by Elisa Leigh
She shakes her head, no. “Actually, I came with Ramsey. I’m just going to get my clutch and order an Uber.”
“That’s not necessary. I’ll drive you home.”
“Hunter, it’s really not a big deal. I do this all the time.”
“Ramsey doesn’t make sure you get home safe?” I bark.
Whitley looks at me like I’m crazy. “He’s usually sharing the Uber with me, Hunter. He’s not working tomorrow, and I am. Hence I’m leaving earlier than he is.”
Whitley grabs her clutch from the table, then says her goodbyes. “Ramsey, boys, I’m heading out. Ladies, it was nice to meet you all. Hope to see you again.”
The girls barely pay Whitley any attention, but James and Trevor say goodnight before going back to discussing the Atlanta Braves game. Ramsey looks from Whitley to me and raises one of his brows in question. I roll my eyes. “You good to go Whit?” He asks her as she stands there with her arms crossed, and her eyes narrowed on him.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pull her close to my side. “I’m driving Whitley home. I’ll have her text you once she gets there safely.” I say, answering before she can.
“You good with that Whit?”
“It’s fine Ramsey. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Be safe, eh?”
As we turn to leave, I tell them to have a good night over my shoulder, not bothering to wait for a reply.
Once we get to the parking lot, I drop my arm from around her shoulder and grab her hand, lacing my fingers with hers. I’m expecting her to fight me, maybe pull her hand from mine, but surprisingly she holds onto my hand without a word. When we get to my truck, I open the door and help Whitley into the passenger seat. I grab her seat belt and pull it down and around to buckle her in, but Whitley stops me.
“Hunter, I’m not a little girl anymore who needs looking after. I can buckle my seat belt on my own, just like I can get myself home, and get my own damn drinks.” She says, her voice rising with every word.
Releasing the seat belt to her, we share a look, before she buckles herself in, and then I close the door. She’s right, but that doesn’t take away my need to do everything I can for her. It’s been this way since the first time I met her. There’s always been this urge inside me to take care of her. When I get into the driver’s seat, I turn the ignition, and soft country music plays in the background. I sit there for a minute trying to figure out what to say to her, how to explain what I’m feeling, to make her understand my behavior.
“Hunter, I didn’t mean to-”
“Whitley, do you remember the last night we saw each other?”
She nods sadly. “It was the night of your last football game here.”
I smile, thinking back on that night. “Ramsey had just led our team to another win, and the whole team was on a high from it. Everyone was pumped, so we were going to a party at Matt’s parent’s beach house to celebrate the win. You and your parents came down to talk to Ramsey and me right after the game, congratulating us and telling us to be safe.”
“I remember Hunter.”
“Then some cheerleaders came by and asked Ramsey and I if we were going to the party.”
“Why are you telling me all of this Hunter?” She interrupts, and I can tell she’s starting to get upset.
Reaching up, I place my hand on the back of her neck and run my thumb along the edge of her chin, caressing her soft skin. “You were so pissed when they left. You didn’t say anything, you just stood there with your arms crossed, shooting daggers at the girls who kept coming up and talking to Ramsey and I. Kind of like you did tonight when we were sitting with your brother. I didn’t understand then why you were so mad, I just knew it bothered me that you were upset. I’ve thought back on that night a million times since I’ve been gone. Wishing it could have ended differently, wishing that Ramsey and I had just gone back to your parent’s house and hung out like we had planned to do. Instead, we went off to that party and got a little drunk.”
Whitley’s face twists in jealousy, and she holds her hand up to me. “If you’re about to tell me how you slept with one of those damn cheerleaders or one of the girls at the party let me stop you right their Hunter Stone. I don’t need to hear that.”
I grab her hand and place a kiss in the middle of her palm.
“Fuck no. I didn’t sleep with anyone that night. Ramsey and I were too busy playing beer pong and shooting the shit. You see, I didn’t want any of them, Lee. The girl I wanted, but I was too stupid to realize it, was too young for parties. She was at home in her room, probably listening to Journey on her record player that I got her for her birthday. She might have been reading or writing in her journal. For the last few years though, I’ve hoped she was at home thinking about me.”
