Unforeseen Heartbeat

by Maureen Mayer

“Shit, baby, what’s wrong?” He wrapped me up in his arms, brushing his hand over my hair soothingly, and I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. “Do you regret what we just did? I know things are moving faster than we both expected, and fuck, I know I’ve been fighting this thing between us for the past few months, but I don’t have the will in me to fight it anymore. I lose all self-control the moment you step into the room, and trust me when I say that’s never happened to me before. I’ve always been in control, no matter what the situation, but with you it’s different. Everything just feels right when I’m with you.” He brushed his thumbs over my cheeks, capturing my tears just as quickly as they fell.

  “Oh, God no, Hunter, I don’t regret that at all.” I shook my head, choking back my sobs. “It was b-beautiful. Probably the most beautiful moment I’ve ever experienced in my life, but that—” He cut me off before I could question it.

  “That was me loving you, and I will always show you just how much I love you, whether it’s through my actions or my words. I never want you to think any less of what we share together. I’m not like those other assholes you were with before me. I want more than just your body, Madelyn. I want all of you. Heart, body and soul. And I promise I will always cherish this moment, because you finally trusted me enough to open yourself up to me and let me love you the way you deserve to be loved.”

  “Y-you love me?” I croaked.

  “Yes, my beautiful girl.” He leaned down and tenderly kissed my tear-stained lips. “Is it really so hard for you to see that, to feel that?”

  “I just… I-I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, let alone had anyone return the same feelings. God, Hunter, this is all so new to me, and I have no idea what I’m doing. What if I fuck everything up?”

  “You won’t. I have faith in you.” He reassured me with his warm smile.

  I chuckled softly, burying my face in the sheets to soak up the last few remaining tears. “You sure are putting a lot of faith in someone you hardly know.”

  “I’d like to think I know all of the best parts about you. You’re smart, sexy, funny, stubborn as all hell—”

  “Hey!” I smacked his chest giggling. “I thought you were listing the best parts about me?”

  “I am. I love your stubbornness and your need to challenge me every step of the way. You constantly keep me on my toes, babe.” A cheeky grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

  “I don’t know why, but that just makes me want to kiss the ever-loving shit out of you.”

  I let the sheet slip away from my body and crawled into his lap, throwing my arms around his neck as I seared my mouth over his. He tumbled back on the bed, and I let the momentum pull me down with him in a tangle of limbs. We fell asleep just like that, all tangled up as though we were one, no end and no beginning. Well… that is, after Hunter managed to peel me off of him long enough so that he could remove the rest of his clothes.

  He slipped back in place, this time with my back to his front, flesh to flesh. He slinked his arm around my waist, pulling me in tighter and making sure there was no gap left between us. I never wanted there to be anything between us again; nothing to hold us back from what we truly wanted. And when I looked back and whispered goodnight against his soft, inviting lips, I saw everything I ever wanted in him. I saw my future.

  The next morning, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and it only took a few passing glances to remember where I was. The room was still dark, just a sliver of sunlight peeking through the curtains, and as I sat up slowly stretching my arms over my head, my gaze settled on the clothes scattered about the floor; both mine and Hunter’s. I smiled as the previous night replayed through my mind, and warmth spread through my chest knowing that the man lying beside me wasn’t a dream… and he was all mine.

  Speak of the handsome devil…

  He pressed his lips to my shoulder and pulled me in closer, slipping a leg in between mine so that we were locked together like a pretzel. I loved how possessive he had become, and he wasn’t afraid to show it, but it wasn’t like I had any desire to get away from him any time soon… if ever. I’d stay here wrapped up in him for all eternity if I could.

  “Go back to sleep, babe. I know how much you like to sleep in,” he mumbled groggily and buried his face in my hair.

  I giggled softly. “Mmm, true, but check out is around ten and we both need to shower before we leave.” I crinkled my nose, feigning that his odor was a bit offensive. “Maybe some more than others.”

