THE QUEEN'S GAME

Chapter 29

"What do you love?" Hunter smoothed his fingers over Charlotte's fluttering porcelain skin. Her breathing was an inherent ragged mess. Her tongue sought out her plump pink lips as his mouth was mere inches away from the throbbing point of her pulse.
"I love you." She breathed out, audible only for his heightened ears. The rasp and imminent promise of ecstasy was thick between them. He could merely envision her moist insides melting for him.
"What do you want?"
"I—"
"No stuttering. What do you want from me?" His finger making small circles over her exposed skin seemed to trigger the desires she'd tried to suppress earlier in their hotel room.
She inhaled sharply, taking a second to glance around their flight. They were in first class with a few other passengers, but people could possibly see their little game. That was half the fun.
"Hunter." She licked her tongue out, leaning in to brush her sweet lips over his ear. "I want you to spread my legs and take me right here." The implications alone made his insides quiver. If he hadn't already been there, he was definitely ready for the wild ride she'd have in store for him. As soon as he found the time he was going to make her pay for the suggestion. She'd pay in screams. He was ready to taste them roll off her gorgeous lips.
"Right here?"
"Right here." She nodded. "I promise not to scream."
She was tempting. He'd been deprived of her delicious nectar the night before and he needed her. He craved her. He wanted her so much he was willing to ignore the risks and feast on her generous offering.
"You promise?"
Her sultry giggle invaded his ears and he closed his eyes. She could make him cum in one touch if she wanted. Gripping her thighs, he knelt in front of her.
"Hunter." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as his fingertips danced up her bare thighs.
Nibbling on her ear, he whispered. "Even if I believed you, we both know that's complete shit."
"What?"
"You get wet at the thought of screaming my name and clawing at my bare back. I love the way your legs wrap around me while I'm inside you. The breathless moans that turn into screams are one of my favorite parts. You know this and you'd never want to miss those moments."
She'd been teasing him, he knew. She had no intention of giving in to him, not here. But he'd enjoyed the fun he had making her think he'd played into her mischief.
"You never believed me did you?" She laughed coyly and pulled her legs together. The closeness, obviously effecting her.
"I believe you want to, but I knew you wouldn't do it here. It's not in you."
"In me?" Pushing him back into his seat, she pulled the plush throw they'd been sharing over her body that she placed between his open legs. Running her hand up the front of his pants, she carefully unzipped him and his pulse jumped. Her cool hands felt good against his heated flesh.
"What are you doing?"
"Putting something in me."
She was wearing a skirt and put her back to his chest. As much as he'd questioned why she left their hotel room in a skirt in this weather, he'd chalked it up to her loving her legs being on display. Now everything made sense.
"Charlotte. You can't."
"I'm going to." She moaned, quietly, slipping his newly freed rigid member into the place he'd been dying to feel again. "Uhh."
They had a semi secluded pod, but at any moment someone could walk by and catch them. He loved how thrilling this was. It fueled his animalistic lust for her.
Raising her hips as she swallowed him in her immensely moisturized core he kissed the exposed part of her neck. She kept her back pressed to his chest and with each rise and fall, he felt her unravel. This was his wildest dream come true.
He'd bite his lip when he wanted to shout. He'd shove a finger into her mouth when he felt her losing control. He held her closer when he felt his heightened pleasure peaking. And he'd closed his eyes tightly when he released inside her.
Her heavy breathing greeted his lips as she laid back to kiss him. The breath raced in and out of his lungs as he chuckled in quiet triumph. He'd waited his entire life for this feeling. To be completely and utterly happy with someone he'd build a life with. Someone that would give just as much as he would. His soulmate.
Settling her between his legs, he brushed the hair from her neck. He'd pulled himself out of her warmth and adjusted his pants and pulled her panties in place. She laid comfortably for a few seconds before sitting up.
"Where do you think you're going?" He pulled her back.
"I need to clean up." She said simply.
