Pretty Face

by Hunter, Sable

  “No, I’ve been bad,” Cody answered truthfully, her body quivering at the anticipation of what was to come.

  Hunter chuckled. “I like thinking of you as a bad girl, Sage. It’s fuckin’ hot.” He took her earlobe between his teeth and nipped, while he dipped his fingers between her legs. “You’re slick and warm for me. Do you want my cock?”

  “Yes, please.” She pushed back, grinding her ass into his groin.

  “Never let it be said I didn’t give a woman what she needed.” He put strong hands around her thighs and lifted, angling her so he could thrust his cock up inside of her. Cody gasped, her forehead and palms against the cool surface of the wall. She stood on tiptoe, her whole body jarring as he pumped up deep inside of her time after time.

  “Oh, oh, oh,” she chanted, the thrill of his filling her almost more than she could take.

  Reaching in front, he cupped her breasts. “Did you like what we did on the deck when I played with your tits?”

  “You know I did,” she whispered as he plucked at her nipples.

  His lips were moving on her temple, above the mask. “I can’t wait for the day when I can touch you when and where I want to, run my hands over your body, breathe in your scent as often as I crave you.” He licked the mark he’d made on her neck, shaking his head, pushing another mark from his mind. “I want to own every inch of you.”

  Taking in gulps of air, Cody flattened her hands on the wall, her cheek resting between them. “Touch my clit, Hunter, please.” She needed to lose herself in pleasure to stop the voices condemning her in her head.

  “Gladly.” He moved from her breast to her clit and as he fucked her. He milked a nipple with the fingers of one hand while he milked her clit with the other. In just seconds, she was screaming his name.

  “Hunter, God, Hunter, what you do to me!”

  “I want to do more.” He turned her, moving her to the bed, where she went on all fours and Hunter stared, seeing the photo she’d sent him in his mind. “God, just look at you. Do you have any idea how often I stared at that picture and told myself that you’re mine? You’re mine, Sage Donovan!”

  Cody looked over her shoulder, arching her back, spreading her legs and inviting him between them.

  Hunter stepped closer, palmed her ass, and popped her once on a smooth firm cheek. When she squealed, he chuckled. “Like that?”

  “Yes.” She pushed back, presenting her bottom to him. “More than you know.”

  He took his cock in hand and spanked her with it, rubbing the drop of pre-cum on her soft skin. “I can do what I want with you, can’t I?”

  “Yes,” she said again, “anything.” Cody groaned when he took his cock and slipped it between her pussy lips, coating himself with her cream, nudging the cherry of her clit. “Fuck me, Hunter, please, fuck me.”

  With a hand on her back, he urged her face to the bed. “I’ll give you what you need.”

  With one smooth thrust, Hunter impaled her on his cock. Holding her hips, he plunged inside of her, letting out a grunt of satisfaction with every pump. “Like that?”

  “Yes!” she cried, her voice muffled.

  “Want more?”

  “God, yes.”

  “Beg me,” he demanded as he pounded her from the rear, holding her waist, taking what he wanted. When she didn’t answer fast enough to his liking, he pulled almost out, teasing the rim of her sex.

  “Don’t stop, please, Hunter.” She spread her legs wider, letting him have a good look at her glistening pink pussy. “I need you.”

  Slipping all the way out, he asked, “Do you? Are you sure?” Taking his cock, he rubbed it to the full length of her slit, bathing the shaft in the evidence of her desire.

  “I’m sure. Please. I want you so much.” Cody trembled with excitement, pinpricks of awareness making her body feel prickly and desperate. “Fuck me, Hunter. What can I do to make you want me?” The heartfelt cry spilled from her lips.

  “You know I want you, I’ve told you so a thousand times.” With a groan, he thrust into her, filling her completely.

  He pumped into her. The friction against her inner walls and how deeply he thrust drove her to the edge and over. Crying out, she clutched the bedspread between her fingers as a flash of bright colors exploded behind her eyelids. Hunter bent over her body, covering her, his hands going to her breasts, his lips on her neck. He seemed determined to imprint himself on every inch of her body. Cody whimpered as he took her, dominated her, possessing her unmercifully.

