Chapter Four

The sound of a vibrating buzz roused me from sleep. I blinked, opening my eyes to a cream wall, a strip of light coming through the curtains reflecting off an abstract painting. It took me a second to remember where I was, who I was lying next to.

Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder to the person stretched out beside me. He slept on his back, one arm curled under his pillow, the other placed on my thigh, like he was making sure I wouldn’t leave.

Staring at him, I got lost in his rough beauty. Tangled hair from sleep and my fingers running through it, a serene expression floated over his features. His long lashes fluttered softly against his skin. Tattoos and scars ran down his arms and torso. He was so sexy it was almost too much to look at him. And even though he was essentially identical to my last boyfriend, there wasn’t one second I didn’t see or feel Hunter. And holy shit did I feel him everywhere last night when he’d been deep inside my body.

A blush heated my cheeks, my lips curling in a smile. Sex had hurt a little at first—Hunter’s size was almost too much to bear—but that had shifted quickly to a pleasure my brain still couldn’t wrap around. When he woke me the second time, I heard a neighbor pound on the wall, telling us to shut up. I was sore and worn out, but the touch of his warm palm on my thigh brewed an eagerness to repeat. I wanted to let myself be swallowed up by the bliss he could produce in me. Wanted to stay here all day and never leave this bed.

It was intense. He was intense.

The buzzing, which woke me up, now rattled from the floor again. It was coming from his jeans crumpled on the carpet.

Hunter moaned softly, rolling into me. His lids were still closed as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his hot skin. He wasn’t fully awake, but another part of him was burning into me.

“Hunter, your phone is ringing.”

He grunted, his hand moving over my stomach, pressing my hips into him, grinding into me.

A shaky breath broke over my tongue, desire filling my veins. He pulled my leg over his thigh, my body matching his movement, his lips grazing my neck.

His phone stopped, but only a few seconds later vibrated again.

“Do. You. Need. To. Get. That?” I struggled to speak, oxygen clipping every word in a breathy rasp.

“The only thing I need is to be inside of you,” he muttered against my neck, tugging my leg higher, letting me feel how much he meant it. His fingers drifted down from my stomach, gliding over me.

The hotel could have been burning down and I wouldn’t have cared. His teeth scraped down my throat, fingers gliding into me, short-circuiting my brain. My body was ready for him.

The hum of the cell started again, and Hunter swore under his breath. People didn’t call incessantly like that unless it was an emergency.

“It might be important.” I peered over my shoulder at him, his brow furrowed with annoyance. Leaning over me, he twisted the clock to face us, the face reading 7:08.

With a strangled growl, he collapsed onto his back, scouring his face with both hands. He huffed, kicking out of the bed, stalking toward his jeans on the floor. Biting down on my lip, my eyes tracked his naked body, watching his thighs and ass flex when he bent over, ripping the cell from his jeans pocket.

The boy was a god. His body. His face. His personality. Shit, I was done for. No hope, because I was completely in love with him. And after last night, even more so.

He stared down at the screen. Sighing heavily, he rubbed at the space between his eyes.

“I have to take this.” He looked at me. Something like disappointment fluttered through his face before his jaw crunched down, flattening his expression. He headed for the bathroom, the mobile to his ear, shutting the door behind him.

The sound of the shower turning on drowned out any chance of hearing him through the walls. A single blade of doubt grew, wrapping around my spine.

Stop. It’s probably something about supercross. It could have been a million people, everyone wanting a piece of “The Haze,” especially now he was on such a winning streak.

A booming knock rattled the door, jolting me up, tugging the bedsheet with me. I glanced from the clock to the bathroom to the door. It was freaking seven a.m. on a Saturday. Who the hell was willingly up this early?

The door pounded again. “Hunter, open the fuck up!” A man’s voice spoke from the other side.

I slipped from the bed, searching for my clothes. Shit. Where did my dress go? The hammering of the door had me grabbing for the first thing I saw, which was Hunter’s black T-shirt. Tugging it over my head, I tottered for the door, glad his shirt went to my thighs.

