Chapter 19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Hunter
“You’re cheating,” Josie said. I’d brought my laptop to the beach. We had two days of our honeymoon left, and I just wanted to get a head start on the emails.
“Just checking on a few things to make sure there’s nothing urgent.”
“I’m not checking anything until I’m in my office. I love being a lawyer, but I apparently love taking a break more. And I have to thank my husband for helping me make that discovery about myself.”
I chuckled. I was so proud of her for making it so far. Josie had hustled just as much as I had. Between the two of us, we’d probably covered about every student job there was in this city.
She glanced at my screen. “That project looks sexy. What is it?”
“A school.”
“It’s a charity project, right?”
I nodded. The company made enough profit that we built one or two buildings for charity a year. This was a public school. The Ballroom Galas also gathered funds for this project.
“Can I ask you something? How come you’ve gone into real estate? I’m sure you haven’t made things easier for yourself.”
I hadn’t. People still associated the name Caldwell with the huge real estate developer who went bankrupt more than fifteen years ago.
“You know me, I never choose the easier way.” I could have left it at that, but something in Josie’s expression beckoned me to open up.
“I’ve always liked Dad’s work. He put everything he had in it, and I’m not talking about money.
It was who he was. He was proud of it, and I spent most of my childhood in his office, watching mock-ups, listening to him explain the ins and out of the business. ”
Josie kissed my shoulder, skimming her lips up and down my arm. This newfound closeness between us made it so easy to keep talking, even about things I hadn’t spoken about before—not because I had anything to hide, but it put me in a mood.
“My dad actually started this school project years ago. It took a while to sort out the legal issues and get all the permits to build, but we got the green light last year.”
“Do you need a hand?”
“You want to get involved?”
“Sounds like you need a lawyer for all those permits. I have contacts.”
The company had enough lawyers, but I wanted Josie to be part of this. I’d always liked working with my cousins, but the thought of Josie being on it too filled me with a sense of joy unlike anything I’d ever felt.
“I’d love that.”
“Just hit me up with whatever you need. Have your people email it to me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I glanced at the screen again, but I couldn’t focus. To the hell with it. Everything could wait until I was back from the honeymoon. I shut the laptop, putting it to one side.
“That was awfully quick.”
Even though her face was buried in my arm, I felt her lips curl into a sly smile against my skin.
“Someone’s demanding my attention.”
“Who could that be?” she murmured.
“My wife.”
“This wife of yours is a pest, isn’t she?”
“Not at all. She’s smart, fun, and I can’t get enough of her.”
She wiggled her ass. I scooped her up, bringing her into my lap.
“Sounds like you like her,” she said on a grin.
“Very much. I think it’s time I showed her, just so I don’t leave room for any doubt.”
Her grin widened even more. “Excellent idea.”
Departure day came all too soon. Josie was in a bad mood while we packed. She slammed her suitcase shut, cursing when the zipper wouldn’t budge. I offered to close it for her before she ripped it.
She took a long shower afterward. I surprised her by ordering a slice of her favorite hazelnut cake.
“What’s this?” she asked when she returned to the bedroom.
“I ordered it for you. I’m expecting you to spit fire any second now.”
She gave me a sheepish smile. “Sorry… I’m usually cranky on the last vacation day.”
I tapped my temple. “Learned that today. Stored it right here for future reference. I’ll make sure you start your day with cake.”
“Fair warning, it might get worse once we’re at home.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Her mood improved from the shot of sugar. She snapped a few pictures on the way out of the hotel.
She slept on the first leg of the journey, but when she woke up, she was moody again. Didn’t smile, didn’t joke.
“You okay, Josie?”
“Yes, just a bit nervous. Managed to forget about the immigration services and everything while we were away, but now I can’t help imagining doomsday scenarios.”
“Have you thought about the annulment? I can still make it happen.”
Say no. Say no .
Just the thought of her saying yes made me feel as if the rug had been swept from under me and I’d plowed face-first into a wall.
“The annulment,” she repeated.
I straightened in my seat, nodding. “Yes. I can ask my lawyers to have everything ready by the time we land.”
“Is this what you want?”
No. A million times no .
Since we decided to go through with this, all I’ve wanted was to keep Josie, and that feeling had intensified after the honeymoon. But I needed to at least attempt to do the right thing.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about you feeling comfortable. I’ll deal with the fallout. I don’t want you to feel pressured. Josie, I swear I’ll understand if you want to get that annulment. Nothing will change between us.”
“I said I’d help. I’m not going back on my word,” she snapped.
Instead of feeling relieved that she didn’t want an annulment, I was even more unsettled than before, because somehow things were worse between us than before we had this conversation.
She placed headphones over her ears, pulling up a movie on the screen.
When we arrived at the house, there was still tension between us. It wasn’t my style to ignore a problem or tiptoe around it, so after dinner, I cornered her in the kitchen. She was making tea for herself. I stood right beside her.
“Josie, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’ve been snappy with me ever since we talked about the annulment. If that’s what you want, say it. I don’t want you to keep doing this just because you gave me your word. That’s a bullshit reason to do anything.”
Her eyes flashed. “Keeping a promise is bullshit?”
“That’s not what I mean. Going through with something difficult just because you gave your word is… necessary sometimes, but not with us. You’re mad at me.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Why do you think?”
