by Coralee June
He watched me with twitching fingers. I could tell he wanted to fist his cock at the sight of me. It was time for me to take some of my power back.
I reached out and wrapped my tiny hand around his large, hard dick. My thumb and index finger barely connected. He was so thick. I stared at the veined prize in my hand and bit my lip. “No one can touch you like I can, Hunter,” I whispered while pumping him. The soapy suds made my movements slick and smooth. “Five long years, and I still think about how you moan when you come. The only time you let go is when you’re balls deep in my pussy, Hunter.”
His eyes rolled back. Lips parted. His head slammed against the tile as his rippled muscles flexed. Each heaving breath was long slow and exaggerated by lust. I wanted to get off so damn bad. My sex was practically begging for release against the friction of my soaking wet yoga pants. “You feel this?” I asked. “Feel the way I command your cock? Remember how good my soft hand feels sliding up and down.”
Hunter groaned in response while reaching up to wrap my long, wet hair around his fist. I felt the tension against my scalp and welcomed it. “You can try fucking everything that moves to get me out of your memory, but no one will ever feel the way I do.”
He tugged me closer and kissed me. Our tongues caressed and fought, and our mouths fucked. His sharp teeth bruised my lip. His hot breath feathered over my skin. I closed my eyes, though I wanted to watch him relax against me. My wet clothes stuck to my skin as I ran my free hand up and down his body.
Up and down his cock.
I stroked him until his cum was shooting on my stomach.
I tasted his groans of pleasure and turned his release into sweet poetry.
Loving you is delicate.
Loving you is like dipping your toes in wet concrete. You’re tempted by the idea of permanence, then get stuck when it hardens.
Loving you is worth it.
Loving you is like greeting death with a handshake and a smile. You know it’s inevitable, so you let pride guide your journey.
Loving you is complex.
Loving you is like dancing barefoot on hot coals. It’s a beautiful serenade but burns you all the same.
Loving you is demanding.
Loving you is like holding your breath. It’s got you wondering if oxygen is really necessary.
Loving you is delicate. Strenuous. Unremitting. Tiring. Spirited.
Loving you is like this halfhearted thing. Where I supply half the heart and you supply nothing.
ROE
The bar was just as crowded on Sunday night as it was Saturday. I guess there really wasn’t much else to do here. Hunter had his hand perched possessively on my hip, and I couldn’t help but preen when we walked through the swinging front doors.
We hadn’t spoken complete sentences since I got him off in my motel. He got dressed in his work clothes, and I put on jeans and a tank top in silence. It was both an awkward and satisfying feeling. Once again I had no idea what I was doing with Hunter, but at least I felt like I had the upper hand. He said we should try to stay in crowded places in case Gavriel tried anything, but I knew he just didn’t trust himself alone in a motel room with me. I wasn’t in the mood to go to the bar, but he wasn’t giving me much of an option.
What I really wanted to do was stay in my room and get off. Once again, I was left wanting, and my clit was practically begging for a little TLC.
I saw Luna and Butterfly chatting with Roxanne in a corner booth, and even though I liked two-thirds of their girl gang, my stomach still dropped at the sight of all three of them sitting together. Gavriel warned me that jealousy was a weak woman’s emotion, and even though I didn’t think it was wise to take advice from a man that wanted me dead, I forced myself to remember that five years was a long time and whatever Hunter shared with them couldn’t possibly compare to eighteen years of stalking.
“I’m getting a drink,” Hunter said in a curt tone. “Don’t leave the bar. Stay aware. If anyone seems suspicious, let me know.” I didn’t even get the chance to respond sarcastically before he was abandoning me for a drink. I watched his back as he left, then made my way over to the girls.
“Hey!” Luna greeted while scooting over in the booth to make room for me. “I heard you spent your day working at the barn with Hunter.”
“Word travels fast,” I sighed while avoiding Roxanne’s eyes, which were trained on me.
“Oh sweetie,” Butterfly said from across the table. Her nimble fingers reached across and took hold of my hands resting on the tabletop. “Your energy is all over the place. Do you want to talk about it?”
