Chapter Five
For the next week Hunter couldn’t get Payton out of his head. She wasn’t scheduled to start until the following week as Elise still had last minute preparations to make. Rick had also called ahead, and handed them a list of available photographers for Elise to go over. Hunter didn’t mind. It was all business, and in the end he’d make money. What he didn’t like was the fact he was constantly checking Payton through Daryl’s social media page.
When he slept with a woman, that was it. No going back, no second date, and he certainly wasn’t the kind of guy to stalk. Right now he felt like a stalker as a brand new picture had appeared on Payton’s page. It was a selfie of her and Rick, and even though he knew that guy was no threat, the fact he got to be with her every single day was like a kick to the gut.
“Why don’t you call her?” Daryl asked, appearing behind his shoulder. “I have a feeling I’m going to get a call from the cops or something.”
“Why?”
“You’re mass stalking her. I don’t even know if they watch that kind of thing. Seriously, Hunter, you need to call her.”
“She’s due in the office next week.”
“And if something goes wrong, which it could, you won’t see her until Elise is ready.”
Hunter tapped his fingers on the desk. “I’m not like this.”
“I know. It’s why I’m offering you this advice. Call her.”
He gritted his teeth, and turned to his friend. “She doesn’t want anything between us.” It cost him so much behaving like a little pussy.
“Last time I checked, Hunter Reynolds had balls, and didn’t take shit from anyone. If you want Payton, don’t let her push you around. Just so you know, I’ve heard a great deal about this woman. She’s nice, and in most situations she gets taken advantage of. Rick Maybe she’s trying to keep you at arms’ length.”
“We’re talking like a bunch of pussies,” Hunter said.
“You’re acting like one.” With that, Daryl left, and Hunter shut down the pages. He needed to get his own account, but that seemed way too stalkery for him.
“I’m not like this,” he said. No woman had ever made him feel like this, and with Payton, he didn’t want to screw things up.
Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed her number because he totally had it in his little book, and waited.
“Hello,” she said, sounding a little out of breath.
“Hello, Payton.”
“Hunter, it’s so good to hear from you. I thought you forgot me there.”
“So you wanted me to call you?” he asked, leaning back as his dick got hard recalling her riding him.
“Of course I did, but I can’t be too obvious now, can I? I enjoyed spending time with you over dinner, and then obviously later.”
“When I fucked your brains out?”
Did he just hear a whimper?
“Anyway, erm, how have you been?”
“Busy, what about you?”
“We’re doing a couple of shots today in the local park. It’s for an interview. Rick is going crazy because people have their cell phones out, and obviously some stuff will go viral. Especially if it’s a bad angle. Sometimes I’m not at my best.”
“I doubt that.” He loved that she didn’t sound scared, or hurt, or worried. There was a confidence inside her that called to him. “I was calling. Do you want to go out tonight?” Which just so happened to be Friday, and close to the weekend.
“I’ve got nothing going on, and I would love to.”
“Great, I’ll pick you up, with flowers, and I intend to be invited up.”
“You’re bossy today.”
Being nice hadn’t gotten him what he wanted.
“Let’s just say I don’t want you to have a reason to come down and meet me.”
“It’s fine, Hunter. You want to see my sweet pad. I get it. Just to warn you, it’s all girly.”
He chuckled. “I’ll love it, I know I will.”
“How is Elise? She told me she still had a few adjustments to make, and hadn’t said next Monday would be a concrete deadline.”
“I’m not aware. As far and Daryl and I are concerned, everything is running smoothly.” He was going to be paying a visit to Elise downstairs. “I better let you get back to your photo shoot. Take care.”
“I will, and you.”
He hung up the phone, and immediately made his way downstairs where he found Elise moving around a bunch of men and women on sewing machines. Most of the outfits were on mannequins, having changes made.
“Hunter, it’s so good to have you here.” She took him through to her office. “What’s up?”
“Just been on the phone with Payton, and she doesn’t know if Monday is a guaranteed date.”
Elise rubbed at her head. “I’ve had to make some changes to certain schedules, and Daryl’s arranging the new photographers. I’ve been out most of the week, checking the zones are what I want. Believe me, Hunter, this is going to be a hit.”
“I want one photo shoot ready on Monday.”
“This is going to take a couple of weeks, and I can book Payton during that time if you would like,” she said.
He turned to his cousin without saying a word.
“It’s obvious you’re digging her. Clearly you want her close.”
He walked away shaking his head, but again, still smiling. For the rest of the day he was watching the clock, and for the first time since he started his company, he was out of the door at exactly five o’clock, even to Daryl’s surprise.
