THE QUEEN'S GAME

Chapter 8

"Are we there yet?" Charlotte was childlike in her impatience, but they'd been driving for what seemed like forever, he completely understood.
"No." Hunter kissed her nose. "You will know when we're there, and you will enjoy it."
"I'm sure." With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes and curled her legs in the seat. They'd been traveling nonstop. All the media and shows leading up to Royal Rumble had been exhausting, but he was used to it. This was her first time out, but she never complained. She was an absolute professional.
He smiled at her sleeping form, taking his eyes off of the road for a second to glance at her. She'd been amazing the past few weeks. Victoria was her opponent for Royal Rumble, and although she had no clue what the outcome would be yet, she'd told Vince and creative she wanted a different opponent every week for each show.
Her demands brought on more training, more possible injuries, and more stress, but it also meant the women were being shown more. Women who otherwise would be behind the scenes were getting camera time on Raw and Smackdown. He didn't think that was a coincidence.
After all the intensity and rigorous scheduling they'd managed to get a weekend off. Opting to forgo the normal travel method of flying, he'd decided to drive her to their destination, he'd wanted the time alone, even if she did sleep most of the way. He'd needed to clear his head. He'd also needed to manage a conversation he'd escaped for two and a half months with her. Now was the time to clear the air about everything past and present.
"Charlotte?"
"Hmmmh, babe?"
Sleep coated her otherwise melodic voice.
"You remember that—" His phone rang, colluding his thoughts. "One second."
"Yeah, sure." He loved and hated how easily she could talk to him one second and be back to her deep slumber the next.
Looking at his caller id, he swore loudly and answered. "I'm on the road. I'd really rather you didn't call here. Not until you complete a simple request."
The request wasn't simple, not in theory, but to him, it had been handled a long time ago. At least on his end.
Listening to the nuisance of his caller's voice he exhaled. This wasn't going to be easy, and for that he dreaded the upcoming future. He'd made his peace with a lot of things, and now he wanted to actually live it.
"If I have to come there I will." He was growing frustrated with the lack of cooperation and was at his wits end. He didn't need this unnecessary excessive behavior or conversation.
"I'll see you soon."
He hung up, hoping his raised voice hadn't disturbed Charlotte's sleep. It had. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up, reaching for her water bottle.
"Am I supposed to guess what that was or do you want to talk about it?"
Out of all the women he'd dated or bedded he could talk to her more than any of them. She didn't judge him or insert messy opinions. She mostly listened and advised him when he'd prodded for her thoughts. It was refreshing.
"You know I've always had my demons."
"I do." She nodded. "I always knew there was a reason you spent more time with my family than your own, and I know you have things you don't always like to discuss. If this is one of those things..."
"You're my best friend." He needed her to know that she had quickly become his closest confidant.
"I know that too." She smiled and it lit up her whole face. He'd seen so much of that smile lately.
"What, I'm not yours?"
"Behind Trish, Chyna, and my dad, sure, babe."
He'd gripped her hand and kissed it. She was only half joking. Her dad was her best friend and he'd probably been a close second.
"I love it that you have him and you are so close. I know he's taught you so much."
"So have you," she admitted. "I wouldn't be as far as I am without you. You make me feel like I could do anything."
"That's because you can. I don't know if you realize it, but watching you is like art. You're so tall, taller than most, but you're flexible and graceful. I could watch you wrestle all day."
"You have to say that."
"You know I don't."
"Maybe not."
That smile. He loved it.
He'd spend hours staring at her as she slept. In the crazy hours of the morning where she drifted into her unbothered slumber, he'd worry. He knew things were progressing, he knew there were things he wanted to say, wanted to ask, but he couldn't. Cowardice and his own conundrums kept his mouth shut. All he wanted to do is scream that he loved her. It would come one day.
"When did you lose your virginity?" That was out of nowhere, but she was always curious. She asked him questions about himself all the time. He didn't have to ask her, what she didn't tell him he was there for. He'd practically grown with her.