Did I want to talk about it? I didn’t even know what to say. I was terrified, sexually frustrated, hurt, annoyed, confused and broken. The combination of her sweet voice, my exhaustion, and fear finally caught up to me. My eyes filled with hot tears that streamed steadily down my face, and the table jumped into a flurry of activity. “I’ve got tissues in my purse,” Luna said while reaching under the table for her crocodile print handbag.
“I’ll start projecting positive energy and light,” Butterfly replied while closing her eyes and humming.
My teary eyes finally landed on Roxanne, and she let out a sigh while flipping her brown hair over her shoulder. “For fuck’s sake. I’ll order drinks.”
Once I had a very strong Long Island in my clutches, Luna made us all do a toast with the exclamation that “men ain’t shit.” I didn’t tell them about how confused I was or how I feared for my and Nicole’s lives. I just drank. And once three empty glasses were lined up before me, I realized Roxanne wasn’t so bad.
“Good dick is hard to find. Keeping it consistently, even harder,” she said before fishing for the cherry at the bottom of her drink with her tongue. Now that I had more time to look at her, we didn’t seem much alike at all. Her eyes were smaller. Her lips rounder. Her personality was more tenacious. “Why do you think I turned into a territorial bitch with Hunter? He commands orgasms like it’s his job.” I giggled bitterly at that comment while the other two enthusiastically agreed.
“Preach!” Luna slurred while caressing the air. She’d gotten hot and taken off her black shirt about thirty minutes ago. Now, she was only wearing her sports bra. “I just want orgasms on the daily.”
“Then you’ll need to practice the beautiful expression of self-love,” Butterfly replied. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes hazy. “The only person that can make me come every time is myself.”
The four of us started laughing loudly, probably gaining the attention of everyone in the bar. I grabbed a cube of ice from my drink and started running it over my neck and chest, sighing at the cool relief. I was burning up, probably from the copious amounts of alcohol coursing through my veins. “The last two times I’ve been with Hunter, I didn’t get off,” I said with a hiccup.
Luna gasped.
Butterfly rubbed a crystal hanging by her neck while exclaiming, “Sweet Mother Earth have mercy.”
“That’s just fucking unacceptable,” Roxanne slurred.
A large shadow started looming over me, and my good mood almost immediately dissipated. I felt the entire energy of our table turn sour. Who would have thought that I’d prefer the company of the women Hunter had been sleeping with these past five years over him?
“Be gone, evil spirit,” Butterfly said with a lyrical wave of her hands.
The entire room seemed to sway as I tilted my chin up to look at him. He looked slightly buzzed and completely crazed. He massaged the scruff on his jaw while eyeing the scene before him. “You owe this poor girl two orgasms,” Roxanne slurred. “Minimum.”
“What kind of man doesn’t reciprocate?” Luna added. If I weren’t trashed, I’d probably be embarrassed about this entire situation, but I was gifted with the bliss of not giving a single fuck.
“Roe, get your ass up. We’re leaving.” His response made my stomach burn. Or maybe it was the alcohol. Or maybe I just finally hated him back.
“Oh hell no,” Luna said
while clutching my arm. “We started a girl gang. You can’t have her.”
“Oh really?” Hunter’s dark voice replied, a hint of humor coloring his tone.
“Yep!” Butterfly answered. “We’re officially the Hunter Hammond Harem.”
“Triple H for short,” Roxanne interjected with a hiccup.
Hunter leaned over the table to whisper in my ear. “We need to leave.”
“No,” I replied defiantly, making my friends whoop in support.
Hunter shook his head at my defiance and practically growled. “What the fuck is even happening right now?” he gritted to himself.
“Never underestimate the magic of drunk girl bonding!” Butterfly sang. “It’s a connection no difference can sever.”
“Or dick can separate,” Luna added.
“Or…what they said,” Roxanne added before slumping in her seat.
“Men ain’t shit!” I yelled, holding up my glass.
