Chapter 4
CHAPTER 4
E sme
I’d been kissed before, but at this moment, it was like every man I’d allowed to do so had been a frog.
This man, this incredible rough-and-tumble man with the mouth of a sailor, knew how to kiss. Whew. I was blindsided, my heart thudding to a rapid beat as he thrust his tongue deep inside.
I found myself leaning into Hunter, trying to continue breathing and determine why I was allowing him to do this. The simple answer? Because I liked it. No, I didn’t just like what he was doing. I felt electrified and the rush of being alive.
He could give lessons in adding the right amount of roughness to a bold stroke of sensuality. I found myself clinging to his shirt, pushing and pulling alternately. His scent was divine, making my vision foggy and my mind strain to process what this meant.
Even the way he dominated my tongue was enticing. When he shifted his hand, wrapping his arm around me, he pressed his rock-hard cock against me, and I realized I was already wet. How could I crave this man after all the time we’d spent arguing?
The insanity of the moment seemed to last forever, but it was suddenly over with far too soon.
Backing away, Hunter gave me a stern look, allowing his heated gaze to fall ever so slowly down the length of my body. When he took a deep breath, I held mine.
I had no idea what to expect, nor did I want to give him the impression I cared about our brief intimate moment. He cocked his head, a slow and steady smile forming on his face. With both of us remaining silent, my rapid heartbeat echoed in my ears. I’d never been as turned on as I was right now.
With his eyes twinkling, he nodded toward the door.
A part of me wanted to drive him away. That would be the best thing to do. I’d told myself that burying myself in work was in my best interest. Oh, who the hell was the girl who’d made such a ridiculous demand?
I nodded in return.
He grasped my hand, pulling me through the kitchen toward the back door. While it was freezing outside, neither one of us seemed to give a damn about the frigid temperature.
Once we’d left the building, he wrapped his arm around me and yanked out his keys. I didn’t need to ask where we were going or how I’d get back. That would work itself out. I knew his vehicle, his big Dodge Ram parked next to my smaller Dodge Dakota in the parking lot. I wasn’t given a choice. He slid a key into the passenger’s door of the older model, unlocking and then opening the door for me.
I hadn’t believed he had a gentlemanly bone in his body, but I could see I was wrong. Once the door was closed and he headed toward the other side, I let out an audible moan.
“Girl. You are out of your mind,” I whispered to myself. I was right of course. I’d never been wrong about my instincts, but I couldn’t seem to help myself. The man was far too yummy to resist.
As he entered the vehicle, he offered me one last look as if he were extending a final opportunity to race far away from him. When he started the engine, I had a feeling that was my last chance. I’d always envisioned him as being the kind of man to take what he wanted.
The thought was both irritating and exhilarating, just like everything else about him.
“Your place?” He growled the two words. Was the deep baritone supposed to turn me on?
It worked.
“Uh, no. Yours.” The last thing I wanted was to be the laughingstock of the resort. I’d fixed up my bedroom, but the kitchen and living room could be considered natural disasters. Given the increased heat between us, I doubted we’d make it to any bedroom before ripping off each other’s clothes.
The big he-man said nothing else as he started the engine, but I couldn’t help but notice he drove out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell.
I was breathing heavily, still trying to rationalize my actions. He was flying down the mountainous road, keeping his eyes locked in front of him. But I could sense his hunger, the scent of our combined desire already filling the cab. If we weren’t careful, the entire truck would burst into flames.
When Hunter was forced to stop at a traffic light, I wasn’t prepared for his crazy sense of domination. He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck as he’d done before, pulling me toward him. Only the pesky seatbelt kept him from jerking me all the way into his lap.
Turning my head, I smashed my hands against his chest just as he lowered his head and captured my mouth. The kiss was rougher than before, frenzied since we had limited time before the light turned green.
God above, the taste of him continued to scintillate my senses. A fire was close to erupting deep in my core. When was the last time that had occurred?
Oh, right. Never.
Unable to resist, I pulled hard against the seatbelt so I could wrap my hand around the thickness between his legs. Holy moly. He was huge, the wide girth filling my hand. How was that monstrous thing going to fit inside my tight pussy?
I guessed he wouldn’t need to worry about that, given how wet he’d made me. If I hadn’t soaked through my dress and onto his nice, plush seats, I’d be shocked. I sucked his tongue into my mouth, making sounds like a wild animal.
A quick honk from behind us jerked us back to reality. In true form for the man I’d tried to hate with all my being, he opened his window and stuck out his middle finger while pressing on the gas.
The Ram lurched forward, tires screeching all over again. “You really are a hothead. Aren’t you?” I shifted back to the other side, adjusting the seatbelt and refusing to look at him for fear I’d jump him here and now.
“I thought you already had that figured out about me, darlin’.”