"Yeah, I can see the need for that." He laughed quietly, taking in the complete beauty before him. She was perfect.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Because you're amazing."
"You always get so sentimental after I give you my body." She smiled sweetly.
"Each time is an experience, but it's more than that. You surprise me each and every day."
"How so?" She seemed as if she really didn't know the impact she had on him.
"You honestly would never do things like this if it weren't for me. I know this time it was because you were trying to take my mind off of everything."
Her smile widened and she placed a tender kiss to his lips. "I always want you comfortable, and maybe I knew this would help, but when I have sex with you it's absolutely because I wanted it. I crave you in ways I never thought imaginable. I had every intention of denying you today, but you make me so crazy. I don't think I'll ever be able to say no to you. When you find that level of intimacy with someone, you become the person you always wanted to be. I've always wanted the freedom to be myself in a relationship, and you give me that. The me I've always envisioned myself being is outgoing and adventurous. She loves excitement but is also practical. And above all else she's happy."
Her explanation made him fall deeper, if that was even possible. Her being the woman she was made him feel free to tell her anything. To be anything she'd ever need.
He kissed her one last time and let her go. "Don't take too long. I'll come and get you if you do."
"You promise?"
He chuckled, loving the playful yet dangerous banter between them. "On my life."
"Oh, you're such a bad boy, Hunter. I love it."
"And I love you."
He watched as she walked away, tracing every crease and curve, marking every step until he was interrupted.
"Newlyweds?" A flight attendant greeted with a tray of snacks.
"Engaged." He blushed. "Is it that obvious?"
"Sex on a plane is risky, but I assumed you two were so excited about your honeymoon you just couldn't wait."
They'd been seen. He was embarrassed. "We normally don't—"
"It's fine. I get it. You're in love. Love makes you do things you otherwise wouldn't. And she's beautiful."
"I don't know what to say. I apologize for what you may have seen. We are usually more reserved."
"I didn't see anything. I was about to head back here and I saw you biting your lip roughly and she was leaning against you. I figured I'd give you guys a little time before intruding."
"Thanks for that." Hunter knew he wasn't hiding his embarrassment well. They probably looked like two horny teenagers.
"I love seeing love." She smiled. "Are you getting married soon?"
"As soon as she will have me." He quickly threw out. "I've been in love with her for so long it seems pointless to wait."
"Well I hope everything works out and that you're extremely happy. I figure she deserves it."
With that statement it dawned on him that the woman might have known who they were.
"You watch—"
"I've seen you two on tv. Most people assume the relationship is just for the show, but there was something about the way you looked at each other that told me it was real. Now I know I was on the right track. I thought maybe the engagement was a ruse for already being a married couple."
While he was glad people knew their love was real, another thought raced through him. No one could know about this, especially Ric.
"I appreciate the well wishes, but if you could—if the wrong people knew about this—"
"You don't have to worry about me. I see a lot working here, and I believe in letting people have their privacy. I won't tell a soul."
Looking into her hazel eyes, he felt comforted that she was being truthful. She almost looked like an older version of Charlotte. Warm golden blonde hair, green/hazel eyes, slender tall frame. Her demeanor was very calming.
"I appreciate you, and we will do our best to behave ourselves."
She simply smiled and walked away as Charlotte approached. The two shared a look and Charlotte took her seat. She was beaming.
"What was that about?" She leaned in, placing a surprisingly chaste kiss on his lips.
"Just a fan that recognized us from tv. She wanted to know if what we had was real."
He didn't want to tell her they'd been seen. It would probably freak her out. A little lie of omission couldn't hurt.
"What did you say?"
"I told her it was all for tv." He laughed and she joined in, laying comfortably in his arms.
"Good job. Throw them off the next time I want to have my way with you."
"Not that I don't enjoy joining the mile high with you, but let's save the rest of our activities for our hotel room when we land."
"Someone is squeamish." She joked. "Yeah, it was fun for a one time thing, but you're right about me."
"How?"
