Waiting for Sunrise: Baytown Boys Series Read online

  She cocked her head to the side and he continued. “It’s no secret you had sexy curves underneath the scrubs I’ve seen you in for the past months. Add in the sundresses you like to wear when you’re not at work, and it’s been damn hard to keep my hands to myself.” He held on to her hip with one hand and trailed a path back up her body with the other. “And now…to have you gift these curves to me…babe, you’ve just blessed me with perfection.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, she let it out in a rush, saying, “I think that’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  With his lips pressed to hers, he mumbled, “Then get used to a lot of nice things being said to you, Belle.” Plunging his tongue into her mouth, he continued his exploration of her taste, committing it to memory.

  Their movement became a tangle of kissing mixed with fumbling fingers as she tried to unzip his pants over his cock. He took over, divesting himself of his pants after kicking off his shoes and snagging a condom from his wallet.

  Bending past her, he jerked her covers down and turned back to lift her underneath her arms. Laying her on the mattress, he crawled over her body, his massive one fitting perfectly with her curves. Holding himself off to the side, he used his free hand to skim over her body as his mouth assaulted hers again.

  Belle’s fingers decided to explore on their own as he stole her breath with his kisses. Running her hands over his shoulders and down his back, she discovered firm muscles covered with warm skin. She had seen his tattoos when his shirt was off, but now traced the patterns slowly. His head moved down to her breasts and she closed her eyes in ecstasy as he latched onto a nipple, pulling it deeply into his mouth. She heard a moan but was unable to tell if it rumbled from her chest or his.

  Hunter slid his hand over her slightly rounded tummy and down between her legs. She was trimmed, but not shaven, and he loved running his fingers through her curly hair on the way to her sex, always preferring a natural woman. And to him, she was all woman.

  He ran his forefinger through her slick folds, spreading the moisture to her clit, circling the nub. Her nails scratched over his back, clutching his shoulders as she arched upward. Inserting his digit, he moved it in and out as he continued to suck on her nipples, moving from one to the other.

  Belle felt her body coil tighter, the unfamiliar electricity threatening to consume her. Suddenly, her body lurched, the coils deep inside loosening all at once and jolts of what felt like lightning shot throughout. His mouth moved from her nipple to her mouth, but she was afraid of not being able to breathe. As his finger continued to play with her sex, prolonging the orgasm, she no longer cared about oxygen.

  Slowly, consciousness dawned and she opened her eyes to see him smiling down at her, bringing his finger dripping with her juices to his mouth and sucking. What breath was left in her lungs was expelled quickly.

  “I…I…wow…”

  A chuckled rumbled forth from him and he agreed, “Yeah.”

  With a deft move, he grabbed the condom and, after ripping it open with his teeth, he settled on his back just long enough to roll it over his cock. With another flip, he was back on top of her, his weight balanced on his forearms planted on either side of her shoulders and his hips settled between her legs.

  “You ready, babe?”

  Staring into his eyes, she answered, “I’ve waited my whole life to be ready for this moment with you.”

  Liking her answer without giving it much thought, he brought the tip of his eager cock to her entrance and plunged. Her eyes widened and a slight grunt passed her lips. Halting, he stared down at her, incredulous at how tightly her sex squeezed his cock. Fighting the urge to continue to plunge, he held his body over hers and realization slowly dawned on him. Glaring, he asked, “What the fuck, Belle? How the hell are you a virgin?”

  Clamping her eyes shut as embarrassment flooded her, Belle tried to push against his weight with her hands on his shoulders. Her feeble attempt was unsuccessful and she swallowed deeply, concentrating on keeping the tears from falling.

  Hunter’s hand moved to cup her face, his thumbs stroking the heated, petal softness of her cheeks. “Oh, babe, why didn’t you tell me?’

  Belle opened her eyes and stared at the man above her, seeing concern, not anger, staring back at her. “I did…I said I’ve waited my whole life for you.”

