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Tiara
Minutes before Hunter burst through her office door the following Thursday, Tiara felt her nerves tighten and her stomach muscles convulse. She had never felt anxious prior, or during any client’s visit. Over the years, she had told herself it was because it was her God-given talent. Not anymore.
Hunter Chase had rewritten her career script. Her heart did a quick flop around her chest. That kiss he inflicted on her last week tormented her body during the day and at night. The taste of his lips that flowered inside her mouth had been so sweet, she could still feel his honey sauce on her tongue. Not to mention his coarse moustache that rubbed against the sensitive skin of her upper lip. She could not also forget his sensual and audacious cologne, or the way he grabbed her arms as if she belonged to him. It all added up to confuse her usually organized thoughts.
Yet, there was no excuse for the words she hurled at him. Hunter Chase was her client and she owed him a duty of care. She had been irresponsible, crazy even, a trait she had never displayed until he showed up.
After throwing up during his last session, she skipped lunch prior to Hunter’s appointment today. She did not want a repeat of the most embarrassing scene of her life. Vomiting in front of Hunter still made her skin crawl. Now, she had to face him for another two hours, or more of his volatility and accusations. Of course, to make her life easier, she could report his sexual assault and let him pay for violating laid-down Peter. Something got in her way each time she tried to file the complaint. Or maybe the truth was she was not ready to admit she had failed Hunter. However, she had one consolation. His voice was deep and beautiful, she could describe it as a polished bass sound. The voice of her clients had never mattered to her but Hunter Chase was not like any other client. He was in a different class of his own.
Although a little crazy, okay, maybe wildly crazy, Hunter had more depth than many guys she knew. His hands maybe soiled with blood, his manner brash, or even brutal and his heart cold as snow but he was authentic. Add to that, his body was hot and his caresses, irresistible! Hunter Chase was a take-me-or-leave-me type of guy.
“I’ve got news for you.”
Hunter’s voice drew her out of her distracting thoughts so violently, she jerked against her desk, blinking with rapid speed.
He gave her a languid gaze. “Were you dreaming?”
Picking up her notepad to hide the fact she was badly shaken by his presence, Tiara approached him but stopped in front of her seat and lowered herself before speaking.
“Let’s do things properly today. Sit down, Hunter.”
“No chance. I got good results by standing.”
Setting his mouth in a hard line, he crossed his arms across his beefy chest, his favourite posture when he was not peering out of the window, or leaning against the wall. Every square inch of his tall frame was packed solid with muscles that arched as he twisted his upper body on the spot. Then, she saw her brown hair tie clinging on to his left wrist. And her heart picked up pace for at least thirty seconds.
“Why do you have my hair tie around your wrist?”
Giving her a causal shrug, he narrowed his gaze as usual before saying a word.
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know what to think. You tell me.”
“I asked to borrow it. I’m putting it to good use.”
“No, you didn’t. You snatched it from my table.”
“Don’t get petty, Tiara.”
“Petty?” She drew in a deep breath before adding. “Look, clients sometimes crush on their therapists but acting it out isn’t allowed.”
“Is that what you think this is? A crush?” he scoffed.
She could feel the room vibrate with the energy pulsing from his statuesque body. Why would he kiss her and then wear her hair tie on his wrist when he could not stand her? He even scoffed at her.
“What do you call forcing your lips on mine?”
“That never happened.”
“Right.”
So, was she supposed to forget his lips meshed with hers for over two minutes and turned her life into a hot mess? Hmm?
“Doesn’t make any difference. I want your hair tie where it is.”
While his prominent Adam’s apple moved with force as he swallowed, his eyes altered from indifference to ridicule.
“Suit yourself, Hunter.”
“I always do.”
Inhaling, she towed her eyes from his biceps bulging out from his black crew neck sweatshirt and roved down his legs trapped in a pair of sexy-hot ripped biker jeans. With his fair knees on display in the skinny black jeans, she felt weak at the knees.
