“I love the way you touch me,” I say, my voice breathy.
He smiles and kisses my mouth, his fingers working their magic. “I love the way you feel.”
His hand stops and I gasp, but he climbs on top of me. His muscles are taut, glistening with a light sheen of sweat, his tattoos the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. He has more on his chest, and I want to run my tongue along their lines.
He leans his forehead against mine. “You’re so beautiful.”
My eyes tear up, but before I can think about what’s happening, he slides inside me again. His thickness stretches me open, filling me. It’s bliss.
He moves in and out, with more gentleness this time, but every thrust has me heating up. His weight on top of me feels so fucking good. He kisses my neck and nibbles at my skin. I’m overcome, every sensation stirring something deep inside. Something I buried a long time ago.
“Harder.” I dig my fingers into his back. “Harder, Hunter. I want more.”
He picks up the pace, thrusting with more force. Our bodies surge and flow, locked together, moving in effortless unity. It’s like we were made to fit together. So perfect. So right. He thrusts his hips, driving his cock in deep.
I’m overwhelmed, lost in the feel of his body, his skin on mine. I don’t want him to stop. With him inside me, I don’t have to think about what this means. The past is gone, and the future doesn’t matter. The only thing that exists is us, in this moment. The feel of his cock, sliding in and out, every thrust bringing me closer to climax. His mouth on my skin, leaving searing hot marks where he kisses me. The strength of his arms, his muscular frame, poised above me. Everything else fades away.
“Fuck, Ems, I could do this forever,” he says. “You feel amazing.”
“Don’t stop,” I say. “I don’t want this to end.”
He keeps going, and we both move faster. We can’t help it; surges of pleasure drive us onward. I can’t remember the last time I had two orgasms so close together, and the sudden tension takes me by surprise. My core muscles clench, deep inside, driving me toward climax. I chase the feeling, grinding against Hunter with each thrust.
“Baby, I’m going to come,” he says. His voice is deep and rough. He moves faster, and I love the feeling of him letting go of his tight control.
Without warning, he fucks me hard. His cock moves fast and I arch my back, clutching the sheets. My orgasm overtakes me, sends me spinning through nothingness until I’m so dizzy, I don’t know which way is up. His cock pulses; his hot come fills me.
He pauses for a long moment, his cock still inside me, his breath hot on my neck. He kisses beneath my ear, up my cheek, finds my lips. Then he rolls off me and pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his shoulder and drape my arm across his chest as he kisses my hair and rubs slow circles along my arm.
My body is warm, thrumming with contentment. Hunter’s chest rises and falls against me in a slow rhythm. I think he might have fallen asleep, but I can’t be sure. A part of me hopes we both drift off and don’t wake until morning. I’d rather feel like things just happened, almost outside of my control, than make a decision. Do I want to stay over? It felt so good to be with him again—to feel his hardness inside me, feel the pulses as he emptied into me. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had before, even with him. But now that I’m thinking about it, sleeping here feels like too much.
As good as that was, I’m worried I just made a very big mistake.
There was a time I thought I knew everything about him. He shared a side of himself with me that he never let anyone else see. It made me feel special, like I’d unlocked a secret no one else knew. People saw him as sullen and easily enraged; I knew the Hunter who was gentle and sweet.
But there was always something else in his eyes—even in our quietest, most tender moments. Rage. But I don’t see it anymore.
Except that when he slammed Wyatt onto the hood of his car, I saw it burning hot.
I was so shocked when Wyatt grabbed me. He’s never laid a hand on me in anger before. He knew how to push my buttons and say things to get under my skin, but he never tried to hurt me. I don’t know what he would have done if Hunter hadn’t been there, but the speed and ferocity with which Hunter reacted scared the shit out of me. I was more than a little convinced Hunter was going to break his arm. Or worse.
Where is Hunter hiding that rage now? How did he unleash it so fast?
What else might set him off?
I’m in too deep and I’m not quite sure how I got here. Just a few weeks ago, I was happily done with men. I wanted to be single, to work on recapturing the woman I used to be. The woman I should be.
Hunter’s arm tightens around me and he kisses my head.
I squeeze my eyes shut. I’m so confused. My body wants to melt into him.
“Ems?” Hunter’s voice is quiet.
“Yeah?”
He kisses my forehead again. “Are you all right?”
I close my eyes against the sting of tears. The first time we made love he asked me that same question, in that same gentle voice. “I don’t know.”
He lifts his head off the pillow to look me in the eyes. He touches the side of my face with his strong hand. “I want you to stay with me tonight.” His lips touch mine in a soft kiss and he runs his hand through my hair.
My body relaxes as his kiss deepens. He feels so right. Why am I fighting this? I slide my hand up his chest.
He pulls away just enough that our lips part, our noses still touching. “Will you stay?” he whispers.
I meet his gaze. “Yes. I’ll stay.”
He smiles and kisses me again.
I want to believe I’m doing the right thing, but I’m still not sure.
Loud banging jolts me from sleep. I’m lying on my side, my head on the pillow, and it takes me a second to remember where I am.
