I drew in a deep breath as I climbed out of the Uber car. After shoving a wad of cash through the window, hoping to God I remembered the house number, I turned to face the large log house. One look at it told me all I needed to know. This was Hunter’s place for sure. There was no way it could be mistaken. I started walking up the path to his house when I heard rustling in the bushes.

Then a low growl.

Only one thing crossed my mind—bear.

I stopped for a split second before bolting to the front door in a panic. I half expected a big furry monster to grab ahold of me from behind and put me out of my misery for good.

I started pounding on the door frantically.

Just as I was about to shout out, Hunter pulled it open. I stood in front of him with my mouth hanging open and my fists above my head. He looked at me, bewildered, before smiling in amusement. I was too afraid to care. I pushed past him, inviting myself inside, before poking my head out the door to see if I could catch a glimpse of the beast outside.

That was when I saw NotCat hobbling after me with his oversized cast.

He walked right up to the door and looked up at me with his grumpy yet loving expression. I was blushing fire engine red with embarrassment. I couldn’t believe I had just made a scene because of the dog. I crouched down to pet him and laughed awkwardly before straightening up and finally turning to face Hunter.

“Did I just save you from the three-legged, hobbling monster?” He laughed, “that would have been a terrible death.”

“It could have been a bear, okay. How was I supposed to know it was just your dog?”

“Technically, he isn’t my dog.”

I shot him a look of irritation before looking away and staring at NotCat. He was now hobbling away, making his way to the cushion in the corner of the living room. I looked at him for a moment and pushed away my upset feelings about Mrs. Christianson getting away with hurting him.

I had played the scenario in my head the whole way over to Hunter’s house. I was supposed to be telling him I was going back to North Carolina. I knew I wouldn’t technically be breaking up with him because we were never technically together.

But it felt like a break-up.

After the scare with the big ferocious “bear” I looked like a fool. Now I stood in front of him feeling like a nervous schoolgirl. All the while, I was just hoping he’d drop the whole shenanigan.

“I…umm…” my voice trailed off as I looked away.

Hunter turned around and walked toward the kitchen. I stood there silently, not knowing what to do. 

“Wine?”

I turned to look down the hallway. I slowly walked to the kitchen and saw him standing at the end of it. I felt a bizarre sense of déjà vu as he led me to the wine vault. It felt like something was tumbling in my stomach, but this time there was no surprise hoisting up into the air. Hunter just quickly grabbed a bottle and before I could even answer, he was already pouring two glasses. He handed one to me.

“Where’s Cal?” I was so desperate to say anything that I just blurted out the first question that popped into my mind.

Hunter took a deep breath, “Pretty sure he’s taking a dump in Mrs. Christianson’s hot tub, but I’m not certain. If I were being honest, I’d rather not know because at least then I could plead ignorance.”

It would be just like Cal to do something so immature and have Hunter egg him on. Still, I laughed. The thought alone was pretty funny. It was a genuine, wholehearted laugh. It was the type I rarely showed people, least of all Hunter. It wasn’t lost on me when he looked at my face, all smiles and shining eyes. I felt the tumbling in my stomach start up again. It set off a fluttering in my chest. It was all so cheesy, but I couldn’t help wondering if he was feeling something similar. I was curious to know just how much he truly enjoyed hearing me laugh.

Then my thoughts turned back to reality. I started thinking about why I was really there.

“Thanks for the wine,” I said after the first sip, eyes looking to the ground.

“Thanks for the visit,” he shot back.

I gave a little smile, “So you are glad to see me?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

I shrugged. I went over to his house to end things with him. As much as I wanted to flip the switch and go through with it, I couldn’t.

“You have a really pleasant laugh.”

“I- I do? I mean… Thanks.”

Hunter set his glass of wine down and chuckled, “It’s a compliment. Take it.”

“I did take it,” I pointed out.

“Then that’s all I could ask for, right?” He smiled.

I stayed quiet. He always made it easy to talk to him. I had even flirted with him, but now, for some reason, I was just a bundled-up ball of nerves. Maybe it was because I finally accepted I had real feelings for him. Or maybe it was because I finally accepted that I needed to leave Vail.

“So,” he interrupted my thoughts, “What brings you over?”

“I… I wanted some wine.” I joked. I cursed myself inside my head for not following through with my plan. But I couldn’t tell him I was breaking things off with him now. It would be too awkward.

Hunter laughed and pushed the bottle toward me, “You can have it all.”

“I want it all,” I responded playfully.

He smirked and moved in closer, “I’m sure you do. You’ve certainly made it clear before.”

I gulped down the rest of my drink and decided I needed to put an end to this. This was my moment. I wasn’t going to let this keep going, especially not when my initial plan was ruined by NotCat.

