. When I came up for air, I felt her juices coating my lips and licked them clean. I loved the taste of her on me. And now that we were back, I would make sure that we didn’t go a single night without getting what we both needed.
Hunter: A Reed Security Romance Page 24