Page 39 of Pinkie Promise

Small town guys, I think to myself, a golden sunshine feeling in my belly.It’s always the small town guys who act like gentlemen.

When I get to the front door of the building I can feel Hunter’s warm body right behind me. I fumble to get my key out of my pocket and, in the process, a bag of candy slips free from my jeans. Hunter catches it before it hits the sidewalk and then suddenly we’re both very still.

Hunter’s chest is right up against my shoulders and we’re in a kind of purgatory, well aware of what usually happens at the end of a good date, even if it doesn’t go so far as to the bedroom.

A deep rumble reverberates through Hunter’s chest and then, after a heavy inhale, he reaches around me and begins tucking the candy back inside the front of my jeans.

I stop breathing completely.

Hunter’s right hand moves up the sleeve of my jumper, rubbing me firmly until he reaches my clavicle.

“Thanks for spending your evenin’ with me,” he says quietly, his left hand still wedged in the front pocket of my pants. Warmth spills over in my belly as I feel the powerful press of his thick fingers. The hand that was stroking my collarbones slowly climbs the column of my throat, before gently tangling itself up in the back of my hair. Hunter’s breathing gets heavier as he murmurs, “Is this okay?”

It’s dark out here, outside of the building, and the glossy black exterior is swallowing every trace of light. I nod my head subtly and Hunter’s mouth moves slowly against the lobe of my ear.

“Did you have a good time?” he asks me quietly as he presses his pecs harder against my shoulders. His chest swells on the impact and then he moves his lower body against me too.

“I had a good time,” I whisper. “I don’t have a clue what happened in the movie.”

I feel him laugh against my cheek and then the hand in my hair carefully tugs, pulling me backwards. I turn my head slightly to face him and he’s flushed and breathing erratically.

“Gonna let me see you again?” he asks as he slides his hand out of my pocket and begins roaming it up towards the waistband of my jeans. His irises are dark and smouldering, darkening further when his fingers reach the bottom of my sweater. They pause there but hold firm while he awaits the answer to his question.

I answer him honestly. “I don’t usually have a lot of free time.”

Between writing essays, organising my grant documents, and now working the diner, I don’t give myself a whole lot of downtime. Now add on top of that the juicy information that Aisling told me regarding cheer, and I’m not so sure that I’ll have any free time at all.

“I’ll work my schedule around yours,” he says quietly, pressing harder against my behind and strangling down a groan when my body yields to his. “We can make it work if you want us to. I definitely fuckin’ do.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, looking up into his eyes.

He glances behind us over the swell of his shoulder before pushing us harder up against the side of my building.

“Fallon, I’m gonna make so much fuckin’ time for you.”

The warm hand that was teasing my waistband suddenly slides up beneath my shirt and a gasp catches in my throat as he pushes it hard against my belly.

“Is it too soon to kiss you?” he asks, dipping his forehead down so that it’s resting against mine.

His body is warm and hard and I can’t help but submit to his welcoming enveloping. When he feels me lean exhaustedly against him a rough sound rumbles in his chest.

“Christ,” he mutters. “This is way too fucking soon.”

I turn around so that we’re chest to chest and now he’s grimacing like he’s fully in pain. His hand is still up my shirt, only now it’s gripping tightly into my lower back. I tentatively wrap my arms around his shoulders and he lets his hand climb higher until he’s leashed his fingers into the back of my bra.

“We’ve known each other for a month,” I whisper. “By a lot of people’s standards, they’d think that we’ve been taking it pretty slow.”

He shakes his head, staring longingly at my lips. “Don’t care what other people think. I only care what you think. You hated me not two weeks ago – I don’t want to go ahead making out with you and then, two days down the line, you feel that way about me again.”

I bite back a small smile. His honesty makes my heart hurt.

“Hunter,” I whisper, and he presses his forehead imploringly against my temple.

“Yeah?” he groans, his fingers gripping desperately at the lace of my bra.

I tilt my head back so that he can meet my eyes and I give him a secretive smile. “I don’t think that I ever hated you, Hunter.”

His mouth crashes down on mine with so much force that we stumble against the building, his hand immediately protecting my head from the impact. I moan, cupping my hands around his strong jaw, and he releases a deep sated sound from somewhere in the depths of his chest. He pulls his palm from underneath my jumper so that he can grip his fingers around my chin and he tilts my head further backwards so that he can take me from a different angle.

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