Page 47 of Hunter

“I know,” I say quietly. “I just…need a minute.”

He pulls back slightly, just enough to look at me, and I can see the concern in his eyes. He’s still apologizing without saying the words. But it’s okay. I know he didn’t mean to trigger those old fears.

“I’m here, Sophia,” he says gently. “You’re safe with me. I’ll make sure you never feel like that again.”

I close my eyes, letting his words settle in. His warmth, his presence—it’s enough to remind me I’m not there anymore. I’m here, and he’s with me, and that’s all I need right now.

It doesn’t take long for my heartbeat to return to normal, for the tight knot in my chest to loosen. “I’m sorry, Sophia.” He presses soft kisses to my forehead. I nod in acknowledgment but don’t accept the apology. It’s not okay for him to treat me like that.

“I’ll try to change,” he adds, pulling back to take my chin gently in his fingers, forcing me to meet his eyes. “I’m trying to change for you. I’m truly trying. But it’s not easy when all I want to do is protect you.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not an excuse, but I got some news today and I spiraled.”

“What happened?” I ask, trying to shift the conversation.

“Nothing to worry about.” His tone is tight, and I can’t help but narrow my eyes.

“Why are you trying to keep me in the dark? I’m supposed to be the person you talk to, the one you unload your problems onto. You want me to do the same for you, right? So it’s only fair I get the same from you.”

He lowers his hands, frustration radiating off him. “I know that, Sophia. I fucking know. But I wish I could open up to you, talk to you. It’s just…hard for me.” He begins to pace, his voice strained. “It has always been me looking after me. My problems are my own. I don’t want to unload them on you. You’re supposed to be my safe space, my happy space. When I comehome to you, I want to leave my problems behind. I don’t want to taint you with them.”

“All you’re doing is letting your problems fester. I want you to unload everything onto me. If you had a shitty day, talk to me. I’ll listen. I can’t promise I’ll have all the answers, but I promise I’ll listen.”

He tilts his head back, letting out a heavy breath, his eyes focused on the ceiling. “You make it sound so easy, Sophia.”

“You’re making it sound hard, Maxim,” I say, exasperation creeping through. “We’ve had this conversation before. You know what I need—honesty, trust. That’s all.”

He lowers his gaze to meet mine, his eyes suddenly older, burdened by experiences I can’t imagine. “One step at a time?”

“One step at a time,” I agree, because that’s all we can do. Take things one step at a time. But just because I agree doesn’t mean he’s off the hook. He refused to let me go, fought to remain present in my life. And if I’m being honest, my life would be very dull without him. I love him with all my heart, and I won’t let something as simple as a lack of communication ruin the small bit of happiness we’ve managed to carve out for ourselves amid all the darkness.

TWENTY

MAXIM

I’ve had one hell of a fucking day, and for her to ask this of me right now—it feels like too much. My mind is a tangled mess, and I’m not in the right headspace to explain everything weighing on me. I still can’t make sense of the bomb my IT guy dropped on me earlier. I’m afraid to even say it out loud—afraid it will make it real. If it stays locked in my head, at least I can keep pretending it’s nothing until it eventually shatters me.

“Talk to me,” she whispers, her voice soft but insistent as she wraps her arms around me, her head resting on my shoulder. “Whatever you’re dealing with…you’re not a burden. I want to help.” The words hang in the air, but the room is otherwise silent, save for the sound of our breaths mingling. I don’t know how long we stay like that, her warmth grounding me, before she speaks again, her voice laced with longing. “Please.”

I let out a slow breath, the tension in my shoulders easing just slightly, and sink to the cold tile of the shower floor. The sound of the water running, the rhythm of it, is a stark contrast to the chaos in my mind.

“I don’t know where to start,” I admit, my voice rough.

She doesn’t hesitate. Without a word, she lowers herself to the floor, settling between my legs, her arms draping over mythighs. The weight of her presence is like a lifeline, and I’m pulled back into the moment by the simplicity of her touch. The water falls over us, the chill of it momentarily cutting through the heat building between us. I look at her—really look at her—and everything inside me tightens. She’s perfect in a way that makes it hard to breathe.

But this isn’t just about her body. It’s about something deeper, something unspoken that we’ve never quite acknowledged. I need her—more than I’ve ever needed anything—and I can feel her need for me too, palpable in the air between us. I need to forget the weight on my chest, forget the storm raging in my mind, if only for a while. The desperate hunger for connection overrides everything else, and before I can second-guess myself, I pull her closer, ignoring her startled protest, and settle her onto my lap, her legs straddling me.

Her breath catches in her throat, and I know she’s about to say something—probably tell me to slow down, to talk, to face whatever’s broken inside me—but before she can, I kiss her. It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s urgent, raw, a plea for her to feel what I’m feeling. She resists for a second, and then, just as quickly, she melts into me, her hands trembling as they thread through my hair, down my back, across my chest.

“I need to be inside of you,” I murmur against her lips, my voice rough with need. The words sound almost too vulnerable, but I can’t stop them. “I need to feel you, to know I’m not alone in this, in everything that’s been tearing me apart.” I press soft kisses along her neck, my hands roaming over her skin as I whisper against her ear, “I need to hear you scream my name, Sophia. I need to get lost in you, in us. Please.”

She gasps, her body trembling against mine as she whispers, “Yes.” It’s all she says, but it’s enough, enough to strip away the remaining fragments of my control.

Before I can think, I kiss her again, deeper this time, our tongues fighting for dominance, a silent understanding between us. My hand slides over her chest, finding her nipple, hard and sensitive beneath my touch. She lets out a soft, almost pleading sound, her body arching into me as my own desire flares, the pressure building inside me.

“Mine,” I growl, the word slipping out without thought. I lower my mouth to her breast, taking her nipple between my lips, sucking gently at first, then harder, as if I can mark her, as if I can pull all of her inside me and make her a part of me in a way words never could. She arches against me, her hands clutching at my shoulders, her body responding to every touch, every kiss.

“I need you,” I whisper, my lips grazing over her skin, moving from one breast to the other, my hands never leaving her, as though I’m trying to memorize every inch. “I need you more than you’ll ever know.”

“Please,” she begs, her voice breathless.

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