When Chemistry Wins (The Dark Horse Trilogy Book 1)

by Dane, Cynthia

  Shifting in her seat, Kerri slipped off her heels and ran her fingers through her hair. That empty space next to Hunter on the loveseat called to her like a siren’s song. She answered it by standing up and sinking next to her unconventional date.

  The fire between them stoked again.

  “I’m not opposed to getting to know you better,” Kerri said, taking Hunter’s hand into hers. “You seem to know what you’re about, and God knows I haven’t had a guy who stimulated my brain in quite a long time. But at this moment you really only stimulate one thing.”

  His hand squeezed her fingers. “The feeling is rather mutual.”

  “Then what in the world are you waiting for? Kiss me.” The words were out of her mouth before she knew what she was about to say.

  Hunter picked up on them quickly. With their hands still holding fast on top of his knee, Hunter placed his other hand on Kerri’s cheek and brought her in for a kiss.

  At first Kerri resisted how much she enjoyed his lips upon hers, especially now that they were no longer strangers to each other’s bodies. She also worried that inviting him to love on her again would only stir up more trouble in the future. I can’t afford to fall for him. And yet, as he sucked on her skin and his hands roamed across her back and down to her hips, Kerri could not deny that this man did something to fill her with ardor.

  As she contemplated whether or not it was the forbidden nature of their union that turned her into a slave to her desires, Hunter pressed her against the couch, one hand up her blouse. So much for propriety.

  Kerri was pulled into the world of lusty debauchery one piece of clothing and one kiss at a time. Hunter could be attentive and the master of his own whims depending on the second: sometimes he kissed every inch of a patch of skin, and sometimes he ripped at Kerri’s clothing as if they poisoned her. I want to know both sides of him. Difficult when they spent more time having sex than talking.

  For now, however, Kerri was fine with that.

  She got up and went to the bed, Hunter right behind her as he rubbed his hands upon her body, kissed her ear, and lifted her blouse over her head. Kerri fell forward onto the bed, her feet still touching the floor as Hunter lifted her skirt and grabbed her rear. The neatly laid comforter crumpled in Kerri’s hands as she bit her lip and spread her legs. The tell-tale sound of Hunter’s zipper dropping snapped her back to reality for one second. “Let’s not be hasty like last time,” she said. She kicked over her bag on the floor and pulled it up. While Hunter rubbed her cleft, still clad in silk lingerie, Kerri showed him how prepared she was for this date via the contents of her bag. Besides, any man who can look at everything else I carry and not lose an erection can stay a few seconds longer. She figured Hunter would stay much longer than a few seconds.

  “Do you like it like this?” Hunter bent over her to whisper in her ear. His cock was fully erect, pushing against Kerri’s bare thigh. Calculated. Like he knew that sort of touch would arouse her. His finger searched for the dip in her lingerie and swirled into it. Kerri moved forward along the bed, her breasts, still contained in her bra, dragging across it how she liked. “I like a lot of things,” she said with a guttural groan.

  “And this?” Hunter’s cock pressed against her silk undergarments, the only thing keeping him from entering her.

  Kerri tossed her hair to the side and stretched her arms along the bed. “Do your worst.”

  Naturally, Hunter’s worst was actually his best. But that’s what Kerri counted on as he ripped her lingerie down and lined himself up with her center.

  At first Kerri thought that moan she heard was Hunter’s, his body joining with hers after only a few seconds. No, it’s mine. Her voice was creating that sound of gratification as Hunter gently rocked into her. Dangerous. That’s how good it felt. Too good to be anything but dangerous. Kerri may have been smarter in some areas this time, but with every slow thrust she could feel another piece of her become more comfortable with having Hunter in her life.

  Once they were sure Kerri was ready, Hunter eased on the tenderness. She groaned again, this time well aware that it was her mouth releasing those sounds as her forbidden lover thrust into her with more passion than she anticipated.

