Snow and the Seven Men: A Reverse Harem Fairy Tale Romance(4)

“She’s an alcoholic?” I demanded, my jaw almost on the floor.

“Not exactly. She doesn’t drink at work or anything but she can’t say no if you offer it to her and she won’t stop once she’s started. She hits it hard and fast.”

I didn’t know if that information was useful or tragic but I didn’t have much of a chance to ponder it because Hunter was cupping my face with the palms of his hands. My nervousness sprouted into anxiety and I tried to pull away, my eyes fixed on Queenie.

He chortled softly and rubbed his nose against mine.

“She’s out for the night,” he promised. “But if you’d rather be safe than sorry, let’s take this into my room. If she wakes up, I can tell her you went out for a walk.”

I bit on my lower lip, knowing that it was wrong but I couldn’t go another month of waiting, not when I’d had such a crush on this guy since the first time I’d laid eyes on his handsome face.

He sensed my reluctance and decided to take the lead, rising and taking my hand into his as he did.

“We’ll be very quiet,” he promised, winking coyly and my gut fluttered. Who was I kidding? I wasn’t refusing this. It was a golden opportunity and I wasn’t going to waste it.

We slipped into his bedroom and closed the door without bothering to flick on the lights. Through one of the high utility windows, a zillion stars glimmered in the sky and I couldn’t help but feel like I was being caught up in a dream.

Hunter sat me on the single bed and I could make out the glow of his eyes through the light.

This is going to be incredible, I thought, reaching up to pull him toward me but instead of a tender, exploratory kiss, his mouth smashed down on mine like a press and his breaths exploded over my face, almost suffocating me.

“Woah,” I giggled, pulling back and he grinned sheepishly.

“Sorry,” he chuckled, moving back in to kiss my face. “You’ve just got me so hot. I can’t help myself.”

His hands roamed over my body without rhyme or reason, his fingers somehow weaseling in under my bra to pinch my nipples and I was thrust back into high school. Suddenly, he wasn’t Hunter Davis, man of my dreams. He was some awkward senior at prom who’d never popped his cherry.

His kisses were sloppy, running down against my neck and I grimaced as he rushed to disrobe me.

He’s just nervous, I told myself. He’ll slow down in a minute.

But I was wrong and in seconds, we were naked as he dropped kisses like hand grenades over my body.

Perhaps perpetuated by my desire to finally sleep with this man who had been the object of my affections for so long, my center was damp and somewhat ready for him but I had certainly expected more foreplay than the nibble he gave my breasts before spreading my legs apart and positioning himself between my thighs. With a single swipe of his fingers between my legs, he grinned at me and I had to wonder if he was drunk. It was the only reason I could imagine he was so bad at this.

I found myself wondering what to do with my hands and uneasily, I grabbed his shoulders as he entered me.

Oh. Is that it?

It was stunning to me that he wasn’t better endowed but in spite of all this, in spite of the fact that I was already disappointed, I still gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“God, you’re so wet!” he panted into my ear, his words escaping in grunts as he plunged into me without any choreography. “You like that?”

“Mmhm,” I managed, sliding my ass upward to feel him deeper but his actions were so sporadic, so choppy, all I did was put myself in an uncomfortable position, my hip grinding into the thin mattress.

“You gonna cum for me?” he moaned and as he spoke, I could feel his shaft growing harder.

Not a chance in hell, I thought.

“I already did,” I lied although how he couldn’t have known I was blowing smoke was beyond me.

It wasn’t until after he released, ten seconds later, that I realized he didn’t really care if I’d cum or not and he slid off me with a massive grunt, his body shaking as if he’d done something of great value.

Wow. That was awful.

“That was incredible,” he rasped, turning his head to grin at me. “You’re amazing.”

I had to look away, certain that even in the dark, my dubiousness would shine through on my pale skin. Instantly, the optimist in me tried to make light of the catastrophe.

I am really glad I didn’t spend a month waiting for that. Speaking of anticlimaxes…

I waited for what I thought was an appropriate amount of time before slipping my legs over the side of the bed.

