He crushed his mouth to mine. Tormenting me when I opened to him with the sweetest flicks of his tongue and the most sinful bites to my lip. Standing and bringing me with him and effortlessly helping me out of the tub. Keeping me in his grasp and his mouth on mine as he walked us into the bedroom. Water dripping from our bodies and leaving little puddles on the floor as we went.
If he noticed, he didn’t care.
Because then he was laying me on the bed and crawling between my legs. His hard length already pressing against where I was aching for him despite how many times we’d come together the night before and that morning.
But just as he started pressing into me, he moved. Switching our positions in a move so slow and fluid, it felt as if we’d entered that dance only we knew the song to.
Each movement synchronized.
Nothing rushed.
Our mouths meeting again and again like we needed the other to breathe.
His hands slid up my slick thighs as he pulled me onto his lap, and I settled over his length. Lowering and whimpering as he filled me so completely.
The feel of him, the feel of us together, was indescribable. And I wondered again how I ever lived without it. Ever lived without the man I’d been made for.
With one last lingering kiss, I pressed my hands to his chest and pushed myself back so I was sitting up. Rolling my hips in time with that unheard beat as his hands raced up my stomach to cup my breasts. Teasing and worshipping as he watched me love him.
Looking at me like I was his entire world.
Reaching for one of his hands, I intertwined our fingers and led our joined hands back down my body to where I wanted his touch. His blue eyes burned like fire when I used both our hands to touch myself.
“Jesus,” he breathed.
I teased myself for a moment longer before I let him take control, leaving our fingers interlaced. Rolling my hips faster in time with his movements. My breaths coming sharper as that knot of tension built low in my belly.
“Hunter . . . oh God,” I cried out as my orgasm ripped through me. Sending me into a sea of stars that I wanted to dance in forever.
And then his hands moved to my hips as he took control. His hard, sure movements prolonging my orgasm until he stilled beneath me with his own release.
I curled over onto his chest. My body shuddering and spent and aching in ways I hadn’t known was possible.
Wrapping his arms around me, he rolled us to our sides and eased out of me. His expression all satisfied exhaustion when I leaned back enough to look at him.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
A breathless laugh left me. “I can’t imagine what I look like, but it can’t be that.”
“You’re wrong.”
I lifted my head to press my lips to his, a dejected breath rushing from my lungs when my alarm went off.
A sigh slowly eased from him before he released me and rolled away to grab my phone. Hitting snooze on the alarm and just holding my phone in his hand for a moment before handing it to me.
“She’s adorable, Mads,” he whispered. “Looks a hell of a lot like you and has all your attitude too.”
I tapped the darkened screen, my lips stretching into an affectionate grin as I studied the picture of Avalee on my phone. Mid-dance. Smiling up at the camera. Eyes bright as fluffy snowflakes fell around her.
“Sometimes, she’ll say things, and I’m just so thrown off at hearing myself come out of her mouth that I just stand there, too stunned to correct it.” A little laugh left me. “I mean, I know I talk like that, but that’s too much sass for a five-year-old.” My eyes rolled as I pushed myself up and stood from the bed. My voice dry when I muttered, “Mom of the Year.”
Hunter grabbed my hand and pulled me to him, holding me between his legs. His expression grave when he said, “You’re an amazing mom.”
I offered him a smile even as I argued, “You can’t know that.”
“Every thought and decision you make puts her first. Everything you do is for her and to protect her.” He tapped the phone hanging from my other hand. “That alarm was so you’ll be back when she wakes up. Madison, that girl is your world. I don’t have to have spent time with the two of y’all to know what kinda mom you are.”
His words swirled through me, calming and filling me with a peace I hadn’t realized I’d been searching for. Every time Avalee brought up Raf, my gut twisted with guilt. Every time Raf mentioned taking her back, I wondered how big of a mistake I’d made in bringing us here in the first place. Worried over what Raf would do to get her back and keep her there. Agonized over my actions the day I’d packed us up. If they’d been purely for myself and would hurt her more in the end, or if I’d been acting for both of us.
It made me doubt myself in every capacity. And doubt was such a toxic, ugly thing.
“Thank you,” I whispered, pressing my mouth to his for a soft kiss.
“Mads,” he began when I pulled away, sounding uncertain, “if you say no, then I’ll respect it. But keeping you forever means you and Avalee.” He lifted a hand, holding it suspended between us for a moment before letting it fall to his chest. “I wanna get to know your daughter.”
Hope and love wove through me as I stared at the amazing man in front of me.
Part of me was listing the reasons why I’d said they couldn’t meet in the first place. That it was too soon. That it was hypocritical after the boundary I’d set for Rafael with Madelyn. But that part was so small.
“It can be as your friend,” Hunter added quickly, then gave an amused huff. “It can be for her to teach me how to dance. Whatever you want, or nothing at all.”
“Yes,” I said, stopping him from continuing. At his surprise and relief, a hushed laugh tumbled past my lips. “Yes, I want you to get to know her. I want her to know you.” I pressed my forehead to his, my voice just above a whisper when I continued. “Anyone else, I would want to keep her far away. But you’ve never just been anyone else . . . you’ve always been everything.”
His next kiss stole my breath. Soft yet firm, and filled with so much admiration and passion that it did the craziest things to me. “Let’s go get her.”
And there went my heart. Captured by Hunter Dixon all over again, secured in the deepest, purest form of love.
When I finally pulled away, Hunter followed close. Keeping his hands on me as long as possible until we had to part to dress. Even then, he continued drawing me into his arms just to hold me close.
Lightly swaying and turning me in broken pieces of a dance. Grabbing the tips of my fingers when I finished dressing and spinning me into his chest. The movement slow and magnifying the charge between us as his other hand landed low on my back, pressing the soft curves of me against the hard lines of him.
His blue eyes swirling with hunger and need and love. Searching and studying my face for long moments before he murmured, “More than there are stars in the sky, Madison.”
A stuttered exhale left me at his proclamation that had the power to get me through whatever waited outside the bubble of peace and happiness we stood in. “Forever.”
My alarm went off again, calling out its reminder of where we were supposed to be headed and pulling us from the moment.
“Gotta get your girl,” Hunter said knowingly, understandingly, when I turned the alarm off.