I swallowed the sharp knot in my throat. ``JW is still out there.”
``Yeah.'' Hunter said, his nose still buried deep at my neck. ``I've got you, Princess.'' His fingertips pressed at my scalp, leaving me with the aching need to kiss, fuck, be connected with him in every way to feel the safety I craved.
``Are we even safe to go back to your house? It's like hiding in broad daylight; he knows exactly where we are.''
``Fuck,'' he ran a hand through his short hair. ``It's the safest place I know right now. And if JW wants to fuck with me in broad daylight, let him.''
The cab pulled to a stop outside Hunter's home and Hunter passed the driver a bill before pulling me out behind him. Once we were inside, he slipped off my sneakers, one by one, then pulled me into his big arms.
``Your arm!'' I tried to wiggle free, but failed when his muscles tightened around me.
``Mouth shut. I need to feel you. I failed at protecting you; I need the night to make this better. Tomorrow we'll deal with tomorrow, but tonight--you and me.'' His searing greens captured mine and held me suspended, short of breath, and craving more. I nodded as Hunter padded up the sweeping staircase and into his master bath before settling me on my feet again.
The hot steam filled the room in short order before Hunter was undressing me, kissing me, tracing my bruises with his fingertips and his tongue, and then swallowing my mouth in long, languid strokes that stole my breath and caged my heart.
``What can I get you? Anything at all and it's yours,'' Hunter uttered against my lips before his warm palms trailed my torso and lifted me into the steamy tub. ``Wine? A massage?'' One hand kneaded at a sore shoulder.
``Just you.'' I planted a soft kiss on his lips, urging him into the bath behind me.
His bulky form followed before I was tucked neatly between his thighs, his impressive cock nestled against my ass, his devilish tongue whispering across the nape of my neck and sending shudders of pleasure straight to my clit.
``The doctor said I should avoid sex for a few days'' I said, remembering the warnings about physical trauma during pregnancy.
``You're the one that sounds disappointed.'' Hunter's delicious chuckle filled my insides before he wrapped my fingers in his own and laid them across my waist. With his heavy hands draped over my abdomen, I couldn't help but think of it swollen in just a few months' time.
``Hunter--'' I sucked in a breath, the results of the pregnancy test at the hospital burned in my memory. A blood test had confirmed it.
``What's that, baby?'' He nipped at my ear as my stomach began to swim. Could I do this? Could we do this? Maybe this was wrong, all wrong. Maybe bringing a child into this life was the worst thing we could do. Christ, maybe I hadn't thought this through. I loved Hunter, but that didn't make this the right decision.
``What's on your mind, Princess?'' Hunter's voice lowered another octave, that gentle rumble vibrating through my back. His cock twitched, thick and ready. I swirled in the warm water, turning myself in his arms and pretzeling my legs around his narrow waist. Green eyes held mine, waiting for my confession. I trailed my fingertips across the light hair dusting his pectorals, the bronzed and faintly sun-freckled skin of his biceps, the ligaments and muscles that defined his broad shoulders, and the ink that covered all of it in intricate artwork.
``Will you tell me about the scars?'' I finally asked as my fingertips fell over the raised bumps across his inner forearms. I'd chickened out. I'd leave this night as Hunter requested--just him and I--and tomorrow I would confront our future.
Hunter's eyes softened before he leaned back in the tub, his eyes falling closed, blond eyelashes shadowing his cheekbones. ``You know the scars on my right bicep and thigh are from Afghanistan. The knuckles are when I was thrown into the glass table by my mom's boyfriend,'' Hunter glossed over the few we'd already talked about. ``The one on my left arm is a flesh wound from a bullet.''
``From the Army?'' I assumed.
Hunter's head shook quickly in response. ``Crossfire, a mix up at JW's place when I was in high school.''
``A mix up? Sounds like so much more than a mix up,'' I commented.
``They always are, but you don't ever call a thing what it is in JW's world.''
