Hunter's Choice (14 page)

Jessamine

Hunter made good on his promise the next morning. I woke to
him hiking the leg I had draped over him just a bit higher before he turned and
buried himself deep inside me. God it had felt amazing. What was more, he
pulled me astride him, seating himself impossibly deep before smacking my ass
and ordering me to ride him.

Oh I indulged him. It didn’t bother me in the slightest that
he was being bossy either. I’d ridden him until we were both slick with my
juices and he’d flipped me on to my back and finished us.

We’d lain together, sweat dewed and breathing heavily until
our hearts had calmed and beat as one. We’d showered together and he’d slipped
off to his room in search of clothes to wear, returning a short time later with
his pack. He’d dumped it into a heap beside my bed and arched an eyebrow in
challenge. I smiled and went to him, turning my face up for a kiss which he had
freely given.

We’d gone out and cared for the birds and now we were
enjoying breakfast at the lunch counter. My Uncle Dave’s eyes were sparkling at
me knowingly behind Aunt Margie’s back and I was trying to keep my face blank.
Charlie came in and took the last seat and blew everything.

“Jesus Jess, if you didn’t want us all knowing you’d had sex
you should’ve at least one of you dried your hair.” He turned to my Uncle Dave.
“Let me guess, shower downstairs is dry?”

“Yep, that’s how I knew.” He drank some coffee. I sat there
in stunned mortification. Hunter was laughing and my Aunt, in true Margie style
started beating Charlie with her dish towel shrieking at him not to embarrass
us like that. Which of course hadn’t been an issue when she’d done it days
before.

I wanted the floor to swallow me up. Just kill me. Kill me
now.

I got up and went outside to see Winter to Hunter and Dave’s
laugh track and Charlie cussing my shrieking Aunt Margie out. I was ready to go
back to work the next day. If only to get some sanity back into my life.

Normalcy would be good.

“You all right there love?” I smiled and turned.

“Y-yes.” Hunter smiled.

I was almost thirty, I’d be twenty-nine in June which was
only three months away. I was pretty sure Dave, Margie and Charlie knew I
wasn’t a virgin, what with Josh staying over all the time when we’d been
together. Still, what had just happened in there had been pretty mortifying.

Hunter pulled me to him and I went easily into his arms. It
was as if I were the missing piece to his puzzle or vice versa. Either way, we
fit together perfectly.

“I want to be here with you, in every sense of the words.”
He huffed a sigh into my hair.

“M-mm-me too.” I said.

“We have time.” He murmured. Yep, we did at that what with
him being immortal and all.

I stiffened.

Oh shit, I hadn’t really thought about what it really meant
for him to be a god… He didn’t age, wouldn’t age, while me, I would grow old
and eventually die, leaving him behind. My heart did a barrel roll in my chest.
God, how lonely his life must be. I hugged him tighter.

“Don’t worry love, there’s nothing to worry about.” He
soothed and for the most part he was right, I mean, we had a few years to
figure this out, before anyone would realize things were amiss. I relaxed into
his hold but the little voice of panic in the back of my head screamed at me
anyways.

How was this not something to worry about!?

I was going to age while he, he stayed the same... My throat
closed as the implication washed over me. Would he still want me when I looked
old enough to be his mom? Would he stay when I looked like his grandma? Of
course I was getting way ahead of myself… Who knew if we would even still be
together in a year, two years…

“I’m sure Gwydion will have an idea or two. We’ll call him,
after Dave and Margie go home, has to be a night of the new moon. I’m sure
there is an answer to the,” he coughed “age disparity, we’re facing.”

I snorted. Age disparity. That was one way of putting it.

“Do you trust me Jessamine?” he asked me suddenly. Did I?
With every fiber of my being.

“Yes.” I said on a sigh.

“Good.” He held onto me for a long time after that until peace
washed back over me, still that seed of unease had been planted and it was
taking root in my chest, squeezing my heart, weighing me down… I was a world
class worrier.  

Hunter

I cursed myself and my careless words. She hadn’t thought
that far ahead and now I’d given her cause to worry. I had never in my long
existence asked any of my family, extended or otherwise, for anything before. I
would swallow my pride where they were concerned and would ask for Jess, for at
least as close to a normal life with her as I could get.

