<b>Chapter </b><b>72 </b>
-CELINE-
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the strange softness beneath me. This wasn’t my small, lumpy mattress in the staff
quarters.
This was something else entirely….silk sheets that felt like water against my skin, a bed sorge I could stretch my arms wide and still not reach the edges.
The second thing I noticed was that I waspletely naked.
My eyes flew open, and the events ofst night came rushing back like a tidal wave. The kitchen. Hunter’s hands on my body.
The way he’d looked at me like I was something precious. The way he’d made me feel thing
ver felt before.
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Oh God. What had I done?
I pulled the sheet up to my chin, my cheeks burning with embarrassment and something else–a giddy happiness I couldn’t quite
contain.
Despite everything, despite knowing this was mixed up and probably a mistake, I felt like a lovesick teenager who’d just had her
first kiss.
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me as I buried my face in the sheet, breathing in Hunter’s scent. It was everywhere…on the pillows, on my skin, in my hair.
A mixture of expensive cologne and something uniquely him that made my stomach flutter.
This was Hunter’s bed. Hunter’s room. And I was here, naked, having spent the night in his arms.
I turned my head slowly, afraid to look but unable to stop myself.
There he was, lying on his side facing me, his dark hair messy from sleep, his face rxed in a way I had never seen before.
Without the harsh lines of stress and anger, he looked younger, almost vulnerable.
My heart did a little skip as I studied him. The strong line of his jaw, the way hisshes cast shadows on his cheeks, the slight part of his lips.
He was beautiful in a way that made my chest ache.
I reached out carefully, wanting to trace the perfect line of his face with my fingertip when his eyes suddenly opened.
I gasped, jerking my hand back like I’d been burned.
“Good morning to you too,” he said, his voice rough with sleep, and I realized he’d been awake the whole time, watching me watch
him.
I felt my face me red as I tried to scramble away from him. “I…I should go…”
his arm shot out, wrapping around my waist and pulling me back against him before I could escape. The <b>sheet </b><b>weaved </b><b>around </b>us, and I found myself pressed against his warm, solid chest.
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Chapter <i>72 </i>
“Good morning.” I whispered, suddenly shy.
The morning light streaming through the windows made everything feel different, more real. In the darkness ofst night, I could pretend this was just a dream.
But now, looking into his blue eyes, I couldn’t hide from what had happened between us.
“You’re awfully happy this morning,” he observed, his lips curving into a smile that made my heart race. “Any particr reason?”
I ducked my head, unable to meet his gaze. How could I exin that I felt like I was floating? That despite all the reasons this was wrong, I couldn’t regret a single moment ofst night?
“I should go,” I said instead, trying to sit up. “The others will be waking up soon. Sally starts her rounds early, and if she finds my
room empty…”
“Five minutes,” Hunter murmured, his hand sliding up to cup the back of my neck. “Give
> more minutes.”
Before I could protest, his lips found the sensitive spot just below my ear, pressing soft kisses along the column of my neck.
I couldn’t stop the small moan that escaped me, my body responding instantly to his touch.
“You taste so good,” he whispered against my skin, his breath warm and sending shivers down my spine.
“You smell like vani and sunshine. I could do this all day….make love to you until neither of us can think straight.”
The words sent heat pooling low in my belly, but they also reminded me of reality. “No,” I said quickly, pushing against his chest and rolling away from him.
I stood up before I could lose my nerve, only to freeze when I heard Hunter’s low chuckle behind me.
“Well, that’s quite a view to wake up to,” he said, his voice filled with male appreciation.
It was only then that I realized I was standingpletely naked in front of him, the morning light leaving nothing to his imagination.
I felt his eyes on me like a physical touch, taking in every curve, every inch of skin.
My face burned as I spun around <i>to </i>face him, which only made things worse because now he was looking at me from the front, his gaze traveling slowly from my face down to my toes and back up again.
“You’re staring,” I used, my voiceing out higher than normal.
He was lying sprawled across the bed like some kind of Greek god, the sheet barely covering his hips, his hair tousled and his eyes, dark with desire,
The sight of him like that made my stomach clench with want, even as embarrassment made me want to hide.
<b>“</b>Can you me me?” he asked, not even trying to look away. “You’re beautiful, Celine. Every inch of <b>you</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
I scrambled for my dress fromst night, which was still lying crumpled on the floor where he’d <b>dropped </b><b>it</b>.
y
y <b>hands </b>shook as I picked it <b>up</b><b>, </b><b>trying </b><b>to </b>ignore the way he was <b>watching </b><b>my </b><b>every </b>movement.
<b>“</b><b>I </b><b>need </b><b>to </b>go<b>,</b><b>” </b>I said, stepping <b>into </b><b>the </b>dress <b>and </b><b>pulling </b><b>it </b><b>up </b><b>over </b><b>my </b><b>hips</b>. “<b>Caesar </b><b>might </b><b>be </b><b>awake</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>he’ll </b><b>be </b>looking for me if
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he can’t find me…”
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“He’ll be fine,” Hunter said, but his voice had changed slightly at the mention of my son. There was something there, something! couldn’t quite identify.
“Sally’s with him.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I struggled with the zipper. My hands were still trembling, and I couldn’t quite reach it.
“Here,” Hunter said, suddenly behind me. I hadn’t even heard him get up.
His fingers brushed mine as he took hold of the zipper, pulling it up slowly. The touch was innocent enough, but it sent sparks racing across my skin.
When he was done, his hands lingered on my shoulders. <fn5fc7> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on Find?Novel</fn5fc7>
“Celine,” he said softly.
I turned to face him, biting my lower lip nervously. He was so close I could see the flecks of darker blue in his eyes, and could smell his scent wrapping around me like a warm nket.
“Last night…” he started to say.
“Was wonderful,” I interrupted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “But it can’t happen again. Not like this. Not when everything is soplicated.”
Something glinted across his face…disappointment, maybe, or frustration. But he nodded slowly.
“We should talk,” he said. “Really talk. About everything.”
My heart skipped at the serious tone in his voice. “Later,” I agreed, taking a step back toward the door. “After work. When Caesar’s asleep.”
I couldn’t stay here any longer. If I did, I’d end up back in his arms, back in his bed, and I couldn’t afford to lose my headpletely. I had responsibilities. I had a son to think about.
“I’ll see youter,” I said, my hand on the door handle.
“Celine,” he called after me as I opened the door.
I paused, looking back at him over my shoulder.
“Thank you,” he said simply. “Forst night. For… everything.”
The sincerity in his voice made my chest tight with emotion. I nodded, <i>not </i>trusting myself to speak, and slipped out of <b>the </b><b>room</b>.
As I hurried down the hallway toward the staff quarters, my heart was racing for entirely different reasons than <b>it </b><b>had </b><b>been </b><b>minutes </b>before.
mething had changed between usst night. Something <b>big </b><b>and </b><b>scary </b><b>and </b>wonderful.
ut as I <b>thought </b>about <b>the </b><b>way </b>his <b>voice </b>had changed <b>when </b><b>I </b><b>mentioned </b><b>Caesar</b><b>, </b><b>about </b><b>the </b><b>secrets </b><b>I </b><b>knew </b><b>he </b><b>was </b>keeping <b>couldn’t </b><b>shake </b>the <b>feeling </b><b>that </b><b>this </b><b>was </b><b>just </b><b>the </b><b>calm </b><b>before </b><b>the </b><b>storm</b>.
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Still, I couldn’t regret it. Whatever happened next, I would always havest night–the memory of being cherished, of feeling desired, of being held like I was something precious.
For now, that would have to be enough.
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