by Elissa Daye
“But how? Does this mean that—?”
“I’m off the case? Yes. Yes, it does.” A little more life crawled back into his face as a soft smile started to fill it.
A desire to throw her arms around him filled her, but she felt the guilt holding her back. If she was the reason this mission failed and more people died because of it, she would never forgive herself. Lyssa sat at the table and hunched her shoulders over. Hunter could not leave his mission. They needed him and Logan to get as close to the inner workings of the Craven as possible. That factor had never changed.
“Oh, get up and hug him already, you dolt.” Serena had been watching from the doorway.
Lyssa looked up at her, and her eyebrows raised unexpectedly. “What in the world is going on?”
“Hunter, you better take her somewhere else and fill her in on what happened last night. She’ll definitely want to hear it.”
Hunter walked over to her and reached for her hand. Lyssa took it cautiously and looked up into his face just before he started to lower his mouth to hers. When his lips reached hers, they were soaring through the air, to where she had no idea.
When they finally stopped, she pulled away from him and looked around. It was the house in the vision that she’d had before. “Hunter? Where are we?”
“Home. Or the one that my parents used to own. It’s been mine since they passed three years ago.” He answered her so calmly that she had to look at him again. “Come inside, Lyssa. We need to talk.”
Lyssa followed him inside and winced as the screen door hit the frame, slamming shut in the silence around them. Avoiding eye contact, she stared at each wall in turn. It was easier than looking at Hunter right now. They were standing in the family room, where two chairs sat near the big window at the front of the room, separated by a table and a few floor lamps. On the other side of the room was a long sectional couch in a shade of buttercream suede. The walls were a peaceful blue, and its calming hue made her feel almost comforted. Hunter sat down on the couch and gestured for her to sit down. She debated sitting in one of the armchairs across from it, but decided now was not a good time to start acting like a chicken. Lyssa did sit, but at the furthest end away from him.
“Stop acting like you’re in trouble, Lyssa.”
“Hunter, you can’t tell me that this is the way that the mission was supposed to go. How are we going to find the information that we needed? All those people depended on us, and all for naught. It’s so selfish.”
Hunter smiled at her. “There are two people in that equation, Lyssa. I chose to leave the mission. You never asked me to. I’d do it again.”
“Sure, you say that now. Wait until it all hits the fan. Then you’ll regret it.”
“No, you don’t get to decide how I’ll feel. Only I do. And I won’t. Logan is quite capable of getting the information that we need, and having one new person at a time is less conspicuous. It’s actually better. Better for the mission, better for you, and definitely better for me.” He moved closer to her, and she was suddenly aware they were alone.
Lyssa still tried to shake off what he was telling her. “You can’t just make the decisions for me. I should have had a say in this.”
“Very well. What would you have said?”
“I would have told you that there were others who counted on us to do our jobs, even if I didn’t want you to go. Why did you come back for me?”
“Because you called.”
His eyes met hers, and the distance seemed minimal. He put his hand on her neck and stroked her hair softly. This time when he moved closer, she was prepared for Hunter’s lips on hers. Hunter responded faster than she anticipated, and a sweet tender kiss turned into something entirely more intimate. She felt the racing heart under her fingers as she laced her hands in his shirt.
Before she knew it, they were moving through the air once again. “Where are we now?”
“Upstairs.”
“We could have walked, you know.” When she dared to open her eyes, she found that they were inside their room, the one place where passion was unencumbered, and they were not at odds with the world. “Hunter?”
“Yes?”
“We’ve been coming to your house all this time?”
“Yes.” He was starting a trail of kisses down her neck, and she was finding it very hard to focus on all the questions that she had for him. When he picked her up and carried her to the bed, she gave up.
“Hunter?”
“Hmm?” He still did not look up at her as his finger played around with a button on her shirt.
“What are you doing?”
“Well, if you have to ask, I must be out of practice.” He now had all the buttons free and was running a finger lightly down her stomach. She sucked in her gut when his hand reached below her navel. While she had been sitting there as if she was a spectator, she suddenly felt it would be in her best interest to pay attention to what Hunter was doing. Before she knew it, she lay completely naked before him, and in the light of the day, she felt insecure. Lyssa tried to look away from his inquiring gaze, but he stopped her.
“Don’t look away, Lyssa. Look here.” He pointed to his eyes. Lyssa sucked in a brave breath and looked into his eyes. “I see you better than you see yourself.” His eyes were alight with something much deeper than desire. She kept her eyes on him as he ran his hands down her body, every single inch he traveled, sending delicious chills up and down her skin. His touch was so gentle, and desire fluttered inside her like a slow wind that threatened to turn into a delicious storm of energy. She tried to reach up to assist him with his own clothing, but he pushed her hands away.
“Not yet. There’s plenty of time.”
His answer echoed the sentiments of moments before. He would take his time because he was not going anywhere. He was choosing to be by her side. Hunter was choosing her, and when this thought finally hit home, it was liberating.