“Men ain’t shit!” they all responded, making Hunter pinch the bridge of his nose.
Apparently done with the camaraderie, Hunter grabbed my arm and yanked me out of the booth before tossing me over his shoulder. I landed against muscle with an oomph, and I waved at my table of...friends? I didn’t know when I’d ever see them again, life was too unpredictable at the moment. But I waved as Hunter carried me off, feeling good about my time with them.
Once out of the bar, Hunter started complaining. “Drunk women,” he growled in disgust. My stomach sloshed and twisted.
“I like them,” I said sleepily while swinging against his back. Nausea rolled through me like a booming thunderstorm. “Put me down before I puke.”
Hunter quickly set me down on the ground beside his truck. “Do not vomit in my truck,” he warned.
“I can find a ride back. I don’t want to be around you.” Everything was a confusing mess. I had no filter over my words or actions and didn’t want to do or say anything I couldn’t take back. I felt disconnected from my brain and awareness. Where was I again? My feet hurt. My mouth was dry. I smacked my lips like I could pool moisture from the air and drink from it.
“Yeah, fuck that. I’m taking your drunk ass home, end of story.”
Right. I nodded. “Hunter always gets what he wants,” I screamed while ripping open the passenger side door. “It doesn’t matter who he hurts or what anyone else needs. It’s just like always: your way or the fucking highway, like, damn.” Did that even make sense? Probably not. I didn’t even care.
He had to help me into the seat. Bracing his hot palm against my ass, Hunter shoved me into his truck with more force than necessary before slamming the door shut. I waited as he circled the vehicle, then started yelling at him again when he got inside.
“Men ain’t shit!” I yelped before cradling my head in my hands. “Why are you so cruel to me?” I scooted over until I was in the middle seat, then rested my head on his shoulder, my voice growing quieter. Softer. More tender. I couldn’t tell if he liked having me there or not. I wasn’t even sure if it mattered. “Did no one ever teach you how to be kind?” I asked.
Hunter paused for a moment before turning the car on and reaching for my thigh. He rubbed my leg while driving. “I suppose not,” he whispered in a voice barely audible.
“That’s okay,” I slurred while closing my eyes. Everything felt so slow. My body was heavy and my throat dry. “I was taught to love too much. All I want to do is love you,” I said before placing my hand over his. “I just want to love you.”
Hunter continued to drive us to the motel as I started dozing off. The last words I heard him say were, “I know, Pretty Debt. I know.”
HUNTER
I watched her sleep.
She was twisted up in the thick sheets, sweat sticking to her brow and a frown on her face. She was naked and reeked of alcohol. Her hair matted.
But the steady way she breathed in and out transfixed me. I watched her like I had never stopped.
I found myself matching my inhales to hers just for the opportunity to feel in sync.
I just want to love you.
Her words haunted me all night. If I were being honest with myself, I just wanted the chance to love her back. I wanted it more than anything. But she only knew half the truth—the half that was easier to swallow. The forgivable half. If she knew the rest, she’d never look at me again, no matter what my reasons were.
Her brown eyes popped open, and I watched her lick at her cracked lips with a dry tongue. She scrunched up her nose and rolled out of bed, marching toward the bathroom on unsteady feet. She hadn’t even noticed that she was lying next to me. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was still drunk.
I listened as she brushed her teeth and washed her face. With my hands propped behind my head as I lay on the bed, I waited for her to come back out and realize I was here. Would she be mad that I stayed the night? Would she wonder why I stayed? What excuse did I have for being here? The doorknob turned, and she strutted out in all her naked glory.
“Shit!” she gasped. “You scared me!”
I smiled as she massaged her temples, forcing my wandering gaze not to look at her toned body. She used to be so soft. She’d trained her muscles over the last few years, and I wanted nothing more than to run my tongue over every inch of her. I had a feeling I would want Roe Palmer in every way. Soft. Hard. Plush. Round with my ch—no. I couldn’t even finish that thought.
