Page 5

L una felt utterly humiliated by Hunter and ashamed that she had allowed it to happen. She replayed the scene in her mind, feeling the sting of betrayal with each thought. How could Hunter have stood there, letting Stella—someone who clearly held no respect for Luna—flirt with him so openly? The fact that Stella was in a position of authority made it even worse. It felt like a power play designed to make Luna feel small and insignificant. And it worked. Stella was living in her head, rent-free, as if her presence in Hunter’s life loomed over Luna like a shadow she couldn't escape.

She had felt that Stella didn’t like her. It was obvious in the small, cutting comments and how she dismissed Luna’s presence. But to see her act so boldly, blatantly flirting with Hunter in front of her, felt like a punch to the gut. It wasn’t just cold—it was cruel. Luna couldn’t understand what Stella hoped to gain. Did she truly think she could win Hunter over? And worse, did Hunter want that?

Luna’s mind spiraled with doubts. Why hadn’t Hunter done more to show disinterest? Why had he just stood there, allowing the situation to unfold? Was there something about Stella that he found attractive? Did he secretly want her, even after everything he had shared with Luna? The flood of questions seemed endless, each one making her feel more insecure than the last.

But she knew she couldn’t let her emotions show. Adam was with her, and she didn’t want him to sense her turmoil. He was perceptive, and the last thing she needed was for him to start asking questions she wasn’t ready to answer. She forced a smile, keeping her tone light, pretending everything was fine, even as her heart raced and her thoughts swirled. All she wanted was to hide how much it hurt, but the ache in her chest was impossible to ignore.

By the time Luna had returned to Hunter’s apartment with Adam, frustration had gotten the better of her. She was disappointed with how Stella treated her at the training center. She acted as if she didn’t even exist! What angered Luna even more was that Hunter didn’t introduce her. She understood that Stella was his boss, technically. Still, she hoped she mattered enough to him to demand that she was treated with basic respect. Why didn’t he introduce her to Stella? Was he ashamed of her? Did he care more about Stella than her? I mean, she was his coach, and Luna was just his nanny, whom he occasionally fucked. There were no labels or important titles between them. Maybe that’s all she was to Hunter. Maybe all that he saw of her was a good lay. She hoped she was wrong, but she didn’t know if time would be on her side while she waited to find out.

Luna put Adam to bed and sat in the living room. She had a book in her hand, and she tried to focus on the words on each page, but her mind prevented her from relaxing. She eagerly waited for Hunter to come home. She felt disrespected. Hunter, who had rescued her from a disrespectful situation when she was on the worst date of her life, should have known better.

He portrayed himself as someone who held others to a higher standard, particularly regarding women. So, why didn’t he speak up when Stella blatantly ignored her and acted like she was a second-class citizen? He sure as hell didn’t have a problem whisking her away when Henry was flirting with her. So, he could be jealous but not do anything about his jealousy. That infuriated Luna.

Finally, she heard the door open. She continued to sit on the couch with the book in her hand. She pretended to read. Usually, Luna got up to greet Hunter, as soon as he arrived home. However, this evening, he would have to come to her. He needed to acknowledge her, even if Stella wouldn’t.

Hunter walked into the living and saw Luna reading. He saw the stern look on her face and hesitated for a moment.

“How was the rest of your day with Adam?” Hunter finally asked, breaking the ice.

He could still feel the tension in the air. It was obvious that Luna was upset about something, but he had no idea what was causing her to be so upset.

“Fine,” Luna said curtly. “Adam is fast asleep.”

She did not even bother looking at Hunter. She abruptly closed her book, grabbed her purse and jacket, and headed toward the door. Hunter dropped his gym bag on the floor and walked after her.

“You’re leaving so soon?” Hunter asked hurriedly. “Usually, we talk about each other’s day and how Adam was before you go. Why are you in such a rush today?”

“I’m not in a rush,” Luna said sharply. “You’re here, you’re home now, my shift is over, and I’d like to leave unless there’s something else you need me to do.”

