THE QUEEN'S GAME

Chapter 26

"So, what did she say?"
"Don't talk about that here." Hunter hurried Billy out of his home gym while Charlotte lifted. "Charlotte, I need to step out for a second. You need anything?"
"No." She wiped the sweat from her brow. "Just get back here soon. You're supposed to be spotting me."
"I won't be long."
"Okay, babe."
He watched her for a second as she went back to work and a grin crossed his lips. She was extremely dedicated. She had to be. She was going to be in WrestleMania. She'd won her belt back on Smackdown and was now concentrating on her next step. They'd come back to Connecticut after this week's Raw to spend a few days at home.
"Hunter," Billy called out to him. "Get your ass out here before I come back in."
"I'm on the way." He tossed Charlotte one last glance—she was completely oblivious to Billy's presence.
Hunter approached and Billy started right in. "So?"
"So what? And what are you doing here?"
"I'm spending some time at home just like you. So, what did she say? What was last night like?" It had been two weeks since the fake proposal and the subsequent day where Charlotte left and reappeared in the middle of the night. He'd discussed the topic of getting engaged with Billy before that night spiraled. After that they'd had the discussion once again.
"Last night was a normal night. We had dinner and spent time together."
"You're always spending time together. Did you ask?"
"No, I didn't."
"Coward."
"It wasn't right. It has to be perfect. And who says it has to be now? We're in a good space."
"They're calling you cheap in the media blasts."
"What?"
"She's walking around without a ring on her finger. They don't care that she "asked" you. You're still the man and she should be wearing a ring. And guess what you have? A ring. Give her the damn ring."
"It's my grandmother's ring. I can't give her that for this."
"Why not? You love the girl, don't you?"
"You know I do."
"And you've already asked her parents for their blessing, right?"
"Yes."
"Then what the hell are you waiting on?"
"She's not like most women that go all crazy over a title and pretty jewelry. Me giving her that ring has to mean something. It has to mean forever."
"Then make it mean forever."
"She's not ready."
"She's ready. She asked you to marry her on tv."
"And then she disappeared."
"Did you even ask why?"
He hadn't. He didn't want to push and that next morning when they woke neither of them brought it up. They'd happily existed in their little bubble, but the topic was never touched.
"I've never seen a man more afraid of his own woman than you. Stop tip toeing around shit. If you want to marry the woman get off your ass and make it the time."
"I can't make her be ready for something. She has to feel it."
"And if she doesn't? What if she never does?"
"Then I'll have to be fine with that."
"You will never be fine with that. You want all these things, you can't live without them. A wife, kids, the constant knowledge that you have someone there with you. It's what you crave."
He wasn't wrong. He'd needed those things, and he knew Charlotte would be there one day. He just didn't want to rock the boat. They'd finally gotten to the point of being a normal couple and he was enjoying the bliss.
"Well if you won't give her that ring, give her something. At least sell your story, since work is the only thing you're not too chicken shit to confront."
Billy left him and Hunter looked inside to see Charlotte still diligently working. She hadn't let up. He'd watched her for a bit until he heard her yelp and ran in her direction. She was holding her ribs when he reached her.
"What's wrong? What all hurts?"
"I think I pulled a muscle or maybe just caught a cramp. It will be fine. I'll give it a few minutes."
"Nope. You're done for the day. Pack it up, let's go."
"Hunter..."
"Charlotte. You're done. You're not risking your health to meet some imaginary checkpoint. You were more than likely overdoing it anyway."
"Fine, dad."
"Don't do that. You know I'm just looking out for you."
"I know."
"Then humor me. Besides, I can cook you a nice meal and we can hang out in front of the tv."
"We never do that."
"Exactly. Let's try something new." He kissed her forehead and lifted her from the ground.
"I shower while you cook?"
"We could do that, or if you're not extremely hungry we could share a shower."
"We could do that. But you have to remember I'm not supposed to be working out. Your orders."
"Since when is showering a workout?"
"When I started taking them with you. They're more physical than any weight lifting I could ever do."
"Today will be different. We're going to just shower and then I'm going to let you rest on the couch while I spoil you."
"I don't think it's serious enough to stop our fun."
"There will be other times. Many other times."
"You're so strict when you're in dad mode." She sighed and he sniggered, carrying her to their room. He'd all but convinced her to move in. They spent time there when they weren't on the road, and they'd finally christened the bed and various parts of the house.
Approaching the shower he lowered her feet to the floor and opened the door. He undressed himself and stripped her clothes away, taking long gazes at her perfect body. She'd toned up in all the right places. Motioning for her to step inside, he reached around her to turn on the water.
