Hunter, page 15
part #1 of Hunted Shifters Legacy Series
It was highly annoying.
That annoyance was kept on the down-low as Hunter listened to Jack ask questions, and Celine answered them all steadily: about her new work as a secretary, about the investor they were meeting tomorrow. There was no doubt in Hunter’s mind that this man would research every little thing, but that was okay, too, because they didn’t do things like this halfway.
“And how long have you had people following you?” Jack asked, glancing at Hunter. Holding the gaze eventually.
Hunter didn’t flinch. “Since I got her out of her apartment. That’s why she’s been in hibernation. My boss runs a network of businesses and is very good at it, and his competitors want his secret.”
“A legal business,” Jack warned softly.
“Of course,” Hunter replied evenly.
“Jack, I wouldn’t enter anything illegal,” Celine added solemnly. “Do you see me being part of some drug ring or something? It’s ridiculous.”
Oh, the woman was something with her ad-libs and her teasing. It worked, however, as Jack’s questions subsided, and he offered them refills.
“There’s hot tea for you, and no wine,” Jack said firmly. “But there is wine available, or scotch for your friend…”
The cop’s hand drifted to Celine’s hair, untangling a knot. Hunter’s stomach tightened.
“Just a beer,” Hunter nearly snapped.
“Beer it is,” the man said cheerfully and gave him what he wanted. Hunter sipped it with a scowl, ready to leave and ready to just get this meeting over with.
Ready to punch this man, too.
Thankfully, the dinner didn’t last long. Jack strode to the other side of the apartment and ushered them to follow, then showed them to their rooms. Two rooms.
“They’re not gender specific, so you can just take your pick and—”
The man’s hand was on Celine’s shoulder, and Hunter had enough. He placed his hands in his pockets.
Like hell he’d let her out of his sight when enemies were lurking everywhere.
“We’re taking the same room.”
The silence was enough for anyone to hear a pin drop. Jack cleared his throat. “I’m sorry? I’m not sure I heard things right.”
The clear edge in Jack’s tone, tinged with a hint of protectiveness, had thick tension swirling in the room.
“You heard me right,” Hunter replied clearly. “Same room. Celine and I.”
“Why?”
It was Celine who stepped towards Hunter, and Hunter waited for her to come up with another excuse. Something about being unable to sleep alone, needing a bodyguard in case she got kidnapped, or—
A hand skimmed under his, turning it until their palms touched. Wrapped. Stunned, he glanced at it, feeling the warmth, then at her.
She was smiling warmly at Jack.
“Because we got to know each other better while he was playing bodyguard,” she admitted, squeezing. “We will share a room, Jack.”
If that didn’t make Hunter’s heart leap a somersault, nothing else could. He squeezed her hand back…watched as Jack’s jaw clenched before he finally sighed.
“Alright. Of course. It’s your call, Celine. You’re an adult.” Blue eyes shifted towards Hunter, and a warning sparked. The message was loud and clear: Don’t be inappropriate.
In response, Hunter moved his hand up and tugged on Celine’s wrist, pulling her in the bedroom with a gruff goodnight to their host.
Inside, he could grudgingly acknowledge that the man had taste, from the sleek earthy colors of the walls, the dark carpet, and the huge bed. Everything about this place screamed elegance, while the bars on the glass windows indicated precaution.
“He’s probably in a drug ring,” he muttered almost sullenly, unable to help it.
The hand returned, caressing up his chest. He looked down and found Celine eyeing him with mischief.
“You’re jealous.”
“I’m not,” was his automatic response.
“You are,” she returned knowingly. She stood on tiptoe and placed her lips on his cheek, a gentle kiss. “It’s cute, but there’s no need. Jack is just my friend. He’s always been just my friend. We’ve known each other since I moved into the neighborhood, and he was there for me when I was alone and pregnant. We can trust him, Hunter.”
“Hmm.” He moved his head, took her mouth in a kiss. It opened willingly for him, allowing his tongue entrance and a taste of her: minty, an endless heat that she seemed to possess inside her.
Absolutely delicious.
“I do have to admit that near the end of my last trimester, I was feeling horny and was considering taking our flirting up a notch. But it was all harmless, and I’m sure it was completely one-sided. And it didn’t end up happening, because you guys came for me…Hunter!”
“I’m glad it didn’t happen,” he growled, hand on her breast—squeezing, kneading, thumbing her nipple over her shirt. It pebbled instantly, making him very pleased. It eased the jealousy off, because what idiot would not fall for this woman once she turned on her charm?
Jack wouldn’t have stood a chance, and Hunter was so damn glad the man didn’t get the chance.
Maybe it was fate, or maybe it was dumb luck. It didn’t matter, because Hunter was the one with her now—and he couldn’t help letting her know that as their mouths met, exchanging heated kisses and intimate murmurs.
That wasn’t all they exchanged, as clothes started getting discarded to the floor. They stumbled to the bed, where she began to kiss him more earnestly before her hands tightened in his hair.
“Hunter…I never got to ask you about Edmund. About his history.”
“I don’t know much, the man’s very secretive. I do know he’s looking for an accountant.”
“What?”