“What happened last night?” she asked before finding an oversized T-shirt on the floor and putting it on. The hem hit mid-thigh, and I both cursed how fucking sexy she looked with the wrinkled cotton tee slipping off her shoulder and thanked God that she wasn’t fully naked anymore.
“You joined my harem, apparently.”
“Excuse me?” she asked while sifting through her suitcase for underwear. I had to choke back a groan when she found a lavender thong made of lace.
“You got very drunk,” I explained in annoyance. It actually really pissed me off. She went and made a deal concerning my life with Gavriel Moretti, and instead of being panicked like she should have been, she got completely drunk off her ass with my rotation of pussy. I hadn’t really dipped my dick in a while, but it was still uncomfortable to see them all together joking. Not because I was embarrassed. No, it was uncomfortable because seeing them all together just affirmed that Butterfly, Luna, and Roxanne paled in comparison to Roe. She was all I could see, and that terrified me.
Roe sat at the edge of the bed with her back to me. I watched her piece through the puzzle of her night and stroke her brown hair with her nimble fingers. “You also complained about not getting off the last two times we were together,” I began while sitting up. The sheets pooled at my waist, and I caught her looking at me from the corner of her eyes. I was probably going to hell for this, but I couldn’t help but tease and take another opportunity to touch what wasn’t mine.
I leaned closer and brushed her hair off of her neck before sucking her salty skin. My tongue hovered over a thudding vein just below her ear, and she gasped. “Apparently, I owe you two orgasms,” I rasped.
Roe’s breath hitched, and she kept her gaze forward, though I could feel every muscle in her body growing relaxed. Her thighs parted ever so slightly, and if I wanted to, I could reach around and sink my fingers into her slick cunt. But I didn’t. Not yet.
“I won’t hold my breath,” she replied while forcing her trembling body to stand. “I’m used to everything concerning you being unreciprocated.” Her voice was snappy, and I wasn’t sure if it was the hangover she was probably rocking or if that had just become her general tone with me. I couldn’t blame her. I wasn’t making this easy on either of us, but how could I have possibly known she was still thinking about me just as much as I thought about her? How could I have possibly prepared for this reunion?
It was easier to be strong when she was out of sight. But I almost forgot my reasoning for pushing her away when she was this close and in the flesh—and I had very good reason. If she
knew the entire truth, she’d never look at me the same way again. I’d rather her indifference than her hate, I just didn’t know how to make either of us unobsessed with the other. We were both in too deep, and it was getting harder and harder to play the part I was meant to play.
“Do you think I care if I leave you wanting?” I asked. To be honest, I did care. I cared so much that I’d spend the rest of my life with my head between her thighs, devouring her sweet pussy.
“You’ve already proven that you don’t,” she grumbled.
That didn’t sit right with me. I stood up, clutching the sheets around my waist while approaching her. She stood her ground and eyed me warily. I couldn’t blame her for not trusting my intentions. I probably seemed indecisive and overly cruel. She never knew which version of me she was going to get.
Dropping the sheets, I then reached out and grabbed her hips, her body tempting me in ways I couldn’t even articulate. “You couldn’t handle me caring, Roe,” I said before pulling her close. She smelled like sweat, minty toothpaste, and alcohol. “If I cared about you getting off, I’d have you everywhere. I’d touch you in public. I’d wake you up every morning with my head between your thighs. And every night, I wouldn’t rest until you were screaming my name.”
Her breathing quickened. Her skin grew flushed. She tilted her head up, and I cupped her cheek, dragging my thumb along her bottom lip. “You’d be surprised what I could handle, Hunter,” she whispered before licking her lips. The tension was so thick in the room. My dick was hard as fucking stone.
And then my cell started ringing.
I took a step back, like being in her orbit burned me. Fucking hell. I reached for my phone while she disappeared back into the bathroom.
My phone was on the nightstand, and I grabbed it without looking at the caller ID. “Hello.”
“I hope you had a good night, because shit just got messy,” Gavriel answered. He didn’t sound like his usual composed self.