Now, Hunter was starting to get agitated. He had never seen her like this before. She was so disturbed that not only was she pushing him away from her emotionally, but she was also acting kind of rude. It had been a long day, filled with a roller coaster of emotions, and Hunter’s patience was wearing thin.

Hunter said with a hint of an attitude. “Well, I need you to tell me what is wrong. Don’t beat around the bush with me. Come on, tell me what is bothering you. Please?”

Luna sighed. She unclenched her fist and turned her body towards Hunter. He seemed genuinely concerned. She thought about how to explain her frustrations to Hunter.

“You couldn’t even introduce me,” she finally said to Hunter with tears in her eyes. “I was right there, taking care of your son, and you couldn’t even introduce me. She acted like I didn’t exist, and you didn’t do anything about it.”

“Who in the world are you talking about?” Hunter asked.

“Stella!” she exclaimed. “Your new head coach that loves your attention!” she added.

He didn’t understand why it would upset her so much. Why didn’t she just introduce herself? Also, why was she so upset? Stella had to talk to him; she was his head coach, after all. The two of them had to communicate with one another. Did he wonder if she flirted with him? Sure. Yet, at the end of the day, he didn’t think Stella would actually act on her feelings for him. Oh, how very wrong he would be. He just didn’t know that yet, and neither did Luna.

Luna was trying to keep her voice down, as she knew Adam was asleep, but her emotions were rising.

“We have had sex, Hunter,” she said, trying to reason with him. “No matter what, we have been intimate with each other, regardless of how we label it, and I work for you, taking care of your son. I get that she is your head coach, but she blatantly ignored me, and you should have introduced me. It made me feel like you were ashamed of me like I was nothing more than the nanny and the help around here.” Hunter felt like he had failed Luna and did not want her to feel discarded or unimportant. He was so focused on trying to interpret Stella’s flirtatious signals and subtly telling her through his body language that he was not sexually interested in her that he did not notice how the situation may have made Luna uncomfortable.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, Luna,” Hunter pleaded. “I honestly didn’t think it was a big deal.”

“You didn’t think it was a big deal?” she angrily questioned. “You didn’t think that it was a big deal that I had to watch a woman, who you work with, blatantly flirt with you and then ignore me?”

“Blatantly flirt?” Hunter repeated.

He knew Stella had been flirting with him, but Luna’s observation confirmed it. He was now more concerned that she seemed jealous that Stella was flirting with him. Did Luna want him, like he still wanted her?

“Are you jealous Stella was flirting with me?” Hunter directly asked Luna. “Is that why you are so upset right now?”

“Jealousy has nothing to do with it, Hunter,” she replied defensively. “Your boss was hitting on you while ignoring the nanny because she saw herself as more than me. The whole situation was gross, and after saying that, I will be leaving now!”

She rushed out the door, and Hunter ran down the hall after her. Luna reached down to press the button to signal the elevator to open, and just as the doors opened, she felt Hunter’s hand on her arm. He pulled her into him and kissed her passionately.

“I like that you were jealous,” Hunter said seductively. “I was jealous when Henry was talking to you. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit. Now, come here.”

Hunter passionately kissed Luna again. He took her hand and quietly led her back into his apartment. He shut the door behind them and pinned her against the wall. He had been waiting so long for this moment and had fantasized about her so many times at night, remembering the last time they were intimate with one another. He needed to be inside her and needed to feel her warmth. He needed her to give him his own release. Luna’s hands were pinned above her head against the kitchen wall.

Luna moaned and then remembered she had to be quiet as it was late at night. She managed to break her hands free, and she reached for Hunter’s manhood. She took off his belt and threw it on the kitchen floor. She unzipped his pants before reaching her hand down his jeans to grab his erection. She moved her hands up and down his hard penis and listened to him moan. She loved making him feel good.

Meanwhile, Hunter grabbed her hips and forced her around so her back was towards him. She didn’t wait for him to take control. Luna slid her own pants down so her bare bum was facing Hunter. He reached down and touched her vagina. His hand rubbed back and forth on her clit before sliding his fingers inside to see how wet she was. He moaned again when he felt her sweet release.

