Chapter 181 - Please Stay
She gave him a tight-lipped smile, trying so hard not to throw things at him. “You wish,” she uttered in an unimpressed tone.Â
“I do,” his reply was instant, his tone suggestive.Â
Throwing her head back, Hera let out a frustrated growl before eyeing him with a grimace. “You’re impossible,” she said with a disapproving tone and shook her head. Sticking his tongue out, Hunter blew raspberries. “Guess you’re not getting that kiss then,” Hunter said, shrugging with disinterest.Â
The smug smirk on his lips and the amusement shimmering in his eyes provoked her anger further. He saw her clenching her fists and could tell she was grinding her teeth.Â
Cautiously, Hunter took a step back, and Hera glared, daring him to defy her. He took another step back, a smile on his face transforming into an amused grin as Hera measured his moves like a predator keeping its eyes on its prey..Â
“Be careful with your dress,” he warned while he kept walking backwards before turning his back to her and ran out of her reach. “Aw, how caring my Lucifer could get at times,” Hera said sarcastically, but she heeded his advice anyway. Thoughtful, Hera looked down at her long dress. Holding the edge of it in one hand, she grabbed the large slice of the cake with her free hand.Â
Hunter sprinted off while Hera chased after him.Â
The large bedroom appeared to be too small for their “catch me if you can” game. Hunter crossed the bed to move towards the balcony, but Hera climbed on the bed and jumped in front of him, almost catching him. He took a reverse turn and dodged her. Using the headboard of his bed as a shield, he waited for her next move.Â
Hera moved, and Hunter leapt out, running for the balcony. She stood on the sofa and was about to throw the cake at him when Hunter lifted his finger in warning. Hera’s hand paused in mid-action.Â
“Firstly, stop climbing on the bed and the sofa because you’re dirtying them,” Hunter said, scowling at her. Hera arched her eyebrows before giving him the fakest smile, a message that she had all the intentions of defying him. She jumped to another sofa chair and raised her hand in the air, ready to hit him with the cake.Â
“Secondly, I made that cake,” Hunter reminded her, tone filled with accusation.Â
‘Fuck! Guilty, my lord! The devil knows how to manipulate me, doesn’t he?’
Hera sighed and dramatically dropped her shoulders. Settling herself on the large sofa, she took a bite from the cake. Savouring the taste of the melting sweet on her tongue, Hera sensed him coming near. She ignored him and licked her fingers when he took a seat beside her. She glanced at him and rolled her eyes when he looked at her suspiciously.Â
As soon as Hunter relaxed in his seat, Hera jumped on him, forcing him to lay down on the sofa. She smeared the cake on his face and took her revenge for denying her the kiss. Hunter groaned while she laughed, having fun at his expense.Â
“Now let me taste my cake,” she whispered conspiratorially and proceeded to lick his face clean. “It tastes better than before,” she said, brushing her wet hot tongue on his cheek. She noticed how her boyfriend went quiet and smirked in satisfaction. “And now I claim what’s rightfully mine,” she said, attempting to steal her long-awaited birthday kiss.Â
But to her disappointment, Hunter grabbed her shoulders and shoved her away before she could kiss him. It seemed he had used too much force while pushing her because it caused her to lose her balance. Hunter’s reflex was quicker, and he pulled her back to him before she could fall off the sofa.Â
Hera’s hand clutched his t-shirt, fingers curling around the material in a tight fist, and her other hand pressed against his crotch accidentally. It was an innocent move, totally unexpected and unintentional. They both knew it was more of a reflex action.Â
Hunter cursed, groaning as if it hurt him.Â
Hera’s eyes went wide, and she retracted her hand as if she got burnt.Â
It did burn, though.Â
He was hard and hot.Â
Hera glanced down at the growing bulge in his shorts.Â
“Oh, my! Why didn’t I notice this? Of course, you would speak about birthday sex. This little motherfucker is turned on huh,” Hera said, pointing to his crotch. She bit her lip, trying not to laugh, but the chuckle escaped anyway. Hunter glared at her in distaste. Hera squealed when he moved swiftly and pulled her under him, changing their positions.Â
Hera stared with her large eyes while he hovered over her form.Â
“Yes, Hera, the mother of my babies, this motherfucker is ready and eager to make love to you. But be careful with your words. You’re offending him because he’s the exact opposite of little,” he said, his purple orbs piercing her green ones. Hera giggled as she lifted her head off the soft cushion. Suddenly she licked his lips, swiping her tongue over them, an invitation to kiss.Â
As she expected, in the next second, Hunter crushed their lips together. He opened his mouth over hers and kissed her hungrily.Â
“Your face is all sticky and dirty,” Hera pointed out, earning a dirty look from him. “And who’s fault is that?” He asked bitingly, but there was no malice behind it. Hera grinned goofily and silenced him with another kiss.Â
“Happy birthday,” he whispered against her lips. “Shut up and kiss me properly. You’re not concentrating,” Hera scolded, and Hunter rolled his eyes before following her command. ρꪖꪕᦔꪖꪕꪫꪣꫀꪶ
A while later,Â
Hera basked in the comfortable silence, waiting for her Hunter.Â
Hunter came out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in his grey shorts and dark blue T-shirt. He found her on the bed, dressed in his white pyjama bottom paired with his white T-shirt.Â
His clothes looked oversized on her.Â
A warm smile lit up Hunter’s face when she gazed at him.Â
‘You’re my prettiest Goddess.’
