<b>Chapter </b><b>115 </b>


    -CELINE’S POV-


    I couldn’t bring myself to look at Hunter as we drove through the quiet streets back to the mansion.


    My cheeks burned with the memory of what had just happened in his car, and every time I caught a glimpse of his profile in <i>my </i>peripheral vision, my heart would skip a beat all over again.


    The silence between us wasn’t ufortable, exactly, but it was charged with something new–something that made the air feel thick and


    electric.


    I kept my hands folded in myp, trying to ignore the way my body still buzzed from his touch.


    My phone buzzed, breaking through my thoughts. ke’s name lit up the screen.


    ‘Caesar’s fast asleep. Hope you’re having the most amazing night! Don’t rush back – I’ve got everything covered.‘


    I couldn’t help but smile as I typed back a quick response, letting her know we were heading home.


    “Everything alright?” Hunter’s voice was softer than usual, and when I nced over, his eyes held a tenderness I had never seen before.


    “Just ke. She put Caesar to bed and wanted to make sure I was okay.”


    “Are you?” He reached over and took my hand, intertwining our fingers with a gentleness that made my chest tight. “Okay, I mean. Did you… Did you have a good day?”


    The defenselessness in his question caught me off guard.


    This was so different from the cold,manding man I hade to know. This Hunter seemed almost nervous, as if my answer truly


    mattered to him.


    “I had the best day,” I whispered, and watched as relief flooded his features.


    His smile was like sunrise – slow, warm, and absolutely breathtaking. He lifted our joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my knuckles


    that sent shivers racing up my arm.


    The mansion loomed ahead of us, its windows dark except for a few scattered lights.


    Most of the staff would be asleep by now, and I knew ke had probably decided to spend the night in one of the guest rooms rather than go


    home thiste.


    Hunter helped me out of the car, his hand warm and steady on my back as we walked toward the entrance. The night air was cool against my heated skin, but I barely noticed.


    All I could focus on was the man beside me and the way everything between us had shifted in the span of a few hours.


    We stepped inside, and the house wrapped around us infortable silence.


    Hunter’s presence beside me felt different now….less intimidating, more… protective. Like he belonged there, walking me home, making


    sure I was safe.


    I started toward the west wing, where my quarters waited, but I could feel Hunter following behind me. When I reached the hallway that led to my room, I turned around, suddenly shy.


    20


    “Are you… Are you going to keep following me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Instead of answering with words, Hunter stepped closer, his hands finding my waist and pulling me against him. My breath caught as he lowered his head, his lips finding the sensitive spot just below my ear.


    “Stay with me tonight,” he murmured against my skin, his voice rough with something that sounded like need. “In my room. I want <i>to </i>spend more time with you… I want to fall asleep with you in my arms.”


    I stared up at him, stunned.


    This tender, vulnerable man was so different from the Hunter I had known for months. The cold mask he usually wore hadpletely fallen


    away, leaving someone who looked at me like I was precious, like I mattered.


    “Celine?” His thumb traced along my cheek, and I realized I’d been quiet for too long. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I just thought…..”


    “Yes,” I interrupted, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Yes, I would like that.”


    The smile that spread across his face was so genuine, so full of relief and joy, that it took my breath away.


    He took my hand again, leading me through the mansion’s corridors toward the east wing where his master suite was located.


    I had been in his room before to clean, but walking into it now feltpletely different.


    Everything looked the same – the massive bed with its dark grayforter, the floor–to–ceiling windows overlooking the gardens, the sitting area with its leather chairs – but the atmosphere had changed entirely.


    We stood there for a moment, both of us seeming hesitant about what came next. The boldness that had overtaken us in the car had given


    way to something sweeter, more tentative.


    “I should probably shower,” I said finally, smoothing down my dress self–consciously. “If that’s okay.”


    “Of course.” Hunter moved to his dresser, pulling out a soft cotton t–shirt. “Here, you can wear this.” He handed me the shirt along with a


    fluffy towel, his fingers brushing mine in the exchange.


    I clutched the items to my chest, breathing in the scent that clung to the fabric – clean and masculine and purely Hunter.


    “Thank you.”


    The bathroom was as luxurious as the rest of his suite, all marble and twinkling fixtures. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, trying to process everything that had happened.


    When I lifted his shirt to my nose and inhaled deeply, memories of our time in the car came flooding back, and I felt heat bloom across my cheeks and down my neck.


    The way he’d looked at me, touched me, whispered my name like it was something sacred…


    I slipped out of my dress and turned on the shower, adjusting the temperature until steam began to fill the room. As the warm water


    cascaded over me, I reached <i>for </i>Hunter’s shampoo, wanting to carry his scent with me.


    “Is the water to your liking?” His voice came from just outside the bathroom door, and I could picture him standing there, probably running


    his hands through his hair the way he did when he was nervous.


    “It’s perfect,” I called back, smiling at his thoughtfulness.


    I stood under the spray for a few more minutes, letting the warmth rx my muscles and clear my head.


    Aug


    When I finally worked up the courage, I called out softly, “Hunter?”


    “Yes?”


    My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it through the door. “Would you… Would you like to join me?”


    There was a moment of silence, and then I heard the door handle turn.


    The bathroom door creaks open, and there he is, standing in the doorway, his gaze intense, his chest bare, his jeans hanging low on his hips.


    He doesn’t say a word, just steps inside, closing the door behind him. The room is small, the steam thickening as he moves closer, his presence taking over the space.


    I feel my heart race, my breath quicken. This is bold, even for me, but there’s no turning back now.


    “You’re sure?” he asks, his voice low, almost a growl.


    I nod, stepping closer, my hands reaching for the button of his jeans. “I’m sure.”


