Unforeseen Heartbeat

by Maureen Mayer

  “Something wrong?”

  “Yeah, I didn’t pack anything to sleep in. Would you mind if I borrowed something to wear tonight?”

  “Of course not, babe. Here…” He opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a long, gray t-shirt with the word ARMY printed across the chest.

  “Thanks.” I smiled impishly, knowing by the looks of it that it would only hit about mid-thigh.

  “You’re very welcome. I’ll just be out in the living room when you’re finished.”

  Hunter shut the door behind him, and I quickly stripped out of my clothes and slid the shirt over my body. God, it smelled just like him, earthy and masculine; I could happily drown in his intoxicating scent.

  When I made my way back out the living room, the clothes that had previously been scattered all over were now out of sight. I heard dishes clattering in the kitchen and found Hunter just as he was placing the last bowl in the dishwasher. He turned around and locked eyes with me, a beautiful smile playing at his lips.

  “I thought I told you, you don’t have to change your filthy ways for my sake.”

  Hunter approached me, breathing into my ear. “Maybe I should hold off on gracing you with my filthy habits until you get settled in here.”

  He kissed my cheek and winked, spinning on his heel to head back toward his bedroom. Luckily, that time I caught the double meaning behind his words, but I was a little disappointed to say the least. Had that brick not crashed through my window tonight, who knew how far Hunter and I would have gone? I definitely wouldn’t have tried to stop him, but I guess we’ll never know.

  And now I was going to bed with a delicious ache between my legs.

  Waking up next to this breathtakingly beautiful man was almost too much to bear, but I never wanted it to end. With my head resting on his chest and my arm stretched out over his torso, I could feel my body rise and fall with every breath he took. I relished in the soothing effect that it had on me, breathing right along with his ever-steady pace, and quickly fell back into a deep slumber.

  Before I heard him utter any words, I felt his hot breath fluttering around my ear. “Rise and shine, sweet cheeks.” Then he slapped my ass, and I jolted up in bed with my hair going every which way.

  “Too early,” I mumbled, burying my face back into the pillow. “Need sleepies.”

  He spanked my ass again, and it was then I noticed that his shirt had ridden up on me in the middle of the night, and my thong-clad bottom was now front and center for Hunter’s enjoyment. Wonderful.

  “Babe, you’re wasting away this beautiful morning.”

  “Ughh, are you always so fucking chipper in the morning? You do realize that other than the days that I share a class with you, I normally never wake up before noon, right? Why would I want to start now?” I pulled the blanket up over my head, trying to block out his sexy as hell voice, but it was proving to be quite difficult.

  “Because I see homemade Belgian waffles, bacon and hash browns in your near future. I know how much you love your greasy, high carb meals.”

  I slowly peeled the blanket away from face. “I hope that’s not your way of trying to say I’m fat.”

  “Not at all.” He paused for a moment, and a sly grin spread across his face. “You’re just a fat kid at heart, sweet cheeks.”

  He ripped the blanket away from my body and slapped my ass one more time before high-tailing it out of the bedroom. I chased him down the hall and managed to hit him with an Angry Birds plush toy before he made it to the kitchen.

  “Congratulations… your little scheme managed to get my lazy butt out of bed. Happy?” I tried to look pissed off, but it came off as more of a smirk. “Now that you got me in here, is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Yeah, why don’t you start mixing the ingredients for the waffles, and I’ll heat up the griddle.”

  I looked around for a box of waffle mix, opening cabinets and digging through their contents, but couldn’t seem to find any. “I don’t think you have any, Hunter.”

  He quietly snuck up behind me and placed his arms on either side of me, pinning me against the counter. “What are you looking for in there? I have all of the ingredients laid out on the counter for you.”

  I peeked over his shoulder and saw flour, sugar, milk and a few other things, but no box. “Where’s the box? How am I supposed to make them without the instructions on the box?”

  Hunter leaned forward, laughing into my hair and causing a few strands to flutter over my shoulder. “Babe, have you ever made anything from scratch?”

