Operation Get Her Back

by Claire Kingsley

  “I think the trail goes behind the water,” I say. “Want to go down there and see?”

  “Will we get wet?” she asks.

  I like hearing her say wet. “Maybe a little.”

  I lead the way down the trail. A fine mist hangs in the air as we get close, and the roar grows louder. It looks like the trail ends at the waterfall, but it continues on behind the sheet of water. Everything glistens from the spray and the hard-packed trail is muddy beneath our feet.

  We duck through and the sound of the water fills the cave.

  “This is amazing,” Emma says. She walks forward and brushes her hand through the waterfall. It sprays back at her, the water bouncing off her hand.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” I ask. I step forward and use my sleeve to wipe the water from her chin.

  “Yeah, this is really great,” she says.

  I lean down and brush my lips against hers. She smells faintly of campfire, which is strangely arousing. I slide my hand around to the back of her neck and kiss her harder. She clutches my arms, parting her lips for my tongue. I love being able to kiss her whenever I want. After all the time I spent holding back, I can’t seem to get enough of her.

  “I don’t know how you make me feel this way,” she says.

  I brush the hair back from her face. “What way?”

  “Like I want you all the time,” she says. Fuck, I love hearing her say that. “And like I can do anything with you. I can be myself. A version of myself I wasn’t sure existed anymore.”

  “Of course you can,” I say. “I think you’re amazing.”

  Her lips turn up in a smile and there’s a glint in her eye. “I feel like I can be a little naughty with you.”

  I like where this is going. I pull her closer. “Yeah? Naughty sounds fun.”

  She bites her lip and her eyes dart around. Her hand moves down to my groin and she strokes me through my jeans.

  “Oh, Ems, you better not do that,” I say.

  “Are you sure?” she asks, a little hint of wickedness in her tone as she starts unfastening my pants.

  I look around. We haven’t seen anyone else on the trail, but that doesn’t mean we won’t. I back up until I hit the cave wall and Emma frees my erection from my pants. She licks her lips and lowers herself down.

  Oh, shit.

  She takes my cock in her mouth, keeping one hand on the shaft. Part of me wonders if I should be worried about someone coming down the trail, but that thought gets a lot less important as the feel of her mouth on my dick floods through me.

  My cock slides against her tongue, and holy fuck it feels good. It isn’t just that she has me in her mouth. It’s that she’s doing it out here, in the open. There’s a hint of danger that turns me on like crazy. I put my hands through her hair, keeping my grip gentle, and watch. Her head moves back and forth, and she pulls out a little, sucking on the tip.

  “Fuck, Emma, that feels so good.”

  She lifts her eyes and looks at me—looks right at me while she sucks my cock—and holy shit, it’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

  I enjoy the feel of her mouth on my cock for a few more minutes, thrusting my hips into her. As much as I love it, I want to be inside her.

  “Come here,” I say, putting my fingers under her chin.

  She sucks me hard one last time and gets up, licking her lips like I’m the best thing she’s ever tasted. I grab her by the back of the neck and kiss her, then reach down to unzip her jeans. I plunge my hand down her pants, curling my fingers between her legs. She’s dripping wet.

  I yank her pants down below her ass and spin her around so she’s facing the cave wall. She arches her back and I plunge into her wet pussy. She moans, and I reach around to rub her clit while I fuck her from behind.

  “Hurry before someone comes,” she says.

  “You’re going to come,” I say into her ear. “Come for me, baby.”

  I keep rubbing her clit, feeling her heat build. Her orgasm comes out of nowhere, and suddenly she’s crying out, loud, as if there couldn’t be anyone around to hear her. The sound of her voice and the feel of her pussy pulsing around me sends me over the edge, and I unload into her. I thrust hard, holding tight to her hips, coming with fury.

  I slow down, sliding in and out a few more times as my orgasm ends. She looks at me over her shoulder and blinks a few times, like she forgot where she was.

  She straightens and pulls up her pants. “Oh god, did we just do that?”

