The Executioner

Seventy-Four

Hunter rolled over in bed uncomfortably. No position was a good one. His eyes grazed the digital clock on the bedside table and he cursed under his breath. It was 4:55 a.m. and he’d managed less than two hours’ sleep. It was already hard enough falling asleep in his own bed; in a stranger’s bed it was damn near impossible.

He stretched his body and massaged his gritty eyes, but the sandy feeling just wouldn’t go away. The darkness of the room was spoiled by the weak light that came in from the corridor, courtesy of a small glass lamp on the telephone table.

Hunter had left his office late last night and hadn’t felt like going home straight away. He drove around for a while, welcoming the soothing effect the city’s Christmas lights and decorations had on him. On Hollywood Boulevard, where the decorations were certainly the most extravagant he’d seen so far, Hunter ended up in the L’Scorpion, a red and black gothic-themed bar with an impressive selection of tequilas and Scotch whiskeys. He didn’t intend to stay long, and that decision had been expedited when the tall, short-haired blond with incredibly seductive lips and an eye-grabbing figure bumped into him, spilling his and her drink all over his shirt. She couldn’t apologize enough, and after buying Hunter a new drink, one thing led to another and he was now lying next to her in her bed.

Hunter eased himself from under the covers and out of bed as quietly as he could. His clothes were scattered all over the floor, and he gathered them together in a messy bunch. His shoes, though, were nowhere to be seen. He smiled as he remembered the urgency they’d both had in getting their clothes off. She’d ripped a couple of buttons off his shirt as she franticly pulled it over his head. Their time in bed had been wild and loud – very loud. Hunter figured that if the blond woman’s apartment didn’t have thick walls, she couldn’t be very popular with her neighbors.

He got down on his hands and knees and checked under the bed for his shoes, but it was too dark for him to see anything.

‘Did you lose something?’ Even though her voice was soft and sexy, it caught Hunter by surprise.

‘Sorry if I woke you,’ he whispered. ‘I was just looking for my shoes.’

She smiled and sat up, placing her back against the headboard. ‘They’re on this side.’ Her head tilted slightly to her right.

Hunter got back on his feet, and her eyes sparkled as they ran the length of his naked body. He circled the bed and as he bent down to collect his shoes, she slipped her right leg from under the covers and softly ran her small, delicate and perfectly pedicured foot against his arm. He looked up and they locked eyes.

‘You don’t really have to go right this minute, do you?’

Most of her makeup had rubbed off, but she was still stunningly attractive. Her eyes were as blue as Hunter’s. Her petite nose was sprinkled with a handful of charming freckles, most of them hidden under her perfect tan. She noticed Hunter furtively checking the digital clock.

‘It’s still early. The sun isn’t even out yet,’ she whispered and smiled.

Hunter thought about it for a split second before leaning forward and kissing her softly. She moaned seductively and he kissed her again, a little harder and for a little longer. She pushed the covers off the bed and pulled Hunter onto her, her moans getting louder by the second.