Imperfect Saint

by Jess Bryant

  Millie led Hunter down the small, almost overgrown pathway through the woods at the back of the yard. It had been a while since she took the path but she knew it by heart. Even in the darkness with only moonlight as her guide, she easily found her way through the overgrown brush and trees until she saw the little cabin that she’d been looking for.

  Somehow, she wasn’t surprised that Hunter had come with her without a single question. He’d let her lead him into the dark woods at night. He hadn’t asked where she was taking him. He’d simply trusted her and followed her and he had no idea how much that small gesture meant to her, but he would.

  She was going to show him.

  “There it is.” She smiled as she looked back to find him eyeing the small structure.

  “What? Is that a…”

  “Cabin in the woods? Yeah.” She giggled a little when he raised one eyebrow, “I promise there’s no boogeymen waiting inside if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Hunter chuckled and pulled her hand just enough to make her step towards him, “Would you protect me if there were?”

  “Absolutely not.” She teased as she looked up at him, “I’d shove you in front of me and then make a run for it.”

  “That’s my girl.” He grinned as he bent and pressed a sweet, light kiss to her lips. “Always put yourself first. Always.”

  Millie tiptoed up to get one more, quick kiss, just because she’d liked that he’d called her his girl, “Come on, let’s go inside.”

  “Inside?” He seemed skeptical. “Is that thing safe? It looks older than the state of Tennessee.”

  “Oh, don’t be such a city boy. It’s completely stable.” Millie pulled on his hand, dragging him along behind her as she moved up the small steps and into the little cabin. “This cabin was built forever ago. I’ll give you that. The guys that worked the still used it as a bunkhouse. It fell into disrepair for a while sure but then Colin found it when we were kids and we insisted Dad fix it up for us to use as a fort. Now it’s…”

  “Wow.” Hunter stepped through the door behind her and she grinned when his eyes went wide, taking in the small space.

  From the outside it looked like a derelict old cabin in the woods. It could have been part of any scary movie. He was right about that. But inside was another story altogether.

  The rough wood floors had been sanded down until they shone. Curtains hung over the windows. A wrought iron bed took up most of the one room cabin but there was a small table to the side of it with a lamp and some books and on the far wall one of the big windows had a bench seat carved into the wood for relaxing. The old fireplace in the corner wasn’t burning because it was still too warm to need it but all over the room there were candles littering every surface, burning with warmth and flickering golden light to fill the space with a lovely, sweet, intimate feel.

  “Wow.” Hunter said again as he turned in a circle, taking it all in. “This is incredible.”

  “Right?” Millie shut the door behind them and leaned against it, “We used to play out here when we were kids and then as we got older it sorta turned into a little safe space where we could escape and be on our own. Colin and Reed used it to meet even when Dad was being… Dad. This was their place.”

  Hunter turned back to her and raised an eyebrow, “Are we invading their little wedding night lovenest?”

  “Nope.”

  “Are you sure? Because the rose petals on the bed and the champagne on the nightstand say otherwise.”

  Millie used the door to keep herself steady as she lifted one foot and toed off her heels. She did it again and watched as Hunter watched her. Heat pooled in her belly as his eyes slowly slid from her bare feet up her legs and body.

  “That’s what they wanted to tell me earlier.”

  “Huh?” Hunter licked his lips when she took her glasses off and set them aside.

  “After all the drama of the day, they don’t want to stick around. They want to get a head start on their honeymoon so they’re planning to sneak away and catch an earlier flight. They’ll be in Mexico by dawn.” Millie pushed up from the door and smiled when Hunter’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “They pulled me aside earlier to tell me goodbye and that they love me and they wanted me to know that they both approve of you, wholeheartedly, and to prove it, they told me we could have the cabin tonight. Reed even moved our suitcases out here as a surprise. They gave us this cabin so we could have our own space and a little privacy.”