“Where are you going?” he asked. “Give me a minute and we can go for round two.”

Ugh. Had there even been a round one? Not for me.

I forced a grin and shook my head.

“I’m too tense,” I told him. “I keep thinking that Amanda is going to wake up.”

“She won’t,” he promised. “And I can give you a massage if you’re tense.”

I shook my head with vehemence.

“No,” I insisted. “I should get back to work for a bit and get some rest. I have to collect samples tomorrow.”

I could almost feel his eyes narrow in the darkness but I was too busy locating my clothes to address him.

“Good night,” I said brightly, sneaking out of his room.

“Sasha…”

I stifled a groan before turning back toward him.

“Hm?”

“Are we good?”

I smiled briefly.

“Of course we are,” I said with forced cheer. We were, after all. It was just a one-night stand and we were adults.

Adults who work together, I reminded myself, cringing. How stupid was I to have slept with a co-worker on a work trip? I was going to be stuck looking at him every day without avoidance.

Too late for regrets now. What’s done is done. Moving on…

“Is there something else, Hunter?” I asked, trying to keep the impatience out of my voice as he remained silent. His eyes met mine and he shook his head.

“No,” he muttered and I felt a stab of guilt touch my gut. He wasn’t a bad guy—he was just terrible in bed. Not really his fault but also not my project. At least now I knew. No harm, no foul.

As I hurried out into the common area, I saw that Queenie hadn’t moved an inch from where she’d passed out and I exhaled with relief. For the first time since knowing her, I was glad she was around.

Then again, things were bound to get really awkward now.





4





Sasha





To my chagrin, Queenie was up before me the next morning, staring at me with daggers in her eyes. I gulped back my guilt even though I didn’t owe her an explanation.

“Morning,” I said brightly. “How did you sleep?”

As far as I knew, she’d slept exactly where she’d fallen but as I studied her face, she looked much better rested than I had expected of someone who had downed half a bottle of scotch in the span of three minutes. Hell, she looked like she’d gotten more rest than me.

She didn’t answer me and instead spun away from the kitchen counter to take her tea into our makeshift lab.

“Good morning!” Hunter chirped, strolling into the common area from the bathroom. He wore nothing but a towel around his waist, his dark hair still wet from the shower and I gaped at him in shock as he strutted toward me to place a kiss on my neck.

“Will you make me a coffee, babe?” Hunter asked and for a second, I thought he was talking to someone else.

Did he just call me “babe”? Is that what just happened here?

I rationalized that I must be dreaming but when my eyes automatically moved toward Queenie, I knew I was in a waking nightmare. Her mouth had become a line so thin, it was almost invisible.

“Hunter, can I speak with you for a minute?” I asked, struggling to keep my composure, even though I felt like my head was about to pop clear off my shoulders.

“Sure,” he agreed, leaning in for another kiss. “But not before you say good morning.”

Please, floor, just open up and swallow me whole. I won’t fight back.

The burn of Queenie’s eyes seared holes into the back of my head as I ducked out of his reach and yanked his arm. Once inside his bedroom, I slammed the door closed and stared at him, unblinking.

To add to my consternation, he reached for me, grinning.

“I’ll never say no to a morning quickie,” he jeered, lowering his head to kiss me but I pushed him off me.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hissed. “Are you trying to get me fired?”

“Fired?” Hunter seemed genuinely confused. “Why would you get fired?”

I could feel my body threatening to hyperventilate.

“Hunter, what are you doing?” I asked, fighting to keep myself from yelling. “Why are you acting like we’re together?”

The confusion on his face magnified.

“Uh…we were together,” he answered slowly. “Last night, remember?”

I closed my eyes and steeled myself before answering.

“Yes, of course I remember,” I said, grinding my teeth. “But that was last night.”

Understanding slowly colored his eyes and hurt overcame his confusion.

“Oh…I see.”

“Look, you’re a good guy, Hunter,” I rushed on quickly, amazed that I had to do this. We’d had a lackluster one-night stand. What was he thinking?