by J. O Mantel
“And your parents didn’t say anything?”
“They were trying to come to terms with it themselves. Piper’s been gone for a very long time and we never thought we’d see or hear from her ever again. Then she shows up at our front door, knocked up.”
“What?!” Hunter gasped.
“Yeah. That was one of the reasons she made the decision to leave, there was no way she was raising a child in that sort of environment.”
“Bastard!” was all Hunter could say.
“That wasn’t exactly the sentiment I used, but I’ll refrain from cussing in the presence of a child. Speaking of which, where is the little munchkin?” Andy asked, his eyes roaming around the room, looking for Lili.
“She’s out the back playing on her swing set. Do you want to say hi?”
“Maybe a little later, right now I just want to sit here and enjoy you.”
Hunter reached out a hand and gently caressed his cheek, hoping to soften his facial expression. He’d known Andy a long time, and he’d never seen him so serious or tense. As he played with Andy’s soft hair, the realization suddenly hit him. After weeks of being together and fooling around, they’d never once discussed exactly what they were to each other. Lovers? Friends? Partners? Fuck buddies? Andy had already stated that he didn’t use labels, and Hunter was all right with that, but a small part of him wanted to say that they … he and Andy, were an item, and he couldn’t wait to shout it from the rooftops.
But now wasn’t the right time to bring up that particular conversation. Instead, Hunter reached over and started massaging Andy’s tense shoulders. Andy didn’t stop him, he closed his eyes and turned so his back was completely facing Hunter, making it easy work for him. Hunter let his hands knead their way over Andy’s shoulders, slowly working their way down his back.
“That. Feels. Fucking. Amazing,” Andy said, his words matching the rhythmic kneading of Hunter’s fingers.
“Just relax. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this tense before,” Hunter told him.
“Being a firefighter is a stressful job.”
“Tell me about it,” Hunter agreed. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you want to talk about this?”
“I don’t know how to feel. I haven’t seen my sister in… years, we lost contact after she left. Seeing her again, after all this time, is going to be … I don’t know, awkward.”
Hunter didn’t want to push Andy into opening up. They’d spoken a little about Piper and the man she’d run away with all those years ago, and after the bombshell his own mother had told him about his father, Hunter completely understood where Andy was coming from.
They were both fully clothed, and Hunter wasn’t really in a sexual mood, but right now it felt like the easiest way to connect with Andy, who seemed so lost and distant. Hunter leaned forward and kissed down the length of Andy’s neck. Andy didn’t stop him. He tilted his head backward, and Hunter’s mouth moved down a little farther to the top of his shirt. Before he allowed himself to go any further, he pulled away and pressed his back against the couch.
“Why did you stop?” Andy asked.
“Well, um … to be honest, I think we need to set some boundaries.”
Andy turned to him, his eyes wide. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for boundaries?” he questioned.
“Oh. Not between you and me. I mean with Lili,” Hunter told him.
Andy lifted a brow in question, and Hunter continued. “What I’m trying to say is, this is all still very new to me … to both of us. I don’t regret anything that’s happened, and I’m not saying we’ll never do it again. What I am saying is that we need to set some boundaries for when Lili is around.”
“What do you suggest?”
“I don’t want to confuse Lili, not now. I haven’t had a chance to talk to her about the two of us and what’s going to happen. So, I think it would be best if we… toned things down a little when she’s home, for now anyway, until I’ve had the opportunity to explain everything to her properly.”
“I think that’s a great idea,” Andy agreed.
“You’re not mad?” Hunter asked.
“Why would I be mad? Hunter, she’s your daughter, and I know how much she means to you, she means everything to me as well. You’re right, though. Telling her something like this would be too much for her to understand right now, especially without a mother figure in her life after all these years. When the right time comes for you to tell her, I’ll be right there, with you … if you want me to.”
If I want him to? He has no idea how much I want him to be here.
“Of course. I’d like that,” Hunter assured him.
“Knock, knock,” a voice called from the front door. Hunter raised his head from the couch and turned to see Judith walk through the door.
“Mom? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to pick up Lili. We’re going to the park, and then she’s spending the weekend with me remember, I told you yesterday?”
Hunter had completely forgotten that he’d spoken to his mother on the telephone yesterday for almost an hour. They’d discussed that Lili would spend this weekend with his mother, and the Fourth of July weekend, next week, with his in-laws. It also meant that he and Andy got to spend more time alone together.
“Sorry, Mom. You know I have a tendency to forget things unless it’s written down.”
“Well, perhaps next time I’ll send a memo, shall I?” She let out a chuckle and wandered through the living room.
“Hello, Andy.” She smiled as she brushed past him.
“Hello, Judith.”
“Lili’s out the back. I’ll go get her,” Hunter said, standing from the couch.
“No, it’s okay, I’ll get her. You two stay there and ...” She raised a brow and shrugged before whispering, “whatever,” and walked out to the back yard.
“Sometimes I have to ask myself if she’s even my mother,” Hunter joked.
“Does this mean we have the weekend to ourselves?” Andy asked.
“Yep. The whole weekend,” Hunter confirmed, raising his eyebrows.
