Regret (Shattered Secrets Book 1)

by Bella J.

  “Because you’re mine now. Whether you like it or not.” He placed his fingers against her inner thigh, leisurely stroking his knuckles over her skin. She closed her eyes as he touched her. “And the way your body is responding to me right now proves it.”

  The expression on her face was one of pure desire, and he loved it. Just the thought that she was turned on from a simple touch of his hand made him feel like the most powerful man in the world.

  She opened her eyes. “Wipe that smug smile off your face. It’s really unbecoming.”

  “Oh, you’ll be coming again very, very soon, kitten.”

  “Shut up.”

  He laughed and took her hand again, leading her into the house.

  While they walked through the foyer, he watched her take in her surroundings. If she thought Adam’s house was amazing, her mind was probably about to explode. Everything was gold, marble, and platinum. All sorts of expensive paintings, artwork, and knickknacks were displayed throughout the house. The SOB who owned this house sure had real expensive yet specific taste.

  They stopped in front of a guy standing guard by a door leading down to the cellar. As soon as he recognized Hunter, he stood aside and allowed them through.

  The lower they went down the spiral steps, the stuffier it felt around them. It was something Hunter knew well. The humid air and the stench of chaos. He had grown addicted to it over the last few years. It was his drug.

  “I hope you’re not planning on taking me to some chamber where we’re supposed to participate in some sick orgy.”

  “You wish, kitten. The only person getting close to that body of yours is me.”

  A few more steps and Hunter paused, turning to face her. “So…I’m not just a private investigator.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Okay?”

  “I’m also a cage fighter.”

  “Professional?”

  He shrugged. “Yes. But mostly no.”

  “Well, that answer isn’t confusing at all.”

  “Come on.”

  The second he led her into the cellar, he felt her hesitate as she stared at what was taking place right in front of her. Chaos.

  There was a big iron cage right in the middle of a screaming crowd of men and women shouting at the two men currently kicking and punching the shit out of each other.

  “An underground fight club?” The look on her face wasn’t giving him anything. Nothing at all. Was she mad? Was she freaked out? Was she scared?

  “Yeah.”

  He wanted to say something more, but then he heard someone scream his name over the roar of the crowd.

  “Hunter!”

  He turned around and saw ninety percent of the crowd turn to look at him.

  “Hunter is in the house, everyone!”

  A big cheer and applause broke out, and Hunter grabbed Scarlet’s hand, gripping it tight.

  She leaned closer into him. “Are you fighting tonight?” she whispered.

  “Apparently, I am now.”

  A crowd of suits came storming toward them, holding up vast amounts of cash in their hands. The fight that was currently happening in the cage was no longer of any importance. Everyone seemed like they were only interested in him and his fighting skills. Apparently, he’d made quite an impression the night before, and now everyone wanted more of him.

  Fuck. There was no way he’d be walking out of this damn house without fighting. He looked down at Scarlet tightly squeezed against his side. “Stay by the corner of the ring.” He took off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders, wanting to cover her up more. Now he regretted bringing her here. These were all money hungry, arrogant bastards who got off seeing men beat the shit out of each other.

  Of all the stupid ideas he’d ever had, this one was by far the motherfucker of stupid ideas.

  Hunter pulled up a chair and made her sit. The crowd was cheering him on as the fight in the cage seemingly came to an abrupt end since one opponent was lying facedown on the floor with a pool of blood around his head.

  Shit. He needed to remind himself to kick his own ass later.

  Crouching down in front of Scarlet, he held a finger in front of her face. “Stay. Here.”

  “I’m not a dog.”

  “Stay.” He walked backward while keeping his gaze on hers, silently conveying the message that she should not even try to fucking move. “Stay.”

  After pulling his shirt over his head, he walked into the cage and heard the click of the lock behind him. His opponent was already jumping up and down, psyching himself up for the fight. Normally, Hunter would do the same by cracking his neck and knuckles, stretching his arms and legs. But tonight he didn’t want to waste time. He wanted to get this fucking over with so he could get Scarlet the hell out of there. Well, that, and to go home so he could lose himself between her legs, make sure she couldn’t walk for days.

  The second he heard the bell, he gave one last glance at Scarlet. Her eyes were pinned on him and she was clutching his jacket tight in front of her chest.

  And then stars just exploded across his vision, his skull literally on fucking fire as his opponent caught him completely off guard.

  “Hunter!” Scarlet jumped up and ran to the side of the cage. He wanted to yell at her to go sit the fuck down, but then he felt a hard kick in the side of his ribs.

  “Fuck!” He cringed while clutching his gut.

  “Hunter Keaton. You get out of there right now!” she ordered, slamming her fists against the bars of the cage.

  Dammit. Hunter’s MO whenever he was in the cage was to take as much of a beating as he could before fighting back. To him, it wasn’t about winning. It wasn’t about dishing out a good ass kicking. It was about the pain, pushing his body and mind to the extreme. Maybe it was a kind of punishment. A way to feel like he was paying for all his mistakes. He needed it. Especially when his mind was running in overdrive, when all his regret would suddenly possess him full force. Getting his face punched in and his ribs cracked was the only way to silence the voices.