Within two hours he was already changed and heading to Payton’s. He pressed the buzzer on her apartment, and this time she let him inside. Making his way up toward her floor, he knocked on her door, and there she was.
The dress she wore hung off one shoulder, and seemed to dip between the valley of her breasts.
“I invited you up. Isn’t that what you wanted?” she asked.
“It is.” The dress stopped at her knee, and when she turned, presenting him with her back, he saw that there was no line of her panties. His cock was already responding, but all this woman needed to do was smile, and he was putty in her hands.
Closing the door, he looked around her space. It was a large apartment, in a nice area of the city. His place was a little bigger, but what he loved about Payton’s home was it seemed loving. There were lots of pictures, and in the corner was a large bookshelf. He followed her into the kitchen, and he saw a large round chocolate cake with frosting over it.
“Did you make that?”
“Yes, I did.” She had already filled a vase, and took the flowers from him.
“May I have a slice?” he asked. Chocolate was in fact one of his weaknesses. She put the roses down, and took the dome off the cake, cutting him a large slice. She put it on a small plate with a fork, and handed it to him.
“I do hope you like it.”
One bite, and he was in love. The frosting wasn’t rock hard, but it was sweet, making his mouth water for another bite. The cake was moist, the frosting divine.
Everything about this cake was perfection.
She put the roses into the vase, and then came toward him. “I actually got something for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes. I figure that you wouldn’t like flowers, but the way you’re going at that cake, I think I should have baked you one. Still, I hope you like it.”
He put the empty plate down, and he wanted to lick every single last crumb off the plate. It was a shame to waste good cake. If she went to the bathroom, he would do it, but right now, it seemed really undignified.
He took the square box, and opened the lid. Inside was a gold watch, but it was down to the fact that she had bought him a gift.
“We finished our photo shoot early. Rick had a date, and I had some time to kill. I passed a jeweler’s and I saw it and thought of you. If you don’t like it I can take it back, and change it.”
“It’s lovely, Payton, thank you.” No one, besides his parents, had gotten him a gift before.
“I always figure that the guy brings roses, so why can’t we get our man a gift? Not that I’m saying you’re my man, but you get the gist of it,” she said, giggling.
He removed the watch he’d been wearing, and replaced it with hers. “Are you ready to party?”
****
Payton patted her foot to the beat of the music. The entire club, Raw, was alive with energy. People were dancing, and everyone was crowded together. Hunter was talking with the owner, and she didn’t mind that he was doing business, but she didn’t like the way other women were looking at him.
That man was with her.
Finally, after half an hour, and two shots of tequila later, she’d had enough.
Moving up toward the two men, she patted Hunter on the back. He turned toward her.
“Hi, yeah, remember me, your date? If not, I’m going on that dancefloor, and then I’m leaving.”
She spun on her heel, and climbed onto the dancefloor. It seemed a little childish to make an ultimatum, but she had acted like a silly woman. The moment he had called, she had dropped everything for a chance to be with him. Rick had invited her to dinner with the woman she had set him up with online. She’d pulled out of that dinner, to be out with Hunter, only for him to leave her for business.
The moment she was surrounded by people dancing, she was able to relax, and finally begin dancing herself. She didn’t like how Hunter affected her. It was one of the reasons why she had initiated the just sex rule, and still, she was breaking her own rules.
She enjoyed being with him, and buying him that watch had been so stupid.
Ugh! She was embarrassed. With the low lighting, she was pleased no one else could see her feelings. Closing her eyes, she let the music rush through her, and let go for several moments, until a hand wrapped around her waist.
She jerked around and saw Hunter was right there. He leaned down so his lips brushed her ear. “I was talking business, baby. You didn’t have to worry.”
“Talk business on your own time. You invited me out, and ignored me. Are you punishing me for what I said to you at your place?” she asked, then wished she could take those words back. She put her hands on his chest. “You know what? Let’s just have a lot of fun, okay? I don’t want to make this complicated in any way.”
The hand at her waist moved down to her ass, and he pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his cock press against her stomach.
“I shouldn’t have left you. You could have joined us at any time.”
“Please. Women were practically drooling all over you.” She winced at the sound of her own jealousy. Hunter didn’t seem to mind. He was chuckling.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were a little jealous there. You have nothing to worry about, Payton. I’m here with you, and you’re the only woman I’ve been thinking about for a long time now.”
This was getting more complicated. The music changed to something low and sensual. Hunter spun her around so that her back was to him, and his lips grazed her neck.
