Jacked

"Holly!" he said just as excitedly. "How's my big girl today? Or are you little today?"

"Of course I'm big," she assured him. "I'm this many." She held up four tiny fingers this time and Hunter laughed as he set her down.

"I brought donuts and bagels," he told Emily.

She opened the box and said, "Oooh! Maple bars. May I?" She was already reaching for it.

"Hey, I'm not gonna try and stop you. You looked pretty determined."

"Yeah, don't get between me and a maple bar," she told him still smiling a bright, happy smile.

They sat down and had a donut and a cup of coffee together and made small talk avoiding the carjacking altogether.

"Okay, I guess I should get started if I want to be finished in time to take you to dinner." He gave her another casual once-over and said, "Wow."

"Thank you, I think," she said with a smile.

"Oh, definitely," he told her. "Just...wow!"

"Come on. I'll help you get started," she told him.

Emily had taken down pictures and moved what she could.

"Perfect. I've got it from here," he told her as he jockeyed the dresser and bed away from the wall.

"What can I do to help?" Emily asked.

"Truthfully? You could just sit outside the room so I can see how great you look."

Emily laughed and noticed her heart was beating fast.

"I think I could manage that," she told him.

Holly came running up and said, "Mommy told me you said I could paint, too."

"That's not exactly how I put it, but okay," Emily said.

"Of course you can help," Hunter told her.

"But first you have to go brush your teeth and then I'm putting you in some old clothes that can get paint on them."

By the time Holly came back, Hunter had the cover plates off of the outlets and was taping off the baseboards.

"I can cut in on the ceiling without tape but not on the baseboards. Gravity is not my friend," he told Emily as she watched him work.

"Seriously, Hunter. Can I help with anything?"

He looked over at her from the corner and smiled. "You're doing quite well and please keep doing it."

For the next few minutes, Emily watched as Hunter laid out tarps, got the rollers ready, then poured bright, pink paint into a tray.

"Okay, so this is how we paint," he said to Holly. He loaded the roller with paint and put it against the wall then started painting in a kind of 'vee' motion or maybe a 'w'.

He brought a small roller for tight spots and said, "Let me get paint on the roller then you can help, okay?"

Holly nodded then took the roller and started painting.

"Look, Mommy! I'm painting just like Hunter!"

"I see. It's very pretty, Holly."

"Yes, because I know how to paint," she informed her mother who tried not to laugh.

Hunter was so patient showing her how to do things and reloading her brush every few seconds. He was as sweet and kind to his daughter as he was to her and that was not lost on Emily Conroy.

Fifteen minutes later, ten more than Emily thought she'd last, Holly was tired of painting.

"Come on. Let's get you washed up then we'll leave Hunter alone so he can finish your room."

In just over an hour, the first coat was done.

"It needs three hours to dry then I can do the second coat and then tomorrow all you'll have to do is carefully peel off the blue tape and put the covers back on."

He stood there with a puzzled look then said, "Um, no. I'm gonna need to come back to put your furniture back in place."

Emily was ready to take Holly out but said as she was leaving, "I think I could live with that."

Hunter shook his head after she led Holly out of the bedroom.

"She is so freakin' hot!" he said quietly to himself before going back to work.

The entire room was done by 4 o'clock and Hunter asked her to make sure Holly didn't touch anything before the paint dried.

"I'm gonna head home, get cleaned up, then I'll be back. Assuming you haven't seen too much of me today, that is."

"Not yet," Emily told him with yet another bright smile. She hadn't stopped smiling all day and she was very aware she hadn't felt this good in many, many months.

"But you'll let me know if that happens, right?" he said pretending to be very serious.

"Get out of here you goof," she said. "I need to change, too."

"Why? You look...amazing," he told her.

"I can't wear jeans to dinner unless you're taking me to Wendy's or something."

"What? You don't like Wendy's?" he said deadpanning it.

He had paint all over him and yet she wanted him to hug her so badly it hurt.

"I would be very happy to go to Wendy's with you," she told him. "In fact, I'd be happy to go pretty much anywhere with you."

"Thank you, but I'm not taking you to a fast-food restaurant. Is Barrington's okay?" he asked finally getting serious.

Barringtons was always in the top five restaurants on any list of Charlotte fine dining.

