Hunter held Bailey close as her breathing lengthened and deepened and her body relaxed into sleep. He loved the way she fit into him, how their bodies clicked together. He levered up onto one elbow so he could look down at her in the ambient light coming from outside. It was enough to see the curve of her cheek, the dip where her neck met her collarbone and the rise of her shoulder. Her skin was pale in the moonlight, but he knew it was decorated with the dusting of darker freckles and he wanted to chart every one of them.
Her hair spread out against the stark white of the pillowcase, and while the pale illumination from the world outside leeched it of colour, he knew that it glowed with vibrancy. Everything about Bailey screamed life and fun and…home.
Hunter lived in apartments and hotel rooms. He didn’t have a home, if he was honest with himself. He had a house, but he was very rarely there and even though he had grown up there, without his mother and father in it, it no longer felt like home. That house, like all the other places he stayed, were merely places he slept; none of them were really home.
He rolled away from Bailey, untangling himself from her without waking her, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He sat for a moment, his head in his hands and wondered what it meant that he had fallen for this girl so fast. The girl that had been Nick’s fuck buddy for five years. It wasn’t his style. Yes, he’d had girlfriends before, but none of them had had such a profound effect on him. He’d kept them all at an arm’s length, not wanting to expose his soft underbelly to them in case he got hurt. Losing his father had shown him that love hurt, and he had been carefully guarded ever since.
But then Bailey had come along and blown all of that out of the water. Without even trying, without even meaning to, she had burrowed her way into his heart and now Hunter didn’t want to let her go. He’d tried so hard not to get attached, especially when he knew about her twisted relationship with Nick. He’d been honest with her when he’d told her he didn’t share, and that went double for Nick Heart. He already had to share his mother with the prick, he’d be damned if he’d share Blue.
He pushed to his feet, pulled on some sweats and padded out into the sitting room, closing the bedroom door softly so that he didn’t wake Bailey. Pulling out his phone he scrolled through his contacts as he fell onto the couch. He tapped the screen and waited for the call to connect. It didn’t matter that it was the middle of the night, he knew Jonathon would be awake.
“Jonathon Ashby,” he answered.
“Hey Jon,” Hunter said with a smile.
“Hunter,” Jonathon replied, “do you know what time it is?”
“I know what time it is where I am,” Hunter said with a laugh, “but I have no idea where you are, so time is irrelevant.”
“Well, I happen to be in Oz,” Jonathon replied. “Queensland to be exact.”
“What a fucking coincidence,” Hunter chuckled. “So am I. Sunshine Coast.”
“Brisbane,” Jonathon laughed. “So why are you calling me in the middle of the night?”
“I need a favour,” he replied.
“Money, muscle or goodwill?” Jonathon asked, cutting to the chase.
“Hmm, I think maybe this would fall under goodwill, but it is actually more tangible. I need chocolate.”
“You have a sudden craving for chocolate in the middle of the night?”
“No, not exactly,” Hunter laughed. “It’s a long story, but I need to replace some chocolates that were inadvertently eaten.”
“Okay, this is a story I need to hear. Does it have anything to do with a woman?”
“Have you been talking to Brooks?”
“Maybe. But you need chocolate, and I can hook you up with that, but my payment will require the story.”
“I can pay cash,” Hunter said.
“You know your money is no good to me. I want to know why Hunter Green needs chocolate.”
Hunter sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What did Brooks tell you?”
“Just that a woman had you all twisted up but there were complications.”
“Yeah, complications,” Hunter huffed out a rueful laugh. “I met a girl who happens to be Nick’s ex. And before you say anything, I didn’t know it at the time. Anyway, Nick is getting married, she’s here as one of the bridesmaids and while they were making the bonbonnières, she ate quite a few of them.” Hunter chuckled at the memory. “She’s not exactly a fan of the bride.”
“Okay, this sounds way too complicated and it makes me feel sorry for you. I’ll supply you with my chocolatey delights, but you need to enlighten us all on the entire sordid story when we get together next.”
“You’re an asshole, you know that Ashby?” Hunter growled. “But thank you.”
“I’ll be at the workshop tomorrow, come by and we’ll get you squared away. Oh, and bring the girl. Anyone who has turned your head enough to ignore the fact that she was one of Nick’s exes I have to meet.”
“Fuck off,” Hunter groused as he disconnected the call. He could still hear Jonathon’s laughter.
He leant his head back against the couch and closed his eyes. It had been ages since they’d all gotten together, and it was well overdue. The men of Alpha Pi Tau met as often as they could, but they were all busy men. Some of them spent a lot of time in other countries, so face to face meetings had become rare. They Skyped when they could, but even that had dropped off lately. Maybe it was time to start making it a priority again.
