9. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Elena
W hen Hunter invited me to dinner on Valentine's Day, I was bowled over. After all the difficulties we've been through, he still wants to spend time with me on that special day. As usual, I'm overthinking it. I'm already planning the wedding in my head and hope Jenny can come be my maid of honor.
The day is here, but unfortunately, Hunter was called in the wee hours of the morning to cover for a colleague. That meant that I had to do my work, take care of Evie, and get ready for our date later in the afternoon.
I've managed to keep my medical transcription clients updated on their projects while dedicating only four hours a day. This allows me ample time to pick up Evie from the babysitter and take care of her in the afternoon.
Today turned out to be a messy day. I'm covered in finger paint, and so is Evie, but we were able to create some Valentine’s cards for her father. I'm a little tired, but my eagerness for my date with Hunter helped me get ready in no time.
By the time the clock strikes seven, I'm ready to go on my date. Hunter comes out of his room and looks strikingly handsome in his black suit and hot pink tie. The color suits him perfectly, and I can barely contain my admiration for him.
"You look beautiful, Elena."
"You look amazing, Hunter."
"You're going to love this restaurant. The captain suggested it, but I went to do a taste test during the week."
He approaches me and takes my hand in his.
"I want tonight to be magical for you."
"I don't need magic. I have you."
Oops, I think I said too much. I blush profusely and lower my face to hide my red cheeks, but he doesn't let me hide. He places his hand under my chin and lifts my face until I'm looking up at his beautiful emerald-green eyes.
I'm waiting for him to talk, but he seems to think it over and just stares at me. Then he lowers his face and gently kisses my lips. The kiss ends so fast it feels like it never happened, but my heart is racing, and my lower belly is tight with anticipation.
He still hasn't let go of my hand, and I feel him give it a little tug. At the door, he gets my coat and helps me put it on. Every part of my body that he touches while putting it on sends a frisson of electric energy through me.
Then, he tugs me toward his truck. I follow along because I'm a little shell-shocked by what his mere touch can do to my body and senses. He opens the passenger door for me, helps me up, and then buckles me in.
I have to confess that I love it every time he does this. It gives me a chance to get a little sniff of his masculine scent and whatever musky cologne he is wearing at the time. The moment is gone almost as fast as it occurs, and I'm left wanting more.
"Thanks for doing this, Hunter."
"I think this will be fun, although I'm sorry you had to work and then take care of Evie. I wasn't expecting to be called to the station."
"I guess it's part of being a firefighter."
"It is. But for some reason, I think Evie was a handful today."
"Don't worry, I'll clean everything up when we come back."
"Out of the question."
"You can help me if you want."
"That sounds better."
The drive is about 45 minutes long, and I wonder where this restaurant is located. It turns out it's almost at the border between Hope Peak and the next town over. From the outside, the restaurant looks modern enough, but when we enter, the transformation is impressive.
It's like I was in a restaurant in Italy—or rather, what I think a restaurant in Italy would look like. The checkered white and red tablecloths, beautiful vines going up and around the walls, and soft music transport me immediately to the Italian countryside.
Hunter says something to the host, and I expect to be seated at one of the tables on the main floor. However, as we follow the man, he takes us to the back and opens a door for us. The inside looks amazing. There are bouquets of red roses everywhere, and red rose petals are thrown all around.
The table is beautifully set, and there's a bucket of ice with what I assume is a champagne bottle chilling inside.
"Hunter, this is amazing!"
"I'm glad you like it. Here, let me help."
He pulls back the chair for me, and I sit down, but nothing can dim the stars in my eyes. This incredible man did this for me. Maybe he's beginning to have feelings for me, just as I do for him. I shake my head, not wanting to entertain any wild ideas.
"What was that?"
"Um, sorry. Just wanted to make sure this was real."
The server arrives, and we order a few items from their special menu along with some wine. We don't have to wait long before our food is served. I tell Hunter all about my day and how we made him some cards that he'll get to see when we're back home.
Home, I said home. I hope he doesn't notice the slip of my tongue. His expression doesn't change, so I move along and keep talking. At this point, I think I'm babbling more than anything; then he interrupts me.
"Would you like to dance?"
I'm surprised at the offer, but he gets up and extends his hand to me. I know what's about to happen when I place my hand in his; there's going to be that spark between us. Every time it occurs, I think I've imagined it. I place my hand in his, and there it is.