  He was a masochist. A masochist who would always end up winning the battle anyway because the pain would end up making him stronger, wilder.

  Yet this time, there was no place for his masochistic tendencies. He had her to worry about, and oddly enough, there were no voices he needed to silence.

  Hunter shot up and slammed his elbow right in the guy’s face, blood spilling everywhere. Two more punches to the face and a high back kick later, the guy was on his back, knocked the fuck out.

  The crowd burst out into a deafening cheer and the next thing he knew, Scarlet’s body slammed into his, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “You scared the shit out of me, you fucking asshole.”

  “I’m sorry. This is not how I wanted this night to play out.”

  She pulled back and cocked a brow, her lips curling into a mischievous grin that instantly made his cock twitch. “Is it wrong of me to be turned on right now?”

  Well, fuck me sideways. Wrong of her to be turned on? Hell, he was turned on. There he was worried she might think he was a masochistic psycho, in the meantime it only turned her on.

  “You really are a wild thing, aren’t you, kitten?” He smiled.

  “Would you prefer me any other way, Ace?”

  He wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his hands around the curves of her ass, and lifted her up, purposefully pushing her harder against his dick. “That would be a definitive no.”

  “Awesome. Just don’t ever sneak out to one of these fights without me.”

  Hunter leaned forward and took her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping down hard. The moan that came from between her lips sent shivers all the way down his spine, and up his cock.

  Oh man, he had to get this woman back home pronto.

  Chapter 26

  May 15, 2009

  Hunter unlocked his front door, still not sure if he should be doing this. It had been two weeks since he started seeing Blue and she had in
sisted on seeing where he lived. His dump of an apartment was nothing more than an embarrassment, and if he could have avoided bringing her here, he would have. But for the last week, he could sense that she was becoming restless, and God knew so was he. Every time they kissed and it got a little heavier than just smooching, he could feel by the way she responded to him that she wanted more, that her body demanded more. Her hips would move in the most provocative way against him, pushing his self-control to the damn limit.

  They would also sneak around the outside of bars and buildings, making out while he had her pinned against the wall. There was even the time in the back of her car where things got so heated, that when he cupped her breast for the first time and she arched her back, pushing her round flesh deeper into his palm, he couldn’t help but move between her legs. Both their jeans were still on, but neither of them could stop moving, searching for the pressure, the friction their bodies so desperately needed. Moans of pleasure filled the back of her car and they didn’t stop until both of them climaxed, still wearing their clothes. It was the first time in years Hunter dry humped anyone, but it couldn’t be helped. And even after he came in his pants, he still felt completely and utterly unsatisfied. The way she placed her hand on her forehead, biting her bottom lip, told him that she was far from satisfied as well. But the time wasn’t right then. Especially not in the back of a damn car.

  He was so enthralled by her, by how he felt about her, that for the first time in his life he was afraid that sex might ruin it. Since when did sex ruin anything but innocence? And since when was he nervous about the whole concept of having sex with such a gorgeous woman? A woman who made his heart beat fast. A woman who had the power to make him feel like he could take on the world with her by his side. Hunter wasn’t blind. He saw the way people stared at them whenever they walked down the streets of Chicago, or when they entered a restaurant. Blue was a beautiful, refined, sophisticated woman, while he was a leather jacket wearing biker with long hair and torn jeans. Complete opposites from different sides of the tracks.

  Hunter turned around and stared at her. “Are you sure you want to see where I live? It’s nowhere near as grand as your home. What’s it called again?”

  She cocked a brow. “Bella Vista Estate.”

  “Right. Bella Vista Estate.” An estate he secretly referred to as Fort Knox with big-ass walls.

  “My place is a dump, Blue.”

  “Hunter, open the door.” She smiled.

  Reluctantly, he stood to the side as he opened the door, letting her walk in first. Lucky for him, he had kept his apartment tidy the last week since he knew it was only a matter of time before he would bring her here. He was just secretly hoping he might have won the lotto before he brought her home so he could show her a top floor loft rather than a crappy little apartment with a bed, a couch, and no cable.

  He stood by the door and watched intently as she walked around his apartment. Nothing about her facial expression gave him the idea that she was disgusted, or even unimpressed. Of course, he also took the opportunity to admire her shapely legs and curvy ass in a light blue dress with the hem just above her knees. Her hair was in a tidy bun at the back of her neck and her lips were the faintest shade of pink. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

  She turned around, still smiling. “Cozy.”

  He snorted. “It’s a dump.”

  “Well, yeah. But it’s a cozy dump.” They both laughed, and Hunter closed the door behind him.

  “Do you want something to drink?”

  “No.” She pulled down one strap of her dress over her shoulder…and then the other one. Hunter watched in awe as the dress fell from her body and pooled around her feet.

  “Blue, what are you doing?” He licked his lips as his gaze swept over her perfect body. Ivory skin that teased his taste buds, making him want to drag his tongue over every part of her. And the perfectly shaped swell of her breasts covered with a soft pink lacy bra. A bra he wanted to tear off with his teeth.

