17. Hunter
Hunter
Ibreathe a sigh of relief when Sutton gives me a sultry smile and enters the bathroom. Her bottom half gets stuck in the doorway, so I give her a little push and close the door behind us.
“I’m never letting you choose the costumes ever again,” she says, trying to turn around to face me.
“Let me.” I rest my hand on the back of her neck, eliciting a sharp inhale. This woman reacts to me in such a visceral way. I can’t wait to see what other reactions I can get out of her.
Her hair is already twisted up into a bun, but I sweep a few stray hairs out of the way.
I turn off the air pump and pull the zipper down ever so slowly.
As soon as the airtight seal breaks, she deflates.
I turn her around and gently peel the costume from her shoulders until it hangs loosely around her hips.
“Now you,” she says, voice low and measured. My hat sits low on her head, casting her eyes in shadow.
I do as she says, and she deflates and unzips me. I’m about to turn around again when her hands press into my shoulder blades, then smooth down my bare arms.
“I love these,” she murmurs, her fingers skimming my biceps. Goosebumps follow in their wake. “Take mine off now.” Her voice is low.
I’ve never been submissive in the bedroom, but I’ll be damned if I don’t mind it with Sutton. I turn and push her suit down to her knees. When I take a knee to remove her shoes, I smile, seeing she’s wearing heeled boots. I slip them off, and she kicks the costume from her legs.
I go to stand up, but she threads her fingers through my hair.
I’m instant putty in her hands and lean my forehead against her stomach.
As if they have a mind of their own, my hands grasp her ankles and smooth up the expanse of her delicious legs.
I’ve dreamed about moments like this for as long as I can remember.
I’m about to slide my fingers under the hem of her oversized shirt when she presses her hands to mine.
“Wait.” There’s a slight tremor in her voice.
“I’m sorry.” I stare up at her with a smirk, trying to lessen the sudden tension in the room. “You won fair and square. I’ll be good now.”
“It’s not that.” Her cheeks flush a lovely red. “It’s that.” She motions to the door behind me. It’s then that the noise of the party penetrates through my Sutton-induced haze.
“Shit.” I stand quickly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have suggested—”
“No,” she says. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve just never done something like this in such a public place.”
She steps away and leans against the counter.
“Hey, come here.” I interlock our fingers and pull her to me. “You have no reason to be sorry.”
“I know I talk a big game, but . . .” Sutton buries her face in the crook of my shoulder and wraps her arms around my shoulders.
“But what?”
“What if I’m not enough?”
“Enough?” I wrap my hand around her waist and pull her more firmly into my embrace.
“Enough for you,” she whispers against my neck, her words barely audible.
My stomach drops, and I lift Sutton onto the counter. I step between her thighs and remove my hat so I can see her more clearly. “Sutton, what are you talking about?”
“Ugh.” She closes her eyes, groaning. “Nothing. Forget I said anything. I’m being silly.”
“No,” I say firmly enough that she opens her eyes, bringing them to mine. “We’re done with the not saying what we mean. We’ve done that for too damn long. Let’s go back to when we told each other everything. What do you mean you don’t think you’re enough for me?”
This time, her eyes don’t leave mine. “What if I’m not sexy enough or flirty enough or, you know, enough in the bedroom. It’s not like I have a ton of experience.”
My brows pinch together. “First of all,” I say, “I couldn’t give a shit less about any experience you may or may not have.
To be honest, if I think too hard about it, I’ll hunt each bastard down and put my fist through their face.
Second of all, a lot of women struggle to reach orgasm.
It doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. It means we have to find what makes you tick. ”
“Hunter,” she says. “I’m trying to be cool and confident, but inside I feel like a hurricane of insecurity and jealousy.”
I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “You think you’re the only one feeling this way?” My voice is quieter now, rougher. “You know how many times I’ve wondered if I’m too much?”
Her brows pull together as she rests her hands on my stomach.
I swallow, dragging a hand through my hair.
“Sutton, do you know how many times I’ve gone to bed wondering if all the people in this town will see me as nothing more than a guy who dates but never settles down?
” I huff a bitter laugh. “You think I haven’t wondered if that’s all you’ll ever see when you look at me? ”
She’s quiet, letting my words settle between us. “I’ll admit,” she says, “watching you date . . . well, let’s just say I’ve been a little angry at you for years.”
“You don’t say,” I give a sarcastic smirk.
She rolls her eyes. “I know, I didn’t do a very good job of hiding it. I spent years watching you move from relationship to relationship, wondering what I was doing wrong and why you never seemed to see me the way I wanted you to.”