"I love the way I get to have you when we're alone. And with more space."
"More space could be amazing." He smirked.
"After we see your mom and make sure everything is fine," she whispered against his lips.
He didn't mean to, but his mood dropped. He had attempted once more to call and see what was going on with his mother with no response. He was doing his best to conceal the worry from her, but he was sure her perceptive eyes caught it.
"You haven't heard from her and I know that's scary. I'm sure we will get there and find that nothing is off. Maybe she's just embarrassed. So much has happened."
Hunter opened his mouth, but felt the plane lurch before he could speak and then an announcement that they would been landing soon came over the speakers. Their short flight was no longer a distraction from his issues. He'd have to face the music now.
"You don't have to say anything." She ran a hand across his stubbled face. "Not right now, anyway. Just relax and if you need I'll do all the talking."
He gazed into her eyes and sighed. "You truly are perfect."
"So I've been told." Her glorious smile relaxed him. Maybe she was right. Maybe things would be fine.
***
Hunter gripped Charlotte's hand tightly as they approached his childhood home. Her earlier bravado fading with each step toward the worn down house. He'd attempted several times to get his mother out of here, but she'd turned him down each time. He'd hated not being able to help her.
Outwardly trembling, Charlotte jumped when his mother's dog barked at her. Running a reassuring hand down her back he pulled her to him, placing a kiss along her temple. "It's fine. Don't be nervous."
"I'm supposed to be comforting you." She smiled sadly. "I'm sorry."
"You are. You're here."
While they shared a brief moment of contentment, a starling noise broke their reprieve. "What was that?" Charlotte's eyes roamed the dingy yard.
"Get behind me."
Hunter placed himself directly in front of her and surveyed the yard. He heard a slam and placed his finger to his lips to make sure she knew to keep her voice down. He made a few steps forward while looking around and ran into his mother, almost knocking her down.
Hunter had to calm himself down. She looked weary and broken. Her face also held a significant bruise that spread from her left eye down into her cheek. His pulse raced and Charlotte weaved her fingers through his, effectively deescalating his near blowup.
"What happened?" He couldn't force himself to ask more without completely losing it.
"You were never supposed to see me like this again. You were supposed to go on and live a life free of the burdens we placed on you as a young child."
"Mother?" Hunter asked a little harsher than intended. She flinched and that hadn't been his intention.
The tension was high, and just like she'd promised, Charlotte stepped in and soothed everything. "Mrs. Levesque, maybe we could all go inside. I could make some tea and we can talk."
Hunter chuckled quietly. "Baby, no offense, but you'd burn the water and tea bag."
Charlotte elbowed him in the side and he yelped, earning a grin from his mother. He'd been relieved to see a hint of joy in her eyes. Charlotte was already proving to be a bridge between them.
They made their way into the house, and he noted the apparent mess inside. It looked as if a fight had occurred, and he was sure the bruise on her face had been the end result. Slowly picking up her disrupted furniture, Hunter quietly began cleaning without a word spoken. Charlotte silently sought out the kitchen, more than likely giving him time to speak with his mother alone. He'd explained what a proud woman she was and that the explanation might need to come at a time she wasn't present.
Placing a hand on his back, she stopped him from continuing to clean. "I should tell you what happened. I feel as if I owe you that. I truly didn't expect you to show up here."
"How would you not expect me to? You left that cryptic message with Charlotte, completely freaking her out, and then we get a call that dad was arrested with a young girl in the car. There was no way I wasn't coming. So what happened?"
"Your dad got out, but I could still see the urge within him. He did well to hide his activities from me until I saw his browser history. He's been inside so long he didn't know that you could go back and search the history. When I did that, he went ballistic."
"That's when he hit you." Hunter nodded.
"Not immediately. He just stopped hiding who I already knew he was. He didn't even to to conceal it from me anymore. And his parole officer was useless. He didn't even follow up when I reported that he had been looking at children again. He didn't take me seriously."
"But I assume there is more, he got arrested. So what happened?"
