Because of You (11 page)

After the night I spent with Hunter, you would think I’d be exhausted, but I feel exhilarated! His every touch, his every kiss, still lingers on my body like a tattoo. He did keep his promise by tasting every inch of me, and we spent the night loving each other over and over again until we were blissfully exhausted.

I’m lying in his arms, while his warm breath skates across my skin, sending goose bumps from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. His heart begins to race against my cheek as his hands tangle in my hair, tugging gently to lift my face to his.

He looks deep into my eyes before he asks, “Any regrets?”

I smile up at his perfect face. “Not a one, how about you?”

He shakes his head. “None, not now, not ever. ”

He kisses me gently on the lips before asking, “Would you like to go on a road trip this morning? I have someplace that I would like to take you. It means a lot to me. ”

Well when he puts it like that, how can I refuse? “Can I drive?” I look up at him smiling.

“It’s about an hour away, so I think I should. We can pack a lunch and make a day of it, but I have a surprise for tonight so we can’t stay all day. ” I love it when he smiles; he has such a gorgeous one.

“I get to shower first while you pack the lunch. ” As he gets up to head for the bathroom he grabs my wrist.

“Why don’t we shower together, so we can save time?” He wiggles his eyebrows in a seductive gesture as he gazes at my nakedness.

I can’t help but laugh. “We won’t be going anywhere today if we shower together; besides you have me very curious now. ”

After our showers we load up the Jeep with everything he packed. He has blankets, a cooler, and a bag with bathing suits and towels. If I didn’t know any better I’d say we were going to the beach, except we already live here.

It’s such a beautiful day: there’s not a cloud in the sky and it’s so blue it reminds me of Hunter’s eyes. I feel the wind on my face, the sun warming my skin… a feeling of happiness washes over me so suddenly that I feel tears threatening to spill over. I reach up to swipe them away when he captures my hand in his, placing a kiss on my palm before threading his fingers through mine.

“We’re almost there. About a mile up the road, on the left. ” I look out of the corner of my eye—he seems excited. All I can see is the ocean off in the distance.

He makes a left turn as he drives down a dirt road. Finally, I see it up ahead. It’s the most charming cottage I’ve ever seen, with white shutters and a thatched roof. There’s a swing on the front porch that looks like its seen better days, or in desperate need of a paint job, but there are some beautiful hanging plants that look like they’ve been well cared for. I’m taking it all in so deeply, I didn’t realize Hunter had gotten out of the Jeep until he opened my door.

“Well what do you think?” He’s smiling down at me as I look up at him.

I grab his hand as he pulls me up, resting my back against his chest. He wraps his arms around me as he leans his chin on my shoulder.

“It’s beautiful. Who lives here?” My dad’s house is beautiful but this is more my style.

“It belonged to my grandparents. When they died they left it to me and Brady. We spent every summer here with them as far back as I can remember. Come on, I’ll give you a tour of the place. ” He takes my hand in his.

He leads me up the stairs to the deck that wraps around the back of the cottage, or the front, since it’s facing the ocean. I notice a set of white rocking chairs as we make our way over to the glass sliding doors. I can almost picture his grandparents sitting there watching their grandchildren playing. We enter into a nicely sized kitchen with wooden cabinets and old-fashioned appliances, but it works in this kind of setting. He leads me into the living room with the furniture covered in sheeting to keep it from getting too dusty.

When we head down the hallway I freeze; the walls are lined with photographs, so many of them I lose count. I walk up and down the hallway, staring at every one, touching them. It’s all lined up in chronological order from the time Hunter and Brady were born. One picture catches my eye and it takes my breath away. Hunter has his arms wrapped around Brady, laughing, and that’s when I realize it’s the same picture as his tattoo. I don’t have to wonder what color his eyes are any longer—a brilliant emerald green.

When I turn around to look at Hunter, his grief’s still evident in his eyes. “After last night, I’m ready to share this place with you because it means everything to me, and you mean everything to me. Please understand that I’m still not ready to talk about him yet. ”

Walking over to him I take his face in my hands. “Thank you for sharing this with me, and I promise I won’t pry into your life anymore until you’re willing to tell me. ” He leans his head against mine before I brush my lips over his.

