A hand slapped him on the back, and he came face to face with Uncle Ev.
“Sorry about trying to step on your toes with your girl,” the old man said. “Bubba’s done set me straight. Besides, there are plenty of hot chicks here who’d love to have a piece of me.” He hooked his thumbs into the straps of his overalls and stuck out his chest like a proud rooster. Otis the basset hound thumped his curved tail in approval.
Hunter found himself chuckling. “I appreciate that. I’m trying hard enough to win her heart without the competition.”
“She’s giving you the cow eyes. That’s a good sign.” Uncle Ev gave him a sly wink.
J.T. came up to them and wedged in between them. “Is Uncle Ev giving you a hard time again, Hunter?”
“No cuttin’ in line, boy.” Everett shoved J.T. aside. “Hasn’t your daddy told you to never get between a man and his beer?”
“Speaking of beer, Aaron told me to collect your keys if you want to come to Bubba’s bachelor party.” J.T. held out his hand. “You know the rules about drinking and driving, and Earl’s setting up an open bar for us at the Iron Line.”
“Open bar, eh?” Ev squinted one eye at J.T. before fishing out his keys. “I suppose that’s enticing enough to give up my baby for one night. But you have to promise to take good care of her. That’s my pussy wagon, after all.”
Uncle Ev pointed to a rusted, beat-up green truck with a homemade wooden sign replacing the tailgate that said Drunk Chicks Think I’m Hot.
Hunter would’ve laughed if the conversation hadn’t revealed his own shortcomings. Uncle Ev had confidence in spades when it came to the ladies, and he was just learning how to have a decent conversation with the woman he’d adored for years.
A jostle jerked him from his thoughts. Everett Mason pushed past him and grabbed the tap.
“Hey, what was that about no cutting?” J.T. asked.
“You snooze, you lose.” Ev’s high-pitched laughter rang above the din of the crowd. “Good advice when it comes to both beer and the ladies.”
Hunter didn’t miss the nod the old man gave in Chelsea’s direction. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good.” Ev held up the red Solo cup filled to the brim. “My work here is done except for one more thing.”
“And what’s that?” Hunter asked.
“J.T. better tell Earl not to serve any cheap-piss beer tonight. After all, Bubba deserves the best.” Ev gave them a gap-toothed grin and waved to a gray-haired woman to their left. “Hello, there, you sweet young thing.”
With Ev back on the prowl, Hunter picked up the tap and started filling his cup. “He’s an interesting character.”
“You don’t know the half of it.” J.T. took the tap from him. “And somehow, Aaron talked me into babysitting him for the night.”
“What about Bubba? Aren’t you supposed to be looking out for him as his best man?”
“That’s the reason I came over here to talk to you. I might need some help tonight, especially if we get Bubba as drunk as I’m planning on doing.”
Hunter took a sip of his beer, warning himself to take it slow. “Sounds like I’ll be playing taxi service.”
“Yeah, sorry about that, but it’s not much different than in college. Besides, it makes sense, seeing as how you’re staying here, and I live in town.”
“No problem.” He waited for J.T. to finish. “Let’s make sure we have plenty of food in our stomachs before we leave, though.”
“Yeah, we’ll need it to sop up all the alcohol.”
They wandered back to the table where Alex and Chelsea were. Ev’s comment kept echoing in Hunter’s mind. You snooze, you lose. And with only one day left before the wedding, he was running out of time to convince Chelsea he was the only man for her.
Maybe he’d pick Uncle Ev’s brain for tips on the ladies tonight at the bachelor party.
Chapter Eight
The rattle of pebbles on the bedroom window pulled Chelsea from her slumber. She got up and peered out into the dark night. The light from the full moon illuminated Hunter a few feet away. He waved at her until she opened the window.
A rush of warm air bathed her skin as she leaned out. “What is it?”
“I need your help getting Bubba out of the truck.” He turned and disappeared around the side of the house without waiting for her response.