"He came home full of liquor last night and I confronted him again about what he had been looking at. I had seen enough to know he was never going to change. I needed to protect everyone from him. I told him all of this and he hit me. I hit him back and he took off in my car."
Hunter felt a tinge in his chest. Something about what she said was giving him the sense that this had all been her plan.
"Mom, I don't know to ask you this, so I'll just say it. Did you set this all up?" She bit her bottom lip and he knew his suspicions had been correct. "What did you do?"
"There was this girl he'd been communicating with—I saw that he messaged her under his account and she replied. I knew he was headed to see her and called the cops."
Hunter had to compose himself. His father had gone back to his old ways with no regard for anyone else, and he was livid. "He could have done anything to her! What was he thinking?" He was yelling and she shook at his tone.
"I don't know. I—I called the police and gave them the address to where he was going to meet her."
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Anything could have happened. That would have been horrible. It would have been on me to fix it. I have to fix everything that ever goes wrong in this family! Can I ever have a moment of peace?"
He hadn't meant to, but he'd screamed out his real frustration. For years he'd felt the weight of his family on his shoulders. He hadn't meant to let it make him bitter, but somewhere along the way it had. He never had the luxury of just worrying about himself. He'd always had to provide for all of them. Even at a young age.
With a nod of her head, his mother placed her hand to her chin and just stared at him. He'd hurt her. Tears emerged in her eyes, and he could feel Charlotte's presence drawing nearer. She'd be disappointed in him, but he'd needed her.
The room was deathly silent, but Charlotte penetrated the tense moment. "I didn't burn anything, thankfully, but the lemon I sliced is a little worse for wear."
She handed them the cups, and his mother mustered up a smile. "It's fine. I was never much of a home maker. Hunter cooked most of his own meals as a child. I guess that was another one of those things he had to fix for himself."
"I never meant—"
She cut Hunter off with a swing of her hand. "You said what you meant. It was what you've been feeling for years. It's what I've felt since you began your career. I've always felt like more of a hindrance than a parent, and I don't want to continue to be a burden on you."
"You're not a burden. I didn't mean what I said. I was just frustrated."
"When you get angry, your truest self emerges."
Hunter felt like a complete asshole. He'd more than likely killed his chance of getting her to move closer. He really needed to work on his temper.
There was something that needed to be said, but he couldn't come up with the words. He wasn't thinking clearly, but luckily, he wasn't alone. Charlotte was there to step into the awkward moment.
"I think what we need here is a minute to reflect. Hunter, for as long as I have known him, has never spoken ill of you. He loves and cherishes everything you've ever done for him, and without you, he wouldn't be the person he is today. He wouldn't be the man I love and the future father to our kids. He takes the weight of the world on his shoulders, he does the same with me, even though I order him not to." Charlotte laughed, and Hunter felt a lot of the tension ease.
"He gets wildly passionate about everything." Charlotte continued. "And I'm constantly telling him that he's not alone to handle things. I'm here, we're here, his entire family is here. The family he was born with and the family that has formed due to our love for him and our devotion. You are a huge part of that. Don't ever feel as if we aren't or won't be here for you."
"I don't want to stand in the way of your happiness. I've already let enough harm come to my son. This is the best thing I can do for both of you."
"No." Charlotte shook her head. "The best thing you can do for us is be an active part of our lives. We want you at holidays, we want you at our wedding, shopping trips for you and me, and dinners whenever Hunter doesn't feel like cooking for us," she joked. "And we can only do that if you're near us. We'd actually like to have you closer to us if you'd allow us to do so."
"I don't know what to say."
"Say you will allow us to do this. Hunter worries so much about you being here alone. It stresses him out more than anything, and it would be a relief to the both of us."
She looked as if she was weighing the options, but ultimately, she agreed. "Before, I didn't want to take more than I already had from him. I know the first few years of his career the majority of his money came here, and I felt awful. I never wanted him to feel as if he had to sacrifice things for me."
