Heaven With You (21 page)

“I know the feeling.” His heart beat against my hand and I tried to sort out what I wanted to say without sounding ridiculous. “If I mess this up, promise me you’ll give me another chance to get it right.”

“Izzy.” The nickname was a slow, velvety-smooth drawl that sent chills down my spine. “I’m ashamed to admit this to you, but most of the relationships I’ve had with women over the last few years have been mostly based on sex.”

My heart sank. 

He appeared chagrined. “It could easily be the other way around, me messing up and you giving me another chance.”

“I meant if I mess this up.” I gestured between us. “It’s the sex I’m worried about. I’m really bad at it, and you’re undoubtedly a sex god. You’re going to be disappointed with me.”

“Did you just call me a sex god?”

“Yes,” I replied, remembering the way he’d made me come undone earlier.

Hunter stared at me. After a moment, he rolled over onto his back and threw his arm across his face, his shoulders shaking.

“You’re laughing at me.” I gave him a playful punch in his bicep and my hand felt as if it had struck solid-rock. “Ouch.”

Lifting up on his elbow, he turned on his side and brushed a strand of hair away from my face. It occurred to me that I was stark naked while having this conversation with Hunter and surprisingly I wasn’t the least bit uncomfortable.

“Izzy, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.  I hate to disappoint you, but no one’s ever called me that before.”

“I’m sure they’ve thought it.”

He laughed and hauled me on top of him. “Izzy, I’m sure we’re going to disagree and argue sometimes, but nothing you could ever do would be a deal breaker. As for the sex, just let me worry about that. Okay?”

I nodded and he nuzzled my neck, brushing ticklish kisses across my throat. “I love it when you do that,” I breathed. He lowered his head and flicked his tongue over my nipple, making me arch against him. “Oh. I really like that.”

He did it again.

We kissed and touched each other until a fire kindled in my lower body. Slipping his hand between my legs, he groaned, and I opened for him, but to my surprise Hunter rolled over so that I was on top of him.

Catching my look of uncertainty, his fingertips brushed the side of my face and he smiled. My palms rested on his hard chest and I awkwardly straddled him, carefully avoiding his arousal, which was the opposite of what I was supposed to be doing.

I looked into his eyes. “Maybe it would be better if you were on top.”

“Have you ever been on top?”

Shaking my head, I caught his frown.

“Before we’re done, I want to make you forget any man but me.”

My breath caught. “You already have.” Shifting on top of him, I tried to position myself. Reaching back, he gripped the headboard.

 “It’s okay if you want to help me,” I whispered.

“Not this time, Izzy. I want you to do what makes you feel good.” His voice was strained and I could tell how much control he was exerting to hold back.

“What about you?”

His chest rumbled with laughter. “Trust me. You don’t have to worry about that.”

I moved so that I was over him and slowly, I inched down. Hearing his sharp drawn breath, my gaze flew to his. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

Again, I lowered myself on Hunter, relishing the feel of him inside of me, stretching me, until I was almost completely impaled. Taking a deep breath, I sank down all the way. I gasped. He groaned.

My heart was pounding, and I could feel that his was too. I shifted, moved, and tried again. Glancing up, I saw that the muscles in his arms were straining as he held tightly on the headboard. “I’m not doing it right.” I sighed. “I should probably stop talking.”

“Talk to me all you want.” His gaze burned hotly into mine. “Stop thinking,” he said gently. “Whatever feels good to you is going to feel good to me.”

Taking his advice, I rocked, moved up and down and kept experimenting until I set a steady rhythm that left me breathless and eager to satisfy the building tension in my sweet spot. It felt incredible. I moaned and I think he did too.

My entire body tensed, I held my breath, and suddenly the most powerful release shook through me. I cried out and heard Hunter’s deep groan just before his arms wrapped around me. Collapsing against his chest, tears leaked from my eyes onto his skin and he stroked my back. I’d never felt such peace and contentment. For a long time, we just laid like that, our bodies still joined and holding each other.

When I finally lifted my head, I smiled at him. “Like I said before, sex-god.”

He laughed, and his eyes flicked to mine. “Like I should have said before, I love you too, Izzy.”

I lost myself in the moment, and it was heaven.

