by Cat Mason
Hunter leaps back as if they would burn him. Sagging into a chair, he buries his face in his hands. “Just when I thought I could get my shit together.”
Walking over, I grab the information from Cam and glance down at a list of names and dates from a law office in Alabama. Flipping through the stack, I find a picture of a platinum blonde holding a little girl with brown pigtails. The little girl’s eyes that same dark brown. In shock, I drop the stack to the coffee table. “She’s yours.” At this point I don’t know if I’m asking or telling him.
Hunter looks up from his hands, his brown eyes pained. “I don’t know.”
“We won’t know until we get back to Nashville, they’re driving up so that the proper testing can be done to know for sure. Then Hunter will have some decisions to make.” Daisy says, trying her best to hold onto her composure, her worry for Hunter is written all over her face.
“How can you all be so damn calm about this?” He shouts, making me jump.
Cam and Daisy stand. “Let’s give them a minute Henry.” Cam says, turning toward the door.
Henry nods, following them out. As he passes me, he pats my shoulder. “Hurricane Hunter has just hit land darlin’, time to bear down and hang on.” He whispers. My eyes never leave Hunter; he just looks so lost. The door closes behind us with a thud.
“Hunter, it’s not the end of the world. It’s a little girl, a beautiful little girl.” I reply softly, answering his question. “It’s not something you can just dismiss, not if she is yours.”
Pushing to his feet, his eyes turn hard. “Okay, Chase, then answer me this, oh wise one.” He snarls sarcastically. “If she’s mine, which who knows given the multitudes of pussy I’ve dove into over the last decade or more. Let’s just be realistic because I was tearing up ass long before I was at the mic.” Inching closer to me, he closes his eyes. “How do I tell my child that I don’t even remember the night I met her mother? Or would good bonding include the various sexual positions or discussions on preference of lube flavor? That’s all I’ve fuckin’ got babe. When I look at that woman on that piece of paper all I see is a bitch that I would‘ve double gloved with because she looks like she’s been plowed more than the roads of northern Maine in the winter.”
“I understand this is a huge shock, honey.” I say, attempting to keep my voice even.
Hunter just huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s a real shocker alright. This just goes to show that no matter what I do, I’ll always end up fuckin’ up. On top of that, now a kid could be tangled up in my shit. That’s just givin’ me one more person to hurt who is more innocent than anyone I’ve ever met.” Scrubbing a hand over his face, he turns and paces in front of the window. “At least you guys know what you’re dealing with. This little girl… my God Chase, I can’t be somebody’s father.” He groans. Stopping at the window, he stares out at the strip.
I walk toward him, but he doesn’t turn to face me. Hunter just continues to stare out the window at the view, letting his thoughts consume him. Wrapping my arms around him, I press my lips to his back. Absorbing the warmth that is just Hunter, the heat of his skin makes me wish we were anywhere but here dealing with a situation that has him so anxious. I want nothing more than to be wrapped up in him and hear all the crazy or sweet things that come out of his mouth. Right now I am here for him; and whatever he needs, I’ll give him.
Hunter never shows his emotions. I think he keeps them locked up so that they can’t be used against him later. Right now, he is letting me see his apprehension. The fear of not being enough for anyone, especially a child. It is funny how different Aiden and Hunter are, but at the same time very similar. They have the same fears and the same painful past, but have coped in different ways. “You can do this Hunter. I believe in you enough for both of us. Before long, you’ll believe it too.”
“Why the hell would you have so much faith in me, Tiger Lily?” He asks in disbelief, “I haven’t given you any reason to believe that I’m capable of taking care of myself, let alone anyone else.”
Because you would never walk out on the ones you love, Hunter. You could never be my father. I want to tell him how I know he wouldn’t leave his seven year old daughter sobbing in the driveway begging for him to stay. That she would be cherished in his eyes so much that if she fell and scraped her knees, he would move Heaven and Earth just to make her smile. Not leave her crying and bleeding in the driveway because his new girlfriend was more important than anyone in the house he just moved out of.
