Page 192 of Between Hate and Desire

My eyes flutter open before my alarm goes off, and I feel his hardness digging into my back, which makes me grin. My body aches from where he was yesterday, but I can’t seem to get enough of him, not now, not ever. Considering Alison is sound asleep in the next room, I shimmy out of my panties and shorts and roll over. I take Hunter’s thickness in my hand and give him a few strokes before his eyes flutter open.

“Mmm, good morning, beautiful,” he hums against my lips. A beat later, I’m straddling him. His hands guide my hips, and he fucks me until I see stars. I try to keep quiet, biting my lower lip as we ride our release together. Collapsing on his chest, I let out a small laugh. “Who needs coffee in the morning when I’ve got you?”

A chuckle escapes him before I slide off him and clean up.

“Take a shower with me?” I ask with big puppy eyes, and he easily agrees.

Before we go to the bathroom, I check on Alison, who’s sleeping soundly. I’m not sure a freight train could wake her when she’s out. Grabbing the baby monitor, I take it with me.

Hunter’s already waiting in the shower when I step in, and I take a moment to admire every inch of this beautiful man. My mother once told me I was lucky to find love once and not to allow the second time to slip through my fingers. Sometimes, I hate to admit it, but she was so right.

“What?” He grins as he grabs the soap, paying extra attention to my breasts and ass.

“I’m so grateful for you,” I admit. “I’m not sure I would’ve survived without you.”

He gives me a smile and leans forward to pull me close, then kisses me. “You would have. You’re the strongest person I know.”

I shake my head. “No. You are.”

Hunter kisses my forehead as the warm water falls over my back. I wrap my arms around him, and we stand, embracing one another like it might end tomorrow. Though I know it won’t, I don’t take anything for granted anymore, not after losing Brandon.

Life’s too short.

Once Hunter lets me go, he washes my hair, massaging my scalp, and if my eyes weren’t closed, they’d roll in the back of my head. I love showering with him because every inch of my body gets washed, and his touch feels so damn good. Returning the favor, I run my soapy hands over his abs, paying extra attention to below the waist.

“Mmm. If you keep that up, we’re gonna get dirty all over again,” he warns, and I giggle, knowing we don’t have time.

Soon we’re stepping out of the shower, and Hunter hands me a towel. We dry off quickly, and as I’m blow-drying my hair, I hear Alison crying.

It’s crunch time, so I’m not late for school. I still need to get her ready for Mrs. Locke, who happily watches her while I work. She says watching Alison is the highlight of her day, and I’m so grateful for her love and support. Brandon’s parents have been a huge help and adore the baby so much.

I’m also glad my parents have been over the moon about their granddaughter. They FaceTime me as much as possible and have encouraged me to keep posting to Instagram for baby updates. I feel so lucky that things turned out the way they did with the pregnancy and having them in Alison’s life now.

Between my parents and Brandon’s, along with my sisters and Hunter, she’s the most spoiled three-month-old I’ve ever seen, but she’s also the most loved.

After she’s fed and we’re both dressed, I quickly double-check the diaper bag to make sure everything is inside along with fresh bottles of breast milk. I glance at the time and know I’m cutting it close. When I walk back into the kitchen, I see a shirtless Hunter standing at the coffeepot wearing a grin.

“What’re you doing? You’re gonna be late,” I tell him, shaking my head.

“It’s Friday. I don’t have to be at work until ten for a meeting. I can take Allie to Mrs. Locke’s so you’re not late.”

I release a relieved breath. “Are you sure?”

He tucks loose strands of hair behind my ear, and I melt into his touch. “I owe Mrs. Locke a visit anyway. Plus, she gives me a bag of cookies each time I stop by.”

A laugh escapes me. “Maybe I should be offended because I’m not getting any cookies.” Standing on my tiptoes, I press my lips against his, and he deepens the kiss. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” he tells me as he slaps a hand against my ass.

“Don’t forget the diaper bag and make sure Mrs. Locke doesn’t need anything. Oh and?—”

“Babe. I’ve got this.”

I laugh. “Okay. I’ll see you after work.”

“Have a good day,” he singsongs as I rush out of the apartment.

My heart is so damn full I can barely describe the way I feel. So much has happened in a year that I’m often pinching myself to make sure this is real life. Each time Hunter kisses me or holds me close, I know it is. Though I’ve had some horrible things happen, I’m happy where my life is now because there was a point when I didn’t think I’d be able to get up in the morning. I had no purpose, and I was nothing more than a shell of myself. Time can’t heal all wounds, but each day, it gets easier. I’ll always love Brandon, and I’ll forever be appreciative of the gift he gave me. After Alison was born, I realized that loving again doesn’t mean I’m trying to replace him. He loved me and Hunter so much, so I know deep in my heart he’d want us to be together.

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