56 Not Until You Beg

To say that Hunter's blood was boiling over the next few weeks would be an understatement.

Morning to night, from the time they entered the warehouse to the time they left, Cage and Rayven were like two peas in a pod. They trained together, ate together, hell, they even rode to the club together.

It was one of these days, after having witnessed Rayven being extra friendly with Cage, that he finally lost it. She had been spent the entire day by his side, practically glued to his hip. It was exhausting, she was his woman and for reasons he couldn't figure out, she had been avoiding him. He was too caught up in his jealousy to realize it wasn't just him. She had been avoiding Charlie too. The difference was, Charlie wasn't aware of it.

Ignorance as indeed bliss.

As for Hunter? He had spent the entire day watching her smile at Cage, hearing her laugh at his jokes, and even teasing him. That was his laugh. His smile. All things Rayve belonged to him by right. Except now someone else was getting to enjoy it. If he had known this would be the result of his efforts he would have hid her rather than disguise her. Anything was better than this, it was a living hell.

"Bloody hell!" he growled beneath his breath. "How much is a man supposed to take?!" It was bullshit, complete and utter garbage. This whole thing had been his idea, and after seething for a period of weeks he was desperate for an explanation.

Having watched everyone leave the club for the day, he tailed Rayven and Cage all the way to his private cottage and waited silently somewhere nearby as he watched Cage drive off.

'Well', he thought to himself, 'At least I know he isn't spending the night!'

He was torn. Did he follow Cage and demand an explanation? Or did he confront Rayve. After a space of a few moments he made up his mind. He had tried talking to Cage already, and it appeared to have come to no avail. This time, he would confront his woman, and remind her exactly whom she belonged to.

Rayven had been in the door a matter of moments. After a cursey sweep of the cottage for cameras and bugs she did what she had been itching to do all day. Shower. The make up was great for hiding her identity but on the other hand it drove her crazy. By the end of the day, she couldn't wait to wash it off to let her skin breath.

She kicked off her clothes as she went and made her way into the shower. It was the only truly efficient way to thoroughly remove the grimy feeling the make-up left her with. 'Why did they not just hire a private tanning salon or install a tanning bed' she thought for the millionth time. The hot water on her skin was like heaven. She could feel every last ounce of tension leave her body while it washed away her stress and discomfort all in one go. In fact, she was so immersed in her shower, that she didn't hear the door to the cottage open. Nor did she hear Hunter, as he made his way to the bathroom.

Hunter had been moments behind her, his mouth going dry in frustration the moment he entered the cabin to see her clothes all over the floor.

"This girl is going to be the death of me!" he muttered under his breath. It was the sound of the shower that drew his attention away from her scattered clothes and caused the corners of his lips to twitch. He could think of no better way to remind her of his existence than a steamy hot shower together. One at time, his clothing began to pile up alongside hers on the floor.

Hunter walked through the cabin with the stealth of a man with years of military training. There was not even a creak of the floorboards to alert her to his presence. Soundlessly, he opened the door and slipped into the bathroom.

Rayven was deep in thought in the shower, her eyes closed to the world around her and her hearing muted by the running water. She was so deep in thought she didn't notice the slight change of temperature from the shower curtain opening, it wasn't until she felt Hunter's hands sliding down her sides to her hips that she noticed. Before she had a chance to protest, Hunter had pulled her himself, and held her firmly against his chest.

"Hunter!" she gasped feeling his press against the curve of her shoulders. Her body trembled in remembrance. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt him this close, or this intimately. Quietly, she shut her eyes against the flutter in chest and muttered, almost inaudibly. "W...We can't be doing this.." her voice trailed off as she felt his hands caress her lower abdomen. Her body began trembling again.

Hunter chuckled to himself. She was, as he remembered, extremely responsive to him. However he wasn't generous enough to let her off with just this much. They had weeks to make up, and he had burning with jealousy for so long he couldn't help but torment her a little longer. She needed to remember, just whose girl he was, and to confirm for himself that she hadn't forgotten him.

"Oh so you do remember my name," He whispered against her ear, while his hand slid up and down her body. He had to make sure to touch every available inch of her, and carve it into her memory so she wouldn't ignore him again. This time, he would make her beg.

Rayven swallowed against the dryness in her throat. She could feel her knees start to go weak beneath her and went limp in his embrace, a soft moan slipping from her lips in spite of herself.

"Of..Of course I remember your name!" she argued trying to distract herself from the racing of her heart. It would be so easy to give in. To surrender just this once. Rayven knew, however, that if she surrendered now she wouldn't be able to hold back the next time.

Rayven took a deep breath and gathering all her strength, she opened her eyes and drew his hands away from her body. It was like a knife through her heart. Every inch of her was screaming in desperation. She swallowed against the pain and more firmly this time, she said, "Hunter. We can't."

Hunter furrowed his brows and turned her in his grasp, he could very clearly see her desire written all over her face. It was there in the blush of her cheeks. The dazed look in her eyes. The tremors he felt in her skin, and yet she still refused him.

Before she could say anything more, he kissed her. He pressed his lips to hers as though he was a starving man. And he was. It had been far too long since he had kissed her, touched her or even held her. It hurt him more than anything he had felt before, and right now, while she was attempting to reject him, he needed her to feel it too.

Rayven could hardly stand by the time he was done kissing her. The moment his lips connected with hers all thoughts of refusing him had escaped her. Her hands which at first had slipped between them to push him away now trembled against his chest. If it weren't for his arms which held her, she would have collapsed.

Hunter slowly withdrew from the kiss. His breath now just as ragged as hers, his chest heaving, he looked her in the eyes and hoarsely whispered to her "Why? You obviously feel the same thing I am, so tell me why should I stop? Why can't me. Dammit Rayven, tell me why!?"

Rayven blinked. She hadn't ever once heard him so upset before. Not with her. There was a pain in his voice she had never heard before, it went right to her heart. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and hand to look away. She had no answer for him. Anything she could say would blow her cover or worse, be a lie. She couldn't lie to him. This was bad enough.

Seeing her withdraw from and turn inward Hunter cussed.

"F*ck! Fine, have it your way. I will not now, nor ever, approach you again. I won't touch you. Not ever again. Not until you want it, not until you beg me. With that he let go of her, slipped out of the shower and left.

It wasn't until she heard the harshness of the door closing behind him that his words registered. Rayven fell to the bottom of the shower, tears sliding down her cheeks. In the silence that lingered behind him, through the running water that showered down on her she whispered, her voice over wrought with pain.

"I..I'm sorry...Hunter.."