“No, that’s a bad idea.” Before resuming our relationship, Hunter had specifically asked me to trust him. But if I flew out to New York, what kind of message did that send? I trust you, but only when you’re tethered to my side?
Eric must have heard the hesitance in my voice. “Look, I’m free tonight. Why don’t I invite them to dinner and see how Roxy’s behaving? And truth be told, I’m deathly curious about Hunter Cox.” He sounded slightly irritated. “I need to understand what a writer of your caliber sees in this man.”
“I would really appreciate that,” I said, even though Eric had just insulted my boyfriend. But I had bigger worries, and my editor’s personal opinions weren’t a top priority at present.
After he promised to keep me updated, we ended the call on a friendly note.
I lay on my bed, trying to ignore the sexy noises coming from the adjacent bedroom. Stacy and Wally were at it again, moaning loudly as her bed creaked and crashed rhythmically against the wall. They seemed intent on keeping everyone in the apartment awake and embarrassingly aroused.
Rolling my eyes, I jumped out of bed and headed toward the kitchen for a glass of water. It had been a mistake staying here for the night. But I hadn’t wanted to be alone in the penthouse. I needed company, even if said company was less than ideal.
“Couldn’t sleep?”
I let out a shriek as Lorenzo reached over to flick on a lamp. He’d been sitting in the dark, doing . . . nothing. Absolutely nothing.
“Why are you just sitting there? You scared me.”
Lorenzo lit a cigarette and went to an open window, flicking the ash outside. “I was contemplating darkness and its underappreciated beauty. How it can watch you stumble around blindly, stripped of all your courage, and also hide so many secrets of its own.” He took another long drag on his cigarette. “And I couldn’t sleep.”
“Because of the noise, huh?”
He nodded. “They sound terrible. Nothing like how Helen and I sound when we make mad, passionate love.”
My upper lip curled in distaste. “’So, what’s happening with my ex-boss? Is she still writing that Aristocrat’s Forbidden Love crap?”
Lorenzo shot me a pitying look. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Don’t be an elitist, Roe. Some readers actually like that stuff.”
He was right, of course. I mumbled out an apology, wondering if Eric’s frequent praises had brought out the snob in me.
“I’m thinking of moving in with her.”
“Are you kidding? You mean into her Beverly Hills home?” Their relationship was a lot more serious than I’d originally thought. “Have you even met her daughter?”
Before he could answer my question, Wally roared, “Bloody fucking hell!” as he reached his climax behind the closed door. Lorenzo frowned thoughtfully in their direction.
“On several occasions. She bit my hand once, just because I wouldn’t buy her some stupid toy. So I gave her my pack of colorful condoms instead. She made water balloons and tossed them at her unsuspecting neighbors.”
I snort-giggled. “And now you’re best friends?”
“We’re slowly getting there.” He turned his gaze my way. “But more importantly, I need to leave when Stacy has the baby. This apartment is cramped enough as it is.”
I hadn’t known Lorenzo was capable of such kindness. “They might move back into the penthouse.”
“Whatever.” He flicked the cigarette stub away and shrugged. “It’s time to upgrade my lifestyle, anyway.”
After a tired “Good night, sweet cheeks,” Lorenzo returned to his bedroom while I went to get that glass of water. A small part of me felt sad that we were all heading in different directions. But we were finally growing up and taking on more responsibilities in our own ways. Which was always a good thing.
By the time I quenched my thirst and went back into my bedroom, my phone was buzzing on the nightstand. I smiled when I saw it was Hunter.
“Hey, why aren’t you sleeping yet?” I said, flopping down on the bed.
“What the bloody hell is going on, Roe?” he demanded, breathing heavily. “Oh, and you should know, I just punched your fucking editor in the face.”
I bolted up, shocked. “Why would you do that? Is he okay? Did you hurt him badly?”
Hunter let out an angry laugh. “You’re joking, right? For fuck’s sake, tell me you’re joking. Because right now, my hand is itching to punch that smarmy face again.”
“Please, Hunter, calm down and tell me what happened.” My heart was thudding loudly. “Did he say anything to upset you?”
