Huntsman by Cambria Hebert
45
Virginia
“Did you sleep well?”
His gruff voice tickled my ear even through the phone. Chills raced over my body, prickling my skin, making it hum with awareness.
It wasn’t even eight in the morning, yet he woke my body in a way no one had before—not even me.
“My room at Ivory’s is very comfortable,” I told him. In truth, I lay awake half the night, longing for his touch and replaying everything that happened. “What about you? How’s your shoulder?”
He made a dismissive sound, and the chills tingled my scalp. “I’m fine.”
“I’ll have Neo bring me over soon,” I said, knowing he wouldn’t tell me even if he were in pain.
“No.”
My stomach bottomed out. He doesn’t want to see me? “No?”
“Fig and his merry band of morons are coming by to ask me a thousand questions. I don’t want you involved.”
“Oh.” Did that mean he was just trying to protect me? “Well, what about after?”
“After, I’ll come to you.”
“You will?”
He sighed, his voice gentling. “Did you think I didn’t want to see you?”
“You sounded grumpy.”
“I always sound grumpy.”
“Well, usually, I can see your face, and I know you don’t mean it.” I defended, feeling kind of silly.
“My face is always grumpy too.”
“Not to me.” If my voice was smaller than before, I pretended not to notice.
Of course, he wasn’t that polite.
He sighed again. I could almost see him scrubbing a hand over his face. I wondered how much stubble had grown on his jaw overnight and if it was rough against his palm.
“There will never be a time when I don’t want to see you, sweetheart.”
My heart fluttered. Lips curling in on themselves, I smiled secretly.
“Okay?” he pressed, though his voice was soft.
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to adjust you in your sleep last night. Is your body feeling okay after everything?”
“I miss you,” I blurted out, feeling my face heat even though no one was looking at me. Physically, I was fine, but mentally… I longed for him.
I wanted his arms. His voice. The scent of his skin. Despite how close we’d grown, we were still too far apart. I wanted more. Needed it.
A low growl vibrated my ear, and then the rest of me vibrated too. The hand clutching the phone tightened, and my other pressed against my middle.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” His voice was husky. All I could think about was kissing him.
“Call me if you need anything,” I said, completely breathless.
“That’s my line.”
“Hurry,” I whispered, then ended the call before I could sound any more desperate.
The phone went off again before I even put it down.
“H-hello?” I answered, heart beating wildly.
“You’d better be ready for me when I get there, sprite, because I’m coming for you, and nothing—and I mean nothing—will keep me away.”
This time, he hung up first.
The phone dropped into my lap, and I released a shuddering breath. The want he pulled out of me was shocking. For so long, I wasn’t sure I could feel… desire.
Obviously, I’d thought longingly of kisses, physical closeness, and of love. But I worried having no feeling below my waist would inhibit my sex drive, would inhibit even the natural want of someone else’s body. And that, in turn, would mean I might never find true love.
The kind of love where the bonds of physical and mental connection fused, where two bodies melded into one for extended amounts of time. I worried so much there might be a disconnect for me.
But the way I felt now—soneedy—I thought maybe there was a chance. A chance to connect with him completely. On every level. In every way.
And with those powerful feelings came fear. What if we tried and it didn’t work? What then? Would he walk away from me, and if he didn’t, would I be strong enough to shove him away? The last thing I wanted was for Earth to be bound to someone who couldn’t satisfy him because he was too loyal to leave.
I might have been young, inexperienced, and sheltered, but I wasn’t stupid. Sexual compatibility, sexual satisfaction was a big part of a relationship.
What if I couldn’t deliver?
I already knew he could. He proved it the first time he even tried.
Nerves knotted inside me, warring with the excitement his dark promise elicited. There was a swift but gentle knock on my bedroom door, and despite its friendliness, I jolted.
“Come in!” I called, heart all the way in my throat.
Ivory let herself in, looking fresher than anyone had a right to this early in the morning.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning,” I chirped back, hoping I looked and sounded half as enthusiastic as she.
Her bright-blue eyes narrowed a bit, hands coming up to rest on her slim hips. Ivory was tiny, so I don’t know how she pulled off the wide-legged jeans or how the high-waisted style didn’t swallow her narrow midsection whole, but she managed to look perfect in them and the cream lace tank top tucked into the waistband.
Her small bare feet were practically invisible beneath the wide hem, but a couple red-painted toes peeked out when she shifted.
“What’s the matter?”
“What?” I squeaked. “Why would anything be the matter?”
A look of horror flashed in her eyes. “Is Earth okay? Did something happen at the hospital?”
“No!” I quickly assured her. “I just talked to him.” I gestured to my phone. “He’s okay. He said his shoulder is fine.”
She tilted her head, pursing her lips. “Then?”