I didn’t want to see her immortalized. That would be purely
selfish on my part. I would much rather, at this point, grow old with her. I
held her body close to mine for a long time, until the tension eased from her
completely. I turned her in my arms and brought my lips to hers softly.

I had finished filling the depressions in her drive with
dirt and had carved out a hole in the ground deep enough for the shell of the
pond. Dave and I would be fitting it today. I breathed in Jessamine for a
moment longer and smiled down at her. An answering smile lit her own delicate
features, still muddy with healing bruises.

“Following through on the next step of your pond today. What
are you doing?” she looked in both directions and spying all three of the
others inside the house said.

“Glove t-r-r-raining w-w-with Dawn.” I kissed the corner of
her mouth and smiled with great appreciation at her efforts.

“Getting ready for the festival?”

“Yep.”

“Good.” I reluctantly let her go.

“S-s-see y-you arou-und?”

“I’ll be here.” I murmured.

She smiled and went off in the direction of Dawn’s
enclosure. The Barn Owl was a beauty and had a fine temperament.

I worked hard, the familiar warmth of hard labor spreading
through my body. When I had found the unused pond equipment I had wanted to
install it for a number of reasons, the paramount one, Jess deserved something
beautiful. The pond wasn’t over large, a decorative garden pond wasn’t meant to
be. I began the laborious process of putting in the pond liner so it would hold
water. Charlie and Dave joined me a short time later.

We worked on into the afternoon. Jess had disappeared into
the kitchen with her Aunt some time ago and it had proven very distracting. I
kept stealing glances and looks at her through the large windows, watching her
as she moved about the kitchen. When the door opened I looked up and smiled, I
nodded and she waved and I let the other two know we’d been rung in for lunch.

In the afternoon, Aaron arrived and disappeared into the
house. He and Jess came out a little while later, heads bent together and made
for the barn. No doubt working on their presentation for the bird festival.

Dinner was a family affair, with much laughter and
storytelling, but to be honest, all I could think about was getting Jess
upstairs. After dinner, we played a card game and when it was late enough,
Charlie bid us goodnight, Aaron followed suit and it was just myself, Jessamine
and her Aunt and Uncle.

Dave finally put me out of my misery.

“Well, Jess goes back to work in the morning and Margie and
me, we need to start thinking about heading home to Arizona. Neighbors can’t
take care of the dogs forever.” He smiled and Jess smiled too and I could see
it was a little grateful.

“You understand don’t you dear?” Margie asked
apprehensively, “We’d hate to leave before you were ready.”

Jess, grabbed for her pen and scribbled on her board.

I love you guys, but I understand you have a life in AZ.
Charlie is here, and Aaron and I think Hunter is going to stay a while longer.
I’ll be fine, I promise.

She smiled and I wondered again at how resilient this woman
was. I felt my breast swell with pride for her.

“Okay dear.” Margie murmured.

“I’m proud of you Jess.” Dave echoed my sentiments.

I got up from the table murmuring my excuses, when really I
just wished to give Jess some time with her family. She gave me a knowing and
appreciative look as I ghosted to the stairs. I doubt anyone noticed me go into
her room, if they did, no one remarked upon it.

I fetched towels from the hall closet and went into her
bathroom, pulling open the glass shower door. The water made a soothing sound,
drowning out the murmur of voices in the dining room below.

I disrobed, pulling the elastic from my horsetail and
stepped under the hot shower spray, closing the door behind me. The hot water
felt much better on my skin as a man than the tepid, if not cold natural water
sources I frequented as a bird.

So entranced was I in relaxing under the hot fall of water,
I completely missed Jessamine coming in. I started when I glimpsed her through
the steam covered glass. She opened the door and stepped into the large shower
with me. It was what I appreciated about her bathroom. Not only did it have a
large tub with jets, the shower was a standalone and could easily fit three
people comfortably.

“H-h-hey.” She said softly, crushing the front of her body
to the front of mine. I was taller than she, but not overmuch and I looked down
the short distance into her upturned face.

“Hello love.” I said back, just as softly.

“Hun-n-nter, what’re we goin-ng to do?” she asked, and laid
her head against my chest. My arms snaked around her and I held her to me.