  I shook my head bashfully, and Hunter’s soft laughter continued to filter through the air before he placed a kiss to my forehead. “All right. I’ll pour all of the ingredients in, so you’ll just need to stir. Think you can handle that?” He grinned playfully, and I shoved him back against the stove.

  “Yes, I can handle that. I’m not completely inept in the kitchen.” I rolled my eyes. After Hunter measured everything out from memory, I stirred it all together while he started preparing the bacon and hash browns. I loved watching him move around the kitchen like an old pro, especially since he still wasn’t wearing a shirt, which made the view so much more enjoyable. The muscles in his back flexed as he flipped the bacon in one pan and mixed the hash browns until they were golden in another. I just couldn’t take my eyes off of him, but I didn’t want him to catch me ogling again.

  Before I could stop myself, I dipped the spoon into the waffle batter and whispered over to Hunter, “Psst.”

  He slowly looked over his shoulder with an innocently sweet smile, his hand still holding the frying pan. The poor guy didn’t even see it coming as a big glop of batter went flying straight toward his face with an audible splat. My eyes widened to the size of saucers, and I threw my hand over my mouth, trying with much difficulty to mute my giggling. Hunter stood there, not saying a word, while the batter slowly dripped off of his nose. He strode toward me like a predator stalking his prey, but I had nowhere to run. Shit, he was totally going to get me back for that. I could see it in his eyes, and then that devilish grin appeared. Oh yeah… I was gonna get it all right.

  Hunter reached into the bag of flour, and I shook my head, pleading with him, but he just grinned even wider. “Don’t even think about—” A plume of flour exploded around me before I could finish my sentence. I released a dry cough and shook the flour from my hair, glaring in Hunter’s direction. That little bastard. He was hunched over from laughing so hard, so I took that opportunity to grab an egg and smash it on top of his head, rubbing it in for good measure. I gasped as he grabbed my wrists and pinned them behind my back.

  Hunter looked down at me with a gravely serious expression, and I worried that I might have gone a little too far. “You do realize, babe… this means war.” And with that, he grabbed a hefty spoonful of batter and took his time as he smeared it all over my face, making sure not to miss a single nook or cranny.

  A full-blown food fight ensued with us grabbing whatever we could find, and by the time we had finally called a truce, we were coated from head to toe in enough food groups to fill a food pyramid. The kitchen was a complete disaster, and when we took in the scene around us and looked back at one another, we were laughing so hard that we collapsed on the floor, trying desperately to catch our breath. Hunter crawled across the floor and pulled me into his lap, peeling away the hair that was caked on my face.

  “I have to say, Maddie, you looked delicious before, but now you look downright delectable.” He tilted my head and licked at the waffle batter that was smeared across my neck. “Taste so damn good, too.”

  I giggled as he continued to lap at my neck and gently nibble my ear. I pulled back and playfully flicked my tongue over the tip of his nose, where there was still some waffle batter dripping. “Mmm, you taste pretty damn good yourself.”

  After a few more seconds of tasting one another, the smoke alarms went off and we quickly untangled ourselves. The bacon was burnt to a crisp along with the now blacke
ned hash browns. Hunter tossed the pans in the sink, shaking his head and still chuckling under his breath. I think it was safe to say breakfast was ruined. But it was so worth it.

  Hunter looked over at me and smiled, lacing his fingers with mine, and led me down the hall to the bathroom. Our feet slapped against the floor as we left a trail of sticky reside. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I giggled silently at how ridiculous I looked. There was a mixture of waffle batter, peanut butter, egg and flour caked in my hair, and I knew it was going to be hell trying to get all of that shit out. Hunter pulled a towel from the cabinet below the sink and set it on the counter. He reached up to run his fingers through his hair, and I giggled as he found his fingers getting stuck in the sticky mess.

  “I’ll let you shower first while I clean up the mess in the kitchen.” He shot me a show-stopping grin, one I quickly learned was reserved only for me, and just as he was about to leave, I pulled him back into the bathroom and shut the door. He cocked an eyebrow and looked at me as though I had lost my mind. Well, maybe I had, but there was no way in hell I was turning back now.