"I was fifteen and your older brother arranged it."
"First of all, eww, and with who?"
"Your neighbor's cousin visiting from Philadelphia that one summer."
"Brenda big cups?"
He had to laugh at her animation and shock. "Brenda big cups? Is that what you called her?"
"Yeah, she had a huge rack. You should know."
"It lasted four minutes."
She laughed again. "Serves you right. You didn't even know her well."
"Who knows anyone well? Time has nothing to do with how you feel. And for your information I was in love with Brenda big cups for about three hours."
"Yeah until you got what you wanted. You were such a boy."
"I never said I was good. So what about you?"
"What about me?"
"When was your first time?"
"Prom night."
That stung.
The night he was thinking about her so much he couldn't sleep or eat, she was in some other guys'd bed. He'd tried to wish her away, the thoughts of her were so vivid. He'd smelt her perfume that entire night as he laid awake.
He was thinking, his face had soured at her admission.
"Hunter?" She snapped in his face.
"Yeah?"
"Where did you go just then?"
"I was just thinking, it's nothing, really."
"You know," she paused. "I've gotten pretty good at reading you and pretty good at knowing when you're lying."
"I never lie to you."
"You don't. That's why it's so easy to spot when you do. What's the matter with you?"
She was looking, waiting, stalking her answer. "You really want to know?"
"Yes."
He felt like a fool. Here he was making her first time about him and his unprovoked feelings, but he fessed up nonetheless. "I was so jealous that night."
"My prom night?"
"Yeah. I saw you come down those stairs and my mouth literally dropped. All I could think about is how gorgeous you looked. I didn't want you to leave, not with him."
"Wow."
"Wow what?" He prodded. "Wow as in a good wow or wow this is creepy?"
"A good wow. Why would it be creepy?"
"I'd never thought about you that way before and then suddenly I was threatening your boyfriend about when to have you home. I was serious when I said I'd come find him."
"Now that you've said it, that makes sense."
"It would have never worked back then, your dad and brothers would have had a fit."
"Probably, but the funny thing is that I wanted to ask you to take me to prom."
"You had your boyfriend."
"And I wished he was you the entire time."
"How do you do that?"
"Do what?" Playing with his hair was a thing she'd started doing when she was nervous, he'd noticed.
"Just feel what you feel so completely and say it way after the fact?"
"Sometimes it's not what you say rather than what you do. I'm working on how to feel more confident in everything we are and everything we can be. You just have to give me time."
"I will. I'll never rush you."
"And I love you for that."
Her eyes bucked, she looked as if her heart slammed into her chest. She was taking her breaths at twice the rate she had been previously. She didn't mean to say it, but now the words were out into the world.
"I—I didn't mean to...shit." She threw her arms up just as they pulled into their destination.
He didn't say a word as he parked the car, he just got out a took a deep breath, he'd waited for this. It was surreal. Walking over to her door, pulling it open, he didn't wait for her to step out, he got on his knees in the Colorado snow and pulled her head to his.
Succumbing to his kiss, she released all her resistance and smiled against his lips. Breaking away, he didn't care where they were or who saw as he said the words he'd been dying to say for over two years.
"I love you too."
That smile. It was contagious.
Kissing her was like watching snow fall on a summer day, an enigma. He'd never grow tired. He'd never end it voluntarily. He'd always crave this.
"You mean that?"
"I mean it," he assured her, pushing blonde locks behind her ear. "Can't you tell? Don't you feel it?"
"I feel so many things that I thought were all me."
"It's not just you." He kissed her again, this time bringing her body closer to his. His hands on her ass, her legs sliding dangerously close to wrapping around him. His heart pulsating at the thought of how perfect it would be to have her in that moment. Her dad calling their names, demolishing the mood.
"Dad?" She looked behind him.
"Surprise," Hunter smiled weakly. He'd almost forgotten he'd planned a weekend with her favorite person in the world. This was embarrassing.