This time, I see it in his eyes. He's felt it, too, but he's too much of a gentleman to say anything. He pulls me toward him and catches me in his arms. All I can do is wrap my arms around his neck and try not to swoon. I've only been this close to him a few times.
His body is like a furnace, emitting heat so strong that it surrounds me and starts to melt me away. I just hope my heart isn't affected the same way my body is. We sway to the music for a few minutes. I can't take my eyes off his chiseled jaw, and my fingers keep teasing the ends of his hair at the back of his head.
If he lets his hair grow any longer, those reddish-bronze locks will curl, but I have a feeling he prefers a buzz cut.
"I have a confession to make, Elena."
I tense up immediately. What does this man have to say to me?
"Relax, sweetie, it's nothing bad. I just wanted you to know that I'm glad I didn't send you away that first day. Every day, I get to know a little bit more about you, and I like it. A lot."
His words make a shiver go through me. Could he really mean it? He likes me? He's not just being nice? I'm speechless right now, so I just gulp noisily and keep swaying to the music. He brings his hand to my face and brushes my lower lip with his thumb.
This makes me open my mouth for him, and before I know it, he's kissing me in a way only he knows how. The type that makes my legs wobbly and my mind scrambled. Suddenly, my legs are wrapped around his waist, and he's holding my ass firmly in his hands.
The kiss becomes desperate and I cling to the man like I'm a koala bear and he is my tree. Suddenly, the server comes in and startles us—so much so that Hunter lets go of me, and I slip down from where I was perched and tumble backward.
I swear. I'm not an arsonist. But I knocked back into the candles, and they fell over onto the tablecloth, which quickly caught fire. Looking for something to put out the fire I throw the first liquid I find. It was a mistake; it was champagne, and the fire went wild.
Five minutes later, I'm in tears and completely soaked by the room's sprinklers. Hunter is talking to the manager, so I run out and leave him. I get a rideshare back to the house, and when I get there, I undress hastily and drop all the damaged clothes on the floor.
I fill the bathtub with hot water and add some salts and bubble bath gel, then I get in and start crying all over again. I need to leave Hunter. I am a complete menace to him, his daughter, and this entire town.
From my spot in the tub, I can hear Hunter's car arrive. When he comes in, he calls out to me, and I shout, "I'm here!" I don't really want to talk to him, but I guess it can't be avoided. When he opens the bathroom door, he looks relieved.
"You shouldn't have left like that."
I start ugly crying again and want to sink deep into the bathtub so he can't see me making a fool of myself. I almost do it when he puts a hand on my shoulder. The spark doesn't happen this time. Maybe it's the humidity.
"It was an accident." He squeezes my shoulder. "It's okay, Elena."
"Not after everything that's happened, Hunter. It's too much."
"How long have you been in that tub?"
"Not nearly long enough."
When he leaves the bathroom, I become despondent. I should get out of this tub and start packing, but I can't move. I'm surprised when Hunter returns. He has a big, fluffy white towel in his hands. He walks up to the tub and opens the towel.
"Come on, that water is probably cold by now. I took a while to talk to everyone at the restaurant, and then my coworkers showed up and started giving me grief. Otherwise, I would have been here sooner."
I eye him warily. I'm stark naked here, and he expects me to walk into that towel? What if he doesn't like my curves?
"Maybe you should turn around?"
"Let's compromise. I'll close my eyes."
He scrunches his eyes like he's making this big effort, and I can't help but giggle. I step into the towel and try to yank it from his hands. He has other ideas in mind and closes his arms around me, securing me in a terrycloth burrito.
I bite my lip. This feels nice—being taken care of, I mean. I try to move around him, but he doesn't let me. Then I'm in his arms, bride-style, and he's walking towards the bedroom. I expect him to plop me on the bed, but he keeps walking and sits down in that cozy chair in his bedroom with me on his lap.
He looks fierce and handsome—all the good things I'm pretty sure I'm not allowed to have.
"No more tears."
His harsh tone startles me, but I watch his face, and I know he's not angry. I don't know why. He should be after everything I've put him through. I give an involuntary sob and cover my mouth with my hand.
"I need to find another place to stay."
He pulls me closer and rests my head on his shoulder. I'm exhausted, so I let myself relax a little in his arms.
"You're right where you need to be, Elena Peters."
"I'm sorry, Hunter. I think I've proven that I'm a danger to you and everyone around me."
"We'll go through the safety precautions again tomorrow."
"You don't…"
"This time, I was at fault as well. I got carried away with how hot and delicious you tasted and wasn't listening for anyone coming in. Plus, we were too close to the table. It could have happened to anyone."
