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CELIA
I woke alone, and turned over, reaching out to feel how warm the bed was so I had some idea of how long Hunter had been gone. The bed was cold, so I knew he must have left soon after we had sex.
I didn't know what to think of things at that moment, my emotions all confused and my gut slightly sick with worry and at the same time, excited that what was happening between us felt like more than just servicing Hunter's needs.
I didn’t want to be merely an easy way for him to get off. I wanted to be the one he turned to because he wanted and needed me.
Me…
His shell was tough, though, and it was hard to read him. I figured that tough shell was from years fighting and taking body blows, and then his time in the military. You had to be exceptionally tough to be a Marine and to go into Special Operations Forces, no matter what branch of the military you were in.
Those soldiers were the elite of the elite, tough in mind and body.
Hunter was tough, but was he hard to the core?
That's what I didn’t know.
It felt as if he was softening towards me. The fact he got so upset after seeing my bruises suggested that he felt more for me than he let on. I was more than just a fuck toy, like he said I was. It seemed personal to him because he cared about me as more than just a convenient receptacle for his dick.
I didn't want to hope too much. That way lay disappointment and heartbreak.
So, instead of hoping too much that Hunter had changed, and now actually felt some semblance of affection for me besides enjoying my body, I turned over and tried to go back to sleep. Of course, that was a hopeless venture. Now, my mind was working overtime wondering how Spencer was and what my mother thought of Hunter showing up and punching Spencer's lights out.
I wished I could have witnessed Hunter punching Spencer. It would have felt like payback and like justice for all those times Spencer had hit me or Graham. I didn't really want Hunter to become one of those men who beat people up without thought, but he was trained as a fighter and a soldier. I had to accept that part of him. As long as I saw the other part, the tender part that touched my bruises and felt rage that I had been hurt, I could accept it.
Even though it was only six, I got up instead of lying in bed for another hour with my eyes wide open, and went to the bathroom to have a shower and get ready for the day. When I was done, I dressed and tried to make myself somewhat presentable. Then I went to the kitchen where I found a pot of fresh coffee and a note from George that he was downstairs and there were fresh eggs in the fridge.
I smiled and took them out, and fixed myself some scrambled eggs, toast, and orange juice to go along with my coffee. Then I sat at the island and ate, reading over a copy of the morning paper, and wondering where Hunter was this early in the morning, and why he hadn’t stayed with me.
After about an hour, the door opened and George came in. He smiled when he saw me and came over to the island, peering over my shoulder at the paper.
"How you doing, Celia? Did you have good sleep?"
"Yes," I said, smiling at him, unable to resist liking him despite the fact he was a Russian and, perhaps, a thug at heart. "I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. Where's Hunter?"
George shrugged
. "He went out for run and then went to gym to do some work. Couldn't sleep. He said he would be back later. You have class today?"
I nodded, and thought about my schedule. "At ten. But I'd like to stop by the hospital before, if I could, to see how my brother is doing. Would that be okay? Is James available?"
George nodded. "Of course. I call. You tell me when you're ready and I tell him."
"Thanks," I said. "Before you go," I said, feeling like I wanted to talk some more to George about Hunter, "tell me more about how you met Hunter. I know it was in the military in Afghanistan, and that you were a mercenary who worked with his unit, but how did you two become friends?"
George stopped and pursed his lips in thought. "When you fight with a man, side by side, risking life, you become blood brothers," he said and glanced at me.
"Do you have a family?"
"Me? No. I am old soldier who can't go home and sit quietly. Have war in blood. I meet Hunter. We do rescue for resupply convoys attacked by enemy. We spent time together when we both have leave. We become good friends. I trust him. He trust me."
I didn’t really understand the military hierarchy, or what role mercenaries had in the war, so I nodded and let it go.
"He is good man, Celia," George said.
"You've said that before. If he's such a good man, why is he back involved with the family business? He's working directly for the Romanov family."
"He is doing legitimate security work for Romanovs. No mafia stuff."