Hunter got up off the couch and went to the desk where he’d set up his laptop. He sent out an email to all five members, suggesting a meeting and requesting their availabilities. Then he opened up some work documents, trying to get his head into the right headspace, but it was useless. He usually only needed a few hours’ sleep and he spent most of his waking hours working. Being away from work for this wedding should have made him anxious, but all he could think about was the red head in his bed.
He flipped his laptop closed and headed back to the bedroom with a smile on his face. What the hell was he doing sitting in his office when he had a warm, gorgeous woman in his bed? He might be a workaholic, but he wasn’t dead.
Bailey woke to the feel of a warm body sliding into bed next to hers. She rolled over and snuggled into the naked chest, nuzzling the warm skin in the crook of his neck. His arms went around her and pulled her close and she could feel his arousal beginning to stir.
Her hands skated along the firm stretch of man from chest to hip and then around to feel the taut muscles of his ass. She sighed with contentment and he kissed the top of her head as his own hands did some exploring. She knew by the feel of his body against hers and the smell of his skin that it was Hunter and not Nick and it should’ve felt weird, but it actually felt right.
Nick had never been a cuddler and even though they had spent many nights together, he had always rolled away from her to sleep after sex. She liked that Hunter gathered her in to himself like he couldn’t bear to be parted from her, even in sleep.
She pressed a soft kiss to his neck leaning her body into his, her naked breasts squashing against his hard chest. His hand traversed the length of her back, cupping her bottom and pulling her close. Her leg automatically moved over his hip opening herself up to his hardening erection. He rolled them over so that she was on top and his thick member nudged her entrance.
“Bailey,” he murmured into her hair as she continued to kiss and suck on his neck. “Bailey, honey, we need a condom.”
She groaned and sat up, pushing her hands against his chest and sliding her wet folds along his length. He held perfectly still for a moment and she smiled as she watched him swallow. He took a breath and reached for a condom packet, which she plucked out of his hand. She opened the little foil square and rolled the prophylactic onto his engorged member, giving it a few strokes and squeeze in the process.
He grabbed her arms and pulled her forward, positioning her over him and then thrusting home. They both gasped in unison as they made the intimate connection, pausing to relish the feel of him being completely seated within her.
He rolled them over so that she was underneath and he pinned her arms above her head. She arched her back, wanting to feel every part of him along her length and he dipped his head to take her lips in a searing kiss. He began to move; long, slow thrusts as his tongue mimicked the motion into her mouth. Bailey was in heaven.
Their bodies slid against each other, slick with sweat. He filled her completely with every thrust, stretching her around his thick girth. The delicious friction of his every plunge into her wet channel drove Bailey higher.
“Oh, God Hunter,” she moaned. “You feel so good.” Her voice was husky, rough with need.
“Fuck, Bailey,” he growled into her shoulder, “I could stay buried in you forever.”
She struggled against his hold on her hands, wanting to feel the play of muscles along his back as he moved, but he held her firm. Instead she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips, tilting her pelvis in just the right way so his shaft rubbed along her swollen clit.
Hunter began to move faster and she felt him thicken and harden even further as his own climax began to build. She bucked her hips into him, increasing the pressure, her body careening toward release.
“That’s it baby,” she crooned. “Harder, fuck me harder.”
He pounded into her and she felt the walls of her core tighten around him before waves of intense pleasure rolled over her, her orgasm triggering his. She cried out as he throbbed within her, drawing out her climax. He slowed his rhythm, but continued to push into her in deep, sure strokes until her body was limp and spent.
He kissed her languidly, tasting every inch of her mouth as he let her hands go. He slowly pulled out, both of them groaning with the loss of contact, and she closed her eyes to bask in the afterglow. Hunter cleaned up in the ensuite and then slid back into bed, gathering her close and raining kisses down over her eyelids, nose, cheeks and neck. She sighed with contentment, relaxing in his arms.
“The things you do to me,” he murmured against her lips.
She smiled and pressed a long kiss to his lips, “You drive me wild,” she whispered. “I can’t get enough of you.”
He groaned, the vibration rubbling in his chest and throat so that she could feel it through her whole body.
“I can’t get enough of you either,” he said, his voice low and rough.
She cupped his cheek, letting the bristles of his beard tickle her palm and then slid her hand up and around his neck, pulling him close. They lay with their foreheads touching, their breath mingling and Bailey wondered how on earth she would ever walk away from him.
He kissed the tip of her nose and then tucked her head under his chin, his hands making large circles on her back.
