Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Hunter
“Are you sure you don’t mind?” I ask, putting my truck into park outside Matilda’s house before turning to Walt. “I can always come and pick you up later.”
My uncle lets out an exasperated sigh. “For the hundredth time, no, Hunter, I don’t mind. What I do mind is you constantly asking me if I’m sure.”
I frown, guilt wedged thick in my throat.
I wouldn’t normally be asking Walt to stay away from home for the night, but it’s Valentine’s Day, and I have this whole romantic evening planned for Elliot. I adore my uncle, but the last thing I want or need is Walt being nosy or Elliot feeling like he needs to be quiet.
He’s still learning he can be himself around Walt. We’ve had several dinners together since that first night, but I guess after years of masking, it’s a hard habit to break.
“I don’t mind because Matilda has made a stew, and I’ve promised to make her waffles in the morning,” Walt adds.
“You and that fucking stew,” I mutter under my breath with a smile.
He playfully swats my arm with the back of his hand. “It’s my favorite. Back off.”
Laughing, I hold my hands up in defense. “Okay. Well, call me if you need me.”
“I won’t, but okay.” He opens the door and slowly climbs out.
He turns to grab the bouquet of flowers from the footwell we grabbed on the way over.
Before closing the door, he looks at me and says, “Spoil that boy, okay? I have a feeling he’s got a lot of love to give, and you’re a lucky guy to be on the receiving end of it.
” He pauses before adding, “And you deserve it, Hunter. It’s okay if you don’t believe me when I say it, but it’s true.
One day, you’ll realize I’m right. So, allow it.
Lean into it. And whatever you do, don’t fuck it up. ” He grins, and I can’t help but laugh.
“Okay, okay.” I wave him off lovingly. “Fuck off already.”
“I’m going. Give me a chance,” he grumbles before shutting the door. He lifts his hand in a wave, then flips me off.
I tip my head back and laugh, then, as always, I wait until he’s safely inside Matilda’s house before pulling away from the curb and heading home.
Since Elliot was cleared to play last week, I’ve hardly seen him between his game schedule and my shifts.
He’s only had one home game, and then he was on a three-game road trip.
They’re continuing to extend their lead in the Western Conference, and securing their spot in the playoffs is looking promising.
But I can sense Elliot is feeling cautious about reinjuring himself.
Sometimes, I catch him kneading the area around his knee with his fingers, almost in a way that he’s unaware he’s doing it.
Tonight, I want to try and help him forget about it. Give his brain a breather from hockey and the meetings he’s been having with a psychiatrist, which I know have been draining him. I want to make him feel good and show him how much I love him.
When I get home, I prepare the vegetables and get the steaks ready to grill before making crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms. I have Elliot’s favorite seltzer water stocked in the fridge, and I stopped by Jacob’s Delicious Desserts to pick up the lemon cheesecake Alex specially made for tonight after Elliot mentioned how much he loved it.
The knock on the door comes fifteen minutes later. I wash my hands and quickly make my way to the front door. The second I open it, Elliot launches himself at me and wraps his arms around my neck. I catch him as he hooks his legs around my hips.
“Hi,” he murmurs into the collar of my shirt.
I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to stop my grin from cracking my face. “Hey.”
Taking a step back, I close the door with my foot, then carry him into the living room. My hands travel up his back as he loosens his grip on me and drops his feet to the floor. Curving my hand around the back of his neck, I pull him closer and kiss him.
“Don’t go away for so long next time, yeah?” I say against his sexy lips.
He hums, a happy sound coming from deep in his chest. “You should come with me. Be my emotional-support Hunter.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Elliot smiles into the kiss, and when he lets go of my neck, I notice something in his hand. It looks like a rose wrapped in a clear film.
“What have you got there?” I ask.
He looks down at where he holds it between us, brows knitting in a thoughtful expression.
“So, I’ve got something for you, but I don’t want you to be mad at me or take this the wrong way.”
“Okay,” I say slowly, curious as to what it could be, but I know for certain I couldn’t be mad at him, regardless of what it is. I arch my brow playfully. “You didn’t steal an otter, did you?”
“No, but wouldn’t that be an epic surprise?” He laughs. “It’s no otter, but it’s… umm…”
He thrusts his hand out. I take it from him, and sure enough, it’s a single red rose. There’s no card or message written on the film, so I wait for him to speak.
“It’s for Duncan,” Elliot clarifies, and I freeze, my chest becoming impossibly tight at the implication. His gaze drops to the floor, his fingers nervously picking at his nails as he continues to speak, the speed of his voice picking up.
“I know this is probably weird, but I was thinking about how this is the first time I’ve been able to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
I’ve watched my brother celebrate with Alex, and I’ve been so excited.
I still am excited, but it also made me think about how Duncan didn’t know he wouldn’t get to spend another Valentine’s Day with you.
” His tongue darts out, swiping over his lips as he begins to shift on his feet, his nerves clearly visible.
“I don’t want to replace him. Not that I think that would happen, but I don’t want me being in your life to mean he should be forgotten.
Because he shouldn’t. He still deserves to be celebrated because the love you two shared was special, and I wanted to honor that.
” He sucks in a shaky breath and ducks his chin closer to his chest, almost in embarrassment.
“And I also kinda hope our love is a special kind of love too.”
