On the Rocks (Last Call #1)(27)

When I’m empty. . . completely devoid, I roll to my side and pull her into my arms. I listen as her breathing quiets, rubbing her back in soft strokes.

We lay like that for a while, listening to the rain beat down on the roof, both alone with our thoughts. I want to say something… but I’m not sure what. Things changed the minute I touched my finger to her neck, and there’s no going back. I’m just not sure how to move forward, particularly in light of Gabby’s apparent disdain for all things Hunter Markham.

I can honestly say, though, that I’m not surprised when Gabby pulls out of my grasp and rolls to the edge of the bed.

“I need to get going,” she says brusquely as she stands and heads into the kitchen.

I roll out of bed on my side, taking the used condom off and tossing it in the trashcan. I follow her, finding her shrugging into my robe and looking around.

“Gabby… don’t run off,” I say as I pull my jeans on.

She turns to me, and her face is closed off. “Where’s your dryer, so I can get my clothes?”

I step up to her and put my hands on her shoulders. Her gaze is averted, so I wait patiently until she looks up at me. My heart constricts when I see fear swimming in her eyes. “This was a mistake, Hunter. A huge mistake.”

“No way,” I disagree adamantly. “That was the best f*cking thing that could have happened between us.”

She pulls away and steps back. “It was sex, Hunter. There are better things in life than that.”

Ouch… that hurt, but I really don’t think she meant that. “It was more than just sex, and you know it. We have a history together.”

She laughs then, and it’s bitter. “History? Yeah, we have history, but it’s not really that great of a history.”

“We can make it better,” I insist. “What just happened isn’t ordinary. That was special.”

Anger masks her face, and she goes right for putting my nuts in a vice-grip. “Oh, God, Hunter. Could you be any more of a girl? That was f*cking, pure and simple. We both got off, and it was good. But don’t go getting on bended knee and turn this into a fairytale.”

What. The. Fuck?

I feel like I’m in the Twilight Zone. Am I being a girl? Was that not as special as I had built it up in my mind?

I open my mouth to say something… to deny what she’s saying, but I can’t think of a f*cking thing to say. Maybe she’s right. Maybe this was just a f*ck. An amazingly great f*ck, but just a f*ck.

I harden my gaze at her and for a second, I see regret in her eyes, but then it’s gone.

“I’ll go get your clothes,” I tell her. “Then we can go get your truck fixed.”

She stares at me, emotions warring across her face. But then she nods and quietly says, “Thank you.”

As I turn away, I realize I’m not really sure what she’s thanking me for. The two incredible orgasms I gave her, the fact I’m helping her fix her truck, or maybe it’s because I’m choosing not to press the issue with her?

Regardless, it’s clear that this subject is closed.





I’m so tired.

Utterly, bone-crushing tired.

I doubt I’ve had a total of sixteen hours sleep in the last four days since… since… well, since Hunter.

Without a doubt, I was completely shattered by him. The things he did to me, the words he said… the way he looked at me.

My heart painfully constricts when I remember him saying that what we shared was special. God… it was so special. It was beyond description. I have never felt closer to another human being in my life as he moved inside of me. This was the man I loved my entire life, buried deep inside of my body, and wedging himself tight inside my heart.

I reacted badly… I know it. But when my body cooled and I laid there in his arms, I got scared. So f*cking scared. So I pushed him away, because I’m too much of a pansy ass to even try to filter through all the emotions coursing through me.

Hunter didn’t try to talk to me as I got dressed, and he took me to the auto supply store. It had stopped raining by the time we made it back to my truck and I leaned up against the side of it, nibbling on my fingernails as he took out the old battery and installed the new.

His shoulders were tense the entire time but he worked efficiently, a look of relief crossing his face when he got in the cab and started it up. He got out then and didn’t spare me a glance. He walked right by me and just said, “I’ll catch you later.”

My heart was crushed. I wanted to run after him and tell him I was sorry for what I said, but deep down inside… I felt this was probably for the best. I mean—what could happen between us? It was just totally awkward. We had amazing sex. I mean… freakin’ phenomenal, and I’m sure I’m ruined for any other man.

But Hunter is Hunter. He’s an island. Sure, he’s back home now, to help Brody get acclimated, but if anyone believes he won’t get back on the ASP Tour, they are fooling themselves. He’s too good, and he has too much of a career left in front of him. Besides, surfing is in his blood. He may call what he did “retirement,” but it’s really more of a sabbatical. Hunter won’t be sticking around forever.

Hunter is fleeting.

If I’m honest with myself, though, that’s not really the reason I think this is a bad idea. I’m really too much of a coward to put forth the effort into making this work. Hunter was the one who told me that what happened was special. That means he thinks there’s something there to build on.