Chapter Eight
Hunter
It was turning out to be the best summer of my life.
After that first encounter at the store, I couldn’t keep my hands off of Dani. We stole as many moments as we could but it was hard with my work schedule and her plans with Justine.
Dani reminded me of that every time we snuck off. “My cousin is the reason I’m here,” she’d say with a touch of guilt. “I shouldn’t be neglecting her.”
But I doubted that Justine minded very much. In fact, she seemed to approve of my blossoming relationship with her cousin wholeheartedly.
Because I couldn’t stay away from Dani. She was a drug – a very powerful, very potent drug that hooked me like no other. Cocaine? Shit, that has nothing on the beautiful brunette. And yet I knew the girl was inexperienced physically, so I was trying my hardest to take things slow.
But it was hard. Going at a snail’s pace was sheer torture. Just being next to her drove me crazy, and the idea of being her first was something I craved desperately. I’d never loved the idea of claiming a virgin because it’s too much responsibility, but meeting Dani changed everything.
Because she deserved the time of her life, and I was just the man to do it. Besides, I’d seen my own virginity as a burden. I’d discarded it as quickly as I’d been able, in the back of some van with an older girl from the neighborhood. But Dani’s virginity was something special, and I wanted her first time to be unique. I wanted her to remember it for the rest of her life.
If anything, I loved the idea of marking her. Of tearing through her hymen and burying my cock deep in her tight, young pussy and making her my very own. Oh yeah. The thought of that sweet young cunt curved to the shape of my dick forever made me horny as well.
But for right now, it was just heavy petting and panting as I readied my girl for the next step because she was small, and needed to be stretched before being able to take my cock. Practice sessions have never been so fun in the pool house behind my sister’s home. Her delicate moans rang out, interspersed with my deep grunts and we explored each other’s bodies.
And yet, it was more than the physical too, because as we spent more time together, I started to realize that she was someone important to me. Before Dani, it had always been about the next conquest. I never slept with the same woman for very long and even then, boredom usually reigned.
But with the curvy brunette, everything was different. I never seemed to lose interest. She was one surprise after another, her body responding to mine in ways that were indescribably sweet.
And it’s not like I lied to her about the truth. Dani knew about my MO because I’d explained it to her. I needed her to understand that I wasn’t the type to stay. The teen girl understood, or at least I hoped she did. I wouldn’t have continued to see her if she didn’t.
But things were hard. She felt the connection between us just as strongly as I did. And soon, I was starting to break my own rules.
I began craving her in non-sexual ways. Sometimes, all I could think about was sitting with her, asking about her day, her dreams, and her life back home with her mother.
What the hell was going on? I never knew that I could want something other than mere sex.
“You seem distracted,” said my father over breakfast one morning. He’d asked me over to his house to discuss the business, and it was convenient, seeing that he and my mom live right down the street from my sister. Although Hugh had been retired for years now, he always wanted updates whenever he saw fit even though on paper, the company was rightfully mine.
But in my father’s mind, as long as he was still breathing, the company was his responsibility.
I bit into my omelet and grimaced.
“The new acquisition is taking a lot of my time,” I said grudgingly. It was true that we had just acquired a small production company, and I hoped the mention would be enough to get him to drop the subject.
“I hear that deal went through a few days ago, with no fight,” my father said dryly, as he sliced the steak on his plate. “What’s going on, Hunter? Are you distracted?”
I frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Being the new CEO was hard. The employees were used to Hugh, and I was seen as the boy prince, the prodigal son who only got to where he was because of Daddy. But once my workers got to know me, they’d see that their lives were better now. I tried to lead with authority, but also compassion, which was something my father had never been able to manage while wielding the iron fist.
Unfortunately, these things take time. Even though I tried hard to connect with everyone, I knew that not everyone was loyal to me. My dad had a collection of spies around the office, and I knew their trust couldn’t be won on my own. I’d taken measures to protect myself, but sometimes the task seemed impossible.
“I hear you aren’t really in the office anymore. Hunter, you know this time is too valuable to waste. You should be making connections right now – as many as you possibly can.”
“I decided to take some time off,” was my reply grunt. “It’s just for the summer, and I can assure you that my performance hasn’t changed. I’m still keeping this hellish meeting schedule. And frankly, I’m a little angry. It’s insulting that you think I’m not doing my job.”
My father didn’t look up from his coffee.
“You know I work my ass off,” I continued. “The company earns twice as much profit under me as it did under you. It’s one of the premiere media companies in the world.”
