Page 26 of Shades of You (Calypso Key #4)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Brenna

Hunter’s words lingered in the air, heavy with unspoken promises that left me breathless. I locked my wobbly knees as he lowered his head, his lips brushing against mine in a featherlight touch that sent shockwaves spearing through me. I responded eagerly, my fingers tightening around his waist as I pulled him closer. The kiss deepened, and the feel of his hard back muscles under my hands left me dizzy.

I broke our kiss to stare at him, and my skin felt hot everywhere he touched it. His dark and stormy eyes were filled with hunger, which only made me more eager to lose myself to the storm. Hunter took charge, pulling me tight against him as he clenched one hand in my hair and pulled my head back. His lips were warm and full. The taste of him was intoxicating, a heady blend of desire and longing that left me craving more.

So much more.

Hunter walked me backward toward the plush seating area, never once breaking our kiss. The soft cushions welcomed us as he pressed me down onto the couch, his body fitting perfectly over mine. The music continued to play in the background, adding a melodic backdrop to our dance of lips and tongues. Clothes became unnecessary barriers, and we discarded them with hurried hands and whispered approvals.

Hunter’s mouth traced a wet path down my body, his lips exploring every dip and swell with a ravenous need that lit my skin aflame. When he arrived between my thighs, his tongue was my undoing, drawing guttural moans from the depths of my being. My universe contracted to the singular sensation of his mouth against my most intimate flesh. His tongue performed an intricate motion that stoked a mounting tension within me—a crescendo promising sweet release.

I arched into him, and my fingers tangled in his hair, guiding him as I lost myself to the rhythm he set. Then, with a skill that showed exactly how attuned he was to me, Hunter brought me to the edge and over it. My body clenched, seeking and striving until, with a cry that pierced the quiet night, I shattered into a million stars, the explosion echoing through my veins.

Panting, I opened my eyes to find Hunter watching me, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. Leaning off the couch, he reached for his wallet and withdrew the foil packet within. My heart galloped as he pulled out a condom and opened his pants. But before he could do anything else, I stopped him. My hand closed around his wrist like a vice grip, holding him still.

“Let me,” I demanded, my voice heavy with the remnants of my climax.

I pushed his hand away and replaced it with my mouth as he stood in front of me, savoring the taste of him on my lips. I teased and flicked my tongue against him, feeling his body tense and shudder beneath me. His groan reverberated through my body, sparking a new ember within me. The sound he made was raw and desperate, a primal craving that had been seething just beneath the surface.

“Stop, Brenna,” he rasped, his hands threading through my hair and holding my head still. “Or this will be over before it even begins.”

Letting go, my movements were deliberate and unhurried as I took the foil packet. The crinkle of the wrapper disturbed the still night as I tore it open, locking eyes with him the whole time. His chest rose and fell with ragged breaths, a look of pure greed painted on his handsome face. With care, I rolled the condom down over him, and every touch was a promise.

“Come here,” I said, my voice still throaty. “Sit down.”

He obeyed, sitting on the couch with his thick shaft very ready. I straddled him, slid down, and took him in slowly, inch by torturous inch. In this position, I could dictate the pace in order to savor the fullness, the stretch, the exquisite friction.

He lounged before me with his eyes half-closed. His mouth was slightly ajar, and I could hear the uneven rhythm of his breaths. A sense of raw power surged within me that he trusted me enough to let me be in control, to surrender willingly. This feeling of confidence coursing through my veins was intoxicating as I held him captive with nothing more than the promise of my touch.

His strong hands gripped my hips, but he continued to let me lead. A silent conversation of need and desire passed between us. I moved atop him, rising and falling with deliberate slowness as I drew out the pleasure, creating a rhythm that was ours alone. His eyes were the storm personified, and his jaw clenched as he fought to maintain control.

“Hunter,” I breathed his name into the night.

“God, Brenna,” he groaned in response. “You… you’re going to be the end of me.”

I smiled at him, my eyes drinking him in as I leaned closer. My hair fell forward over my shoulders, and he plunged both hands into it. Our bodies moved in sync, and our ragged breathing was the only sound.

“I need you,” I whispered against his ear, and he shuddered at my words.

“Then take me,” he growled.

With that, he reached for my hips, thrusting upward to the point of pain. Our bodies collided, skin sliding against skin, every muscle tensing to meet the other’s need. Pain mixed with exquisite, shattering pleasure. Our movements grew more frenzied, each gasp and groan sharing the space between us. His eyes met mine again and something flashed within them.

