I didn’t remember doing it, but my hand was now at his back, and I shivered at the way the muscles tightened. I felt his grunt when he came, setting off aftershocks of pleasure inside me. My body jerked with each one, strange little mewing sounds coming from the back of my throat, sounds I had no control over.
He collapsed behind me, breathing hard, skin slick and hot. I lay limp beside him.
The bed shook when he moved suddenly, pulling from my body and climbing off the mattress. I felt his come start to trickle out of me, and the realization of what I’d just done hit me. God, how could I have let this happen?
I rolled to my back. “Hunter . . .” What? What the hell could I say after that? I shoved my hair off my face and sat up.
He didn’t look at me, just yanked his jeans up and tucked himself back in.
I waited for him to say something, anything.
He said nothing, turned his back on me, and, without a backward glance, walked out.
CHAPTER FIVE
Hunter
I sat at the kitchen table, watching the sunrise filtering through the pine trees.
I’d been in this spot all night, drinking coffee and trying to stop myself from going back into that room and having her again.
“Fuck.” I lifted my mug to my lips then put it back down. The coffee had grown cold, bitter. A lot like me. Well, the bitter part at least. I’d been anything but cold since I’d laid eyes on Lulu.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
The thought fired through my head for the hundredth time. Fucking her had never been part of the plan. But my body hadn’t forgotten how it felt, having her sleep beside me like that, pressed against mine, warm and soft, and I’d been pulled from my sleep. I rubbed my hands over my face, growling when I smelled her on my fingers. Her scent had me in a constant state of arousal, confusing the shit out of me. Rage and hatred fired my blood, even as my cock throbbed behind my zipper. This relentless, unwanted longing behind my ribs made it hard to damn well think straight.
Worse? I hadn’t been able to make myself wash her off me, tormenting myself since I walked out of that bedroom, wanting her scent on me. I hated myself for that weakness.
I’d let the bitch get to me. As soon as I woke, cock hard to the point of pain, and she’d pushed back, making it clear she’d let me have her—I fucking snapped. I couldn’t fight it, not anymore. I hated myself for that, too.
My phone started vibrating against the table, dragging me out of my own head, back to my current goal. I stared down at the screen.
Unknown caller.
I knew exactly who it was.
The day before, after I’d lost it and locked Lulu back up, leaving her to plot her escape in the bathroom, I’d used my contacts to get word out that I had her.
That information had obviously found its way to the right ears.
I picked up the phone. “That was quick.”
Silence, then, “I understand you have something of mine.”
The fucked-up monster inside me snarled. Not yours. Mine. Yeah, the sooner this was over and she was out of my life for good, the better.
My fingers curled around the cold coffee mug, hard enough I was surprised it didn’t shatter. “And I’ll be happy to give her back . . . for a price.”
“What do you want?” he said, not missing a beat.
Just the sound of Pierce’s voice, that superior fucking tone, like he still had a right to talk to me like the hired help, sent my rage through the damn roof. I refused to show him how much he got to me. I’d never give him that satisfaction again.
“Money,” I lied. “Compensation for the time I sent inside.” I rattled off a figure.
“Fine.”
As I suspected, he agreed easily. He didn’t give a fuck about much, but when it came to Lulu, I doubted any price was too high. It was hard to describe, the way he was with her. The job I did for Pierce meant I was only around them occasionally, but when I was, it was impossible to miss. I wouldn’t call it love exactly, more like she was his most precious possession, or favorite fucking toy.
“When?” I asked.
“I’ll need a couple of days,” he said smoothly.
I’ll bet he did. He needed time to crawl out of whatever hole he’d been hiding in and rally his henchmen. “Where?”
“I’ll text you the location closer to the time.”
I knew he needed money, which meant I had to be extra careful. Pierce had no intention of paying me. He’d be prepared to get Lulu back by any means.
“Don’t make me wait too long,” I said.
He was silent a beat. “Oh I won’t. I’m eager to get her back.”
The way he said that lifted the hair on the back of my neck. I shut it down, ignored the way his words put me on high alert. It wasn’t real. My head was all over the damn place right now. I couldn’t trust anything, not when Lulu was involved, not even my own instincts.