"You first." She stood behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest. He let the hot water soothe his muscles and felt when she pressed herself against his back. It was cute, she was tall, but his height eclipsed hers. Her chest was on his mid back and he fought all urges to have her.
"How are you getting clean if I'm blocking you?"
"The water is hitting me. I'm very wet, actually."
Her double meaning didn't go unnoticed. He was fighting with very little resistance. "Good, but it's better this way." He pulled her in front of him and folded his arms around her abdomen. He cursed under his breath, no longer being able to hide the fact that he wanted her. She felt it.
"If I promise to let you do all the work will that gain me any points?"
"Charlotte..."
"Please?"
She turned to face him, and the last ounce of restraint he had flew out of the window. Grabbing her chin, he brought her lips to his as his other arm snaked out around her hips. Her slick body slid against his as he drove into her. She'd let out a deep breath as he moved and locked her arms around his neck. Her back hit the shower wall and he pounded her.
Sweet exhalations fell from her lips as she alternated between biting and licking them. His thickness toyed her internal pleasure points and dominated her reactions with precise strokes while his hands just held her.
She felt great, as always, and her eyes were closed as she chanted his name. He'd felt powerful and powerless all at the same time. She'd always be able to get him here and he'd always be able to take her on the ride she'd desperately wanted.
Pulling her head into the stream of water, he stared at their state. Him driving in and out of her, her body clinging to his for the promise of deeper ecstasy, and nothing but water and steam between them. He could have this forever if he only dared to ask. He would. He'd do it as they shared the most natural time together. Like Billy said, there would never be a perfect moment, just the perfect woman. She was it.
The water turned cold when they finally hit their peaks in unison, it was the first time they'd gone together in a while which symbolized more than she knew. An enamored smile graced her face as he kissed the side of her head and wrapped her in a towel.
She'd dried herself off, watching him as they wandered through their room. When he'd finally worked up the courage to inquire about her thoughts, a call came in on his phone in the other room, stopping him.
He raced off to answer as she stayed behind, getting dressed. The call was nothing, just questions about work, and when she called out to him requesting to wear his socks, he absently agreed. She loved his socks, she said they were thick and warm. Her feet were always cold.
Running through a few details, he froze. His sock drawer. He'd ended the call when he realized his blunder. Joining her in the room he realized he was too late. She'd found his ring box. She was staring at the diamond he'd meant for her hand.
"Charlotte, I..."
"No, it's fine," she spoke. He thought he sensed sadness in her voice. He'd thought he sensed a lot of things lately. Like the night she'd almost spent with Chyna, he'd dreamed she told him that her proposal was serious while lying on his chest. He'd known that wasn't real. Especially with the way she was staring at him now.
"I get it." She'd spoke again before he could respond. "It's for the story, right? I know people have been talking about me not wearing a ring." She looked at it again and he knew he didn't imagine it this time. Sadness. "It's really pretty, Hunter. It looks so real."
Replaying the last two weeks over in his head, he analyzed every move they'd made. She'd be happy and as soon as the "engagement" was mentioned this look would wash over her. She was fine that night until he explained his reason for proposing, and finally, when she'd asked in the ring, he didn't see sadness or even fear. She was happy. Her smile. The first time he'd told her he loved her, when he'd taken her on the first date, when he'd told her she was his world, it was the exact same smile. Her real smile.
He was a jackass. He hadn't scared her. He'd hurt her. It wasn't a dream. She'd tried to tell him. She'd asked him to marry her and he turned it into a work stunt.
"Here you go." She handed him the box once she'd obviously grown tired of his silence. "Just let me know when I need to start wearing it."
She'd tried to walk away, but he stopped her. He held her hand as she turned her head. He could tell she was attempting to hold back tears. It was worse than he'd imagined. "Baby, look at me. Please. This is for you. It was always for you."
"I know. It's just silly to wear it now. I can put it on when we go out."
"No."
"No?"
"Once you put this on it stays on forever. I wanted to do this in a special way, I agonized over how it should go and how to make it perfect, but what's more perfect than making sure you know that I heard you?"
"I'm not sure what you mean."
"That night in the ring, I know. I hate that it took me so long, but I know."
"You don't have to do this. I heard you talking to Billy about how things would never be the same between us again. I understand. I know that you love me but that so much has transpired. I won't force you to keep that promise. You made it before everything happened." A tear slid down her cheek and he just held her hand.
