His expression sent a warm surge through my body. “Waiting for you in your bed so I can polish your hammer after a hard day of saving the world,” I said mischievously.
His mouth opened slightly and he licked his lips, then looked away. “We should probably head back after this, don’t you think?”
I took a giant bite of powdery sugar goodness. “Sounds good to me.”
Fifteen minutes later we were in Hunter’s car driving back home. Bernie was riding in the back seat with my art stuff.
“That was fun,” I said, staring out the passenger window. “I love my aunt and uncle, but getting out and away from them for a bit was nice.”
“Yeah it was fun. I like your aunt and uncle though. Seeing a functional family is kinda a new experience for me.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, before I could think better of it.
“My parents are deadbeats,” Hunter said simply. “Best case, they ignored me. Worst case, they wanted to get me involved by beating up their dealer or something. It was kinda a lose-lose.”
“I’m sorry I brought it up.”
“It’s okay,” he said as we passed by the Perkins house. “It just makes me wonder if I could ever have a happy family. Like putting myself in your uncle’s shoes is hard. I kinda wonder if I could do that because I don’t really have any role models for it.”
“Well you don’t have to worry about that for a while. Speaking of my uncle, you missed their house.”
“I know.”
He looked at me with a wicked grin and drove for a couple minutes more before pulling over in a secluded area under some trees at the end of a cul de sac.
“What are you doing?” I asked, an edgy heat rising in my core as I anticipated the answer.
“What do you want to do?” he replied. His eyes on me, he unbuckled his seatbelt and ran his fingers through my hair.
His touch sent a charge through me, and I began to breathe unsteadily. Had it really only been a few weeks?
“Hunter, I . . .”
I trailed off. Hunter pulled his hand away, though he kept his gaze on mine. “If you don’t want to or you aren’t ready, I understand. I just thought—”
I grabbed the hand he’d pulled away and brought it back. “Do you have a condom?” I whispered, my heart beating in my ears.
A smile cracked across his face as he dug into his pocket and held up a gold foil package with black letters.
I bit my lip and turned to get out of the car.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Back seat.”
I opened the door and stepped out. The doors clicked unlocked, then he got out of the car, turned around and opened the back door.
He looked at me over the car. “Get in,” he said.
I opened the back door, got in, and closed it. He followed, and we were together in the back seat, sitting like we were expecting the driver to get in any moment.
With Bernie in the corner. Hunter grabbed the stuffed animal he had won behind its head and shoved him to the front seat. “I don’t think Bernie wants to see this.”
I laughed. “It kind of smells like kittens back here.”
Hunter shrugged, then brought his hand behind my head and kissed me warmly on the lips. The heat of his mouth was a pleasurable contrast to the cool spring evening. Our tongues tangled deliciously. This time there was no holding back.
Gradually, Hunter got onto his knees on the seat and rocked me onto my back, my legs on either side of him. His hand still cradled my head, keeping it from hitting the door. His free hand came around my back and I felt the familiar sensation of his fingers on my bra clasp.
“You’re sure this is okay?” he asked. “I don’t wanna go too fast.”
I grabbed his cock through his jeans, and its responsiveness to my touch caused a shiver of excited energy to pass through me. Every hair on my body stood on end. He was hard and getting harder.
“Yes,” I whispered breathlessly.
He unclasped my bra and brought me to sitting up to remove my shirt. The air was cold against my suddenly naked skin.
He seemed to read my mind and removed his sweatshirt and then his undershirt. I felt the warmth of his body heat even before he pressed me close to him. He put his sweatshirt behind me for use as a pillow and eased me back down. The mix of his sweat and natural scent that I had gotten a brief hint of earlier now hung in the air, and it drove me crazy with need for him.
“Hurry up,” I urged.
He obliged, rocking back taking off my shoes and socks first, then my jeans and finally my underwear. I pulled the arms of his sweatshirt around my chest to keep warm. Each article of my clothing was deposited into a pile on the driver side of the car. His clothes quickly followed into a similar pile on the passenger side, by my head.
He took off his underwear last. My first glimpse of his cock since he’d come to get me made me wet with desire. I didn’t want or need any more foreplay. He needed to be inside me. Now.
“Where’s that condom?” I moaned, looking from his thick cock to his face. “I want you inside me.”
As I heard him tearing open the wrapper, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back into his hoodie. My skin was flushed and sensitive to every bit of sensation. I hadn’t realized until that moment how much I had been waiting for this moment.
The head of his cock pushed against the folds of my sex and paused there briefly, positioning. Then he pushed inside me and I felt myself hug tightly around him.
“Fuck,” he groaned, easing his hips into me until I had taken him to the hilt. “You feel so amazing.”
“Hunter,” I breathed, throwing my arms around his neck and digging my nails in.
He rocked back and then began to ram himself in and out of me, pounding me as if he were putting every bit of energy he could into this one act. Pleasure rippled through me from my core to my fingers and toes. My hands went from around his neck to pawing at his hard chest.
Every second dripped with ecstasy. I felt a body-shattering orgasm slowly building. Hunter managed to find another gear, and his increased urgency told me he was close too.