"I'd ask how you're doing, but I can see you must be doing well." Ric crossed his arms, watching them. "Well come in at least. Dinner is almost ready."
Hunter couldn't be completely sure, but that exchange seemed a little icy. Ric knew they were together, he was sure he knew they were sleeping together. Maybe he was imagining things.
"Hunter, we need to talk." So much for that theory.
Hunter gathered their bags, and now he wasn't sure if he should take the other guest room or plan on sleeping with her. It was all up in the air now. Once their bags were secured he followed Ric.
"Sorry about that—"
"What are your intentions with my daughter?"
So they were jumping right in? No small talk.
"I'm in love with her if that's what you mean," Hunter answered without hesitation.
"You're in love with her, but what are your plans? Do you plan to stay in love with her, do you plan to marry her one day, do you want a life with her?"
"The love admission is a new development. We've hardly said the words to each other, so excuse me if I don't have a plan in place other than enjoying what we have and vowing to get it right."
"I look at you like one of my own kids, but she's my daughter, Hunter. I know how that business is. I know the temptations and locker room talk. I don't want her being hurt or blindsided."
"I never want to hurt her. I know she's your daughter it's a part of the reason why I held off as long as I did. I didn't want to love her, I wanted to be as far away from that as I could when it came to her, but I can't help it. Not loving her would be like telling myself not to breathe."
"I've known you a long time, so long I know when you're serious. I know that you are, I can see it in your eyes. What I don't want is her getting caught up in any of the things that happened before her. You handle it. Handle all of it."
"I promise."
"Then we have no plight. You treat her well, treat her like she's the most important thing in your world, and if you ever put your hands..."
"I'd never hit her. Never."
"Good because I'd kill you." It was a shame that they'd had to have this talk, but Hunter understood. Ric was still dealing with her last relationship, he was always going to want to protect her. "I should have known. She's my daughter and she was in pain, and I should have known."
"The one thing I've learned by all of this is that abuse isn't always loud and violent. It's sometimes silent and calculating. It's maniacal and often disguised as something else. Every time he'd look at her and complain about her hair or what she was wearing so much she'd rush to change, it was there. The times he'd held her down when they fought, saying he was just protecting both of them, that was it. Him getting so far into her head she was afraid to tell me how she felt about us, in fear that I wouldn't return those feelings, is still there. I'm doing the best I can, and I will give back what he took. He won't have that power anymore." 
An awkward silence occurred between the two guys who had otherwise been as close as actual father and son, and then Ric passed him a bowl filed with salad. "Her mom cooked. If you don't like it, lie."
"I have for years." Hunter laughed at how easily they were able to fall back into the norm. Ric had probably rehearsed the whole big bad dad routine the entire way up to the cabin. He'd never heard anything but encouraging words from Ric his whole life, but then again, he'd never been sleeping with his daughter before either.
Hunter arrived at the table to find Charlotte with her mom, laughing about something and took a seat next to her, giving her thigh a gentle squeeze. There was a different hue about her, a glow even. He'd hoped he was somewhat responsible for that.
Kissing the side of her head, he glanced at her mother, who was still chuckling.
"What's so funny?"
"Brenda big cups, really, Hunter?"
Charlotte only laughed while her mother antagonized him. He'd wanted to protest, but that name made him join in their amusement. "Not you too. I was fifteen."
"You're lucky you're pretty, Hunter."
"He's not pretty, mom." Charlotte ran her hand through his hair. "He's handsome, and Brenda big cups is just going to have to get her own guy. He's mine and I'm not letting go."
"Thank you, baby."
"I love you, babe."
It was the first time she said it and meant to. She seemed so completely free and unburdened. It would never get old.
"All that love talk from you two is giving me hives." Ric inserted himself just as Charlotte was staring into Hunter's eyes. He'd never seen her so captivated.
"Dad," Charlotte warned. "Be sweet to Hunter."
"No." Ric rebuffed. "He will get the treatment of any man seeing my daughter."
"And what's that?"
"He should simply sleep with one eye open."