"No. You don't get it. I was talking to Billy about proposing to you. I said we would never be the same because if you said yes we'd be the happiest people in the world, but if you said no I'd have to find a way to change your mind. I've been trying to find a way to ask without messing things up. I want to marry you. How much of our conversation did you hear?"
"Not all of it, apparently. I ran away once I heard that brief part. I couldn't bear the rest. I was afraid you'd realized you didn't want me."
"Don't be silly. I'll always want you. The night I came to you in the shower, the night I finally got to make love to you, I told myself "I'm going to marry her." I didn't know when or where, but I knew. It's just something you know when you've found the right person. You're the love of my life. The fact that you asked me means so much. I'm turning you down, though."
"Hunter..."
"The first time I said I loved you I had the ring sent here because for me the only next step was making sure I kept you in my life forever. I couldn't live without you."
Her hand was trembling. "When we broke up I'd look at the ring and wonder if I was ever going to get my wish. I'd wonder if I'd blown my dreams or if by some miracle you'd come back because I needed you so much."
He'd gotten on his knee. "When you came back, I wanted to make sure our bond was stronger than ever. I thought it would take longer, but we had so much happen in so little time and there was nothing left standing between us. After we saw Madisyn, I asked your parents if I had their blessing. Your mother agreed instantly and your dad asked me a question and told me to think before I answered."
"What question?"
"He asked if I was ready to be your protector, your best friend, the person you sometimes hate, and the person that gives my entire world to you, and the person who stood by you always, because if I wasn't I needed to leave and never ask for his blessing again."
"What did you say?"
"That I was already trying to be all those things and that my world belonged to you because it raced through your veins. Everything I am and ever hope to be begins and ends with you."
She smiled through her teary gaze. "And let me guess, he threw you out."
"No. He gave me a hug and told me to take care of his little girl because she was going to be my wife. He said he couldn't think of a better man for you, but if he did he'd send him your way before you said I do."
She laughed. "You're not just saying this to make me feel like less of an idiot?"
"I'm the idiot for not knowing. I should have asked what was bothering you rather than avoiding it because I didn't want to mess up again. I'm sorry I hurt you, but hear me when I say this is all I've wanted since you came back into my life. This is my grandmother's ring, she held onto it until I found the woman I knew would wear it as a symbol of our love. It's been in our family and passed down for generations. I had it altered a little to fit you. This ring is important to me and I'd only give it up once I was completely sure I had the right woman. You're it for me. The only person that matters. My beautiful baby, love of my life, will you marry me?"
"Yes, Hunter. Yes."
"Yes?" He breathed out, unsure if he'd heard her correctly.
She slid the ring onto her finger. "Seriously?" She pulled him from the floor. "Get up. Please."
She wrapped her arms around his neck as soon as he was on his feet. Hot tears rolled down his neck, and he was so nervous. He needed to make sure he hadn't done anything wrong.
"I know it's not ideal—I'm going to make this up to you."
"You have nothing to make up for," she assured him. "You really have no idea, do you?"
"No idea about what?"
"I've been agonizing over this ever since I asked. I wanted to bring it up, but I wasn't sure how. I've loved you every minute of my adult life, and I can't imagine any moment without you by my side. I need you, Hunter."
"I need you too. We're really doing this? This is what you want?"
"It's what I want." A smile engulfed her features and he held her tightly against him. "I love everything about you."
"And I love every moment I am lucky enough to spend with you."
Relinquishing her body, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, he stared at her before lacing his fingers through her warm hand. Nothing felt more right. He wished he'd done this a long time ago.
"Hunter, I— I'm so happy."
"I know. It doesn't feel real."
"I never thought I'd be twenty-five and engaged. Least of all to you."
"Least of all to me? What does that mean?" He was curiously awaiting her answer.
"I never thought we'd be together. I thought it was just a crush that would wear off at some point. But when it never did, I thought it would be just me—in love with you and you never loving me back. Not in that way."
"I love you more."
"I know that now. The world will know soon enough."
"The world, huh? Well we might want to start off with our family and friends. Your dad is gonna love this."
"Knowing you want to marry me and knowing we're engaged are two different things. I don't know."
He lifted his phone and dialed Ric's number, waiting for it to ring. Once he got an answer, he blurted it out. "She said yes."
Ric sounded confused. "Yes?"
"Yes." Hunter repeated, his smile growing.
Ric sighed, Hunter feared the worst but was surprised by the loud exclamation in his ear. Ric congratulated him and asked what took so long before requesting to speak to his daughter. Hunter said his goodbyes and passed her the phone and just watched how she lit up talking to her parents while describing the ring on her finger.
