Chapter 261
822 Words
The next morning, Cordelia woke up at just past seven o’clock; she was alone in her bed. She stretched, her body still humming from having been held by Hunter all night long. She vaguely recalled waking up once more during the night, startled and confused by the large, warm body next to her. He’d pulled her closer, whispered that she was safe, tenderly stroked her back. She’d relaxed and settled again, just fallen on back into sleep. Her last memory was of Hunter kissing her forehead.
Yep. A good man, for sure.
She got up, padded into the bathroom, slipped off her long t-shirt and put on her yoga clothes. She figured that Hunter was out having his run, and she wanted to do some yoga on the side patio and watch the sunrise.
She wandered through the house, listening for him, but all was silent. She glanced at the mat near the front door and sure enough, his running shoes were gone. She smiled, imagining that toned, taut body pushing itself mile after mile, his breathing getting deeper and faster, every muscle glistening with sweat. She swallowed and forced her mind away from the mouthwatering image.
She grabbed her yoga mat and slid open the patio door. She unrolled the mat and then stood with her feet together, her arms loose at her sides. Cordelia stared at the blue sky ahead of her and right away, all thoughts of the kidnapped children, their shattered parents, Sean, and Hunter left her mind. All she focused on was her breath, her body. She closed her eyes and counted her blessings, giving thanks for all the things in her life that she loved.
She needed strength and unwavering determination today, so she decided to focus on standing positions that demanded perfect balance: The Triangle, The Half-Moon, The Tree, The Eagle, The Prayer. And of course, Warrior I and Warrior II, those beautiful, elegant positions that are like poetry written with the body.
When Sully came home and saw Cordelia out on the patio, he stopped dead. She was standing in full sunlight, her arms raised over her head, in a deep lunge that demanded every muscle in her legs and back fight to keep her upright. She looked unbelievably strong and centered, and so damn fierce. His warrior.
Amazed by her yet again, he just watched as she held the position for several seconds. Her full breasts rose and fell, every curve of every muscle was hugged by those tight pants, her body shone. She was utterly breathtaking, just f*****g spectacular, and he wanted her to be his. He wanted this woman, and no more f*****g pretending otherwise.
She stood with her feet together now, eyes closed. She seemed to be relaxing, and he turned away before she could see him staring at her like some horny creep – which he was in some ways, he supposed. Well, horny, for sure.
A few minutes later, Cordelia came into the kitchen and saw Hunter busy with the coffee machine. He had already cut up some strawberries and cantaloupe, and she grabbed a few slices.
“Hi,” she said.
“Morning.” He flipped the ‘on’ button. “How you doing today?”
“I’m – better.” She hesitated. “Thank you, Hunter. Thank you for all of yesterday.”
He glanced at her, his dark eyes puzzled. “What ‘all’?”
“For talking me down in the car before the meeting, for cooking me an amazing dinner.” She met his heated gaze. “For sleeping with me.”
Her words jolted him. “It was no problem.” He crossed his arms loosely, leaned back against the counter. “I like being there for you.”
Cordelia studied him carefully, saw that he meant it. Nothing about Hunter Sullivan ever struck her as dishonest, though he was defensive and shut down most of the time. She wondered about that – wondered if he’d ever tell her what made him close himself off from real human contact.
“So.” He grabbed her favorite mug from the cabinet and poured her a cup of coffee. “I think that today, I should head out for a few hours on my own.”
“Business meetings?” she teased him as she reached for the proffered cup. “Wheeling and dealing, babe?”
“You know it,” he rejoined. “And maybe I’ll come home from a hard day of work and find a delicious, home-cooked meal?”
“Ooooh.” She popped a strawberry into her mouth. “You think I can do better than you did last night?”
“Doubtful.” He took a sip of his own coffee. “That was a pretty damn good stir-fry.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, game on, Garrett. Challenge accepted.”
That was when Sully’s burner phone rang.
- Writer