I snuggled further into his hard chest, my fingertips dancing over the doves that faced each other on his pectorals. The softly shadowed tail feathers kissing the golden dust of his chest hair epitomized him. Sweet, loyal, peaceful, perfect, thrown into a world of rough edges and violence. ``The wrist,'' he twisted the wrist in question crossed with two black bands, ``Those are burns.''
My eyes darkened as I tried to differentiate raised flesh and ink. ``Burns from what?'' My fingers caressed what had once been delicate flesh, now mutilated and ravaged, hidden behind a dark canvas of deeply imbedded ink.
```Nother mix up. Punishment, I guess.'' His eyes turned away with haunted memories.
``Did JW do this?'' I was horrified at the thought. Hunter hadn't taken this kind of punishment from JW, had he?
Hunter's response was slow in coming, and my mouth dropped open in shock. ``How could he?''
``It was my first job after he promoted me and I disobeyed him--refused to do what he asked. He had one of his enforcers take a blow torch to my wrist to teach me a lesson. I was only eighteen.''
``H-hunter,'' I stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought beyond what a monster JW was. ``What did he want you to do?''
Hunter licked his lips, his eyes cast down, breaking my gaze. ``Kill.''
``Oh my God.'' Small tremors quaked my hands when he caught my wrists and his piercing eyes caged mine.
``It's all in the past.'' Hunter pulled me back to him and ran a hand through my damp and curling hair, his fingertips getting wrapped up in the mess of locks. ``All we have is right now and I'm making it good.'' His other hand ran up and down my torso, massaging the muscles seductively.
``Hunter--'' This didn't feel like the right time, not at all, but it felt like the truth needed to be out and laid bare, because this man was the father of my child, and for him to protect me--us--from this monster that hung over him, he had to know all of it. ``I have to tell you--''
``Shh, give it 'til morning baby. I just want you and I,'' he hummed and swallowed my words with a kiss that pulled me from everything but his hands on my skin and his words whispering incoherent love notes into my neck.
four
I woke in the middle of the night to an upset stomach. Stretching an arm across, I felt only cold sheets, then glanced to my phone to see that it was after four in the morning. Making my way out of Hunter's bedroom, I eased down the stairs to find a lone light washing a golden glow from the crack in his office door.
When I entered, his eyes did a slow crawl up my body to land on my gaze. I swallowed, seeing purple circles dark beneath his sockets, and breezed into the room, my arms outstretched. A tired smile curved my lips as his arms opened wide when I finally reached him. My savior. My golden prince.
``You should be in bed,'' he admonished, his worry for my wellbeing overshadowing anything else.
I wrapped myself in his lap and he held me against his broad form, his slow inhales and exhales against my neck as we sunk into the reality of our situation. ``You need sleep.'' I pulled away and pressed a hand to his rough cheek.
``Can't. Too much to think about,'' he grunted as his eyes cut back to pages upon pages of text filling the computer screen.
There were no pictures as I was used to seeing. No stunning erotic photos. ``What is this?'' I leaned closer.
``Intel on JW. Decades of intel.'' Hunter scrolled haphazardly. ``I'm trying to figure out his next move, where he could be. I'm the guy that's supposed to know him best. It's like he disappeared.''
``Do you think he left the city?'' I pulled a blanket around us as we sat huddled in his large leather office chair.
``Don't think so. JW has connections everywhere, but he's not exactly welcomed with open arms. Chicago is his safe zone; he's somewhere on th
ese streets.'' Hunter scrolled to a rudimentary map of a neighborhood. ``I just have to find him.''
``Hunter, maybe it's time to give up,'' thinking of the little life in my stomach. Thinking it was time to bail on all of this.
``Giving up means he wins, and wars only ever end one way, Erin,'' Hunter said, his eyes still riveted. ``Someone wins, and a lot of people die.''
``What about the FBI? Aren't they after him? Can't they help us? Protect us?''
``They are, Erin. They have been the whole time,'' Hunter said. ``But they can't be around one hundred percent of the time. They have procedures and bureaucratic bullshit to follow. It'll take them fucking days to recover from last night.'' Hunter swiped a hand through his short hair. ``We've got to galvanize.''