  “So they just… gave us their bridal suite basically.” Hunter looked thoughtful as he glanced around the room again.

  Millie stopped a few feet from him and tilted her head, trying to gauge his expression, “I thought you’d be happy that we had somewhere all to ourselves but you don’t look happy, Hunter.”

  “No. I am.” He turned back to her quickly and shook his head, “I am. This place is…”

  When he trailed off Millie shrugged, “Beautiful? Secluded? Intimate?”

  Hunter smiled again, soft and easy, “It’s all of those things and more.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  Hunter’s smile fell and he shook his head again, “It’s just… it’s been a long day, Mills. It’s been a long weekend really. You’ve dealt with so much over the last few days, hell even just the last few hours. I don’t want you to feel like I’m pushing you for more. I want more. God, Mills, I want everything with you. But we don’t have to start tonight. We can wait. I don’t want you to think I can’t wait for you to be ready.”

  Her heart, that silly thing inside her chest that she’d spent the better part of the last year trying to piece back together, gave a quick squeeze of pain. Not because she was hurting. That wasn’t it at all. Her heart finally felt whole and it was healing and it was this man that had helped her to get this far. This sweet, gentle, understanding man that even now, surrounded by all of this beauty and intended seduction, managed to think only of her wellbeing.

  She moved closer to him and raised her palms to cup his handsome face, “You’re not pushing me, Hunter. I’m the one that brought you here. If anything, I’m the one pushing you.”

  “You know I want you.” He raised his own hands and covered hers, “But…”

  “I want you too. I want this. I want to leave the past behind me and not think about it anymore tonight. I want to enjoy this time that we have together. I want to feel safe and happy and you make me feel those things.”

  “Mills…” His eyes flickered over her face, looking for something but she didn’t want him to find any excuse to tell her no so she pressed forward.

  “Please, Hunter?” She slid her hands back into his hair, “You promised you’d give me my first orgasm with a man, remember?”

  He groaned and pressed his forehead to hers, “Using my words against me now?”

  “A promise is a promise.”

  “God, Mills. I like you like this.” He pulled back and brushed her hair behind her ear, carefully avoiding the bruise that sat just beneath her makeup “You’re finally letting your walls down, letting me in, letting me see this fun, flirty, confident girl that I knew was in there all this time. How can I say no when you’re all I’ve wanted and more?”

  “Then don’t say no.” She whispered as he brushed their lips together.

  “A promise is a promise after all.” He smiled a second before he stole her mouth in the most luscious kiss, full of tantalizing promises.

  Hunter kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. He kissed her like she was the most precious thing that he’d ever touched. He kissed her like he felt lucky to have the chance and she’d never felt anything like the kind of desire he stoked inside of her with the simple sweep of his tongue.

  He made her want. Need. Yearn.

  Hunter kissed her until she felt lightheaded and when he pulled his lips from hers, she moaned at the loss. He trailed his lips down her neck and she tilted her chin back, giving him all the access he could want. She wrapped her arms around him, holdin
g herself up by keeping him close.

  “Mills.” He muttered her nickname as he kissed across her collarbone, pushing the strap of her dress off her shoulder, “Your skin is so soft, so sweet. I want to taste every inch of you.”

  “Hunter.” She gasped his name when he lifted her suddenly and turned to lay her across the bed.

  He pulled back and slid his jacket off his shoulders. It pooled on the ground and his shirt went next. She watched him in awe. She’d seen him shirtless but like this it was different. He was undressing for her. She was lying on a bed and she wanted him in the bed with her.

  Only he stopped once he was naked from the waist up and she started to pout until she realized he was undressing her now.

  He helped her sit up and slid the dress the rest of the way off her shoulders. She wiggled to get it off her hips. Hunter’s hands were everywhere. They slid all over her body as he revealed it to his sight. He kissed her neck, her throat, her shoulders. He paused to lave at her breasts but moved on before she could truly get lost in the moment. He planted sweet kisses down her belly and paused only when he dropped to his knees on the floor, between her legs.

