Hunter, page 5
I’m hoping it’s my little beauty who unknowingly set off the alarm, rather than someone there after her or me. I’m to blame if I’ve left her there in the path of danger. My gut churns with a new dose of guilt, and I swallow, choking the sensation down, putting it away for another time. I should’ve prepared her better for my time away or had someone from the club stick close by if she needed help. A prospect could’ve kept an eye on her.
The thought of anyone else protecting or touching her for any reason sends ice spiraling through my veins. I’d fucking murder them, brother or not. There’s something deeply rooted in my chest when it comes to that woman. It’s the craziest shit I’ve ever experienced, this insatiable need to protect and own another human being, and I have merely just begun when it comes to her.
I’ve heard bullshit before about love at first sight and soulmates, and it’s all the talk of foolishness. This isn’t love or something as trivial as such. This is lust and primal need taking over every rational part of my being, not to mention we have a history that’s been twisted together since we were children. She was always meant to be mine, but she doesn’t know that yet. She will, though.
Pulling into my driveway, I notice the lack of disturbance. The alarm’s still blaring its piercing siren, and the lights around the outside perimeter are all flashing. Leaving my motorcycle behind, I quickly head in the front door on a mission. Storming through the house, I check every room over for Aura, but she’s nowhere in sight. This could be good or bad—either she’s the reason for the alarm or someone has taken her.
I deactivate the alarm and carefully step out the back, being as quiet as possible. I yank my gun from the holster as I flick my gaze over the backyard. Most of my property is surrounded by trees and nature, creating a natural camouflage for anyone with an untrained eye.
With light steps, I track the footprints leading into the foliage. Thankfully, there’s only one set and knowing as much, has my heart rate beginning to calm the fuck down. Aura is a smart girl, that much is certain. Was she running from someone? Or was she running to get free of me? Either way, I’ll find her or them, whichever, and dole out punishment as needed.
She’s intelligent in survival, and she’s not dangerous or stupid. I place my weapon back in the holster since I won’t need it when it comes to her. If she were running from somebody else, they haven’t come this way, that much I’m certain of. They’d have to be a fucking ninja not to leave a twig unturned in their haste, and either way, I can pull my knife in a heartbeat. The path I’m following was created by someone small and in a rush. It was Aura, I’d know her presence anywhere at this point. I’m not sure what makes her so different from others, but there’s something special there.
I catch a glimpse of her form hiding behind a large tree. She’s tucked into herself, making her appear tiny with hands over her ears, silently rocking.
This explains everything. She must’ve triggered the alarm, and the noise freaked her out. No longer hiding my steps, a large stick cracks under my boot, the sound practically echoing amongst the quiet shield of nature. Aura’s spine straightens ramrod straight, and in the next breath, she’s sprinting from her spot. She’s fast, I’ll give her that.
My poor woman is spooked—scared of the world and its sounds she’s been kept away from. Seeing her run has my primal instinct to pursue and conquer, consuming my rational thoughts, and I give chase. She may be tiny and quick, but I’ve been tracking people my entire life. Whether it be for a beatdown when I was younger or now hunting down a runner to collect the hefty bounty on his head.
I get close enough to nearly touch her back as she runs, and I leap for her. My arm hooks around her waist, locking her to me, and I fall backward, her on top of me, so she’s not hurt in the process. Her limbs flail, her adorable fierce tiger kitten side coming out to fight me off. I have her flipped over and on her back, pinned underneath me before she can get her first bit of my flesh in her grip. Fuck, she’s beautiful.
I’m breathing hard, panting, as my nose lines up with hers. Adrenaline spirals through my blood, making my heart beat wildly, pumping with excitement. Her eyes widen as they take me in, her chest bouncing with her heavy breaths.
“H-Hunter?” she eventually stammers, relief filling her gaze.
“Mmm,” I answer with a growl deep in my chest. I’m fucking hard as a rock, my cock throbbing for her in my jeans. I can’t remember craving someone this intensely, ever. She smells absolutely delectable, her pheromones calling me in to take what I desire.