“But you have Hunter. You give me those gentle moments that no one sees. Like yesterday at the chapel, last night when we talked, and just like you did right now. She will adore you, honey. You won’t be afraid to be silly with her; you will spoil the hell out of her in every way imaginable.” Knowing it’s sinking in, I go on. “On top of that if you’re her daddy and you love her that’s all that will matter to her. I love you and I know you’ll be an amazing father.” I whisper against his skin.
His hands cover mine, pressing them closer to his heart. “You shouldn’t. Loving me will only get you hurt and that’s the last thing I wanna do Tiger Lily. That’s the damn reason I sent you away in Tennessee in the first place. You should be with Mitch. He would make you happier than I ever could. You should stay right here and make half a dozen babies with him for Luke to spoil rotten. You two can have barbecues on the weekends, date nights, and he will bring you flowers for no reason. I should tell you to leave right now and never come back. If you stay you’ll just hate me in the end.”
“I’m not big on doing what I’m told.” I reply, letting him know that if he tries to push me away, I have no problem pushing back. It pisses me off that he decided the fate of our relationship without involving me. Just like Luke tries to make decisions for my life without my opinion, my God do I have ‘helpless’ written on my forehead or what? “You have no idea what I want, so stop it! You have no idea how I feel. Don’t give me that ‘you’ll hate me’ bullshit. Love doesn’t work that way and it’s time I prove that to you. No one has asked me one fucking time what I want in all of this; it’s my happiness here too you know?”
“What do you want Chase?” He asks, his entire body tensing as he waits for my answer.
“This.” Pressing my palms flat to his chest, his hands tighten over mine, holding them in place so that I can feel the racing of his heart in his chest. “I want this with you, wherever we are doesn’t matter. I don’t like barbecues and I have flowers that I paid good money for inked on my skin, because the real things are never beautiful forever. Things change Hunter; the entire universe evolves constantly to accommodate everyday life as it changes. You can too, even if you can’t see it. Hunter, you already have in so many ways. You said that you can’t do more than one night with a woman, but here I am, months after our first night. Isn’t that proof enough for you that you aren’t as horrible as you think you are? Look at me, honey, I’m right here in flesh and blood and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank fuck,” Hunter says, and it’s not much more than a whisper. Turning in my arms, Hunter cups my face in his hands. Staring down at me, his eyes soften so that I know I got my point across to him. “Because I have no problem admitting that I’m a selfish bastard right now, babe. I need you too much to let you walk out of my life.” His words hit me in the chest, my heart nearly exploding when he seals his mouth over mine taking my mouth hungrier than ever before.
Desire pools in my belly, making every touch as he moves his hands down my body, mean so much more than the last. Hunter’s fingers dig into the fabric around my waist, urging it up my hips. Ripping his mouth from mine, his attacks my neck; biting and sucking only to run his tongue along my overheating skin. “Come to Nashville.” He murmurs against my shoulder before pressing a soft kiss there.
“What?” I ask, shocked by his request.
“Please, I need you there. Just come meet the kid with me. We’ll go from there, and figure out how to make this work with you and me. Record
ing starts soon and we’ll be home-based there for at least that long, minus press shit, but it won’t be as crazy as touring. Come with me.”
Thoughts swirl in my head; how pissed that Luke is going to be, not to mention Mitch. This is going to be a fight, but as I look up into Hunter’s pleading eyes I can’t make myself say ‘no’. “Okay.”
The smile spreads across his face before he peppers my face with kisses. “You’ve made my fuckin’ week babe. Let’s get dressed and go pack you some shit.” He says, tossing a look over his shoulder. “I assume we’ll have to let Luke know what’s up. I’ll get my ass beat, but fuck it’s worth it.” His look goes completely predatory. “Please tell me you’re gonna suck my dick at thirty thousand feet.”