  Her breath caught as what he wanted hit her. He wanted to… Her heart skipped a beat and then took off like a galloping horse. Her hands started to shake as nervousness began to overtake all the confidence she’d mustered to bring Hunter out here and then all but demand he give her the orgasms he’d promised.

  “What’s wrong?” Hunter instantly stilled.

  “I… it’s just…” She felt her cheeks flame hot and she closed her eyes, turning her head away. “Nothing.”

  “No.” Hunter’s voice was a growl and he was back up and over her in a second. He turned her back to him and she automatically opened her eyes. His face was just in front of her and she saw his brows furrow, his eyes searching her face again. “You don’t get to hide from me. Not anymore. Not if we’re together like this. Tell me what’s wrong.”

  Millie chewed on the inside of her cheek, feeling the heat of her embarrassment flood down her neck and over the rest of her body, “I… Hunter…” She shook her head but he only raised an eyebrow and waited. “You don’t have to do… that.”

  “Do what?” His head tilted with honest confusion and she wanted to smack him upside the head.

  “You know what. That. You don’t have to…” She let out a rough breath and forced the words out, “Go down on me.”

  “Have to?” A smile tilted one corner of his lips before he paused and looked at her again and she saw it the moment realization sank in. His face softened and his smile widened. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and then dropped a quick kiss there. “Baby, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to but… Am I going to be the first man to taste that sweet honey between your legs?”

  Her breath caught again at the coarseness of his voice. It practically dripped with desire and she felt an answering tug in her lower abdomen. Her body reacted to this man and his touch and even just his words.

  Still, she couldn’t make herself say it so she chewed the inside of her cheek and gave a quick nod.

  “Jesus.” Hunter said the word like a prayer, “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”

  “But…” Millie shook her head, confused. “You don’t have to. I know guys don’t like doing it and…”

  “No.” He cut her off instantly. “No, Mills. Assholes who don’t understand just how lucky they are, don’t like doing it. Men that only care about their own pleasure don’t like doing it. Bastards that want nothing but to get off, don’t like going down on their woman because they don’t understand just how good it feels to give pleasure instead of simply taking it. But I’m not one of those men. Understand?”

  Millie swallowed hard as the knot in her throat grew bigger. Hunter was like nobody she’d ever known. He was strong but gentle. He was demanding but not forceful. And she knew that he meant every word, that he wanted this and that he wanted to make her feel good, so she nodded again.

  “Good. Now that we’re on the same page again. Do you want to stop or do you want to know exactly what I intend to do to you, Millie?”

  She licked her lips nervously but shook her head, “Don’t stop.”

  “That’s my girl.” His lips quirked again and he kissed her for a long time before breaking the contact to move back down her body, whispering against her skin as he went. “I’m going to put my mouth on you, Mills. It’s going to be so good. I’m going to kiss and lick and suck and taste you. I’m going to fuck you with my tongue and when you come for me, and you will come for me, I’m going to drink down all that sweet honey and then start all over. Do you want that?”

  Millie’s blood was rushing through her ears so hard and fast that she could barely hear him. Her heart was pounding. Her skin felt electric, like it had been pulled too tight and she was going to snap apart at the seams. She wriggled, trying to ease the ache between her thighs that his words caused but he caught her by the hips and held her still.

  “Millie,” he glanced up from where he’d gone to his knees in front of her again, his eyes dark with the same deep yearning that felt, “Do you want that?”

  “Yes.” She reached out for him, “Yes.”

  “Be sure, Mills. Because I want this. I want you. But I’ll stop if you’re not ready. All you have to do is say the word.”

