CHAPTER 42
Glorious Victory
Gabriela
In the two weeks leading up to the Panthers’ championship, Hunter was busier than ever.
If he wasn’t occupied with school and football games—home and away—then he was spending that time with Luna and me.
However, he was always so exhausted that our dates consisted of either hanging out at my place or his and often calling it an early night.
“Once all of this is over”—he yawned as we cuddled in bed—“I’ll take you out on a proper date.”
Though I loved a good party and an occasion to step out in my best attire, I enjoyed our cozy home dates immensely. There was something heartwarming in cooking for one another, watching TV with our Luna, working on our newfound artsy hobbies, and finishing the night wrapped up in each other’s arms.
My lips skimmed his stubbled cheek, pressing a kiss on the high point. “And where will you be taking me?”
“Anywhere you want, Gabby.” His tone was soft and tinged with sleep.
He tucked his face in my neck and I tightened my arms around him, embracing him like I was his protector.
Hunter might be bigger and stronger than me, yet oftentimes I found myself wanting to shield his pure soul from the eyes of this horrid world.
Hunter hugged me back and I combed my fingers through his washed strands.
I trimmed them the slightest bit tonight to remove any dead ends so his hair remained healthy as ever.
“But I…I was thinking of taking you to that upcoming masquerade ball.”
He must have overheard me telling Anna and Layla that I wanted to go. “Really?”
“Really.” He nuzzled my skin with a series of lazy kisses. “I’ve never cared to go to these kinds of events until you.”
Because I made him want to be seen. Tenderness unfurled in my chest. “I would be delighted to go with you.”
“And you’ll probably need a new gown so you can go shopping next week with my card,” he rasped. “Make sure you buy me a tie, doll. I want to match.”
I grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Gabby?” He was just about to doze off, slumber pulling at his lids and his deep voice slurring adorably.
When I was faced with this version of Hunter, I sometimes forgot that this was the same sinful, tattooed, alpha man who fucked me raw in various positions until I was screaming loud enough to have the neighbours knocking on our door, asking if we were okay.
“Yes, bello?”
“Tell me a dream of yours,” he whispered. “Something you want to accomplish in the next fifteen years.”
I asked him that same question weeks ago at Club Azul and his answer was imprinted inside of me. Gazing at the glow-in-the-dark Pegasus constellation on the ceiling, I pondered how to best say my truth. Finally, I whispered, “I want to be with you, Hunter. You’re my happily ever after.”
But he didn’t hear me.
His body had gone slack as he succumbed to a peaceful sleep, his arms curved around my body as if he was worried I’d drift away from him.
I wished I could muster the courage to tell him how I really felt.
How I loved him, how he was the center of my world, how he was my moon and I was his tides, forever gravitating towards him.
But still, an invisible force kept the words rooted deep in my core.
Maybe it was irrational, but I was aware that it was the overthinker in me—the one who wanted to do everything perfectly right.
And most importantly, the one who wanted to give Hunter a love confession that he would remember for decades to come.
This kind-hearted man had waited so long for me. It was the least he deserved.
I kissed Hunter’s forehead and eventually fell asleep too.
A few days later, we were on our way to meet Hunter’s family.
“I was right,” I said as he pulled his car into a circular driveway. “You really are a prince.”
The Warren mansion was colossal, located in a gated community on the East Side.
An imposing residence that screamed old money and was straight out of a fairy tale, with a manicured lawn and hedges, limestone fountain, and spotlights leading up to the front stairs.
There, both his sister, Heidi, and his mom, Hannah, awaited us with eager anticipation.
Hunter stepped out of the Jag and rounded the front to come to my side. He grabbed the flowers, the box of chocolates resting in my lap, and extended a gloved hand for me.
I ambled out in my six-inch stilettos and Hunter kissed the side of my head. “Ready?”
I dusted off my nerves and adjusted my red faux fur coat. “Ready.”
Heidi and Hannah met us halfway, buzzing with quiet excitement.
We exchanged greetings and hugs. A fuzzy feeling settled in my chest as I realized that I was essentially meeting my future in-laws. Hunter belonged to me. He was my destiny. Therefore, it was imperative I made a good, lasting impression on the women who raised him.
They were a lovely and welcoming bunch. The daughter and mother duo could easily pass for sisters and had this otherworldly, classy, model-like, dark-haired beauty that I’d only seen in the pages of my fashion magazines.