I could have started calling him ‘NotBear’ after that little incident.

But before I had a chance to spit out the words, Hunter took one last sip of wine and set the glass down carefully, his eyes glued to me as he walked toward me. I froze. I couldn’t say anything. I wanted to tell him this wasn’t going to work between us. But then he grabbed ahold of me and pulled me against him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and resisted the urge to turn my head and place it on his chest.

He looked deep into my eyes as he ran his hand through my rich, brown ringlets. He tugged at one and it came up with a bounce, making him smile. He was admiring all the little things about me. I suddenly felt a ball of nerves tighten in my stomach. Each time we were together the intimacy went up another notch. There were real feelings, strong feelings, now. I wanted to convince myself that he was like any other douchebag guy and he didn’t really care about me. Even though it would make leaving him easier, I knew it wasn’t true. Why else would he be taking his time stroking my arm so gently? Why else would he want to run his thumb over the apples of my cheeks and take in every inch of me?

Hunter took a deep breath and tightened his arms around my waist. I felt one of his hands open flat on my lower back, moving it in small circles. I let out a small noise of enjoyment and leaned forward into his body. Once again, this wasn’t going according to plan. My visit was supposed to be the exact opposite of this. But now I couldn’t help but melt into his touch.

It felt so good to just be in his arms, breathing in his scent.

He pulled me in so my body was flush against his and that was when I felt him press into my leg. I breathed with a smile, drawing my head back to look at him. A sigh escaped his mouth. The way he touched me, the way he looked at me—this time was different.

“So?” I whispered.

“You know where my bedroom is,” he told me with a grin. I smirked and took the bait. I walked away from him and headed upstairs. I stepped inside and turned to look at him, nodding toward the doorknob.

As soon as he clicked the lock into place I was flying onto him. I flung my arms around his neck. I drew in a deep breath and felt his arm wrap around my waist and pull me in tight. I pressed my lips to his cheek and then to the other before pulling back and looking into his eyes. My hands slipped down to rest on his chest, loving the way my palms trailed over his hard muscles.

My breasts pressed into him as I pushed into his body. I wanted to be as close to him as possible. I wanted to feel every inch of his skin on mine. I moved onto the tips of my toes to give him more kisses. I let out a little tremble as I felt him getting harder against my leg. He groaned and tightened his grip on my waist.

He smelled and felt so amazing that I felt like it could take me to another world– a world full of pleasure and satisfaction. It was the sort of feeling that sent warmth over my skin. A fire erupted in the pit of my stomach and traveled between my legs.

“Kiss me,” he whispered.

“I’ve been kissing you, silly,” I said teasingly.

Hunter ran his hand up my back and pulled me impossibly close, “Kiss me for real.”

I ran my fingers through the lush locks on his head. Tracing my hand through his hair was addicting. I felt my heart stutter when he leaned in, stopping short of my lips. I saw the hungry, passionate glow in his eyes and the fire raged inside of me. I slowly lowered my gaze to his lips before bridging the gap, closing my eyes the moment my lips touched his. They melded perfectly, smoothly together as the two of us sunk into a deep, slow kiss. For all the passion he had in his eyes and the heat raging in my body, the kiss was soft and sweet.

He swept his hand up until I felt it on the back of my head, his fingers weaving between my silky curls. I could taste the wine on his tongue and feel the need in his touch. The desire waged war inside of me, making my breath tremble and urges flush between my thighs. I didn’t want this moment to end.

There was something so crazy perfect about it.

There was eagerness and hunger and affection moving between our bodies. I finally pulled away, panting, before burying my face in his shoulder. It was the most tender, yet intense, kiss yet.

I didn’t know something like that could be possible in life.

Without thinking, I pressed my lips to his neck before leaving a short trail of little licks and nips on it. He groaned and gripped a handful of my curls. The heat between our bodies was overpowering, but there was absolutely no chance we would pull away. Hunter shifted slightly. I felt his hardness press in closer to my inner thigh, sending a thrill straight through my body. I whimpered against his neck and peeled my head away to look at him.

“I want you,” he gulped.

“I do too.”

“Desperately,” he admitted.

I felt my face grow ever hotter, “Me too.”

My voice was breathless and I could hear the need in it. The desire dripped from my every word and the burning in the pit of my stomach pooled. I felt it move between my legs and I could tell I was already wet—all from just a kiss. My heart thundered in my chest.

Hunter nuzzled my ear and whispered, “Then I’m taking you to bed.”

“Yes,” I breathed, “Do it. Take me.”

Hunter lifted me into his arms and I let out a little yelp. I was surprised, hardly able to believe he was carrying me over to his bed like some romance novel. After a moment I felt my body trembling in his arms. He looked at me and stopped walking.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I assured him.