He'd realized this was the perfect moment. There would never be one greater. Not until he heard her say I do.
***
"Oh, God." Charlotte smacked against a shelf in the refrigerator, spilling chocolate sauce from their previous cheat snack all down her neck.
"Ummmh." Hunter latched onto her neck. "That's going to be pretty messy to clean up."
She'd been bending over in the refrigerator, looking for a bottle of wine when he grabbed her after dinner. The mood seemed to strike almost instantaneously when they were alone. He couldn't even be bothered to close the refrigerator doors. He took her right there.
"My legs are freezing and my ass is cold." Her eyes rolled into the back of her head when his hands dipped and cupped her cool cheeks. "Hunter." She hissed, biting her lip as he lunged forward.
He lifted his head from her chocolate stained skin. "Better?"
"Much—uhhh." He pulled her from the refrigerator and kicked the door with his foot as he spread her over the counter. "So much better."
"Good."
He pulled her legs further apart and gripped her neck as he rode her hard and deep while slithering his tongue over her sticky skin. Her knees buckled against the counter and her nails dug into his skin. Liquid ecstasy dripped between them as he made her orgasms flow into a constant pool of pleasure.
"Hunter, I—"
"Shhhh." He ran a finger down her pink lips. "Just enjoy it."
With one last thrust of his hips, high pitched moans pierced his ears. The sound was glorious. The feel of her was immaculate. He'd lost all train of thought as pleasure ebbed at his consciousness. It was better than the time before. It just kept getting better with each passing day.
Wrapping her arms around him, Charlotte exhaled. "What was that?"
"You left the refrigerator door open and I was simply helping you close it."
"That was much more than closing a door."
"Well, yes, but to my defense, you are walking around in panties and one of my T-shirts. Who could resist that?"
"You're insatiable."
"You're irresistible."
She tried to come off the counter, but her knees shook. He smiled as he picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"You think it's funny, huh?"
"Me making love to my fiancé so well she can't stand? No, baby, that's magic."
"Magic, huh? How much magic have you had here? What about in our bed? I won't get upset, but how many women have you been with in this house?"
She hadn't asked before now, he thought maybe she just didn't need to know outside of Stephanie. They'd never discussed how many sexual partners the other had. He knew her number was significantly lower than his, but he really didn't want to know. He assumed she didn't either, but maybe the engagement changed all that.
"I've never had sex with anyone here besides you. No other woman has slept in our bed." He'd said it with absolute certainty. He'd dated and had sex since Stephanie, but he'd never brought them home. It was always a cheap hotel fling and gone by the next morning.
"Why not?" She was curious and he knew they needed to hash this out. Maybe it would make them even stronger, if that was even possible. He carried her to their room and placed her on the bed gently. She slid up to the headboard and he joined her.
"Well, before you and after—after the other stuff," he was careful not to say names that could possibly enrage her. "I just never found anyone worth knowing long enough to bring that far into my world. You're the only woman I've ever been with that's even met my mother."
They'd met years ago before their romantic relationship began, but he'd been in love with her even then. His mother saw it. She mentioned it to him and he shrugged it off.
"You never really let people get too close to you."
"There were always parts of me I wasn't comfortable with. I don't do well with sharing those."
"You let me in."
"You forced your way in." He smirked. "I'm just powerless to deny you anything."
"I want to go and see her."
"Who?"
"Your mother." He swallowed hard. He loved his mother, they were close, but there were things about her he hadn't shared.
"We can do that, but no time soon."
"Babe." She sat up and he could still see chocolate on her skin. Out of instinct, her kissed her neck, halting her speech. "Stop that." She purred into his ear. "I'm serious, I'm going to be her daughter-in-law, and I can't help but to think she doesn't like me. She barely said two words when we met. I know I can make a better impression this time."
She was sweet to want to try, but she was beating herself up for no reason.
"Baby, she loves you. She is the one who sent me the ring to propose to you. She got it from my grandmother for me."
"Then, I don't know. Why was she so standoffish when we met?"
"She was ashamed."
"Of what?"
"Your family has so much and we had so little. She was intimidated by your parents and she also felt bad that I support our entire family. It eats away at her."
"Oh, I had no idea. I'm sorry if we seemed snobbish. I tell my parents not to discuss money and social standing at dinner. You know none of that matters to me."