“Go put your shirt on honey.” I tease with a wink. “I’ll let them know it’s safe to come in now, that way they’ll stop listening at the door.” I shout just as I reach the door, yanking it open to meet two sets of misty eyes and a pair covered in shades. “Oh Henry, stop blubbering already.” I tease, rolling my eyes.
“Welcome to the craziness sweets!” Cam squeals as my two best friends pin me in a group hug and shriek their excitement into my ears.
“That’s hot as hell, ladies.” Hunter says with a groan. “I’m afraid that, unless we want Anal Annie bitchin’ like a crazy cuckoo clock, it would be best not to take the time out to fully appreciate the girl on girl on girl lovin’. It really hurts me to be the voice of reason here, I mean literally it hurts right here.” He groans, rubbing his groin. The three of us turn, giving him middle fingers in three different manicured colors. “I love you sexy women, but I’ll have to take a rain check.” Hunter starts toward his bedroom, and I can admit I watch nothing but his ass as he walks away wishing like hell it was him I was nibbling on and not my bottom lip. “Besides, as many times as Chase brought the ‘Cum Train’ into the station last night, I’m probably too dehydrated to get hard. Let alone spray all three of you with my screamer creamer.”
“I’m jackass intolerant!” Daisy spits as the door slams.
“He’s taking this situation better than I thought he would.” Henry says, scrubbing his hand over the scruff on his chin.
My eyes stare at the closed door, “Hunter will continue to surprise you at every opportunity unless you start letting yourselves see him as I do.”
“Nothing he does surprises me, Chase. I’ve been pulling the tow line for years now, waiting for this. Now I’m just gonna watch like the proud big brother I get to be.” Henry replies, crossing his arms over his chest. The more I think about how he sheltered and protected Hunter when he acted out, it makes sense and has me loving the ‘Big Man’ even more. “Just don’t go tell him that shit; his head doesn’t need to swell any bigger than it already is.”
“Listen, Chase, about last night…” Cam starts, but I put my hand up to stop her.
“I know. Last night was your wedding and was supposed to be special, perfect. Hunter and I had unfinished business that shouldn’t have been brought there. It really is what set him off. For that, I’m sorry. Hunter knows now, so you should too; I am not going anywhere. He’s going to need all of us if she is his daughter. People mess up, family forgives and loves anyway. You can’t help but love him, and he deserves it more than anyone I know.” I choke out when the door opens. Hunter emerges from the room, fully dressed, carrying my bag and shoes from last night.
Daisy and Cam both walk toward him, throwing their arms around him. “Oh, hell,” He says, letting my stuff clatter to the floor, embracing them both uncomfortably. “Are you both knocked up? I can’t deal with all the hormones around here. Chicks crying and shit, can’t we all just fuck and get along?” Hunter winks at me, the heat in his eyes making me blush. “Alright ladies…um, back up. Obviously, I am not as dehydrated as I thought.” He adds, both girls jump back from him.
“According to Annie himself, gotta be at the airport in three hours. I’ll call for a cab to take you. Text me the address, we’ll pick you up in an hour or so. After that, I’ll call and book Chase a ticket.” Henry chimes in, pulling his phone from his pocket.
“Actually, my ride is still in the parking garage.” I interrupt, knowing that I am not leaving my baby to be dealt with by Mitch or worse, Luke. “If I’m flying to Nashville with you, we’ll need to take it back to Luke’s and park it in the garage anyway. Besides,” I shrug. “I know that any paparazzi won’t be looking for my wheels to find Hunter.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Hunter says, scooping up my stuff. “My shit is packed and on the bed, Big Man. See ya later.” He adds, tossing me my shoes before shoving me out the door.
Who’s The Bitch Now?
Hunter
Chase is quiet in the elevator, which usually would bother me. Any other time, I would be expecting an exchange of x-rated banter before attempting to cop a feel. Not today. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the sperm that got away, among other things. Me, a father? The only thing more shocking then the fact that there is a little girl possibly running around with my DNA is that Chase has faith in me not to fuck it up. How can someone, who hasn’t even known me a year, believe more in me than I do?