"Those days are long gone," Hunter spoke. "We have more than enough resources to make sure that all of us are taken care of. I didn't mean to say that you are a burden because I have to take care of you. It just gets stressful knowing that you won't allow me to do the one thing you need the most. I've been doing a lot to work on me and what I feel about everything that happened here, but I also don't have to be reminded of it every day by being in this house. You do. I know it has to be something that eats away at you just from being here. You need the same fresh start I gave myself."
"I don't want to be in the way."
"We're on the road most of the year, but when we need a safe haven to come back to we have our home. We've been trying to be there as much as we can, and it would feel amazing to be able to spend the time we have off with family. We get to see my parents pretty often, and I really want that for Hunter. He misses you. We would make sure that you had your privacy, but wouldn't it be amazing to be able to get to know each other better? I'd think of it as an honor."
She smiled and Hunter gave Charlotte's hand a gentle squeeze. She'd really been amazing in this situation. She had the words he wished he could have communicated. And his mother seemed to be in love with her. Most people that got to know her suffered this fate.
"Getting to know you would be my pleasure."
Charlotte beamed. She had been so nervous all the way over to the house, but in the end she was his salvation. He just stared at her, so thankful for her presence in his life.
"Well then it's settled. We would love to have you while we search for the perfect house. We have to get back on the road soon, but we can make time to find something that fits in a few weeks. Or you could absolutely look without us and we can make a decision when we get home." Hunter wasn't sure she would accept this offer, but he'd at least try. He'd really put his foot in his mouth before.
"Only if you're sure about this, and Charlotte, I don't want to be an inconvenience. You're newly engaged, you need your space."
"I'm sure."
"I'd need a few weeks. I have loose ends to tie up before I can pick up and go."
"That's completely fine." Hunter rushed to say. "Whatever you need. I'd like to send people to pack your things here and have them ready for the move. Would that be ok?"
"If you don't mind, I'll be leaving most of these things behind. I don't think I need the reminders if I'm going to have that fresh start you talked about. I'd also like to look for work before I come. I want to be able to take care of my daily needs and furnish my house."
"I have that. You don't have to worry about anything," Hunter assured.
"No, son. This is the one thing I won't compromise on. I need to contribute something to this."
"It's not necessary." Hunter didn't want her working. He had millions of dollars he would more than likely never touch. It was all for her.
When the room began to grow tense once more, Charlotte once again intervened. "As a housewarming gift, I'd like to provide your furniture. And before you say no, I'd like to point out the fact that this would be my first gift to you, and I'd be devastated if you didn't accept."
She appeared to be mildly annoyed, but once again she conceded to Charlotte's wishes. She seemed to be just as powerless to her charm as Hunter was. He could only laugh in response.
"I don't want anything expensive. And you have to allow me to take you to lunch as a thank you."
"I accept." Charlotte stuck out her hand.
"We're family, we don't shake hands, we hug." She pulled Charlotte into an embrace that clearly surprised her, but she grinned from ear to ear once she pulled back. "My son is such a lucky man to have you."
"I'm the lucky one," Charlotte affirmed. "No one has ever loved me more or treated me better than your son. He's the love of my life."
"I'm so happy to hear that." She touched Charlotte's cheek. "So very happy."
Charlotte was glowing, and Hunter loved that the two most important women in his life were able to have this moment. And maybe with some work he'd be able to recover his close relationship with his mother.
"Oh, my God. I truly can't wait for the embarrassing stories about when he was growing up," Charlotte squeaked. "He's always so serious, but I bet you have some great ones."
"I'll have to tell you about the time he decided all baths should be clothed. He was in that phase for quite a while. But he outgrew it, thankfully."
Charlotte smirked and looked back at Hunter as she took a seat. "Yeah, thankfully."
Hunter found a seat and picked up his glass of tea. This was going to be long and torturous for him. But it would also be one of the best days he'd ever had because it just solidified what he already knew—she was perfect for him.