  The other night he was able to find her core easily, and today was no exception. As Kerri clutched the comforter in her hands and groaned as loudly as she dared, Hunter held her at the hips and brought her down onto his cock with every thrust. Kerri could feel her stomach tightening up at this blissful intrusion, pounding into her over and over again while the rest of her accommodated this position. One of Hunter’s hands reached between her thighs. The jolt of pleasure zipping through her as he touched her clit made her release the comforter and push up onto her hands. “That’s it,” she cried, pulling down her bra so her breasts could be stimulated by the bed. Now her whole body was in on this plan – and what a great plan it was.

  Hunter removed his hands and grabbed her by the shoulders instead. He pulled her up halfway off the bed, his cock pushing into her as she steadied herself and reached between her legs. Her fingers delighted in how wet she was, but not as much as she enjoyed running them along the place where her body joined with his. Hunter grunted into her ear when her fingers stroked his cock as it eased in and out of her. Kerri quickly fell again, her hands catching her against the bed – Hunter resumed his long, steady thrusts.

  It didn’t take much longer for him to lose himself in the moment and climax within her. Kerri held her breath so she could hear her lover groan in satisfaction. The whole thing was over long before she was ready for it to be.

  But Hunter was not a selfish partner. After a few minutes of relaxing on the bed, his clothing now discarded on the floor, he eased Kerri onto her back and disappeared between her legs. His lips and fingers returned to their first experiences with her body, and she was glad to have them enter her while her toes curled in the air from orgasm. By the end of her climax, Hunter was hard again, so Kerri kept her legs up and bent so he could enter her. Her only regret was that she didn’t get to feel the same warmth; instead, she took pleasure in watching his cock slide in and out of her. His hands squeezed her breasts while hers went back to exploring their union.

  This time when Hunter climaxed it was longer, slower. He didn’t have the same sexual urgency as a man who had gone without for however long. Now he was able to savor his orgasm – and hers, as it so happened. One pinch to her nipple and she fell over the edge of sanity.

  Hunter collapsed onto her, his breaths panting into her ear as he alternated kissing her face and pushing into the pillow. Kerri’s legs remained in the air; Hunter remained inside of her.

  The rest of their date, if it could be called that, was spent in each other’s arms as they talked about themselves in the soft voices of budding love. No, don’t call it that. Kerri wasn’t stupid. She knew this was a fling – a very good fling – and did not want to find herself trapped in heartbreak. But as they admitted toward the end of their liaison, to continue this relationship could only end in one extreme or another: they would be together in bliss forever, or they would crash and burn once the world found out their betrayals to their families.

  “I’m not saying we should jump into being exclusive and that you should call me your boyfriend,” Hunter said, his arms wrapped around Kerri as they made that bed their own. “I’m not going to deny the position we’re in regarding who we are. But if we were any other people in the world, I wouldn’t think twice about asking you to seriously go out with me.”

  My mother would probably call that courting. Kerri tried not to laugh, although the endorphins flooding her body wanted her to laugh gleefully about everything. “At this point all we can do is sneak around. As fun as that is, if we get caught…”

  “We’ll take it one step at a time.” Hunter rolled onto Kerri, careful to not suffocate her but trying to smother her in affection. What a doll. Damn those endorphins, making Kerri giggle into her pillow as her heart ope
ned itself to the idea of romance. “Let’s not get bogged down in the details right now.” He nipped her earlobe, his favorite thing to do. “I’d much rather get bogged down in what makes you tick.”

  “I see.” Kerri inhaled his scent: sweat, sex, and aftershave. The bitter side of her would say that was the typical man, but the other side – the one willing to fall in love – decided that was the scent she loved most. “I can give you a demonstration of what makes me tick right now.”

  “Haven’t you done that a few times already?”

  “I may have, but you’re still asking, so…”

  Hunter kissed her forehead. “I’m a terrible pupil. You need to show me many times.”

  A heavy pause filled the hotel room as Kerri considered those implications. “I will,” she decided. She would start by teaching Hunter how to excite her with one look, one word, and one kiss. It would make dealing with the downsides of this illicit relationship easier to bear.