"Did the fire department show?"
"Yeah."
He sounds funny when he says it, and I lift my face to look at him. The face he's made tells me precisely how much his coworkers must have teased him. I let out a deep sigh and rest my face against his shoulder again.
His fingers keep twirling up and down my arm, and I feel safe and loved for the first time in my life. I don't want this moment to end. Once more, I lift my head, but this time, I place a kiss on his beautiful chiseled jaw.
I swear this man looks like an Adonis. Unfortunately, I can't stop at one kiss and start a trail of kisses from his jaw all the way to his mouth. When I reach my destination, he turns to me and takes my lips with his. The kiss disarms me, and the fact that I'm naked with just a towel around me sends currents of desire throughout my body.
Realizing this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I move quickly to straddle him. Maybe if I'm the one doing the ravishing, he won't realize I'm innocent. I just don't want him to hold back because I'm inexperienced. I look down at him and take his face between my hands.
Our kiss becomes deep and soulful. His tongue dances playfully with mine, sending liquid heat coursing through my core. I hear sounds and then realize that it's me moaning. Hunter, however, remains a gentleman. We can't have that. I take his hands from my waist and place them on my thighs.
His hands are warm against my now dry skin. They're calloused from his work, and I don't mind the scratchy feeling; I rejoice in it. Hunter works a tough, dangerous job and does it exceptionally well. His captain had nothing but praise to give the day I met him.
Hunter is still being a gentleman, and I've about had it.
"Hunter, touch me. I need your hands all over my body."
He pulls back from our kiss and watches my face intently.
"Are you sure, Elena?"
"Never more sure about anything in my life."
To prove it to him, I move back a little and tug on the corner where the towel was tucked in, letting it fall down and leaving me completely naked in his arms. His eyes immediately dilate, and I hear a faint growl come from him.
I put my hands on his shoulders and start kissing him again. This time, my body is tingling because his hands are all over it. His touch drives me crazy, and pretty soon, I'm dry-humping him with all I've got.
We stop for a moment and I take the initiative and go to open his trousers. He had already shed his jacket and tie before coming in to see me. He helps me by lifting himself and lowering his pants and boxers. I'm impressed by the big erection he's sporting and lick my lips instinctively.
Boy, do I want to taste that beautiful cock, but first, I need it inside me desperately. Hunter sees this need on my face and swiftly slides inside me. I make a gasp, not of pleasure, but of pain. He stops his movement and brings my face to where he can see me properly.
"Elena, are you a virgin?"
I tremble in his arms but don't say anything. My eyes are closed as I try to get used to his size inside me.
"Elena…"
"Just love me, Hunter."
Hunter's breath comes out in a rush as if I've confirmed his suspicions, but he doesn't let me go. His hands move to my hips, gripping me tightly, which makes me feel secure in his arms. Then, I feel him leaving a trail of kisses down my neck and toward my shoulder.
"I think you can move now, Hunter."
My voice comes out breathless. A part of me wants us to be joined together like this forever. This carnal connection with him is something I never even thought was possible.
"Perhaps you should be the one to move. So you can take things at your own pace."
One of his hands slips from my hip and gently brushes down my cheek. I muster my courage and open my eyes. Hunter is entirely focused on me, which makes my heart melt just a little more for him. I nod in agreement and begin assessing my range of motion.
I'm totally filled by his large cock, and I rejoice in that feeling of being full. I lower my head and start placing small kisses all over his face.
"Help me," I tell him.
He seems to know what I mean by that instinctive cry for help and starts guiding my hips with his strong grip. I follow his guidance, tentatively at first, then when tremors of pleasure start awakening deep in my womb, where his cock is teasing, I start to take over.
"That's it, baby."
His words of encouragement make me blush, but I take it all in stride. My body is on fire, and I hear myself whimper every time he thrusts deep inside me. I don't know what happened to me, but I finally let myself go completely and start riding him vigorously.
I can feel the pleasure coiling inside me, approaching slowly but surely with every movement I make.
"Hunter, I feel it, but I can't reach it. Help me."
"Fuck."
He grabs me tightly and gets up from the chair. His pants and boxers are around his legs, so he kicks them off and then moves us to the bed. He places me gently in the middle, then takes off his shirt, so now we're both completely naked.
In a wanton move I never thought I'd do, I open my legs, offering myself to Hunter. He gets into the bed and caresses my legs up and down. My heart is beating fast, and I see he is also affected. I'm waiting for him to connect our bodies once more, but he hesitates.