  “I’m ready, Hunter.”

  He met her eyes. “You don’t have to do this, Blue.”

  “I know. But I want to.”

  She walked up to him and dragged her fingers along the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head. When she placed her hands on his naked chest, his skin erupted with chills. Her softest touch was enough to set his insides aflame and make his cock feel like it was about to burst.

  He felt her hands brush against his stomach as she started undoing his pants. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice already husky and low.

  She placed a soft kiss just above his nipple, and he sucked in a breath. “I’m sure.”

  When she popped that first button of his jeans, Hunter reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, lifting her up in his arms. Her legs wrapped around him and their mouths collided. Feeling her skin against his was euphoric, like he was tripping on ecstasy, loving the warmth that spread from her to him. One strategic move of his fingers and he loosened her bra without effort.

  Once they reached the bed, he put her down gently on her back, after which he wasted no time removing his pants while she watched him, her body already writhing on the covers. Seeing her beautiful body waiting and wanting him was a sight he would not soon forget. On his knees, he climbed onto the bed, and when he slowly, leisurely started to remove her panties, she lifted her hips and he guided the little piece of fabric over her thighs, her knees, until he tossed it on the floor.

  “You are so beautiful,” he whispered, and her cheeks flushed.

  He kissed his way up her leg, her inner thigh, savoring the taste of her skin. She smelled like lilies and vanilla, a scent he would always remember as hers. He felt every shudder that swept through her body with his every touch, his every kiss, and he wondered what he did to deserve such beauty in his life.

  Hunter leaned over her and grabbed a condom from his bedside drawer. They were both so hungry for each other, so possessed by their need to be together that he knew it would be over quickly for both of them. But he was okay with that. He planned on making love to her every day for the rest of his fucking life.

  With hooded eyes and parted lips, she welcomed him between her legs when he stretched out over her.

  “I’m glad it’s you,” she whispered between breaths, and he stilled.

  “What do you mean you’re glad it’s me?”

  She opened her eyes and stared at him. “I’m glad you’re my first.”

  He pushed himself up with one arm and stared down at her in shock. “You’ve never had sex before?”

  She shook her head and a faint flush spread from her chest, up her neck, to her cheeks. Hunter knew she wasn’t as experienced as the girls he was used to. But it never once crossed his mind that she might still be a virgin. An almost twenty-one-year-old virgin woman was not something that came along every day. In fact, Hunter had never claimed a virgin before. Suddenly making love to her didn’t seem so simple anymore. This wouldn’t just be two people making love for the first time, this was also a woman giving a man the most precious gift she could give. Something she could give no one else.

  “Blue—”

  She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and held him in place. “Don’t. Don’t take this away from me, Hunter. I want it to be you. I don’t want anyone else to be my first but you.”

  She lifted her head and placed a soft kiss on his mouth while tangling her fingers in his hair. “Please.”

  He kept on staring at her, thinking he had nothing to give this woman except his heart, and his love. There was nothing of worth he could give her. But by God he could give her this. He could give her him, this…them. A moment that would always be theirs, no matter what happened. No matter what the future held, no one would be able to take this away from them.

  “You sure?” he asked when he wiped her hair out of her face and palmed her cheeks.

  “I am.”

  “Okay.”

  With one hand still
cupping her cheek, he slowly moved his other hand down to her thigh, over the curve of her behind, until he settled it behind her knee. “I’ll try not to hurt you.”

  He shifted forward just a little, and she closed her eyes. Hunter bit down on his lip, fighting the urge to thrust hard. Feeling her just this little bit had him teetering on the edge of losing control. So many nights he lay awake fantasizing about this exact moment, wondering what it would feel like to be inside her. Now here he was finally getting a taste of what it would feel like, but he had to take it slow—extremely slow—and it was torture.

  With his eyes on her the entire time, he moved a little more and he noticed her cringe. “Are you okay?”

  She just nodded while sucking her lower lip into her mouth. Hunter’s entire body was shaking, sweat starting to build up behind his neck while he fought against his own body willing him to push all the way inside her with one hard thrust.

  A little more and he was almost halfway in. From the look on her face, he knew she was struggling. Hunter wasn’t an idiot. He was an above average sized fellow, with an above average sized cock. For the first—and probably the last—time in his life, he wished he wasn’t so big, that he didn’t have to hurt her this way.

  “Blue, look at me.”

  She opened her eyes, and he removed his hand from her knee, bringing it to her face. “I want you to look at me. Don’t close your eyes.” With his thumb, he traced her lower lip from one side to the other, wanting her to concentrate on his touch, his voice, rather than what he was about to do.

  “Take a deep breath, Blue.”

  And when she did, he pushed forward all the way inside, past the barrier of her innocence. She cried out and he placed his thumb inside her mouth, tightening his hold on her jaw. The intense pleasure that crashed through him was almost too much to control. She was so tight, so warm around him that he had to bury his face in her neck, groaning in the back of his throat. Not being able to thrust and move as his body demanded was a throbbing pain he had never experienced before. Sweat started to bead on his back between his shoulder blades and he felt the drops move down his spine. God, this was fucking agony.