Her lip quivers, and she looks down at the black and white patterned floor between us. “It was so hard,” she says, “having these feelings for you but also being too scared to do anything about them.”
“Sutton, I’ve always wanted you, but time was never on our side.
” I step even closer, tipping her chin up.
“It was the summer before your senior year. We were playing cards in the backyard, and you were kicking my ass like usual. That’s the day I knew my feelings for you were more than friends.
It was also the day I knew I couldn’t have you. ”
“I didn’t know,” she whispers. “I had no idea you felt that way.”
My thumb brushes her chin as I shake my head.
“You deserved to explore life without me and your brother cramping your style. I thought if I kept my distance, if I didn’t let myself want you too much, you’d be able to explore life the way you wanted to, and then eventually, we’d find our way to each other.
I just didn’t realize it would take this long.
And there was a time I thought I’d lost you completely. ”
Her lips part, gaze searching mine. “What do you mean?”
“Every time I saw you, I told myself I’d move on.
That you deserved better. That maybe I wasn’t meant to have the things I wanted most.” I take a deep breath.
The bathroom suddenly feels smaller somehow, the air thick with everything we’ve never said.
“Do you know how hard it was when you started dating Brandon? To know any dream I had of you and me ending up together was disappearing right before my eyes the longer you two were together?”
“Hunter.” My name comes out in a whisper.
My throat tightens. “When you called me the day you miscarried, I can’t even describe how that felt. To know that you were pregnant, even if only for a little while, with another man’s baby.”
Her breath hitches, and she grips my shirt, her fingers twisting into the fabric like she needs something to hold on to.
“And then”—I clear my throat—“in one horrific night, the Sutton I’ve always known disappeared, and I didn’t know how to reach you, didn’t know how to tell you I felt this way. But then last spring, it was around the anniversary of your dad’s death, you were having a really hard day so—”
She nods, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “I started staying over at your place more often.”
“Exactly.” I lower my head. “Why?”
“Being near you makes me feel safe.” Her voice is low and soft.
The noise from the party sounds through the door, but I don’t care. This bathroom has become our confessional, and I want to get everything out.
“You make me feel seen,” Sutton says. “I thought maybe, even if you didn’t see me how I saw you, that we could go back to being best friends like when we were kids, but then—”
“Colorado,” I finish for her.
She nods. “Colorado.”
The air between us shifts, thick with everything we’ve never said and kept hidden from the other.
Then, she moves.
Sutton grabs my shirt, yanks me toward her, and before I can take my next breath, her lips are on mine. It’s years of pent-up frustration, of missed chances, of heartbreak and longing all crashing into this one moment.
I groan against her mouth, my hands gripping her waist as she pulls me closer, her legs tightening against my hips. It’s messy, desperate like she’s trying to make up for all the time we lost. Like she finally understands.
When she breaks away, her forehead presses to mine, both of us panting.
“We wasted so much time.” Her voice trembles.
I cup her jaw, forcing her to look at me. “It wasn’t wasted time. It was time that you and I both needed to heal.”
She nods, something vulnerable and certain in her eyes.
Suddenly, a loud knock shakes the door. Sutton pulls away enough for us to catch our breath. The lingering tension hangs heavy in the air between us.
Before I can speak, Navy calls from the other side of the door. “I don’t know what’s happening in there, but y’all need to hurry up. There’s a line out here.”
Greer’s laughter carries through the door. “Told you they were having a moment.”
Sutton groans. “Kill me now.”
I chuckle, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “C’mon, babe. We better get back out there. I can only imagine what the rumor mill will be saying tomorrow.”
She straightens, rolling her eyes as she jumps from the counter, fixing the shirt dress of her backup Halloween costume. “Oh, now you care about rumors?”
I reach for her wrist before she moves too far. “Sutton.”
She looks back at me. Her emerald eyes shimmer with something deeper, drawing me in.
“We’re done wasting time.” My voice is low, steady, filled with resolve as I place my hat gently on her head. “I’m done.”
Her breath catches. A beat passes, and she nods, her expression softening. “Me too.”
“Ready?” I glance at our coordinating backup costumes and can’t help but grin. Mine says Peter Peter and Sutton’s has a jack-o’-lantern. Sutton bites her lip, holding back a laugh, and we open the bathroom door.
Navy and Greer wait on the other side with massive smiles.
“Nice of you to rejoin the party,” Navy teases, eyebrows raised practically to her hairline.