  I’m pretty sex-drunk, and it takes me a second to realize I should probably put my dick away. I smile at her as I zip my pants, and she laughs.

  I gather her up in my arms and run my fingers through her hair. “You are so fucking sexy.”

  “I can’t believe I did that.”

  I kiss her mouth, deep and slow. “I can’t believe it either. Are you all right?”

  She nods, keeping her arms around my neck, her face close to mine. “Yes. I’m wonderful.”

  “Me too, Ems.”

  Me too.

  19

  Emma

  Ashlyn and I wander down the street with lattes in hand. The fall air has a bite to it; the breeze coming off the ocean is colder than it was just a few weeks ago. It’s Saturday, so we’re both off work. We had lunch and decided to do some window shopping down Main Street.

  “So, anything new happening with your man?” I ask.

  Ashlyn shrugs. Her hair has streaks of blue instead of pink, and she’s wearing jeans and a gray sweater with a big yellow daisy on the front. “Not really. He’s been fun, but I don’t think it’s going anywhere. What about you? How are things with Hunter?”

  “Well,” I say, pausing. “I went camping with him and his brothers a few weeks ago. We had a good time.”

  “Hanging out with the family?” Ashlyn asks. “That’s getting serious.”

  “No,” I say. “It’s not getting serious. I used to love camping and I haven’t been in years, so I decided to go.”

  “Okay,” she says, and I don’t miss the hint of sarcasm.

  “What?”

  “So, you guys are still just friends,” she says. “And, maybe, kind of fucking on the side.”

  “Um, sort of?”

  “You’re so funny,” Ashlyn says. “Why don’t you just admit you’re dating.”

  “I do admit we’re dating. Kind of dating,” I say. “But that doesn’t mean it’s serious. I’m not ready for that.”

  Ashlyn laughs.

  “Why are you laughing at me?”

  “I know casual flings,” she says. “God knows I’ve had ’em. And you don’t go camping with his family when you’re just screwing around.”

  “I said we’re kind of dating,” I say.

  “So what’s stopping you from being actually dating, instead of kind of dating?” she asks.

  We wander a little farther down the street and sit down on a bench.

  “Honestly?” I say. “A lot of things. He’s Hunter, for one. We have such a bleak history.”

  “True,” she says. “Although, I’d hate for someone to judge me now based on the stupid stuff I did when I was eighteen.”

  I look down at my coffee. She does have a point. “Sure, but I wasn’t kidding when I said I swore off men. I need time to figure out who I am again, and whether a man even fits into my future.”

  “I can see that.”

  “Plus … I don’t know if he’s being totally open with me,” I say.

  “How so?”

  “It’s just a feeling,” I say. “Sometimes I wonder if there’s something going on and he’s keeping it from me on purpose.”

  “Or maybe you’re looking for something to be wrong,” Ashlyn says. “Because things are starting to go right.”

  I don’t really have an answer for that, so I take a sip of coffee. My cup is almost empty.

  “Okay, but you have to tell me one thing,” Ashlyn says. “You went camping with his brothers. Is Cody Jacobsen still sup
er-hot? I had such a crush on him back in the day. Do you remember that?”

  I laugh. “I remember. Super-hot or not, he’s super-engaged now.”

  “Damn,” she says. “Oh well.”

  I smile at her. It’s so good to have a friend again.

  After saying goodbye to Ashlyn, I head to my car. I haven’t heard from Hunter today, and we don’t have plans to hang out, but I really want to see him. I debate sending him a text to see if he’s free, but decide to swing by his house and surprise him instead. I think he’ll enjoy having me drop by unannounced. I’ve been the one holding back, and maybe it’s time I let him in a little more.

  His house isn’t far from downtown. I stop at the stop sign just before his place and hesitate. There’s a car I don’t recognize parked on the street in front of his house. I take a deep breath, telling myself to stop being so paranoid. There are a million reasons someone could have parked there. It doesn’t mean something bad.