“Here’s an idea. Why don’t you ask him yourself?” And he abruptly hung up on me.
This is bad. Shit, this is so, so bad.
I was afraid to call Eric, but it had to be done. Drawing in a shaky breath, I called him. He answered his phone immediately.
“Rosemary,” he mumbled, and the way he said it made me realize his lips were swollen. “I’m truly sorry, but –”
“No, please don’t apologize. I . . . I can’t believe this. I’m so sorry, Eric. You were only trying to help me –”
“Listen to me, Rosemary. Hunter knows about our weekend together.”
“What?” I almost lost my grip on my phone.
“He hadn’t been too happy about the three of us having dinner, but when Roxy let slip that you and I had spent last weekend together, he completely lost it. He came up to my condo and threw a punch. It would have turned out worse if Roxy and the doorman didn’t pry him off me.”
“Wait. How did Roxy know that it was just the two of us at the Hamptons?”
Eric sighed tiredly. “This is the part where I say I’m truly sorry. She had so many questions after I returned from the Hamptons. Eventually, I ended up telling her what she wanted to hear – how I tricked you into thinking it was a writers’ retreat, and my attempts to seduce you.”
That viper hadn’t let slip anything. She had done it on purpose. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’d made it sound like Eric and I were having a secret relationship.
Oh, Hunter. I shouldn’t have kept this from you. I’d just wanted to spare him the ugly details, and spare myself from having to relive it. Big mistake.
“What now, Rosemary?” Eric murmured when I fell silent.
“Please tell me you won’t report him to the police.”
“I won’t. I feel bad enough as it is.”
I sighed in relief. “Thank you. Make sure to press some ice on your lips.”
“I’d prefer to have your lips pressed on mine,” he muttered to himself.
“Eric . . .” I really wasn’t in the mood to humor him.
“Sorry. That was uncalled for.” After a long pause, he added, “I hope things work out between you two.”
“So do I.” When I ended the call, I grabbed my car keys and ran out my bedroom door. “Guys, I’m going back to the penthouse!” I yelled over my shoulder.
Wally popped outside, holding a plump Pikachu against his crotch. Its poor face was pressed flush against his nakedness. “At this hour?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“It’s an emergency.” I paused at the front door, tossing him an annoyed glance. “Stop boinking my pregnant friend and get some sleep already. She needs it.”
He gave me a proud smirk before slipping back into the bedroom.
Shaking my head, I shut the door behind me and hurried down the dark stairs.
Chapter 23
Hunter returned three days later, unshaven and with dark circles under his eyes. He leaned against the bedroom door and watched silently as I stepped out from the en-suite bathroom.
I shivered and wrapped the thin robe tighter around my body, frightened by his intense stare.
He immediately noticed what I just did. “Are you scared at the thought of me touching you? Is that it?”
I shook my head. “No, of course not.” I took a hesitant step toward him. “Where have you been for the past couple of days? I’ve been worrie
d sick. I thought maybe –”
“You thought maybe I was shacked up somewhere, fucking Roxy’s brains out?” He smirked, pushing himself away from the door. “Maybe I did. And why not? It was time to end her torment so she could see for herself how a real man fucks.”
“Hunter, please . . .”
He suddenly grabbed my shoulders, pulling me closer to him. “Come here, geek. You smell fucking incredible.” And he forced my mouth open, ruthlessly pushing his tongue inside.
I could taste alcohol on him, but I didn’t care. If anything, I was getting aroused. A moan rose in my throat as he thumbed my nipples through the thin robe.
“You like that, geek? You like it when I touch you like this?” He whirled me around so that I was facing the full-length mirror leaning against the wall. I watched our reflection as he stood behind me, his towering height making me feel small. He reached down, fiddled with the loose knot, then let the robe fall open.
“Hunter . . .”
“Shhh. Don’t talk. Just watch.” He slipped the robe off my shoulders, letting it pool at my bare feet. I felt vulnerable standing naked like this while Hunter stood behind me fully clothed. He hunched to meet my eye level in the mirror, pressing his cheek against mine as his hands squeezed my breasts. To my shame, my back immediately arched.