  “Baby, are you trying to insinuate that I stink?” He rolled me over on my back, trapping my arms above my head as he pushed his body up against my breasts and tickled them with the soft hairs that coated his hard chest. He kissed and nipped at my neck, causing that pool of heat to return low in my belly, and my craving for him intensified.

  “I would never.” My words dripped with sarcasm, but really I loved the way he smelled; all woodsy and masculine, a scent all his own. Even when Hunter was coated in a sheen of sweat after spending hours wrestling me to the ground at the gym, it just seemed to enhance his delicious musky aroma. “But seriously, we’re going to be late, especially if you keep getting me all worked up like… oh, ohhh.”

  Hunter slipped his hand between us and began teasing my sweet spot, rubbing slow circles around the sensitive bud. “Oh God, that feels so good. Please don’t stop,” I said breathily.

  “Wasn’t planning on it, sweet cheeks.” He grazed his teeth along my neck and jaw while continuing to circle my clit with the rough pads of his fingers. The friction it caused set my whole body on fire, and Hunter smiled against my chin, pleased at how easily I was affected by his touch. It only took a few more strokes, and I was drenched with my arousal. Hunter dipped his fingers inside me, drawing out the juices from my slick channel, and spread it over my clit, circling even faster until my hips jerked up to meet his hand. He applied a bit of pressure to my swollen bundle of nerves, pinching it gently between his finger and thumb, and I came completely undone.

  “Oh fuck, Hunter, I’m coming!” I choked out.

  I rode out my orgasm with my body pressed against his, digging my nails into his back and holding on as if my life depended on it. He groaned in appreciation, and my head fell back against the pillow with the biggest grin on my face, fully satiated and high on Hunter.

  Lying back down beside me, he cupped my face, brushing his finger over my cheek gingerly, and I could see his steely gray eyes were glazed over with so much love and devotion; it was such a beautiful sight to see on a man like Hunter, even more so because he was mine, and I knew that look was reserved for my eyes only. I leaned up on my elbows and brushed my lips over his as I spoke. “Best. Fucking. Wake-up call. Ever.”

  I felt the corner of his mouth pull up into a crooked grin against my lips. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. Oh, and just so you know, we’re not running late. I paid extra so we could check out later.” He laid back with his arms behind his head and a smug grin plastered across his face.

  I cocked an eyebrow at him, both loving and hating him for not letting me sleep in. “So I could’ve gone back to sleep after all?”

  Hunter smirked and I smacked him with a pillow. “Hey, just think, if you’d gone back to sleep you wouldn’t have had… what did you call it again? The best fucking wake-up call ever?”

  “Hmm, you’ve got a point there, Mr. Bryant. But it seems someone missed out on his wake up call.” I looked down at his morning wood, and my mouth salivated at the sight of it. “And since I’ve been informed that we still have some time to spare…”

  I traced my finger along the vein than ran up the underside of his cock, and it practically leapt into my hand. He sucked in a husky breath, and I curled my fingers around him, gripping his erection at the base and giving it one long stroke all the way to the top where pre-come was beading at the tip. I licked my lips, dying to get a taste for myself, but before I could go down on him, he dug his fingers through my hair and gently motioned for me to come back up.


  “Babe, this whole weekend was supposed to be about you…”

  “I know… and it still is.” I shot him a seductive grin and carried on with my task. “Consider this a treat for both of us. Now just lie back and enjoy yourself.”

  He loosened his grip on my hair, but his fingers remained in the soft tendrils that trickled down my back. I looked up at him through long, dark lashes and ran my tongue up his length, lapping at the salty bead awaiting me at the tip of his crown. God, he tasted so fucking good, and the groan that tore through his chest made it so much better. Normally, I would protest giving a guy a blowjob, no matter how hard be begged, since there wasn’t much in it for me other than a cramped jaw and a sore wrist. I also never let anyone come in my mouth; that was one of my main bugaboos, but I wanted to experience new things with Hunter, and I liked the idea of sharing one of my firsts with him.

