: Chapter 23

Hunter sat heavily in the booth with his four friends. It was the first time they had all been able to catch up in what seemed like years. But, by luck of the draw, they were all in the same country at the same time. It was an opportunity too good to miss.

“Here he is,” Jonathon said, raising his glass. “Better late than never.”

Hunter toasted the rest of them and then swallowed his drink in one gulp. “Sorry fellas,” he said, “CASA has been crawling up my arse for the last two weeks and I’ve just now finally resolved it.”

“What was the problem?” Brooks asked.

“They lost some paperwork.”

“Fucking idiots,” Mason said.

“Fucking government employees,” Declan chimed in.

Hunter smiled as he looked around the table. These four men were all billionaires in their own right. The five of them had met at university and had formed their own fraternity, Alpha Pi Tau. Fraternities were not a thing in Australia, but they decided to form one anyway and their name was taken from the Latin words ‘Afosíosi, Prospátheia, Tin Evimería’ which meant ‘Loyalty, Effort, Prosperity.’ It was a code they had all lived by and it had seen each of them reach the top of their respective careers.

“So Hunter,” Jonathon said, a smile on his lips, “you owe us a story.”

“Really?” Mason asked. “This ought to be good.”

“Is it the one about the girl?” Brooks asked eagerly. “‘Cause I definitely want to hear that one.”

“Same,” Declan said. “Spill.”

Hunter took a breath and told them the tale of how he first met Blue and then how he’d met her again and then how it had all gone terribly wrong.

“Shit man,” Jonathon said. “I really should punch you in the face. Poor Bailey.”

“I’ve tried everything to contact her,” Hunter said, “but she won’t return my calls and she hasn’t returned to Melbourne. She even handed off the Green Aviation PR file to another person at her work.”

“How do you know she hasn’t returned to Melbourne?” Declan asked.

Hunter dropped his eyes to the table. “I bribed her roommate to let me know when she comes home.”

Brooks let out a low whistle. “You must be desperate,” he said.

“I am,” he looked up at his friends and gave each one of them direct eye contact. “She’s the one. I’m in love with her and I’m going out of my freaking mind not knowing where she is or if she’s okay.”

“She’s okay,” Jonathon said with a sigh.

“How the hell would you know?” Hunter growled.

“I’ve been in contact with her,” he said and Hunter practically crawled across the table to grab him except that his friends held him back.

“What the hell Jonathon? Are you hitting on Bailey?”

“No, you fuckwit,” Jonathon said with a shake of his head. “I thought she might need a friend and I thought you might like to know what she’s been up to.”

“And?” Hunter asked giving him the keep-it-coming gesture.

“She took a hiatus from work to get over you. She’s been staying with her parents. She flies back to Melbourne tomorrow.”

“I have to see her,” Hunter said. “I need to explain and apologise.”

“And grovel,” Brooks said.

“Can you set it up Jonathon?” he asked pleadingly.

Jonathon stared at him across the table. “She really means this much to you?”

“You met her,” Hunter said. “You saw what I see in her.”

Jonathon sighed. “Yeah, I did and I saw the way she looks at you too. You’re a lucky bastard Hunter Green.”

“Not until I see her again and she forgives me,” Hunter replied. “Only then will I be a lucky bastard.”

“I want to meet this girl too,” Mason said. “If Jonathon got to meet her, then we all should.”

“I’ll set it up for tomorrow night. Where?”

Hunter smiled. He knew exactly where he wanted to meet Bailey.

It’d been two weeks. A really long two weeks since she’d last seen Hunter. But she was home now and it was time to put her plan into action.

She had been surprised when Jonathon had texted her and asked to meet her, but it was the perfect way to get the scoop on what Hunter had been up to and maybe find out if Jonathon knew of a way that she could see him and apologise. She’d been even more surprised when he’d suggested they meet at the same bar that she had met Hunter all those months ago.