He raised a brow in amusement. “Still as responsive as ever.” He slipped his hand down to my stomach, a finger softly trailing down my skin until it settled on my mound. My hips rose to meet his touch, and I let out a gasp as he began rubbing my clit in slow, circular motions. Meanwhile, his gaze in the mirror never left mine.
“Hunter, let’s go over to the bed –”
“I told you not to talk.” He tightly wrapped an arm around my chest, causing my breasts to push up and spill over while his other hand continued to play with my pussy, teasing the clit before going farther down to open my swollen folds. His fingers were growing slick with my desire.
I pushed at his arm, unable to bear the delicious torment, but it felt like pushing at a tree trunk. A mewling sound erupted from me as I writhed against his body.
Finally relenting, he dragged me to the bed, pushing me on top of the clean sheets. When I tried to reach for him, he rolled me over and pressed my face into the pillow. Then he roughly grabbed my hips, lifting me up so that I was on my knees, my arse sticking high up in the air. I struggled to get up, but he pressed my face into the pillow again.
Alarm bloomed in my chest; I wasn’t used to this position at all.
“Wait, Hunter, I can’t –” Before I could finish that sentence, he gripped my arse cheeks from behind and dragged his tongue over my exposed pussy. I screamed into the pillow as the first orgasm shook my body, weakening my knees to the point that I almost toppled sideways. But Hunter’s strong grip held me up, his tongue prodding and teasing my most sensitive areas until I was crying out again and trembling from the blinding sensations washing over me. It was all too much. I couldn’t take it any longer.
My teary cries soon intermingled with my pleasurable moans. When Hunter heard them, his grip on me faltered slightly, and then his torturous tongue came back with a vengeance. I fisted the bed sheets, sobbing as he pushed his tongue inside my pussy, his beard scratching at my inner thighs. I must have blacked out for a few seconds, maybe even a minute or more, because when sense returned to me, Hunter was pummeling into me from behind, the rhythmic sound of slapping skin reaching my ears. I screamed again as another mind-blowing orgasm consumed my body and sent me hurling down an abyss. By the time he released me and I flopped on the bed, my body felt like a limp noodle. It was hard to come back from that.
I wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed, but I awoke to Hunter running a cool cloth between my legs. He was saying something to me. My eyes fluttered open as I wearily croaked out a question.
“What did you say, Hunter?”
He finished cleaning me up and tossed the cloth into a nearby basket. “I said I want you to get the fuck out of my penthouse.”
My body stilled. I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him correctly. Slowly, I struggled up to meet his gaze. The anger on his beautiful, unshaven face made me flinch.
“You don’t mean that.”
“Trust me, I mean it. And I don’t want to see you again. You and I are through, geek.” He let out a harsh laugh. “You’re free to go after Eric Steinberg. In fact, I give you both my fucking blessing.”
“What exactly did Roxy say to you?”
“Does it matter? The only thing that matters to me is that my ex-girlfriend is a hypocrite. You talk about being each other’s confidant and having no secrets between us, but only when it’s convenient for you. And when I ask you for your trust, you instead choose to send your secret lover to check up on me. Because you’ve decided that I’m not worth your trust.”
He wasn’t entirely wrong; I had done those things. “Everything you’ve just said is correct,” I said slowly. “Except for one important detail.” I raised my calm eyes to meet his stern gaze. “Eric is not my secret lover. So if you’re going to accuse me of something as awful as cheating, then you’d better get your damn facts straight.” And I quickly climbed out of bed and began dressing, grabbing at any piece of clothing within reach. Then I snatched up my phone and car keys, striding toward the bedroom door without another glance back.
“What, no kiss goodbye for old time’s sake?” Hunter called out sarcastically.