    He doesn’t hesitate, his hands gripping my hips as I tug his jeans down, his boxers following. His erection springs free, thick and hard, and i bite my lip, my fingers wrapping around him, teasing, stroking.


    He lets out a sharp breath, his head tilting back as I take control, my touch deliberate, slow.


    “Enough,” he murmurs, his voice rough. “I need you.”


    He presses me against the cool tiles, his lips crashing down on mine, hungry, demanding. His hands roam, gripping my thighs, lifting me, I wrap my legs around him, my core aching, desperate for him.


    The water beats down on us, mixing with our moans, the sound of our bodies colliding, skin on skin.


    “Here?” I whisper, my voice breathless.


    “Anywhere,” he replies, his lips brushing my ear, his teeth grazing my lobe. “You’re mine, Celine. All of you.”


    and


    His words send a jolt through me, and I tighten my legs around him, my nails digging into his shoulders. He positions himself at my entrance, teasing, torturing me, before thrusting deep, filling mepletely.


    I gasp, my head falling back, the sensation overwhelming, the heat of the shower, the hardness of his body, the tightness of my grip.


    “Move with me,” hemands, his voice firm.


    I do, rocking my hips in rhythm with his, the water pounding down on us, the steam clouding the air. It’s rough, primal, every thrust pushing me closer to the edge.


    He kisses my neck, my shoulders, his lips trailing down to my breasts, sucking, biting, his hands gripping my ass, holding me tight against


    him.


    “Harder,” I plead, my voice desperate.


    He obliges, his movements bing more urgent, more relentless. The tiles dig into my back, but I don’t care, the pleasure consuming me, drowning out everything else.


    I can feel it building, the tension coiling tighter, tighter, until I’m screaming his name, my body shaking, my release crashing over me like a


    wave.


    Tue<b>, </b>0 <b>muy </b>


    He follows, his groan deep and raw, his body stiffening as he empties himself inside me. For a moment, we’re still, our breaths ragged, our hearts pounding.


    The water continues to fall, washing away the evidence of our passion, but the memory of it remains, etched into my skin.


    “Bed,” he murmurs, his voice hoarse. “Now.” <fna05a> Readplete version only at FιndNovel</fna05a>


    He carries me, his arms strong, his lips brushing my forehead.


    The bedroom is coolpared to the heat of the shower, the sheets soft against my skin as heys me down. He hovers over me, his eyes


    dark, his desire still burning.


    “Again,” he says, his voice a promise.


    I smile, reaching for him, pulling him down. “Again.”


    This time, it’s slower, more deliberate. He kisses every inch of me, his tongue tracing patterns on my skin, his hands exploring, iming.


    I return the favor, my lips trailing down his chest, my tongue teasing his nipples, my hands gripping his thighs. He groans, his body tensing, but he doesn’t rush me, letting me take my time, savoring every moment.


    When he enters me again, it’s with a purpose, his movements steady, controlled. He positions me on my hands and knees, his hands gripping my hips, guiding me, his thrusts deep and slow.


    The angle is perfect, hitting a spot that makes me cry out, my body arching, my nails digging into the sheets.


    “Like that?” he asks, his voice a whisper.


    “Yes,” I breathe, my voice trembling. “Don’t stop.”


    He doesn’t, his pace quickening, his grip tightening.


    I can feel him swelling inside me, the pressure building, and I meet his thrusts, my body moving in sync with his. The room is filled with the sound of our moans, the p of skin, and the creak of the bed.


    “Together,” hemands, his voice urgent.


    I nod, my body tightening around him, my release crashing over me, waves of pleasure washing through me. He follows, his groan deep, his body shuddering as he spills himself inside me once more.


    For a long moment, we stay like that, our bodies tangled, our breaths ragged. He pulls me back<i>, </i>cradling me against his chest, his lips pressing to my hair.


    I tracedzy patterns on his chest with my fingertip. His heartbeat was steady beneath my palm, and his breathing had finally returned to


    normal.


    “You’re incredible,” he murmured, his lips pressed against my hair.


    I tilted my head up to look at him, still amazed by the tenderness in his expression. “I never thought… I mean, I never imagined you could be


    like this.”


    “Like what?”


    “Gentle. Vulnerable.” I paused, searching for the right words. “Real.”


    –


    Something shed across his face pain, maybe, or regret. “I haven’t been real in a long time, Celine. But with you… With you, I can’t seem to


    13:06 Tue, 5 Aug


    be anything else.”


    The honesty in his voice made my chest ache. I reached up to cup his cheek, feeling the slight roughness of stubble beneath my palm.


    “I like this version of you.”


    “Even though I’ve been horrible to you? Even though I’ve said things, done things…”


    I silenced him with a soft kiss. “That’s not who you are. Not really. I’ve seen glimpses of the real Hunter, and he’s… he’s wonderful.”


    He closed his eyes, leaning into my touch. “I don’t deserve you.”


    “That’s not your decision to make,” I whispered. “It’s mine. And I choose you, Hunter. The real you.”


    When he opened his eyes, they were bright with unshed tears. “Celine…”


    “What happens now?” I asked, suddenly needing to know where this left us.


    He was quiet for a long moment, his fingersbing through my damp hair. “Now we figure it out together. No <i>more </i>walls, no more pretending. Just… us.”


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    The simplicity of it was beautiful and terrifying all at once. Just us. After months of confusion and hurt feelings, after tonight’s revtions and passion, maybe that was exactly what we needed.


    “I would like that,” I said, settling back against his chest.


    His arms tightened around me, and I felt safe in a way I hadn’t in years. Whatever challengesy ahead – and I knew there would be many – we would face them together.


    As I drifted off to sleep in Hunter’s embrace, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, fairy tales dide true.


    Even for girls like me.