Chapter Six
Pressing his hands against the shower wall, his arms holding him braced, Hunter stood under the scalding sting of the water’s spray. He must have been in here for at least a half an hour. At this rate, he’d be a shriveled prune. But no matter the length of time he remained in the stall, the rage, sadness, and guilt would not be abated. Never had an experience with a woman touched on so many different emotions.
Holding and touching her had far surpassed the fantasy, but having her turn away from him at the end and cry as though her heart were breaking had been like a punch in the gut. Did he disgust her so much? Were his scars so hideous to her she couldn’t believe she’d stooped to letting him have his way with her?
Hunter had been so sure Lila wanted him, too. Hell, he knew she did. The gasping moans, the way her body shook with just a stroke of his finger and the way her pussy had gotten so wonderfully wet couldn’t be faked by even the most skilled actress.
Now that he knew what it could be like between them, one taste wasn’t enough. He had to have her again. The very sight of how his pale hands had splayed across her dark body sent blood racing to his cock, stiffening it to near pain. He’d been with black women before, but out of the couple he’d dated, one had lovely cafe au lait skin while the other was not much darker than him. They didn’t have Lila’s rich cocoa hue. Not that they hadn’t been lovely. They were. But they weren’t Lila. Because there was such a huge contrast in their skin tones, Hunter never realized how something so simple could be an erotic turn on.
She was the epitome of perfection from the blue-black nipples cresting the well-formed mounds of her breasts to that pretty pink pussy, wrapped so tightly around his cock. He’d almost come the second he’d entered her.
For as long as he lived, Hunter would never forget how she’d made him feel. Being one with Lila had been like a dream, but then it had turned into a nightmare. His. At least the other women he’d taken to his bed since the accident pretended to enjoy the aftermath. Not Lila. She’d broken down completely. It had angered him at first. She had no right to pretend she was some vestal virgin who’d been taken by force. She’d been far from it. Hadn’t he given her the opportunity to change her mind? Up until the very last minute, Hunter left her with the option to back out, but she hadn’t.
Then, the shame had come. He wasn’t the one who’d put her up to this. She was here for her father and he knew it. That’s when the depression kicked in. While he’d fucked her, he could almost imagine she was there for him, not because he’d forced her hand.
With a sigh of resignation, he turned the nozzles of the shower off. Standing under rapidly chilling water wasn’t going to change things. If he had any decency within him, he’d let her go home. But he couldn’t, at least not until he’d had his fill of her and Hunter had a feeling that wouldn’t be for a very long time.
Once he was dried off, he threw on the terry cloth robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door. He put his hand on the knob, but caught his reflection through the steam in the mirror. Walking over to it, he wiped the mist away. Hunter flinched at the sight of his scars.
Raising his hand, he touched them. It was no wonder Lila could barely look at him. He’d noticed it. There wasn’t much about her that had escaped his attention. His fingers grazed the patchwork of imperfections criss-crossing the side of his face. When would the pain and desolation end? When would it cease to hurt so much? Was this to be his eternal punishment for the way he once used and discarded the women in his life? He wasn’t crazy enough to believe any of them had cared about him beyond his wallet, so why him?
The right side of his face in its untouched state mocked him, reminding Hunter of the man he used to be. With a frustrated grunt, he turned away, his anger renewed. Lila wouldn’t get out of their bargain by shedding a few tears. He wouldn’t allow them to sway his decision in keeping her here.
Storming out of the bathroom with every intention of telling her so, the wind was knocked out of his sails when Hunter saw Lila lying in the same position she’d been in when he’d left her. She was curled up into a tight ball, her even, steady breathing indicated she was sleeping.
His gaze trailed down the curve of her back to her rear. He wanted to snuggle next to her, mold his body to hers, but didn’t dare. Walking to the other side of the bed, he knelt in front of her.
Lila looked so vulnerable in this state, much younger than her twenty-seven years. Tear tracks stained her cheeks and again guilt briefly assailed him.
Hunter brushed aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead. He used his knuckles to graze the softness of her cheek. In her sleep, she murmured something he couldn’t quite make out before a small smile touched her full lips. Unable to help himself, he brushed their tempting fullness with his mouth.