"Barringtons? Wow. Yes, I think that'll do," she told him. "I believe I have the perfect dress for a place that nice."

"Just don't get too much more beautiful or I may not be able to keep my eyes off of you," he told her with a smile.

"Just your eyes?" she said sweetly before she realized how awful that sounded.

"Oh, Hunter. I'm so sorry. That was crass and..."

Without warning, he leaned over and kissed her right on the lips. Emily stood there, her eyes wide open for a fraction of a second before they closed on their own as she kissed him back.

"You were saying?" he asked.

"I was?" she replied having no idea what it was she'd intended to say.

"Must not have been too important then," he teased. "I'll be back at 7:30. Our reservations are for eight."

Emily's heart was racing again as she stood there staring at him.

"What was that?" she said.

"I'll be back to pick you up at 7:30," he repeated.

"Oh, yes. Of course," she said.

He'd already loaded everything into the trunk of his car so he went to say goodbye to Holly then did the same with Emily.

"Thank you—again," she told him. "The room looks great!"

"I hope she likes it," he told her. "All right, I guess I'll see you later."

"Yes. Yes, you will," she said wondering just how much of her she might be willing to let him see...later...before coming to her senses not long after he left.

Emily turned her attention to deciding what to wear and chose a bronze-colored tunic dress intricately detailed with flourishes of metallic yarn with a plunging v-neckline and a thigh-high slit. Hunter had made so many positive comments about what she'd worn, that although she wanted to dress it up, she definitely wanted to stick with the same kind of look, and this skin-skimming knit dress had the same effect she was looking for or hoping for or...

She then settled on a pair of bisque-colored, high-heel leather sandals with 4-inch stiletto heels and an adjustable ankle strap. The easy part done, she went back and forth between silver and gold and decided the gold was a better match with the dress. She added a pair of drop-dangle earrings and a matching necklace before doing her nails in kind of coppery-bronze color to match the lipstick she'd chosen which also went perfectly with the tunic dress.

Her regular babysitter arrived ten minutes before Hunter and her first words were, "Oh, my gosh! You look..stunning, Mrs. Conroy!"

Emily thanked her and hoped that was true as they went over the basics again as Emily wrote down the name and number of the restaurant.

When Hunter showed up right at 7:30, Emily tried not to laugh when she saw the babysitter's mouth fall open.

"O...M...G..." Emily heard her say.

OMG was right. Hunter was wearing a dark suit with a red and black silk tie and Emily's first thought was, "OMG, he's a GQ model!"

To her great delight, he was carrying a bouquet of red roses which he gave her after a kind of faux hug and a kiss on the cheek.

As thrilled as she was with his appearance, Hunter was dumbfounded with Emily's.

"I thought I asked you not to look so beautiful," he said unable to take his eyes off of her.

"Do you like it?" she asked knowing he did.

"I love it. You look...sensational," he told her honestly.

The babysitter was peeking around the corner and Emily said quietly, "You have a secret admirer."

Hunter smiled at her and waved. The 14-year old blushed heavily as she waved back then disappeared.

"Poor thing," Emily said. "Then again, I can't blame her. You look very...dashing."

"Speaking of which, we should probably...run."

His attempt at humor drew another small laugh which was more than enough to get them off on the right foot, so to speak.

Hunter helped her with her coat then opened the door which she promptly locked behind her.

"Can't be too careful, right?" she said as she took his arm.

On the way to the restaurant Hunter said, "I'm not going to keep asking you how you're doing. I'm going to trust you'll tell me if you need to talk, okay?"

Emily told him that made sense and that she would let him know if 'the incident' was getting to her.

"On a lighter note, will Holly be starting school next year?" he asked.

"She's just going to miss the age cutoff for Kindergarten, but I'm thinking about putting her in pre-K. Do you have an opinion either way on that?"

"It seems to me to be one of those 'six of one, half a dozen of the other' kinds of things. Being around other children could be helpful in learning social skills and building vocabulary. Then again, another year at home with her mother could be just as valuable if not more."

"My thoughts exactly," Emily said. "I love having her home and although the reason I can be home with her isn't something I'd wish on anyone, many mothers would love to have the opportunity I have. So am I squandering a year by sending her off to school—even for a half day—or would it be beneficial?"