“I have no clue, or I wouldn’t be asking you.”
She was pissed, but so was I. I didn’t like guessing games.
“You brought up the annulment as if… as if it was nothing.”
She blew out a breath, blinking fast. It occurred to me that she wasn’t playing games. She just didn’t know how I felt. Probably thought the annulment didn’t matter to me either way.
“Look at me.” My voice was determined, but she kept staring over my shoulder. “Josie…”
She sucked in a breath when I touched her jaw, tilting her head until we had eye contact.
“It’s not nothing. I don’t know what I’d do if you said yes, because I need you. I want you.”
She sucked in a breath. Her eyes were searching me, uncertain. I wanted to erase any doubt. I cupped her head with both hands, pressing her in that corner, between the counter and the wall.
“Things changed between us, Josie, and I like the way they are. I fucking love it. Being with you, sharing my life with you… it’s incredible.
You are incredible. I’m the luckiest bastard on earth.
I don’t know what I did to deserve this, or what this will mean for us…
for our friendship, but I don’t want to give it up, okay? ”
Josie
God, the way he was looking at me… as if I was the only woman in the world.
“Okay.” I nodded, just in case I’d spoken too low for him to hear.
He’d seen right through me, and I felt raw, exposed.
When he’d brought up the annulment, I’d felt as if I’d been slapped.
I’d been so afraid that I was the only one whose feelings had changed that I didn’t even know what to do or say.
But he wanted me. He wanted us .
Hunter drew his thumb over my lower lip before claiming my mouth.
He hadn’t kissed me since we woke up this morning, which was far too long.
I gave in to his kiss, responding to his passion with fervor, wanting to give him everything he demanded.
When we pulled apart, I was torn. I wanted to kiss him, but I didn’t want to break eye contact because that look just about brought me to my knees.
So much warmth and affection underneath all the passion.
I wanted to indulge in it for as long as he was mine.
He kissed me again, scooping me up in his arms, carrying me to the master bedroom. I touched his arms, the planes of his chest and shoulders, wanting to rid him of all clothes. But where I was hurrying, Hunter slowed us down.
After ridding me of an item of clothing, he covered my skin with kisses.
When I was only wearing panties, he took a step back, looking me up and down.
All my nerve endings were burning in anticipation, and when he removed my panties too, I jumped right in his arms. He was naked already, his cock wedged between us.
We tumbled on the bed, laughing. He pinned my hands at the sides of my head, kissing me so ferociously that I moaned against his mouth.
Life with this man was exhilarating. Being his wife was nothing like I’d imagined, and I meant that in the best possible way.
With every kiss, he made me feel alive, adored…
claimed . With every day we spent together, I discovered new sides to him, despite having known him for fifteen years, and the more I discovered, the deeper I fell into him.
“What are you thinking about?” he murmured, touching my cheek, kissing down my jaw, my neck.
See ? He could tell my mind was racing at one hundred miles an hour.
“You.”
He smiled against my belly. “I like that answer.”
He went even further down, and when he drew his tongue along my opening, pleasure shot through me. He kissed me until I was writhing under him, and then he climbed over me, thrusting inside me.
I gasped, moving my pelvis to accommodate him before digging my heels in the mattress for better leverage.
We moved in sync, both of us desperate for release, desperate for each other.
Hunter kissed my neck and shoulders while he gripped one ass cheek in his hand, moving me at an angle that allowed him so deep inside me, it spurred the tremors of pleasure.
I shuddered, feeling tension gather in my lower body, spreading through me.
He brought me closer to the edge with every thrust, every kiss.
When he brought his hand between us, touching my clit, I couldn’t take the tension anymore.
“Hunter… please.”
“I want to feel you come all around me, babe. But not yet.”
He pulled out, despite my protests, kissing down my chest again, down my belly, stopping just above my pubic bone.
Then he continued the delicious torture by kissing my inner thighs, raining kisses all the way to my ankles.
I wanted him so much that I was certain I was going to do something wild if he kept at it.
As if knowing what I was thinking, he grinned wolfishly at me, moving further up, closer to me.
But instead of entering me, he turned me on my belly.
I felt the tip of his nose along my spine, then his mouth.
“Spread your legs,” he said in a low, gruff voice. I did as he said, swallowing hard against the pillow. When I felt him slide inside me, I saw stars. It felt even more intense than before. How was this possible?
I climaxed so hard, growing so tight that I felt every delicious inch of him. I moved my hips faster and faster until he came too, grunting out my name, gripping my hips possessively, driving inside me, squeezing every drop of pleasure.
I couldn’t think for what felt like hours, could barely breathe. Hunter remained on top of me, caressing the side of my breast and waist, whispering sweet nothings.
When we finally dragged ourselves to the shower, I felt wide awake. The time-zone difference was no joke.
“It’s a good thing we have two days to recover from the jetlag,” I said as we climbed back into bed.
“Or… you could skip work on Monday.”
“Never.”
“Want me to take that as a challenge?”
This banter, and even the intimacy felt different than on our honeymoon. I couldn’t say why, but I loved it.
I feigned a shudder… but couldn’t help smiling. “Oh God no. You have a habit of getting your way when you do that.”
He smiled wolfishly before pulling me under him, kissing me so hard that I knew he’d taken it as a challenge anyway.