  Chapter 5

  In an open field forty miles north into the countryside, where time stopped thirty years ago, Joshua Payne stood on a platform and told the fine folks of the state’s smallest county why they should vote for him. He did not have a large turnout.

  Hunter was there, sitting in the last row of folding chairs decorated with red, white, and blue streamers leading up to the platform. Most of the people who did attend were those who lived and worked in town, not the farmers who had already made up their minds about who to vote for. They were in a county set in their ways, and every other yard and section of fence had a sign asking people to vote for the same candidate. The other candidate’s name was verboten, unless the farmers felt like making fun of him.

  Few people had heard of Joshua Payne outside of incidental stories on the evening news. Most men and women around those parts didn’t care about third party candidates – hell, most people in the state didn’t. That’s one thing Hunter admired about Joshua. Even though he knew he was running in distant third, he didn’t let it get to him. He stood up on that platform and spoke with the same fervor as either main party candidate would. He was going to change the state for the better. Lower taxes while still finding the money to boost schools, infrastructure, and health care. Find a healthy balance between government programs and letting people make their own decisions. The same thing everyone promises, but he actually believes it. Terrence liked to espouse the words of freedom fighters, CEOs, and damned hippies alike. He was all talk. Hunter knew his father well enough to know everything was carefully calculated and written for him. What were his opinions? Hunter didn’t know anymore.

  The rally – if it could be called that – ended with polite applause and a few people going up to the platform to shake his hand and talk to him about local and statewide politics. Hunter hung back, enjoying the sunshine and the cool breeze… and his sweet memories of Kerri, the woman he couldn’t shake from his head.

  It had been three days since they last saw each other, but the phone bills were adding up. She told Hunter to call her late, near midnight sometimes, since that was the only time she knew she could be completely alone in her room without any disturbances or nosy questions from her mother. Kerri told him this because she wanted to talk to him. Since that lovely afternoon in the hotel room, Hunter had called her every night, since she wasn’t sure if anyone in her family looked at her phone bill.

  Their conversations ranged from trivial, to serious, to utterly absurd. In the span of ten minutes they would go from the latest episode of a TV show they both liked to political conundrums. Sometimes they shared ridiculous stories they read on the internet, as if they were two bored college students putting off homework. For Hunter he wanted to hear that deep voice Kerri projected when she laughed. He hoped she was as attracted to him as he was to her.

  Figuring out where they would go in the future was the hardest part. And what if we fall in love? Too late. Hunter already had fantasies of bringing his lovely new girlfriend home to Mom and Dad to have dinner and banter.

  Except he couldn’t bring her home. She was a secret, a mystery to his parents.

  Hunter checked his text messages and sighed to see that he had none. At least not from Kerri. He didn’t count the spam he got from his father.

  Within a half hour, most of the people had dissipated from the rally. Volunteers began cleaning up the chairs, the platform, and the decorations. A large breeze rolled through, rattling the streamers as they spiraled into the blue sky and threatened to enter a neighboring farmer’s crops. Two women chased them down with panicked shouts, and Hunter saw his opportunity to approach the Independent candidate.

  He was talking with someone else in a suit. Perhaps his campaign manager. The moment he turned around, however, Hunter was in front of him with hand extended.

  “Good afternoon, sir,” Hunter said. “My name is Hunter Hall, and I’m a big fan of yours.”

  Both Joshua and his campaign manager looked at Hunter as if he were a monster come to lop off their heads. “Hall?” they asked in unison. “As in Terrence Hall’s son?” Joshua finished.

  “Yes. May we talk in private?”

  Candidate and manager exchanged looks. After a few curt whispers, Joshua nodded, and Hunter followed him to a trailer waiting out in the parking lot.