Grabbing my hand he walks me down the hall. He opens the door to the left so I can peek into his grandparent’s bedroom. There’s a full-sized bed along the far wall with a beautiful patchwork quilt in shades of blue. It looks homemade. All the rooms I’ve seen so far have been painted white, but with the contrasting colors of the curtains and throw rugs scattered over hardwood floors, it’s a masterpiece. Pictures are hanging on the walls, sitting atop their dresser, but he doesn’t let me linger long enough to take a peek. He pulls me out of the room as he leads me upstairs. He walks by the first door without opening it; I’m guessing this is Brady’s room. He’s not ready to share this with me quite yet, and what scares me is I don’t know if he ever will be.

When I open the door to my bedroom I hear her gasp. Her eyes take in the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. She turns around to look at me and she’s speechless. That’s a first, I can’t help but smile. Then her eyes take in the rest of my room as she walks over to the pictures on my dresser. I don’t stop her because I’m ready to share that part of my life with her now. That’s why I brought her here today.

She picks a picture up, and her fingers trace over it with a gentle caress. She puts that one down only to scoop up another one. She does the same to all of them. But it’s the last one that she holds tightly to her chest. I’m sure it has to be the one of Brady and me, the smaller version of the one that captivated her in the hallway.

She’s still clutching the picture when she turns to look at me, the tears glistening in her eyes. “Were these pictures taken in South Carolina?”

I’ve seen those pictures a thousand times; sometimes they make me happy, but right now seeing her face, they make me sad. “They were taken in California when I did a lot of body boarding competitions. When Brady was old enough I taught him how to surf and body board. He loved the ocean as much as I do. I guess you could say I used to be the typical surfer dude. ” I can’t help the cheesy grin as I shrug my shoulders.

She sets the picture gently on the dresser, then hurries over to hug me. I can’t help but pull her closer to me. It feels good to finally let the woman I love into my world. Cupping her chin I gaze into her eyes, and brush my thumb over that full bottom lip before I lean in for a taste. I want to throw her on my bed and do all kinds of naughty things to her right now, but that’s not why I brought her here.

“Were your grandparents related to your dad or your mom?” she asks cautiously, not sure if that’s breaking the boundaries I had set earlier.

“They were my father’s parents, and they would have loved you as much as I do. ” Wrapping my arms around her I draw her as close to me as possible. I don’t want to tell her that today marks three years since they died, that I brought her here for my own selfish reasons. I wanted to come here today to celebrate their life, not their death.

“Let’s go get all the stuff out of the Jeep so we can change into our swimsuits. I want to spend the day with you, and without your dad interrupting us every ten seconds. ” She throws her head back, laughing.

Once everything’s set up on the beach, we settle down just to relax and enjoy the day. It’s not the same view as I see every morning, looking out my apartment window. This is all mine and once I graduate I want to live here. This is where I belong. I’m hoping I can convince Riley to stay here with me, even if I have to drive her to school and back every day.

I haven’t told her yet that my grandparents were very wealthy and they left everything to me. If she knew what
everything
meant, she would be overwhelmed, because some days I am too.

“Do you normally come out here often?” She looks up from the blanket, biting her bottom lip.

“I used to come up on the weekends, but there’s this certain girl that’s been taking up a lot of my time lately.” Leaning back on my elbows I turn to stare at her. She’s blushing. After everything we shared last night you’d think that wouldn’t happen any longer, but it does.

“If it’s something you did before you met me then you shouldn’t let me stop you. ” She sounds annoyed with me.

Shifting my body so I’m lying down next to her, she shields her eyes from the sun to look up at me, and our mouths are inches apart. “I’d rather spend time with you, Riley. You are the most important person in my life. Don’t ever doubt that. ” I lean in for a kiss when her arms envelop me in a tight embrace. I can’t think rationally when she’s this close to me; my hands start to glide over her silken flesh, her lips part so my tongue can explore her mouth. My thumb brushes over her nipple when I hear her moan. I can’t wait any longer—I need to be inside of her now.

“Hunter, I need you so bad. ” She arches her back and rubs her breasts against my chest.

I sit up so I can have her straddle me. When she rocks against the hardness pressing against her core, she tugs at my hair, bringing my mouth to hers so she can devour me. I know we can’t stay on the beach if I want to be inside her so I grab her ass as I lift her, her legs still wrapped around me as I stand up.

“Where are we going?” she asks breathlessly.

