Surviving Regret (46 page)

“Oh well, Hunter and I decided to give the couples their space.” I said, as if it were the right thing to do.

“I think you’re up to something.” She walked over to the couch, picked up the pillow and then put it down again. “I know you and Hunter have been spending a lot of time together. Are you guys seeing each other?”

I never lied to my mom and I wasn’t going to start now.

“No, we aren’t seeing each other. But we are seeing where things could go. It’s hard to have a relationship with the boys always involving themselves in what I do.”

She patted the couch for me to sit. “Your brothers love you; they feel like they have to protect you from everything and anything. This may be your dad’s and my fault for always telling them they had to look out for you all the time. I wouldn’t change that for anything, baby girl. I know you don’t understand now, but, when you have a girl of your own, you will understand.”

“I understand, but I feel like I can’t even breathe around them. I know they don’t like me and Hunter being together, but I want to see where it goes, even if it breaks my heart in the end.”

“I know you do, baby girl; just try seeing it from their point of view. You’d be dating their best friend, the same person they talk to about all the girls they have been with and all the stupid stuff guys talk about. They aren’t going to want to talk about that stuff with Hunter anymore.”

Well, if that was the case, then I had every right to be upset that Mason was dating Hailey. I don’t want to hear about the stuff the two of them did, but I don’t go all crazy on them.

“I get it, Mom, I really do, but I can’t help who I like. It just happens. I finally have the chance to be with him, and I’m going for it. I don’t care if it pisses them off.”

“Oh, MacKenzie, you are my daughter,” Mom chuckled.

“Good, now can you help me get out of here without them throwing a fit when Hunter shows up?”

“Yes, now go get your bags before your brothers wake up.”

I started towards the stairs. “Love you, Mom. Thanks for understanding.”

I packed, and Hunter knocked at the door. I rushed down to meet him. I didn’t let him get settled in the truck before digging for answers.

“So are you going to tell me yet where we are going?” I asked, practically jumping up and down in my seat.

“Nope, but get comfortable for a long drive.” Hunter said, smiling over at me.

I settled into my seat. My phone dinged. Five texts. All from Mason. I sighed. He wanted to know where I was. I decided not to answer. After a few hours of driving, I fell asleep. Hunter brushed my leg once we arrived.

I yawned and wiped my eyes. All around us were trees, mountains and nothing else. The house was a huge two-story log cabin with a wraparound porch and green roof. It was gorgeous.

Hunter opened my door and helped me out of the truck.

“Wow, this house is beautiful.” I was in heaven. No one was around for miles. It was just me and Hunter for three entire days.

“Glad you like it. Wait till you see the inside.”

“How did you find this place?” I asked, helping him with our bags.

“I know some people,” he shrugged.

The house had hardwood floors in every room, exposed beams and cathedral ceilings. The kitchen was all stainless steel appliances and granite counters, and the dining room had a table that sat eight people. A massive fireplace greeted us when we walked in, and a mounted TV framed the loveseat and couch. A sliding glass door led to the back deck and hot tub.

On the second floor, there were two bedrooms. The master suite had a king size bed and a corner fireplace. Off the bedroom was a master bath with a whirlpool big enough to fit four people. Next to that was a shower with a one-way window overlooking the mountains.

“Oh, Hunter, this house is just unbelievable and it must have cost a fortune. You really didn’t have to do all this.” I said, wrapping my arms around his side.

“Don’t worry about how much it cost; just enjoy it.” He placed a kiss on the top of my head. “Well, let’s get our bags upstairs.”

After we unpacked, Hunter asked me, “Are you hungry? I could go downstairs and make us something to eat.”

“No, I’m still full from earlier, but I would love to try out the whirlpool.” I told him. The minute I had seen it, I wanted to get in it to relax after that ten-hour drive.

“Ok, you go get in; I’ll be there in a few minutes. I’m going to go grab something to eat.”

While Hunter was downstairs, I walked into the bathroom, turned on the water and stripped out of my clothes. I was alone in the tub for a while before Hunter finally came in.

“Hey, what took you so long?” I asked. He stripped out of his jeans and black t-shirt.

“What’s the rush? We have all weekend to ourselves.” He stepped in the whirlpool settling in between my legs, facing me.

I felt a little exposed this way; I moved my legs up to my chest and hugged my arms around them. Hunter frowned. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him so we were chest to chest. The second our skin made contact, I shivered. He really had no idea what he did to me.

“This feels nice after that long drive.” Hunter moaned laying his head back on the edge.

I started placing kisses on his neck while running my right hand up his chest down his stomach and back again. He grabbed my hand, held it over his chest and then looked at me, so intently.

“Do you feel it?” he asked.

“It’s beating so fast.” I said. I broke our eye contact, laid my head on his chest and listened to his heartbeat.

“Every time you’re near me this happens.” He rubbed his hand up and down my back, causing me to shiver again. I mimicked his motions over his stomach. He shivered too.

“Hunter,” I said as he kissed my shoulder. “Make love to me.”

Hunter stopped kissing me and sucked in a breath.

“CC…”

“Please, Hunter,” I said. “I want to be with you. I’m ready. I’ve waited this long to share this with you. I don’t want to wait any longer.”

“Are you sure?”

“It just feels right. We need this. I need this.”

Hunter didn’t respond. Neither of us needed words anymore. He helped me from the whirlpool. He dried me off and then I did the same to him, both of us taking our time, kissing every part of each other’s body from our heads to our legs.

Looking down at me, he slowly ran his hands down my sides to my hips. A whimper escaped from me at what was to come next. He picked me up and walked me over to the bed; he carefully laid me on my back while he climbed on top of me. His knees nestled inside of mine.