I cupped his taut ass with both hands as he pumped into me. My entire body clenched in anticipation of my climax.
“Lorrie,” he moaned into my ear.
My back arched and came together, my body tightening and then releasing in a rush that made me temporarily unaware of the world around me. Every inch of me soaked in the sensation of my bliss.
Hunter’s skin erupted in goosebumps as he came. Even through the condom, I could feel the warmth of his cum. He collapsed against me, spent.
“Wow,” I said, running my hand through his hair. We held each other for a few minutes.
Finally, he pulled himself up and then out of me before removing and neatly tying off the end of the condom. He reached to the front of the car and put it in a cup holder. I made a mental note to be sure we threw that away as soon as possible.
He came back and hugged me close to him for a quick post-sex cuddle.
“This is perfect,” I sighed. “I don’t want you to have to leave.”
He touched his fingers to my nape. “I talked to your aunt about that, actually. Or tried to, anyway.”
My spine stiffened. “What? When? And when were you planning to tell me about this?”
He furrowed his brows. “Tonight. I’m telling you right now. And I talked to her while you and your uncle were out getting a phone.”
“Okay, sorry. What did she say?”
“I said I tried to talk to her. She was having none of it and insisted that she and Uncle Stewart had talked and would be absolutely furious if I moved into a motel. They want me to stay and keep working on the dining room and she wasn’t going to discuss the matter anymore.”
My eyebrows shot up, and if it was possible my stomach was feeling even more fuzzy than before. “So you’re not leaving anytime soon?”
He smiled. “At least not for a while, the dining
room is going to take some time. Maybe a few weeks at least.”
I hugged him with a big grin on my face. After we felt like we were composed enough, we got dressed and went back to the house. I couldn’t be any happier.
Chapter Ten
PERFECT
The next day Hunter and I went on a date to an old movie theater in town and watched a zombie movie from the seventies. It was cheesy enough that the whole theater alternated between laughs and some actual thrills, and we both had a great time.
“Old movie theaters are so much fun,” I said as we walked in the front door.
“Yup,” he said. “And I didn’t even flinch when the zombies came.”
I smiled. “I was watching you, babe. Your eyes were closed.”
His face fell. “Come on, it was just that one time. I’m getting better!”
I threw my arms around him and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “It’s okay. I still think you’re a sexy, brave man, even if you are a wimp when we watch scary movies.”
He smiled and went to go hang up his jacket. I pulled my phone out of my jeans pocket and checked it for the first time since we had gone into the movie. I was surprised to see a call from Daniela.
Wondering what was up, I went to my room to call her back. I found the missed call on my phone and put the phone to my ear.
She answered after two rings. “Hey!” she said brightly.
“Hi. Sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”
“Not too much,” she said. “Just, you know, checking in to get the juice about Hunter.”
My heart sank. I’d forgotten to call her the previous night.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. I was going to call you,” I said. “Things have just been so busy.”
“It’s okay, just spill. How has it been?”
I gave her a pretty detailed blow-by-blow of the last couple days, including thanking her for giving Hunter my art supplies. Still, I didn’t tell her anything about Hunter’s MS, it wasn’t my secret to share. She listened patiently and waited until I was done to talk.
“Well I’m really glad it sounds like you guys are going strong again.”
Were we going strong? I guess we were. Things sure had changed quickly. “Yeah. I don’t know how it’s going to work out long-term but we’re trying.”
“I’m sure you two will make it if you really want to.”
I swallowed and listened to my heart pound in my ears. “I hope so . . .”
There was silence for a minute. Thankfully, Daniela changed the subject. “Well . . . the other reason I was calling was to tell you I’m not going to be able to make it to your aunt’s place for spring break. I’m really sorry, but I just can’t make it work with the flights now. I’m actually doing an alternative spring break in Haiti now. I promise I’ll make it up to you somehow.”
My heart skipped a beat. I was sad Daniela wasn’t going to come, but of course she had her own life to live. “Oh, that’s okay. I know life can get crazy, and this sounds like a great opportunity. It’s really great that you’re going on an ASB. What are you doing in Haiti?”
“We’re building houses in the area that got hit by the earthquake. I think it’s the same place Sean Penn has been doing stuff. Maybe we’ll meet him.”
I knew that tone. “Hang on a second. Who’s ‘we’ in this case?” I asked, a smile creeping on my face. “Is there something you aren’t telling me about? Or, you know, someone?”
She answered so quickly I could barely understand her. “His name is Kyle and he’s pre-med and he’s so smart and so gorgeous and I really hope you can meet him! He wants to be a psychiatrist.”
I laughed. It felt good that Daniela hadn’t changed. “I hope so too. Maybe over the summer. How long have you guys been seeing each other?”
“We hooked up last week but things have been going super well and I already feel like we’re in love.”
I rolled my eyes, but hoped for the best. “Well, it sounds promising. I’ll have to Facebook stalk him when I get a minute.”
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m really sorry I can’t come. I’ll make it up to you somehow, I promise.”
“Really, it’s okay. I’m glad you’re doing this ASB thing. It sounds like it’ll be fun.”