“To manage finances. Edmund has businesses everywhere, most of which are modest. But he acquired a new company recently, and he’s hoping to turn it into a pot of gold. You can see how our home badly needs renovations.”
“Hmm. And their family? How did they…?”
“One of ours betrayed us. I don’t know the full details of how it happened, but I know it ate Edmund up when he was a kid. Leila, too. They never welcomed outsiders again.”
“Oh. Now I feel bad.”
“That was years ago. Celine?”
“Yes?”
“I don’t want to talk about them right now,” he grumbled, right before he unclasped her bra and became exposed to a lovely sight: Celine’s breasts, Celine’s pink nipples. They were corded with arousal, bigger than he expected, and made his cock almost painful inside his pants. Probably this big from pregnancy and breast feeding, though he knew she'd stopped breastfeeding recently.
The temptation was too hard to resist, especially when it was right in front of him. He leaned down, allowing himself a taste by licking her nipple.
She moaned.
He took his lips to it, sucking softly, and she moaned louder.
“Shhh,” he warned. “Thin walls. He’ll hear.”
Her sounds toned down after that, but her body didn’t stop vibrating under his ministrations. For the life of him, he couldn’t stop, either, as each taste made him want more, more, until he was insane with the need for her. Hunter sucked hard, alternating between her two hard points, so fucking aroused by her taste. Hell, he could play with her tits forever, and he’d be one happy man.
But this happy man wanted to do more for her. More.
Slowly, he traced a path down with his mouth, urging her to part her legs for him. The way she did spoke of trust, but the way she tensed spoke of her nerves and inexperience. He eased kisses down, fingers exploring skin until she was relaxed and languid. When he finally arrived at where he wanted, he stared, the damp panties making his mouth water. He traced it with his thumb, then his fingers, watching it grow wetter.
“Hunter…”
He slid the panties down, then reveled at how she was so pink, so wet. His fingers explored again. Then he leaned down, tracing at the seam of those sweet, pink lips.
Her reaction was instantaneous: body bucking, a broken moan exploding from her throat. She placed one hand over her mouth, the other in his hair. His tongue flattened, lapping her up and tasting her wetness.
It plunged in, flicking repeatedly until she was a writhing mess in his arms—until he was steeped in her taste, her scent, the hot feel of her. He spread her wider, added fingers in to make her feel better…started thrusting, following the rhythm her body demanded.
He’d been wrong about earlier. This was the place he would be in all day long, just pleasing her.
And he would do it tonight.
He kept up the pace, then quickened it when he could feel her tightening. He licked her throbbing, pearly nub, then sucked, anticipation at what was about to come.
It came fast, and it came hard, and he could practically feel her body shatter with the impact of her climax. One hand fisted over her mouth as she moaned repeatedly. The other gripped his hair harder.
Hunter sucked and sucked, drawing the pleasure out until she was spent and satisfied.
Chapter 20
“Celine, are you sure about this guy?”
Jack’s question was valid, but it was also dangerous. One wrong word and the cop in him would be an explosion of questions that Celine wasn’t sure she could answer straight. Pretending to think it over, she took a sip from her mug of tea and attempted an innocent smile.
“Well, he’s a good bodyguard, and my boss is a good boss…a bossy boss, but who isn’t?”
“Celine…” The warning from Jack was coupled with a sip of his own coffee. His tone was mild, but that gaze wasn’t. “You know what I’m talking about.”
She sighed. “Fine. I do know what you’re talking about. And to answer your question, yes. I’m sure about this guy. Like I said, I trust him.”
“With your heart?”
“With my life,” she corrected. Her heart… “Hearts aren’t involved yet; it’s too early. But he cares about me, and I care about him. He’s been protecting Sidney. Isn’t that enough?”
The look on Jack’s face said he wanted to ask more, but he nodded instead. “Tell me about this investor you’re meeting.”
Not investor, but supernatural creature. It made Celine feel sick lying to her friend, so she settled for a half-truth. “We’re meeting up with someone our boss trusts in some fancy restaurant tonight. Making deals.”
“Something’s off.”
It wasn’t a question, and it made her nervous. She swallowed those nerves in, careful to keep her expression cheerful.
“It’ll be fine.”
“Celine…”
“It’ll be fine,” she repeated. “Jack, you know me. I wouldn’t enter something I didn’t believe in, and I would never dabble in anything illegal. Trust me when I say I got this, okay?”
That seemed to appease him—for now.
“Fine. But if you need me to take a day off and join you guys, in case your competitor shows up…”
At that, her smile widened. “Don’t worry about it. Hunter can handle all that.”
“I bet he can,” he muttered. But Jack made no more comments, and they started shifting to other topics: Sidney, the old apartment, Jack’s non-existent love life. The man was too busy with work for his own good, but he made time for them now.
And that was more than enough to be grateful.
* * *
The quiet morning eased into an equally quiet afternoon, where Hunter took the opportunity to please her all over again—with his mouth, as he seemed to be very eager to do recently. If she thought last night was the best orgasm of her life, it was nothing compared to this one: the apartment empty as Jack went to work, allowing for Celine to finally voice her pleasure out instead of keeping it in.