“You spending more time with the kids?” My father asked, ignoring everything I’d just said about work. “Priscilla will be pleased.”
I knew his implication was clear: my sister might be happy, but my father sure as hell wasn’t.
“Yes,” I replied. It was true, I was spending more time with the Kristi and Aaron. “We’ve been having a game night once a week, or going to the movies. It’s important to spend time with family,” I said calmly while reaching for my orange juice.
“Family time is important, but you need to make more time for the business too,” said Hugh smoothly. “I don’t want this company I built to suffer because you can’t be bothered to give it the proper attention.”
What an asshole.
“I haven’t been out with a woman in weeks,” I said, barely keeping the anger from my voice. I knew what my father was getting at. I’d developed a reputation for sleeping around over the years. But this summer, I had felt no real desire to look at anyone other than Dani, which shocked me to my core. Was it possible that I was changing?
Even more surprising, I was starting to think of a future with the gorgeous girl. Dani would be going to school in the fall and I’d be leaving the city, going wherever the company needed me. But that didn’t mean being together was impossible. I travel on a private jet, so we could work something out.
Suddenly, a female voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Hunter, it’s so nice to see you!”
My mother’s voice snapped me out of my head. Elaine smiled broadly as she joined us on the patio, sliding an thin arm around my shoulder and kissing the top of my head.
“It’s nice to see you, Mom,” I said as I hugged her lightly.
“I didn’t know you were coming for breakfast.” She looked to my father. “Why didn’t you tell me Hunter was going to join us?”
“This is supposed to be a business breakfast,” my father replied smoothly. “I didn’t think you’d be interested.”
“Hugh Maddox, you know you are retired,” my mother scolded as she took a seat between us. “No more business. Not right now.”
My father shook his head and went back to his plate, knowing full well that she was the primary reason he left the company. Elaine had been telling him for years to retire. She had finally worn him down enough to give me control of the company, even though he obviously wasn’t ready to step down.
But now that Elaine was here, I knew we wouldn’t be discussing business anymore for the day. Thank god, because my mom has always had a way of rescuing a conversation going south. She was the queen of niceties and smooth transitions. We could be talking about endangered species, and somehow she would steer the conversation to something cheerier.
And Elaine worked her magic this time as well.
“I hear Mary is in town visiting her mother. You should try to see her before you leave.” My mother eyed me. “I hear she’s very beautiful, Hunter, and so sweet. Did you know she volunteers with orphans?”
I tried not to groan. Mary Everton was a girl I had gone to high school with. Our mothers did charity work together, and I had known Mary for almost my entire life. If there was one woman my mother was constantly badgering me about, it was Mary Everton. The Everton family was old money, with traditions up the wazoo. By contrast, we Maddoxes were nouveau riche and supposedly uncouth. It amazed me that the Evertons would even be interested in welcoming me to their rarefied world.
But Mary’s mother was quite fond of me, for some reason or other. Nancy Everton always made an effort to include me in Everton family events, and the truth is that Mary was lovely. She was beautiful, smart, and one of the nicest women I had ever met. But nothing was going to happen because Mary liked women – although neither set of parents knew.
So I hedged.
“I don’t think I have the time. All my free time is taken up with Kristi and Aaron.”
My mother scoffed. “I think you can spare one afternoon. I know my grandchildren would be happy to let their uncle have a night off.”
“Mother, it’s very kind of you, but I’m not really looking for anything right now.”
She looked at me with the sad-eyed expression that always made my heart twinge guiltily.
“What’s going to happen when you are ready to settle down but there isn’t anyone left? All the good girls are taken already. Mary isn’t going to wait around forever, you know.”
I tried to keep my expression smooth.
“Mary should marry someone that she loves, and not settle for just anybody. Maybe I’m not right for her,” I said cryptically.
“Nonsense,” my mother said, as a maid dropped a plate of fruit in front of her before fading into the background. “I know what’s best for you. You’re my son.”
“I know what’s best for me. But I’m not what’s best for Mary. Trust me on that.”
“You don’t know that,” my mother shot back, using her knife and fork to cut a single strawberry on her plate. “We’re Maddoxes, Hunter. We always marry the best.”
Part of me wanted to mention how my sister was on her third husband, but my mom had conveniently forgotten. Figures. As Elaine began to drone on and on about wealth and respectability, I continued cutting my omelet and chewing each piece into mush. My mind began to wander to other territory.
Would my family ever accept Dani if she didn’t come from money? Would they accept the curvy brunette based on merit, and not a family name or her social status?
I hoped so because I wanted the girl badly … and nothing was going to stop me.