“Using a fake accent? Isn’t that beneath you? I’m certain it is.”
He shrugged. “You called me a cowboy. I thought I’d live up to the part.”
“Weren’t you born and raised in Montana?”
I’d be damned if he didn’t seem miffed. “You think you know everything about me?”
“Not everything, but enough to know you’re a bad boy.”
“What else do you think you know?”
He was challenging me. Hadn’t he realized my best friend, a girl who was living with his brother and sharing everything together, might tell me a snippet about his life? “Fine. Do you really want to play that game?”
“Yup.”
Exhaling, I knew I seriously needed to rethink my decision-making process. “You’re a former Navy SEAL turned mercenary for some secret organization. You disappeared for a long time, years in fact, before being lured here by your father.”
Was he twisting his fisted hand around the steering wheel?
Oops. I had a bad feeling some, if not all, of the information I’d just mentioned was supposed to be a big secret. I switched tactics. “You’re rugged and you prefer being alone because you don’t like people very much. I imagine you’re a real outdoorsman, preferring animals to people. How close am I?”
“You don’t know what makes me tick,” he said gruffly.
“Then tell me.”
“Not how it works.”
“Okay, tough guy. Tell me about me.”
He passed by a couple of well-lit businesses and when he turned his head toward me, I easily read his expression. One of lust and aggravation. At least we were both on the same page.
“You’re very certain of yourself and your surroundings, and you hate men. So much so, you probably commiserate with your friends about killing the dudes that did you wrong together… Some asshole hurt you recently by fucking another woman.”
Oh, shit. Had Bella told him I’d wanted to unalive her ex? Had she mentioned the jerk who’d done me wrong as well? I was going to kill her.
I folded my arms. “Go on.”
“You’re a quirky little thing, which means your house or apartment is covered in vivid colors, the art on your wall not making a damn bit of sense to a normal person. Your clothing is artsy, almost gypsy-like. You believe in the supernatural and tarot cards. I bet you even have mismatched plates.”
I wasn’t going to correct him by stating I currently had no plates, other than those with cartoon characters on them. “I’m not that weird.”
“Lady. You’re very weird.”
Oh, I wanted to wipe that grin off his face. I remained silent, refusing to egg him on. Was I that obvious? He drove out of civilization, taking a winding road to wherever his house was. I still got lost on the backwoods roads. “Why don’t you let me out.”
“Right here? Now?”
“Yes. I’ll get a ride back.”
He snorted. Again. “Take a look around. We’re in the middle of nowhere.” He made a turn, heading up a gravel driveway.
“Don’t you mean God’s country?”
“Another state, sweetheart.”
Why did all men call you sweetheart right out of the gate? He’d managed to infuriate me even more, and I hadn’t even known that was possible. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“You’re probably right.”
“Why do you act like such a jerk?”
He laughed. “Because it beats the alternative.”
There would be no more discussion. I could sense it. Hell, I could feel it in my bones. The air was thick with our crazy, toxic desire, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him.
He pulled the truck to a hard stop in front of a huge A-frame cabin. What I saw from the headlights brought a big smile to my face. I don’t know why I’d thought he lived in a tiny wood cabin, the kind of place that was only heated by a woodstove.
With the engine turned off, he didn’t waste any time jumping from the cab.
I opened the door slowly, another few seconds of chastisement entering my mind before I shut that side of my brain down. There was nothing wrong with one sinful night of absolute pleasure.
Then we’d never see each other again. Well, except for at work. At least I could try to remember him without his clothes on.
He jerked me out, pulling me hard against his chest. As he cupped the side of my face, the darkness couldn’t hide his heavy breathing.
“I’m going to fuck you long and hard. Anything left to say?”
“Just hurry up.”
His laugh was entirely different than the snarky sounds I’d heard so many times. A little thrill tore through me as he took my hand, pulling me hurriedly toward the front porch. He didn’t miss a beat with opening the door and flicking on a single light switch.
As soon as there was a warm glow in the room, we started ripping at each other’s clothes. There was no discussion, no concept of soft foreplay. It was going to be rough and sweaty. Just the way I liked it.
Hunter yanked the dress over my head with one hand, taking a few seconds afterwards to suck in his breath. “Holy shit, woman.”
I wanted to ask him if that was good or bad, but a part of me didn’t want to know. I wasn’t the perfectly little coiffed female with the slender hourglass body. But I was all woman. When he whistled in obvious appreciation, a heated blush swept up both cheeks. I was thankful he couldn’t see my embarrassment in the dim lighting.
It was my turn, but instead of taking the time to unbutton his tuxedo shirt, I grabbed the two edges, throwing my arms to the sides. As buttons popped off, he appeared shocked. But it only lasted a couple of seconds.
The twinkle in his eyes returned as he challenged my action with one of his own. He thrust his finger under the lacy elastic of my thong, snapping his wrist.