Pursing her lips, she averted her eyes and fanned herself with the notepad as steam exploded through her boobs without sounding a warning bell. Skewing her head to glance in his direction again, she lifted an eyebrow.
“What good results were you referring to, Hunter?”
“For the first time in however long, I’d a good night’s sleep. What did you do to me, Tiara?”
“Other than asking you questions that required you to confront your past?”
Unknown to her clients, she also used unorthodox means to help out. That was never discussed.
Ambling over to his spot by the window, he dipped one hand inside his jeans pocket as he gazed out. She did not miss the fact that Hunter had swapped his rugged winter boots for a new pair of trendy trainers.
“Are you saying it’s that simple? Answering invasive questions and bang!” He slammed his palm against the wall. “I get a pass on nightmares? That doesn’t make any sense. Without meds, or hypnotism?”
She did not cringe when his fist connected with his palm. Instead, she pointed her sober gaze at him.
“Why do you think you slept well?”
He shrugged his masculine shoulders, the entire span fully fitted in his top. Today, he wore no jacket. His wide chest tapered into a lean waist, ending in solid legs and classic ass. She swiped her forehead to stop her thoughts sweeping in the forbidden direction. Her job was to support her clients, not to think of them as sex objects to be ogled.
I’m a professional woman, she whispered in her heart. I must stop thinking of Hunter as a regular guy I met in a bar, or at the gym. Hunter Chase’s a violent maniac looking for her help. Stop fantasizing about his sexy body and gorgeous voice!
“That’s why I’m here to find out. Did you spike my coffee the last time?”
She took a few seconds to fix her thoughts.
“No. Why would I do that?”
“To hypnotize? Some therapists are dodgy.”
“I’m not. Enough of your crap! If you don’t trust me, I can refer you to another colleague–”
“Did I say I didn’t trust you?”
He did not even dignify her annoyance with a head turn to face her, to speak with her like an equal.
“This can only work if there’s absolute trust–”
“I trust no one. But our sessions are working, somehow. And I’m willing to continue with you.” When he landed on the last word, you, he angled his head to give her a you-are-stuck-with-me gaze.
Her heart clicked as if a surge of electricity lit her insides, like an enchanted light. Lord, help me!
“Talk me through the worst scene of your career, Hunter.” Keep asking questions, her head advised.
A brief pause followed.
A visible muscle ticked in his jaw in the interval before he directed his gaze back to her. He remained mute for six excruciating minutes. While the pause stretched far and wide, she waited. That was part of the process. Sometimes clients found it a huge challenge to jump past what they considered an insurmountable barrier in their heads.
Hunter exhaled after some time.
“We got ambushed in Ukraine. It wasn’t the first time. But that day, they attempted to smoke us out and fired at us. We had our gas masks on, so I ordered my men to open fire. We gunned down the attackers but we also took the lives of others who were used as human shields by the invaders.” His words ended abruptly as he choked and shut his eyes. “I don’t want to remember.”
She rushed to get him bottled water and handed it over. But his eyes were shut for a long while before he said another word.
“Men, women and children were slaughtered for no reason. Heads were split open. It was a disaster, Tiara. The ground, walls, ceiling were painted red as blood flowed everywhere. My worst fear came to life.”
“Was that your last assignment?”
“I wish. It was the penultimate ops.”
He accepted the bottled water but he did not unscrew the cap. With his lips pinched at the sides, his hardened blue-grey eyes stared back at her and his face was now blotchy red.
“Did you resign, or were you discharged?”
“I’d had enough. I resigned.”
“Do you regret any of your assignments.”
“A few.”
“Why is that?”
“Maybe if I’d done things differently, I might have got different results.”
“You said you were good at your job, so should I presume you took precautions and considered every possible scenario before you went on any mission?”
“Correct.”
At that moment, she caught a glimpse of the brave officer who risked his life to serve his nation. A man confident in his ability and proud to serve. A man she would have been honoured to know under different circumstances. In her unprofessional opinion, Hunter Chase was honourable, too gorgeous and damn sexy. But he was also a cruel bastard. Now that, was the whole truth as she saw it.