Chelsea looked down at the tank top and boxers she slept in. They were thin and comfy, but thankfully, they covered enough to keep her from fearing a wardrobe malfunction. When she got outside, Hunter was trying to pull what looked like a dead body out of the passenger seat. “How drunk is he?”
“Drunk enough,” Hunter replied with a grunt.
“No, I’m not.” Bubba’s words slurred together, and the stench of stale whiskey lingered on his breath. “I wanted to keep drinking, but Earl kicked us out.”
“Never mind that it was two in the morning,” Hunter mumbled under his breath.
Bubba placed a finger to his lips and made a loud shush. “Now, remember. No telling. I’ve kept your secrets. Now you keep mine.”
She placed her hand on her hip. “I’m scared to ask what happened at the bachelor party.”
“You don’t want to know, but all things considered, Bubba was better behaved than some of the other guests.” Hunter tugged on Bubba’s arm hard enough to pull him out of the truck.
Chelsea rushed in to keep Hunter from crumpling under his friend’s weight. “Jesus, Bubba. Time to start drinking light beer.”
Bubba dissolved into laughter, but managed to stand on his own feet after some steadying from her and Hunter. “See? I’m not that drunk.”
Then he pitched to the side with the first step and knocked Hunter to the ground.
Chelsea helped the beleaguered groomsman up. “Where’s J.T.?”
“Tucking in Uncle Ev, who’s in even worse shape.” Hunter wiped the dirt from his palms and offered a hand to Bubba. “He asked me to look after W.C. Fields here.”
“Gin blossoms,” Bubba said with a snicker.
Chelsea shook her head. “Thank goodness Lisa isn’t here to see him like this. She might be tempted to call off the wedding.”
“Lisa?” Bubba perked up and staggered toward the house. “Where is my beautiful bride-to-be? I want to get an early start on the honeymoon.”
“Damn it,” Chelsea whispered and dashed after him. “Don’t you dare wake her up! Lisa needs a good night’s sleep before the wedding.”
“I’ll give her a good night’s sleep.” Bubba managed to rock his hips back and forth a few times in a lewd manner before falling to his knees with drunken laughter. “Just help me get to the bed, and I’ll take good care of her.”
The thin line of Hunter’s mouth told her he was near the end of his patience. “I have a better idea. Why don’t you stay in my room tonight? That way, you and Lisa both get a good night’s sleep, and you’ll have plenty of stamina for your wedding night.”
Bubba’s brow furrowed long enough to indicate some deep thought was mulling through his head. Finally, he nodded with a sigh. “I suppose I could sleep.”
“Great idea.” Hunter crouched and flung Bubba’s arm over his shoulder. “Let’s get inside.”
Chelsea ran ahead to open the door for the two men.
Bubba stopped short of the house, though, and gave her a goofy grin. “Chelsea, have you ever thought about getting with Hunter here? I think you two would be great together.”
“Not the best time to be playing matchmaker,” Hunter grumbled, the tips of his ear turning a darker shade of pink in the moonlight. But when he lifted his gaze toward her, she gave him a hint of a smile to tell him that she had been thinking about it.
Once they were inside, she held her finger up to her lips to remind Bubba to be quiet as they made their way down the hall. Bubba cast one longing look at his bedroom door before allowing Hunter to lead him into the guest room.
A few minutes later, the loud drone of snoring broke th
e silence. Hunter came out of his room, softly closed the door, and wiped his sweat damp hair back from his forehead. “Thanks, Chelsea.”
“No problem.” She looked past him at the closed door. “He’s going to be all kinds of messed up in the morning.”
“Maybe.” Hunter gave her a weak grin. “I forced him to drink a bottle of electrolyte solution on the way home, and I have another one in the car for the morning. Hopefully, it will reduce his hangover to a slight headache.”
“Nice job, Doc.”