Luna felt so good. Feeling Hunter touch her most intimate parts was what her dreams had been made of the last few months. She remembered when she had to touch herself in the shower to stop the thoughts of him from entering her mind. Finally, feeling him in person felt almost too good to be true. She begged Hunter to finger her harder. Hunter obliged her sexual request, and he listened to her moan with pleasure from his hand. He couldn’t wait to make her moan with pleasure from his hard cock. He couldn’t take the suspense anymore. The foreplay was over.

Hunter grabbed his dick and pressed up and down to himself. He wanted to make sure he was nice and hard for her before he made Luna reach her orgasm. She looked back over her shoulder and watched as he touched himself. It made her even wetter. Luna reached down and touched herself until Hunter was ready to enter her. He wanted to become one with her. He had been thinking about taking her for months, and she had thought the same of him. Finally, it was happening. They were in complete awe and ecstasy for one another.

When Luna felt Hunter enter her, she felt a mixture of pleasure and pain. Hunter was well endowed, and his dick filled every part of her pussy. She leaned her head back as Hunter went back and forth against her body. She gripped the wall in front of her while Hunter gripped each side of her hips. Hunter watched as her ass bounced on and off of him. It all felt so good. It all felt too good.

“Cum for me, Luna,” Hunter begged her. “Cum for me, baby, so that I can cum too. I need to cum so badly.”

Hearing how badly Hunter wanted to finish excited her. Usually, she made sure he came outside of her, but there was something about that moment. There was something about how excited each of them was. Perhaps she liked that he was jealous when Henry flirted with her, and she knew he liked it when she was envious of Stella throwing herself all over him. They were each marking their territory, and they wanted each other’s, even if they did not verbalize it yet. They felt possessive of one another, even if there were no official labels.

Luna came all over Hunter’s hard cock. It was the longest and most intense orgasm of her life. She moaned in pleasure so loudly that Hunter had to stick his fingers in her mouth to keep her from waking Adam, as well as the neighbors. As soon as he was sure Luna had finished, Hunter let himself experience a sweet release.

“I want to feel you finish inside of me,” Luna pleaded. “Please, baby. Please, baby, cum inside me.”

With her whispered words, Hunter finished inside of her vagina. It had been so long since he’d felt the raw intimacy of being so deeply connected to someone, and Luna felt like the perfect match. Her body wrapped perfectly around his dick, wrapping him in warmth. His moan of pleasure filled the room as the release washed over him, leaving them both to lose track of time. The only thing that mattered now was how perfectly their bodies fit together.

After they both had climaxed, they both stood in the kitchen, catching their breath. They each dressed themselves slowly, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Their silent promise to be professional with one another was forgotten in a moment’s lapse of passion. Yet, neither of them felt immediate remorse about the situation. Perhaps tomorrow would bring regret, but for now, they just knew that they belonged to one another, even if for a moment.

Luna debated whether or not she should dress and leave. She secretly wanted to spend the night with Hunter, but she didn’t want to push or make him feel uncomfortable. They were not officially together, after all. When they were done making love, they stared at one another, uncomfortable for a few seconds. Where did they go from here? Who would make the next move? They both wanted the same thing, to spend the night together, but both of them had a hard time being vulnerable to the other. Thankfully, Hunter took control of the situation. He was good at doing that when he chose to do so.

“What are you doing?” Hunter asked Luna as she started to grab her belongings after quickly dressing herself. “Why don’t you stay the night with me? Will you please stop gathering your things?”

“Are you sure?” Luna asked. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

These questions hurt Hunter. Luna was not someone he thought he could just use. He cared very deeply about her. It was only the complications of their situation that caused her to, at times, take a pause. Of course, he wanted her to stay. Why would she ask such a question? Did he give off a user vibe or mentality?

“I hope you know that I do not take you for granted, Luna,” Hunter told her softly.

He walked over to her trembling body. Luna was trembling from ecstasy and the confusion surrounding their situation. He gently touched her hand as she placed it on top of her purse.

