“I’m not sure I believe in happiness anymore.”
He ran his thumb over my cheek. “I’ll change that. I promise I will.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
“I never do.” He wrapped me up even tighter in his arms. “Sleep well, Firefly.”
“You too.” There was no way I was going to sleep.
Or so I thought. I woke up with a start sometime later. I sighed. I had this uncontrollable urge to touch Hunter. To be touched. I tried to deny the feelings and go back to sleep, but it was impossible.
Light spilled out from the bathroom, illuminating the muscular body next to me. I swallowed hard. Did he always look that good? I finally gave in and spoke his name softly. “Hunter.”
“I’m right here.” He heard me right away this time. Maybe he wasn’t sleeping either.
I had to ask him. I had to know if my feelings were real. I hoped they weren’t. I didn’t want to want Hunter, and I certainly didn’t want to need him. But need was the only way to describe the way I was feeling. “Are you making me feel this way? Is this some Dire trick?” I was sweating. My body was on fire with need. What was going on with me?
“I’m not doing anything.” He turned us so we were looking at each other. He was so aroused and wearing nothing at all, and I realized if I moved he could be inside of me within seconds. Why was I thinking about that?
I closed my eyes shut tight. I refused to look into his eyes. “I’m not supposed to want you.”
“Yes you are.” He brushed hair away from my face. “You’re always supposed to want me.”
“No I’m not. I only agreed to this to help Gage. I don’t even like you.” I fumbled with the nightgown. I fought the urge to pull it off.
“That’s not true. Don’t pretend. Neither of us are going to believe it. You did this to help Gage and because you want to be with me.” He pulled me up on top of him. Our bodies were pressed so close together. “Why else did you invite me into the shower? You wanted me to see you. You wanted me to touch you.” He pulled my night gown over my head. As soon as he tossed it, he took my breast in his mouth, and I moaned. He rested his head back down on the pillow. “See, no need to pretend. Your body tells me all I need to know.”
“I can’t handle this. I can’t.”
“You can’t handle what?” He smiled in that way that let me know he knew exactly what I was saying, but he wouldn’t make it easy on me. He returned his lips to my body and lightly grazed my nipple with his teeth.
I tried to move off of him, but his arms only tightened.
“Calm down.” The voice wasn’t Hunter’s, it was Gage’s. My heart sped up. I looked down and it was Gage beneath me. I was completely losing my mind. It was official. “What are you playing with here? Stop it!” I struggled to move, but he tightened his hold further. I couldn’t move at all. “This is the only way I could get to you.”
“Stop. That’s not true.”
“Haven’t you missed me?” His eyes twinkled with amusement.
“Yes. But this isn’t real.” I blinked a few times. Why did he sound and look so much like Gage?
“It isn’t?” He rolled me over so he was on top. “You sure about that?”
“Yes. You’re not Gage.” It couldn’t be.
“I guess there’s only one way to find out for sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m guessing you remember what it’s like to have me inside you.” He thrust into me with no warning. The momentary pain quickly turned into pleasure as my body welcomed him back. He felt so familiar, so right. This was Gage, it had to be. But how? How could I have gone to bed with Hunter and woken up with Gage? And hadn’t it been Hunter touching me? The more I tried to focus on these questions, the deeper and harder Gage’s movements became until I couldn’t think about anything but him anymore. I closed my eyes and let the pleasure take over. Everything was going to be all right if we could just be together. We’d find a way.
“How do you feel, babe?” He breathed.
It was Gage. Hunter never called me that.
“Good,” I barely got out.
“That’s not good enough.” He pushed me harder, further. “You’re supposed to be feeling great. Amazing.”
I couldn’t hold on, he pushed me over the edge, and I called out. He shuddered and released inside me.
I should have been thinking about what had just happened, but instead I could only focus on one thing. “You didn’t use a condom.”