``Hunter?'' He'd switched into military mode, and military mode scared me. I knew he had weapons, and I saw moments where the darkness haunted his normally vibrant irises. This Hunter was a stranger. Someone trained to kill. ``What can we do?''
``Anything we can. Keep your eyes open. No more going out without me, got it?'' Hunter tightened his hold around my form. ``No more sneaking out.'' His tone was grave.
``I promise.'' My stomach churned as I thought of the terror that existed right outside this doorstep. Nothing felt safe. This home was no longer a comfort, it was a prison.
``Let's get you back to bed.'' Hunter stood and was hauling me in his arms down the hallway before I could protest.
``Only if you come too.'' I pressed my hands around his neck and landed a kiss on his cheek.
``Maybe for a little while.'' He slipped me into the soft white cotton and wrapped his body around me, one weighty arm thrown over my waist. Snuggled deep into his body was the only time I felt safe, and if I was being honest, loved unconditionally.
``Hunter?'' I chimed, finally asking a question that had been rolling around in my mind. ``How did you find me so quickly? How did you know I was taken?''
``Shh...No more tonight.'' He hushed me as my eyelids fell closed and the calming rhythm of his breaths stole me off to sleep.
It wouldn't take long for me to realize how fleeting that sense of safety was. Betrayal, like any other tragedy, often happens in threes, and there were still a few more punches headed my way.
I woke later with an angry bladder and a stomach nearly in starvation mode. I smiled when I rolled to find Hunter sound asleep next to me, his hard body curled into the soft down making my heart twist and flip. I placed a soft kiss on his forehead then headed for the kitchen.
I was standing in Hunter's kitchen wolfing a banana down hoping to stave off morning sickness when a phone call came in from my mother. I groaned and wanted nothing more than to hit ignore before realizing she was probably as traumatized as I was by the last twenty-four hours.
“Hello?” I greeted.
``Don't you think you could have called me when you were released?'' Her biting words launched poisoned arrows at my positive attitude.
``I'm sorry, Mom. We weren't released until late last night. We came straight home and collapsed in bed.''
``You're still with that photographer? Erin! I swear to God, you couldn't make a good decision if it smacked you in the face.''
``Mom, please don't say that.'' My stomach rolled as I set down the banana, my appetite vanishing.
``I'm coming to get you. What's the address?''
``Mom! No! You can't--I'm sorry, I really am, but it's too dangerous for all of us. I'm the safest here, I swear.''
``Nonsense, you're safe in the home you grew up in, outside of the city,'' she pressed.
``Hunter has top-notch security, and I've told the FBI this is where they can find me. I'm not supposed to go outdoors, I'm on lockdown. It's not safe; please don't come.''
Her exasperated huff was her first reaction. ``He has top-notch security because he's dangerous, Erin. A criminal,'' she bit. ``What is it with you and criminals?''
``Mom, I can't do this right now. Just please stay out of the city. Try not to leave the house if you don't have to.'' I echoed Hunter's words from last night.
``Erin!''
``Goodbye, Mom.'' I finally hung up, praying she wouldn't find Hunter's address on her own and show up here. For once, I hoped she'd listen to me. Our relationship was challenging in the best of times, but keeping her safe was my priority. I refused to feed JW another innocent victim to manipulate and intimidate. I turned back to the fridge, poured a fresh glass of orange juice, and padded my way back up the stairs to Hunter's bed.
Setting the glass next to his side, I crawled back into bed, shimmying myself under the covers and underneath his heavy arms. He rolled and hummed a moment later before his forearms tightened around me in a bear hug and he snuggled into the crevice of my neck.
``Glad to see you didn't sneak out on me this morning,'' he grumbled, sleep lacing his already gruff voice.
``Think you're a funny guy, huh?'' I tickled the bare skin at his waist, feeling happiness radiate through my bones.
``Once in a while.'' His sweet grin lifted as I tucked myself further into his warmth.
``I'm stuck to you like glue.'' I giggled as Hunter's fingertips trailed up my waist and connected with the cool flesh of my sides. A shiver rolled through me, sending lust barreling through my body.
