Chapter 20 #2
“Well, we weren’t fake making love, were we, Gina?” He puts the basket in the back of the jeep and pulls me into him. His warm touch feels right as he runs his fingers down the side of my arms.
“I mean… no. But we are fake dating.”
“You’re my fake girlfriend because of the paparazzi. But you’re my real lover.”
“Because of what?”
“Because I like you,” he says softly. “Because I think you’re beautiful. Because I think you’re funny.”
“You think I possibly stole your grandma’s necklace, though.”
“I don’t think you stole my grandma’s necklace.”
“So you’re going on record saying that?” I grin as I shift closer to him. Our bodies are touching now.
“I’m going on record saying that.”
“So, you think I’m a good person, then?”
“I wouldn’t have slept with you if I didn’t think you were a good person.”
“Oh, really? You wouldn’t have slept with me just because you thought I was beautiful?”
“Maybe the old Hunter would’ve slept with you because he thought you were beautiful and sexy. Shit, I want to make love to you right now.”
“But we’re not even at the beach yet.”
“Have you ever made love in a Jeep, Gina?”
“We cannot—”
“What?” he says, pulling his shirt off.
“Hunter!”
“What?” He leans over, and his hand slides up my thigh.
“Hunter,” I say. “I’m not about to make love in your Jeep.”
“Why not?”
“Because we were going to the beach, and I’m hungry, and you have a picnic.”
“And you’re not hungry for me?”
“No, I’m not hungry for you. I’m hungry for something delicious to eat.” I start laughing.
“But I’ve heard I taste delicious.”
“You taste semi-delicious.”
“Ah, so you do remember.”
“I mean, you’re kind of salty, though.” I lick my lips. “And right now, I want something sweet.”
“You, darling,” he says, pressing his lips against the side of my face. “You’re very sweet. And I’m also craving sweet,” he purrs against my ear.
“I want to eat you right now. Maybe you can eat the sandwiches, and I can eat you for lunch.” I glance at him, eyes wide, heart thudding.
“You really want to eat me for lunch?”
“I can’t think of anything more delicious.
Can you?” I take a deep breath and grab his face and kiss him.
I’m falling for this man. I love the way that he wants me.
I love the way that he implicitly trusts me.
I love the way that he makes me feel. I feel warm by his side.
I feel wanted. And that’s something I never felt with Patrick. I can be myself with him.
And yet, I wonder how he will feel when he knows the truth.
I wonder how he will feel when he knows the real purpose for me being here. I need to speak to Emma. I have to figure out what to do. I can’t afford to lose my job. I thought I was a good reporter. I thought I was a good person. But I—
“You look like you’re in another world right now,” he says, pulling me back. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. There’s just so much going on. Your grandma’s missing necklace and your grandparents’ love story and our fake relationship—but our real sex—and I just feel a little overwhelmed.”
“I’m sorry,” he says gently. “Let’s eat food and then just enjoy the afternoon. This evening, we can start working on everything else.”
“Okay. Thanks.” We get into the jeep and buckle up. As he starts the car, my phone starts ringing again. I’m nervous that it’s Holly, but not anymore enthused when I see it’s my sister.
“Do you mind if I answer this?”
“Not at all.”
“Hey, Tina. Is everything okay?”
“Hey. Yeah. I just wanted to say thanks for the other night.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“It was really nice of you to come over. I think I’m on my period right now, and I probably overreacted.” I feel cold inside at her tone and words.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I think I was just really emotional. Garth thinks that I overreacted because of that. You know how hormones are, and I agree with him. So, we’re booking a trip to Tahiti.”
“What are you saying, Tina? I thought he was in rehab.”
“Oh, he doesn’t have a problem. He only drinks a couple of beers at night.
That’s nothing. I drink a glass of wine every night.
” I press my lips together. I want to scream and shout at her, but I know that’s not the way to get through to her.
“I just wanted to say that I didn’t want you to be surprised when you come to Sunday dinner at the grandparents’.
Because he’ll be there. And I don’t want you to say anything to them. ”
“Tina—”
“Look, Gina. I know you don’t know what it’s like to be married. I know you don’t know what it’s like to be in a long-term relationship. But couples go through these things. And I’m really happy. My life is really good. I just want you to be happy for me.”
“I don’t know what to say, Tina. I—”
“Anyway, I have to go. I’ll speak to you later.” She hangs up.
I just stare at the phone and try not to cry. I can’t believe my sister tried to gaslight me and that she’s gaslighting herself.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I look over at Hunter, who is gazing at me with a worried expression.
