THE QUEEN'S GAME

Chapter 31

Charlotte rolled over in bed. Her head was throbbing, her hair a ruffled mess, and her clothes were inexplicably missing. Rummaging through the cool sheets to see where they may have landed, her hand was greeted by the familiar sound of an opened condom wrapper.
"Oh God."
A sheet tightly wrapped around her otherwise unclad form as she jumped to her feet in complete distress.
"What did I do? I don't remember!"
"Well that's certainly not what a man wants to hear after a night like the one we just had."
Hunter.
How? When? Why?
He chuckled, taking in the obviously confused expression she was sporting. He seemed to be much more aware of what had transpired the night before. That was good because she was at a complete loss.
Brushing his teeth in nothing but a towel, looking sexy as sin, he watched as multiple thoughts fluttered through her head and then she settled on one.
"I called you?"
"Incorrect."
"So what, you just stalked me then?"
"Also incorrect."
He seemed to be having fun toying with her. "I'm never drinking again." She ran a hand through her hair, noticing her ring missing. "Oh, God! I—my—"
"It's right here." He held her ring up, the light caught the diamond and twinkled in her eye. It was too bright for five am.
"What the hell happened to me last night? I feel like I was hit by a bus, I'm a mess, I'm completely naked in every sense. What did I do?"
"You did a lot. But from what I can tell you enjoyed it. That counts for something, right?"
"No because I don't remember it. And why are you here?"
"I didn't think I needed an excuse to spend the night at this point."
"You don't, but I thought—"
"I have to leave soon before your dad notices I'm gone. The last thing I need is him knowing I defied his orders and snuck into his daughter's bed—again."
"Haha. Very funny, Hunter."
"I'm serious. I was under strict orders to not see you last night."
"Why?"
"Something about traditions or whatever."
"So how did you find me?"
"You called Adam."
"What? Why would I do that?"
"Because you ran out of singles and you wanted to tip the stripper boys. You told him you didn't want to interrupt me."
"Stripper boys?"
"Your words, not mine."
"And how did you intercept a call for Adam?"
"He was with us. I invited him. Once you called we made up an excuse and came to where you were. I put you in your limo after a crazy night, but then I once we got here I realized we were all booked at the same place."
"You and Adam hanging out? Now I really wish I could remember."
"He's not so bad. Once he got a girl of his own and realized mine was off limits that freed up space for us to be friendly."
"That's so manly of you, babe. So let's gets this straight. They booked us all in the same hotel but didn't want us to sleep together? That's insane."
"I think it was more about the location than anything. But how do you feel about this room?"
She glanced around, not at all getting why he was going with this line of questioning, but answered nonetheless.
"I love it. Apparently I had a lot of fun here. It would be great if I remembered."
"Yeah, no more drinking for you. Last night was phenomenal. The kind of night you always want to remember."
Now he was teasing her. He was being needlessly cruel.
"I want to punch you."
"Don't you always?"
"More than normal now."
"Keep talking dirty to me. I love that."
His line triggered something inside her. She had a sudden flash in her memory.
"Mmmhh, I love that, Hunter." Her arms snaked around his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist. She'd given up trying to control her impulses. Now she just wanted him to take her. Right there in the hallway.
"Tell me we didn't. Not in a hallway."
"No. Of course not. What kind of guy do you think I am? I took you out to the limo and stripped you there."
"Hunter!" She punched him. "Stop it."
"I don't think you realize just how convincing you were. We were lucky to make it that far."
"I really—"
"You had a great time. Besides I only tasted you in the limo." She blushed. "And you were delicious."
"Hunter, please. I'm trying to remember right now, not orgasm."
"You did that six times last night."
"Six?"
"Six." He grinned. "I guess you just had to be there."
"I was there," she sighed.
"Yeah, I have the scratches to prove it."
"So I know about the limo—where you obviously deprived me the pleasure of seeing you climax. So what about here? There are condom wrappers in the bed. We don't use those. I almost thought—"
"You almost thought what?"
"That I had been with someone else."
"Do you think about being with other people?"
It was a valid question, but it aroused rage within her. "Hell no. Why would I?"
"I'm just asking."
"Do you?"
"How could I? You give me more than most men can handle. I have no reason to ever think about anything or anyone else."
"That had better been the answer."
"Yeah. For you too. I'd cut his balls off and feed them to him."
"We're off subject. Tell me about how we got here."
"I walked down a hallway and there you were."
"Alone?"
"Trish was with you, but I talked her into letting me walk you back to your room."
Walk.
"You gonna carry me or am I walking?"
"I'll carry you. I need to get my practice in." He scooped her up and her arms wrapped around him.