Lyssa left her reservations at the foot of the bed as he made love to her body with his hands and mouth, each delicious wave of desire running through her in slow motion until she started to crave the feel of his flesh on hers. She dug her way out of the passion filled cloud that was storming around her. Grabbing his shirt, she pulled him closer to her, and when he refused to budge, she heard the rip of fabric under her fingertips.
Hunter caught her hands in his and chuckled. “Yes, ma’am.” He quickly removed his shirt, and she felt his intake of breath as his chest moved under her fingertips. When she ran one of her nails over his nipple, he tried to push her hand away and moved ever so slowly away from her body.
“Turn around.” His voice cut through the haze.
She sat up and turned around slowly, eyeing him with curiosity as she turned. He gently touched the scar on the back of her head, and she could feel a brief bout of sadness fall between them. When the first kiss fell on her neck and started to run down her shoulders, she arched her back into him, forgetting any sadness in the world. His hands reached around to caress her breasts as his hot skin melted into her back. She tilted her head back for a kiss that made her feverish. There they sat when the gentle tide took her away and melted her in his hands and his lips. Lyssa could not fight the desire that ran through her. To deny it would be to deny herself the air she breathed.
Hunter lowered her back onto the bed, and the heat in his eyes told her that he would not be able to hold back his own needs for much longer. She reached down to the bulge showing through his pants and licked her lips when he bucked against her hand. He removed the rest of his clothing quickly and lowered himself onto her. Lyssa wrapped her arms around him and breathed in the scent of him. She could tell he was holding himself back as he continued to stoke her fires with a skill that simply amazed her.
His erection was pulsing close to her legs, and she ached for it. It rocked back and forth, touching her nether lips so achingly, yet not
close enough to the entrance to fulfill the deepest part of her. Lyssa knew he would stop soon, but she ached to feel him inside her. She wrapped her legs around him and enticed him to enter her, then distracted him with a kiss that made them both senseless as she pulled him into her core.
Hunter pulled his mouth away, and his breath caught in his throat. She knew he was trying to reason through the madness, but she wouldn’t let him. While she had enjoyed their lovemaking before, this was so much more intense, for she had not felt the full heat of him inside her the other times. When he trusted himself to move within her, she felt wave after wave of delicious release that had been trapped beneath the surface. The beat of their hearts kept time with the rhythm of their bodies falling into each other over and over again. Nothing was keeping them from feeling, no distracting the finish that made the stars explode behind their eyes.
“Lyssa, I didn’t—”
“Don’t worry so much. I’ve got it covered.” Lyssa felt him still buried deep within her, and she was still pulsing around him. He moved slowly again, and she moaned. Soon they were caught up in each other again, and they finished again as she held him closer to her.
She lay there with her thoughts swirling around. They had just had the most amazing sex, but her thoughts that she had pushed to the farthest reaches of her mind climbed forward. Hunter could still have jeopardized everything they had been working for just to be with her.
“Hunter, I—” she started to say. She felt like she needed to apologize for making him feel like he had no other choice.
“Don’t say you’re sorry. I’m not. I’m right where I want to be.”
Tears started to crowd the corners of her eyes. If things weren’t so messed up with the world, she would feel so carefree at the moment. She snuggled against him and nuzzled his neck with her nose. “Me too.”
Chapter 30
Lyssa woke up to the smell of something tasty being cooked below. Pulling on her clothes, she went to the mirror to inspect the chaos that used to be her hair. She did the best she could to straighten it with her fingers, but it was a painful process. Finally giving up, she decided to leave it the way it was.
Before climbing down the stairs, she decided to look around the house. Down the hallway, she found three other bedrooms, one of which was actually the master bedroom. Lyssa wondered why Hunter did not use this room since it had a large adjoining bathroom, but then she realized this had to have been his parents’ room. It was still decorated with their things; small odds and ends collected on vacations, picture frames that lay untouched on the shelves and walls. She could understand how hard it must be to let go of the happiness he must have had with his family, but part of her wished that she could relate.
Placing one hand on the railing, she climbed down the stairs. She let her nose find its way to the kitchen and found it to be at the back of the house on the first floor. Hunter was busy stirring something on the stove when she reached her arms around him. He stopped what he was doing and turned around for her embrace. “Good afternoon.”
“Is it really late? Are we in trouble?” She kissed his nose and snuck around him to see what he was cooking.
“Hey, no peeking. And no. We are not in trouble. I informed Julius that we would be taking the next two days off. I need to lie low, just in case they didn’t buy my death.”
“Then I’m staying here with you so that I can keep an eye on you.”
After all these months, Lyssa did not want to lose Hunter again. She had almost given up on the idea of him, but she would never have been able to let him go. Lyssa pursed her lips thoughtfully as she considered the image of Hunter and the little boy. Was that a life he would consider sharing with her? Would they always want to be with the Watch Tower? Were they always Guardians once they started to align with them? Lyssa realized that life was too complicated currently to contemplate these ideas, and she was about to ask, but Hunter beat her to the chase.
“Yes, that life appeals to me very much so, and only with you in it, but right now it’s complicated, Lyssa. Please don’t misunderstand me. If we’re going to make the world a better place for us, make it safer for our own children someday, then we have to find a way to vanquish these shadows from the Earth.”