My body was shaking in anticipation and nothing more. No matter how great the other times with him were, they were nothing like this. I was tired of fighting my feelings for him. I was tired of working against this other side of me that wanted to come out. There was no reason to deny myself this just because it was ‘different’ and ‘crazy’. The chemistry between us was undeniable, but this was so much more than that. We were drawn to each other like magnets. I pressed my hand to his chest, hoping to feel his heart thumping just as hard as mine. I closed my eyes, body burning for more of his touch. I was done fighting this temptation and whatever else it was that Hunter brought out in me.

He pressed his lips to mine in a sweet peck before lowering me slowly onto his bed. He climbed over me, our bodies sliding together, our gaze intense. His gorgeous eyes were dark with desire. I reached up to cup the side of his face. There was silence for a moment before he leaned in and gave me a deep kiss full of raw passion.

I felt it run through me, mix with my own lust and rip through my body. I gripped his shoulders and moaned into his mouth when his hardness pressed against my center. He ran a hand down my side before lifting my body just enough so that he could slip his hand under my pants to give my ass a squeeze. I broke the kiss and let out a small squeal of delight. It was playful and sexy and, damn, if I wasn’t enjoying every second of it.

He pushed my hips up to press his shaft against my wetness and I cried out in pleasure. I wanted him more than ever. I craved the feeling of him filling me. I wanted him inside me so bad the emptiness almost hurt. I reached for his shirt and ripped it over his head, desperate to touch his naked body. His skin felt like it was on fire. Hunter took off my shirt and bra so quickly I barely had time to process it. I pressed my breasts into his chest, craving skin on skin contact. The moment my breasts pressed against him we both groaned.

“Oh, fuck, Cass,” he grunted, pushing his erection against me again.

“Oh! Hunter, please.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He unbuttoned and unzipped my pants so I could shimmy out of them before he pulled off my panties with an aggressive yank. I pushed him onto his back and swung a leg over his body to straddle him. I leaned forward and kissed him hungrily, moaning when my hard nipples rubbed against his hot chest. His hands wandered over the bare expanse of my skin, moving freely and taking in every inch of my body.

I didn’t think it was possible for me to want him more. But my body needed him desperately. I loved the way he smelled and tasted and felt against me. I loved the way his fingertips brushed against my skin. There were so many things about Hunter to love. I was so lost in the moment. He flipped me onto my back and finished undressing.

He let his body rest on top of mine as I closed my eyes. The weight of him on top of me sent shivers down my spine. My hips instinctively rolled up to meet him as I imagined what he would feel like inside me again. It was hot and comforting and made me feel closer than ever to him. I kissed his neck and then his cheek before finally taking his lips.

We kissed slowly and deeply until our hands worked in unison across our bodies. Hunter was sliding his grip over my legs and pushing them open slowly. I was holding his hips and guiding him. I ran my hands up his body to rest them on his shoulders just as he held my waist with one, supporting his body with the other.

He rubbed himself against my wetness. I was eager and ready and wanting. He deepened the kiss even more, sensuously running his tongue over mine, right at the moment I felt him enter me.

I let out a long, drawn out moan that eventually broke the kiss. He held my waist tight and started thrusting. My eyes clamped shut as I threw my head back. I didn’t want to miss a single instant of the way my body felt around him. His hand held me tightly as he kissed my neck softly, breathing heavily against it. The fire that pooled in my stomach traveled through my entire body, scorching every inch of me until I felt like I might explode.

My breasts bounced every time he pushed into me and bucked against my hips. I dug my fingernails into his shoulders and, not realizing how loudly I was moaning and crying out, felt the most intense orgasm I had ever experienced pulse through my entire body. It seemed to go on forever until I felt I might not be able to take it.

In my haze, I kissed him. I wrapped my legs around him and drew him further into me. He moved faster and harder.

His breathing was ragged and the arm supporting his weight was shaking. He grunted and groaned and beads of sweats glistened on his forehead. I knew he was near the edge. Then I felt a second orgasm rush through me.

It caught me off guard; I slammed my fist down on the bed and screamed and bit down into his shoulder in a craze. It was unbelievable how I felt. I heard his voice, but couldn’t make out what he was saying.

My pulse thundered in my ears and my mind was fogged up and my body was going limp in the best possible way.

I heard his voice again, this time with more urgency behind it.

“What?” I managed to choke out.

“Come,” he panted, “About to.”

His movements were jerky and rapid. I grabbed a hold of his hips and pulled him in as far as he would go. His thrusting went still as he pulsed and twitched inside of me.

It was reckless and totally unlike me to not use protection, but I didn’t care.

I wanted him—all of him.

I felt him grab ahold of my hand, our fingers intertwining. I stared up at the ceiling and listened the sounds of us trying to catch our breath.

This was the perfect moment.