CHAPTER FOURTEEN- HUNTER
It was hard to imagine that my new wife had only known my daughter a week. Sarah and Tani were amazing together and it was as if we were a real family for the first few days, even though Sarah still hadn’t moved in. She’d brought a few things, just enough for show, but she’d spent a night away and I wasn’t thrilled about it. At least she’d been around to see Tani off to her mother’s and she’d given Tani a much-needed pep talk about the situation.
We’d shared a quiet dinner together and a few hours of loud sex, without Tani home to disturb, and then she’d fallen asleep in my arms.
I brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. “We better not sleep the day away.” I brushed my stubble against her ear and she squirmed away from me. “We need to move you in.”
She rolled over and her eyes fluttered open. “I’m all moved in.” She shielded her eyes with her arm. “What else is there to do?”
“You brought a bag, Sarah. We agreed that you’d move in. It has to be convincing, and so far things have been great, but if the judge finds out my wife has her own place, which she feels the need to go visit during the week, it’s going to be a bit obvious that the marriage is a fraud.”
She sat up and tossed back the covers wearing nothing but one of my t-shirts, which was more than me. “I don’t see why I have to give up my life and my home for this. Lots of people have two houses. Who is going to know?”
“Don’t be dim. They investigate this type of thing, Sarah.” She turned to me with her hand on her hip.
“Dim? I’m not being dim, I’m being practical. What happens to me when you’re all done playing husband and I’ve got to go back to my own life? I’ll need a place to live and I’m not giving up my home.”
“So keep it, but at least let’s start emptying it out a little bit. We’ll hide some things in storage if we can’t bring them here. But you can’t just go home when you feel like it.” I was talking loud enough that she walked into the bathroom and closed the door, but I was sure she could still hear me.
She called from the other side. “That’s your problem?” She paused and I heard the toilet flush and the sink come on. I threw the covers back and went to the door only to have her open it as she brushed her teeth. “You’re pissed off that I went home for a night?”
“This is your home now. You’re going to confuse Tani if you keep it up. She doesn’t know why you’re leaving and staying out all night. She even asked me if mom’s do that. I told her you had to help your sister.”
She pointed her toothbrush at me, her mouth still filled with foam. “Fine, I won’t spend the night there, but I need my space. No offense, I love Tani, but you’re asking me to be mother and wife overnight.” She spat in my sink and then rinsed her mouth. “But no, this isn’t my home. It’s a temporary arrangement. I told myself when we got into this that I would stand my ground and keep it business with benefits so I could get my life in order and have a little fun while I was at it.”
“Yeah, you’re really good at the benefits.”
“Oh, so now you’re upset about the sex? We don’t have to have sex, Hunter. I only thought it would make it better. And if you mean the money, then I should remind you that this was all your idea to begin with. And, by the way, you seduced me.” She pushed past me and headed for the door, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
She jerked away from me, but I held her with my stare. “Do you want out of this?”
She sighed and raked her hand through her hair. “I never said that. I just don’t want to lose myself or my life while trying to save yours and Tani’s. Is that so hard to understand?”
It was harder than she thought. As I gazed down into her eyes all I could remember was how lonely I’d been the night she’d gone home. We’d gotten our marriage license on Monday and been as happy as any other couple until Thursday when we married. I’d spent our honeymoon alone.
“Did you have to leave me alone on our wedding night?” Admitting that was the nail in my coffin, but by doing so I hoped she’d see that it meant more for me now. I was falling for her and I didn’t want the arrangement to be just an arrangement anymore.
I’d seen her with Tani. The two were perfect together and without even trying she’d taken on the mothering role like a natural. I didn’t want it to end.
She stared up at me shaking her head. “I can’t do this right now. I’m not going to spend whatever time we’re in this arguing. I’ll go crazy.” She turned and went down the stairs as I went for the shower.
I stood under the hot stream letting the water fall on my face as I thought about my situation. I couldn’t help but let myself get too deep. We had been spending so much time together and having the hottest sex, not to mention I’d opened up and shared my life with her. I wasn’t used to being vulnerable to anyone, but it felt right with her. Dammit. Was I falling in love?
When I was younger, I never suspected I’d marry, and though I imagined having a kid someday, I’d never expected to be a full time parent. I wanted to live the wild and free life on the road just me and my bike, and maybe a different woman every week. When Nancy got pregnant with Tani, I knew I didn’t want to marry her. She’d begged me, but I didn’t see marriage as that important for raising a child. I didn’t mind cohabitating if necessary, but I didn’t think I’d be in it alone. Tani changed all of that thinking. Seeing her little and helpless, with a mother who didn’t give two shits about herself, much less our child, I knew if I didn’t step up I’d regret it. She left Tani with me when she was two months old, and had only come around once in a while wanting a handout for her next fix until she’d decided to clean up and steal her from me.
I’d asked Sarah to marry me out of desperation, but the truth was, even if I didn’t need her in my life, I wanted her in it. Fuck.
I forced myself to finish the shower and finally turned off the water and stepped out into the steamy room and wrapped myself in a towel. I expected Sarah to be downstairs, but when I opened the door, she was laid across the bed wearing my shirt.
“Is there any hot water left?” Her legs were covered hiding the fact that she was bare-bottomed. My cock twitched and stood at attention, but I left my towel in place.
“It’s all yours.” I waved my hand toward the door and she narrowed her eyes at me. Even though I had revealed my feelings to her, she was still angry and I was tired of arguing.
“Fine.” She stood and stripped the shirt. My cock punched against the towel and my balls ached as my gaze slid down across her body, from the swell of her breasts, across her flat stomach to the little cleft between her thighs. She strutted forward heading past me to the door, but I caught her by the arm and pulled her close.
“Don’t taunt me unless you’re prepared to face the consequences.”
Her hard stare was steady as she lifted her chin as a show of defiance. “What are you going to do about it?” She glanced down at the bulge behind my towel and then lifted her chin again, this time as if daring me.
“I’m going to show you how I take what I want. And just so we’re clear, I’m not letting you go.”