``Fucking love waking up with you crawling into my bed.'' Hunter pulled me around his waist to straddle him. I nestled perfectly against his solid body, his dick already hard and pressing between my legs, aching for release. ``I have something to show you.''.
``I think I can feel it,'' I teased and nipped at his lips when his hands threaded through my hair and he thrust his tongue into my mouth.
``Not that,'' he finally replied when he pulled away with a rakish grin. ``It's downstairs.'' He guided me out of bed and I trailed behind him, admiring the view of his boxers sitting low on his hips, the sharp dimples above his ass cheeks making my mouth water.
We went down the stairs and through the kitchen to the garage door. I arched a curious brow when he stepped barefoot onto the cool cement floor and then turned, waiting. ``Do I need to carry you, Princess?''
I laughed with a shake of my head before he caught my hand in his and pulled me into the garage with him.
``Here it is.'' He nodded and I followed his gaze to land on a huge, narrow box propped against one wall. At least twelve feet tall and at least half as wide, I knew it could only be one thing. ``I haven't seen it yet, wanted to do it with you.'' His eyes sparkled as his fingers tightened in mine.
I swallowed the insecurity that was crawling its way up my throat and nodded, too anxious for words. His hand dropped and he pulled a box cutter from a shelf and went to work. Within minutes the edge was sliced open and his deft hands were sliding a bubble-wrapped work of art from its confines. I sucked in a sharp breath when he pulled away the layers protecting the piece.
Staring back was a close up of my body, draped across dark leather, a strand of pearls coiled in my navel and trailing down between my naked thighs. A shudder raced through me at the memory of the cool pearls against my hot skin, sending pulsing lust through my bloodstream, then and now.
``Wow.'' I finally blinked and looked at Hunter.
``It's fucking perfect.'' He mused as his finger trailed across the curve of my rib cage and danced across the delicate lace covering my round breasts. The faint outline of an erect nipple could be seen through the transparent fabric. His hand continued up the photo along the sharp angles of my collarbone, past my neck, stretched away from the camera, my lips slightly parted and eyes downcast in shadow. ``Guys are coming to hang it tomorrow.''
``Really?'' I gasped, eyes still riveted to the stunning erotic photo that was somehow...me.
``Puttin' it right at the entrance.'' His hand returned to mine and his body was invading my space. His breath washed across my skin. ``Everyone that comes to the door will see your beautiful body.'' He pulled me up the steps and into his entryway, indicating the wall where my picture would hang.
My legs turned to jelly and my brain fizzled as arousal flooded my senses. ``I love when you say things like that,'' I murmured, feeling more turned on than I'd ever been.
``Mmm, like when I put you on display like a little slut?'' His lips were attacking my neck, his tongue laving up my ear and pulling at the lobe with his teeth.
``Jesus, I want to feel you inside me,'' I begged, my hands already working his boxers down his waist. My palms grazed across his rigid ass cheeks and I squeezed, loving the feel of his hard body in contrast to my soft one.
``Maybe I should fuck you right here, in front of the window that looks right out over the street,'' and before I could reply was planting my hands on the cool glass of his entryway and yanking down my panties. A groan radiated from my throat. If he fucked me here against the window anyone walking by could see us, see me.
``Oh God, Hunter...'' I breathed, needing to be fucked right now. Hard and fast without a second thought of an audience. The thought of being watched while Hunter took every single inch of my body turned me on shamefully.
``You like the idea of people seeing you, baby?'' His words were followed by the loud click of a doorknob, then a slow whoosh of warm air danced across my skin.
Oh Jesus. He'd opened the fucking front door. Right here with his dick poised at my entrance, cars creeping by at twenty miles per hour admiring the finely landscaped city homes, and me. About to be fucked like a dirty whore.
``Mm, fuck yeah you like that. You're so turned on, so wet. Say it, baby,'' he urged as he fisted at my full ass cheeks. ``Tell me what you need.''
Blindsight: The Series (Complete Erotic Suspense STANDALONE) Page 18
