With his mouth off mine, I suck in air, his head resting over my heart. My body thrums with the ache of satisfaction, and my heart is full. This man may not be perfect, but he is everything I’ve ever wanted or needed, and if I can hold on to this moment, and to him, for the rest of my life, I know I’ll die a happy woman.
But when he lifts his head, and his blue eyes lock on my face, I am reminded that nothing is that simple. We have so much we need to work out. What happened in my apartment hasn’t fixed the previous problems we had.
He still doesn’t date employees, and as far as I know, I still work at the club.
For now, though, when he kisses me again, his mouth exploring mine as if he is looking for newfound adventures, I am ready to embark with him.
Hunter lifts me off the couch, carrying me easily into the bedroom, and deposits me on the bed, and I know our quick fuck on the deck is just the beginning of a night that is sure to leave me worn out—and fully satisfied.
CHAPTER39
HUNTER
Having Meg in my apartment is different than I ever could’ve imagined. It’s better. I lived with my ex, but that was not like this at all. When I came home to her…it always felt like an argument was about to happen, like I was walking on eggshells. With Meg, for the first time in forever, I fee like I am truly coming home.
Making love to her is also better than anything else I’ve ever experienced in my life. She knows how to make me lose my mind in ways I wouldn’t have thought possible. The way she looks at me, the way she touches me, the way her eyes light my body on fire…I can’t imagine ever letting her go.
After a few weeks of insisting she take it easy, I know she’s ready to get back to the world. She’s ready to see her friends again and get back to work. Just thinking about that makes me nervous because I know she loves her job, but my rule is singed into the back of my mind. I don’t date employees, and I don’t want to fire her because she loves her job so much. It’s putting me in a difficult position, and I’m not sure how to get out of it.
After I returned from the club, Meg and I made love, and now she is lying in the crook of my arm as I stroke the smooth skin of her shoulder, watching her breathe, watching her eyelashes flicker as her closed eyes seem to indicate she’s drifting off to sleep.
Disturbing her seems cruel, but as she lets out a soft moan, I find myself leaning closer to her cheek, longing to kiss her softly, because I just can’t stop myself from touching her.
When my lips touch her flesh, she murmurs something, and I know she’s not quite asleep yet. “Hunter,” she says, “you’re so hot.” She pats my cheek, and I stifle a laugh. She’s clearly not completely awake either.
“Meg,” I say, whispering to her, walking along the border of waking her and letting her sleep peacefully. “Do you like it here?”
Her brows furrow slightly, and then, she opens her eyes and blinks a few times, turning to look at me, her hand still resting on my face. “Do I like it…where?”
I grin at her. “Well, I can see why you might not understand how specific I was being. You could think I meant LA, or the club, or my bed…but I meant, do you like it here in my apartment?” I am still looking for a new one away from the club, but that’s not exactly what I want to know from her, if she likes the space itself. I mean, does she like it here—with me?
“Yeah, I love it here. It’s a nice place, and I love the bathroom.” Her voice is husky with sleep, and I debate whether or not to continue down this path since she’s clearly not understanding me.
I am persistent. “That’s not exactly what I meant, though I’m glad you like it.”
She’s more awake now, and as she repositions on the pillow so she can see me better, she asks, “What did you mean then, babe?”
I love when she calls me that. It sounds so natural, like a secret just between her and me.
“I mean…do you like living…with me?”
It takes her a long moment to answer, which makes me nervous, but eventually, she nods her head and says, “Yeah, yeah. Of course I do. What’s not to like? You’re nice to me now. You’re not nearly as grumpy as you used to be.” She flashes that dazzling smile at me, and I can’t help but shake my head at her teasing.
“Well, I was thinking,” I continue, “you’ve been talking about finding a new apartment. What if you didn’t?”
Her head tips to the side as she contemplates my suggestion. “But…my old apartment burned.”
“I know,” I say. “I’m the one who burned it.”
“But…I can’t go back there.”
I sigh. Clearly, I am not that good at communicating with her yet.I will get better,I swear to myself. “Why don’t you just live here with me? Or we can find our own place. Together.”
Her eyes widen slightly, and I suppose she’s considering what that would be like, but she finally says, “Yeah. Okay.” Then she leans up and pecks my lips before she settles against my shoulder.
I’m not sure if I should be confused or happy, but as I settle back into my pillow, a feeling of relief washes over me. Meg wants to stay with me, which means I must finally be doing something right. With her head on my shoulder, I can fall asleep, perfectly content.
A couple of days later, while Meg is sitting outside on the deck, I get an idea. I know she wants to see her friends, and while they’ve been filtering by in pairs and small groups, I think it’s time we did something different.