“I happen to have the entire weekend off work.”
“As do I. Imagine that,” Hunter said with a grin.
A short while later, his mother returned from the backyard with Lili by her side.
“Um … I forgot to pack her bag.”
“Just stay where you are, dear, mother will take care of everything.” Judith winked and headed toward Lili’s room.
The woman certainly had no boundaries when it came to him and Andy, taking advantage of every opportunity to ensure they were alone. It didn’t bother Hunter in the slightest, and to be honest, it was a great distraction for his mother after the whole Bradley shit-storm a few months ago. Thinking of his father had him quickly turning back to Andy and recalling their earlier conversation about Piper. “Have … do you want to see Piper again?” he asked.
Andy let out a short breath. “There’s certainly a lot of history we need to cover, not to mention, she’s probably not the same girl I remember from all those years ago. We used to be so close, and when she packed up and left, I felt as if a whole part of my life left with her.”
It had been a long time since Andy had seen Piper, and he knew after the years that had passed, she probably didn’t want to see him again, given how much of an asshole he was when she left.
“But she’s still your sister, Andy, nothing and no one will ever change that.”
“I know … but I don’t want to talk about her right now. I’d much rather spend the afternoon doing all sorts of inappropriate things with you.”
“Just the afternoon?” Hunter teased as he inched closer to him.
“And maybe tomorrow ...” Andy lunged forward and stole a kiss. “And the next day,” he murmured, stealing another kiss.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything?” Judith’s voice called from somewhere behind the couch.
<
br /> “Of course not, Mom. What on earth would give you the impression that you’re interrupting?” Hunter said with a touch of sarcasm, rolling his eyes.
“Well, Lili would like to say goodbye to her daddy.”
Hunter stood from the couch and walked toward Lili’s bedroom. As he opened the door, he watched his daughter place Mr. Bear in her bag, before she flung it over her shoulders. Walking toward the door, her face lit up with the biggest smile as she saw Hunter resting against the doorjamb.
“Have you brushed your teeth?” Hunter asked.
Lili nodded.
“Combed your hair?”
She nodded again. “Brushed my teeth, combed my hair, packed my bag, and made my bed.”
Hunter took a step into the room and saw the quilt cover raised on Lili’s almost perfectly made bed.
“Good girl.” Hunter bent over and outstretched his arms for Lili, who ran toward him. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and stood up as he pulled her in for a tight hug.
“You be a good girl for Grandma, okay?”
“Yes, Daddy,” she agreed.
Hunter carried her out to the living room where she and Judith said goodbye to Andy, before opening the door and walking through it.
“So, I guess this means we have the whole place to ourselves,” Andy said.
Hunter nodded. “What do you propose we do?” he asked.
Andy stood up off the couch and walked around until he was standing in front of Hunter. “Well, right now …,” Andy leaned forward, pressing his mouth against Hunter’s ear, and he whispered, “I really want to touch you.”
Hunter had been ready for a quiet night of Netflix and popcorn, but now, as the words left Andy’s mouth, Hunter’s entire body vibrated and he was ready for whatever the hell Andy had planned for them. He only hoped they did whatever it was soon because he was driving him out of his fucking mind. Pressing a kiss to Hunter’s lips, Andy muscled him toward the hall, keeping a firm hold on his sweatpants. Hunter’s ass hit the closed bedroom door, and Andy’s hand reached down to turn the knob as he slowly pushed Hunter through the opening and into the dark room.
Hunter pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and shut off the engine. He didn’t immediately move to get out of the car and neither did Andy. For several moments, neither of them spoke, they simply sat in silence and stared out the window.
“What are you thinking about?” Hunter questioned.
“Am I really that obvious?”
“Kind of. You make this weird, not to mention cute, expression on your face when you’re deep in thought.”
“What kind of expression?” Andy questioned curiously.
Hunter leaned closer and stared into Andy’s eyes. “For starters, your eyes … they move from side to side, kind of like the way they are now. And then you frown and pout your lips like you’re about to—”
“Kiss you?” Andy cut in, tugging at Hunter’s shirt and pulling him forward for a deep kiss.
“Stop it! In case you’ve forgotten, we’re sitting in a car… in the middle of a parking lot.”
“A dark … and deserted parking lot. And if anyone walks past, we can really give them something to talk about,” Andy teased.
The two of them still hadn’t gone exclusive with their relationship? Is that what this is? They were still coming to terms with exactly what they were to one another, seeing as Andy didn’t like labels. Hunter focused his attention on him, and Andy let out a moan of frustration as he shifted back in his seat and said, “You were saying?”
“Okay, you look … hot,” Hunter told him.
“Fuckable hot? Or just hot?”
Hunter rolled his eyes, but Andy gave him a sheepish grin and lowered his brows.
“There! That’s it. That look right there.”