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning I’d just gotten out of the shower when Hunter came up behind me and put his arms around me, pressing his lips to my neck.

“Izzy, about last night, I—“ He stopped suddenly, probably feeling me stiffen. “What’s wrong?”

“You think it was a mistake.”

He turned me around and his eyes tangled with mine. “Hell no. Do you?”

“No, I just thought that was what you were going to say.”

“I told you I loved you and I meant it. But I didn’t use a condom.” His eyes searched mine. “The only other time I’ve gone without one was when Ellie was conceived.”

Closing my eyes, I exhaled a breath of relief and at the same time my heart ached with longing when I imagined myself with Hunter’s baby. “It’s okay. I’m on the pill, but if you want I can get the morning after pill.”

“Or you could just marry me.”

My stomach dropped. Of course he was only joking, so I laughed.

“I’m serious.”

“Just a few weeks ago, you didn’t think we should be more than friends.”

“Izzy,” he said warmly. “I’ve always loved you. I fought my feelings, at first because you were too young and then because I thought I was too old, but I’m tired of fighting whatever is pulling us together.”

“Hunter,” I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

“I think you and I have always been inevitable.”

“I love you.” He brushed away my tears with the pads of his thumbs. “I’d love to marry you, but I’m not saying yes. Not yet. After we see what happens in court, I’ll give you an answer.”

He pulled me closer. “You’re coming home with me today. That’s what’s going to happen.” Brushing his mouth over mine, he whispered, “If you want to wait to say yes, I understand, and I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now, but I won’t commit to you until I know I won’t end up in j—“

Hunter kissed me before I could finish the sentence. Dropping the towel, l melted against him, and then he lifted me into his arms, took me back into the bedroom and made love to me.

I remembered the tender, reverent way he touched me while I sat on the hard wooden bench waiting to enter the courtroom. Hunter was holding my hand, and he seamed at ease, confident that everything would work out. For his sake, I smiled and pretended I wasn’t scared to death.

“Don’t worry. This is just a formality.”

I glanced over at Hunter’s friend, and my lawyer, and smiled. His name was Brady Coulter, and he seemed like a nice guy. He definitely appeared knowledgeable about the law. “You really think so?”

Brady smiled at me. “Absolutely, you never should have been charged. There’s no evidence, and this is going to seem like a complete joke if the prosecution tries to go forward with this nonsense. I’m guessing the only reason we’re here is your ex-boyfriend has friends in high places, but don’t worry this will be over soon.”

I glanced over at Hunter and he gave me a reassuring look.

“What if Scott testifies that I didn’t pay him the full amount for the car?”

“This isn’t a trial, and even if that’s true it doesn’t make this a criminal matter. Your ex can still take you to civil court, and sue for any money he thinks you owe him, but you’re not going to be tried.”

I squeezed Hunter’s hand while Brady explained what was going to happen inside the courtroom. Reed and Ellie showed up to support me, and so did Cora and Jase, and Amber and her family. Since we hadn’t told anyone about us, I made an effort not to touch Hunter, not wanting to upset Ellie before I’d had a chance to talk with her. It occurred to me that this situation was a lot like her waiting to tell me about Reed.

Just like Hunter and Brady predicted, the case was dismissed. Reed’s shoulders sank with clear relief, and he pulled me in for a hug. “Thank God,” he whispered. “You okay, Sis?”

“Yeah, I’m good.”

“You scared the shit out of me. Don’t do it again.”

Ellie hugged me next and then Cora. I saw Hunter watching me, and I wanted to go to him but I wasn’t sure how he’d feel about me outing us so publically.

“Isabelle! We’re so glad you’re alright.”

Turning, I saw Amber and her parents. I thanked them for coming, and they invited us to a party at their house. I got the feeling Amber wasn’t thrilled with their friendliness towards me, and I knew it was because she still resented that Reed and Ellie were together.

 Everything had worked out. I was going home with Hunter, and he’d asked me to marry him. Just before I left my gaze snagged Scott’s, and I flinched at the pure hatred I saw in his eyes. His girlfriend’s venomous glare was also a little scary, and I couldn’t understand why she seemed to hate me since she ended up with Scott.

