“I have a few more ideas up my sleeve.”
His fingers slide inside my waistband and right into my panties. Within seconds, I’m riding his fingers as he brings me to the edge of climax. When his thumb circles my clit, my orgasm hits, taking me by storm. I close my eyes and drop my forehead to his shoulder as I ride out the bliss. My body feels limp when I finally open my eyes.
“We’re not done, darling,” he says as he kisses me.
But before he can try to give me another amazing orgasm, I drop to my knees in front of him. I reach for the snap on his jeans.
“Winter.”
I know what he’s looking for, and I raise my gaze to meet his.
“I want this, Hunter,” I assure him. “I’m good. More than good.”
He leans his head back against the couch cushions. “Then so am I.”
He doesn’t say anything while I unzip his jeans and take him out. But when I lean forward and lick his thick length, he lets out a guttural groan.
“Christ, that feels good.”
I take him into my mouth and start sucking him off. He jerks his hips and calls out my name. I glance up to find his eyes on me. They’re dark green and liquid with heat.
I keep sucking him, not stopping until he’s bucking against my tongue and calling out my name. I climb up into his lap, and he wraps his arms around me.
“I vote we go get dinner and then continue where we left off on this couch,” he says against my lips.
I vote the same.
* * *
Hunter’s sleeping when I slip out of bed later that night and return to the living room. I can’t get the book for my musical out of my head.
Les’s help was invaluable with the score, and I want to fully finish the entire thing before I find out about my audition. I don’t know why, exactly; I just feel like I need to have my passion project done. I’m not quite sure what to do with it when Pat was so unenthused, but maybe between Les and me, we can come up with an idea.
I’ve been working for a while and have completely lost track of time when I feel a hand on my shoulder. I look up at a shirtless and sleepy-eyed Hunter. He was naked when I left him, but he’s put on his track pants, and he takes a seat next to me on the couch.
“What are you doing up?” he asks me.
“Trying to finish the book portion.”
“Can I see?”
I show him what I’m doing, and then I show him the score Les and I came up with.
“It’s not quite done, and it’s really rough, but it’s getting there,” I say proudly. “I don’t know if anyone else will love it like I do, but I don’t really care right now.”
Hunter’s wide awake now. His eyes shift between me and the work laid out on my lap, almost like he’s just realizing something important. “I’ve never seen you this passionate about something.”
His statement surprises me. “What about my dream to move to NYC and make it on Broadway?”
“That was different. With that, you were driven and determined as hell. With this, you just seem so…happy.”
Huh. I never thought about my Broadway dream that way before. But Hunter’s description tracks with me. It makes everything make sense in some weird way.
I tap his bare chest over his heart. “So hockey is your dream and your passion.”
He nods. “Yeah. I got damn lucky.”
I lean my head on his broad shoulder. “I’m glad. You deserve all the luck in the world.”
He kisses me. “So do you. Come on. Let’s go get some sleep.”
Chapter 24
“You ready for our hike?” Hunter says the next morning.
I sleepily open one eye to see him sitting at the edge of the bed. He brushes a hair off my face. “You look beautiful.” He gestures to the bedside table. “I made breakfast.”
I glance over at the tray of scrambled eggs and toast. “Thank you. But it’s so early.”
He chuckles. “Babe, I have practice this early a couple times a week.”
“My job involves late nights but not usually early mornings.” I stretch my arms out from under the comforter.
Hunter scoots into bed next to me and props the pillow against the headboard. “You always were a night owl,” he says as he picks up the tray and hands me my plate of food.
“True. I always loved when I got to stay up late for a school play I was in.” My phone starts buzzing on the nightstand.
Hunter goes to grab it for me, but I put my hand on his arm.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll check my messages later. I’m sure it’s just my mother wanting to confirm our family dinner tomorrow night. No one else would call me this early on a weekend.”
We enjoy our breakfast and then get a little distracted after eating when Hunter braces himself on top of me.
“Do you want to have sex?” he asks with an adorably sexy grin.
“I thought you wanted to hike,” I say teasingly.
“This won’t take long,” he promises as he sucks on my neck. “If you’re interested.”
“I’m definitely interested,” I say as he kisses me behind my ear. “Fuck me, please.”
He enters me easily, lifting one of my legs into a bent position so he can go even deeper inside me. “Oh, fuck, Winter.” His voice is all low and rough, and I love it. “Every time we do this…”
“Is better,” I say, finishing his thought for him. “God, keep doing that, Hunt…”
Never taking his one hand off my leg, he drives in and out of me with abandon.
“Give it to me,” he mutters. He shifts so he can snake his hand between my legs to brush my clit. “All of you, Win. Let go.”
I come so hard I pull the sheet half off the bed.
As he follows me with his own release, we both collapse on the mattress.
“You ready to hike now?” Hunter mutters against my damp skin.
I laugh. “I feel like we just worked out.”
He kisses my neck. “It will be a different kind of exercise.”