“Hey. Asshole. I’m gonna wake the entire floor if you don’t open this door.” The guy spoke again, and I realized I knew the voice.

Swinging the door open, I leaned against it. “Hey, Jones.”

A brief moment of shock widened his eyes, but it quickly dissolved into a smirk, wobbling his pierced chin, his eyes dancing with laughter. Jones, with his pale skin and reddish-blond hair, which he kept hidden by his wide-brim black hat, looked like the typical pot-smoking skateboarder. But the more I got to know him, the more I realized how many layers he had. Wearing long shorts, a T-shirt, and chucks, the tattoos covering both arms and most of his neck were on display. His body was nowhere near Hunter’s toned physique, but I noticed his arms were looking more defined lately. Someone was hitting the gym.

Honestly, with Hunter around, anyone would feel subpar. His ass and abs made me want to cry.

“Well, well… Jaymerson.” Jones winked, hitching the duffel bag he had higher on his shoulder. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised to see you here.” He pushed past me, stepping into the room, tossing his bag to the side. “And can I say, it’s about fucking time.”

“Really?” I shut the door, following him. “Weren’t you the one telling me to stay away?”

“Yeah, but I think even then I knew it was too late.” He stared at the disheveled bed and clothes strung around the room, shaking his head. “It was like you two were always set for a collision.” He tottered around in a circle. “Is there anywhere I can sit that’s safe?”

“Funny.” I pointed at the chair, waiting until he almost sat down before yelling, “Oh shit, not there!”

He leaped up like someone stabbed his ass with a pitchfork. “Ahhh!” He jerked and twisted from the seat.

“Sorry.” Laughter bellowed from my chest, curling me over. “I couldn’t help it.”

He glowered at me, but amusement twitched his lips, until it fully broke through, splitting his mouth. “Shit, I’ve got to watch out for you.”

I grinned wider.

“And I was wrong.” He moved to the opposite chair he had been in, sitting down.

“About what?”

“You. Him.” He shrugged. “You guys work. Never seen him so happy.”

The door to the bathroom clicked, Hunter strolling out, a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair wet.

“Thought I heard you, fucker.” Hunter stepped beside me, greeting Jones. “What the hell are you doing here so early? Thought you were taking a later flight.”

“Janel had the baby early, so I decided to get the hell out of there before they had me babysitting the other brats.” He folded his leg on the other, pinching his nose. “Another girl.”

Hunter chuckled, turning for the closet. “Wait until they’re all teenagers. You are gonna lose your shit.”

“A guy fucking looks in their direction, I’m gonna kill him,” Jones snarled. “I know what those little shits are thinking.”

“Payback for all those parents you gave heart attacks to, sniffing after their girls.” Hunter grabbed a T-shirt, pulling it on. It was strange. Inebriated bees swarmed in my belly, stinging and crashing into the walls, but Hunter’s relaxed nature contradicted the nerves. He acted like I had always been here, that me standing here in only his T-shirt, with his friend, was an everyday occurrence. No awkwardness or nervousness.

“No shit. Karma is a ruthless bitch.” Jones tipped his head back on the chair, and with an exhale, shook his head, like he was clearing it out. Focusing. “Just got a call the interviews are being bumped back to noon. The sponsors need you to go down soon and approve the changes on the logo they put on your bike. Then right after you need to get to the arena. A few sports channels want to interview you, and I’ve set up a few other meetings. One right after you approve the bike and one right before the interviews.” Jones tipped his head to me. “And this is a light day.”

I lifted my eyebrows. Light day? No wonder Hunter barely knew what day it was or if he called me.

Pulling on his jeans, Hunter grumbled under his breath.

“Sorry, man, I know you’d rather stay here.” Jones motioned to me. “But that’s the life of a star…” He sighed dramatically. “Poor thing. What you have to go through for fame.”