I should be relieved, but I wasn’t. Something seemed wrong. I’d always had to fight to keep the ground steady beneath me, but this time everything fell into place easily, too easily.

I couldn’t help but think that I hadn’t heard the last from Scott.

The next few weeks were the happiest in my life.  Ellie forgave me. Actually she told me there was nothing to forgive and insisted I stop apologizing. Amber and I had forged a fragile truce. She claimed she didn’t have a drinking problem, and she wasn’t too pleased with how quickly I accepted Ellie and Reed’s relationship, but we were still friends.

I moved in with Hunter. At first I wasn’t sure how that would affect our new relationship, and I hoped we weren’t moving too quickly and making mistakes we’d end up regretting. Hunter told me I was thinking too much. Maybe I was, but I’d always been on my own and I was hesitant to give up my independence, even to Hunter. I’d like to think I held out on moving in with him because I wanted to stay strong and not depend on a man to support me, and that was partly true, but there was another part of me that was terrified at how much Hunter meant to me.

Maybe Hunter sensed this and that’s why he didn’t mention marriage again, but I wondered if the proposal had come because of the drama of my arrest. He still told me he loved me every time we made love and he said it other times as well. Hearing Hunter say ‘I love you’ made my heart swell, giving me a warm buzz for hours afterwards.

We didn’t announce to everyone that we were together, but they all knew anyway. It was as if they’d known all along that we would end up together, and Hunter and I were the ones late to the party. I kept waiting for the newness to wear off of our relationship, but it never did and I began to wonder if my heart would always flutter every time he looked at me.

After all of the times we’d made love, I don’t know how I could still feel nervous around Hunter but I did. He taught me how sex should be between a man and a woman, and I craved his touch. I couldn’t help but think he was holding back, and that worried me. Crazy as it sounded, I had this mental list of what could go wrong between Hunter and I. Would he regret asking me to move in with him? Would he want space? Did he want to take back his proposal? Were things moving too fast? Why was he holding back when we made love?

All of my doubts smacked of insecurity. At least I could admit it, and I tried to offset it by keeping my cool and making sure I didn’t crowd him. This was, ironically, what led to our first fight.

I’d been practicing some new tricks to perform for the kids at the hospital when Hunter’s phone rang. He’d gone back into the bedroom for something and probably hadn’t heard it ring. Not wanting to be nosy, I ignored it but whoever was calling him called back. Twice. Seconds later he had a new text message. Thinking it might be the station I walked over to the kitchen counter and picked up the phone.

Jana: Can’t wait 2 C U 2nite! ;-)

I jumped back from the phone when Hunter strode into the kitchen, strapping on his holster. “Hey,” he said smiling at me and dropping a quick kiss on my mouth. “Was that my phone?”

“I don’t know. It’s not like I’m always checking your phone to see who called or anything. I was just working.” I gestured toward my magic stuff on the table. “I only got up to get some more coffee.” I held up my coffee mug as proof.

Hunter gave me a strange look and chuckled. He scooped up his phone without looking at it. “You might want to cut back on the coffee, Izzy.”

I couldn’t help but smile, knowing I was acting nervous and he probably thought I was a little crazy.

“I’ve got to run. See you tonight.”

“Oh. Okay, sure.” I tried to sound cool, but I’m sure that was an epic fail. I was relieved that he was coming home tonight, and my shoulders sagged with relief.

He was halfway out the door before he turned. “I have a meeting so I may be late. Love you.”

My heart sank. “I love you too,” I told him, but he’d already gone.

I tried to convince myself that the phrase ‘I have a meeting’ didn’t necessarily mean ‘I’m sleeping with someone else’, but when you added it with the woman’s text saying she’d see him tonight I knew that there was only one explanation. Hunter was having an affair.

Part of me was hurt that he’d betray me, but in a way I almost understood why he’d done it. I thought about all of the times he’d held back when we’d made love, always trying to please me, treating me as if I was breakable and never doing anything he thought might frighten me. As far as sex went I was high maintenance and he’d obviously gotten tired of the effort.

Like I usually did whenever I needed advice I thought of Ellie and Cora, but quickly discounted Ellie because there was no way in hell I was going to talk to her about my sex life with her dad. That left Cora. I quickly sent her a text.