"I'm so lucky you found me. My feet hurt."
"Well it's a good thing I love massaging them. Let me get you settled and I'll rub. But you have to shower first."
"I can't stand that long."
"I'll hold you up."
"You're always holding me up."
"You really are always there when I need you, Hunter."
"Where else am I supposed to be?"
"I don't know, but I love being the one that gets to have you."
"You're lucky that way."
Luck.
"We got lucky, baby. There is a standing shower and a jacuzzi tub. You want to soak or rinse? If we soak I can rub your feet there but with a rinse I can give you a full body massage on the bed."
"Soak." She turned the handle on the hot water. "And turn on the jets. I want to ride you with the water bubbling around us."
He chuckled. "Maybe we might try that later once you're a little less inebriated."
"You don't want to have drunk sex with me?"
"I'm not drunk, so it wouldn't be fair now, would it?"
"I won't tell. It can be our little secret." She threw her dress over her head and he inhaled sharply. He was trying to be a gentleman, she could tell, but it was becoming increasingly hard. Everywhere. "Take your clothes off."
"Charlotte—"
"Now, Hunter."
"Did you take your pills today?"
"I did." She answered quickly. "But if you're worried." She disappeared back into the room and returned with a condom in hand.
"Where did that come from?"
"My sister and the girls. They made us a care package. Apparently they think we have a lot of sex and want us to be safe."
"How many did they give you?"
"We could have sex twice a night for two years and still have left overs." She smirked.
She started to kiss his neck and he stuttered. "We don't use them that often."
"This one is special. It glows. Now I want you to make me glow, Hunter. All night."
"Damn." He hissed as she dropped to her knees.
"You didn't let me taste it in the limo. Even after I begged."
"No I diiidddn't." He stuttered as her tongue shot out. "Dammit." She watched as he closed his eyes before she took him all the way into her mouth.
"Oh my. I guess I really didn't give you much of a choice last night. Alcohol makes me a little crazy. Makes me want to play out all my fantasies when I consume it."
"I don't mind your fantasies one bit. They work out in my benefit."
"Our benefit."
She walked to him, pulled his towel apart and pressed herself against him. "You want to show me what else happened?"
"Tell, you mean?"
"No, I meant show."
"We don't have the time right now. I have to get back."
"My dad isn't the boss of you. I'd be more worried about leaving me here will all this newfound energy than his reaction to you not being in your own bed."
"Normally I'd agree, but today is different. I need to stay on his good side."
"My good side is much more important to secure."
"I had your good side. All night."
All night.
"Hunter!"
"Shhh, baby. You're so loud. You're going to wake the building. It's after two."
"You've been hitting that spot all night and it makes me—" She stopped. The vibrations of her pelvis took over. He thrust deep a few more times and she combusted, leaving nothing but sugary sweet nectar lining the third glow in the dark condom they'd tested. It was pitch dark and all she could see was his aroused member glowing as it slid out of her the last time.
"You really have to get some sleep now," Hunter warned. "You're going to feel awful when you wake up, and I kinda need you refreshed."
"Why? We're hanging out with family. I'm going to throw on some shades and act like I got at least three full hours of sleep instead of the one I'm planning to get."
"You can't be serious. Again?"
"Just lay back. I'll take care of the work. I've wanted you all night."
"I wanted you too, baby. Give me five minutes. Please, just five minutes. And while you're waiting—"
He eased down her body, bringing her legs to rest on his shoulders. Once his lips made contact with her, he really didn't need the reprieve. He seemed to be reinvigorated. He rolled her over and rode her into condom number four before they collapsed. They ended up getting a hour and a half of sleep instead of the one she'd promised.
"I think I just about remember it all now. The only thing I'm lost about is how you got my ring. I never take it off."
"We actually got around to the massages. They just weren't with oil, the chocolate and whipped cream, remember? We got sticky and you didn't want your ring to get dirty so I took it before things got too crazy. Hence why I needed a shower."
A blush tinted her cheeks. "We really did have quite the night."
"It was perfect." He kissed her forehead before slipping out of her embrace. "I left you some ibuprofen on the nightstand."
"Thanks, babe." She watched as he quickly got dressed in the clothes he had on the night before.
"You're really leaving?"
"You will see me soon. I promise. I just have some things to handle and I told you today is a day I need your dad to not be aggravated with me."
"Why is he so important? What about what I want?"
"Sweetheart, everything I do is always about giving you what you want. Even this."
"What is all this cryptic behavior about? You're not getting ready to tell me you have another wife, right?"
"Charlotte—really?"
"Bad joke. Sorry."
"You should be." He kissed her forehead and headed toward the door. "I love you."