  I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock and slowly sank my mouth over him, loving the feel of his smooth steel as it ran past my lips. His hips bucked as I took him further in, and I alternated stroking him as I bobbed my head. I could tell it took every ounce of willpower for him not to thrust himself fully in my mouth, but I rewarded him by taking every inch of him deep in my throat.

  “Fuck, Maddie. If you keep that up, I’m going to blow any second. It feels too fucking good.” Heat flared in his eyes as he gazed down at me, and a deep moan ripped through his throat.

  I increased the tempo, licking and sucking fervidly while I reached down to cup his balls. That caught him by surprise. I smiled around his rigid length and gently massaged his sack, feeling the weight of his family jewels as I slowly rolled them in my hand. I looked up at him just as his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, and I knew he was getting close. I could feel his balls tighten, already drawing up.

  Without warning, Hunter leaned forward, grabbed my ankles, and pulled me on top of him so that I was facing the opposite direction. I looked over my shoulder, and he winked up at me as he lapped at the arousal still coating my pussy. Oh, fuck me, this man is brilliant!

  I swept my hair over my shoulder and took his aching shaft, which had somehow grown even harder, back in my mouth. I sucked and stroked with more avidity, loving the feel of him as he slid against my mouth, my lips and my tongue. God, I just couldn’t get enough of him! Hunter was utter perfection from head to toe, and the fact that he cared more about my needs than his own made me love him that much more. He dug his fingers into the swell of my hips to keep me from squirming above him while he sucked my swollen pink folds between his lips and flicked his tongue over my throbbing clit.

  “Baby, I need you to pull back soon, or else I’m going to come in that sweet mouth of yours.”

  Hearing him utter that string of words was just the spark I needed to ignite the impending eruption that was about to course its way through my body. My orgasm was just at the cusp, ready to burst free, and I knew it wouldn’t take much effort on his part to take me over the edge. I continued swirling my tongue around him and sank my mouth as far as I could go, burying him to the hilt. He moaned my name, and never had it sounded more beautiful, laced with the sheer pleasure I was bringing him.

  “Shit, babe, I’m gonna come…” His entire body tensed beneath me, and just as the last word left his mouth, I felt hot, creamy spurts spill down my throat. With one last sweep of his tongue against my aching center, I was right there with him, tumbling into ecstasy.

  I collapsed over Hunter in blissful exhaustion, and he ran his hands up and down my thighs while I came down from my climax. As soon as I regained some of my strength, I rolled off of him and snuggled up by his side. He wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing lazy figure eights around my hipbone, and I giggled softly into his chest.

  “Baby,” he shook his head while sporting the biggest fucking grin on his face. “I don’t know where that came from, but I fucking love your mouth. You have the softest, sweetest lips, and that thing you did with your tongue… damn. All I can say is that I am a very lucky man.”

  “And I am a lucky lady to have such a lucky man.”

  I looked over at him and smiled, loving the way he gazed down at me so affectionately. We laid there for about another hour with his fingers running through my hair and our bodies entwined, not wanting to lose the contact we shared and craved so desperately. It still blew my mind that we hadn’t even had sex yet, and still, we felt this crazy magnetic connection drawing us to one another; one that I had never felt so strongly before, and I was pretty sure I would never feel this strongly about anyone else again.

  After grabbing a quick shower together, we packed up our belongings and ordered some lunch, making sure to utilize every last minute of our time here before we had to check out. A light knock tapped at our door, and I let the service attendant wheel our food over to the table, but it didn’t slip past me that she wrinkled her nose as soon as she entered the room. It finally dawned on me why she must’ve looked so repulsed, and after leaving her a more than generous tip, I reached into my suitcase and pulled out my bottle of perfume.

  “I feel bad for the cleaning crew that gets stuck with our room.” I shook my head.

  Hunter leaned back in bed, shoveling a forkful of his Caesar salad in his mouth. “Why? We barely made a mess other than tangling the sheets up a bit.”

  “Yeah, but it reeks of hot, sweaty sex in here,” I said as I spritzed my perfume around the room.