  She met his gaze and became wildly aware of the fact she was laying on a bed covered in rose petals with a gorgeous man that wanted to give her more pleasure than she’d ever felt in her life. He wanted her and he showed it every touch, every kiss, every look. He was soft and gentle and sweet with her. He took the time to make sure she was okay before he moved them forward each and every time and as she watched him look at her there, in the candlelit room, on his knees for her, wanting to worship her like she was special, she knew that her heart didn’t stand a chance of resisting what he was offering.

  Hunter thought only of protecting her, always. He didn’t want to hurt her. He didn’t want her to have regrets. He wanted to keep her safe, even from herself. And as she looked into those beautiful green and gold flecked eyes that were looking back at her with such warmth and concern and care, she knew there was no going back.

  She was falling in love with Hunter St. James.

  Maybe it had happened too fast. Maybe he was right and this crazy, whirlwind weekend was messing with her head and her heart. Maybe she was feeling vulnerable and the things he was offering her were too good to pass up. Or maybe it hadn’t happened quickly at all. Maybe she’d been slowly falling in love with him for months. Maybe all the little things had been gradually building up to this. Maybe the way he listened and the way he smiled at her and the way he teased and flirted with her had been weakening her defenses for longer than she’d been willing to admit and this was just the logical next step.

  It didn’t matter when it had happened. It didn’t matter how. All that mattered was that she was falling for Hunter and she knew one hundred percent, without a doubt, that he would be there to catch her.

  “Yes.” She swallowed past the knot in her throat, “Yes, I’m sure. Touch me, Hunter. I love the way you touch me.”

  He groaned and his fingers slid beneath the waistband of her lace panties. He pulled and they slid down her legs with ease. She raised her knees, helping him to take them off her and when they hit the floor she was completely bare and open to him.

  “You’re so beautiful.” His voice was low, almost reverent. “So pretty and pink and I have to know if you’re as sweet here as you are everywhere else.”

  “Oh God…” She cried out when his big hands grasped her thighs and pulled her to the end of the bed.

  Hunter planted kisses up the inside of her thigh and she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, waiting for the moment he would touch her, really touch her, for the first time. Only he didn’t. Every muscle in her body had gone tense with expectation but Hunter only continued to play with her, kissing up and down her thig
hs, over her mound, across her belly and her hips.

  “Hunter.” She writhed beneath him, “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “That’s the point, love.” He murmured huskily, “Relax. Let go. Just let yourself enjoy this as much as I’m going to. Trust me.”

  It was those last two words that did it. Trust me. She did. She trusted Hunter completely. So she gave up her death grip on the sheets beneath her and took deep, calming breaths, reminding herself that even if this was new to her that she didn’t have to be scared.

  Hunter was here and he was going to make her feel good.

  His mouth landed on her mound and she moaned as she felt his tongue flick against her damp skin. He hummed and she felt the vibration through her entire body. Her head fell back and her eyes drifted shut as he proceeded to do exactly what he’d told her he was going to do.

  He kissed her everywhere. He licked long laps up and down her sex. He coaxed her clit until it swelled against his tongue and when he sucked the sensitive bead her body arched and she cried out his name, reaching for his head instinctively, not to push him away, God no, but to keep him right where he was.

  Hunter released the suction with a dark chuckle and moved her hands from his hair to his shoulders, “Trust me, I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m going to live right here in this sweet little spot between your legs. Drink your honey and feast on your body.” She shivered as his words danced warm breath over her and he gave a little growl, “So damn responsive. So wet. So needy. I love seeing you like this. Knowing this is mine. You’re mine.”

  Millie couldn’t speak but she supposed she didn’t really need to. Hunter’s way with words was enough and from the way he said her body reacted, she seemed to be telling him enough in return. She didn’t want him to stop. He could never stop. This was torture and bliss and everything she’d had no idea she was missing until Hunter had come into her life.

  She gripped his shoulders as he lowered his head and buried his tongue inside her. A gasp escaped her but she bit the inside of her cheek trying to keep as much joy as she could from escaping her. She wanted to hold all of this pleasure inside of her and never let it go.