“Please,” Hunter started to say. “Please, stay with me.”

Luna nodded. No other words needed to be said. If nothing else happened, they had tonight. They made love, and now, they could lie in each other’s arms. Luna followed Hunter back to the bedroom. She placed her belongings on the nightstand beside the side of the bed she slept in last time.

“Do you want to take a shower?” Hunter asked. “Maybe we could help clean one another.”

The look on his face was seductive and loving at the same time. Perhaps, he did like Luna for more than just her body. She liked to think so, at least.

“Do you like the water hot or cold?” Luna asked coyly. “Because I like it hot, and that’s the only way a shower together can work.

There was a slight laugh in her voice. She was genuinely happy. Perhaps it was the pheromones from phenomenal sex, or maybe, just maybe, it was love that was brewing on the sidelines between a career nanny and a full-time professional hockey player. Would the latter be possible? Only time would tell the two of them.

Hunter walked into his bathroom and started the shower. The steam started forming almost immediately. He looked back at Luna and gave her a smirk.

“Who doesn’t like hot showers?” Hunter asked with a laugh.

It was nice that they could be playful with one another. The playful banter deepened their connection, and it would also make tomorrow more difficult. The thought of this made Luna speak to Hunter from underneath the shower faucet.

“So...” Luna started to say politely. “So, what happens tomorrow?”

“What do you mean?” Hunter replied with an even-answered question.

“Tomorrow,” Luna subtly responded. “What happens tomorrow when we wake up from this dream?”

“Tomorrow is a new day,” Hunter said softly. “What do you want from tomorrow?”

“I want us to be normal,” Luna said softly, not knowing exactly what that meant. “I just don’t want to disrupt the normal day-to-day operations of what we have here.

“Well,” Hunter started to say. “Tomorrow has not come yet, and we can wait until tomorrow to be professional again.”

Luna did not know if this response was a blessing or a curse. She was thankful for this moment, but at the same time, she wanted more out of life.

She wanted more from Hunter. She wanted a commitment. But she did not know if she had a right to be upset about this thought. She knew she agreed to care for Adam, and from her own words, Adam came first. She agreed to take care of him without Hunter's commitment. All she needed was a commitment to herself. Yet, she found herself randomly wanting more from Hunter.

“So, you want me to stay the night,” Luna said thoughtfully.

She desperately hoped that Hunter wanted her to stay. She did not know how she would take it if Hunter kicked her out within mere moments of making her cum. That would not sit right with her.

She stepped into the shower and decided to let the rest of her intrusive thoughts go to the wind.

“Tonight,” she said happily. “At least you and I have tonight. We can figure out the rest tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow isn’t here yet” Hunter said again intriguingly. “Now, let me wash the scent of me off of you, baby.”

She stepped into the shower and let the water wash over her. No matter what tomorrow would bring, she decided to live in the moment, at least for tonight. She let Hunter pour soap over her.

Hunter gently spread the soap across Luna’s curvy body, mesmerized as the suds glistened on her skin. He loved the intimacy of cleaning her, especially after their earlier indulgence. As his hands slid over her, he felt a surge of arousal at the contrast between dirtying her and now cleaning her.

Luna reveled in Hunter's touch, allowing him to wash her thoroughly. The warmth of the moment urged her to reciprocate. She reached for the soap bottle, pouring a generous amount into her hands. She rubbed her hands together before applying it to his body. As they washed each other, the air filled with the scent of their bodies mingling.

When it was time to dry off, they playfully took turns with the same towel, their laughter and closeness deepening the romantic atmosphere.

“Can tomorrow never come?” Luna gently asked Hunter.

Her eyes were wide open, and she was genuinely concerned about what was happening between the two of them. She wanted to be professional, but the connection between her and Hunter was undeniable. She needed to flat-out ask him what to do moving forward.

“So,” Luna said while getting herself into bed.

She wrapped the covers all around her. She wanted to appear as sweet as she could be.

“So,” Luna repeated softly. “So, what are we?”