I told them they were gorgeous and they blushed.
Heidi told me it was nice to finally meet the girl her brother had been pining over for a year, to which I blushed.
And Hannah said that I was the first girl Hunter brought home, to which I cheekily replied that I would be the last.
They chuckled.
The Warren women proceeded to show me their home, old baby pictures of Hunter, and showered me with praise as we ate a fantastic four-course dinner.
The vain creature inside of me ate up the compliments with a spoon.
My future with them appeared bright. Our personalities meshed well and we’d already made plans to go get manicures and pedicures together next week.
“My goodness, you’re so cute and tiny. I just want to wrap you up in my arms and never let go,” Hannah said, snatching and squeezing me to her in a motherly gesture, right before we set up the table for dessert.
I hugged her back, touched by her sweetness.
She kissed my forehead. Hunter definitely got his affectionate side from her. “Like a doll.”
“That’s what I call her, Mom,” Hunter chimed in.
“As you should,” she told him and focused back on me. “You’re beautiful, Gabriela. Tell me; do you take after your mom or dad?”
“Thank you.” I smiled. “I get my height and my red hair from my mom. As for my looks, I’d say I’m a good mix between both parents.”
“Is that so?” She beamed. “Well, I would love to meet them one day.”
Everyone in the room sensed that it was a big step, but it was a step in the right direction nonetheless.
“My family would love to meet you and Heidi too. Once football season finishes—” I cast Hunter a meaningful glance over my shoulder and rephrased, “Once Hunter wins his trophy, I’ll set up a date. ”
“Once?”
“Yes. I’ve been going to Hunter’s games and he’s incredibly gifted. There’s no one like him. The only outcome is his team winning the championship.”
Her eyes twinkled with something like pride. “You’re so sure of him, huh?”
I heard a double entendre in her words. “If there’s one thing in my life I’m certain of, it’s Hunter.”
Including the love I harbour for him.
“Aren’t you two the cutest?” Hannah gushed. “Hunter, I really like her.”
Hunter watched us the entire time from his perch against the kitchen island counter, his strong arms crossed over his chest. There it was. That soft, possessive look that continuously did me in. “I really like her too.”
In my mind, I practically heard the word love substituted for like.
Two days later, while Hunter was gone for an away game, I was out gown shopping with Anna and Layla for the masquerade ball after finishing an in-class assignment. I made sure to buy a matching tie and two half-face masks for Hunter and me.
Goods secured! —Gabby
I texted him a picture of my shopping bags the minute I set foot in his apartment, using the key he gifted me to let myself in.
Hunter’s signature cologne lingered in the air.
I longed for him. Luna missed her daddy too.
The moment she crossed the threshold, she wandered over to lie down on Hunter’s couch… in the exact spot he always sat.
I joined her and snapped a picture of us, then sent it to him.
PS: Luna and I miss you —Gabby
His replies came forty-five minutes later, after his football game came to an end.
I miss my girls too. —Hunter
Can I call you? —Hunter
Yes —Gabby
I picked up on the first ring and held my phone in a way so he could see Luna too. “Hi, pretty boy,” I greeted. “How was your game?”
Usually, I tended to watch his away games on TV with the girls or on my phone if I was out and about. But I didn’t get the chance today due to my other commitments.
“Hi, baby.” He was bare-chested in a hotel room, with an ice pack over his shoulder, his torso half-propped up against a headboard. More longing unravelled inside of me. I wanted to be next to him. “Amazing. We crushed it.”
I yipped with excitement for him. Luna reared back at the unexpected sound, and Hunter laughed happily. “Congratulations, I knew you’d win!”
“Thank you, Gabby.” I loved the light blush on his face. “I’ll be back home tomorrow. I can’t wait to see you and Luna.”
“We can’t wait to see you either. When’s the final game?”
“In three days.”
“How are you feeling about it?”
Hunter had been confident all season long and I was relieved to hear he still felt that way when he said, “Like we’re going to bring the cup home. I can feel it in my bones.”
“That’s the spirit.” I sank deeper into his plush couch. “I wish I could have been there to see you play.”
If possible, I’d have booked a last-minute flight to be at Hunter’s game. He mentioned in the past that the away games were the toughest. At least on their home field, they had a boisterous crowd whose supportive energy fueled them on.
