Chapter 10
Hunter
I woke with Serenity still in my arms, but we were on our sides now, facing the window.
Bleary-eyed, I made out faint golden rays oozing from between the curtain folds.
I looked over at Bryce, still fast asleep on the lazy boy—his jacket spread across his chest like a blanket—and snorted at the only man I knew who would sleep in a ten-thousand-dollar suit.
And here I was, holding Serenity under the soft sheets.
We’d turned over in the night and were spooning without an inch of space between us.
My chest was hugging her back. Her butt was pressing against my crotch and I reveled in how it felt to be nestled against her.
But I eased my hips back a few inches, not wanting to alarm her if she woke and found my hard cock nudging her.
Somehow, in our slumber, our fingers had interlocked. I moved our interlaced hands closer around her stomach, savoring the feelings of closeness and connectedness. Those feelings were slowly healing pieces of my soul.
I felt unimaginable pride that she’d trusted me enough to get so close last night. Damn, I was a lucky man. She was such a strong, beautiful woman. Beautiful inside and out.
My heart glowed with a powerful warmth. I wanted to sleep beside her every night, in this same type of heavenly embrace. Protecting and comforting her each time she slept.
I made the decision right then to stop torturing myself, to stop holding myself back.
I’d pursue her as the woman I wanted by my side—now and forever—with clear intent.
If she allowed me, of course. And if she did agree, we’d still take it slow.
I wouldn’t pressure her or stress her out, but I had to let her know she owned me.
She was such a bright light in my life already.
If she wanted me, I’d be by her side, doing whatever I could to make sure that light flourished. Forever.
The night before, when she’d screamed and I’d burst through the door, I’d felt my jaguar clawing at my insides.
Desperate to connect with me. I’d felt him surge within my eyes, his powerful, cat-like reactions having helped me leap from my own bed and sprint to Serenity’s room so quickly. I knew he wanted her too.
But I’d forced him back into that mental jail cell I’d created, like I always did.
Even with that he’d still managed to slip out a few more times last night.
I wasn’t sure how much longer I could contain him, especially the closer I got to Serenity.
His yearning for her was only getting worse.
My fear wasn’t over any safety issues for Serenity—his devotion to her was palpable—but the other things he’d want.
Like reconnecting with Dagger. My jaguar would hound me about it—that was one of the reasons I’d shoved him in the cage to begin with—and I didn’t know if I could ever have a positive relationship with Dagger again.
Much less share a mental bond with him like we used to.
Sometimes I wished I’d just been born a human, or without a twin brother, or both.
But all the wishing in the world couldn’t alter the reality: my jaguar was growing impatient to be together with Serenity, and the animal inside me also wanted reconciliation with the man I’d once loved more than anyone in the world. I didn’t know if that could ever—
The front door’s security buzzer went off in the main living space, echoing faintly into this back bedroom.
Visitors? At this time in the morning? It rasped again.
And again. Incessantly, signaling whoever was downstairs had no intention of stopping.
An angry scenario flashed through my mind.
If that fuckface Conrad had somehow managed to find my address, I was about to go downstairs and punch every last ounce of blood from his body.
Serenity began stirring, her fingers slipping from my mine. “Is everything okay?” she mumbled.
I couldn’t stop myself from brushing the crown of her head with my lips, her delicate, womanly scent filling my nose as I lingered there.
“Of course.” I whispered softly. “Probably one of the dancers with an issue. Gigi, I bet. That girl has zero patience. Relax, try to sleep more. I’ll go handle it. ”
She didn’t reply but snuggled deeper into my arms.
Bryce had woken too. Rubbing his face, he slipped his jacket on and buttoned up his shirt to the top. “Could be a problem at Midas. My secretary knows I came over last night.”
“Oh, what if it’s—” Serenity suddenly shook her head, pulled herself away from me and scrambled out of bed. There was a look of worry in her eyes. “You don’t think that Conrad could’ve…”
“No, don’t worry. I’m sure it’s nothing.” I tried to give her a reassuring smile. “There’s a monitor to check who’s at the security door anyway. Nobody’s getting in unless we want them to.”
Serenity smoothed out her crinkled sleep shorts and tank, grabbed a hoodie and stuck close to me as we left her room.
We all walked into the living room, me scooping up the meowing Carrot as we went. Serenity and Bryce followed me to the security intercom by the elevator doors as Carrot rubbed her whiskery cheeks against mine, purring as I petted her.
Looking at the monitor and feeling myself scowl, I growled out our visitor’s identity to Bryce. “For fuck’s sake. It’s Dagger.”
What the fuck did he want? And at the ass crack of dawn too.
I pressed the intercom button and cursed him silently for disturbing what had been a peaceful and relaxing morning with Serenity. I growled out my questions. “What do you want? Do you know what time it is?”
The tone in his answer was just as salty. “Police business. Let me in, Hunt. I have to come up and ask a few questions.”
I paused, my finger hovering over the button to buzz him in.
“Hunt, let me in. This isn’t a request.”
Bryce chimed in from behind me, sighing. “You’d better let him in. He’ll just keep ringing the damn buzzer until you do.”
With gritted teeth, I pressed the button and watched him step into the elevator.
Serenity looked confused. “What’s going on? You know that policeman?”
Exhaling hard, I replied. “I should. He’s my goddamn brother.”