He crawls on his hands and knees on the mattress and stops when his face is right between my legs. Is he? When he starts kissing my inner thigh, I realize he is going to kiss me in the most vulnerable part. And I am dying for him to do it.
"Hunter, please."
I don't care that I'm begging him. I need him to put his mouth on me and make me come.
"I've been dying to taste you, Elena."
He lowers his head and places kisses all over my mound. Around and around he goes but never reaches my slit, which is slick with my arousal. After torturing me for what seems like forever, he runs his tongue up and down my slit.
I almost jump out of the bed when I feel his delicious tongue against my tender skin, and I instinctively grab his head and try to pull it towards me.
"Mmmm, so sweet."
My face grows heated, and I imagine it must be red by now, but I love all the attention Hunter is giving me. I want him to touch me and kiss me everywhere. That's when he finds my clit and twirls it with his tongue.
The pleasure intensifies inside me, and when he inserts his fingers inside my channel, I become desperate for the inevitable explosion.
"Yes, Hunter, please!"
His fingers start a steady rhythm inside me, and he takes my clit in his mouth, sucking it gently. My hips begin to move against his face so that I'm basically fucking his face. That only seems to encourage him, and his movements become faster.
The coil inside me has finally gathered all the tension in my body and the explosion that follows makes me see stars. I scream Hunter's name, but he doesn't stop finger fucking me. He rides my orgasm with me until I can no longer stand to be touched.
Hunter looks up at me from between my legs and gives me a bright smile.
"You look beautiful when you come for me, baby."
He crawls up the bed and lies on his side next to me. I'm shy about looking at his naked body, but not for long. He's in perfect physical shape because of his job, and I want to run my hands all over him. Perhaps I want to mark what is mine. I think I'm getting ahead of myself, though.
I grab his hand and twine my fingers through his. I realize his cock is still very much hard and red and looks delicious. I lick my lips and try to be brave.
"Do you want me to…?"
"Not this time. I want to…"
"What?"
"We started this all wrong."
I tense up at his words. Does he regret this?
"Hey, no, it's nothing bad." He hesitates. "I should have worshipped you from the beginning, not start groping you like a caveman."
"Maybe I like you like that."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Yes. Come back here between my legs. I want to feel you inside me, filling me up to the hilt."
"You're not too sensitive or sore?"
"I want you, Hunter."
Hunter wants to take things slow this time, but I won't let him. I touch him brazenly, stoking his fires until he has no choice but to open my legs with his knees and thrust deep inside me. This time, the pressure is less, but I still feel completely full. I love the feeling.
He has no mercy on me. He starts moving in and out of me, every thrust bringing more and more pleasure. Pretty soon, the rhythm he keeps is punishing with how hard and fast he is fucking me, and I just grab on tight to him.
His body against mine feels like a furnace. We both start to perspire heavily, but I don't care. I reach out and lick his jawline, tasting the salty liquid and wishing I could lick him all over his body. As the pressure builds inside me, I find I can't focus on anything but the moment we are living in right now.
When I think I can't stand the delicious torture anymore, Hunter shifts my hips in a way that lets him delve even deeper inside me. That's when he reaches my G spot, and I almost jump out of the bed. It brings on a tsunami of pleasure inside me, and I burst into a million little pieces.
I think I scratched Hunter's back pretty badly, but I still didn't let go because I wanted to feel him come inside me. He didn't disappoint. A few seconds later, while I was still riding the coattails of my own orgasm, Hunter exploded inside me. I feel the warm liquid spurting inside me, and it makes me come again.
This time, my scream is silent, and I just hold on to my lover, the man I love. Hunter collapses on me, and I just revel in this delicious feeling of being completely sexually sated. When he starts to move off me, he has to struggle a bit to get me to release him.
He lies on his back and then pulls me into his arms. We stay silent while our breaths even out, and I become a little shy. I don't know what to say about this beautiful experience. What comes out is clumsy, but it's the truth.
"Hunter, I'm dripping."
He sits up and looks between my legs, then makes as if to try and push his seed back inside me. I don't know why that turns me on, but it does. He leaves the bed, then comes back with a warm, damp towel and cleans me tenderly between my legs.
I find myself back in his arms, and this time, he pulls the sheet over us.
"Thank you for letting me be your first, Elena. You won't regret it."
I doubt I'll regret it. But later, my heart aches again when I go to the kitchen to warm some milk, and it boils over, leaving burnt stains all over the stove.