  I gazed up at him through dark, hooded lashes and languidly peeled the shirt over my head, tossing it onto the floor with a loud slap. His eyes danced over me, and I felt absolutely no shame in him seeing my nearly naked body. I wanted him to see me… all of me.

  I tucked my thumbs into the sides of my thong, but Hunter reached for my hips, halting me. His hands were rough and warm, and the second he touched me, I instantly craved feeling them over every inch of my body. “Babe, why are you doing this?”

  “Why? I think the real question is why do you keep putting a stop to this? Don’t you want me?” My voiced hitched, filled with disappointment. Was it possible that he might not want me after all? Just that little sliver of lost hope hurt so much worse than I ever imagined, and having never felt that before, it scared the shit out of me.

  Hunter sank down on the side of the bathtub and rested his elbows on his knees. When his beautiful gray eyes connected with mine, I could see that he was fighting to stand his ground. “Yes, of course I do. You know I do, but… not like this.”

  “Not like this? What other way is there?! I want you, and I think I’ve made that pretty damn clear over that last few weeks. Now, why is it every time things start to heat up between us, you pump the brakes?” My arms flew up over my chest, suddenly feeling more vulnerable.

  Hunter slowly peeled my arms away, kissing the palms of my bandaged hands as he interlaced our fingers, and pulled me between his legs. “Because I want it to mean something to you. I’m not going to just fuck you, Maddie. I’m not like that, and you deserve so much better than just a quick, emotionless fuck. If you really want me, let me take things slow. Let me show you how special you really are to me.”

  Tears quickly welled up, clouding my vision, and his heart-felt words had me melting into in his arms. Hunter stood, and I buried my face in his chest while he encompassed me in a warm embrace. I felt so at home wrapped up in his arms, and I never wanted to lose that… that feeling that this was where I had always belonged; it just took having Hunter unexpectedly enter my life to realize it.

  “I know this might seem a bit forward of me, but… will you shower with me?” I looked up at him imploringly. “I think I might need a little help getting all of this crap out of my hair.”

  Hunter barked out a laugh but looked down at me suspiciously. “You sure that’s a good idea, babe? I don’t want you to feel tempted—”

  “I promise, I’ll keep my hands…” I looked down at the bulge beginning to form in his boxer briefs and smirked, “and mouth to myself.”

  Hunter shook his head, and a playful grin lit up his face. My breath caught in my throat as he painstakingly slid my thong over my hips and down my legs. He knelt down in front of me and tapped my ankle to signal for me to step out of it before tossing the scrap of lace aside. Then he pressed his soft, plump lips to the spot just below my belly button, and I drew in a sharp breath. Ohmigod, if he only moved a few inches lower…

  His lips continued their heavenly journey up my body, through the valley between my breasts, and when they reached my patiently awaiting mouth, I let out a soft moan. With his arms secured around my waist, he maneuvered our bodies closer to the shower, only breaking apart to turn the showerhead on. The room quickly filled with steam, and he pulled the curtain back, allowing me to step in first. My eyes shifted down, and I noticed he still had his boxer briefs on. Oh, we couldn’t have that now could we?

  “Plan on wearing those is the shower?” I smirked.

  Hunter pinned me with a look that was dripping with heated desire and slowly slid them down over his hips. The thin, cottony material pooled at his feet, and he kicked them to the side, his steely gaze never once deterring from me. My eyes slowly trailed down the length of his body, attempting to memorize every inch of him. His physique was a work of art with every muscle perfectly defined, from his wide, brawny shoulders down to his toned calves. If ever there was a man that I considered truly beautiful, Hunter without a doubt embodied that man.

  He tucked his finger beneath my chin and lifted my head up until I tore my eyes away from his mouth-watering body. “My eyes are up here, babe.” His mouth tilted up into a lopsided grin.

  “I uh… um…” I fell short on words as heat quickly crept up my neck and cheeks, staining them a rosy shade of pink. Hunter seemed pleased with my reaction and gently kissed my lips, simultaneously lifting me into the shower.