“Then why do you think you could have done things differently?”
“Because I’ve found out how we got compromised. I can correct the situations to get different outcomes.”
“But you didn’t have that insight at the time.”
“True.”
“Why is it hard to let go, knowing you did the best you could with the information you had at the time?”
Narrowing his eyes, he creased his forehead.
“Does that bring back the dead souls, huh?”
“No. But you can live with yourself. You can forgive yourself and others for the wrongs because we’re all humans and humans make mistakes. Or is there another reason you’re holding on to the grief? Maybe a bereavement closer home?”
Hunter’s jaw went slack just before he gnashed his teeth.
“You’re naïve if you think it’s that easy.”
“I don’t think it’s easy. But you could learn to control how you feel about–”
“Cut out the damn guide! You know nothing about life and death situations! But I’ve got news for you.”
“I’m listening, Hunter?”
“Erin wants to meet you.”
“What?”
She jerked upright and grabbed the arm of her seat.
“You heard right. Erin wants to meet my therapist.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll have to decline.”
“You won’t.”
Hunter did not shout, or slam his fist. But his voice dipped and it had an ominous ring to it. In response, butterflies teased her belly. She must have a soft spot for brutal dudes who issued subtle threats.
“I can’t see you outside of these walls, Hunter. That’s the rule. I didn’t make the rules.”
“You’re meeting Erin, not me.”
“Is that even her real name?”
“No. Her name’s Shannon Dirk. She’s been told she has three months to live, not six. You know what that means, Tiara? Whatever Shannon wants, she gets.”
“I’m sorry to hear about her current prognosis.”
“Then honour her dying wish.”
“I can lose my license, Hunter.”
“What’s more fucking important to you?”
“My clients are important to me.”
“Making a dying woman happy, or keeping your precious license and hiding your head in your pretty sane box with the cold speech you recite every day?”
Sighing, she blinked. He was rude and cruel with his tongue but she understood he had a short supply of hope and his feeling of helplessness.
“I understand your frustration–”
“Then act like you do! Damn it!”
Muttering, he flung the bottled water against the wall. On impulse, she ducked her face. The cap of the plastic bottle broke off and water sprouted all over the rug and couch. Water also splashed all over her legs and notepad. She would have been surprised if he had maintained his cool throughout the session. That would have been a lot to expect from someone who had chaotic emotions bottled inside. At least, his nightmares had receded in the last week. That was progress on one leg. Getting his temper under control would take more patience and commitment.
Looking from his stern expression to her wet legs, she shook her head.
“I’ll refer you to my colleague. His name’s Trevor–”
“Damn you and Trevor! I’m fucking staying with you. I’m not some object you pass around. You said you became a therapist to help people. Did you lie?”
“No. If you stay however, you’ll have to control your mood swings, or this won’t work.”
Hunter launched forward. Before he reached her side, she got to her feet. She would not be his lame ass duck one more time. The words on her lips died prematurely once Hunter poached her waist with one arm, pulled her hair back with the other and smacked her lips with his own. She had no time to think, or decide on what to do. He pinned her against his steely frame like a magnet and his thickened erection hard-stroked her thigh. The code of ethics etched in her memory dissolved like a mist on a sunny day.
In all honesty, considering his ruthless personality, she had expected his body to exude ice. Instead, heat of volcanic proportions scalded her lips and spread to her toes. The idea of struggling against him deserted her when his teeth nipped her bottom lip—hard.
She whimpered as pain mingled with explosive desire in her cleavage. Pressed flushed against him, her boobs skimmed his chest and her nipples grew rigid. With her skin scorched, she slapped her tongue from side to side inside his moist mouth. From her head to her strapped toes, she trembled.
Hunter’s left hand dipped to her butt. Just as her body was gutted by a sharp jolt of electricity, he smacked her ass slightly and squeezed her butt cheeks roughly. She juddered against him, needing to pin her hips against his thighs.
For one slow minute, she sobbed for his caresses not to stop, whether hard, or tender. His mouth moved over hers like he had paid top dollar for her kisses. In the heat of the moment, she could not deny him access to her body, or soul.