His grin turned sheepish, and he rubbed his hand on the back of his neck. “Well, I was charged with taking care of him tonight.”
She nodded, reflecting on what seemed to be his track record with the group. “Poor Hunter. Always there to rescue others. But who’s going to rescue you?”
His grin fell, and desire burned in his eyes. “What makes you think I need rescuing?”
“Don’t tell me you’re planning on sleeping in there with all that noise?”
“I was actually planning on crashing on the couch.” But instead of heading down the hallway to the living room, he came closer to her.
Being a gentleman, he didn’t come right out and suggest she invite him into her room. And in truth, he didn’t have to. She’d gone to bed that night wondering what would happen if she’d let him keep kissing her in the bedroom earlier that evening. A flush started in her cheeks and spread lower when she remembered all the places her imagination led her. Perhaps it was time to find out if Hunter lived up to his fantasies.
“I have a better idea.” She took his hand and led him into her room.
The heat in his eyes intensified, and her body responded in a way that left her breathless. Her nipples peaked under the thin cotton of her tank top, and the place between her legs grew damp in anticipation.
Sweet Jesus, he hasn’t even touched me.
And yet she was more than ready to strip him naked and drag him to bed.
She licked her lips. “Do you still have the condom Bubba gave you this morning?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the foil packet, his eyes never leaving her.
“Good.” She slipped her arms around his neck and kissed him in such a way that let him know she was more than ready to take things to the next level.
He drew in a sharp breath through his nose, his body stiffening. Just when she was beginning to curse her brazenness, he exhaled with a moan and circled his arms around her waist. Their bodies slammed together, and the ever-hardening ridge of flesh pressing against her stomach quelled any doubts she’d had about going too far. Hunter wanted her as much as she wanted him, and she surrendered to the bliss of the moment.
They stood there just inside her room, locked in a kiss that left her giddy. She forced herself to end it long enough to gulp in some air. She used the break to pull her tank top over her head and fling it across the room.
Hunter’s eyes grew large as he stared down at her bare breasts. He reached up to cup one in his hand. His thumb grazed the stiff peak of her nipple, and a shiver of delight coursed down her spine. Then his lips were back on hers, his kisses growing more desperate and demanding. His hands moved down her body, past the waistbands of both her shorts and her panties, to grab her ass and press her against him.
More, a greedy little voice said in the back of her mind as she shimmied the rest of her clothes off. I want so much more.
She answered his kiss with more of her own, taking a moment to record everything about him. The taste of salt lingered on his upper lip as she nipped it, and the faint smell of his cologne mingled with the manliness that was all him. She tugged impatiently at his shirt and lifted it up to expose the warm, hard planes of his chest and abs.
Who would’ve thought Hunter would be so yummy?
He backed her up to the bed and lifted her onto it. The mattress sagged under his weight when he stretched out beside her. He stroked the curves of her naked body in silent admiration before his hand came back to her face and caressed her cheek. The expression on his face made her heart nearly burst. It spoke of love and lust, of passion and patience, of want and wonder.
Her breath caught. No man had ever looked at her that way. And yet, the one man she’d always thought hated her was staring at her like she was the most perfect woman in the world.
And it frightened her a bit. What if she didn’t live up to his expectations?
Her voice trembled as she asked, “Aren’t you a little overdressed?”
It broke the spell, and he cracked a goofy smile. “Are you telling me to get naked?”
“It’s kind of hard to fuck me with your clothes on.”
Her reply caused something in him to snap, and the heated desire returned. Part of her was relieved to see it. An object of lust had less pressure on her than an object of love, and she was all for keeping things light and fun.
At least, for tonight, anyway.
He kicked off his pants and underwear and kissed her again with the same hunger as before. His weight shifted to one side, exposing her body to the chilled air. Gooseflesh covered her skin, but it was due more to his touch than the air conditioner. The palm of his hand pressed against her mound, tempting and teasing until she opened her legs wider.