“But if there aren’t shadows to fight, there will be something else, like the other things I’ve sensed on the globe. Surely you know that, Hunter.”
“Lyssa, this is the 21st century. Honey, we can have it all if we want. But for now, this will have to be enough. We’ll take steps toward a different life when we’re ready.”
Lyssa left the discussion where it stood. She didn’t know why she felt the need to push the issue anyway. It was hard to remind herself to live in the moment and let the future unravel at its own pace, that she did not need to control the outcome every time. Hunter was right. For now, there was Hunter and her. The importance of what they were doing was immeasurable, and the journey they took together as they faced it would be well worth it.
While they ate lunch, she noticed that the darkness that had been growing in his face had relaxed, and the old Hunter that she had come to know and love was quickly returning. She offered to help him with the dishes, and they fell in together in an easy silence that felt familiar. As soon as they were finished, they went to sit out on the porch.
“This is a beautiful view.” The house was set further away from the city, and they were facing a small lake that was surrounded by tall trees. It was so quiet and peaceful there that she could feel her soul relaxing for a change. Getting away from the Watch Tower was a good idea, even if just for a few days.
Lyssa laid her head on his shoulder and simply took in the moment. This was what life could be like if they were dealt the right cards. She could sit there forever in the comfort of his arms. Life was getting better every day.
Lyssa turned her head up and waited for Hunter to respond. When he faced her, she took that opportunity to kiss him softly on the lips. She remembered the fierce longing to have him back in her life, and it carried through with each movement of his mouth. She climbed on his lap and put her hand on his face.
“I love you, Hunter.” Her quiet whisper was almost lost on the breeze, but Hunter heard it easily.
“I will always love you, Lyssa.” His hands moved down her back, and his kisses became more intense. He slid his hands under her shirt, and she felt his heat on her skin. She wanted nothing else but to let the moment carry her away, but they were still outside, where anyone walking by the house could see them. This house may be protected from the shadows, but humans were an entirely different story.
Hunter seemed to notice her dilemma. He wrapped her legs around him as he stood up from the chaise. He continued to kiss her senseless as he carried her inside the house. Shutting the door behind them, Hunter braced her body on his knee, and she felt the cold door on her back. He continued to kiss her until she thought no breath was left in her lungs. When he tired of her mouth, he trailed hot kisses down her neck and sucked her flesh into his mouth, where he nibbled lightly on her skin. Lyssa let her head relax against the door and reveled in the hot sensual way his lips tortured her.
Hunter slid her body down his and pushed his hands under her shirt, and Lyssa tried not to flinch as his fingers moved across her belly. Sliding the shirt up her chest, Hunter nibbled at the valley of her breasts. Soon, the offending garment was tossed on the ground, and he led her to the armchair in the living room. When they stood before it, Lyssa pushed him backward and chuckled when he fell against the cushions. She straddled his hips with her knees and moved her hands to the shirt that was blocking his flesh from her touch. Lyssa made quick work of the shirt and smirked at the boyish grin on his face.
“You like what you see?” His cheekiness was enough to make her giggle.
“Yes. I do. Although, I can’t quite see everything yet.” Lyssa let herself fall to the ground as her fingers fumbl
ed with the snaps of his jeans and carefully unzipped them. In one fell swoop, she maneuvered his briefs with his jeans at the same time. When he was naked before her, she looked him over again. “Much better.”
“Well, this seems unfair. You seem to be wearing too many clothes.”
“Perhaps.”
Lyssa turned around, so her back was facing him and slid her pants from her body, making sure to bend over slowly as they made their way to the floor. Grabbing her ankles, she stayed long enough for Hunter to have enough view of her backside. After that, she moved her underwear down in much the same fashion. She turned her head to see if Hunter was enjoying the show, and the fierceness in his gaze told her that he was. She undid the clasp of her bra and slid it slowly over her shoulders. Lyssa swung it away from her and watched it fall to the floor.
Refusing to turn around, she waited for Hunter to speak.
“Lyssa….”
Turning around to face him, she walked over to him and leaned down to kiss his mouth. She murmured against him when his hands played with her nipples. He pulled her down onto his lap, and she almost moaned when he slid into her. Lyssa wasn’t surprised that she was already wet for him. The excitement that raced through her was hard to contain. Sliding up and down the length of him, she enjoyed the tight bunching of his muscles as he tried to control his desire.
Lyssa leaned over mid-movement and whispered in his ear. “You feel so good, Hunter.”
He groaned, and his hands gripped her waist tightly. “You’re making me crazy, Lyssa.”
“Good. Let go, Hunter.” She wanted him wild for her. Lyssa had no idea where these feelings came from or why she desired the craziness of this fast and furious pace. Where it came from was unimportant. All she could think about was how good it felt to have him pierce her core so tight and hard. When he trembled beneath her, she knew Hunter had lost control. She didn’t finish, but Lyssa didn’t care. Sometimes she just wanted to enjoy the moment without the release. Her insides hummed softly, and she felt bliss just being there in the moment.