  “I love you, Sage,” he whispered as he let go, filling her with his seed. “I’ll never get enough of you, I’ll never let you go.”

  “I’ll die if you do,” she answered solemnly, knowing it was the truth.

  With a breath of satisfaction, he lay beside her, spooning her from the back. Pushing her hair from her face with enough gentleness to make her cry, he spoke, “I’ll want you all of my life. From here to eternity, I want you with me. I want your smile to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing at night. I want to hold you close to me, in my bed, every night for the rest of my life. I came after you and I’ve found you. I don’t intend to ever let you go.”

  Cody laid her arm over his, pressing it hard against her. She tried to memorize how it felt to be with him. Lying in his arms made her feel so safe, she wasn’t ready to give it up—give him up—but the time had come. Rolling over, she faced him. They looked into one another’s eyes, a mask still covering part of their faces. “We need to talk.”

  “I’ve been ready, Sage.” Hunter sat up when she scooted off the bed. He felt cold. He didn’t like it.

  Cody needed some distance, and some clothes. Not having anything else, she slipped the dress back over her head.

  “I don’t like so much space between us,” Hunter said. “Come back.”

  “No, let me stay over here. This is going to be hard.”

  He didn’t come back with one of his usual lighthearted quips. “I don’t like how this is starting out. You’re scaring me, honey.”

  Cody sat about three feet from the bed in a chair, facing him. “I have a confession to make, Hunter.”

  Hunter felt his heart sink. “Fuck, you’re married, there’s someone else. I knew it.” He felt his world crumbling around him.

  “No, I’m not, there is no one else.” She protested, hating the hurt look on his face.

  “Just tell me the truth. That’s all I want to hear. It’s all that matters.” Already his eyes were looking at her accusingly.

  She pushed her hair back from her forehead, feeling too warm. “Okay, let me tell you several truths. First, I love you more than anything and I never meant to hurt you. When we met, I didn’t expect to fall for you. I just wanted to know what it was like to flirt and have a handsome man notice me. But I wasn’t counting on falling in love with you. And I adore you. I would die for you, Hunter. And that’s the truth.”

  “Go on. What are you trying to tell me?” Hunter’s voice was stiff, his face unreadable.

  “But I’ve also lied. I sent you pictures of me that were old, before…” She fanned her hands in the air, then continued, “I sent you pictures of other women’s bodies when I couldn’t send you pictures of my own. I lied to you about my name. I’m not Sage Donovan.” She pulled off the mask.

  Hunter stared at Sage, trying to comprehend. She’d torn off the mask and was now taking the contacts from her eyes. “I don’t understand. Who are you?”

  Tremulously, she met his gaze. “You know who I am.”

  He stared at the face, a familiar face, a pretty face.

  “Cody!” Hunter was stunned. “How? Why? Was this all some kind of trick?”

  “No, it wasn’t a trick.” She tried to explain. “I was lonely. I used my great-grandmother’s name, my middle name, to create a fake identity. I used pictures of me when I was…prettier. I just wanted to talk, to flirt, to know what I was missing. When we met, it was casual, I didn’t expect for it to matter.”

>   “Well, it did,” he spat out the words, his eyes still trying to comprehend what he was seeing. “My God, how did I miss it? Of course it’s you.”

  “Every day I lived to hear from you, Hunter. You were my life. Cody ceased to matter, only Sage existed.” She wanted to go to him, her hands were itching to touch him. Cody stood, starting to move toward the bed.

  “Don’t.” Hunter held up his hand. “Don’t come near me.”

  Cody stopped. She continued to try and explain. “When you said you were coming to Louisiana, I didn’t know what to do.”

  Hunter’s thoughts rushed to the past. “You got Treadaway to contact me,” he accused.

  “No, I didn’t, I swear.” Cody shook her head.

  “Like I’d believe you.” He bristled, rubbing his face, pushing his hair from his forehead.

  “It’s true, when you called me on my landline, I was stunned.”

  “What about this stupid accent?” He closed his eyes, unable to look at her.

  “My accent is part of me, my family speaks this way.” She knew that sounded weak, even to her ears. “I went to the airport to meet you. I was there, but you looked right through me.”

  “Do you blame me? I wasn’t looking for you!”