She held her palm out, beckoning him to join her. Hunter moved in a trance, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. She shifted, changing her place to sit between his legs. Leaning comfortably against his chest, Hera looked at the gift in her hands. Her fingers caressed the words written next to the painting on the other side of the double photo frame.Â
Loving wishes to the one that makes my life complete.
Goddess Hera,
I love you more than you might know.
You enrich my life so much that I can’t imagine experiencing it without you being in it.Â
Again, thanks for coming into my life.Â
PS. I plan on being with you until forever ends.Â
Please stay with me.Â
Hunter watched as her pointer finger moved under each line, and he knew she was reading it again and again.Â
“Stay with me, Goddess,” he voiced it out when she traced the last line. Subconsciously, Hera smiled while Hunter pressed his cheek to hers, wrapped his arms around her middle and rocked her in his embrace. She tilted her head and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.Â
“I wish I could express my feelings in words as beautifully as you do. I fall short of words when you bare your heart with such honesty in front of me. I don’t know how or what to say to make you believe in my love,” Hera confessed. Hunter moved his hand and placed his palm on her chest where her heart pounded. He felt her heartbeats skyrocketing and smiled against her cheek.Â
“You don’t need to voice it out with words. I know it already. Your heart tells me what exactly you feel for me. I never doubted your feelings,” Hunter admitted. Hera hummed and paused for a few seconds, seeming to be in deep thought.Â
“And you’re so great with art. That Castellanos guy, those Instagram fangirls of yours, and you, all of you are such talented artists. I feel so worthless in comparison. I’m so nonartistic,” Hera complained, feeling too frustrated. She bit the inside of his wrist when he laughed at her. Hunter winced and tugged at her hair in retaliation. When Hera pouted in disappointment, he kissed her lips.Â
“You’re not an artist because you’re the art. You’re my inspiration, my muse, my art,” he said without missing a beat, and Hera blushed furiously at his declaration. “Huh, manipulative Jerk. Why are you so good with words?” Hera asked, clutching the photo frame to her heart.Â
Hunter freed the photo frame from her hands and carefully kept it on the nightstand.Â
“Let’s sleep,” he said.Â
“I’m not sleepy yet,” Hera replied.Â
“Do you want me to play some music or read you a story?” Hunter asked. “Or I can teach you Maths,” he offered without waiting for her answer. Hera turned her face to glare at him, and Hunter’s shoulders shook in quiet laughter.Â
“Sometimes I feel like strangling you,” she muttered, and he hummed. “You can’t kiss me if I’m dead,” he supplied helpfully, and Hera giggled her agreement.Â
Her eyes fell on the scar on his thigh, and she frowned, running her fingers softly on it.Â
“The scar looks so dark on your pale skin. Why didn’t the doctor go for the scar revision surgery?” Hera asked. Clearly, she wasn’t impressed by the said doctor’s efficiency.Â
Hunter rolled his eyes at her question.
“You sure are born to become my mother’s daughter-in-law,” he stated with an amused smile.Â