“Sleep, sweetheart,” he whispered. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
She snuggled into him gratefully, letting her eyes droop and her body sink into his warmth. She knew as she succumbed to the sweet call of sleep that she was falling in love with the man who held her and she had no idea what to do about it. She’d loved Nick, but not like this, not in this all-consuming way. She wanted to spend the rest of her days wrapped up in him. She wanted to feel his skin against hers, his arms around her and their legs entwined. She wanted to wake up with him and fall asleep with him every night and although that should have scared her, being wrapped up in him, held securely by his strong arms, made all the scary things fade away. Falling asleep next to him like this gave her hope that what she hoped for could be possible.
Hunter slowly opened his eyes as he crawled up from the darkness of sleep and blinked at the brightness of the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept in until the sun had fully risen. The soft, warm body beside him stirred and he smiled. He could damned well get used to this.
He turned his head to the side and took in the face of the woman who had turned his world completely upside-down and inside-out. Bailey’s features were relaxed in sleep, her long dark eyelashes brushing the delicate freckles on her alabaster cheeks, her pillowy lips slightly parted and her hands tucked up under her head as she snuggled into his side.
His arm tightened reflexively around her and he lowered his head to press a gentle kiss on her temple. She smelled like flowers and the unique musky scent that was all her own and he dragged in lungfuls of it, letting it imprint on his senses and memory.
He didn’t want to move, didn’t want to wake her. He wanted to watch her sleep and catalogue every little sound and facial expression. He wanted to memorise the shape of her nose, the pout of her lips, the delicate curve of her ear. He didn’t want this surreal moment of absolute bliss to end.
And that wasn’t in the least bit stalker-ish.
He sighed and kissed her again, this time with intent to wake her. He brushed his lips along those cute freckles on her cheeks and pressed soft kisses to her eyelids before taking her lips in a long, languid kiss, coaxing her mouth open with his tongue.
She responded slowly, opening to him, her eyes fluttering open and her hand stretching out to thread through his hair.
“Mmm,” she hummed into his mouth. “So much better than an alarm clock.”
He smiled against her lips and kissed her again, taking his time and savouring the taste of her. She let him lead, following contentedly along behind him as he explored her mouth, his tongue running along her lips, across her teeth and sliding silkily against her tongue.
He pulled away from her mouth and trailed soft kisses along her jaw, exulting in the shiver of her body as his beard brushed against the tender skin of her throat. His hand wandered down her spine and she arched her back in response. He moved his mouth down her exposed throat, open-mouthed kisses, soft nips and gentle sucks until he’d made his way across her chest and down the plump globes of her breast, finally taking an engorged nipple between his lips and suckling.
She mewled in the back of her throat, her hands holding his head in place while he loved on her breast. She pushed her body towards him, urging him to take more of her into his mouth, but he nipped the tight bud with his teeth instead, causing her to gasp breathlessly.
He lifted his head and she blinked her lashes open, her eyes lazy with lust.
“We need to get up,” he whispered and then chuckled as he took in her pout.
“You can’t get me this wound up and then leave me hanging,” she replied desperately. “It’s inhumane.”
“But we’ve got a lot to do today,” he said, dropping his lips to the skin between her breasts.
She arched her back again and moaned. “I refuse to go anywhere until you finish what you started.”
He took the other nipple in his mouth and rolled it around his tongue causing her hands to clench in his hair.
“I better be quick then,” he mumbled, rolling her to her back and running his tongue down across her stomach, circling her belly button and finally making contact with her mound. Her knees fell open and he snuggled eagerly between them, propping her legs over his shoulders and cupping his hands under her bottom so that he could angle her just right.
He took a moment to appreciate the dusky pink folds that glistened in readiness for him before dipping his head and laving her slit. She exhaled with a whoosh and he smiled as he ran his tongue around her clit and then sucked it into his mouth. He loved the taste of her, he loved the softness of her folds and the way she responded to his ministrations.
He tensed his tongue and dipped it into her entrance, rimming the turgid walls of her core. She bucked against his mouth, riding his face as he plunged his tongue deeper into her. He licked and sucked and nipped at her until he felt her stiffen, her thighs closing tightly against his head. He pulled away before she could come and she groaned in desperation. He slipped on a condom, his own release pulling his balls tight as he held onto his control. He plunged into her, flicking her clit with his thumb as he did so and bringing her orgasm to completion. He pumped into her two, three times before he could no longer hold back his own release and he thrust into her, burying himself deep as he let her pulsating walls milk him dry.
He collapsed over her, his head snug in the crook of her neck and breathed deeply, waiting for his heart rate to slow and the numb feeling to leave his legs. She pulled him close and wrapped her arms and legs around him, panting in his ear. Her hot breath was doing all kinds of things to his vulnerable state of mind.
Eventually he pulled away from her, prolonging the contact as long as he could, before rolling to the side and looking up at the ceiling. He laid an arm over his eyes as he tried to get his bearings wondering how in the hell he was going to get through the rest of the day without doing that again.