A yelp of pleasure escaped her lips when he found her clit. He lifted his head, grinning down at her while his thumb massaged the sensitive nub. He slipped one finger inside her, then another, stroking in a way she wished his cock would.
Her hips rose and fell in the tempo he set, and a tense ball started to coil deep inside the lowest part of her stomach. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, clinging to him as the rest of the world started to fade away. And when she came, he was the only thing she knew.
Hunter stroked her hair while the last waves of her orgasm rippled through her. “Let me know when you’re ready for more.”
“Now,” she pleaded. “I don’t want you to stop.”
She thought she heard him chuckle, followed by the rip of the foil packet. A few seconds later, he settled his weight over her. The coarse hair on his chest tickled her already sensitive nipples, but all she cared about was the erect cock nestled near the opening of her sex. She opened her legs wider to accommodate him.
He glanced down at her like he was asking permission. When she nodded, the tension on his face vanished, and he slid into her with one deft thrust.
A moan rose from her throat. Holy hell, he felt good.
He’d been fast and furious earlier with his hand, all about getting her off quickly. Now, he seemed more intent on drawing it out as long as possible. A series of languid kisses accompanied the slow and steady strokes. Chelsea closed her eyes and savored every sensation from his warm breath on her cheek to the subtle way the muscles in his back rippled as he moved inside her. It felt so different from any sexual encounter she’d known. With other guys, it was all about the physical. But with Hunter, she began to believe this was what making love should be like.
His breaths grew shaky, and his thrusts came harder, faster. The clench in his jaw told her he was close to coming, but she wasn’t ready for it to end. She wrapped her legs around his waist in a greedy attempt to keep him inside her. Her inner walls tightened, magnifying the exquisite delight of each stroke until her body stiffened and a strangled cry fell from her lips. A heady rush exploded from her core and throbbed through her veins. The intensity of her orgasm knocked the air from her lungs and blinded her vision. And yet, as before, she held on to him, scared that if she let go she’d lose him forever. She heard him call her name just before he rammed into her one more time and grew still.
When the last traces of ecstasy faded, she opened her eyes to find him smiling down at her. They were both still breathing fast, and sweat glazed their skin. He lifted one trembling hand to brush a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. “You were worth waiting for,” he said softly.
A different glow filled her that had nothing to do with how hard she’d just come. Somewhere along the w
ay, she’d fallen for Hunter McLemore. She checked her gut for confirmation before replying, “So were you.”
Chapter Nine
Hunter opened his eyes to a haze of gold.
Chelsea’s hair draped over the pillow beside him while she slept. He took a moment to memorize her that way in case he never had another chance to wake up beside her. Her lush lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, and her pink lips were so plump and swollen, they begged to be kissed again.
But instead of waking her that way, he placed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared back at him with those baby blue eyes and gave him a slow smile. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” He trailed a series of kisses along her collarbone, acutely aware of how hard he was getting with every peck. Too bad he hadn’t thought of grabbing a box of condoms when he’d swung by the drug store last night to buy the electrolyte solution. He was ready to make love to her all over again.
She tilted her head back, giving him full access to her neck. He took it, working his way up to her mouth. But when he got there, she caught him off guard by giving him a kiss that stole his breath away.
Yes, he could definitely enjoy waking up like this every morning.
She pulled him closer, rolling him on top of her, never breaking the connection between their lips. The curves of her tempting body called to him, inviting him to bury himself deep inside her once again, but a groan of responsibility kept him from indulging in that.
She ended the kiss with a pout. “What’s wrong?”
“No condom.”
The pout grew more pronounced, enticing him to catch her bottom lip between his teeth in a playful nip.
She laughed and ran her fingers through his hair. “Too bad. I was looking forward to more.”
“Can I take a rain check on that?” Although he was more than ready now.
“Absolutely.” Her grin widened, and a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. “In the meantime, I’m sure we could think of a few things.”
Summer on Main Street Page 7