"Love you." She managed to get it out before the door closed behind him.
Something was off about him. He'd never left her when she actively threw herself at him. She'd have to figure that out later. For now, sleep was calling. She swallowed the ibuprofen with the bottle of water he'd placed out for her and crawled back into bed. In the midst of their conversation he'd laid a shirt on the bed for her. Her favorite shirt of his. She slipped it on and drifted as soon as her head hit the pillow.
***
Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," Megan greeted as she entered Charlotte's room. Charlotte sat up quickly. Her head was no longer throbbing.
"What time is it?"
"Eleven. I tried to call you earlier, but I figured you needed to sleep it off. Besides, I thought I'd give Hunter time to sneak out undetected."
"How did you know?"
"I never really believed you'd go a night without him and I'm right next door. The walls aren't as thick as you'd think."
"We were very loud."
"You were, but I had a little company of my own, so I get it."
"Eewh—too much."
"No the things I heard last night were too much. I'm still processing the amount of mischief we got into. It's definitely a night none of us will ever forget."
"For a while I did." Charlotte laughed. "But Hunter jogged my memory. And now he's acting weird. I don't know what's up with him, but suddenly being cool with dad is more important than staying with me."
"He's just handling some stuff." She shrugged.
"That's the same thing he said. You know something. Spill."
"I'm under the strictest of orders to keep my mouth shut. But you need to get dressed. We have things of our own to do before we meet up with everyone."
"What things?"
"Hair and nail appointments. I also booked you a facial."
"Ummmh, thanks, I guess."
"You guess? We never get to do these things and I went out of my way."
"I'm really glad you want to do this with me. I'm just wondering if you're trying to distract me for some reason."
"No. I haven't had my hair done in New York before and I hear this guy is good, but if he messes me up at least I won't be the only one he messes up."
"Now that sounds about right. You want me to be a test dummy with you."
"Yes, I do. So get dressed and let's go."
Charlotte took a quick shower and readied herself for their day of beauty. Her mind was preoccupied the entire way to the hair salon. She just couldn't shake the feeling that Hunter was keeping something from her.
"Okay," Megan finally got her attention. "I've been talking to you for over five minutes and you haven't responded to a word of it. What's going on? You and Hunter okay?"
"We're good. We had such an epic night but he just left this morning, and I still wanted—well you know. He never just leaves me."
"Never?" Megan looked surprised.
"Never. The man is like he has an extra battery pack and I love that. But this morning, nothing. I mean I know we—well he might have been tired. But he's literally never tired."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is, but I guess I love being tired too." She laughed. "But I don't know. Something was different today. He kept talking about dad and—"
"That would have killed my buzz. No one wants to talk about dad when they're in that kind of situation."
"Not like that. Like I literally blacked out about most of the night and he was filling me in and I got all aroused and he shut me down saying that dad didn't want him with me last night. I really thought dad was over this crap about me and Hunter."
"Dad is over it. He's really over it, sis. So you mean Hunter didn't tell you anything about why he was acting so strange? Like nothing at all?"
"No." Megan looked away, and Charlotte could hear her curse under her breath. Obviously there was something all of them knew that she didn't. Now, she was starting to get aggravated. "What's going on? The truth."
"I think Hunter should fill you in."
"You're my sister. You have to tell me."
"Give Hunter a call. You might get him."
Charlotte looked at her questioningly and knew she'd be easier to crack than Hunter. "You're my sister. You're never supposed to lie to me. If something is going on I want to know about it. I think I deserve it after everything we've gone through over the past few years."
Playing on her heart strings, Charlotte saw when her expression changed.
"You wanted a small wedding, and you wanted it sooner rather than later. Hunter is making all that happen. He was supposed to tell you this morning, but I guess he chickened out. Later tonight you have an intimate ceremony planned with your closest friends and of course your family."
"How? How did he do all this? My mom isn't even here."
"She's back at the hotel. I thought they would have told you before now, but I guess the night didn't go as planned, so things got stalled."
"Stalled?"
"Hunter was never at a party. I was just distracting you. He was with your mom and dad putting the finishing touches on things. His friends were helping, but when you called he left to come to us."
"He's—"
"Madly and completely in love with you. He's been talking to us about everything you want since the day he proposed. He's been asking you little things and reporting them back to us. He had your friends getting whatever info they could and putting it all together to make this day as special as he could."
"Wow." She wasn't sure what to say. She knew he wanted things perfect for her, but she had no idea he'd do something like this. She was blown away and extremely emotional.
"But you can't say that I told you. This was his gift to you."
"Gift? It's his wedding too. It was never his job to take on all the responsibility. He must have been so busy and I completely missed it. It's supposed to be special for him too. He deserved the fun night I had—he deserved to get to enjoy this day like he's doing for me."