“He said he would be here later.” I was pretty sure the blush blazing across every inch of skin on my face said a lot more than my words ever could.
“Ahh,” Ivory replied.
I really wasn’t up for some awkward conversation. I mean, really, there was nothing she could say to alleviate all my worries and unique doubts.
I should have known, though, that my sister likely knew that, so she didn’t press.
“Well, it’s a good thing I called Marco. He’s on his way. He’ll have that hatchet job Earth did on your hair fixed in no time.”
I gasped, reaching up to finger my uneven strands. I hadn’t even thought about my hair. “Oh, thank you!”
Ivory smiled. “We have some time before he arrives, so let’s go look in my closet. You can borrow a few things until we’re able to move your stuff over.”
The Tower was pretty damaged by the fire on the lower floors, and it had been closed off for investigation and repair. I wasn’t sure how long it would be until everyone could go back, but as of right now, they weren’t even allowing patients back in to get their belongings.
I couldn’t even imagine what I would have done if I didn’t have this place at Ivory’s. All the equipment I needed to make my life easier would have been locked away, possibly even damaged from smoke.
What about the people who didn’t have a family to help them? Or money to get what they needed?
It made me feel guilty for the things I had.
“Virginia?” Sensing my inner turmoil, Ivory turned in the hall to look at me.
“I was just worrying about the other residents of the Tower. I’m lucky because I have family to help me.”
Ivory nodded. “I’ll make a few calls and see what I can find out. Maybe I can help.”
I gasped. “Oh! I didn’t mean it that way. I would never ask you to do that.”
She made a face, waving away my words. “Of course not, but I want to. What’s the point of having all this money if I can’t use it to help people?”
My heart swelled. She was so kind. So unlike the high-society prima donna the social pages made her out to be. “My brother is very lucky to have you,” I whispered. “We all are.”
Her eyes shimmered a little with tears, but she sniffled and blinked them away. “Ugh, enough! These past few days have been a rollercoaster. Let’s have some fun with some clothes and hair for a while.”
The morning and early afternoon whirled by much quicker than I expected, thanks to Ivory and her team. By the time Marco—who self-proclaimed himself my fairy godmother—was finished gasping over and fixing my hair and I’d gotten a manicure and chosen some clothes out of Ivory’s closet, it was well past lunch.
I thought I’d be much more upset over the loss of half my hair, being that it represented so much to me. But surprisingly, I just felt lighter. It was still long enough to braid, the strands falling over my shoulders. Marco added a few layers beneath my chin so it curled in a little, framing my face.
It was the first time I’d had a haircut in almost seven years, and I had to admit it felt nice. He’d even blown it out into long, smooth strands that felt like silk when they slipped over my shoulders and caressed my throat.
My nails were a neutral shade, but the manicurist hand-painted flowers on some of the nails, and that small detail made tears rush to my eyes.
So much had changed recently that at times I was a little overwhelmed. Looking down at the newly painted flowers, I was comforted. It was a small thing, but they rang with familiarity.
“So,” Ivory said after everyone had gone. “I told Neo I had to go to some dinner tonight and I couldn’t get out of it. So naturally, he will be escorting me.”
“You couldn’t get out of it?”
“Well, I could have called and given an excuse, but I figured you might like some time alone with Earth.”
Nerves exploded inside me, making my stomach churn and my chest feel tight. “You didn’t have to do that,” I said, trying not to show my anxiety.
“If Neo is here, he will never leave you two alone.” Ivory sighed. When I said nothing, a wary look came over her. “Unless you would rather not be alone with him. We can stay—”
“No!” I cut her off swiftly. “I… I want to be alone with him for a while. We never get that.”
Ivory relaxed and nodded. “Well, I need to go and get ready. We probably won’t be back until late, so don’t wait up,” she called, letting herself out of the bedroom.
My stomach flipped over and over again as I stared at the empty room.
The nerves didn’t go away. Not the entire time I was in the bathroom emptying my bladder, bathing (for a second time that day), and making sure my hair still looked as good as it did when Marco left.
There was still a tremble in my fingers when I slid on a casual sage silk dress and then added a white cashmere cardigan over the spaghetti straps.
I didn’t bother with shoes or socks, opting to leave my feet bare, nor did I bother with jewelry or makeup. My face was so blushed from nerves—or was it desire—that there really was no point.
When I’d attempted and failed to distract myself, I wheeled out into the large living area, parking in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows to hopefully lose myself in the incredible view.
It partly worked. But the other part of me listened for the door, hyperaware of every sound.
And then the door was opening. The guard stationed outside said something, and the low murmur of Earth’s voice carried through the penthouse, making my pulse race.
Unable to breathe, lost in a sea of butterflies, all I could do was turn and wait for him to appear.