  The space was cramped, but it gave them the privacy Hunter asked for. This man doesn’t waste a dime. His research into Mr. Payne concluded that he lived a frugal life with his wife and two kids. They did not want for the necessities, but they did not splurge either – Joshua was good at budgeting, an important marker of a governor. He was also soft spoken but firm in his resolve. Hunter liked that in his friends, in his intellectual equals, and in his candidates. Terrence had a habit of shouting so loudly that the evening news made fun of him.

  “Tell me, why does the son of Terrence Hall want to talk to me in private?” Joshua sat on a pullout sofa and gestured for Hunter to take an adjacent chair. “I’m certainly no threat to him.”

  Hunter sat up straight before leaning his elbows against his knees. “My father doesn’t know I’m here. In fact, I have no interest in my father’s campaign.”

  Joshua raised his eyebrows. “Go on.”

  “I don’t believe that my father is cutout to be the governor of this state. I think he has a lot of passion for what he does, and he did an admirable job as a representative, but he’s not someone I would want to be governor. For everything we agree on, there is something I do not agree with. Honestly, in this whole election, the only person I think who comes even close to being the right candidate… is you.”

  “Oh, good.” Joshua relaxed into the sofa with a practiced smile on his face. “For a moment there I thought you were going to say you liked Raymond Mitchell.”

  Only his daughter. Hunter could display a practiced smile as well. Like now. “I don’t let others decide my politics for me, Mr. Payne,” he said. “Quite the contrary. I’m a fan of making my own decisions. And my mind has led me to you.”

  They spent a few minutes discussing the politics facing their state. Joshua was a native of the land. He amazed Hunter with his observations when it came to helping farmers stay afloat while keeping costs down and toxic chemicals out of the food supply. He agreed that the highways and state roads outside of the cities were dreadfully maintained, especially some of the biggest bridges that hadn’t been repaired in years. On social matters they agreed as well: health care, minority rights, social aid… Joshua may have been at least fifteen years older than Hunter, but he felt like his equal in a debate. If I’ve doubted my political convictions until now, this would change everything. Instead Hunter felt like a kid talking to his favorite celebrity.

  The high had to come down at some point, however. Halfway between discussing the holdup in the state senate and what to do about Veteran’s affairs, Joshua pulled back his good humor and put on the face he used in his low-budget commercials. “As flattered as I am that you are such a fan of mine, Mr. Hall, I
have to remind you that my chances are slim. I am a distant third to both your father and Governor Mitchell when it comes to the polls. I went into this knowing that I would likely lose. But I still had to do it.”

  “Of course.” Hunter cleared his throat. “The Independent ticket rarely gets far.”

  “Then you’ll understand if I’m still confused over this outpouring of support.”

  “I would like to make a contribution to your campaign.”

  “Ah.” Joshua chuckled. “Again, I am flattered. But I’m afraid it may not be enough.”

  “No, but it’s something. Besides, I have another idea that may help you.”

  The candidate suppressed a grin. “I’m listening.”

  “My father thinks he’s going to win. Governor Mitchell thinks he’s going to win. But these campaigns are precarious, and one bad piece of information could ruin either of theirs.”

  Silence filled the trailer. Within a moment, Joshua snorted, his face contorting in a strange smile that pulled at his youthful skin. “You may not support your father, but you are obviously the father of a politician. Tell me, do you know what a dark horse is?”

  Hunter nodded. “Of course I do. The competitor that comes out of nowhere and wins.”

  “Ha, yes.” Joshua flicked his fingers as if he were ridding himself of bad luck. “When it comes to politics, there are only a few dark horses. Rarely do they get there on their own merit. You may be a bit young to remember this, but Ross Perot was perhaps one of the biggest third party candidates in recent history. But the people who actually win? They were usually because something happened to the main two contenders.”

  The smile fell off Hunter’s face. Surely he’s not suggesting…

  “One of the reasons I make a terrible candidate is that I don’t like to play dirty. Now, please don’t assume I am saying that your father plays dirty. But my old campaign managers told me that in order to succeed as a third party candidate, I had to do things that I was not comfortable doing. Sadly, this is the state of politics today.”