“If you change your mind at any time, just tell me.” Hunter kissed my neck. I shifted my hips so that he was at my entrance. “Let me do this for you, ok? Tonight is all about you.”

Pulling back from me slightly, he rubbed his hands against my breasts. My eyes closed as he brought a nipple to his mouth and sucked lightly. My back arched closer to him.

I sucked in a quick breath with realization settling in. Was I really about to do this with him? I have dreamt about this day for so many years that my first would be with Hunter.

“CC, we can stop now…”

I interrupted him. “I don’t want to stop.”

“I’ll be as gentle as I can with you.”

I placed my hand over his heart and felt it thumping hard. He was nervous too. Tilting my neck, Hunter bent down and started placing kisses on it.

He started pushing through my entrance.

“This might hurt some.”

As he said that, I reached up and dug my fingernails into his back at the first sting of pain. Once Hunter was through the barrier, he stilled inside me, giving me a chance to adjust to him. Then he started moving slowly again and the pain started subsiding. We felt like two puzzle pieces fitting together so perfectly.

As I started moaning louder, Hunter grabbed my hands, laced our fingers together and put them above our heads. As Hunter continued to thrust in and out of me, I hitched my legs up around his hips so he would thrust deeper. I felt like I couldn’t get him close enough. Snuggling into his neck, I started nipping as I felt the tension starting to grow between my legs.

“Come with me, CC, I want to feel it.” He moaned softly in my ear. After a few more thrusts, I was falling over the ledge. Hunter thrust in two more times and then stilled as his own release hit. After a few minutes, Hunter rolled over and he pulled me against him to snuggle. Laying there, I placed my hand over his heart, feeling it beat wildly still, just like mine.

“Are you ok? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Hunter asked after his breathing went back to normal.

Speaking for the first time since we started, I lifted my head and looked into his bright blue eyes. “I couldn’t have asked for it to be better than it was.” Smiling at him, I reached up and ran my hand through his hair. “Thank you.” I wanted to tell him I loved him. After that, there was no doubt in my mind that he loved me and he would tell me when he was ready.

He kissed me and then said. “Good night, CC.”

“Sweet dreams, Hunter.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A few hours later, I woke to Hunter holding a warm compress between my legs. God, that felt good. I was sore, but not too sore.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I wanted to make sure you were ok.” He pulled the towel up. It was stained with blood.

How embarrassing, I didn’t even think of this part. I blushed while reaching for the towel. He stopped me.

“Don’t be embarrassed, CC.” He reached over on the end table and handed me a glass of water and some pain reliever.

Looking at him, I had to smile. Leave it to Hunter to think of everything. “You’re going to spoil me, you know that, right?” I took the pain reliever and water from him. “Thank you.” I handed him the empty glass back. “I think I’m going to take a quick shower.”

I walked into the bathroom and quickly took a shower, wanting to get back to Hunter. I dried my hair as best I could with the towel and put it up in a ponytail. When I walked back into the room, he had changed the sheets. Now, he laid on his back, his arm over his eyes with the sheets pulled up just enough to cover his hips. Walking over to the dresser, I reached in and pulled out a t-shirt.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked.

I shrugged. “Just putting something to sleep in on.”

“Don’t do that.” He pulled the covers back. “Come here.”

I cuddled up next to him. He ran his fingers lightly up and down my back. He sighed.

“You’ve wrecked me for anyone else.”

I didn’t respond. I don’t think it was meant for me to hear. I’ve wrecked him? He wrecked me long before. He had my heart in his hands.

I prayed he wouldn’t break it.

When I woke up, he was not in bed. His side of the bed was cold, so I knew he had been up for a while. I threw on some clothes and went to go find him.

When I walked downstairs, it was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Where was he? I walked downstairs to the rec room, thinking maybe he was watching a movie and didn’t want to wake me up, but he wasn’t there either. I walked back upstairs to our room, grabbed my cell phone and tried to call him. As I was dialing his number, I heard the door shut downstairs. I quickly turned around and went back downstairs.

He was all sweaty and flushed; he must have gone for a run. His shirt was wet from his sweat and clung to his chest, and his shorts rode low on his hips. “Morning, handsome.”

“Morning, CC, did I wake you?” He asked. He grabbed a water from the fridge and drank the whole thing.

“No, but I didn’t like waking up without you. Why didn’t you get me up?” I perched myself on the barstool next to the breakfast nook.

He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. “I needed to clear my head.”

My heart sped up, thinking he regretted last night.

“Stop it,” he said. “It’s not what you think.”

“Then what is it?” I asked.

Sighing, he walked over to me and turned my chair to face him. He looked like he was going to have a panic attack.

“What is it? Just tell me.”

“We, um,” he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “We didn’t use a condom last night. I was so caught up in you that I didn’t even think about it. I’m so sorry.”

So, that was what had him acting strange? I smiled.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m on the pill. I should have mentioned it last night. I figured you knew.”

He stared at me for a minute before he responded. “Doesn’t matter, CC. I still should have used one, and I’m sorry.”

“Stop it, I’m not sorry.” I put my hands on his shoulders and said, “Let’s go get a shower. You need one.” I pushed him away and ran up the stairs laughing.

Moaning, he ran up the stairs behind me. We forgot all about that conversation as we helped each other out of our clothes. We stepped into the shower, washed each other and spent time memorizing each other’s bodies.

I wanted him. He groaned as I wrapped my hand around the length of him. Hunter spun me around and lifted me against the wall. I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs around his hips.