  He quickly swallowed his food before releasing a hearty laugh. “Babe, I’m sure they are used to that. It is a hotel after all. Would it make you feel better if I requested that girl at the front desk to come up here and take care of things?” His devious grin had me smiling right along with him.

  “Oh, you are so bad.” I sat down next to him on the bed and took a bite of my turkey club sandwich. “But in all seriousness, I’ve had it up to here with that skanky bitch and her wandering eyes. I couldn’t stand the way she was staring at you, like she was ready to strip down and fuck you right in front of me. I mean, have some fucking self-respect and find your own man. If there’s one thing I absolutely hate, it’s sharing.”

  “Tsk tsk, how did you ever manage to pass kindergarten with an attitude like that?” He chuckled.

  “Shut up.” I smacked his chest. “If that’s how you feel, then you wouldn’t mind sharing me, would you?” I crossed my arms over my chest, cocking an eyebrow at him.

  “Like hell!” He set his salad on the nightstand and pulled me into his lap, giving my ass a firm squeeze for good measure. “You’re all mine, sweet cheeks, and don’t you forget it.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses. After a weekend like the one we just spent together, I think it would be pretty hard to forget a detail like that. Hunter Bryant was embedded so deep under my skin, it would take the Jaws of Life to pry him back out.

  Driving along the coast back to Savannah with Hunter smiling over at me from the passenger seat—yes you heard me right; he actually let me drive Lola!—I couldn’t wipe away the silly grin that had permanently molded my lips. For the first time in my life, I was happy, truly happy, and I had him and him alone to thank for that. It wasn’t just because of the mind-blowing orgasms he gave me, either, although I had no complaints in that department. Hunter was the whole damn package and then some!

  In little to no time at all, he proved to be both my biggest weakness and my greatest source of strength. He literally had me weak in the knees from his loving words and affectionate touches, but he also showed me that I was capable of standing on my own two feet when the world felt like it was caving in around me. How was that even possible? Well, with Hunter, I was finding that all things were possible… even believing in my own self worth again.

  When I pulled up to the garage behind Hunter’s apartment, I caught a glimpse of Liberty and Shayne in the side mirror, leaning against his Jeep. What were they doing here? From the looks of it, they hadn’t been waiting very long, and judging by the sullen exp
ressions on their faces, the reason for their visit was not a pleasant one. Hunter had picked up on it, too. He reached over and took my hand, feathering his lips over my knuckles. We walked back around to the front of the apartment complex, and Liberty met me halfway, pulling me into her arms.

  “Did you guys have a nice weekend getaway? You look like you got a bit of color.” She held me at arm’s length and smiled, but I could tell it was forced, because the happiness peaking in her voice never reached her eyes.

  “Yeah, in fact it was perfect.” I smiled over at Hunter, who was chewing his bottom lip and holding back a knowing grin, before returning my attention back to Liberty. “But I assume you guys aren’t here to hear about the juicy details, so out with it. What couldn’t you wait to tell me over the phone?”

  Liberty’s smile faded when she made eye contact with Shayne, and he nodded, urging her to go on. “We went to check on your apartment and clean up a bit before you guys got back. I figured you might need some more of your things, so I packed up some of your clothes, shoes, makeup… your usual necessities.”

  I chuckled under my breath, not only because my best friend knew me so well, but because for once, I wasn’t even concerned about any of those things. It made me quickly realize how shallow and materialistic I used to be. “That was thoughtful of you guys. You really didn’t have to do that.”

  Shayne stepped forward, holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. He shook his head, and I could see an increasing tightness in his eyes that told me I was not going to like what I was about to hear. “Well, it’s a good thing we did, because when we came to see if you guys were back yet, we found this stuck to Hunter’s door. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but whoever has it out for you, Maddie, is keeping a close watch and knows that you’re staying with him.”

  Shayne handed the paper over to me, but before I could unfold it, Hunter came up beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder so that he could read the contents of the note as well.