“Thanks.”
I stared at the room’s light blue walls and thought about when I was going to see Daniela again. “So if you’re not coming for spring break, do you know what you’re going to be doing this summer? We really need to find a way to meet up.”
“Not yet. Waiting to hear back on some internships but if there aren’t any openings I might just stay in Studsen and see if I can pick something up. I’ll definitely let you know when I figure things out, and we can find some way to meet up.”
“What’s Kyle doing?” I asked mischievously.
“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll talk about it tonight.”
I knew this tone too. “You’re seeing him tonight? What are you two doing?”
“Hanging out. Here, actually. We’re going to watch The Dark Knight Rises.”
My face grew hot and I said nothing. That night with Hunter in my dorm room felt like forever ago, even if it had only been a month.
Daniela laughed. “You inspired me. I’ve . . . got some things in mind for him. Anyway, I have to go. He’s coming over in an hour and I still have to get ready.”
“Okay,” I said, my face still warm. “Have fun tonight, and if I don’t talk to you, have fun in Haiti. Be safe.”
“Oh, we’ll be safe. Kyle might have some doubts tonight, but we’ll be safe.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Wow. Okay. Well, I hope you don’t scare him off.”
“Handcuffs and body chocolate, Lorrie! He will never see that movie the same way. See ya!”
I giggled and hung up. To her credit, she was probably right. If I knew Daniela, she was going to make sure Kyle wouldn’t forget the night his dark knight rose while he was watching the movie.
It was good to talk to her and hear she was doing well. Even though we were probably never going to live together again, she was still my closest girlfriend. I needed to make a better effort to maintain that friendship. Having friends like her made me feel more connected to the real world and not get so trapped in my head.
Still smiling, I walked back to the living room where the family was gathered. Hunter was seated on one couch, while my aunt and uncle were on the other. The boys were on the carpet playing with the kittens, as usual.
“Where did you go?” Hunter asked. “And what are you smiling about?”
I did my best to wipe the smile off my face as both my cousins turned to look at me. “Oh, nothing. Just Daniela up to her usual.”
“How’s she doing?”
I sat down on the couch next to him. “Good. She’s going to Haiti on an Alternative Spring Break to build houses for earthquake victims.”
“That’s commendable,” my uncle said.
“Yeah,” I said, laughing softly. “I think she’s really going because there’s a guy she started seeing who’s going.”
“Ah,” he said.
“Well that’s still nice,” my aunt said diplomatically.
“Dad, where’s Haiti?” Joel asked.
“Next to the Dominican Republic,” my uncle answered.
“Where’s that?”
My uncle smirked. He enjoyed these little teaching moments with his sons. “They’re both on the same island. Kind of close to Florida, I guess.”
That was the magic word. “Florida! Dad, when are we going to Disney World again?”
“Yeah!” his brother joined in. “When are we going to Disney World? I wanna ride on the big kid rides!”
Hunter and I laughed as the boys upped the pressure to go Disney World. The night passed in much the same vein. It was amazing how much better I felt than I had a week before. I didn’t know what the future held, but for now, everything was perfect.
Chapter Eleven
SECRETS
The next mornin
g we ate breakfast together. After, I did some drawing while Hunter worked on the dining room. It felt good to be doing something positive after I had been barely able to get out of bed the previous week. Waking up then had been agony. Now, I was looking forward to what I was going to do with my day.
Before I knew it, the sound of little feet scurrying through the house came from downstairs, followed by my aunt calling for the boys to stop running. I looked at the clock. It was already three-fifteen. The kids had just gotten home from school.
I put some last touches on a sketch I’d been doing of a real life Bernie working as a ski-rescue dog and headed downstairs to the living room. When I got there, I found the boys already horsing around with Hunter as he “taught them some wrestling moves” while a couple of the kittens alternately watched and scurried out of the way. Aunt Caroline was slicing apples in the kitchen for an afterschool snack.
“Don’t be too rough with him, you two,” I said with a smirk. They could combine all their muscle any way they wanted, there was no way they were moving Hunter an inch.
That didn’t stop it from being fun to try, though. Hunter was on all fours, with Joel on his back and Billy trying to take out one of his arms. The boys squealed with delight when Hunter stood up, Joel still on Hunter’s back with his arms around his neck and Billy being lifted off the ground as he clung to Hunter’s bicep.
“Megatron!” Billy yelled.
I wasn’t sure if Billy thought Hunter was Megatron or he was Megatron. Deciding Hunter had things under control either way, I went to the kitchen to see if I could help Aunt Caroline with the boys’ snacks. She had her nose in the pantry when I walked in.
“Hi Aunt Caroline,” I said cheerfully.
She poked her head over her shoulder. “Oh, hello dear. I didn’t hear you come in the kitchen. Have a good day? You hardly came down from your room.”
“Yeah, I got a lot of drawing done. Can I help you with the snacks?”
She straightened her back and turned to me. “That would be lovely,” she said. “I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to find the peanut butter. If you could find it and get some into a dish for the boys’ apple slices, that would be super. I’m going to go put in a load of laundry.”