Hunter is already sitting up, as if he woke instantly.
“It’s okay, it’s just someone knocking on the door,” he says.
I glance at the time on his bedside clock. It’s just after eight.
The sheet slides off Hunter as he gets out of bed, showing off his very hot ass. He quickly pulls on a pair of underwear and tugs on some jeans and a white t-shirt.
Someone knocks again.
He leans down and kisses me lightly on the mouth. “You don’t have to get up. I’ll see who it is.”
I decide to put my clothes back on. All I have is my dress from last night, but I feel awkward lying here naked. Who could be here?
It better not be Wyatt. I don’t know what Hunter would do to him.
I put on my dress and step out into the hallway. I hear voices from the front of the house.
“I’m sorry, Hunter, but I have to ask you to come in so we can ask you a few questions.”
“Am I under arrest?”
Arrest? What the hell? I tiptoe closer and peek around the wall.
Two cops in uniform are standing outside the door. I can just see them past Hunter’s large frame.
“No, you’re not under arrest,” one of the cops says. “But we have a report we need to follow up on. Will you come with me, please?”
Hunter’s shoulders move as he takes a deep breath. “Okay. Will you give me a minute, officers?”
He turns and I shrink back into the hallway, my heart racing. He takes my arm and leads me back to his bedroom.
“What’s going on?” I ask in a low voice.
“I think your ex called the police last night and reported that I attacked him.”
“Attacked him?” I say. “No, he grabbed me, and—”
Hunter puts a finger to my lips. “I know. It’s okay. I’ll go in and tell them what happened. I’m sure it won’t take very long.”
“I’ll come, too,” I say. “I’m sure I can clear this up.”
“No,” he says. “I don’t want you to have to do that.”
“Don’t you think they’ll want to hear from me?”
He touches the si
de of my face. “Ems, please. You’ve been through enough. I can take care of this.” He kisses me, his mouth firm against mine. “I’ll be back in a little while.”
He leaves out the front door before I can protest.
15
Hunter
I could really use some coffee, but I have a feeling the stuff they have sitting in the coffee pot on the counter is shit. The officers have been polite—almost apologetic—and I know they’re just doing their job. The fact that Emma’s douche of an ex called them makes me hope I never fucking see him again. Because next time they’ll be bringing me in for more than questions. I’ll find myself handcuffed and tossed in a cell.
It would be worth it.
I keep my face pleasant and relaxed, despite the hum of anger buzzing through me. Officer Cooper knows me, but the rest of them don’t, and I don’t want to appear threatening. That’s harder than it sounds. I’m aware of how I look. I’m a big guy, my arms are tatted up, and I still have my military posture. I look like a fucking Marine, and I’m goddamn proud of it.
I also know I have an arsenal of weapons at my property—all properly licensed and legal, but not the sort of thing most people keep on hand. I have every clearance I need, and I can flood this small town police station with paperwork proving I have a right to do what I do. But that kind of scrutiny would be a hassle, and I don’t need that.
Emma looked horrified when the cops showed up. I’m glad they didn’t ask if she was there. I know she could clear things up pretty quickly by explaining her side of the story, but I absolutely do not want her to have to talk to the police. I want to take care of this for her so she can stop thinking about that jackass.
I just hope she isn’t scared of me after seeing me manhandle him last night. She has no reason to fear me, but I’m not sure how to prove it. Time, I suppose, like everything else. I’ll bury anyone who tries to hurt her, but I’d never lay a finger on her.
Not in anger, anyway. When it comes to Emma, I’d like to do lots of things with my fingers. And my tongue. And my cock.
I clear my throat and shift in my chair. I need to quit that line of thinking right now, or things are going to get awkward.
Officer Cooper sits down across the desk from me.
“Okay, Hunter,” he says. “I just need to ask you a few questions.”
“Sure.”
He thumbs through some papers. “The person who made the report against you claims you attacked him without provocation. He says you grabbed his arm, almost breaking it, and slammed his head into the hood of a parked car. He goes on to say you threatened to kill him.”
Interesting. Not exactly lies, but not quite the whole truth, either.
“That’s partially correct,” I say.
Cooper raises his eyebrows at me. “Partially? Which part?”
“Bits and pieces,” I say. “Did he mention the part about me being on a date with his ex-wife?”
Cooper’s eyes dart back and forth over the page. “No, he did not mention that.”
“The person in question wanted to talk to my date. She agreed. I gave them space to talk. They argued, and she tried to extricate herself from the situation. He acted aggressively, grabbing her arm, and attempted to restrain her. I made sure he couldn’t.”
“And by that you mean…”
“I put him in a non-lethal submission hold until he agreed to leave.”
“Did you slam his head into a car?” Cooper asks.
“I did not,” I say. “The submission hold did include the use of the hood of his own car, but his head did not slam against it.”
“And did you threaten to kill him?” he asks.
I pause. Technically, I didn’t threaten to kill him. “I did not.”
“So, he made that up out of nowhere?” Cooper asks.
“I may have indicated that, as a Marine, I’ve been in a position that required the use of lethal force,” I say. “The rest he inferred on his own. But I did not say I would kill him.”