Hunter had a million things that he wanted to say to Luna, but his past, including his wife’s death and all the emotional burns of the women he dated before Luna, made him think twice before responding. He felt the need to guard himself, and whether that was right or wrong, he felt the instinct to shut this conversation down as soon as possible.

“Well,” Hunter said curtly to Luna. “Well, I am a professional hockey player, and you are a professional nanny. You are in charge of Adam while I train during the day. That is really all there is to this. We like each other, but at the end of the day, our roles have not changed, you know?”

Luna's teeth clenched. She felt the same way she did when Stella had overlooked her. She felt overlooked. She felt overused. Luna didn’t want to be just the nanny to Hunter. She wanted to be far more than that. She wanted actually to mean something to him. Yes, she loved Adam, but there was a very strong possibility that she was falling in love with Hunter. Yet, his reaction to her question told her everything she needed to know. He was not ready for a relationship at the moment. Only she felt as strongly as she did, and that was a flat-out shitty feeling. The relationship, however, was one-sided.

When he noticed her getting dressed, a sense of urgency filled him—was she planning to leave?

Luna quickly grabbed her pants, shirt, and shoes, her wet hair falling loosely around her face. She didn’t bother to style it, instead frantically searching for her purse. Hunter felt panic rising at the thought of her going.

“Are you leaving?” he asked with fear. “I thought you were going to stay the night with me. I thought we were going to spend tonight together, Luna. Why are you leaving?”

Luna looked at Hunter, who, at that moment, had no idea how much he had hurt her. She tried not to cry, but salty tears filled her bright eyes. Her face started to turn red. She didn’t want Hunter to have the satisfaction of seeing her upset.

“Tomorrow just came today,” Luna sadly said to Hunter. “Tomorrow is right now.”

Hunter was dumbfounded. What in the world was going on? What had happened? Just moments before, he and Luna were in the shower together. Just moments before, everything was romantic between them, but now, Hunter didn't understand what had changed. Yes, he knew that he had issues being vulnerable with women after the death of his wife, but he never thought that it would cause Luna to run away from him. He didn't want to see her go. The jealousy he felt earlier that day while watching Henry flirt with her was almost too much for him to take. The thought that her storming out of his apartment could mean that Luna could be with someone else intimately not only angered him, but it also made him incredibly sad. Hunter rushed over to Luna.

“Please don't go,” Hunter pleaded with Luna. “Why don't you just explain to me what is going on? What’s with the fast change”?

Luna continued to walk towards the door. As she opened the front door to the apartment, she gently looked back at Hunter and finally spoke to him. “I’m falling in love with you, but it’s obvious you don’t feel the same way,” she said, her voice steady yet vulnerable. “To you, I’m just the nanny and a quick fling. That’s what’s wrong, Hunter.” Her words were filled with a mix of longing and frustration as she searched his eyes for a sign of the connection she desperately craved.

He watched as she closed the front door, and just like that, Luna was out of his apartment and, more importantly, out of his arms for now. He walked back to his bedroom and lay down on his bed. He thought about how Luna had said that she loved him. He thought about how he, too, had feelings for her, but saying the word love to someone meant a huge commitment. Laying there, memories of his deceased wife flooded his mind.

The two of them were so happy, and it was incredibly unfair that life had taken her from him and their son, Adam. He wondered if he had ever gotten over his wife’s death, and within seconds of contemplating this, Hunter was quite sure that the answer to this lingering question was no. Sure, he had been with other women, but, emotionally opening up to them, that was a more complicated thing to do.

The thought of Luna entered his mind again. There was something different about her. When he was with her, he felt so many things all at once. The thought of losing her scared him, but telling her that he loved her and wanted a commitment from her was just as much, if not scarier. Hunter just didn’t know if he was ready for all of that. Everything was happening so fast.

He thought it was best to just go to sleep as he had a long day ahead of him tomorrow. They were doing new training, and Hunter had to be on his best game. He would also be working closely with Stella and would need to be situationally aware to dodge all her advances. As Hunter closed his eyes, Luna lay in her bed, crying that tomorrow had already come.