Andy gave him a wide smile and ran a hand through his thick hair. This wasn’t the first time the two of them had flirted. In actuality, the more time they spent together, the flirtier they were with one another. Things were drastically changing between them, in a good way, and it wasn’t like Hunter needed his family’s approval because Judith loved Andy, and so did Lili. Hunter still hadn’t told Miranda and Pierce. He wasn’t quite ready to have that particular conversation with them yet. He didn’t need their approval, in fact, Miranda had always told him they would support whatever decision he made when it came to his love life. As he sat there, continuing to eye-fuck Andy, he wondered if that included him dating, or even sleeping with, a man. Not that they were actually sleeping together yet. Andy had kept his word about not pressuring Hunter into having sex until he was certain he was ready. However, the ‘no sex’ thing didn’t mean either of them had to keep their dicks out of each other’s mouths.
“Finished?” Andy suddenly spoke, breaking the momentary silence.
“Excuse me?”
“You were totally undressing me with your eyes, Cassidy. Don’t you even dare try to fucking deny it either, because you and I both know that’s a load of bullshit.”
Hunter unclipped his seatbelt and said to Andy, “If either of us want to eat this weekend, we’d better get inside that grocery store and—” His voice cut off as he felt a hand brush the inside of his thigh and gently caress his cock.
“Yesss, Hunter?” Andy hissed.
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” Hunter growled, closing his eyes. “We … we need to … fuck.” Hunter felt the firm hand grip his cock through the fabric of his sweatpants.
“Yes, we do need to do that, but as I keep telling you, not … yet,” he whispered in a tone that screamed ‘fuck me.’
“Then stop fucking teasing me so we can buy some food to eat this weekend.”
“Oh, I will be eating this weekend, Hunter, but whether I’m eating food or something else entirely, remains to be seen.” With one final tug of Hunter’s cock, Andy leaned across and, with steady hands, he loosened the knot of Hunter’s sweatpants, and slowly lowered them, just a few inches below his toned V. Unclipping his seatbelt, he moved forward and pressed a kiss to the naked flesh under Hunter’s sweatpants and was surprised to see that Hunter had gone … “Commando? And you call me a fucking tease.”
“I’ve already told you I sleep naked, I only sleep in boxers if Lili sleeps in bed with me.”
“And go shopping in the middle of the night without your underwear, apparently.”
“Are you complaining?” Hunter questioned.
“Fuck no. But what good is it if I can’t touch it?” Andy asked him.
“Stop it! We need to get supplies. The more time we waste sitting here, the longer it takes for you to see me completely naked.”
“Now you’re just being an ass.”
“What was that about my ass?” Hunter asked.
“It’s fucking hot, that’s what. Now, can we hurry up so I can have fun with your ass… and the rest of you later?”
Hunter opened the door and stepped out, while Andy tried to control the erection in his pants that was refusing to cooperate and subside.
“Damn. A straight guy gives me a hard-on like I’m some horny fucking teenager.”
“You okay in there, sailor?” Hunter asked, tapping on the window.
In the weeks they’d spent together, Hunter had gone from shy and unsure, to passionate, flirty, and wanting more. Everything Hunter had once feared to try, Andy now made more desirable and addictive.
With his erection finally back to normal, Andy opened the door and stood next to Hunter.
“What took you so long?” Hunter asked, trying to hold back his laughter.
“Shut up, smartass.”
Grabbing a cart, the two of them pushed through the doors and into the store. “We’re going to need to separate if we want to get this done quickly. You start at that end, and I’ll start here, and then we’ll meet in the middle.”
“How long is this going to take?” Andy asked.
“Depends how long you stand here whin
ing.” And with that, Andy grabbed another cart and headed in the opposite direction.
It wasn’t long before they finally met in the freezer aisle, both with their carts full, and they headed for the cashier.
“Ah, damn. I forgot the alcohol,” Hunter realized aloud.
“Planning on getting drunk, are we?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, a certain six-year-old isn’t home this weekend. And if you getting tipsy means pleasurable flirting, touching and—”
“Coming in a fucking fierce explosive wave? Then yeah, you better grab that alcohol,” Andy ordered.
Hunter left the cart beside Andy and wandered back through the store until he walked through another set of doors and into the alcohol section. He wasn’t entirely sure just how tipsy he and Andy intended to get this weekend, so he grabbed bottles of Jack Daniels, Johnny Red, Johnny Blue and ... “Hunter?”
Hunter’s entire body tensed and he froze, unwilling to allow himself to turn and face the voice that had just addressed him. “No, it can’t be,” he whispered.
“Hunter?”
The same familiar voice called to him again, and as Hunter stood straight and slowly turned around, there was no mistake, the voice that had just addressed him belonged to none other than his … “Bradley?”
Hunter’s body trembled, and with shaky hands, he lost his grip of the bottles he was holding. They crashed to the floor, smashing the bottles, and sending thousands of pieces of glass and liquid all over the floor.
The commotion drew the attention of the shop attendant, who came over to inspect the situation.
“Is everyone all right?” she asked.
“Y-yes. I’m sorry, I’ll pay for these.”
Hunter kneeled down to pick up the glass, but the shop attendant reached out a hand and said, “No, don’t touch it. I’ll get a mop. Are you hurt?”
Hunter quickly checked himself for any lacerations, but there weren’t any.
“No. I’m fine, thank you.”
The woman left, leaving Hunter alone with Bradley.
“It is you. Wow! You’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you, but you still look the same. How are you, son?”