Unable to hold myself back, my mouth claims hers.
Finally.
It’s forceful, hard, and quick. My tongue demands entrance, and she relents, parting her lips for me. With the first feel of her tongue against mine, a moan escapes my eager kiss. My knees relax, no longer wanting to hold my weight from hers. I fit between her legs so comfortably, my cock heavy with desire as I rest it against her heat. She was made for me, every curve and valley fitting me like a glove.
She releases the sweetest little groan, and with it, I thrust my hips, rubbing my hardness against her soft sex. Fuck, I want her. I crave her pussy like nothing else—she’s temptation in the sweetest form of torture. I pull my mouth away, leaving enough room to rasp against her perfect lips. “You run from me, you become prey. Do you understand that, little girl?” I warn, making her eyes flutter open once more and widen with my promise.
She dips her head in a quick nod, licking her lips as she looks me over. I haven’t brought myself to move off her just yet—she feels far too good. I push my hips against her pussy again, enjoying as she draws in a quick gasp, and her irises light with desire. “Hunter,” she whispers my name, and fuck, she may as well be a siren.
I brush our lips against one another. Not in a kiss, but a caress filled with promises I’m not yet ready to voice. One kiss is all I can handle right now, anything more, and I’ll be fucking her here and now in this very spot. She’s not ready for raw and dirty, or we’d already be naked like animals in heat.
“Time to go back home.” I pull myself up with a deep exhale and reach for her. She places her palm in mine and allows me to help her up. I don’t drop it as I lead her toward my house. “Want to explain what the fuck you were doing out here, hiding, while the alarm was going off? You left the back door wide open, and anyone could’ve gotten to you.”
“I woke up and wanted to go outside to the flowers, but when I opened the door, that scream sounded, and it scared me. I ran and hid, not sure what was happening.”
I nod, not looking at her. I need to put some distance between us to think straight again. “The house alarm is so no one breaks into the house while I’m gone. I told you to stay inside last night before you went to bed. You should’ve listened to me.”
I make out her frown in my peripheral vision but ignore it. I raced back here, thinking she could possibly be hurt, brutalized, or killed only to find out it was merely because she wanted to smell the flowers. “You may have been shrouded in a false sense of safety while hiding out on that island, but this is the real world, and it’s filled with ugly monsters. There were terrible men on that island with you as well, but I’m guessing you were one of the lucky ones and never found that out.”
“Why are you being this way? Have I upset you?”
I round on her, shoving her against a tree as I loom over her. My stare takes her in from head to toe, wanting to scold her, but I catch the blood on her feet, the scratches on the sides, and I can imagine what the bottoms must look like. With an angry growl, I scoop her into my arms, making her cry out in surprise.
“You’re bleeding,” is all I say as I stomp the rest of the way to the house. I think I scare her as she quietly watches me, without attempting to escape my hold. It’s a good thing. I don’t know if I could handle the thought of her injuring herself more, all because I decided to give chase, hunting her down like she’s my next mark, and then fucking her in the middle of the woods.
“Why am I here if you won’t speak to me?” she questions, ignoring my frown as we get inside, and I spin around. I reach for her throat, yanking her face to mine. I can’t seem to stop touching her. I shouldn’t be so aggressive. Who knows what all she’s been through, but she stirs up my every emotion. It has me feeling like I’m losing control, and any lack of control doesn’t bode well with me at all.
“You’re right, you don’t understand anything.” I want to beat on my chest and demand she stay here for as long as I desire. It’ll only backfire if I do, though.
Rather than say anything, my mouth slams on hers. I kiss her like I’m starved for her, a man dying for a sweet taste of her lips. And fuck me if she isn’t the sweetest sip of water I’ve ever tasted. There’s no going back after this. I know it, and she will soon enough.