“Everything good?” Greer reaches forward to clasp Sutton’s hand in hers.
Sutton responds with a reassuring smile, her hand reaching back to grab mine. “It’s great.”
“What the hell?” Luke booms from the end of the hallway.
We all turn, confusion clouding our expressions.
“Shit is not fair,” he gestures toward Hunter and my costumes and rolls his eyes. He storms off toward the kitchen.
“Um, what was that about?” Sutton’s eyebrows knit together.
Greer can barely hold back her laugh. “I think you underestimated just how much he wants to win best costume.”
I snort, rolling my eyes. “He’s mad about a costume?”
Greer’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Oh, he’s definitely mad, especially now with your switcheroo.”
Sutton lets out a frustrated sigh and pushes past the rest of us, marching toward the kitchen. “Oh for fucks sake,” she mutters under her breath.
Greer follows quickly behind, her hobbit feet slapping against the floor, leaving Navy and me alone.
Navy gives me a knowing look, her tone suddenly shifting. “You remember what I said earlier?”
I nod, a grin tugging at my lips. “Don’t worry. I like my kneecaps just the way they are.”
“Good thing Brandi left then.” Navy winks at me and spins on her heels to join the others in the kitchen. A heaviness settles on my shoulders at her comment. I know Navy means well and is looking out for Sutton, but, damn, it’d be nice if she cut me some slack.
After the last round of laughs and costume critiques, we cast our ballots. Moments later, Sutton and I are crowned winners. Luke looks ready to throw down.
Sutton leans in, giving Luke a playful nudge. “Better luck next time, big brother.”
Greer buries another laugh. “We’ll get you guys next year.”
“Yeah.” Luke tucks her under his arm, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “It’s on.”
“Hey now,” Vinnie pipes in, “I think maybe y’all didn’t see my proton pack.” He turns, showing off his Ghostbusters costume. Again.
“We saw it, Vinnie. Trust me,” Navy says with an eye roll as she gathers up dishes and takes them to the sink.
“Where’d Batman go, Navy?” Sutton asks.
Navy’s cheeks blush. “He headed out a while ago.”
“Who was he? I didn’t recognize him,” I say, packing away leftovers.
“I’m not sure.” Navy shrugs her shoulders. “We didn’t exchange names.”
Sutton and Greer grumble. “You are hopeless,” they say in unison.
When we finish cleaning the kitchen, the music softens, and the party winds down. One by one, everyone departs, until it’s just our small group left.
Sutton looks at me, and I see the shift in her, her gaze focused entirely on me. It’s been a chaotic and unexpectedly emotional night, but right now, there’s only us. Everything around me fades away, and all I can think about is getting her home.
“I’m ready to go,” Sutton says softly, her voice carrying the weight of everything unsaid.
I nod, slipping my hand into hers. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Bye, you guys,” Luke and Greer call as we and Navy step outside.
The crisp air is a relief after the heat of the party. I pull Sutton close, placing an arm around her shoulders.
“I’m parked over here,” Navy says, gesturing to Luke’s house. We wait for her to leave and trek around the block. The night sky is filled with thousands of twinkling lights.
“Tonight was fun,” I say.
“It really was.” Sutton releases a heavy breath. “Too bad Adam and Grace couldn’t be here.”
“They’ll be here for the Holiday Cheery-Merry party, right?”
Sutton laughs. “Holiday Cheermeister. And yes, they’ll be here. I’m a little nervous to see what Greer has in store.”
“Oh yeah?”
She glances back at Greer’s overly-decorated house. “If this is what she does for Halloween, can you imagine Christmas?”
“At least you’ve got a few weeks before decorating, right? I mean Halloween is still a week away.”
“Oh, sweet man, you don’t know how Greer functions.” Sutton leans into me with a dramatic sigh. “She plans to decorate the day after Halloween. I’m already exhausted thinking about it.”
A cool breeze sweeps past, and Sutton shivers. I tighten my arm around her. “Let’s get you home, baby girl.”
“Oh no,” she says with a huge yawn. “Don’t you be starting any of that.”
“Any of what?” I ask coyly as I open her car door and help her inside.
“You know exactly what, baby.” She lays her head back against the headrest. “Tonight was a lot and—”
“No need to explain, Sut,” I say. “But you better be prepared for me to snuggle the fuck out of you.”
The ride back to her place is comfortable. The emotional weight of our earlier confessions have evaporated.
“You’re a good man, Hunter,” she whispers.
I kiss the back of her hand.
“And you’re the best kind of woman.”