When she stirred, he pulled back. It was probably best if he took her back to her own room. Besides, if she stayed in here with him, there was no way he could trust himself not to take her again. Nor did he have the stomach to wake up to her screams.
Hunter shuddered, remembering the last time he’d allowed a woman to fall asleep in his bed. After a night of sexual aerobics, he’d made the mistake of letting his guard down. When he woke up the following morning, Tina was still sleeping. Sliding on top of her still resting form, he’d planted kisses on her face and neck in hopes they would wake her.
The pure terror in her eyes was like a dagger through his heart. He’d never repeated that error again and he certainly wasn’t going to do it with Lila. For some reason, screams coming from her would be far worse.
Careful not to wake her, he lifted her in his arms and took her to the room he’d designated as hers. Gently, Hunter eased her between the covers and dragged them up to her chin. For several moments, he stood, watching her sleep.
God, she was beautiful and for the next three months she’d be his for the taking. The sudden urge to wake her and slide his cock deep into her hot cunt again warred through him, but he pushed that feeling back.
He’d allow her a respite for the remainder of the night, because come tomorrow, there would be none.
*
Lila snuggled within the warmth surrounding her. Something cold and wet touched her face and then licked her lips. A pair of green eyes flashed in her mind and a delicious sensation heated her to the very core, sending little bursts of flames up her spine.
The damp stroke of what felt like a tongue grew more insistent. Why was he licking her face? She frowned not wanting to open her eyes, but then something spongy and moist nuzzled the side of her neck and sniffed. The sound of panting greeted her ears, followed by the scent of stale air that fanned her cheek.
What the hell?
She turned her head to evade the questing tongue and rank morning breath, but it didn’t stop. In fact, it grew more persistent. Her lids popped open and Lila found herself staring into a pair of round, pale blue eyes.
Shooting up into a sitting position, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her stomach suddenly feeling nauseous. Standing next to her bed was the biggest dog she’d ever seen. No, that wasn’t a dog, it was a horse. Scooting away from the animal, she gagged. Yuck! While she liked dogs, it wasn’t her cup of tea to be French kissed by one.
“Shoo.” She gave it a gentle shove, but the four-legged monstrosity with its midnight coat wouldn’t budge. As a matter of fact, it seemed to think she was playing a game.
Placing his huge paws on the bed, it climbed up beside her. Its mouth was turned into what looked like a smile.
“No. Bad dog.”
But, it wasn’t listening. Jumping up and down, he nudged her with his head.
Despite herself, Lila began to giggle. “You’re just a big kid aren’t you? A big hairy kid.” She patted his shiny black coat and the dog preened at the attention.
“Miss Lila! I’m so sorry.” Mrs. Coates rushed into the room. The housekeeper tugged the dog’s collar. “Shadow, get down this instant. I guarantee this won’t happen again. Usually, the dogs stay in the kennel when there is company or they’re at Mr. Jamison’s side. I think he caught the scent of a new person. Shadow is a people dog, I’m afraid.”
Giving the dog one last rub, Lila smiled. “It’s okay. He’s a sweetie.” She yawned. “What time is it anyway?”
“It’s about ten past one.”
“In the afternoon?”
“Yes.”
Lila groaned. “I’ve never slept this late before in my life. I need to get up. It’s no wonder I feel so lethargic.”
“Take your time, Miss Lila. Whenever you’re ready for something to eat, you can either come downstairs or I’ll bring you up a tray if you buzz me on the intercom.”
“I’ll be down. I’m really not the type to laze around in bed all day.”
The older woman shrugged. “I imagine you had a late night. Mr. Jamison said you were not to be disturbed.”
Heat rushed to Lila’s cheeks at the insinuation. Studying the housekeeper’s face, she saw nothing malicious in Mrs. Coates’s face. The statement was probably innocent, but it again reminded her of why she was here. No longer could she look Mrs. Coates in the eyes. Lila bowed her head, folding her hands in her lap. “That was thoughtful of him.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“Wait!”
The other woman halted mid-step. “Yes, Miss Lila?”
“Umm, is Mr. Jamison expecting me for lunch?”