"Dad!"
"I'm kidding," Ric conceded. "Partially."
Hunter nodded his head, totally understanding. He'd loved this family for as long as he remembered and now he truly felt like a real part of it. Grabbing her hand and pulling it to his lips he realized, he wanted to be an even bigger part. One day.
***
Sheets bunched at her hips, her pelvis grinding into his, their sweat mingling, his mind a foggy haze, her in his shirt. That's how Hunter woke the next morning. He'd put off sex with her parents in the house last night because of the close proximity and her usual inclination to scream out his name or him hers, but obviously she had other plans this morning.
"Is that my shirt?" He grunted into the air, gripping her ass as she rolled herself along his solid heat.
"Yes." Her moan was like music, a sexy raspy symphony. Irresistible with the right amount of mischief. Strong, yet quiet. Rolling her neck and offering an impish grin, she raked her nails down his chest as she ascended far past his expectations of what sex could be like. She'd, hands down, become the best he'd ever had. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, his toes curled. He was close to the abyss, he couldn't let it end this way.
In sweet surrender, she relented when he flipped her, landing her back beneath him, running his finger down her pink lips, driving into her. A seemingly endless round of thrusts got them to their destination, and he eased his mouth over hers to quiet the exclamations.
Out of breath, sated, and amazed he rolled off of her, planting his back into their pillows.
"Good morning, love."
"Good morning, Hunter." She kissed his neck.
"Wake me that way every morning."
"Is that an order?"
"A request."
"Maybe I can work something out." She shrugged.
They hadn't talked much since the car ride. They'd been with her parents the whole day. He was enjoying the simple times like these, where she could lay in his arms and do absolutely nothing. It was a beautiful thing.
"So what are your plans for today? I know you have something up your sleeve."
He smiled, gathering her tighter in his embrace, bringing her head to rest on his chest.
"I'm taking you skiing."
"And I've never done that before. I might not be good at it."
"Name one thing you've tried and couldn't do..." She was silent. "And besides I'm going to show you how."
"You're too good to me." She sighed into the air. "And not that I'm complaining, but why on earth would you bring me to a vacation and invite my parents? Kinda kills the mood if I wanted to walk around naked."
"First of all, I didn't know that was an option, secondly, I knew you missed them. We're on the road so much I figured when we got time off you'd want to relax, and having them here would help you do that."
"You sure know the way to a girl's heart, don't you?"
"I think I'm finding my way."
"I love you."
"And you're okay with that?"
"Loving you?" She sat up. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you're guarded. I know it's what I agreed to, and I was willing to give you all the time you needed."
"You didn't rush me. This has been a long time coming. We may have recently started sleeping together, but you've had what mattered for a long time now. If I get scared it's because this feels so right, and I don't have a lot of experience with right. You don't make me feel like I have to be anything but myself, and I'm not used to a man giving me that. It's why you can infuriate and encourage me the way you do. I'm not afraid to be myself or tell you when I don't like something. I don't fight with or for anyone the way I do with you. That means much more than some time limit."
He ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you too. So much more than you even know."
"Is it goofy that I just want to say it all the time now? I want to be so super outrageous at your matches and scream out that's my man. I might even get a T-shirt made."
"No. I love hearing it, and if you did any of that I can't say we'd make it out of the locker room."
"Are we going to be those people?" She chuckled. "Those love sick, matching outfit geeks?"
"We are. The world will just have to deal with it because I love nothing more than you in my clothes. It's a serious turn on."
She laid in his arms for a while longer and they just talked. He thought he'd been in love before, but it was nothing like this. He'd never felt like he couldn't breathe if they weren't in the same room before her. He'd never spent an entire weekend feeling like he'd had to do everything right to impress a woman's father before her, but he'd spent the next few days nervous that he'd somehow mess up this perfection they'd achieved. It was crazy, Ric had never made him nervous before. He'd also never entertained giving a woman something as special as the package he'd had his mother ship to his house before now. She was truly his first in every way that mattered.