"Does Holly have friends her age to play with? Do they come over or do you take her to visit them?"

"Oh, definitely. We have a kind of play group. I and three other stay-at-home moms get together a couple of times a week either at one of our homes or at a park or whatever."

"Then I'd say keep her with you for another year. Once she starts school..."

Emily was even more impressed each time they discussed a 'weighty' issue that evening. She clearly agreed with him now on 'gun control' which Hunter had described as being able to properly hold, aim, and fire a weapon. Emily had laughed when he explained that to her. Then again, she really did find herself laughing much of the time when she was with him. If he was even just a little older...

They arrived at the restaurant and on the way in, Hunter asked if she'd been there before.

"Just once about ten years ago," she said.

"Ah, yes. Ten years ago. I remember junior high quite well," Hunter quipped as he opened the door for her.

Emily playfully hit him and said, "Okay, just stop with all that. That's already an area I'm sensitive enough about without you putting that image in my mind."

"Then I won't say a word about what I was doing when you graduated from high school."

He smiled and Emily tried to give him a mean look but couldn't hold it and laughed yet again.

The hostess took their names then confirmed their reservation and led them to a very nice, very private table.

Hunter took Emily's hand as they followed the hostess and noticed pretty much every eye in the place checking out his date. He leaned toward her and said, "I think you've made quite an impression."

Emily smiled then said, "And here I was thinking they were all checking you out."

"Maybe we just make a nice couple," Hunter told her.

"Hmmm. Maybe we do," Emily agreed with a smile as he pulled out her chair and helped her be seated.

As they ate, the topic of marriage and children came up at one point and Emily asked Hunter what his desires were in those areas.

"When I found out I couldn't stay in the Navy, my entire perspective on life changed. I remember telling my lawyer my next priority in life would be finding that special someone and then raising a family. So I very much want to get married and have children. How about you, Emily? Are you interested in marrying again? Or perhaps the better question is whether or not you're even ready for that."

"Honestly, I thought I'd never marry again for the entire first year after my husband died, but I really hate living alone so...yes...someday I would like to be married again."

"More children?" Hunter asked.

"Oh, gosh. I guess I'm finally gonna have to tell you my age," she said making a face.

She looked right at Hunter and told him, "To answer your question, I'd say—maybe. With the right man, I think I could see myself having one more."

"Nice dodge," he said.

"Dodge?"

"You said you were going to tell me your age."

"Well, that's not exactly what I said," she corrected him. "But okay, I'm...36." Emily winced as she waited for his reaction.

"Thirty-six, huh?" Hunter tilted his head as he looked at her. "That's a little young for my tastes, but okay, I think I could make that work."

"You're terrible!" she said very pleased with his reply.

Hunter laughed quietly then told her, "You know, you may be the first woman who's ever told me that. I've always gotten rather good reviews."

Emily understood the innuendo and couldn't help but laugh. "Shame on you. You really are terrible!"

"Shouldn't you find out for yourself before you pass judgment?" he said continuing the banter.

Emily smiled but it was a different kind of smile. It told Hunter she might have to do just that.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" she said coyly.

They spent another hour talking about their lives, Emily's late husband, their childhoods, and many other things two people interested in each other talk about.

Emily passed on dessert so Hunter asked if he could please have the check. A moment later, their server came back and said, "You're all set, sir."

"Oh, no. I haven't paid yet. See? Here's my credit card and you haven't run it."

"No, sir. The man over there in the dark-blue suit? He paid for your meal."

Hunter and Emily both looked in the direction she was pointing and saw a man who appeared to be about 60 or so smiling. The man got up and walked over to their table and offered Hunter his hand.

"I'm Wes Richardson. I saw both of your pictures on the news and I wanted to let you know my wife and I think you're a hero." He looked at Emily and said, "I'm pretty sure this beautiful young lady sitting here with you agrees with me."

"She most definitely does," Emily said smiling at Hunter. "He not saved my life but my daughter's, as well."

"We have two girls ourselves. Both grown now, but we can't imagine losing a child. Anyway, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to show my appreciation."

"Thank you, sir," Hunter said not knowing what else to say.

