The Hunters

Chapter Thirty

 I'd guessed correctly. Standing on the stone porch was König, towering over the doorway as his eyes widened at my outfit before narrowing on my neck. "Ghost was already here," he muttered irritably, and I realized that I had been given hickeys.

"Yup. Tried to teach me a lesson. I kicked him out a few hours ago. Want to come in?" König eagerly stepped inside, lowering himself to fit before relaxing beneath the vaulted ceiling. "How are you liking the base so far?"

I put away the dishes Ghost had washed while König looked around the cabin, hovering a few feet from me as he was bound by a gravitational pull toward me. He'd left his armor and gear behind, wearing a thick black coat that he nervously stripped and hung on the coat rack by the front door. While I went to add additional wood to the fire, I asked softly, "How are you feeling about the...counter agreement?"

"Not great after seeing...those," he admitted softly, glaring at the hickeys. "How...low down do those go?"

I smirked and shut the fireplace screening, facing him as I shifted my collar aside. "Only this far. He must not have felt super possessive, because hickeys on my inner thighs would have left a larger impression."

König released a trembling breath as his eyes locked on my thighs and I imagined his pillowy lips parting behind his mask. "Got more of those pins?" he whispered, unable to remove his gaze, and I hummed my confirmation before heading into the bathroom to grab some bobby pins. I realized when I watched him standing in the bathroom that he avoided looking at himself in the mirror, keeping his back to the reflection.

"What's your comfort level?" I asked softly, nudging him out of the bathroom before placing the pins in his gloved palm. While Ghost showed little concern for my boundaries on his hunt to force me to submit, König was an anxiety-filled individual. Sweet, caring, but otherall, nervous. Something or someone had severely damaged him long ago; potentially before entering the military.

"I'm never comfortable," he admitted weakly, and I took his hands, overwhelmed with guilt. "But that's not...your problem."

Ghost aroused me with his forceful nature; with the way he remained strong and silent unless he was trying to enforce his power over me. While the feminist side of me should despise his efforts, it was making me crave him more. I wanted to fuck him over and over until our energy was spent. By contract, König activated the softer sides of my personality. I wanted to protect him, cradle him; to help him recover from his traumas. I wanted to love him.

Squeezing König's hands, I asked him, "How can I help?" He shook his head slowly in protest and I sighed, offering a small smile. "Let's have a date."

König's brows lowered enough in their furrow that they were visible through the eye slits in his mask. "W-what? No...sex?"

"You wanted to wine and dine me," I reminded him humorously. "I've got wine in the fridge. Let's make a dessert together, cuddle by the fire. Then see where the night takes us."

König released a pleased breath, nodding his head softly. "I'd like that."

I tugged him to join me in the kitchen, asking him curiously, "Do you like Vafler? I like to make a dessert version. Uh, waffles."

He nodded and I began to pull out ingredients, warming up the heart-shaped waffle maker while he began to add the portions into a bowl with my instructions after removing his gloves. I smiled when he rolled up his sleeves, loving seeing the muscles in his thick forearm. His long fingers were rough due to his profession and I licked my lips, enjoying watching him mix everything together.

"Does this...look right? It's so...liquidy. I don't really know how to...."

"It looks perfect," I reassured him. "You want it to be an eggnog consistency. Want to pour it in the maker?"

He shook his head, obviously concerned about overfilling, and I took the bowl when he offered. Filling the maker, I shut the top, making sure the timer started before leaning against the counter to look up to him. "What are waffles like back home?" I asked softly, and he shifted nervously on his feet.

"I...don't really know. My family didn't really cook."

"Hmm. We'll look it up. Maybe make some on another date?" I offered, and his eyes met mine, lifting from the floor as they revealed his tense nerves. "König, I'm not going to pressure you into saying or doing anything you don't want to. If you want to share personal details, know that I won't judge. If you don't, I won't judge that either."

König remained stiff and uncomfortable while I pulled out the hazelnut spread, warming the jar so that it would be easier to spread. "I was bullied," he whispered bitterly, and I stirred the spread, listening to him behind me. "For being too tall."

I didn't know how to respond. Do I comfort him, ignore it, or try something else? I'm no good in these situations. "You're short based on my family standards," I admitted before opening the waffle maker, showing him the finished pastry. "Oh, this turned out perfectly, König. You did a great job with the batter. Do you want a whole one or share?"

"Share, please."

I nodded and split the waffle, coating mine before offering him the jar. Stepping forward, he carefully drizzled the spread, wincing when some fell on the floor. "No biggie." I grabbed a towel and wiped the mess away, grabbing my plate as I gestured for us to go to the couch. "Oh! Forgot the one. One sec." He took my plate and I jogged into the kitchen, opening the bottle before filling two glasses.

Once I'd settled beside him, he asked softly, "Are we...using our hands?" I giggled and revealed the silverware I'd stashed in my panties, wrapped in two cloth napkins. Organizing the bundle, I handed him the items before beginning to cut into the waffle.

König pinned his mask out of his way before taking a bite, nodding his head in approval. "This is delicious. Thank you."

"Thank me? You're the one who made the batter." He smiled softly and we ate in silence, gazing at the fire. Once the plates were set off to the side, I leaned against him, his arm extended on the couch behind me while we sipped our wine. "I'm glad we did this," I decided, leaning my head on his shoulder while his hand stroked my bare thigh. "With our service, guys don't usually want to put in the effort to try to date me. They're...usually more like Ghost."

"I don't like how Ghost treats you," König whispered, his fingers shifting to stroke my inner thigh. My lashes fluttered at the sensation of his rough fingertips so close to my intimacy, and his eyes shimmered with arousal and affection. "He's too...rough on you."

"I don't mind rough," I admitted. "It's...nice if it's done the right way."

"Hmm. Let's give it a try."