Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Hunter
Rochelle forks some of the chocolate dessert into her mouth and wraps her lips around it, making a sound as delectable as the chocolate she is eating.
But the moan of pleasure is also just as seductive as when she purrs when I’m touching her, building her up and waiting for her to crash over the edge.
She looks up at me through hooded lashes as her foot rises and brushes against my inner thigh.
I lean back in my seat, gripping her ankle tightly under the table, I give her a look that promises if she pushes me any further, I’ll take her on top of this table.
She blushes, before setting down her fork and taking a sip of coffee.
She looks out across the view and my eyes follow her gaze.
The ferry lets off another group of people as boats drive back and forth across the harbor.
Birds fly high in the air as tourists and locals walk back and forth enjoying the pier, the surf, sand, and laid-back atmosphere the island has to offer.
Somehow, when you’re here, you forget that you’re in a big city like Orange County.
Only a 10-15 minute ferry ride across the bay, and actually attached to Newport Beach by freeway if you want to forgo the boat altogether, the island feels detached enough to slow you down, but plenty engaged with California life to keep you going all night.
“I like it here,” she says, as the breeze blows in through the open window and flutters her hair about her face.
“Me too,” I confess as she glances back my way.
“Edward and Sylvia have a house on the island. We’ve been coming here since I was a kid.
When we wanted to escape the crazy downtown LA life, they would pack us all up and bring us here to relax.
I know this island like the back of my hand.
I spent many nights exploring the streets after the sun would go down and the tourists would leave. It’s like a second home.”
“Then why did you get an apartment in Huntington Beach if you had a place here you could stay at?”
I shrug. “Have you ever wanted to escape and make a name for yourself? Not live under the thumb of what others wanted for your life? Not walk in the shadows of their footprints? That’s why I guess. How about you? What made you leave Georgia?”
Startled, she looks down at her plate and bites her lip. Maybe I crossed a line. But I don’t take it back, because I want to know more about her, a lot more.
“That’s complicated,” she says before she busies herself with slicing another bite of dessert.
“How complicated?”
She stills and doesn’t move for a moment, before quickly taking a bite and looking out across the view again.
“Who are Edward and Sylvia?” She asks, avoiding the question.
I grin, and decide to let her win. “My parent’s best friends. They grew up together and built an empire here in LA, I guess you could say.”
“You grew up living with your parent’s best friends?” She asks confused. With a heavy sigh, I open up to her more than I have to anyone in a long time.
“My parents died when I was ten. I was an only child, and there was no immediate family to claim me, so…” I trail off. Her face grows sorrowful. I shrug. “I don’t talk about it much.”
“That must have been hard,” she whispers. “How did you make it through something so tragic?”
“We’ve all walked a shitty path at least once in our lives, I guess you could say mine just happened to come sooner rather than later.”
She clears her throat as the conversation turns too serious for either one of us and sits up straight.
“Is Edward and Sylvia’s house close to here?” She asks, changing the subject yet again.
Leaning forward, I pick up my fork and take a bite of the dessert in the center of the table.
“About a ten minute walk actually.”
“Really?” She perks up and licks her licks. “Do you have a key?”
I laugh at her and fork another bite of dessert into my mouth. “I thought the whole idea of this night was getting us out, yet you’re already so anxious to lock us back in?”
“No, you’re right,” she nods, before taking another bite of chocolate cake. “I was just curious, that’s all.”
“Tell you what,” I say as I fish out my wallet and look at the bill the waiter dropped off a few moments earlier. “You let me walk you around the island, show you a few things, and I’ll make sure we end up there last. How about that?”
Throwing a couple of bills on the table, she smiles. “I’d say that’s a deal!”
I finish paying the bill, and we both rise from the table. Taking her hand in mine, I turn to leave, but someone behind us shouts my name and I come to a halt.
“Hunter Alexander!”
Turning, Edward’s best friend, Charles, makes his way across the dining room. Tiffany, his only daughter, is hot on his heels. A dangerous fire burns bright in her violent eyes when she sees who I am here with.
I clear my throat, “Hey Charles.” Extending my hand, he takes it and gives me a firm handshake before grabbing both of his lapels on his coat. “Didn’t think I would bump into you tonight, how was Hawaii?”
I haven’t seen Charles in close to three months, probably because I have been avoiding Hollywood like the plague.
Last I spoke with the man in front of me, he was taking his family away for three weeks.
A month ago I had thought they were still gone to be honest until I heard what happened in the box seats between Rochelle and Tiffany.
A woman who is now standing behind her father and looking at my girl like if given the green light, she would scratch her eyes out for standing so close to me.
“Lord, has it been that long?” he questions, though he knows it has. “I guess so, huh? I thought I would see you at Ed and Sylvie’s annual Memorial Day party a few weeks back?”
He looks at Rochelle. Instinctively, I grab her hand and pull her flush against my side.
“I can see you’ve been busy.” He smiles impishly before extending his hand to her. “Charles O’Conner. And you are?”
“Rochelle,” she whispers shyly. “Rochelle Thomp…”
“We were just leaving,” I blurt out before she can say her last name.
Tiffany huffs behind her father and stomps her foot like a spoiled brat.
“Don’t mean to be rude, but we have a movie to catch,” I lie.
Looking at my wrist watch, I keep up the charade.
“And it looks like we’re already running late. ”
Charles nods and moves aside so we can make our way towards the front door. “Nice to meet you, Rochelle. Hunter did well for himself, seeing he has a beauty like you on his arm.” Tiffany rolls her eyes. “Will I see you next week at Ed and Sylvie’s anniversary dinner, Hunter?”
Fuck me, I knew I was forgetting something. “Yeah,” I mumble under my breath before glancing back over my shoulder. “I’ll be there.”
“Good,” Charles’ fatherly tone grates on my last nerve. “Make sure and bring Rochelle along. I am sure they’d be thrilled to meet her.”
His sarcastic tone doesn’t escape me, nor does it get past Rochelle as her hand tightens in mine. Turning, I meet Charle’s stare one final time.
“They would. Thank you for the tip. Now if you’ll excuse us, Charles. We have more important places to be.”
I give him and his daughter a curt nod, turn, and pull Rochelle out of the restaurant and into the sanctuary of night.