“Shit,” I exclaimed. He held the wet lace out in front of him and I sucked in an embarrassed breath when he pulled the material under his nose. My God. He took a huge deep breath.
That was it. I pulled at his belt buckle, struggling harder to try to unfasten it than I had any piece of clothing. He continued to grin, chuckling when I finally managed to finish my task. After taking a deep breath of my own, I rolled his shirt over his shoulders, holding the material as I slowly slid my fingers down both arms.
He was more muscular than I’d originally thought, his arms so huge I wouldn’t be able to fit my entire hand around one. I traced his tats with my fingers, so intrigued with the masterful work of art that I dropped his shirt to the floor.
Hunter was watching me, his chest rising and falling. I was almost surprised he was remaining silent.
“They’re beautiful,” I told him. I had a feeling no one had really commented on them before.
“They’re a part of me and always will be.”
“I’m not complaining.” I turned slightly, allowing him to see the intricate butterfly on my shoulder.
“Very nice. The ink suits you.”
“The crazy eclectic lady I am, you mean?”
“Little butterfly, you’re not crazy. Just sinful.” I wasn’t expecting him to gather me into his arms, the shock of him doing so capturing my breath. My heels dropped from my feet, the clunking noise on the hardwood floor causing me to wince.
Why was I suddenly feeling shy around him? No one had ever called me shy in my life. Maybe I just felt awkward being in his arms, but he wasn’t bothered. His eyes penetrated mine, his jaw clenched, and I couldn’t resist running my finger through his beard.
“My mountain man.” I also wasn’t the kind of woman to use cutesy-wootsie little phrases, but it was true. He was the epitome of a rugged mountain man.
He took his time carrying me up the stairs, taking them one at a time. But his strides were long as he headed down the hallway, kicking open the partially closed door.
“Something like that,” he muttered as he gently eased me onto the center of a massive bed. He was so tall I’d already been wondering how he could fit in a normal-sized bed. He wasn’t interested in lying down so I could make a determination.
He yanked off his boots. I hadn’t realized he hadn’t been wearing wingtips like the rest of the men in the wedding party. They were tightly ingrained cowboy boots that had been broken in through months—if not years—of use.
He crawled onto the bed, keeping his tux trousers on. There was something sinful about being completely devoid of clothes while he remained half dressed. I almost clawed at his pants because I wanted to bask in the rest of him. That was one sexy prize for dealing with his tyrannical moods.
But he was having none of it, pushing my hands away the moment I tried. I was already panting as he lifted my legs, bending them at the knee. There was no other warning or pretense with his actions. He dropped his head, lifting my torso from the comforter while at the same time he pulled my clit between his teeth.
In addition to having bad kissers in my past, no man had truly pleased me with oral sex. I had a feeling tonight would change everything.
He was issuing husky growls as he sucked and licked, flicking his tongue back and forth.
I was immediately pulled into a slice of heaven, throwing my arms out to try to hold myself down. Managing to snag the bedding material, I pulled as I gasped for air, even twisting my hips back and forth. I was already sensitive and his full pussy assault hadn’t been going on longer than two minutes.
He was masterful, so much so that I was alternating between laughing and moaning. The man wasn’t going to allow me to slide off the bed or try to escape. The way he held me down was also done out of experience. His technique was practiced and fabulous.
The moment he licked all the way down my pussy, I jerked up. “Holy shit.” I heard a ripping sound and grimaced. I was strong for a woman, and I’d torn his comforter. Oops.
He didn’t seem to care, continuing to feast while he thrust a single finger into my tight channel. My muscles closed around the slight invasion immediately, and he stopped his licking fest long enough to chuckle like the wild beast he’d turned into.
“I fucking love the way you taste.”
To other women, his words might seem crude, but I loved them. So much so that I was blushing all over again. I slapped my hands across my face, shaking my head several times. An orgasm was already building, my toes already curling. How had this happened?
I didn’t care since this was the best sex any woman could have. When a climax raced up from my core, I jerked up onto my elbows, issuing a series of sharp cries.
“Yes. Fuck, yes. So good. So… Good!”
Hunter refused to stop, slowing down so he could spend some time enjoying what he was eating. I was in a lull, or some would call it la-la-land. He pumped several fingers inside, and I felt myself opening my legs even wider. His mouth and tongue along with his long, thick fingers were creations of beauty and torment.
Just as I was coming down from the powerful climax, another began to spin out of control. I had no voice this time, a silent scream all I could muster.
As he lifted his gaze, I sensed amusement, but it didn’t overpower his lust.
I thumped back onto the bed, fighting another round of nervous laughter. “That was… filthy. Delicious.”
He lifted his head, licking his lips. “Just think about it, little butterfly. This is just the beginning.”