Whitley gasps and I lean in close and steal a kiss, the one I’ve been dreaming about for years. Her soft lips pillow mine in a sweet caress, but like a brute who’s been starved I take more than I should. Spearing both of my hands through her hair, I pull her closer to me and sweep my tongue against her lips. She moans, and I lose all control, pushing my tongue into her mouth I take everything she has to give me. We get caught up in the heady rush of our first kiss, and like a drug addict, I can’t resist or pull away.
A few long moments later Whitley pulls back gasping, her chest heaving and her huge tits that are barely contained by her tank top threaten to spill out. My hard dick leaks precum as I imagine what it would be like to tear her shirt from her and watch her tits bounce free, her hard nipples begging to be sucked. I run the back of my knuckles over her fleshy mounds, and I groan.
“Thank you,” I say and drop a kiss on her cheek.
“For what?”
“I’ve been dreaming about that kiss for so long.”
“Whatever you say, Hunter. Look, just because we kissed and you’re driving me home doesn’t mean this is going any further. I’d like to go home now.” Whitley scoots so far over to her side of the truck that she’s plastered against the door and staring out the window. One moment we’re heat and intensity, and the next it’s like the arctic tundra.
With our conversation over and Whitley ignoring me, I pull out of the parking lot, in utter shock that our kiss turned into some kind of standoff. I start driving to her parent’s house but realize she might not live there anymore. “Do you still live at home, Lee?”
She ignores me, so I try again. “Lee, I’m not driving you home in the hopes that you’ll spread your legs for me. I’m driving you home to make sure you get there in one piece. Now, will you please tell me where you live?”
There’s so much going on behind those beautiful blue eyes. My woman is so expressive. Her need for me wars with what she believes is the right thing to do. “I live in my parent’s pool house now.”
It takes about fifteen minutes to get her home. Once I pull into her parent's driveway, I take a moment to look at the place I used to spend most of my free time. The two-story home doesn’t look like it’s changed much since I was last here, but it’s also nine o’clock at night and dark. I’m too busy looking around that I almost miss Whitley escaping my truck. I hop out of the vehicle and catch up to her quickly, which isn’t difficult since my legs seem to be almost twice as long as hers.
I silently walk beside her, around the house and to the pool house. As soon as I see it, I smile, remembering the time Ramsey, and I smoked pot for the first time out here. We were so high, we spent the entire night out here playing video games and talking about meaningless bullshit. That was one of the best nights of my life. I’m pretty sure Diane and John, Ramsey and Whitley’s parents, knew what we were up to, but they just made sure we didn’t leave the house.
She unlocks her door and steps through, then turns to face me. I wait for the incessant beeping of an alarm, but I don’t hear it. Why doesn’t she have a fucking security system in place? Anyone could pop a window and be in here easily. She isn’t safe living here, even if it’s in her parent’s backyard. The only place she’ll be safe is
with me.
“Thank you for driving me home, Hunter.” She says and then tries shutting the door, but I put my hand out and stop it from closing.
“Whitley, I won’t have you regretting our kiss.”
“I don’t regret our kiss, Hunter.” She growls and crosses her arms, causing her tits to push up and deep cleavage to show.
I brace my hands against the door frame to keep myself from reaching out and grabbing her. “No? What would you call it than Lee?”
“It’s complicated Hunter, you know that.”
“What I know is that the only person who can come between you and I, is you. No one else matters.”
Whitley rolls her eyes. “Right, well I’ll see you later, Hunter. Have a good night.” and she begins closing the door again.
“Reading you loud and clear, Lee. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, baby.” I get out just as the door shuts.
I wait until I hear the locks engage before walking back to my truck. She might think that what’s between us is complicated, but at least she wants this, that is all I need to know. I can work with that.