Anticipation. Need. Surrender.

His hands roamed over my skin with a possessive urgency that only inflamed my desire further. “Oh God.” I gasped, clinging to his shoulders as the pressure built again.

“Tell me, Brenna,” he murmured against my neck, his breath hot on my sweat-slicked skin. “Tell me you’re mine.”

“Only yours.” The words dissolved into a moan as he surged within me.

“Goddamn right,” Hunter growled and locked onto my neck with his teeth. A deep, shuddering moan rippled through me, and his movements grew more insistent, driving us both toward a precipice we were desperate to tumble over.

“Look at me,” I demanded. Hunter’s eyes met mine, filled with a wildness that matched my own. “Make me forget everything but this moment,”

I rolled my hips against him, drawing out a low, primal sound from deep within him. “You drive me crazy. I can’t get enough.”

With a sudden, powerful thrust, Hunter groaned my name as he shuddered beneath me, his release overtaking him. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his body tensing, then trembling as if he were unleashing every ounce of passion and emotion he possessed. And that was enough to send another climax rushing through me.

As our heartbeats slowed, neither of us moved. I placed my hand over his heart, the thump of it strong under my touch. It gradually slowed to its usual reassuring rhythm. Lifting my head, I brushed a gentle kiss over his lips. I rose off him, but I wasn’t ready for clothes yet.

After disposing of the condom, Hunter tossed a fuzzy throw over us. He left his spectacular chest bare and I snuggled up tight, fitting myself against his side as he slid an arm over my shoulders. My fingertips gently skimmed the surface of his skin, following the elaborate tapestry of ink that sprawled across his pecs. The designs were an intricate maze of swirls and patterns, each one meticulously placed to form a stunning visual display. Every curve and line had been thoughtfully considered, weaving a narrative across the broad expanse of his chest and shoulders, extending up to embrace his upper arms.

“This tattoo is incredible. What does it mean?”

Hunter’s gaze shifted, and a shadow flickered across the depths of his eyes. “It’s a tribute. An American Samoan, Tavita, was in the same unit as me. He was my best friend.”

Was.

Emotion swelled within me. Another sad story buried in his past, but one he wanted to honor. He certainly didn’t want pity from me. “Your tattoo is more than ink. It’s a story, a legacy.”

“We were friends a long time ago, before I met Garret and Myles. Tavita and I went through our Raider training together, and he helped me get through some dark times as I tried to move on from Evan’s accident. He was killed during an op… I guess it’s been eight years ago. He had a tattoo similar to this, so I got one to help me remember him.”

Hunter’s eyes held mine. The ghost of his pain flickered there before he masked it with a smile. I wanted to wrap him in words of love, to tell him how deeply he had rooted himself in my heart, but the vulnerability in his gaze held me back. He needed understanding, not declarations that might overwhelm him.

“I’m sure he’d be proud,” I said quietly.

“I think so too.” Gently cupping the back of my head, he pressed our foreheads together. “But sometimes I feel so broken.”

“No, Hunter. ‘ The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places .’”

He huffed out a quiet laugh. “More Hemingway, huh?”

I stroked my fingers through his dark locks. “You know what it means. Just because you’ve broken doesn’t mean you can’t come back even stronger. And you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”

He sighed another long breath, but this time it sounded more at ease. “You’re so perfect. You’re the light to my darkness, Brenna.”

I moved my hands to his face, the soft hair of his beard silky beneath my fingers. My thumbs brushed gently over his eyelids, urging them to close. I kissed each one softly, feeling the flutter of his lashes against my lips. “Keep them closed.”

He complied, a willing participant in this quiet exchange of care. Then I pressed another kiss to his mouth. It was slower, deeper, a mingling of breath and warmth that said everything I couldn’t voice aloud. Hunter’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me against him with a strength that belied the fragility I had sensed only moments before. As if he were drawing courage from our connection and finding solace in our shared silence.

I relaxed in his embrace. My head found its place on his shoulder, and I stared up at the stars. They were our own private display of light against the darkness, a mirror of the intricate patterns on his skin. And in the quiet of Hunter’s rooftop sanctuary, under the watchful eyes of the constellations, I let the unspoken words hang between us.

Sometimes love was loudest when it was silent.