“Contrary to the movies, having sex on the beach isn’t physically possible. ” She frowns at me. I’m sure it would be romantic but I don’t want sand getting anywhere near her girlie parts.

When we get inside I set her on her feet, but I don’t know if I should take her to my room or throw her on the couch. She makes the decision for me when she grabs my hand, leading me upstairs. She stands by the edge of the bed, her hands at her sides, staring at me with those dark stormy eyes. God, she’s so beautiful.

Before I know it, she’s striding over to me, my favorite blue bikini already on the floor at her feet. My mouth trails down her jaw as my hands cup her breasts, rubbing her nipples with the pad of my thumbs. I run my tongue down her neck, lingering long enough to stroke over her pulse. She thrusts my hips forward so my erection is pressed against her. My mouth wanders down her chest, tasting, licking, and nipping at her tender flesh until I draw in her nipple with my teeth, flicking my tongue across her sensitive bud. I feel her body tremble against me; she’s so close to shattering, I pick her up and place her in the middle of my bed.

She watches me as I strip down to join her, and soon she is reaching out to wrap her hands around me. I part her legs as I place myself between them. I’m ready to enter her when she catches me off guard and
flips me over.
Now she’s on top of me. Oh Hell Yeah…

I can’t help the shit-eating grin spreading across my face when I see her straddling me with my dick in her hand. “Are you sure you want it this way, baby?”

She nods as she guides me into her slippery folds. I’m addicted to her warm heat as her body sucks me in, inch by glorious inch. She places her hands on my shoulders as she slides over the length of me. I can’t help but grab those curvy hips as I plunge deep inside of her, over and over again until I feel her constrict around me as she cries out, “Yes, yes… I’m coming. ”

Her body collapses against mine. I grab her face and crush my mouth to hers. Our tongues dance together as I wrap my arms around her, flipping her over, our bodies still joined together. I glide in and out of her with a need unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. I grab her shoulders as I thrust deep inside of her, wanting to be one with her. I feel her body tremble beneath me, ready to explode again.

“That’s it, baby; come with me. ” I feel her tighten around me as we shatter together.

I slide off of her so she can catch her breath, pulling her into my arms. We lie like this for several minutes, contented. Then she looks up at me all innocently and says, “I’m starving. Let’s go eat. ”

It has been the most amazing day that I’ve had with Hunter so far. I’m so happy that he trusted me enough to take me to the cottage where he spent his summers. I can’t believe I’m the first person he has ever taken there.

To walk into that hallway and see all those pictures hanging on the walls was astonishing. I noticed that every single one of them had been captured at the right moment, when the children were smiling or laughing… not a sad one in the bunch. It proves to me that real love can exist between families; not everyone was dysfunctional like mine.

If someone would have told me several weeks ago that I would fall madly in love with a man in this short period of time, I would have died laughing. I don’t believe in love at first sight, or I didn’t back then, but now I’m not so sure. I planned on moving here so I could go to college and pursue my dream of being a teacher. If someone could have reached out to me when I was younger, my whole world could have changed for the better. That’s what I’m hoping to do, even if I can only save one child at a time.

I don’t know where he’s taking me tonight; he won’t tell me because it’s a surprise. But he did tell me to dress up—“something sexy” were his exact words. When I look in my closet I don’t see anything remotely sexy in there. I have a few skirts, some sundresses and only one formal dress. It’s not a little black dress that all the fashion magazines insist every woman own, but it will have to do.

The dress is sleeveless with a scoop neckline, showing some cleavage. It’s tight in the bodice but flares out at the hip and ends about mid-thigh. It’s a pretty floral print—nothing gaudy like a comforter. I bought it to wear under my gown for graduation, the one thing my mother did attend, to keep up appearances. I slip on the pair of white heels that I bought to go with the dress, then turn to look in the mirror. For the first time in my life,
I feel pretty.
I hope Hunter thinks so too.

I head down stairs at the same time he’s walking through the front door. When he glances up at me, a slow grin spreads across his face, and I’m thinking he likes what he sees.

“You look gorgeous, baby. I can’t wait to show you off. ” He takes my hands in his as I walk down the last step. As he brings my hands up to his mouth he kisses the sensitive skin on my wrist. He knows how much that turns me on. Damn him!

“What do you mean by show me off? Where are you taking me?” I don’t like that look on his face.