Between her legs sizzling liquid squirted into her panties. And her senses returned, crashing her back to reality. She stilled in his arms.
Thank goodness.
Her totally unexpected pure-glam-orgasm saved her from begging to spread her throbbing vag open for him on her rug, so he could drive in his knife-edge erection without restriction.
“I’ll control my mood swings, with your help. Please.” He breathed on her face, locking his jaw, before adding. “Please. Tiara?” His chest moved with jagged force as his breathing struggled to normalize.
“What are you doing to me, Hunter?” Dropping her hands to rest by her sides, she shut her eyes and tried not to overthink her precarious career situation. “What I’m doing is unethical. Wrong.”
“You didn’t do anything. Nothing happened.”
Though shocked by his response, she went poker-faced as recognition suddenly dawned on her.
That, was Hunter Chase’s breakthrough moment. Previously unyielding, he had finally submitted to her authority, emotionally and physically. He had shown her his vulnerable side. Losing control was one of his big fears and he had given in to her.
Victory like crunchy-coated chocolate rose up to her tongue, she licked it off her bottom lip as she stepped out of his hold and returned to her seat.
“When you feel the rage rising inside, what else can you do instead of lashing out, Hunter?”
“I could fire lethal bullets.”
“Have you tried other activities to calm you down?”
“Yeah. Going to a shooting range calms me down.”
“Does it? Would you say you’re trigger happy?”
His expression dulled. “It’s my training.”
“What do you do when you’re not working, or trying to calm down at a shooting range?”
“I go hunting.”
She swallowed her sigh of frustration. “I meant any other activity that doesn’t include the use of firearm?”
He paused. “I go to the bar.”
“In the past, after you’ve had a few drinks, did the nightmares get worse?”
“It gets blurry but it doesn’t go away.”
“Do you smoke?”
“No.”
“Are there other activities you enjoy that excludes consuming alcohol?”
“Mountain climbing. I’ve not had much time over the years to do anything more indulgent.”
“Do you enjoy flying?”
“No, thank you. I’ve spent more than my fair share of hours airborne.”
“Right. Do you enjoy cooking at all?”
“Yeah. I can fry an omelette. That’s about it. Is this your dream job, Tiara?”
“Once upon a time, yeah.”
“What else did you have in mind?”
“Um. I’ve always wanted to travel, to see the world.”
“Who or what stopped you?”
“My sense of responsibility–” Pausing, she blinked.
“Are you a coward then?”
Bowing her head, she doodled on her damp notepad. The drawing smeared and faded in places.
“Maybe I am.”
“What will it take to get you to travel the world like you dreamed, Tiara?”
Was that genuine concern she detected in his tone?
“Courage and confidence, I think. Back to you. I thought cooking to survive was part of your military training. Have you tried water sports?”
“Engaging in water sports was part of our training. I guess I can pamper myself now I’ve got more time. There were always other guys who wanted to cook, so I slipped past without learning.”
For the first time, a small grin flew across her lips. In the last several minutes, they sounded more like friends chatting rather than therapist-client.
“When was the last time you were on vacation?”
“Before I joined the military. And when was the last time you were on vacation, Tiara?”
“In the summer, I went to St Lucia, the only country in the world named after a woman. Been there?”
“That’s new knowledge. Not been there yet.”
“When did you join the service?”
“Joined at eighteen.”
Whoa! “Fresh out of high school. Didn’t you get some time off work to relax?”
“Rest time got occupied with special assignments.”
“Couldn’t you turn a few down to live a little?”
“When your superior asks you to personally handle an op, you don’t remind him you’ve booked a vacation. That’s not how it works and I loved my job.”
“OK. My recommendation to you now is to spend time either wind surfing, jet skiing, snorkelling, scuba diving or sea kayaking. Are you good at any of these?”
“You could say that. What will that do for me?”
“These are all refreshing and relaxing activities. It will help you channel your rage to the sea. The ocean can handle your fury. That’s a fact.”