I link my fingers through his. “Okay. But I need to shower first.”
* * *
Black Creek Wilderness is about two hours away in Mississippi. Hunter and I pass the time talking. About anything and everything. Except for the deadline that’s looming before us. That we don’t discuss.
We do talk about my love-hate relationship with Broadway, though, which feels like Hunter’s roundabout way of trying to figure out where my head is at.
“I was lonely in Manhattan,” I admit. “Kind of ridiculously lonely, honestly.”
“What about your work colleagues? I thought you might bond with a few of them like I have with some of my teammates.”
“It’s not really like that,” I say. “You guys are all on the same team, literally, and we’re competing against each other. With the plays, you do get close with the cast, and that feels very familial. But then, whatever show you’re working on ends its run, and you don’t see the cast anymore. Not unless you make a point to meet up, and we’re all just so busy…” I trail off.
Hunter’s quiet for a few seconds. “I get it,” he says at last. “It’s like if I kept getting traded. Makes it hard to maintain relationships.”
“Right. Exactly. And then there’s the whole looks thing, which is so stressful.”
“You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever known—inside and out,” he says with feeling. “And I’m biased, but come on, Win—you won ‘Most Beautiful’ our senior year of high school. You’re not exactly hurting in that department.”
“I know. I’m very blessed, and I don’t say this in a shallow way, but there are a lot of beautiful people in the world of entertainment. I’ve seen women—and men—who have perfect bodies starve themselves for a role or because their manager told them to lose fifteen pounds. It’s a very real aspect of the business. And God forbid one media outlet say something negative about your size or figure—it’s hard to ignore when it’s in print for the world to see. We don�
�t even deal with paparazzi like television actors do. They have it much worse.”
Hunter shakes his head. “Everybody is so judgmental. Why can’t people just accept that everyone is born different and that we’re all okay as we are?”
* * *
The sun is shining brightly when we begin our nature hike. The light breeze is a welcome relief as we get deeper into the woods. The pines and oaks are all around us as we walk quietly down the path. When we reach the creek, we immediately take off our sneakers and dip our toes in the water.
“So beautiful,” I say. “Goodness, it’s warm.” I take off my sweatshirt and tie it around my waist.
“Let’s stop and eat,” Hunter suggests.
He leads me down the trail toward an open area. As we walk, I pull out my phone to take a picture.
That’s when I see who texted me this morning, a text I forgot to check before we left the house.
“Crap.” I stare at the message from Pat like I can decipher the meaning.
“What is it?” Hunter says as we take seats on a flat rock and open up our little backpack containing two peanut butter sandwiches. It’s a sunny day, but that’s not why I suddenly feel heated.
“My manager tried to reach me this morning. He wants me to call him ASAP.”
The relaxed expression on Hunter’s face diminishes. “You should call him then.”
I nod and walk about ten feet away for some privacy before pressing Pat’s number.
He answers on the first ring. “Where the heck have you been?”
“I’m on a nature walk,” I say. “What’s going on?”
“Well, we got a quicker answer than I expected,” he says cryptically.
“And…” I say.
“And you got the part, sweetheart! Congratulations.”
Time slows down. The creek in front of me keeps flowing, and the pines sway gently in the breeze, but time almost seems to stop. I stare across the water at the utter lack of people. It’s a strange dichotomy that I’m here in the middle of nowhere when I get the news I’m about to be on stage in front of countless audiences. I wait for the burst of excitement I always get when I’m cast in something. Whether it’s a small part or me filling in for the lead, I always gave myself a mental fist bump whenever I got the good news. But right now, I feel more numb than anything else. And I’m not sure why.
But I can’t tell my manager that. He worked hard for me to have this opportunity, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful. “Thank you,” I say to Pat. “That’s unbelievable to hear.”
“And there’s also been a change in plans—it’s going to be a limited run show. I didn’t get the details on exactly how long the run will be, but I did learn that you’ll need to return to NYC right away. Day after tomorrow at the latest.”
My heart plummets.
“What? Why? I thought it would be a few months.”
“The director changed his mind. He wants to rotate the new cast in next month, so all of you will need to be in town, learning your lines and your marks.”
“Pat…” I bang the back of my hand into my forehead. “I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Of course you can,” he says, misunderstanding me. “You’re strong enough now. I can hear it in your voice. You sound better than you have in years, frankly.”
“Because I’m home,” I say. “Once I leave New Orleans, who knows what will happen?”
“Sweetheart, you don’t have a choice in this one. If you want the part, and I know you do, this is your moment. Make or break.”
I take a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do for flights and text you later.”
When I return to Hunter’s side, he raises his eyebrows. “Good news?”
I take my seat next to him on the rock and tell him I got the part.
He wraps me up in a warm hug, and I melt into his arms. “That’s great,” he says as he pulls back to look at me.
He’s genuinely supportive, but his voice sounds off.
“You don’t sound excited,” I say.