When the doors open to the parking garage, I take her hand in mine. The surprise on her face, the smile that follows, has me deciding that I need to do this a lot more often. Touching her this way has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with her being my ground wire. Everything in my life spins so fast. Sometimes, it’s like being on a runaway merry-go-round, but Chase seems to slow that down. I am starting to get what Aiden means when he says that Cam is sort of a safe haven. How only Camaron can calm him in those moments he starts losing his grasp on the control he holds onto desperately.
Chase walks a step ahead of me, but keeps our hands joined. My eyes stay glued to her ass as it swishes back and forth. Hey, just because the hand holding wasn’t about sex doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about it! We all do, some people are just liars. Not me, I’ll tell anyone who asks: My name is Hunter Chesterfield and I’m always thinking about sex. My mind spends most the time in the gutter on the corner of Sixty-Nine Street and Anal Sex Avenue. It’s the breast part of the trip to my favorite destination, Vagina. I would live there if I could get bacon delivered.
Tiger Lily’s delectable ass stops its rhythmic swishing torture right in front of a hot pink and black crotch rocket, stopping my lust filled haze of nibbling at every inch of her. “This isn’t your bike.” I blurt.
Walking around to the back, Chase just beams at me. “Of course it isn’t my bike Hunter, it’s my baby.” I just watch, in shock, as she removes a bag strapped down to the back. She shimmies into a pair of skinny jeans, letting the dress from last night fall back into place. Hopping from foot to foot, she trades the heels for a pair of chucks that match the damn bike. “With the bag on the back, you’ll have to crowd me some, but it’s not too far to Luke’s place.” She explains once she adjusts the bag, giving us as much room as possible.
Frozen in place, I stare at her like an idiot as she swings a leg over the side. Her fingers flex around the handlebars’ grips. Chase steadies the hot pink monster between her thighs, popping up the kickstand. With a few clicks, it roars to life. “You comin’,” She asks arching a brow at me, almost daring me to climb on behind her.
“Any minute now,” I mutter. Walking over, I adjust my throbbing erection and climb on behind her. My hands wrap around her middle once I am settled on the seat. Just the thought of pumping into her from behind, while straddling her bike, makes my balls tighten painfully begging for release. Chase rolls her ass against my crotch, instantly I hiss out a breath.
“Ridin’ bitch on my ride makin’ you hard, huh Hunter?” She taunts me then revs the engine.
Leaning down, I let my teeth graze her earlobe. “If we had the time, I’d bend you over those handlebars and show you who’s the bitch, babe.” I growl, over the sound of the engine idling. Chase rolls against my aching crotch once more, releasin
g the brake as I moan. The bike roars forward, making me tighten my grip on her waist as we zip out of the garage and onto the street.
The morning traffic of Vegas doesn’t faze Chase in the least. When my body tenses at the closeness of the vehicles, she weaves through the hectic cluster of cars and trucks. Mere inches separating our unprotected bodies from having our asses scraped into body bags as she makes her way down the strip.
She’s completely in her element, and it’s hot as hell. There is something so sexy about the confident way she leans into each turn as if she and the bike are one. Her free spirit isn’t cocky like I come off most times. Chase is sure of herself, unafraid to admit what she wants in life, going after her dreams. Chasing the hell out what she wants with everything she has. I shouldn’t be surprised she has a bike, every ounce of this woman screams ‘wild and reckless’ and yet she is centered and stable at the same time.
Zipping into a driveway, Chase ducks into a garage, and kills the engine. “So, was it good for you?” She purrs, angling her head to look at me over her shoulder.
Pulling her back against my chest, I grind my dick against her ass so she can feel how good it was for me and take her mouth with mine. The sigh of pleasure that comes from her mouth nearly makes me blow my wad in my jeans. My brain starts short circuiting; all it can think of is how many more of those little noises I can pry from those lips before I have to take her on the garage floor.