“Just remember that you’re mine and I will not share you with anyone else. ” He kisses me gently while stroking his hands up my arms. God the man has me coming apart already.

He looks amazing tonight, with a pair of dark blue jeans that ride low on his hips with a pale blue Henley that complements his eyes. He smells orgasmic; it’s a cross between his body wash, clean clothes and his very own manly smell. I could drown in that smell and die a very happy woman. . .

We pull into the parking lot of a restaurant called
Margaritaville.
He knows I’m not old enough to drink. I turn to look at him as he gets out of the Jeep and heads over to open my door.

“You told me that you like to dance; this club allows eighteen-year-olds. ” He grabs my hand, pulling me to the door. He’s trying to be thoughtful but how can I dance in this short dress?

He leads me to a table in the corner and I’m happy to see Connor, Zoe and Grayson already sitting there. But I feel overdressed when I get close enough to see them in shorts and tank tops.

What the Hell!

“You look beautiful tonight,” Grayson says as Connor whistles.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Hunter strokes my cheek with his thumb; he knows I’m overdressed.

“Just a sparkling water with a lemon twist. ” I force a smile.

Once he gets back with our drinks I sit back and listen to everyone’s conversation. I can’t tell anyone what we did today because no one knows about the cottage, so I just smile and nod my head.

When nine o’clock rolls around, the music starts. It’s too loud to talk now, that’s for sure. The dance floor fills up immediately. I have to laugh because where I come from it takes a lot longer for us to loosen up. I guess us Northerners are more of a bashful bunch, or we just need a little more
liquid
motivation.

I feel Hunter grab my arm as he hauls me out on the dance floor. I’m not too embarrassed because I’ll probably never see these people again. I look around to see all three of our friends dancing together—Connor’s a happy man right now.

Hunter grabs me around the waist, holding me close. My hands immediately go to his chest and tangle in his shirt. I can’t stay mad at him, especially when he’s nuzzling my neck like this. His hips sway to the beat of the music, taking mine along for the ride. Our bodies fit perfectly together, in bed or out on the dance floor.

A fast song comes up next, and just when I’m ready to make a run for it he grabs my arm, spinning me around so my back’s against his chest. Then he splays his hands flat against my stomach as he pulls me closer to him. I feel his hips swaying to the beat of the music. My eyes close as I slide my body down the length of him, gyrating my hips and stroking his legs on the way down. When I slide back up I hear a low growl as he whispers in my ear, “If you do that again, I might have to take you home. ” I can feel his arousal through the thick fabric of his jeans.

Hunter’s an amazing dirty dancer; I think we could give Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey a run for their money. He laughed when I told him I don’t do lifts, especially with this dress on. The time’s flying by as we dance, gyrate, grope and grab the night away. I’m having so much fun!

When a slow song starts up I turn to see lust-filled eyes staring back at me. That look makes my panties wet. He cups my face in his hands then kisses me slowly, passionately, while my arms circle around his waist. I can’t even tell you what song was playing, because he kissed me like that until the song had finished.
Sigh…

He leans his forehead against mine, we’re both breathing heavily, our hearts racing. We stay like this for several minutes until he breaks the silence. “Do you want to leave?”

I nod my head. “I just need to use the restroom first.”

As I open the door to leave the bathroom I hear a familiar voice. “I can’t believe you fuck him, but you wouldn’t fuck me!”

Before I have a chance to run the figure pushes me back into the restroom, blocking the door. I look up to see Parker standing in front of me. Shouldn’t he still be in rehab?

“Someone will come in any minute… please, let me go. ” I try to go around him but he holds up his hands.

“Did he tell you he slept with my sister? It’s just a matter of time before he breaks your heart too. Why are you slumming with him when you could be with me? He’s a man-whore!” he yells, the alcohol thick on his breath.

The door comes crashing in, throwing Parker to the floor. Connor smiles at me as he reaches for my hand. “Are you ready to go now?”

Taking his hand he pulls me out of the door. “Where’s Hunter?”

“He’s waiting for you out in the parking lot. Grayson heard Parker yelling at you so she came to get me. Are you okay?” He looks at me with concern.

“I’m fine, but please don’t tell Hunter what happened; I don’t think I’d stop him from rearranging Parker’s face. ” Connor chuckles as he nods.