Cooper leans back in his chair and pauses, looking over his paperwork again. “Well, I don’t think there’s anything we need to charge you with. The alleged victim isn’t injured, so I can’t say you used excessive force on him. And you mouthing off to your date’s ex-husband isn’t a crime, especially if he was mouthing off to her first. Even less so if he got physical with her.”
I give him a closed mouth smile, but let him do the talking.
“I think you scared this guy, and he thought he could make trouble for you,” Cooper says.
“Sounds like it,” I say. “Unfortunately for him, the only trouble he’s really caused is making me late for breakfast.”
Cooper smiles. “All right, Hunter, you’re free to go. Do you need a ride or anything?”
“No, I’ll call someone,” I say. I don’t particularly want to ride in a police car again.
I stand and Cooper follows. He holds out his hand and I shake it.
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” he says.
“It’s no problem,” I say. “You need to do your job. I respect that.”
I leave out the front door and debate who to call. I don’t want to make Emma come get me. She doesn’t have her car at my place, and I’m not sure if she’d be comfortable coming to get me in my truck. Plus, what do I say? Hi Emma, thanks for the awesome sex last night, but can you come pick me up at the police station now?
My folks are a hell no. I am not explaining this to Mom. One of my brothers is probably the obvious choice. Ryan will be less likely to lecture me than Cody, but he lives farther away.
Then it occurs to me. Clover.
I text her. Hey almost-sister. I had a little mishap and I need you to bust me out of the police station. Do NOT tell Cody.
Her reply is almost immediate. I’ve got your back, bro. Tell me what to do.
She is so funny. I’ll handle getting outside. I need you to drive getaway. Five minutes.
Done.
She’s here in less than five minutes, but she looks disappointed when she pulls up and sees me outside. “Hey,” she says, flashing a smile. “You’re not being very covert, standing out here in broad daylight.”
“Oh, I took care of everyone inside already.” I walk around and get in her passenger side. “They’ll all be fine, but they can expect some wicked headaches after the ass kicking I just gave them.”
She laughs. “Say, do you mind if I go in for a minute? I want to ask if one of them will give me a pair of handcuffs.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh god, Clover, gross. Cody’s my brother.”
She giggles. “Whatever. You don’t even know the half of it.”
“I do not want to know,” I say. “But I don’t think they’ll give you handcuffs.”
“Fine,” she says. “What happened, anyway? You get caught jacking off in the movie theater or something?”
I shake my head and laugh. “No. I did arm bar Emma’s ex, though.”
She turns to me with a wicked grin. “This I have to hear.”
I tell her about our run-in with Wyatt, not bothering with the careful word choices I used with Officer Cooper. I just tell her straight-up what happened.
“That’s fantastic,” she says. “And hey, a date with Emma? That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, it was,” I say. “Very awesome.”
“What happened afterward?” she asks.
I try not to smile, but I can’t help it.
“Bow chicka bow wow,” she says. “Hunter got lucky!”
“Shut up, weirdo.”
Clover laughs. “No, seriously, that’s so great. I’m glad things are working out after that rough start. You guys getting married yet?”
“No,” I say. “Not even close. Last night was … fuck, it was amazing. But she’s pretty convinced she doesn’t want a relationship. I think I’m getting to her, but it’s going to take a while.”
“It’s too bad she’s so closed off to the potential,” she says.
I shrug. “She’
s been burned pretty bad. Twice. Once by me.”
“True,” she says. “That’s a lot to get past, I guess.”
“It is,” I say. “I just need to give her time.”
“Are you good at oral?” Clover asks. “Because that will definitely help.”
“That was a completely serious question, wasn’t it?”
She looks at me like I’m crazy. “Of course it was. So, are you?”
I laugh again. How am I having this conversation with my brother’s fiancée? “Yeah, that’s not an issue.”
“Like, legitimately good, or you just think you are?” she asks. “Because there’s a big difference.”
“Seriously, Clover, it’s called a filter.”
“I’m just saying. So, am I taking you home?”
“Yeah,” I say. “Thanks for the ride.”
“I’ll drive getaway any time.”
Clover drops me off, and I go inside to find Emma sitting at the kitchen table. She looks sexy as hell in one of my t-shirts and a pair of my boxers. I could really get used to this.
“Oh god, Hunter, what happened?” she says as she stands up.
For half a second, I’m unsure about touching her. Last night we were both amped up after what happened at the bar, and I know that had a lot to do with her willingness to sleep with me. But my gut tells me that now is the time to try pushing past her walls a little more.
I smile at her, stepping close, and kiss her before I answer. “It was fine, really. Once they heard what happened, they apologized for wasting my time and sent me on my way.”
“I am so sorry,” she says. “I still can’t believe he called the police.”
“It’s not your fault.”
She glances down at her clothes—or my clothes, rather. They’re too big on her, but I love how unkempt she looks.
“Sorry, I didn’t have anything else to wear,” she says. “And you sort of tore my panties last night.”
Operation Get Her Back Page 9