  Now, it was Hunter’s turn to close his eyes for a few seconds, the truth behind the meaning of her words soothing over him. Never…never had he been given such a gift.

  “Is it bad?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Jerking his eyes open, he shook his head. “Oh, babe. You…you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever held in my hands…and the most precious. I just wish I had understood so I could have taken more time with you…made it good for you…more romantic and sure as hell more comfortable.”

  Her lips curved slightly as her hands stopped pushing and instead moved to his back, pulling him in again. “There’s nothing more special you could do right now…other than get moving!”

  Grinning, he replied, “Yes, ma’am,” and kissed her once more. Shifting his hips slowly, he moved in and out of her tight, slick channel, the physical sensations warring for dominance in his mind with the emotions coursing through him.

  The sense of fullness had Belle gripping his shoulders, lifting her feet to press her heels against his muscular ass. The act caused her legs to open wider, allowing him to slide in deeper, his pelvis rubbing against her clit. Gasping, she clung to him, the friction building as he moved inside.

  Her eyes never left his face, fascinated with the play of expressions crossing his features. His lips lowered to capture hers once more and he slid a hand from her cheek downward, skimming her breast, over her tummy, and between them, where he pressed her swollen nub. Sparks began to fly and she closed her eyes, allowing the fireworks to rocket through her.

  Hunter looked down, observing her eyes closed and prayed she was in the throes of pleasure, not regret. When her lips curved, his heart sang, viewing her response to her orgasm. Feeling her inner walls tighten over him, he gave in to the need and his orgasm rushed from his body. Powering through, he thrust harder and faster, all thoughts of any other woman fleeing from his mind, and he knew they would never return. For him, it was only her. Only this woman, who just gave the greatest gift she had to give to him. And, for an instant, he wondered if he would ever be worthy of such a gift.

  As the cold air began to seep over them, he reluctantly rolled off and pulled the covers up over her. Climbing from the bed, he felt her hands reach for him.

  “Are you coming back to bed?” she asked, her voice betraying her longing for his presence.

  “Gotta take care of the condom and gotta take care of you, so yeah, I’ll be right back.”

  Belle watched as he stalked to her bathroom and heard the toilet flush before the water in the sink began to run. Lying back on the pillow, she tried to memorize every moment of the evening, from their kisses to the walk and talk on the pier, culminating in their lovemaking. Before she knew it, he was walking toward her, a wet bath cloth in his hands.

  Kneeling on the bed next to her, he gently wiped between her legs and then pressed the warm cloth to her folds. Searching her eyes, he asked, “You good?”

  She blushed while nodding. “Never better.”

  He chuckled and moved back to the bathroom, rinsing the cloth in the sink before draping it over the shower bar. As he rejoined her in bed, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in tightly.

  Tucked in, with her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. She wanted to whisper into the night, but the words were stuck in her throat. Deciding to talk to him with her body, she snuggled in tighter and fell asleep in his arms.

  As Hunter lay there, his mind racing, he felt her body go still and knew sleep had claimed her while tucked into his embrace. It was the second greatest gift she had given that night.

  12

  Hunter opened his
eyes slowly, noting two things instantly. One, he was in Belle’s bed, in Belle’s bedroom, in Belle’s house, and that knowledge filled his heart. Two, she was no longer tucked in closely to him, and that had him bolting upright.

  A slight sound came from the window and he saw her, wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the bench, peering outside.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice still gravelly with sleep.

  She twisted her head around and gifted him with a beautiful smile. “Nothing,” she whispered back.

  Rubbing his hand over his face, he then settled it over his heart, gently massaging his chest. “Then whatcha doing over there?”

  “I always watch the dawn…at least, every chance I get.”

  She turned toward the window again and he swore her profile was as perfect as the frontal view of her face. “Sunrise?” he asked.

  “My grandma taught me to rise early and wait for the sunrise. She said, no matter how bad life got, God always had the sun rise each morning to teach us that every new day dawning had the potential to be the best day we’ve ever had.”