“I am excited,” he says. “As long as you’re following your heart.”
“Of course I am,” I say sharply.
His eyes roam my face. “You just seem…I don’t know—stressed? Like maybe Pat’s more excited than you are about this.”
I shake my head. “Not true.”
He points to the notes sticking up out of the backpack. They were ideas I thought of for my musical, and I made us stop on our hike so I could jot them down.
“Could you play the lead in this musical you’re writing?” He taps the notes.
“Yes,” I say. “Technically. If I can get someone to produce and direct it. I need connections, and Pat didn’t seem interested. And I don’t have those kinds of connections on my own.”
“Who says you need Broadway? What about Les Anderson? He’s got a ton of connections in New Orleans.”
I stare at him. He has a point. “I just can’t think about this right now. Pat said he needs me to fly back to New York the day after tomorrow.”
Hunter blinks. “Day after tomorrow. You’re leaving that soon?”
“I have to.” I cross my arms over my chest. “I don’t want to leave so soon. I’ll make sure the agency finds a replacement to take care of Theo.”
“Winter. This isn’t about Theo. You and I both know that.”
Hunter’s eyes shine so green as he searches my expression. I reach over and gently run my hand through his dark hair. “I know.”
“I support whatever you do, Princess.”
We’re acting like we’re breaking up. And when he reaches for my hand, it’s bittersweet.
I clench my jaw as we lock eyes. “I have to take the role. I’ll forever kick myself if I don’t.”
“I understand.” He leans in and puts his lips softly over mine. “No matter how far apart we are, I’m always here for you. Remember that.”
I do. Hunter’s always been there. He also gets me. The me that no one else sees. And right now, I read his face just like he read mine—he doesn’t think I’m happy on Broadway. He’d be right. But that role…
Like I told him, I can’t pass it up. So…I guess I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to fly to New York in two days.
As soon as we make the drive back to New Orleans, while Hunter’s out grabbing us takeout for dinner, I book a one-way ticket to JFK Airport. And then I send my flight details to Pat.
A thumbs-up emoji is all I get in return.
New York.
I’m going back.
I feel stronger than I have in years.
I feel healed.
I’m going to miss everything about New Orleans.
But I’m going to miss Hunter something fierce.
* * *
Hunter
Winter and I sit in my truck as it idles at the curb of the airport.
Stay, I want to say. But I would never ask her something so unfair.
She turns to me, and the pain in her eyes is my first clue that she’s not any surer of how to say goodbye than I am. “This was supposed to be easy.”
“I know.” I shoot her a grin. “You asked for friends with benefits. That should have been easy to deliver.”
“It was,” she says. “But…somewhere along the way, it stopped being just an easy…” She bites her lip and looks at me with flushed cheeks.
I chuckle. “An easy fuck? Sugar, you were never that to me. You never could be.”
“Hunt, you know you’ve always meant the world to me. But the sex was easy,” she says.
“I guess when you know someone as well as we did, getting to know each other as adults just kind of fell into place.” I cup her cheek in my hand. “I’ll miss you, Princess. My house is going to feel awfully quiet when I get home tonight.”
A single tear leaves her eye, and I catch it in my hand.
“Don’t cry.” I wrap her up in my arms. “You’re following your dream. That’s nothing to be sad about.”
She presses her lips to mine. “You’re worth crying over, Hunt. Being with you has changed my life. You truly healed me. And I can’t thank you enough for that.”
I love you.
Instead of words, I kiss her long and hard. And when she steps out of the truck and I watch her walk away, I feel emotion clog my throat. I put the truck into gear and drive off, realizing this is the first time since the night I lost my dad that I’ve allowed myself to truly grieve for someone.
Chapter 25
Winter
My alarm goes off for I don’t know how long before I reach out my hand and bang it until it stops beeping at me.
I open one eye and check the time.
Ten a.m.
I’ve got rehearsal this afternoon, but I need to go over my lines this morning.
I force myself to get out of bed and into the shower. This bathroom is beautiful; thanks to Pat, my entire living space feels luxurious. One of his other clients took a job in Los Angeles for a guest role on a popular television show, and her two-bedroom was lying vacant.
Pat talked her into giving me a great deal. In other words, rent is still ridiculously expensive, but now I can make it work. My salary as the lead in a popular Broadway show is impressive. It’s the most money I’ve ever made in my life.
My cast members are friendly and inclusive. I wouldn’t call us besties because it always seems like everyone here is one stressed-out moment away from a catfight. But we get along, and that’s been a huge relief.
My phone rings as I’m stepping out of the shower. I smile when I see Charly’s name flash on the screen.
“Hey,” I say to her. “How are you?”
“I was going to ask you that,” she says with a laugh.
“I’m fine,” I say quickly. “Tell me about you.”
“I’ve been telling you about me every time we talk, and then you say you have to go before we get to you. So, I’m going to go fast today—I’m great. Simon’s great. New Orleans is great. But what about you?”
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