“I am going to contact Gwydion at the dark of the moon.” I
said, swaying with her gently turning her into the water.

“Wh-wh-what w-w-ill h-he do?” she asked.

“I don’t know love. Hopefully he will give me a way. Make me
mortal…” She looked up sharply.

“Y-y-you w-w-w-ould do th-th-that?” she asked.

“Jessamine, I have lived for a very, very long time. So long
it can’t be measured in centuries but rather millennia. In all of that time I
have never encountered one such as you and I am fair certain I never will
again. I’m tired love. So, incredibly tired. If ever there were a time to
become mortal it is now and there is no one I would rather live out the rest of
my days with than you.” I looked into the storm swept sea of her eyes and found
her both touched and troubled by my words.

“Wh-wh-what if y-you get bored with me?” she asked and I
smiled thinly, I think I was on to why she found herself not good enough…

“Who was he?” I asked gently and she startled. I bent and
kissed her lightly.

“He was a fool to pass you up Jessamine Connors, I am
terribly sorry he hurt you but I am so very glad that he was such a fool so
that I might claim you for my own, that is if you’ll have me.” She was very
still in my arms and I feared I may have over stepped. I heaved a sigh and
picked up her soap, turning her around gently I soaped her back, massaging.

“I know that you hardly know me Jess, but you must remember,
I was under your care for months, I know things about you, have watched you…
You really are an amazing woman. Your beauty and grace is what attracted me to
you. Your strength and fighter’s spirit made me desire you, but it is your
compassion and acceptance that is making me fall in love with you.” I felt her
shoulders tremble slightly beneath my hands.

I drew her back against my chest and held her as she cried
and I realized that no man had ever spoken to her in such a way; and that… That
was such a shame.

Jessamine

I stood in the gently rising steam under the fall of hot water,
stock still beneath Hunter’s strong fingers kneading my shoulders and listened
absolutely stunned at what he had to say. I wondered if I was dreaming. If what
he was saying could possibly be true. I turned and looked him in the eyes,
grateful that we were both wet and that the shower disguised the tears, though
somehow I think he knew.

I searched the gentle caramel depths of his eyes and saw no
subterfuge. No lies. I wanted to tell him that I thought I was falling in love
with him too, but then again, I had thought what Josh and I had was love…

I swallowed hard, and thought about a life with Hunter in
it. Then I took a moment to think of a life with him gone.

My mind and heart quailed at the latter and tears rose hot
and fresh and immediate. I tucked myself against his broad chest and made a
pretty quick decision that had never felt more right than anything I had ever
decided in my life before.

I wanted a life with Hunter in it.

I wanted it so much that I would do just about anything to
attain it. Even bargain with other gods, who, quite frankly given what he’d
told me about them, scared the living day lights out of me.

“S-s-s-stay wi-wi-wi-with-th m-mmm-me.” I choked out.

“I have every intention.” He said against my wet hair, his
hands smoothing over my soap-slick skin.

The water was losing its heat and so we finished up quickly.
When we got out he wrapped me in a towel first, drying me vigorously. He dried
himself and turned me around, walking me into the bedroom. He kissed across my
shoulders, moving my hair out of the way to do it and I sighed.

“Are you sore?” he asked and I had to think about what he
was asking. I blushed and nodded a little too quickly.

He chuckled and pulled back the blankets, taking my towel
from me. I got into bed and he tossed the towels into the bathroom, on the
linoleum and off the carpet. He got in beside me and pulled me to him. I kissed
him before he had the chance to kiss me and I put all of my hopes, my dreams… I
put everything I had into that one kiss and was rewarded by his growl of
satisfaction.

I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, where life was going
to take us or how we would do it, but I did know that I wanted to be a part of
Hunter’s life, as much as he wanted to be a part of mine. It was just a matter
of getting from point A to point B, and we could do that as long as we did it
together, couldn’t we?

I picked up my pen and notepad and asked him. He smiled and
kissed my nose.

“I think that is a very good way of looking at it love.”

I cuddled to his side and closed my eyes. I wasn’t exactly
sure when my life went from the ordinary to the extraordinary but it didn’t
matter. Here I was, and I would rock it just like I’d rocked just about
everything else so far.