  His tone was breaking her heart. “I know, that’s when I left and I didn’t expect to see you again.”

  “How did you come up with this fiasco about the balls?”

  “The woman you met tonight, Dr. Rowan, she’s my therapist. I had to undergo treatment after the attack.” She twisted the skirt of her dress between her fingers. “She gave me the idea. I had intended to tell you the truth and this seemed—”

  “This seemed like a way you could trick me into having sex with you.”

  A flash of agony almost bowled her over. Well, now she knew. What was the use? “Yea, it was. I wanted to know what it was like to love you before you walked away from me.”

  Hunter was hurt. He was confused. He was angry. “You lied to me, Sage, Cody, whatever the hell your name is. You strung me along. You teased me. And when I came and met Cody, you made me feel torn and guilty for wanting Cody while I was in love with you.”

  Wait. He had Cody’s attention. He wanted her? Even with her scars?

  Hunter continued, “When all the time, you were the same person. You jerked me around.”

  “Please forgive me,” Cody begged. “I love you. I know we can’t be together, I never expected it. I always knew when you found out the truth, when you saw me—the real me—you’d walk away. That was the reason I never told you the truth when you were still in Colorado. It would have ended the same—me without you. And I was greedy, I wanted to hold on to you just a little longer.”

  Hunter couldn’t hear her, he was hurting too much. He couldn’t comprehend. All he knew was that she’d betrayed him. “You were willing for me to sacrifice my life, to wait, to be in love with someone who didn’t even exist rather than telling me the truth? Is that love?”

  Cody couldn’t take anymore. “You’re right. I’m so sorry. I won’t ask you to forgive me because I can’t forgive myself. I’ll always love you, but I know you don’t want to hear that.” She stood, grabbing her purse, and hunting her shoes. “I’ll go. Be safe, Hunter. And know that if I could do it all over again, I’d never reach out to you. It would’ve been better if we’d never met.”

  She hurt. She had to go. She had to get away so his eyes wouldn’t keep piercing into her heart. Cody found one shoe but not the other, so she just picked it up and left. She couldn’t stay. Running out the door, she fled down the stairs. The boat would be docking in just a few moments. Her car was here, she’d parked it earlier, taking a cab to the launch. Ducking behind a pillar, she hid from prying eyes, panting, tears streaming down her face. She knew she didn’t have to hide from Hunter, he wouldn’t come looking for her. He didn’t want to see her. He never wanted to see her again.

  It was over.

  Over.

  * * *

  Hunter hit the wall of the stateroom so hard he put his fist through the paneling. Good thing he was a carpenter, he could fix it.

  His mind was spinning, his heart was aching and he felt like he was going to be sick. He needed to get out of here. Sage—Cody—would be gone, she was very apt at disappearing, only this time, he knew right where to find her.

  Jerking on his clothes, he went to the restroom, washing his face. He stared at himself in the mirror. For the first time in a long time, Hunter felt alone. In the past, it was Sage he would turn to when something happened in his life that he needed to talk about. Now he had no one.

  When he started to leave, he took the stateroom key off the key ring and left it on the dresser. His eye went to that small ornate key she’d said was the key to her heart. He had no idea what it even fit. As he started to walk out the door, he saw Sage’s shoe. Hunter almost left it, but something made him stoop over and pick it up.

  Stuffing the key ring in his pocket, he walked down to the dock and looked around. There was no sign of Cody. He hailed a cab and went back to his truck, placing her shoe on the seat beside him. All the while, thoughts were swirling around in his head. Why hadn’t he seen it? That Cody was Sage was as plain as day. Their lips were the same, that little turned up nose was the same. Damn, the hickey! His flight number written on the paper! Hell, she was the owner of TRO. Similar taste in books, movies, music. Even her eyes. Why hadn’t he recognized her? She didn’t look that different. The photos she’d sent were outdated, photos of a girl when now she was a woman.

  Hunter tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, warring emotions fighting for the upper hand. If he were to tell the truth, he’d always suspected the pictures she sent weren’t really of her. Oh, he’d loved looking at them. No doubt about it. But some of them had appeared staged. The fact was—he hadn’t really cared. What attracted him to Sage was her heart, her mind, her spirit.