Chapter Seven
AURA
HE KISSED ME. I’M NOT sure how I feel about it. Of course, I’ve wanted it to happen, but dreaming of something versus it actually happening are two completely different things. I’m confused. I was around the same three people for most of my life, and now my world’s been turned upside down. I still haven’t heard from my friends, nor has Hunter mentioned anything regarding them. For all I know, they could’ve left without me, or even worse, they could be dead. The possible notion of them being out of this world forever sends pain straight to my heart.
I can’t think of them right now as I have other things on my plate at the moment. The kiss from Hunter doesn’t help, as they’re the only other people I’ve ever kissed before. For example, there’s this undeniable chemistry between Hunter and me as well as discovering who my parents are.
I’m torn on finding out what happened to me if I was lost or taken. Then again, I can’t help but wonder if the truth will break me. At this rate, anything is possible, and I’m just grateful Hunter was there on the island when I needed him. Regardless, I can’t depend on him to always be there. I need to rely on myself as I could on the island. I was taught to be self-sufficient, to work hard, and earn my keep the same as everybody else. In a perfect place, that would be enough, but this feels like a new world completely, and I have to relearn everything. I feel useless, and I hate it.
He scared me when he found me hiding against the massive tree, even though I knew he was coming and to expect him. It’s what he does—he hunts people, and he’s good at it. I wasn’t anticipating his fury, the weariness in his eyes when my gaze met his. I was responsible for putting the look on his face, and it crushed me inside. The last thing I’d ever want to do is upset him in any way, but it couldn’t be helped. I had to get away from the shrill noise. If he hadn’t activated it, then I would’ve stayed close to the house.
No matter how many times I go over the events in the past twenty-four hours, I keep coming back to the moment where his mouth was on mine. I’ve never felt something so bone-deep as if his lips were made solely for mine. I’m a fool for dreaming up such things and that he could be the one person meant for me. Who knows if that concept even exists and if true love is ‘the real thing.’ I’ve been kept away from society and its norms for far too long to know what fact or fiction is when it comes to love. I want to believe it’ll happen like in the many stories I’ve been told over the years, but if my feelings for Hunter are any indication, then it’s best to expect the unexpected.
I’ve apologized time and again since everything happened, but he’s been more concerned with the cuts on my feet. Not only is he a hunter, but he’s a protector and provider. I’m fine, just a few shallow scrapes and bruises, but they always heal quickly, unlike the scars of the heart.
With those thoughts, I pick through the vague memories of my parents again, attempting to squeeze out every detail possible. I want to remember what my father was like, his temperament and mannerisms. Would he respect Hunter or be against the semblance of friendship we’ve forged? I’d like to believe he’d approve of him, but there’s no true way of knowing. The only thing I’m certain of is he’d want me to survive this overwhelming, scary new place I’ve merely begun to discover.
Needing to be close to Hunter again, I make my way through the house, ready to find him and put this behind us once and for all. We’re both adults, and there’s no reason to keep any lingering tension between us. We seem to be walking a fine line between anger and passion—either we’re going to fight or fuck—his words, not mine.
I’ll never forgive myself if I’ve ruined our friendship all because I was overcome with a moment of irrational fear. I have to finish remembering everything and no longer be a burden to the man I consider my savior.
HUNTER
AS MUCH AS I’D PREFER to have my way with Aura, I refrain. It’s not an easy feat when she draws me to her like a moth to a flame. She’s the flower, and I’m the bee, ready to pollinate her sexy ass and then some. I’ve already made the mistake of kissing her, and it nearly tipped me over the edge of no return. It’s far too fucking easy to lose myself in her, and I can’t allow myself to be swept away. Something doesn’t sit right with me on everything, but my gut tells me I won’t know exactly what it is until I allow her to return home—not to the island and not here, but to her parents. I don’t want to let her go, but I’m going to have to, eventually.