  Stunned silent, he leaned back against the headboard, questions filling his mind but knowing Belle would let him in as she felt comfortable. A lot like me, he thought ruefully. His eyes moved from her profile to the exposed glass above her head and he saw the purple sky slowly turn to a lighter blue. He rubbed his chest again. There was a pang in his heart at the realization that he had not watched the dawn since leaving the Navy, even though that had been a particularly favorite time of day for him when he was on board a ship.

  “My home life growing up wasn’t very good,” she said softly. “I never knew my dad. I’m surprised my parents were married, but it seems he only agreed to that because my mom was pregnant with me. By the time I was a year old, he was done with her and, I suppose, done with me. Mama was…well, she had problems. Addictions.”

  She turned away from the window and leaned back against one of the yellow pillows, drawing her legs up, wrapping her arms around them and resting her chin on her knees. Now holding his gaze, she continued. “Your dad drank…my mom used whatever drugs she could get her hands on. I don’t think it was too bad when I was really young, but like with most addictions, it got worse with time. She took uppers to party and then downers to sleep. She had a job at a hardware store, but by the time I was about ten, she was fired for constantly showing up late, stoned, or not showing up at all.”

  He wanted to move to her, take her in her arms, kiss away the memories, but knew she needed to talk, so he gave her the only gift he could at the moment…his time and complete attention.

  “We used to shop for clothes from the second-hand store…and that was fine. But, then when the money was running out, she started getting hand-me-downs from neighbors. They often didn’t fit right.” She held his gaze. “I never complained because she reminded me that there were kids in the world with nothing and I had clothes on my back and a roof over my head. She was right—”

  “Baby, she was fucked,” he growled.

  Sucking in her lips, she nodded slowly. “Yeah…both right and fucked all at the same time.” Sighing, she continued, “It was hard at school. I was the kid with the ill-fitting clothes. Mama wasn’t the best at teaching me hygiene, so my hair was often greasy. It wasn’t until the other kids taunted me that I realized I needed to wash my hair more often. Since we didn’t usually have a lot of toiletries, laundry detergent worked as my shampoo.”

  His heart, now aching, had him ready to throw back the covers, but she stopped him.

  “I need to get this out and it’s easier if you’re over there,” she said, her eyes begging him to understand.

  Not liking it, he continued to give her what she needed.

  Blowing out her breath, she said, “Mama found ways to get money…I didn’t know about what she was doing for a long time…too young…too naïve. I was twelve when I came home from school and heard her in the bedroom. I walked in, thinking she might be sick, and saw her with a man on top. I was scared but she looked over and yelled for me to get out. I knew about sex…just from sex education at school and hearing kids talk, but,” she swallowed hard again, “this was different. I ran back into the kitchen and as the man left, he handed her some money and told her he’d see her next time. She turned to me and just said, ‘Don’t give me that sassy look, girl. I keep you in clothes and me what I need.’ Then she walked back into the bedroom and I didn’t see her again until the next day.”

  “Christ, babe,” he groaned, his eyes seared by the sad expression on her face.

  “I got a job the next year at the grocery store. The manager, Mr. Pullen, said he wasn’t supposed to hire anyone until they were fifteen, but if I didn't tell anyone how old I was, he wouldn’t either. Let’s just say that by thirteen, I had boobs and looked a lot older, so I got away with it. I finally had some money, but Mama would take it and use it for drugs. So, I started having Mr. Pullen leave some out of my paycheck and he’d put it into the safe. I trusted him and he didn’t disappoint. I only had a small portion that Mama could steal, since I bought food and better-fitting clothes and the rest I saved.”

  “Babe, this story sucks. Please, God, tell me it gets better.”

  A sad smile settled on her face as she replied, “Eventually. I told you the mobile home park back then was not like what we live in now. It was run-down, loud parties, drugs, drunk fights…I felt like I never had a moment’s peace. And even at the store, it was full of customers all needing something. School was a respite, except for being called trailer trash. It was as though the boys thought that since I had boobs and lived here, then I was easy. When they discovered I wasn’t, well, they lied anyway.”