“Uh-oh. What’s going on?”
“Fucking Garth is already out of rehab, and she’s like ‘he doesn’t have a problem.’ He fucking gaslit her into saying that she was overly emotional because she was on her fricking period. Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Oh, no,” he says quietly. “Is there anything that we can do?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been particularly close to my sister, but I just don’t know what to do. Oh!” I yell loudly. “I’m so frustrated right now.”
“Scream,” he says, stopping the car.
And I do. I scream as loud as I can and bang my hands against the dashboard. And it’s not just for Tina. It’s for myself. It’s for Holly. It’s for everything that I’m going through that I can’t quite figure out.
“Let it out, girl. I understand.” I look at him, and my heart breaks.
Because he has no clue. He has absolutely no clue. And that makes me feel like absolute shit. Because he is a good man. A really good man.
And I’m going to have to tell him the truth. Even if it makes him hate me.
I’m going to have to tell him the truth because one thing I know for certain is I’m not going to be the sort of person who goes behind someone else’s back.
It’s bad enough that I’ve been lying. But I’m not going to be the one thing he hates in life.
I’m not going to act like the paparazzi that’s hounding him.
If he tells me his story or not, I’m not going to the newspaper.
I’ll just have to figure out something else.
“Hey,” he says, squeezing my hand. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Will you come with me to dinner on Sunday? To my grandparents’ house?” I ask him, not even knowing where that came from.
“Of course. If you want me to.”
“I do. I just feel like I’m not going to be able to keep it together in front of everyone. And she doesn’t want me to tell my parents or my grandparents. And I just don’t know what to do.”
“I’ll be there for you. I’ll be your support. You’ve been mine.”
“I mean, I am your fake girlfriend because you thought—”
“You’ve been a support to me, Gina. More than you know.”
“Thanks, Hunter,” I say softly.“ Also… are we there yet?”
“What do you mean? We’re not at the beach yet.”
“I don’t care.” I pull off my top. His eyes widen, and he pulls over quickly.
“So we’re really going to do this?”
“I think so. If we are capable. I’m not as limber as I was when I was eighteen.”
“You’re only twenty-five now, Gina.”
“Yeah. So, let’s see what we can do.” I watch as he shifts his chair back.
I move over and get on top of him, slightly uncomfortable, but he leans his chair back slightly.
I reach down to unzip him and watch as his cock springs free.
Also hard and ready to see me. I lick my lips hungrily and press my mouth toward him.
I feel his hands move down the back of my skirt and squeeze my ass.
“I’m so glad you wore a skirt today,” he says. He slips his fingers to the front and slides my panties to the side. I feel his fingers rubbing my clit gently, and I rock back and forth as I feel myself growing wet.
“Fuck,” I whisper. “This is hot.”
“You’re so wet for me already,” he growls. He shifts back slightly, and I position myself over him and lower down.
“Oh, fuck yes,” he says. “You’re so tight.
You’re so wet.” I move my hips gently back and forth, loving the feel of him against me.
I lower myself onto his cock and moan loudly as he fills me up.
He grunts like a man in need as I bounce up and down on him.
He grabs my head and pulls my hair back.
Then he kisses me with everything he has in him. This is raw.
This is dynamite. This is what it means to just feel.
To be with someone. And it feels amazing.
As I feel myself coming, I grab on to his shoulders and bury my head against his neck.
He grabs my hips and moves me faster. Harder and faster.
Harder and faster. Until he stills and explodes inside of me.
I collapse against him, feeling alight with electricity.
We gaze at each other with wild, sultry eyes, and then he kisses me and runs his fingers through my hair. We both start laughing as we touch each other gently.
“Who knew?” he says.
“What?” I whisper.
“Who knew I’d meet a girl in a cupcake store and not even a couple of months later, she’d be riding me in the front of my Jeep.”
“Ha,” I say, laughing. “I guess he got lucky.”
“I guess I did.” He kisses me again, and my heart melts as he gently touches the side of my face. “I think we were meant to meet, Gina,” he says. “And you know what makes this even more perfect?”
“What?” I ask, whispering against his lips.
“The fact that our meet-cute wasn’t perfect. It was perfect for us, but it was crazy. I think it’s a story that I will enjoy telling for a number of years.”
“Me, too,” I say. Though I can’t quite share the joy he’s expressing. Because he doesn’t know everything. And I don’t know if he’s going to look at me the same way once he realizes the truth about who I really am.