“Great. Which water sport are you good at?”
“Mainly swimming.” She went blank for a moment before adding, “Sea kayaking and jet skiing.”
“In that order?”
“You could say that. What have you got against scuba diving and snorkelling?”
“Nothing. I just never got into it.”
“Scared of going under water?”
“I don’t know. Of course, I swim more.”
She shrugged. Why did she find it easy to share herself with a man who was stone cold inside, had a cruel edge on the outside but kissed her and made out like a sexy celeb?
“Why is that?”
“I’ve got access to an indoor pool. Do you swim?”
“Maybe you could show me someday.”
Her heart literarily stopped beating for a period of three long seconds. In fact, she felt panic and excitement rising to her throat. Leaning back in her chair, she lifted her eyes to confront his own.
“That won’t be possible. I’m your therapist. I can’t be seen with you socially. Doctors can’t date their patients. Teachers can’t date their students.”
“I’m ex-military, you think I don’t know that? Rules are meant to be broken under certain circumstances.”
“When is it allowed?”
“In situations of life and death.”
“But you’re not dying, Hunter.”
“I’ve died many times, Tiara. Many times. Before I walked into your office a few weeks ago, I was a walking corpse. Dead inside. I was living on the edge.”
“And now?”
“I feel different. That’s all I can say.”
“Thank God for that. You decided to open up, to talk about your feelings. That’s vital in this process.”
“And I decided to show you how I feel.”
She shook her head. “You didn’t show me anything, Hunter. Got it?”
He saluted and winked. “Understood and copied.”
Though she worked to hide her grin, it escaped. Hunter turned his back, so he missed her wide smile.
“This isn’t the victim wanting to be with the rescuer fairy tale. I’m not looking for a relationship, or a shoulder to cry on. I said you’ll show me where you swim. Keep your mind out of the trash, Tiara.”
“Good. I wanted to be very clear.”
“Got it. Show up at Shannon’s home. Friday. 7 p.m. Don’t keep her waiting. Here’s her address.”
Hunter thrust a sheet of paper in her face. When she glowered at it like it was a venomous spider, he trooped over to her desk, yanked her drawers open, and riffled through until he found her handbag.
“What are you doing, Hunter?”
“I’m putting the paper in your purse.”
“Listen to me. I won’t show up at Shannon’s place.”
“You will. And that’s not a plea.”
He spoke with authority and certainty like he knew what she would do.
“Are you threatening me, Hunter Chase?”
“I don’t make threats. I know you’ll be there.”
“I’m baffled. Why are you so sure?”
“Because you signed up to help your clients. Visiting Shannon means helping me. See the link?”
“Include her cell number and I’ll give her a call.”
“Shannon asked for a visit, not a phone call. A visit from you is exactly what she’ll get.”
“What a manipulative guy you are, Hunter.”
She whispered the words because in her heart, she knew the overwhelming emotions they shared earlier could not have been contrived. Well, she hoped it was not on his part. Trevor’s warnings came to her rescue.
“Manipulative? Why would I need to that when I can get you to climax without screwing you?”
Her chest tightened and she drew in a shaky breath.
Pin drop silence slammed against the walls.
After swallowing her shock, she exhaled.
“I’m a professional and I strive to always act accordingly. Do you appreciate that?”
“This discussion is over, Tiara Williams.”
Sleek in his movement, Hunter plucked her wet notepad from her laps, dumped it in the trash and offered her tissues.
“Wipe your legs.” He eyeballed her wet floor. “Get the cleaner to do the job.”
“Has anyone ever referred to you as an asshole?”
When he reached the door, he glanced back.
“Yeah, in second grade. Ruthless is the common word on the streets now.” He winked.
“Add savage to that.”
He strode out but he did not bang the door.
In that split second before he shut the door, she almost ordered him to stay far away from her because outside her office walls, she had spent ample time yearning for Hunter Chase and a longer period worrying about his bad vibes.
Now Hunter had marked my body and emotions with his caresses and distinct scent, how will I stop him from shredding my career and life into pieces?
