“Is that me?” he asked.
“Yup. I did take some artistic liberties . . .”
“Is that why I’m wearing a cape with a hammer on it?”
I smiled. “Yeah. I mean, technically, it’s a drawing of your alter-ego The Hammer as you rescue Bernie from the clutches of the evil Carnival Man.”
He pointed at the depiction of Bernie. “Why is Bernie wearing a cape too?”
“Bernie is your sidekick. He’s gonna be there to protect you.”
He stared at the drawing for a second longer before looking up. “And where are you?” he asked, locking eyes with me.
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.