“I wish you could have been here too, but it’s okay. You’ll be there for the final game.”
Nothing would stop me from attending it. “I will. There’s no doubt, Hunt.”
His eyelids drooped and he licked his lips, inching me a hungry look I was all too acquainted with. “How was your assignment today?”
I swallowed, the heat from his stare nearly scalding me. “It went well. A solid A+ if I do say so myself.”
“Good girl.” His husky words washed over me and I immediately knew the conversation was about to veer in a whole other direction. “Is Luna occupied?”
I slyly threw her a glance. She comfortably lay in her princess-style bed, dozing off. “Yes.”
“I want you to go to my room, Gabriela.”
My blood thrummed in my veins. I stood up. Biting my lip, I walked towards his bedroom. “And?”
“Now I want you to strip until you’re naked and get under my sheets.” I saw his own hand moving south, roving over those hard stomach muscles. “Show me how much you miss me by playing with your tight little pussy.”
“You’re filthy, amore.” I stripped down to my birthday suit and did as my bossy boyfriend commanded.
“But you like this side of me, doll.”
I shook my head, getting under the covers. “No. I love this side of you.”
I love every part of you, Hunter.
Then we engaged in the hottest phone sex of my life.
Three days later, it was the big day.
The Panthers’ final game versus a rival university and the night where I would tell Hunter how I truly felt about him.
I had it all planned out. After the game and the party Josh hosted, we’d return to my apartment.
I decorated the whole place with balloons, a gold congratulations banner, and a makeshift indoor picnic with all of Hunter’s favourite foods.
I wanted to celebrate him—to make him feel as special as he was—and finish the night by making love to my star quarterback.
There was less than a minute left on the clock. The final quarter of the game was nearing its end. Breathless anticipation spread through the stadium crowd as the football lay in the rival team’s hands. The Panthers had a small lead. But if the opposition managed to score now, it would be over.
“Please, please, please,” I chanted under my breath, standing in the bleachers with Anna and Layla on either side of me. Heidi and Hannah were here too, a bit further down.
I was trying to remain optimistic. But as the clock trickled down, nervousness surged and expanded in my frame.
The tension was thick in the atmosphere.
Even from afar, I felt like I could sense Hunter’s despair. He and the whole team had worked so hard for this very moment. They couldn’t lose. They were so close to winning.
The coaching staff hollered something from the benches. The players on the field shouted something inaudible amongst themselves.
Then suddenly, it happened.
The center snapped the ball to Hunter.
With no other option, he decided to run it in himself.
The stadium erupted in cheers as Hunter crossed towards the endzone.
And right before the very last second, he scored a game-winning touchdown.
I thought my heart would burst out of my chest from sheer excitement.
The noise was deafening as the crowd roared to the rafters. The athletic staff exploded in congratulatory handshakes and the football players piled onto each other with excited shouts and cheers. Hunter was lifted into their arms and over their heads.
I snapped as many pictures as I possibly could of the surreal moment, making sure to zoom in on Hunter.
His black strands clung to his skull with sweat, droplets beading down his handsome face as he smiled with his boys.
That candid shot was now my lockscreen photo.
Pride like never before swelled in my chest. God, I was so happy for him. I just wanted to hug and kiss him right now.
As if he heard my call, Hunter broke away from the swarm. He hollered something over his shoulder to his teammates and jogged forward.
“Go!” Anna and Layla ushered me with smiles. “He’s coming for you.”
I didn’t need to be told twice.
I exited the row and rounded the front of the bleachers when Hunter reached me. “Gabriela!”
“Hunter!” I threw myself into his arms with a squeal and he caught me, spinning me around on the field with his own laughter marrying with mine.
My legs went around his waist and my hands cradled the back of his head as our mouths fused together in a scorching kiss before I pressed tiny pecks over his full lips.
“You did it.” Kiss. “You did it.” Kiss. “You did it.” Kiss. “I’m so proud of you, Hunter.” Kiss. “Congratulations, my love.”
A grin carved on his face. “Thank you, baby. I couldn’t have done it without my lucky charm.”
I smiled and pretended to play coy, pointing at myself. “Who? Me?”
He chuckled and kissed me again. “My goddess of victory, I told you. I’ve never lost a game since that faithful moonlit night.” He stroked a knuckle down my cheek. “And now that I have you? I doubt I ever will.”