“Shut up.” Hunter finished buttoning his jeans. His hand caressed my lower back, but his gaze remained on his friend. “And you can get out now. There’s a café downstairs I’ll meet you at in five minutes.”

Jones popped out of the chair, his expression skeptical, curving one eyebrow. “Five minutes.” He looked between us, giving us a poignant look. “Not fifteen. The owner is going to be there today when you look at the bike. Don’t make him wait because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants for a few hours.”

“Out,” Hunter growled, pointing to the door. Jones grinned, nodding to me before exiting the room.

Hunter spun to me the moment the door clicked, his hands moving into my hair, gripping my face, raw energy thumping off his frame. “All I want to do is toss you back on the bed right now.” His lips roughly captured mine. “Seeing you in my shirt.” His gaze grew hungry and fierce. One hand moved to my thigh, pushing the shirt up until he reached me, sliding his fingers into me with a heated groan. “You’re so fucking wet.” My pulse jackhammered against my throat, a gasp sticking in my mouth. “Sorry, this is going to be fast.” He moved quicker, his thumb hitting my core.

“Hunter.” My nails dug into his shoulders, my mouth parting, my hips moving. The spark of an orgasm already knotted between my legs. A simple touch and it was like he tossed gasoline on me and lit the match.

“Come for me,” he whispered in my ear. “Fuck my hand, Jayme… I want to feel you let go.”

A sense of embarrassment lined my cheeks, but I was too lost in him to really care, doing exactly what he asked, not holding back. This was all so new to me, and the sensations he created were addicting, like a drug, and I would do anything to get that high.

Picking up speed and shifting his angle, he curled his fingers and hit a spot that burst me into a million pieces. I cried out, my legs wobbling, but his free arm circled my waist, keeping me on my feet.

Panting, I came back to myself, my muscles shaking with the release, my lids flicking up to him in reverence.

“That was hot,” he muttered, kissing me, sliding his hand from me. “Fuck, I’m so hard now.” Leaning back, staring straight in my eyes, he sucked on his fingers, licking the taste of me off them, sending a hot shiver through me. “All I want is you on my tongue today.”

I could only stare, locked on his gaze.

“I’ll see you later. Jones will get you a pass for tonight.” With a quick kiss, he grabbed his bag and strode out the door, leaving me gaping after him, still weak from my climax.

I knew, in no uncertain terms, I was screwed. He was only gone for twenty seconds, and I already craved him, needed his touch.

Fear flicked in my gut; a tiny spark of alarm clenched my lungs. The entire night, everything had been perfect. Why did the ground under my feet feel fragile, like I was in the middle of a frozen lake and with one move the entire surface would break, dropping me into an icy abyss?

 

 

Mostly dressed, with my hair knotted, feet bare, and boots in my hand, I slunk down the hall to my hotel room. I looked every bit the walk of shame stereotype, though I felt no shame. None. Zilch. I could not say the same for guilt. It was there, a tiny piece, Colton’s name floating around, the sting just enough to know it was present.

I had no reason to feel guilty. Colton cheated on me right and left, but death played with your head, and I had moved on with his twin. From an outside perspective, I could see how screwed up and twisted it looked, that I might have simply transferred my feelings from Colton to Hunter. But in reality, it had strangely been the other way around. I had been in love with Hunter the whole time; I just placed the feelings on Colton until the truth came out. From the outside world, it was easy to judge. Black and white. People thought we should have stayed away from each other.

Like Jones said, we were always set on a collision course, but only because Colton died. I hated losing Colton brought forth that truth, but it didn’t make it any less accurate. His absence broke my heart, but I had no doubt I would have carried on in that false reality, might even have married him, without seeing the real Hunter. All of us would have been miserable, because none of us were with the right person.

As much as I wanted Colton alive, I couldn’t regret where life had brought me—scuttling down the hall from Hunter’s room after a night of unbelievable sex.

The door beeped from my keycard, releasing the door. The room dark, I tiptoed in, but stopped when I heard the deep moan of a woman.

