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“And I’m sorry I slapped you. I never should have done that, and I feel terrible about it.”
“Consider it forgotten, Eden. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”
“I will be. After I leave.”
Hunter shakes his head. “After you leave? I don’t understand.”
The look he gives me hurts. I can feel my heart shredding into a million little pieces. In truth, leaving is the last thing I want, but then I think about his reputation. His standing in Hollywood. How this string of unfortunate events is only going to hurt him further. And what if I add a baby to the mix?
The media would eat us alive.
I can imagine them having a field day, swarming us like they always do, snapping their photos without a hint of human decency. If I stay here and have the baby, my child will likely never know peace. They’d grow up in the spotlight, have the whole world judging them before they’re even able to walk. I want a normal life for my child, the chance to be a child, grow up, make mistakes and learn from them. Even if Hunter is on board with raising our child together, our baby won’t know what it means to live a life away from the cameras.
I don’t want that.
Leaving is the only way I can keep my child safe.
“I think we should stop seeing each other,” I say again firmly.
He stills, searching my eyes deeply. “Is that really what you want?”
God, no.
“Yes.”
It kills me to see him so torn. The moment I give my answer is the moment I want to take it back. I know it has to be this way, though. For his sake, for the baby’s sake, and for mine.
“Can I ask for a favor?” he murmurs, so soft it barely reaches my ear.
“Anything.”
“Let me kiss you. One last time.”
“To get me out of your system?” I say, trying to play it off as a joke. It lands flat. There’s nothing funny about any of this.
“No,” he says, taking a single step forward. “To convince you to stay.”
Before I’m able to tell him no, Hunter kisses me.
It’s the sweetest, most tender kiss I’ve ever received. My fingers fly to his hair as he presses his body against me, his weight a soothing anchor amidst rocky seas. I gasp, despite myself, lips parting to give way to his eager tongue. Hunter’s hands slip beneath my shirt, the pads of his fingers grazing over my hips, my stomach.
For a moment, I wonder if he can tell. I haven’t started showing yet, but I wonder if he knows instinctively. But he moves on, cupping my breasts and grinding his hips against the apex of my thighs.
“Stay with me, Eden,” he rasps against my mouth. “Stay with me.”
I moan involuntarily, hooking one leg over his hip so I can be that much closer to him. I have no control over my hands as they slip between us, tugging frantically at his belt and fly to help pull his throbbing erection free. Hunter kisses me desperately as I hike up my skirt and push my panties to the side.
This is rough. This is desperate. I cling to him like a lifeline, closing my eyes as I savor the fire he ignites within me. I want this to last forever even though I know this is a final goodbye. Hunter kisses me, holds me, touches me like he’s committing my shape to memory. Our labored breathing combines with the sound of our grunts, every snap of his hips pushing me closer and closer to the edge.
“Say you’ll stay,” he growls against my ear. “I’ll take care of you, Eden. I promise.”
I don’t reply, choosing instead to tilt my head back to keep my tears from falling. So many promises have been made today, but I have exactly zero faith they’ll be kept. Hunter says he’ll take care of me, but in reality, my decision to leave is going to take care ofhim. Hunter has more than enough on his plate to deal with. I don’t want to burden him more than I already have.
A moan rips from my lungs as I come undone, my body trembling as waves of pleasure ebb and flow through my veins. Hunter isn’t far behind me, hungrily claiming my lips as his own as he spills inside me.
I’m quick to rearrange my clothes, doing my best to catch my breath. It’s only after the haze has cleared that I realize what a mistake it was to lead him on like this. It was never my intention to hurt him, but I can’t seem to stop.
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
