Page 98 of Hell Hath No Fury
“Huuuuunteerrr,” I yell out as I shatter for the second time with my release and pulse around him.
Seconds later, he’s following me into his own oblivion as he pounds into me hard one last time and yells out my name.
Holy shit.
Is this what I have been missing this entire time? I’m a puddle of jelly as he slides out, leaving me plastered against the glass. I can’t believe we just did that with my entire family partying above us.
That’s enough to pull me back together as I turn back around. Hunter is removing the condom and tying it off before placing it in his jacket pocket. There isn’t exactly a trash can around.
As he’s zipping his pants back up, I’m suddenly aware of my complete lack of clothes compared to his fully dressed body. My dress is draped on the tasting table behind us. At least he didn’t throw it on the floor.
Stepping into my dress, I slide the slinky material up my body as Hunter hungrily watches me. The way he’s looking at me makes me want to drop my dress back down and go for round two. But that’s probably not the best idea right now. Somebody is bound to come looking for us sooner rather than later.
“When did you get this?” Hunter asks as he runs his hand across my bare skin and caresses me with a kiss on my shoulder blade.
I shudder under his touch.
The nine-tailed fox. It covers the entirety of my back. I always knew I wanted to get a tattoo or twenty when I was a kid. And for my very first, I wanted something that truly represented me. I thought it was such a good idea at the time, but I was an idiot if I’m being honest. The astronomical size of the piece meant it took multiple sessions and the amount of shading that was required. Well, it was pretty painful. Every time the artist touched the needle to my spine, it would radiate pain all across my back. I didn’t cry, but my damn bottom lip bled like crazy. I probably should have started with something smaller.
But what did I know?
“I’ve always wanted a tattoo, but I had no idea how to find an artist. After Anders hired me, I noticed all of his ink and askedhim where to go. He gave the information to a shop, and I made an appointment immediately. And I’m not exaggerating. I called his artist with him still standing in front of me.”
“It’s beautiful.”
And it really was. I gave the artist a basic idea of what I envisioned and she gave me something I couldn’t have even imagined. It’s like she knew what I wanted before I even knew what I wanted. And it came out completely perfect.
The fierce animal is diving down my back with its nine tails spread out in a semi-circle across my upper back. She kept the color choices minimal, with mostly black but with hints of red here and there. I didn’t cry during the process, but the moment I saw the finished product for the first time, I bawled like a baby.
I saw the courage that I wanted to have staring back at me in the face of the mythical creature I was named for. And in that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay. I didn’t know how and I didn’t know when, but I knew eventually things would work out the way they were supposed to.
Clinging to a bit of that courage right now, I ask, “What now?”
Hunter straightens up and brings his gaze away from the ink covering my back to my face. He tilts his head to the side while studying my face and when he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, he asks, “What do you mean?”
“Where do we go from here? I have my life in Portland and you have your life here. I’m not dumb enough to consider that because we had sex it changes things.”
“Don’t call yourself dumb. I don’t appreciate that. And it changes things. I’m not letting you get away again. As far as being established here, I own my web design company. I can work from anywhere. If you’re in Portland, then I’m in Portland too.”
I’m stunned.
This can’t possibly be happening right now. I left this place all those years ago hardened to the idea of love because of the man standing in front of me. All it took was one weekend coming back here for the same man to thaw my cold, hard heart and make me feel a little bit like myself again. Just a little darker.
With a small smile on my face, I feel a giddiness bubbling to the surface that is so unlike me. Anders would have a heart attack if he saw me right now.
Before I think better of it, I ask, “Are we really going to do this?”
“Yeah, we’re really doing this.”
And then he kisses me again. Long, slow, and hard with promises of today, tomorrow, and forever.