Chapter 3
Whitley
What the hell was that last night with Hunter and I? He’s not the same person he was when he left. Before he was quiet and easy-going, but this new Hunter is cocky and assertive. I laid awake tossing and turning for hours, finally falling asleep around two-thirty. When I did sleep, I dreamt of Hunter clad in his Emerald Isle Fire Department uniform, the shirt tight against his chest and his thick, muscular arms covered in those colorful tattoos. When I knew him all those years ago, I never would have imagined him covering his arms in all that ink, but I can’t say I don’t like it. I woke with my hand between my thighs, the dream still fresh in my mind. I tried unsuccessfully to make myself come, but I wasn’t quite able to get myself there.
Walking into my job at the Emergency Call Center of Carteret County, all thoughts of Hunter disappear as I prepare for my shift as a 911 operator. Tina, one of my best friends and who also works the same shift as I do, is already sitting at her desk with her headset on. We’ve worked the same day shift from eight to five, Monday through Friday for the last couple of years that I’ve worked here. It’s a satellite office with less than ten of us working each shift.
I began working here after I graduated high school when my dad let me know there was an opening. Being the Fire Chief in Emerald Isle, I’ve listened to many of his stories over the years, and I’d hate to say it, but I’ve become desensitized to the horrors that often take place in this small town. It only seemed fitting to try my hand at working in the Emergency Call Center. Once I started, I figured out I actually had a knack for it. I love working here, and instead of going to college to get my degree in physical therapy, I switched majors, and I’m currently working towards my bachelor’s degree in emergency management.
“You look like shit,” Tina comments when I walk in, holding two large iced coffees, both with extra cream and sugar.
“Thanks,” I mutter, as I hand over her coffee and go to my desk.
With only a couple hours of sleep, my head feels fuzzy, and I’m starting to get a headache. I hope this coffee kicks in fast because if it doesn’t, I’m in for a long day. Once I log in, and I’m situated for the day I turn toward Tina who’s humming a tune and staring at her computer monitor. I toss a crumpled up napkin at her and raise my eyebrow at her once she looks up. She sticks her tongue out at me and goes back to humming her version of Old Town Road. God, I’m so tired of hearing this song.
Every once in a while we’ll hit a lull in calls for a few minutes, but it doesn’t last very long. And just like that, a call comes into the center, and Tina takes it. Not more than a minute later, another call comes through that I end up taking since I’m next in line. We work tirelessly for the next two hours and thank God, the caffeine kicked in shortly after my first call and I perked right up.
At ten after ten, we take our fifteen-minute break and head over to The Coffee Bean, which is only a few minutes’ walk from our building and grab a snack. While waiting for our drinks to be made, Tina nudges my shoulder.
“What happened last night? Tell me you found a guy at Beach Bums that took you back to his place and did all kinds of dirty things to you.”
I roll my eyes. Tina knows of my virgin status and has been teasing me about it since she found out. I guess in today’s world, being a virgin at twenty-one is rare, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who has chosen to wait for someone that she loved. Usually, when she asks about the nights, I go out with my brother and his friends I’m quick to reply with a no, but I can’t really tell her that this time. “Not exactly.”
Her eyes light up. “Oh? Tell me more.” She says and wiggles her eyebrows.
“It’s nothing. He’s just this guy who used to live here and go to school with Ramsey.”
“That doesn’t sound like nothing.”
I consider what to tell her and decide on the truth. What’s it going to hurt. It’s not like she knows who he is. “His name is Hunter and-”
“Oh, my God. Who the hell is that with Trevor?” Tina asks, interrupting me.
I turn and see Trevor walking in with Hunter, both of them decked out in their Emerald Isle Fire Department uniforms, and so do all the other women sitting in The Coffee Bean. Hunter is so freaking hot it isn’t fair. He looked good when he was a senior in high school, but he’s got nothing on the Hunter of today. He must think I’m a total nutcase after the way I freaked out last night. My palms begin to sweat, and my heart races. The sounds around me fade, and all I see is Hunter getting closer and closer to me. Trevor waves at Tina and I, that’s when Hunter notices me. His eyes heat instantly, and I feel my stomach flip in my middle. Instead of walking up to order, Hunter walks straight to me and gives me a cocky grin.