My mouth drops open slightly as my heart begins to pound in my chest. The back of my eyes burns, and it becomes difficult to breathe.
I don’t know why I’m so surprised by this. Elliot has shown time and time again how sensitive he is. How he feels on such a deeper level. I mean, fuck, he cried at an episode of Pokémon the other week where the animated dog died of old age because he feels everything so much.
And here he is, on a day that is supposed to be about us and our relationship, being selfless and wanting to remember someone I lost.
Placing the rose down on the coffee table, I take his face in both hands and tilt his head up until he’s looking at me. My favorite pair of green eyes are glassy and brimming with emotion.
“El,” I say, and the word comes out like it’s being dragged across shards of glass. “I love you. So fucking much.”
He blinks away the tears forming in his eyes and whispers, “I love you too.”
I suck in a sharp breath, the burn in my lungs and throat increasing as I try to hold back my tears. I trace over his lips, and when he presses a kiss to the pad of my thumb, I give in and let a tear fall. He wraps his arms around me, tucking my head into his neck.
“I’m sorry I’ve upset you,” he says quietly.
I pull my head back and immediately shake my head.
“You haven’t upset me, El. I’m just… Fuck.
I’m so fucking touched. I didn’t think I could fall for you any more than I already have, then you go and prove me wrong, showing me how fucking big your heart is.
” I give my head another shake, this time in disbelief.
“You’re right, no one could replace Duncan, but no one could ever replace you either, El.
You’ve become like the air I need to breathe, and just because I’m widowed doesn’t mean I can’t love you just as hard. ”
A tear falls down his cheek. I quickly wipe it away with my thumb and slant my mouth over his, kissing him slowly but full of passion, telling him without words I would move heaven and earth for him.
“Hunter?” he murmurs against my lips.
“Yeah?”
“Can dinner wait until later?” he whispers.
Lifting my head, I nod. “Yeah, I hadn’t started cooking anyway, so I can always do it later.”
Elliot smiles. He takes my hand and leads me upstairs.
My bedside lamp is already on when we walk into my room, the curtains drawn closed.
He stops at the foot of my bed, then turns to face me.
His hands glide from my stomach and up over my pecs, his fingers grazing over my nipples through my shirt.
I stand stock-still as they continue their journey over my upper body, sliding around my neck before anchoring his fingers in my hair.
He pulls me down until he can capture my mouth with his.
I let out a deep, husky rumble in the back of my throat.
Our kisses become hungry, turning into something more desperate, and next thing I know, our clothes land in a pile on the floor.
Elliot turns his back toward me as he steps out of his jeans, and I almost swallow my tongue at the sight of him.
The navy blue jockstrap that emphasizes everything.
His long legs and strong thighs. The fullness of his ass.
“Fucking hell,” I growl under my breath. “Look at you.”
His smile is instant. Pressing a knee onto the bed, he crawls on and places his hands in front of him. He rolls his hips back, then spreads his legs out to the side in a perfect split.
“Fuckkk,” I groan.
He glances over his shoulder and winks. “Can I ride you like this?” he asks, all innocent, before bouncing his hips, giving me a preview.
“Yes. And in reverse,” I rasp. “I wanna watch my cock sink inside you every time you bounce, El.”
Goose bumps trickle across his skin as he shivers.
I quickly discard my boxers and kneel on the floor in front of the bed.
“Come here,” I demand.
Without moving out of his split position, Elliot shifts closer, then leans forward until he’s resting on his forearms. With my hands on his ass, I spread his cheeks and nuzzle my face into his crease.
I take a deep inhale, then lick a hot path over his hole with the flat of my tongue.
Elliot moans so loud, I feel it in my balls.
Fuck. Me. I’m so fucking addicted to him.
I continue to lick and suck on his hole, and when he relaxes, I push my tongue inside, smiling against his heated flesh as he groans and pushes back against my face.
Tugging the fabric of his jock aside, I take his hard cock in my hand and begin to stroke.
He thrusts into my fist, riding my face as I lap my tongue over his sensitive rim.
“Hunter,” he gasps, his thighs trembling against my biceps. “I’m gonna come.”
I pull my face away and stand. He lets out a whine and drops his head onto the mattress.
Rounding the bed, I settle against the pillows, then retrieve the bottle of lube from my nightstand.
I pour some into my palm and slick myself up, then take hold of my cock at the base and give it a small shake.
Elliot crawls up the bed, kicking off his jock and turning to give me his back. He throws his leg over mine, and he straddles my hips, then arches his back, giving me the perfect view of his ass.
Letting go of my cock, I knead his cheeks, squeezing the tight muscles.
Even though he’s still slick from my mouth, I apply lube to his hole before lining up the head of my cock.
Keeping one hand gripping my base, I place the other on his hip, guiding him as he lowers himself down.
A choked, raspy moan escapes my throat as I watch my cock slowly disappear into his ass.
My eyes roll to the back of my head at the feel of his muscles gripping me tight, threatening to squeeze my release right out of me.
Once his ass is pressed against my hips, he glances over his shoulder. His cheeks are flushed with arousal. Those lips that drive me wild are all swollen and wet.
“Hunter?” he says in a breath.
“Yeah?”
Placing his hands on my thighs for support, he lifts his hips slightly. He begins to stretch his legs out to the side like he did before. The deeper into the split he goes, the deeper my cock sinks into his ass, and then he smirks. “Are you ready?”