"He's going to enjoy it. Calm down. That's why we're here. He hasn't been alone in this. As your family, we volunteered to help. I'm just so glad," she teared up. "So glad that you met a man deserving of your love. When I think about all that other stuff I realize how close we came to losing you. I don't ever want to feel that way again. So no matter what it is, I'd drop anything for you."
"I love you." Charlotte hugged her. "I'm so sorry I scared you, but I'm better. My life is so much better."
"I know, baby. I know. I can see it in your eyes. And that lets me know you're ready."
"I never thought I'd be here with anyone, but Hunter is so different."
"Then marry him. Today."
"If he ever gets around to asking me," Charlotte laughed. "Who plans a surprise wedding in the middle of the week?"
"Your fiancé." Megan laughed. "You're in store for a lot of random sweet things, I suspect."
"I love that about him."
"Yeah, me too,"
"One question—how am I getting married with no dress or wedding license?"
"You have a dress, your mom picked it out. She said she had you look at some things a little while back."
"I had no idea that's what she was doing."
"And you signed papers for your license over a month ago. Hunter took care of it."
She'd remembered some papers he'd shoved into her hands a while ago. He'd told her it was to add her to the deed of their house. He really had gotten inventive.
"I remember. You guys are such sneaks."
"You just don't pay attention."
"He distracts me." She admitted. "He's good at that."
"I see." Megan smirked. "You're really getting married today."
"I am." Charlotte agreed. "To the best man I could ever have."
***
The girls got through all their grooming activities and Charlotte found herself in her hotel suite. She was pacing the floor, her nerves finally kicking in and Hunter still hadn't asked her yet. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe he'd changed his mind. She hadn't seen her dad or her mother yet. She was a complete mess on the inside.
A knock at her door shook her out of her thoughts. She carefully pulled it open, hoping to see Hunter or at least one of her relatives, but she was deflated, upon realizing it was only a flower delivery. Taking the flowers, offering a tip that was refused, she smiled quaintly and closed the door.
There was a card attached to the flowers, she pulled it out and read. A smile greeted her lips. Hunter.
A dozen roses carefully picked each petal as beautiful as the life we share. Get dressed for a special date, my love.
"That's it?" She threw her hands up. "Just say it."
Another knock came to the door, and she sighed, pulling the door open. This time a delivery guy handed her a small box, also refusing her tip.
Untying the ribbon on the box, she pulled the lid off and saw a beautiful diamond pendant necklace. It too had a note attached.
Diamonds are exquisite stones. You're my diamond. My light in the dark, my partner in everything. With you, every first will be my last. I want one last first dance. One last first kiss.
She was anticipating the next knock. Her heart was beating rapidly. She wasn't sure what to expect as her new note or gift, but she was ready. She was ready for this night. He'd thought it out so carefully and with so much meaning.
Pulling the door open she looked for her next delivery and didn't see anyone. She peered down the hall and nothing. Coming out of the room, she walked to the elevator and didn't see anyone near it. Giving up, she walked back to her room. Closing the door, she shrugged. Maybe he'd just meant for there to be the two things.
"You sure don't like surprises do you?"
She jumped, turning to find Hunter coming out of her dining area. He'd been sitting on the couch.
"I love them. Just hard to see what isn't there."
"I dropped something and went to pick it up and then you were gone. I hadn't planned to come in because well, you know what happens when we're alone in hotel rooms."
"Most of our relationship has been in a hotel room." She pointed out.
"True."
"So what did you drop?"
"This." He got on his knee in front of her, sliding a diamond and sapphire band around her ankle. "Something blue."
"Something borrowed—Megan's shoes. Something new—my diamond bracelet. Something blue—this gorgeous anklet. One would think we're having a wedding today. But then that couldn't be right. No one has asked anyone and then I'm looking right at you. You know, tradition and all that."
"I don't believe in tradition. I believe in forever. I would never send anyone here to ask the most important question of my life. Marry me, today?"
"I thought you'd never ask." Her earlier nervousness vanished as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hands finding a secure place around her waist was symbolic of the stability he'd given her. She knew she'd forever be safe in his arms. "Of course I will. I even happen to have the perfect dress."
"And I have the perfect location. It was almost as if this had been planned for months."
"Almost."
An hour later, Ric walked her down the aisle. The ceremony was as brief as she'd wanted, but they managed to sneak in a few meaningful moments—moments that defined their union. They'd rented out a small ballroom at Madison Square garden that held about 300 people, but only 100 were invited. Their closest family—their friends were the only people in attendance. It was perfect. They were finally man and wife.