"No. Thank you, young man," he told him. He looked at Emily then said, "Your wife is a very beautiful young lady, son. Hold on to that one." The man clapped Hunter on the shoulder and wished them a goodnight.

"That was...unexpected," Hunter said after he walked away. "Very nice but totally unexpected."

"I'll say," Emily added. "We just went from a first date to married in two seconds flat."

"That wouldn't be the most terrible thing ever, would it?" he said stealing her line.

"Hmmm. Maybe not," she said smiling sweetly.

As they were walking toward the front of the restaurant, Emily took his hand and stopped him. She turned toward him and looked right into eyes before telling him, "You are a hero, you know."

He helped her with her coat and told her again, "No, not really. I was just at the right place at the right time."

Emily turned back around and was just inches from his face. "You're my hero and I'm also finding myself fall..."

Hunter leaned down and kissed her softly before she could finish her thought. Emily kissed him back and had they not been in public...

"Me, too," he told her knowing what she was about to say.

The babysitter met them at the door as Emily had called to let her know they were on their way home. She opened the door for them and smiled so big at Hunter it made Emily smile as she thought back on the childhood crushes she'd had.

"Holly is sound asleep and my mom should be here any minute," she told Emily while never taking her eyes off of the handsome young man in the suit.

Emily gave her $30 and thanked her for watching Holly, but the girl didn't hear a word she said. Headlights in the driveway caught her attention and she finally stopped staring.

"Can I walk you out?" Hunter asked.

"Sure!" she said, dragging the word out.

When he came back in Emily was smiling, too.

"You just made someone's day—and night. That was very sweet of you, Hunter."

"Thank you and I'm glad to know I've moved from terrible to sweet in such a short amount of time," he told her. "Then again, we did get married in record time, huh?"

Emily laughed then sat her coat and purse on the kitchen island. She walked up to him then put her arms around Hunter's neck.

"I really shouldn't pass judgment about you being terrible until I know for sure, should I?" she said with an evil grin.

"No. That's a very bad idea," he told her. "I agree completely. You should gather evidence first and only then come to a conclusion."

"I see," she said. "And how would I go about gathering this...evidence?"

"Oh, well, there are several ways, but I believe the direct approach is always best."

"The direct approach?"

"Uh-huh. You should take me directly to your room and then approach me. If you need additional guidance on how to proceed after that, I'll be happy to offer it."

"Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea as to what comes after that," she said before she pulled him close and really kissed him for the first time. Within seconds tongues were involved and Emily pressed her body against his. As Hunter pushed back she felt him for the first time and moaned softly.

"I think I should investigate that very closely," she said during a short break.

"Then perhaps we should go some place where you do properly conduct your investigation," he said before kissing her back.

She lowered her arms and took his hand then said, "Follow me, handsome."

Emily locked the bedroom door then turned her full and undivided attention to her investigation. She put one arm around him and kissed him. She slid the other hand up his leg until she found the 'swelling.'

"Oh, my. This could be serious. I think a closer look is in order. How long has this been so swollen?" she asked as she bit his lower lip.

"Well, doctor. It happened the first time when you came to buy paint."

"I see. So...is there a causal link between...this..." She gently squeezed him through the material of his pants. "And...something else?"

Hunter then softly squeezed her breasts and said, "It could be these...protrusions."

Emily tried not to laugh. She'd had enough of the game and quickly stripped off his jacket, tie, shirt, and belt before unzipping his pants and letting them fall to the floor. Hunter stepped out of them and kicked them to the side.

Emily pushed him back toward the bed then pulled off his boxers and knelt in front of him.

"Oh, my! This is serious," she said very definitely as she stroked him fully to life. "Yum!" she said before taking him into her mouth.

Her husband had been an average guy. Hunter was not.

His 'serious problem' presented her with a very enjoyable problem. She knew she couldn't take all of him inside her mouth, but she was going to give it her best shot and Hunter was the happy recipient of her efforts as she bobbed and sucked and pleasured him.

"Damn!" he moaned as she worked her magic.

"You like?" she asked with a happy smile.

"Me love!" he told her as he pushed her head back down. The way she purred told him she liked that so he controlled her up and down movements and held in place when he wanted to. He held her in the down position until she began to gag then released her head but she stayed there until she couldn't take any more.