“Oh fuck, Stevie!”

Before I could flip around, my eyes landed on movement in the bed. An unknown girl’s head rocked back as someone pleased her under the sheets.

“Oh holy shit. Sorry!” I whirled around, embarrassment stinging my face and neck.

The girl yelped in surprise as I bounded for the door.

“Whiskey?” Stevie’s voice paused me at the door.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’ll go.” I cringed, turning the handle.

“No, it’s cool. We’re done here.”

“What?” the girl squeaked.

“Sorry, but I want to go have breakfast with my friend.”

“Are you serious right now?”

“Yep.” I heard the bed creak, like someone was moving. “Time to go.”

“I can’t believe you,” the girl barked, sounds of movement and fabric rustling around. I was still pinned in place, staring at the door.

“You don’t know me well enough to make that kind of assessment…” Stevie tapered off, and I knew it was because she didn’t know her name.

Apparently, the girl picked up on it too.

“You don’t even know my name, do you?” The girl’s voice rose several octaves. “Jesus, you’re no different from a fucking man…” The mystery woman moved behind me, and I turned around. She was dressed in a skintight dress, shoving her feet into her heels, her face twisted in anger. I recognized her from the party the night before, her naturally curly hair bouncing around her head as she grabbed her clutch bag and stormed for the door. I jumped out of her way, the door slamming brutally against the wall.

“Bye,” Stevie called after her.

“Fuck you!” she fumed, stomping out of the room, the door shutting behind her.

I stepped fully into the room, my undergarments still clenched in my hand. Stevie sat on the bed, wrapped in the sheet.

“Stevie…” I shook my head, knowing exactly why that girl was in our room. “Really?”

“What?” She stood, acting like she didn’t understand my tone.

“Come on.” I folded my arms, moving closer to her. “You went after her on purpose. Don’t act like you didn’t.”

The girl in our room had been the same one Chris had his eyes on at the party.

“Clearly ape-boy wasn’t enough for Princess Tiana.” She tucked the sheet in tighter. “She came home with me.”

“So… is that how it’s going to be? A competition? To see if you can one-up him? Go after every girl he talks to?” I shook my head. I really wanted to smack those two, because I knew Chris would only fight back. They’d each try to outdo the other, hurting the other until they were way past salvation. That’s probably how they wanted it, then it would be safe. Their feelings protected.

“Stevie, why can’t you admit you love him?”

“Love?” She burst out laughing. “Oh Whiskey, you are so naive. What I feel for Chris is the furthest you can get from love.”

Did she realize she used his real name in that denial? She may not admit it to me or even herself, but the girl was as in love with him as he was with her. It was clear partly because of how much they wanted to hurt each other. You didn’t do that for people you felt so-so about.

I knew not to push her because she would only slink into her protected shell like a turtle.

“How about breakfast?” I rubbed my bare foot over the other, tossing my bra and underwear onto my bag in the corner. “I’m starving.”

“Oh. My. God!” Stevie shrieked, her mouth dropping open. “You did it! You and Hunter finally boinked!”

“Boinked?” I waggled my head. “Who says that?”

“I mean, I kind of figured you were together but didn’t know if you’d go all the way. You couldn’t even lie about it right now; it is obvious. Oh, my little Whiskey is all grown up.” She fanned her eyes like she was going to cry. “I’m so proud.”

“Stop.” I glowered at her.

“Oh, I need all the details. Especially in-depth description about that boy’s ass. How it looked naked.” She put her hand on her chest. “Damn, he has a stellar ass.”

I chuckled, my eyes rolling at my crazy friend.

“Shower and breakfast first.” I couldn’t fight the happiness spreading from my chest to my face as I grinned like a fool. Hunter’s ass was stellar to look at and even better to touch. Dammit, I wanted to run my hands over it now.

What was he doing to me? My brain went from thinking about a million things to one: being alone and naked with Hunter Harris.