  An older woman gets out of the driver’s side. She’s dressed in dark pants and a light coat, her gray hair pulled up. My shoulders relax.

  God, Emma, what were you so worried about? That a hot blonde was going to get out of the car?

  I hesitate at the corner. I’m not sure who the woman is, and I don’t want to intrude. I should definitely drive away.

  Hunter walks out his front door. I see him approach the car, a big smile on his face. The back car door opens, and he crouches down. A little boy, maybe five or six years old, jumps out of the car and leaps into his arms.

  My heart stops. Oh my god.

  Could that be…? Does Hunter have a son?

  Hunter stands, the little boy’s arms wrapped around his neck. He reaches into the car and brings out a bright blue backpack, then carries the boy toward his front door. The woman follows them inside.

  My hands shake as I drive away. Is this what he’s been hiding from me? I think about all the phone calls he’s taken in private, walking away so I don’t hear what he’s saying. All the times he’s said he’s busy, but hasn’t told me what he’s doing. I tried to tell myself it must be his job—he doesn’t work normal hours, and I know a lot of what he does is confidential. But that explanation never felt right. If he was taking work calls, or running training sessions at his property, wouldn’t he just tell me? Why avoid it altogether?

  Because it wasn’t about work.

  My instincts have been screaming at me. I should have listened. I knew there was something he was keeping from me, but I never would have guessed he has a child.

  Why would he hide it? Why not just tell me?

  I wonder who the mother is, and why someone else was dropping the kid off with Hunter. Is the woman I saw the boy’s grandmother? Why would she bring the boy to see Hunter? I suppose the mother could be working. Or Hunter and the boy’s mother have a contentious relationship, so the grandmother has to be the go-between.

  That’s a disturbing thought.

  I get home and pour myself a glass of wine. I have no idea what to do now. I don’t want him to think I was spying on him. But I can’t pretend I didn’t see.

  20

  Hunter

  Isaac didn’t want me to drop him off at Elaine’s after his overnight stay. I drive away from her house, my heart in my throat, my shoulder still damp from his tears. I think Elaine was worried I kept him up too late when he stayed at my place, and he fell apart because he was overtired. But he slept great at my house. I wore him out pretty good, and he fell asleep minutes after I tucked him in. He even slept until after eight this morning. When I told him he had to go home today, he frowned, and his big eyes filled with tears. I wound up staying at Elaine’s until his bedtime, and he still cried when I had to leave.

  He broke my fucking heart. I didn’t want him to go home either.

  I’ve been thinking a lot about Isaac, and Elaine. I’m pretty sure I know what I need to do—what I want to do—but it’s such a big change. I don’t know if I’m ready. Having him for a couple of days is one thing. But what I’m contemplating is a lot more than that. The thought scares the crap out of me.

  I need to talk to Emma. I still haven’t told her about Isaac. She and I still feel so damn fragile. She’s come a long way—from declaring herself on a relationship moratorium, to definitely being in a relationship with me. We’re in full-on phase three, and the only thing keeping us out of phase four is that I haven’t heard her refer to me as her boyfriend yet. But when I tell her about Isaac—which is a complicated situation to begin with—is that going to scare her off?

  She’s keeping me at a careful distance, and I respect that. I resolved from the beginning that I’d give her the time and space she needs to learn to trust me again. I need to ease her into the idea that Isaac is a part of my life. That’s a pretty big bombshell to drop on someone, especially because, eventually, I plan to be taking Isaac to Elaine’s house for visits, not the other way around.

  A week later, I’m starting to worry that Emma is purposefully avoiding me. She doesn’t answer my texts right away, if at all, which is unusual. I call her to see if she wants to get together, and she says she’s too busy with work.

  But there’s something in her voice that raises a big red flag. It’s not just her use of the words, “I’m fine,” although that should be enough to get any man ready for combat. I can tell she’s not telling me something, and the fact that she avoids getting together puts me on the defensive.

