Page 46 of Hunter

The ice rink is in the center foyer of the mall. We waddle over to the entrance, ready to step onto the already crowded rink. Hunter lifts his foot, placing it onto the ice as if he’s done it thousands of times before. The cloak of superiority he wears as he walks down the street swaying around his shoulders.

“Do you want me…” He lifts a hand, stopping me from offering any help. So I cross my arms, stand back, and wait for the carnage to unfold. Arrogant twat, I hope he falls on his ass.

With one blade on, he adds the next, holding his arms out to balance. People skate round and round the same way, faster skaters on the inside while slower ones cling to the edge. Every so often, a child pushing a penguin-shaped stabiliser slides by. It feels like we’ve wandered onto the set of a Christmas movie.

Hunter moves forward a little, one foot pushing outwards then the other. He pushes himself out into the faster section of the rink, and others navigate around him, attempting not to crash. As I move to join him on the ice, he twists around to look for me. His feet move with his eyes, and he loses his footing.

Arms and legs flail around as he tries to regain is balance. He reminds me of a baby giraffe attempting to stand for the first time. One heel, then the other flies upward, and he falls onto his back, ending up star-fished on the cold ground. I step on, then glide over to help him. He gazes up at me from the ice, and I offer him my hand, reveling a little in his misfortune.

“Ready to stop being so fucking macho?” I ask him as he takes it.

“Sure,” he mutters. Over his shoulder, Ronan is standing rink-side in fits of laughter. I try not to smile but fail miserably. Hunter huffs, then wipes at his now wet shoulders with his fingers. “Okay, show me how it’s done.” I take his hand, and we start by skating slowly around the edge. As we find some sort of rhythm, he says sexily, “And Bella, I told you not to swear.”

For the next thirty minutes, we wobble together. I’m attempting to remember a pastime I loved as a child, and he’s trying not to fall on his ass. A group of young children step onto the ice with their mothers, each one clutching a woman’s hand. I can’t help but stare—so much joy and amazement in such tiny packages. Each little person is thriving on the wonderment of life and doing something new.

“Bella,” Hunter says. I hear him but can’t tear my eyes away from the heartwarming scene. A few moments pass and he tries again. “Bella.”

“Uh huh…”

“Do you want to be a mother?”

We come to a stop on one side of the rink, my hand resting on the barrier, steadying myself, and not because I can’t balance on the ice. His direct query catches me off guard. Was my hope so blatant that he saw my wish from a single look? He takes my hand and spins me to face him.

“Eyes on me, pretty girl,” he says, his eyes boring into my soul as if wanting to read my mind. “If it’s a child you want, then you will have one.”

Without waiting for my confirmation or denial, he takes my hand and leads me from the ice.

Chapter twenty-two

New Bond Street, London

Hunter

After returning our skates and collecting our own shoes, Bella’s fingers link through mine as we make our way back through the changing area. I lead her to a larger changing room in the corner, opening the door and tugging her inside. She follows silently, never responding to my question about whether she wants a baby or not. I don’t need her to tell me—her body told me everything I needed to know. She lit up watching those mothers with their children; I want to give her that. I need to see that look on her face.

“Listen to me, wife,” I tell her, turning her to face me then pushing her backward against the stall. She goes rigid as her back collides with the wood causing it to vibrate. “When I ask a question, I expect an answer.”

“You caught me off guard…” I lift my finger to her lips, stopping her from rambling some excuse. Sometimes, I wish she would let me finish speaking before interrupting with her sultry tones. Bella always has plenty to say. Perhaps next time, I should stuff my dick in her mouth first so she doesn’t interrupt when I have something important to tell her.

“Shhh…I don’t need you to say anything now. I saw what you wanted, and I’m going to give it to you.”

The cream-colored puff jacket she’s wearing is zipped all the way up to her neck. I pinch the toggle between my fingers and pull it downward until it splits open, exposing a thin sweater beneath. The neckline is cut in a low V-shape, and her full breasts swell beautifully beneath the stretched fabric.

I slide both hands underneath her top, my fingertips loving the warmth of her skin. Stepping forward, I pin her between me and the wall behind. Her neck cranes back as she stares up, each breath she takes getting deeper as the intensity of the situation rises. I pull her against me, her breasts giving way against my torso.

“I have a new focus. A goal, as it were.”

“And what’s that?” she replies, gasping as if trying to catch her breath. In my grasp, her flesh gives to my touch, her softness flexing under my fingers.

“Putting a baby in my wife.”

My fingers trace her spine to her waist, then skim around the band of her jeans until they find the belt buckle. Her hands begin to explore my abs, making their way south. I grab them and return them to my neck.

“Not today, this is all about you,” I tell her, and she closes her eyes. “You are going to come for me, Bella. Here, today, in this stall, then I’m going to fuck you. Fill you so full of my seed, you’ll be pregnant by the time we get home.”

“And what will you do when we get home?” she asks.

“I’ll fuck you again to make damn sure.”

---