The housekeeper frowned. “I don’t think so. He usually stays in his office most of the day to work. He should be done by dinnertime.”
“Oh.” Then what the hell was she supposed to do all day? She wasn’t used to sitting around idly. Would she be forced to stay in her room all day, bored out of her skull, waiting for him to be ready for her again? She trembled at the thought, but not from revulsion or cold. More from how she’d reacted to him the night before. Lila shook her head to rid herself of the carnal images of the night before from her mind.
“Is that all for now, Miss Lila?” Mrs. Coates broke into her thoughts.
“Umm, what am I supposed to do for the remainder of the day? Maybe I can help you around the house?”
Mrs. Coates’s chin rose and her lips tightened briefly. “That won’t be necessary. There’s a library in the west wing if you like to read and the basement has been converted to a game room. The in-house theater is on the first floor and the weather is nice enough to take a swim if you’re so inclined. I didn’t get a chance to show you the place properly yesterday, but I’ll be happy to do so today.”
“Actually if you don’t mind, I’d like to explore the place on my own…that is if you don’t mind?”
“That should be fine, but please stay away from Mr. Jamison’s office. He doesn’t like to be disturbed while he’s working.”
“Which one is his office?”
“It’s two doors down from the kitchen.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
The housekeeper gave her attention to the Great Dane who looked as though he was contemplating jumping on the bed again.
Lila shot him a look. Not a chance buddy.
“Come on Shadow.” When Mrs. Coates closed the door behind her, Lila slid out of bed pulling a sheet off with her and wrapping it around her body. She wasn’t used to sleeping in the nude. It suddenly dawned on her that she was back in her room. Hunter must have brought her here sometime during the night. As much as she tried to block last night from her mind, she couldn’t.
All her intentions to not respond to his ardent caresses had been futile. He’d possessed her with the skills of a man who knew exactly how to please a woman. Images of his hands running along her body, tongue circling her skin, and cock stuffing her so fully, infiltrated her mind. Her pussy throbbed and nipples pebbled against the silk sheets.
No! She mustn’t let that man get the better of her. It was only physical. Once the three months were over, she would walk away without a backward glance. Or could she? Strangely enough, she was experiencing something more than physical pleasure. If she wasn’t, Lila might have been able to deal with these feelings, but no, it was something more—something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
He puzzled her. She had expected him to be rough with no regard for her pleasure, but he’d taken his time to make sure she was thoroughly sated, giving her not one, but three orgasms. No one had set her insides on fire like he had, yet there was no one she had more reason to hate than him. This ordeal was going to be much harder to get through than she’d originally thought.
Wanting to push all thoughts of the previous night from her mind, Lila headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Once under the spray, she made the water cool enough to wash up, but not warm enough to linger. She felt the longer she remained idle, those unwelcome thoughts returned. After taking care of her hygiene and dressing in a pair of jeans and tank top, she figured she could check up on her father.
She found her purse that had been tucked in one of the dresser drawers and retrieved her cell phone from it. Lila frowned when she noticed there were ten missed called. All of them were from Jason. She couldn’t understand why he persisted in contacting her after she’d explicitly told him it was over. He was the one who’d basically called it quits when he gave her an ultimatum. And he was the one who took up with someone shortly afterwards. It wasn’t Lila’s fault that he suddenly had buyer’s remorse.
She hoped that he’d eventually take the hint and leave her alone when she didn’t return his calls. Lila called the apartment phone first knowing her father wouldn’t answer his cell phone. Jesse Saunders was old fashioned when it came to technology and rarely remembered to carry the mobile device with him. Lila had to constantly remind him to keep it on him at all times, but it was a losing battle.
There was no answer. He was probably in the store at this hour so she tried that number but again he didn’t pick up. Feeling a bit dejected she called the apartment again to leave a message on the answering machine. “Hi, Daddy. I just wanted to call and check in on you to see how you’re doing. I’m getting settled in at this new job, but I already miss you so much. Take care of yourself and make sure to take your medication and lay off on the salty foods. I’ll call again soon. I love you.” With a heavy sigh she hung up.
With that out of the way, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, ready to face the beast.