  By Friday night, I’m itching to see her. I’ve been busy all week with a training seminar at my property. They’re a hard-working group, but it’s for a private security firm, and they tend to be high maintenance. We finished early enough that they headed out of town this afternoon, so I decide to swing by Emma’s. She said she was too busy to hang out tonight, but there’s no way I can wait any longer.

  I’m buzzing with adrenaline as I walk up to her door. I hate feeling like this. I glance over my shoulder several times, even though I know there isn’t anyone watching me. Her reluctance to see me this week has me on edge.

  I knock, and a few seconds later she answers. Her eyes widen when she sees me.

  “Hi,” she says.

  “Hey,” I say. She doesn’t invite me in. “Um, sorry to drop by without calling. I was out, and I haven’t seen you in a while. I missed you.”

  Her face softens a little and she steps aside. “Yeah, sorry, it’s been a weird week.”

  She lets me in, but her body language is all wrong. Not only is there absolutely no affectionate greeting—no touching, no hug, no kiss—she’s stiff and she won’t look me in the eye.

  The mission has definitely been compromised. I need to know why.

  “So, have you been busy with work?” I ask, trying to sound casual. I take a seat at the dining table, where I have a good view of both the kitchen and living room. I don’t want her to be able to disappear into another room.

  “Yeah, so busy,” she says. “I’ve had all these crazy deadlines. Sometimes they just don’t understand I can only do so much.”

  She’s lying.

  I can see the lie. More than once, my life depended on my ability to judge whether someone was telling the truth. I got pretty good at reading people. Emma shook her head slightly when she said yeah. She doesn’t believe her own words.

  “Well, I hope you got caught up,” I say.

  “I did,” she says. She hesitates near the table, her eyes darting to the kitchen, like she’s not sure if she should sit down and talk to me or try to get away.

  “I had a rough week, too,” I say, trying to keep the conversation going. “Sometimes these guys think I’m supposed to be available twenty-four seven.”

  “Do you, um, want some water or something?” she asks.

  Fuck, why is she acting like it’s awkward having me here? I search my memory of the last time we were together. Did I do something to make her uncomfortable? I fucked her on my kitchen table, but it was her idea. I came out of the bathroom and she was sitting there, na
ked. She can’t be mad about that, can she?

  “I’m good,” I say. She’s not giving me anything, so I figure I just need to ask. “Ems, is something wrong?”

  She walks into the kitchen and gets herself a glass of water. My back and shoulders tense up. She’s not telling me something, and I’m starting to worry it might be a big deal. I feel like I’m walking point, leading a strike, about to duck around a corner and discover my intel was bad and I’m not prepared for what’s coming.

  “No, it’s nothing,” she says. Lying again.

  “Are you sure?” I ask. “Because if there is something, maybe we should just talk about it.”

  “No, I’m fine,” she says. She is not fine. “Gabe’s working, as usual, so I was just going to watch a movie tonight. Do you want to watch something?”

  “Sure,” I say.

  I get up and join her in the living room. I feel like explosives are planted all over the floor and if I step wrong, I’m going to get my shit blown up.

  I sit down on the couch next to her, but she keeps a cushion length of distance between us.

  “So,” I say, hesitating. I want to ask her what the fuck is going on, but I’m afraid she’ll just kick me out without telling me. “Did you have a movie in mind?”

  “When were you going to tell me?” she asks, her voice quiet.

  Shit, what does she mean? Is she talking about when I left her? I still haven’t really explained myself—but fuck, it’s hard to explain. “Tell you what?”

  “That you have a kid, Hunter.”

  My mouth drops open and, for a second, I don’t know what to say. “Wait, how do you know about Isaac?”

  “Oh my god.” Emma gets up and walks into the kitchen.

  I stand up and hold out a hand. “No, wait. Slow down, Ems, because whatever you heard, you have the wrong idea.”

  “How could you keep something like this from me?” she asks.

  “Let me explain—”