She ordered a cranberry vodka and settled in to wait. She was a little early, but that was okay. She needed time to figure out in her head what she was going to say to Jonathon. Bailey had listened to all of Hunter’s messages after speaking with Two and Three and she had cried her eyes out over the pain in his voice. Since her message box had been full, he’d stopped leaving them, and now Bailey didn’t know whether he’d given up on her or not. She hoped not. The fact that Jonathon had asked to meet with her was a good sign, wasn’t it?

Someone sat down beside her and she turned to greet Jonathon but the words froze in her throat. Bright green eyes met hers and a thrill went through her.

“You’ve got a nice beard,” Bailey choked out, remembering the first words she’d ever said to him.

His eyes crinkled at the sides as he smiled at her. “Want to know how it feels when I kiss you?” he asked.

“God yes,” she said as her eyes fluttered closed.

She felt the brush of his lips against hers and opened to him. His tongue swept in, sliding along hers and making her shiver with sensation. His hand threaded through her hair at the base of her neck as he cupped her head and held her at the right angle to give him complete access. She melted in to him and her brain fogged over. God, she had missed his kisses.

He looked down at her when he pulled away, his own eyes dark with desire.

“We need to talk,” he growled.

“I know,” she replied and they parted reluctantly. Hunter ordered a beer from the bartender and Bailey sipped her vodka.

“I know about the stripper,” she said. “I know what you saw. Well, I think I know what you saw and I understand why you reacted the way you did.”

“I should have believed you, though,” he said. “And I’m kicking myself for not stopping for just a minute and listening to you.”

She huffed out a laugh. “I think we are both somewhat guilty of that,” she said. “I only found out yesterday. I ran into Two and Three and they told me.”

“What are those girls’ names?” Hunter said and they both laughed.

“And then I went home and listened to all the messages you left me. I’m sorry too,” she said looking up at him. “I’m sorry for not telling you how I felt. I’m sorry for not telling you that I’d fallen in love with you. Maybe if I had, we wouldn’t be in this position.”

Hunter pulled her to him and kissed her hard and she relished in his hands on her body and his lips on hers.

“You’re in love with me?’ he asked when he pulled back from her.

She nodded. “I am,” she replied, her heart in her mouth. She didn’t know what she would do if he rejected her now.

“God, Blue, you don’t know how good that is to hear.” He smiled at her. “I’m in love with you too. Have been since the first night we spent together.”

She looked into his eyes and knew it was true. She smiled.

“Wanna get out of here?” she asked.

“Oh yeah,” he said, “but first I’d like you to meet some friends of mine.”

They hopped off their stools and Hunter led her over to a group of extremely good-looking and obviously wealthy men. She immediately recognised Jonathon and he stood and pulled her into a hug.

“Sorry for the subterfuge to get you here,” he said.

“That’s okay,” she replied, “I was going to ask you to hook me up anyway.”

“Blue,” Hunter said, pulling her in to his side. “These four men are the closest I have to brothers. You know Jonathon, but this is Brooks, Declan, and Mason.”

Bailey shook hands with each of them and they were all somewhat vaguely familiar to her. Being that they were Hunter’s friends, there was no doubt they were as wealthy as he was and she’d probably seen them on the rich list or most eligible bachelor list.

“As much as we’d love to stay and chat,” Hunter said, “Bailey and I have somewhere else to be.”

The four men raised their glasses to them with wide smiles on their faces as Hunter ushered her out of there.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To my suite upstairs,” he replied.

“Haven’t we done this before?” Bailey asked with an amused smile.

“And it went so well last time that I thought a repeat might be in order.”

“We’re missing something though,” Bailey said as she stepped into the elevator.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and her knees went weak, “Oh?” he asked.

“Tequila,” she breathed and he just smiled.

He hadn’t forgotten the tequila, he’d just decided that they’d need privacy this time.

He led her to his suite and opened the door revealing the dim room lit by candles. Soft music played and a sheepskin rug was spread out on the floor in front of the faux fire. He took Bailey’s hand and drew her into the room. On the floor beside the rug was a bottle of tequila, some shot glasses, a dish of cut limes and a salt shaker.

“You remembered,” she said, turning a brilliant smile on him.