Closing her eyes, she relished the feel of his arms around her. He was so tall, so muscular that he had the ability to make her feel protected. Sometimes she missed that, having someone to lean on. Rick was great. He was also her best friend, and she didn’t want to lean on him in any other way than as friends.
By the end of the night, she was slightly drunk, and a lot happy.
“I’ve not had a fun night out like that in a long time,” she said, making her way up to her apartment.
“I’m pleased you enjoyed it.”
Leaning against her door, she smiled at him. “You’ve been really nice to me, and I appreciate it. Now, I’m a little drunk, so sex is totally off the table because I don’t do stuff like that. However, I can offer you coffee, and maybe some Chinese leftovers?”
“How about coffee and we share a slice of that chocolate cake, and you’ve got yourself a deal?”
“Ah, you like my cooking?” She opened the door, waiting for him to enter before locking it. Putting her bag, shoes, and keys on the floor, she padded her way toward the kitchen. She was a little drunk but not so much that she couldn’t operate her kettle. Once that was filled and boiling, she grabbed two large dinner plates. She was starving. Cutting him a slice, she placed it in front of him on the table, and sat opposite him.
“I love your cooking, but technically, I’ve not tasted anything you’ve cooked.”
She laughed. “Stay the night and I will cook you breakfast. If you don’t want to, I understand. Also if sharing a bed is weird for you, I’ll take the sofa. You’re way too big to fit on mine.”
“You think I’m big?” he asked with a wink.
“You know you’re very big, and you certainly know how to use it.”
He closed his eyes, and she watched as he released a moan. “This is heaven. You love to bake.”
“I do. This cake, it was Bethany’s favorite. Thinking about her these past couple of weeks, it’s been hard. I wanted to remember her.” She smiled. “When we were younger, our mom would make this, and we’d sit and stare at it, hoping she’d cave and let us have a slice before dinner. I miss those days.”
He reached out, touching her hand. “How are your folks?”
“I don’t talk to my parents. After Bethany died, I blamed them and myself, and everything. I mean … how did I not know? She was so thin, and when I pointed it out after hugging her, she stopped hugging me. Everything just changed, and I wish I could go back, and not be so absorbed in my own thing.”
“What did you before modeling kicked off?” he asked.
“I worked in a lot of hostels, and refugee centers. Total turnaround right? Rick was a lawyer. He worked in helping others, and did a lot of pro-bono work. We knew each other as kids. The modeling took off, and he didn’t like the way I was being treated, and I guess you can say the rest is history.”
“It must have been a huge change?”
“It was. At times it has been hard to make the adjustments. I’m still me. My parents, they don’t like that I’m a plus-size model. They think I’m making a mockery out of Bethany’s death.” She had never told anyone that before. “I’ve not spoken to them in years.”
“Did your sister know about what you were doing?” he asked.
“Yes, she did. She told me to ignore everyone, and to just be myself. To not let anyone else tell me that I wasn’t beautiful or worth it or something. To live my life to the fullest.”
“Your sister sounded awesome.”
“She really was, and she had great taste in cake.”
She finished their coffee, and handed him a cup. The cake was so good, and eating it, she felt like her sister was there with her. Moments like this, she hated. They made her feel so lonely.
“I don’t mind sharing a bed. I have nothing against sleeping with you without the sex,” he said.
After finishing their cake and coffee, she showed him to the bedroom and the bathroom. Wiping the makeup off her face, she brushed her teeth, and handed a spare one to him to use. Rushing into her bedroom, she quickly pulled on a nightshirt and climbed into bed. Her heart was racing, and yet she felt completely stupid for reacting like this. He was just a guy, and yet she’d been the one to put sex only. Now they were sharing a bed without sex.
They shouldn’t be having sex in the first place, and this was totally wrong, and it all felt right. Being with him was fun, and he made her smile in ways she hadn’t done for a long time.
She knew he was a player and had many other girlfriends in the past. She had searched him on the internet to try to find more about this guy that had her body humming in ways it hadn’t.
Seconds later he came out of her bathroom with only his boxer briefs on. She turned on her side with her head in her hand, watching. “Very sexy!”
They were black briefs, which gave him a lot of extra credit as far as she was concerned.
“I thought you’d like them.”
“I do. I think I’d have to terminate our sleeping together if you came out in white. I don’t like them.”
He laughed, and climbed in beside her, turning so that he was facing her. “I can say you’re the first woman I would have slept with all night in a bed.”
“Then I will consider it an honor.”