32. Annalise
Chapter thirty-two
Annalise
“Annalise—” Hunt says, lowering his forehead to mine as he lets out yet another exhausted breath caused by Matt's unexpected arrival.
“We have to be careful from here on out, though, okay?”
Reality crashes back, and I repeat my mantra once more. “Careful because you’re still an instructor, and I’m still a recruit.”
He nods. “We can’t get caught. Not by staff, not by other recruits, not by anyone. It wouldn’t just look bad; the punishment would be worse than death.”
I swallow hard, letting his words really sink in. “So, what do we do?”
Korr leans in, voice low and sure, as if he’s already made peace with the risk. “We keep it quiet. We take it slowly. And we don’t let anyone see anything they shouldn’t. I'll treat you the same way I treat every other student.”
“No, Hunter, you treat me worse," I say, the consequences for both of us far too great than to commit fully. "Make them think you hate me.”
“I won’t do that. I can’t do that to you, not after what you’ve gone through.”
A scoff pushes at my lips, but I know he's seen too much to fall for a false bravado at this point. “I’m not saying torture me, but criticize me, make me work harder…hell, I planned to up my training as soon as I’m allowed to, so you won’t be doing anything that I don’t already want.”
I see the battle happening in his eyes, so I add, “If you want to see where this is going, those are my conditions. I won’t risk your life or mine.”
He slowly shakes his head, and I know I’ve already won. “Okay, I’ll do my best to be an asshole to you.”
“Keep being an asshole, you mean.” I giggle, then ask the question I really need the answer to. “If this is happening, what happens when I graduate? You obviously know about my sentencing...”
I know I could be dooming the relationship before it starts, but I don’t want to be blindsided again just because I was too afraid of the answer to ask the damn question.
The room goes still, the air charged and bright, and terrifying.
“I’m not scared of your bullshit sentence, Annalise.
I’ve been fighting in this war for years, and whether you are here by your own choice or you’re forced to be here, it doesn’t change anything for me.
In a way, I’m sure it even makes things easier, since we can talk about work with someone who understands. "
The relief that rushes over me with his words takes a monumental weight off my shoulders, but I've learned my lesson about believing in pretty words and dreams of forever the hard way.
Finally, I whisper, “Okay.”
His shoulders loosen, relief unmistakable. “Okay,” he echoes, brushing his lips lightly against mine.
“We’ll figure everything out, together.”
This time, when he kisses me, it’s slower, deliberate, but gentle.
“What is Seiri?" I ask, pulling back slightly to look at his face. "You’ve called me that a few times now.”
His blush tells me that he either didn’t mean to call me that out loud, or he didn’t think I would ask for the meaning.
“It’s from the word Aiseirigh, in my mother's native tongue.”
“And that means…”
Gently, he caresses the side of my face with his fingers.
“She was a woman from a small village down the street from where my mother grew up…
she lost everything one night: her family, her home, her farm, everything…
Everyone expected her to curl up and let the world pass by around her, but she didn't. She took a day to mourn all she had lost, and then she rose from the ashes, determined to make a change for the world.
Aiseirigh now means a woman wrapped in strength as well as beauty. "
Heat floods my face as I try, and fail, to come up with a response.
“And you, my Seiri,” he murmurs, his hands settling on my hips, “are every bit as strong—and every bit as beautiful—as one. But,” he adds, voice dropping lower, “if you don’t stop wiggling on me, I’m not going to be held responsible for my actions.”
Naturally, I wiggle a little to torture him again.
The teasing grin I’m about to throw his way disappears the second I feel how hard he is beneath me.
My breath catches as his low groan rumbles through the room, and gods does my body react.
"If I swung that way, I'd want to ride him for saying that shit to me, too," Matt, who I'd completely forgotten was here, calls out. "But, since I'm not, and we're already really late for brunch, can you save this for later?"
"I'm going to kill him," Hunter grumbles as I slowly climb off his lap.
"You'll have to save it for later. I have to go face my friends to explain what happened last night, and he's gotta feed me before I eat you."
His lips lift mischievously, but I cut him off before he says some dumb guy line. "Hannibal Lecter style."
Hunt grimaces before helping me off his lap.
"And on that vivid thought, I'm going to go take a cold shower. Have fun, and I'll see you in a bit," he murmurs before kissing my forehead and sending me off to get my shoes.
We're almost to the door when a commanding tone cuts through the air, catching me off guard. "Drive safe."
I'm just about to remind him I won't be driving when Matt gives a mocking laugh, and I realize too late that they're eyeing each other like they're about to make me miss brunch to referee another one of their pissing matches.
“Oh no,” I cut in quickly. “Nope. Absolutely not. We're not measuring dicks right now. I need French toast, and a mimosa. Maybe two."
Hunter's mouth twitches, but he relents, pulling me in for one last kiss.
Matt, meanwhile, slings the strap of my crossbody bag over his shoulder and yanks the front door open.
For a moment, I think my warning actually worked.
But just as he reaches back to pull it closed behind us, he calls out, “Mine’s bigger!”