I paused at the threshold, unable to look at him. “I’m glad we’re over because this relationship was doomed from the start. We were never right for each other. You say I don’t trust you? Well, you don’t trust me, either. You never have.” I let out an amused snort. “Five years ago, you used me to win a stupid bet, and I retaliated by using you to scratch the itch between my legs. Remember that, Hunter? We said some pretty hurtful things to each other back then. We’ve come full circle now, haven’t we? And it seems the only way to end this madness is to end us. For good this time.” I turned around, finally locking eyes with him. There was an emotion behind his gaze I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “I won’t give you a goodbye kiss, but I will say this and mean it – have a good life with Roxy. You’re probably better suited with her, anyway.” And I hurried into the living room, desperate to leave before my knees buckled and I ended up sprawled on the floor, crying my eyeballs out. I somehow managed to reach the front door, then the elevator, then the lobby. Then I found myself buckling the seat belt in before driving out into the brightly lit street.
Five years ago, Hunter had run out of his building, calling after me. But not this time. I couldn’t see him in the rearview mirror, and I certainly couldn’t hear his voice calling out my name.
I guess you’re not coming for me anymore.
A loud sob wracked my body as I continued driving down the busy streets of Los Angeles. How could I live in this city now, with his modeling campaign ads splashed everywhere, mocking me at every turn? How could I stay here knowing that Hunter was only within driving distance of me? I would go mad from heartbreak and loneliness.
My mind was made up. I had to leave Los Angeles for good.
Five years ago, Hunter’s selfish actions had forced me to forgo a great exchange student program in favor of moving to Los Angeles indefinitely. And now here he was again, chasing me out of my city.
I can’t take any of this. I just can’t.
Wiping the gushing tears from my eyes, I pressed my foot down on the gas pedal. I was never going back to that penthouse. Stacy and Wally would have to do me a favor and help me get the rest of my stuff back. And I would only return to this city to attend the premiere of Werewolves of Tahoe for my friend’s sake.
I’m going back to Sydney, Hunter. Los Angeles is all yours.
Drawing in a deep, shaky breath, I blinked the rest of the tears away and slowed my car when my apartment building materialized before me.
Stacy, Wally, and Lorenzo were squashed into the worn sofa, staring at me like I had just
sprouted a new head. Wally sat in the middle, his manspreading forcing Stacy to sit gingerly on one butt cheek. As for Lorenzo, his scrawny arse was the width of a single butt cheek, anyway, so what did it matter?
I shook my head, trying to force the weird thoughts from my mind. I wasn’t going to stand here and analyze the breadth and volume of my friends’ arses.
“You can’t leave,” Stacy cried out, accusation in her eyes. “You can’t! You have to attend the premiere of Werewolves of Tahoe! You have to throw me a baby shower. You have to help me raise this baby. You were going to be my child’s aunt. We were going to grow old together, visiting the clinics to get our weekly dose of collagen injections.” She fell against Wally, sobbing into her hands.
Lorenzo was a bit more pragmatic about it. “Did you break up with Hunter?”
When I nodded in reply, Wally shot up from the sofa like a jack-in-the-box. “You’re kidding me, mate! Are you serious? He never said anything to me about it.”
“Maybe he thinks it’s not a big deal,” I said with a casual shrug, even though I felt like dying inside.
Wally shot me a strange look. “Nah, that’s not it. If you believe that, geek, then you really didn’t know him. The guy’s a top bloke. No question about it.”
As Hunter’s best mate, of course he would say that.
“Anyway, I need you and Stacy to get my stuff from the penthouse. I’ve already booked a one-way ticket for this Friday, so I need them soon. Can you do that for me?”
Stacy started bawling into a cushion as Wally nodded. “Yeah, it’s no biggie. It’s just . . . shit, Hunter’s going to be so aggro when he sees what I’m doing.”
“I highly doubt that.” And I went into my bedroom to pack the rest of my belongings and stack my books into boxes.
Over the course of the next few days, I made calls to Cindy Lau in New York and Eric Steinberg to make sure they knew where to contact me in Australia. Eric seemed shocked by my impulsive decision and begged me to reconsider. He sounded genuinely sorry to hear that Hunter and I had broken up, feeling partially responsible for the outcome. But it was no one’s fault. These things happened, and I was just grateful that they’d come about sooner rather than later, before marriage and kids got caught in the crossfire.
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