  The warm water cascading down my back felt so good, but not nearly as wonderful as Hunter’s strong hands as they massaged peaches and cream scented shampoo deep into my scalp. I closed my eyes and leaned back against Hunter’s slick chest, letting him have his not-so-dirty way with me. His fingers worked through the thick waves of my hair, and when he reached the base of my skull, he kneaded with a little more pressure; oh God, that felt good. I bit down on my bottom lip but couldn’t help the deep moan that escaped me. If Hunter kept this up, he would bring me to orgasm in no time.

  He ran some conditioner through my hair and rinsed it thoroughly, making sure any remnants of our botched breakfast no longer remained. Then he spun me around and took a moment to slowly drink me in before he poured some body wash onto a loofa and scrubbed every inch of my body clean. His lips trailed over my shoulder and his tongue dipped out, tracing lazy patterns along my skin. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as pleasure swirled low in my belly.

  “Wh-what was that you were saying about taking it slow?” I panted.

  Hunter smiled against my neck and gave me a gentle nip, grazing his teeth over the sensitive flesh. “This is as far as we’re going today, sweetheart. I’m sorry if I’m torturing you, but I had to have a little taste before we finish in here.” He licked along the shell of my ear and lightly tugged against my lobe. “You’re just too damn irresistible.”

  I placed an open kiss right in the center of his chest before pulling away a bit to return the favor. Pouring some shampoo into my hands, I worked it into a foamy lather and reached up on my tiptoes so that I could bury my hands in his silky hair. Hunter let out a deep moan as his eyelids languidly fell, and I leaned in closer with my breasts pressed into his hard pecs. My nipples were aching to be touched, and they rolled against the soft hair coating his chest. I could feel Hunter’s erection pressed against my belly, growing harder by the second, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out when I was dying to grasp his thickness in my hand. He was right. This was absolute torture. Why did I ever think that I could control myself when we were both standing here, soaking wet and naked as the day we were born, begging to take one another? I had to give it to Hunter; the man had will power.

  I leaned my head against his chest, my hair creating a dampened curtain around me and shielding me from my naughty wants and desires. Hunter reached up, pushing away the sopping wet tendrils of hair and cradled my face in his hands. His thumbs brushed over my cheeks in tender, sweet mo
vements, and when I finally looked up to see the raw emotion pouring freely from his gaze, I was nearly brought to tears.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered, bringing his mouth down to mine and breathing past my lips. “So fucking beautiful.”

  I could feel the knot in my chest beginning to loosen up, unbinding the ever-present hold it had over my heart, and I knew in that moment that he was it for me. No one had ever managed to break through my solid barriers, but he single-handedly brought my walls crumbling down.

  Hunter had me completely undone.

  He took his time, slowly devouring me with his succulent lips, and my tongue tangled with his, meeting him stroke for stroke. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough of his kisses, and Hunter continued to prove just how addicting they were.

  Hunter finally broke the kiss but must have felt me pouting as he brushed his lips against mine one last time, taking my bottom lip between his teeth and giving it a gentle nip. “Let’s dry off and get changed. I think I owe someone some breakfast.” He shot me a sidelong grin and winked before wrapping me in a fluffy blue towel. He grabbed another one for himself from under the sink and wrapped it low around his hips.

  “Actually, I think we’re quickly approaching lunch now.”

  “What can I say?” He pulled me close, tugging the towel tighter around me. “I’m easily distracted when I have a gorgeous woman in my arms.”

  “Well, I hope I won’t have to fight off your harem of girls, since you’re so easily distracted.”

  “Harem?” Hunter’s soft laughter echoed throughout the bathroom. “Babe, there’s only one woman who’s managed to keep me distracted. You have nothing to worry about there.”

  His words brought a smile to my lips. “Good, because I’d really hate to have to bring out my inner bitch. She’s been pretty feisty lately.”

  Hunter slowly cocked his eyebrow. “Inner bitch? I thought that was just your normal sunshiny self.”