  The same things that had attracted him to Cody.

  Hunter groaned. He’d loved making love to her. The sex had been out of this world, they’d connected on every level. Hearing her cum—hell, making her cum would be the highlight of his life.

  Damn, he couldn’t see. He turned on the windshield wipers, then realized the problem wasn’t the window—it was his eyes. Angry at himself, he dashed the moisture from his eyes. He wouldn’t call them tears. Men didn’t cry.

  When he got back to the motel, he pulled in slowly. What was he going to do? God, he didn’t know. In a few rough moves, he took off the stupid tux. He’d have to pay damages on this one too. Good thing he had that money…damn, she’d paid him early because she’d expected him to react just the way he had. She’d expected him to get angry and walk away. She’d expected him to take one look at her face and turn his back on her—and she’d been right. Fuck!

  And she’d gotten him the restoration job. He wouldn’t take it now, there was no use. Was there? He had no reason to stay. God, he was so confused.

  Once he was naked, he crawled in the shower, letting the water run on his head, hot as he could stand it. Even though he tried to keep the thoughts away, memories of touching Sage…Cody came to him. The way her breasts felt in his hands, the taste of her kiss, how it felt to sink his cock inside of her. How she’d responded. She’d flared for him, lighting up with happiness, desire, and love. Before he knew it, he was fisting his cock, pumping himself hard and fast. Just like old times. Only this time, it wasn’t a fantasy in his head that got him off—it was a memory.

  When he was through, he pressed his hot cheek to the cool tile and panted. Despite his intentions, his mind wandered to Cody. What was she doing? What was she thinking? Throwing a towel around his waist, he did something he didn’t think he’d do. He got his computer. He turned it on. He went to Facebook to click on Sage’s name.

  Her page was gone.

  * * *

  Dr. Cody Sage Donavan Napier stood before her class. “What do quantum physics and emotions have in common? Several psycholo
gists have made an incredible discovery. In the completely opposite domains of atoms and intimate relationships, our thoughts can have undeniable effects. In quantum experiments, when we change our minds, we can actually change the state of matter. Think about it—our thoughts directly affect our relationships.”

  Hunter sat at the back of the class, unobserved, and watched her teach. She was a completely different person here than she’d been either online or at her home. She was in charge. She was confident. And what she was talking about—did she actually believe it? Was it real? Cody was a very well respected leader in her field. So, he listened and learned.

  “There is a new theory being tested among physicists, that consciousness is a state of matter like a solid, a gas or a liquid. If this theorem is upheld, we will view it more as a computer, a place where information can be stored and retrieved. The thought-wave state of matter moves more quickly and more efficiently than even beam matter, which moves at the speed of light.”

  She turned to change a PowerPoint slide and his eyes couldn’t help but take in her perfect little shape. After that, several students asked questions which she answered with grace. Hunter hung on her every word until she finally announced. “Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday and we won’t be having class. I’m sorry to cut this short, but I have an appointment back in New Roads. If any of you have any questions, leave me a voice mail and I will see you on Wednesday. No one drink too much!” While she made a couple more announcements, Hunter crumpled the empty paper cup in his hand, rose, and slipped back out. This was Monday, he should have gone in to finish her kitchen this morning. But when he’d called, the person who’d answered her phone had been Marnie. And Marnie told him it would be better if he stayed away, to give it time. She’d said she didn’t think Cody could just act like nothing had happened, that business as usual wasn’t possible at the moment.

  Hunter didn’t know about that, she sure as hell had acted like ‘business as usual’ in the classroom was no big deal. For the past twenty-four hours, Hunter had been obsessed with Cody/Sage and trying to figure out how he felt, what he wanted—what was next in his life. He’d even gone on to her TRO site. For a while, he’d played with the thought of filling out an application. But he hadn’t. There was only one woman he was interested in and she wasn’t signed up. Sage was still perfect for him. The only problem was—Sage didn’t exist—or did she? That was what he had to figure out. Hunter took long walks, long drives, long showers—thinking, cursing, and worrying. Hunter had to reconcile himself with the woman he fell in love with, the other woman he’d come to admire, and the fact that they’d both betrayed him.