And oh, boy, did she voice it out, begging with Hunter's name as he licked her into release.
It should’ve been embarrassing…except it wasn’t. He pleasured her and didn’t ask for anything in return. In the shower, too, where he knelt down and pressed her back against the tiled walls. Bent over the cabinet, where he slid his tongue in from the back.
Back in bed, where he asked her to ride his tongue.
It was madness, and she loved it. It made her feel bold, brave, and it distracted her from what was coming.
Then night fell, and there was no more time for distraction. They both took a shower, dressed up, and got out of Jack’s apartment, eyeing the streets and ever watchful.
She began to grow nervous again.
Celine tried her best to hide it as they entered the restaurant, which was elegantly lit with crystal chandeliers. It was huge enough to blend in well with the crowd, but not so huge that they wouldn’t have the privacy needed. It was also much better than clubs and bars, considering the last time Hunter had been in one with Max.
They were meeting a daywalker, and nightwalkers thrived in dim, dark places. It was best not to have the two collide.
“Table for three, under Mr. Solis,” Hunter stated to the concierge, who looked at his little book and nodded.
“This way, please.”
She smoothed her dress down, cleared her throat. Hunter’s hand caressed down her back, and the solid strength under his black coat eased some of the nerves down.
“You look great. Really fucking great.”
“Language,” Celine whispered but gave him a smile. She loved it when he talked to her like that.
To their surprise, they were led to the back of the restaurant, which hadn’t been part of the agreement. But they followed the waiter as he stopped in front of a square table, where a man was already waiting for them. He was sharply dressed in black, and his black hair was glossy and pushed back. He looked like any regular human being, but with a simmering power bottled up. Pale brown eyes took her in, a long look before he held out a hand to Hunter.
It prickled, a sensation that wasn’t nagging. But close.
“Celine and Hunter, good to meet you,” the man stated. “I'm Alex Code.”
Hunter nodded, the name easily identifying him. “Good to meet you. I didn’t realize you’d be here early.”
“There was nothing else to do but wait, so might as well wait in a fancy place. Please, sit down.”
They sat. They ordered, and then Hunter got down to business.
“The boss said you had information for us.”
“Yes, yes, I do. Celine’s condition has been a hot topic underground, and it’s been passed on from one clan to another—not directly, of course, because you know how these clans hate each other’s guts. But I’ve discovered one clan who might be willing to work with you.”
“Work with us?” Hunter echoed.
“An alliance. They would like to meet tonight, after this dinner. They’re a small clan of vampires, always in hot water with the others wanting their pocket. You know how it is. They don’t want to produce more of their kind, but they don’t want the other vampires to have the advantage, either.”
“And the shifter clans? Any information on them?”
“They want in, too, but they’re lying low for a while. I haven’t noticed activity. They probably don’t want trouble after the last time.”
The prickling sensation grew, faintly washing over her. Hunter’s expression was neutral, letting the man talk, but his hand had already taken out his mobile phone. He texted under the table, placed the phone on his lap.
She badly wanted to ask questions but refrained.
“And you? What’s your story?” Hunter asked.
Alex glanced at her. “I just don’t want trouble. You guys seem like you’ll deal well with this clan. I’m trying to help them out.”
The phone buzzed, and Hunter waited for Alex to engage Celine in conversation before he glanced down.
Still no reaction, but he was taking an awfully long time processing it. When he looked up, he smiled at Alex. He also took her hand and squeezed, making her blood run cold.
Yes. Something was wrong.
“I’m sorry, but there’s something you must know.”
“Oh?”
“Celine and I are involved.”
Well.
Celine’s eyes widened, but the second warning squeeze from Hunter made any protest or question silent. Fortunately, she was able to keep the same relaxed expression.
Alex, however, gaped at them, taken aback. “You are?”
“Yes, and we just got a text from the nanny about the baby. Do you mind if we head to the restroom area and take her call?”
“Of course, no worries. The baby is the priority,” Alex whispered. “I take it the baby’s just nearby? Healthy?”
“Very healthy,” was her response, almost defiant. Still friendly. “Please excuse us.”
They walked as casually as they could to the back, making sure none of the urgency showed. When they got to the hallway where the restrooms were located, Hunter kept going, taking out his phone again and snapping out instructions: something about needing backup, fast. She didn’t ask questions…at least, not until they were navigating their way into the busy kitchen, keeping their heads low and away from the cooks. Finally, they paused at the back door leading to the alley.
“Hunter?”
“That wasn’t Alex. Our contact Kit said Edmund has been trying to contact me but couldn’t reach me. Alex wasn’t answering his call.”
She gasped. “Kidnapped?”
“Possibly worse,” he said.
“Who’s Kit?”
“She’s been working with us for years. A ghost contact who does most things for us outside our home.”
“You don’t think…?”
“If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s of her not being our betrayer. But it seems we might have one.”
She wondered about it, then decided he knew more about these old contacts than she did—and Hunter hadn’t been as assured about this daywalker meeting as he often was about other things. Relieved to have discovered it early on, they snuck out of the restaurant through the back door, running into an alley that was wide and clean and…