He kissed her in reply and unzipped her dress. She let it fall to the ground and his hands roamed over her exposed skin.

“Lay down,” he said.

She slipped off her shoes and laid down on the rug, looking up at him with heat filled eyes. He ran his gaze of her fair skin and sheer black lingerie and felt his cock harden at the sight.

“You are so fucking beautiful, Blue,” he said roughly as he undressed and laid down beside her.

He dipped his head and kissed her, taking his time to rediscover her mouth. His hands caressed her body and he loved how she arched into his touch, demanding more. Her hands touched the muscles of his chest and stomach, coasting over his hip and up across his back.

“I’ve missed you so much Irish,” she said.

“Shh,” he murmured, “none of that now. Have you ever done body shots Bailey?”

She shook her head and smiled. “Show me,” she said.

He licked a line down the centre of her stomach and sprinkled salt along it. Then he filled a shot glass and balanced it between her breasts. He took the lime and squeezed the juice into her belly button and she giggled. He grabbed the shot glass before it tumbled and scolded her.

“You need to keep still Ms. Sheppard,” he growled.

“Yes, sir,” she breathed.

He rebalanced the shot glass and then looked down at her seriously.

“Are you ready?” he asked and she nodded. “Lick.” He licked the salt off the stomach from her belly button to where the shot glass rested on her breast bone. “Sip.” He picked up the shot glass in his mouth and tossed his head back, swallowing the bitter liquid. “Suck.” He dipped his head and sucked the lime juice from her belly button. She moaned as he swirled his tongue around the small divot ensuring that he had every last drop.

“My turn,” she said as she grabbed his head and pulled it towards her mouth, she kissed him, swirling her tongue in his mouth as if to taste the shot he’d just taken. The she pushed him down so that he was laying on his back and she was poised over him.

She copied his movements, licking a line up between his abs and sprinkling it with salt. She poured a shot and sat it between his pecks and she squeezed the lime juice into his navel.

“Lick,” she whispered and he grit his teeth so as not to spill the shot as she licked up the salt from his body. “Sip,” she said, looking him in the eyes as she lifted the shot glass between her lips and tossed her head back. He watched the muscles in her neck work as she swallowed and his cock grew two more sizes. “Suck.” She dropped her head to his belly button and sucked and it was like there was a direct line to his penis as it jumped with need.

He grabbed her with a roar and rolled her over. He unhooked her bra, setting her delicious breasts free, and as he nuzzled them, he worked her panties off. She shifted and wiggled under him, helping him and then there was nothing between them, not even air.

He entered her hot wet centre and they both groaned with the sensation. He levered himself up onto his arms so he could look down on her. His gaze roamed over her body from her melted chocolate eyes to the intimate place where they were joined. He never wanted to let her out of his sight again.

“Move,” she moaned breathlessly. “I need you to move Hunter.”

He drew almost all the way out of her before thrusting back in. She met him stroke for stroke as he buried himself inside her, relishing the sweet slide of her soft core and the way her muscles gripped him. Her hand held on to his biceps, her nails digging in and the small sting they made only increased his pleasure.

“You feel so fucking fantastic,” he ground out as he pounded into her.

“I love how you fill me up,” she said in return.

“I know this is fast,” he groaned, “but I need you to come for me Blue.”

“I’m right there,” she gasped and he watched as her eyes fluttered closed, her mouth opened and her beautiful fair skin flushed from her nipples to her hairline. He felt her core clamp down around him as she came and he allowed her pulsating to take him over the edge. He collapsed on top of her, both of them panting with exertion and then he slowly rolled off and brought her with him, snuggling her into his chest and wrapping his arms around her.

“I know it’s probably not appropriate to say this after sex,” he said, “but I really do love you Bailey.”

She tipped her head up and kissed him sweetly, “I love you too,” she said, “and I don’t care how or when you say it as long as you never stop saying it.”

He kissed her this time, taking it slow and easy, luxuriating in the feel of her and knowing that nothing would ever feel as good as having Bailey in his arms.