He touched her hair. "I know it doesn't. I've tried—over the years—she won't move out of her house because she says it's the only honest thing my father did. She won't spend a dime of the money I got from the settlement. I just don't want you to see where I come from and feel like you're marrying into something you don't want to be a part of."
"Shut up."
"Huh?"
"You're so ignorant to think I'd ever respond that way to anything about your past."
"That's a little harsh."
"No it isn't. I'm not some vapid princess with an American Express card and no sense. I work for my money as well. My dad took care of me as a child, but my entire adult life I've taken care of myself. I drove to work in a busted up Hyundai that I paid for with my own money—I'm not a stranger to wanting to do things for yourself."
"I know but—"
"No buts." She ran her finger down his lips. "As long as she doesn't hate me, I'll weather through anything. Even if she did hate me I wasn't going to stop until she loved me."
"You would do that? Why?"
"Because we're family. You're my family and she's yours. You endured my father and his incessant rambling about how you weren't good enough for me, and I was prepared to do the same because I'm not going anywhere."
He smiled, running his fingers through her hair. "I'll see what works for everyone and book us flights."
"That's more like it." She looked around the bed and sighed. "So about this bed."
"What about it?"
"I'm really the only one?"
"Yes."
"The refrigerator?"
"No one else."
"The walls?"
"Which walls?"
"All of them."
"The only one." He nodded.
"The—"
"Charlotte," he stopped her. "The only one. No one else."
"Babe, I have tons of other places."
"And they're all yours." He loved the grin she displayed. "You can be so challenging at times."
"I just want to know everything."
"You will."
"I have time," she tapped the ring. "All the time in the world."
"That you do." He pulled her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "You know we have to shower again, right?"
"I'm fine with that. Now that I know your—our shower is pure you can take me there anytime you want."
"I said shower."
"And you know what my showers consist of." Her smirk was adorable and the way he couldn't stop starting at her was entrancing.
"How many kids do you want?" That was out of nowhere, but he knew they needed to discuss these kind of things at some point.
"I've always wanted at least two, maybe three. You?"
"At least two, maybe five."
He coughed. "That's a jump."
"I love kids. I want a house full."
He looked around and nodded. "We have the room. I mean, that's if you want to live here. I never really asked."
"I like it here. It's a beautiful place."
"But?" He knew there was a but.
"It just feels like your place that I'm visiting. It doesn't quite feel like my home yet."
"How can I change that? What do you need me to do, or should we just look at selling his house and buying a new one? I want you to feel comfortable."
"I told you, I love this house. Just get your crap out of the right side of the closet. That's mine. At that point I'll feel just like I'm home."
He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "I can do that. Anything else?"
"I get to pick a room for when you make me so angry I don't want to sleep next to you."
"I don't ever want to think about those nights."
"But they're going to happen. We're not always going to get along, but I don't want to leave, not like I've done before. I'm staying in this house, but you're not allowed to touch me."
"I can look but not touch? Cruel."
"And you will deserve it on that day. But I never want to leave you again. I hate it when I'm not near you."
"Even when you don't like me?"
"Even then." She grabbed his face and stared into his eyes. "I don't want things to ever get to the point where one of us wants to leave. I don't want to leave."
Tears dropped down her face and he smoothed them away. "What's wrong?"
"I left you before. What if I—"
"You won't," He cut her off. "You won't."
"But my dad, before my mom he wasn't one to stick around. What if I'm the same way?"
"You aren't. Baby, you've come back to me in times when anyone else would have walked away for good. You're not him. And we're solid."
"I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because if you try to leave I'll find you. If you get unsure I'll be there to explain any and everything. And if you need anything it's yours. I'm willing to be as unselfish as I need to be to make our life together amazing."
She slid into his arms, resting her head against his bare chest. "Thank you for putting up with my crazy."
"Always." He stood with her in his arms. "Now, to get you all cleaned up."
He tossed her over his shoulder and her laughter engulfed the room. "Babe, stop." Her laughter compounded when he smacked her on the ass.
"Don't worry, I won't."
"Won't what?" She choked out.
"Stop. I know you'd never seriously ask that of me and I'd never deprive you."
"You're so sweet."
"And you're so all mine."
He carried her to her shower and turned the water on for the second time that day. They talked in the shower, laughed even, and when they were done, they talked even more in bed. She fell asleep on his chest and he'd slipped out some time afterward to make a call. One that was way past due.
"Mom, we need to talk."
"Yes, Hunter, we do. Your—"
Her voice trailed off and was replaced with another that he never thought he'd hear again. "Hunter, hello."
"Dad," he sighed. "What the hell are you doing out?"