41. Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Blake
After I won the game, the rest of the evening seemed to breeze by. Charlie spent most of the time playing with the other children, and Viper challenged me to another game of pool.
I haven’t seen Candace since the first game. It would seem she is upset with me again. Usually, I would be in a spiral about how someone feels about me, but right now, I am just too happy to give a damn.
Now, most of us are sitting around the bonfire for dinner with our plates of burgers in our hands. Charlie sits on the ground in front of me with some of her other friends, and Hunter stands by the grill with Xavier.
Looking around the area, we all look like one big happy family. Is this what having people in your life looks like?
Hunter catches my eye and I smile at him. He waves his spatula at me, and I blush. Things have been different since our bike ride. I don’t know exactly how to explain it, but it just seems easier between us, like the past few days aren't weighing us down.
Once he cooks the last burger, he makes himself a plate and takes a seat next to me. “How’s your food?”
I finish chewing the bite I have in my mouth and nod. “It’s very good.”
He leans forward and swipes a drop of ketchup off the side of my mouth with his thumb and then sticks it to my lips. I am frozen on what to do next. Do I lick it off his thumb or move my face away from his? I have a strong urge to dart my tongue out and lick it from his thumb.
Fuck it . I slowly stick my tongue out and grab the dot of ketchup, but he doesn’t pull away like I thought he would. He grips my chin tighter and sticks his thumb into my mouth a little. His eyes darken, and he inches closer.
The air in my lungs has escaped me and just as quickly as it left, it comes rushing back to me when Charlie says my name. I clear my throat and turn toward her. “What, baby?”
“I want to go play.”
I nod my approval and watch as she bounds toward her friends, too afraid to meet Hunter’s gaze.
But that doesn’t last long. “The vile things that I wish to do to your mouth are going to be the death of me,” he growls next to me, then takes a bite of his food.
I swallow hard and bring my fingers to my lips. My mind races with thoughts of all that he could possibly do to me. And all the things that I would probably let him do.
Is it bad for me to want him to do things to me after all that I have been through? Especially considering how we met in the first place? I think that might be what confuses me the most.
Hours pass as we watch the kids rush around the fire, playing tag and hide and seek. Charlie looks happier than she has in a long time. She didn’t have many friends at home. Especially considering Craig never let me have friends, so it was hard to schedule play dates for her growing up.
Finally, the kids start piling into the house and getting ready for sleep. Charlie runs up to me followed by a brown-haired girl who is seemingly waiting for her. “Momma! Can I sleep in the kid’s room tonight?”
I raise my brow and look over at Hunter. “Is there room for her?”
He nods. “It is at the other end of the house. They have an entire wing to themselves filled with beds and toys for all of them.”
I bite my lip, and he sees my hesitation. “Would you like to see it?” Hunter asks, rising from his chair.
I nod. “Please.”
We make our way inside and go through the living room and take a left. Laughter booms from the other side of the door at the end of the hallway, and I can’t help but smile.
Hunter opens up the door and lets us walk in first. The room has multiple bunk beds along the back wall and an entire play area to the right. Children ranging from babies to six or seven run around the room, playing various things.
Sam stands by one of the cribs with a baby in her arms. “Simmer down, children. It is almost time for bed,” she hollers at them.
Then she spots us and smiles. “Hey, guys. You going to let little Charlie come hang out in here tonight? The girls have been begging for her to stay with us since she got here” she laughs. “I am on duty with the kids tonight so she will be perfectly safe!”
I look over at Hunter and then at Charlie, who is standing next to me in anticipation. How am I supposed to say no to a face that looks like that?
I lean down and cup her cheek. “Are you sure that is what you want?”
She nods frantically and looks over her shoulder at her friend. She holds out her hand to her new friend and says, “Come on! Let’s go!” and they both race to the other side of the room.
Hunter chuckles from the doorway. “Looks like they are excited to go to bed.”
“More like excited to have a sleepover. Charlie has never had a sleepover before so this is her first one.”
He gives me a sad look and I can’t stand it so I look away. “Are you ready to go wash up from the day and get to bed?” he asks.
I tilt my head, studying him. “I do need a shower, but what will you be doing in the meantime?”
A low chuckle rumbles from his chest, the sound easing some of the tension between us.“I will take a shower in the hallway bathroom. Don’t worry.”
Bite back a smile and follow him out the door. “Okay.”
An hour later, I am washed and dried and my teeth are brushed. I checked in on Charlie to make sure she was ready for bed, and she was already fast asleep. I guess the fun from the day really tired her out.
I creep back down the hall toward Hunter’s bedroom and nearly bang right into him when he opens the guest bathroom door in the hall. “Woah,” he says, stopping me from colliding with his rock-hard body.
I blush and look at the floor. The way the water drops are glistening off his chest is making me salivate, and that is embarrassing. “I’m so sorry.”
He chuckles and starts walking down the hall; his wet feet make sloppy footprints each step he takes. Someone is going to slip and fall from those. I follow behind him until we are both inside his room and expect him to go to the bathroom to get changed. But he drops his towel as soon as the door clicks behind me and puts on a pair of underwear.
I saw it all. The way his cock hung low, and the head was pierced. It even looked like something was tattooed along the side of it. I am caught in the act of still looking at his crotch when he clears his throat and crosses his arms in front of him. “Do you want me to take it out again?”
I shake my head and take a step back. “No! I… I’m sorry, it just caught me off guard.” Feeling him through his pants on the side of the road is a little different then seeing it out in the open. And that piercing looks intimidating as hell.