Lying in bed, it’s another long, sleepless night full of tossing and turning. Knowing Aura is right down the hall is an alluring tease that seems to have a penchant for keeping me up at night. I’ve lost more sleep from thinking of this woman than I have over anyone else, combined. Ever since the day in the bathroom when I walked in on her naked, I can’t seem to wash the image from my mind, nor do I want to. I know what she has underneath those oversized, borrowed clothes of mine, and it’s done nothing but torment me ever since with all the possibilities of what I could do with her.
“Hunter?” My fantasies of the woman standing in my doorway come to a screeching halt. It’s bad enough I’ve broken a sweat, but if she comes close enough, she’ll get an eyeful of my stiff dick. This isn’t how I anticipated any of this would go with her, not at all.
“Mmm,” I reply with a frustrated grunt. I shift my leg up, the angle helping to hide away my throbbing length.
“Are you awake?” her sweet melodic voice asks, still too shy to just waltz into my room.
“Not by choice,” I murmur, cracking my lids open enough to gaze at her, yet not be blinded by the hall light she’s flicked on.
“I can’t sleep either. Not since...”
“Since what?”
“Earlier. You know when we...”
Ah. She’s either too nervous or reluctant to say it outright. “Tell me, Aura, have you ever kissed another man before?” I’m a glutton for punishment and need to know.
She shakes her head.
“Answer me,” I demand gruffly.
Her mouth gapes open briefly, then she shifts, standing to her full height. She’s got a backbone in her. I assume she’s just not used to showing it. “No.”
“No other men or no other person? Ever?”
“I’ve kissed my friends, sure, but it wasn’t quite as intense. Our kiss was different.”
Intense. Yep. Good word for what was exchanged between us in the woods. Discovering she’s never kissed another man has my desire for her skyrocketing to another level entirely. “What are you doing up?” I can’t help but sound grouchy. She’s in my doorway wearing nothing but my long shirt. I can see her stiff nipples, for Christ’s sake, and I want to taste each one. It’d drive any man with a lick of sense nutty inside. Lord knows my cock’s already on lockdown wanting to claim the bitch.
“I thought I heard you.”
“Liar. Try again.”
She sighs, glances around, and stares at me on my bed for a beat. I’m about to turn over and give her my back when she takes a step in my direction. I pause, eyes locked on her as she strides toward me, peeling off the shirt. She lets it fall to her feet, forgotten, as she makes her way to me. I quietly groan at her silhouette. It’s been too long since I’ve fucked a woman, and she’s only making it harder to resist the temptation she imposes.
“I don’t like sleeping alone,” she finally admits, climbing into my bed, stark naked. I was right, she doesn’t wear panties or boxers under those shirts she’s borrowed. A man’s nemesis is a sexy woman wearing his shirt with nothing on underneath. It’ll bring the strongest guy straight to his knees for you.
Nearly choking, I’m taken off guard but manage to swallow it down without making myself look like a total jackass. I’ve had plenty of women before, so no reason to get all jittery around this one. Only, she’s special, at least she is to me. I look at her knowing she was meant to be mine from the start, yet I can’t do anything about it, and the knowledge teases me each time it passes through my mind. I’m left in this strange sense of limbo, attempting to be the better guy and do the right thing when everything in me strains to do what I desire.
Lying stock still, I watch her as she makes herself comfortable in my bed. Kicking her off is absolutely out of the question. I was literally just wishing she was in my bed, and now here she is. I’d be an idiot to tell her to go back to her room. It’s crazy I’ve come to think of the guest room as her private space. I’ve never lived with a woman before her, but surely, they all need their own room. Kind of like guys having the garage or those elaborate closets I’ve seen women have on design shows. They’re massive with chandeliers and shit, and the same Aura would have if she were home, no doubt.
She lays on her side facing me, staring at my lips enticingly, making me want to lean over and kiss her once again. This time around, I wouldn’t stop so suddenly but prolong it and savor the feel of her mouth pressed to mine. I watch as she licks her lips, saliva pooling on my tongue at the thought of tasting her—not only her tongue but her pussy. Aura’s everything good and sweet in the world, so there’s no doubt in my mind that her pussy tastes like a sinful dose of heaven.