“I told you last night I’d be seeing you today. Didn’t know it would be this soon though.”
My cheeks burn. I keep remembering the way he pulled on my hair when he kissed me last night. The soft caress of his tongue against mine. The gasping feeling, I had when I pulled away from the kiss of all kisses. And then of course how I woke up only hours before. I’m afraid to speak, worrying if I do, I’ll tell the man that I’m in love with him after only one kiss.
His brows knit together, and he looks concerned. “You okay, baby?”
I nod, but I have no idea what to say to this man. Luckily, Tina interrupts by butting her nose in. “Hey, you must be Hunter. I’m Tina, I work with Whitley at the Emergency Call Center.”
Hunter gives her a polite smile then turns back to me. “Ramsey mentioned that you were working there. How long have you been a 911 operator?”
I clear my throat. “Since I graduated high school.”
“I thought you wanted to be a physical therapist and work with athletes.”
“You remember that?”
“Baby, I remember everything we’ve ever talked about.”
“What? Why?” I ask, completely taken off guard by his comment.
His smile vanishes “There’s so much we need to talk about Lee. Can I take you out for dinner tonight?”
“Lee,” Tina says, emphasizing Hunter’s nickname for me. “Would love to. She likes Mexican, sushi, and American. I’ve tried getting her to go for Chinese with me, but she refuses.”
“That okay with you?” Hunter asks, and I love that he refers back to me and doesn’t just take Tina’s answer.
I clear my throat. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
His smile reappears. “I’ll pick you up from your place at seven then.”
Trevor walks up to where we are standing just as our drinks are called.
“I gotta go. Bye.” I say awkwardly then turn and leave, not looking back at him or waiting for Tina to catch up with me.
“Giiiirl, you have it so bad. I mean, I don’t blame you. That man is, mmm, so fine.” She says as I grab our drinks and hand hers over.
I glare at her, and she laughs. “Chill
, I’d never cross that line Whit, especially with you. You know my motto, chicks before dicks.” We tap our iced coffees together and head to the door.
“Hey, Hunter! What should she wear tonight?” Tina yells across the shop, causing everyone to look at us and the spectacle she’s making.
I jab her with my elbow. “Shit, that hurt Whitley, ease up.” She groans up.
“I’ll text you, baby,” Hunter shouts back and winks.
I duck my head and wave awkwardly before walking out the door.
Tina catches up with me and nudges my shoulder with hers. “Why are you walking so fast? Slow down. Our break isn’t up for another five minutes.”
“What was that back there?”
“Wait, are you mad at me?” Tina laughs.
When I don’t respond, she grabs my arm and stops me. “Look, Whitley, I’ve never seen you react to a guy like that before. Like ever. You looked like you were about to chicken out and tell him no to the date. I’m sorry, but I didn’t want to see you pass a guy like that up.”
“That wasn’t your call to make Tina, it was mine!” I groan in frustration.
“Are you really mad about that or are you freaking out because all the gossips of Emerald Isle were sitting there watching the hottest guy in town ask you to dinner and it freaked you out?”
I shrug and look away. How does she do that? “I don’t understand what he wants from me. I haven’t seen him in seven years, and he comes back out of the blue and wants to go on a date with me. Why? I’m just his best friend’s baby sister. It doesn’t add up Tina. Not when he could get any of the women in there.” I say, gesturing back at The Coffee Bean.
She frowns at me. “He doesn’t want those women, he wants you. You’re the beautiful Whitley Grant, the woman with the best pair of tits and ass in town.” She says and winks, making me laugh. “There’s my girl. Now stop comparing yourself to those Barbie doll heifers. They might be beautiful and perfect…” She rolls her eyes. “But that doesn’t mean they are what every man wants.”