  Anger continued to course through his veins as she confessed her childhood to him.

  Belle looked over her shoulder, checking on the sunrise before turning back to face Hunter. The sight of him in her bed as the dawn began to streak the sky made her smile at the dream come true. “Mama became jealous as the men she…uh…serviced started looking at me. I began to hang out with my grandmother at the nursing home. It was the calmest, most serene place I had ever experienced. I’d catch the bus there on my days off and stay until one of the workers who lived here in town would give me a ride home. “Grannie knew how bad Mama was. Mama might have been her daughter, but Grannie didn’t have blinders on when it came to Mama’s addictions. She became my refuge.”

  “And the sunrise?”

  A sweet smile spread over her face as she nodded. “Yeah. Every day dawning has the potential to be the best day we’ve ever had. I took that to heart and trained myself to wake every morning just before dawn, so I could look at it. Been doing that since I was a teenager. It’s habit now…I don’t even think about it.”

  Hunter’s eyes never left her face but his heart pounded, both in anger for the young girl forced to live with an uncaring mother and awe, that she grew up to be the most caring person he had ever met.

  “I started going to the nursing home as a teen volunteer and then worked there as soon as I got my CNA license. Mr. Weldon, like Mr. Pullen, gave me faith in good men again, ‘cause he always encouraged me to keep getting more and more education. Mama died about that time and I inherited her little trailer. The new owner of the mobile home park was renovating it bit by bit, determined to weed out the ones who never paid rent or had loud parties. He put money into the place, hiring lawn care services…including some of the hard-working, but unemployed, residents. I got rid of Mama’s house and managed to get one in the newly renovated section.” She looked around her bedroom, a content expression on her face. “It’s all mine and there is nothing of Mama’s here.”

  She twisted on the bench again, her eyes staring out the window, a wide smile gracing her face as the sun painted the sky light blue in the distance. Looking back at him, she said, “Sunrise. A new day. And with what we shared last night and you in my bed this morning, it’s the best sunrise I’ve ever had in my life.”

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nbsp; Not willing to wait one more second, he threw back the covers with a growl and stalked to the bench, plucking her up in one swift movement. Peeling the blanket off her, he laid her back in bed, climbing over the top of her and curling his massive body around hers. The desire to protect was overwhelming, but without finding the words to express himself, he used his body, and prayed she felt his emotion.

  Surrounded by all that was Hunter, Belle smiled as her arms reached around him. Burying her face into his neck, she breathed him in…spice, manly, all Hunter. Closing her eyes, she felt lighter than she had in years. The full story of her upbringing had been a secret to all, with just a few tidbits shared with her friends. Her grandmother knew much of the story, but not all. And now, her burden had been lifted with the simple gift of acceptance.

  “Thank you,” she whispered, her lips pressed against his skin.

  He separated just enough to peer down at her, his brows lowered in question. “What for?”

  “You heard the worst of me…and you’re still here.”

  Leaning up on one elbow, he stared down. “Belle, I heard nothing bad about you. Yeah, about your mom and your worthless dad and the dicks that your mom didn’t protect you from, instead of bringing you too close to them, and the teenage assholes and bitches who called you names and made assumptions about you…but not one thing in that story was worse about you. Babe, the fact that you are the kindest person I know, despite all that you’ve endured, solidifies you in my mind as a miracle. One that has been gifted to me, and I hold precious.”

  Her eyes searched his, finding only sincerity. Before she could speak, he continued.

  “You heard my story yesterday. Do you blame me for the sins of my father?”

  “God, no, Hunter!”

  “Then, you have to separate yourself from all the actions from others as you grew up.”

  The dawn streaked the sky and the light flooded into the bedroom, illuminating them. He brushed her hair back from her face and nuzzled her cheek. “I love the ribbons you wear. For a couple of months, I would always look to see you at work, just to see what color you would be wearing that day.”