Chapter 17

Stephanie looked out the window and watched as the scenery rolled by. It was the morning after she and Hunter had finally been together after six months. She sat on the passenger's side of the rental, thinking, comparing. Earlier the day before, she'd been intimate with Chris, and it had been just absolutely amazing. Then later she'd been with Hunter, something she'd been eagerly anticipating, but... It had been one huge disappointment.

"What are you thinking about, babe?" Hunter asked, looking over at Stephanie. She was looking out the window and she looked strangely sad. He wondered why...

Just how much of a disappointment you were in bed last night, she thought, but of course she didn't say it. Instead, she just sighed and kept looking out the window. "Nothing," she murmured in response to his question.

"You say it's nothing, but your face tells a different story."

"Ok, Mr. Observant."

"Want to tell me what's wrong now?" he asked, eyes back on the road. "The truth?"

"You want the truth?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"I'd certainly appreciate it. The truth is always better than a lie."

"Fine," she said shortly. "Last night...wasn't good for me. When you and I were...together...it didn't feel like it used to feel. You used to love me like you meant it, and now it's like you're holding back."

"Holding back? I wasn't holding back," he lied, voice rising a little. "I gave you everything I had, Stephanie. I gave you everything that I could give you..."

"And if that's the case, then ok," she said, looking back out the window. "But that's just how I felt, like you were holding back. You never used to hold back. Our passion used to be fiery and unbridled, remember?"

He did remember their steamy encounters from the past, back when they'd first gotten together. Their chemistry in the bedroom had been almost too hot for him to handle, for her to handle, and they'd always been capable of completely satisfying each other. What, then, had possessed him to hook up with Trish?

"Yeah, I remember," he said softly, memories flooding his mind. "And I don't know what happened to change everything so quickly."

"Let me take a wild guess... Trish," she said snidely.

"I don't want to talk about Trish right now," he said quickly.

"You never do," she accused, staring a hole through him. "But you have to now, because you've been silent about what really happened for six whole months. I want to know the truth, the whole truth, and don't leave out a single detail."

"But Steph, that's in the past. What happened is done now, it's over, and we've all moved on," he protested.

"No, not all of us have. Chris and I, we've talked about it, and we're both still hurting. We don't know what we did, I don't know what I did, to make you run into Trish's arms," she said sadly. "I've cried over it a lot lately, and Chris has been here to comfort me, but now I want to know, Hunter. Tell me."

"Fine! You want to know? Fine!" he spat, anger and frustration taking over him. He pulled their rental over to the side of the road and turned it off.

"What did you pull over for? We have a city to get to," she reminded him.

"You want the whole story, so I'm going to give it to you. I can't tell you about this while I'm driving. It's too powerful, too distracting..."

"Then start talking already."

"It all started about a year and a half ago..."

Flashback: A year and a half ago

"I have to work late tonight," Stephanie informed Hunter as he stepped into her office.. "I have, like, so much work I need to catch up on."

"I'm ready to leave, though," Hunter said, putting his duffle bag down. "It's after eleven, it's late. Can't you do this back at the hotel?"

"No, baby, because everything's all set up here," she said, standing up and giving him an apologetic look. She walked over to him and leaned against him for a second, then looked up at him, reaching up to softly caress his face. "I know you want to go back to the hotel, so go ahead. I'll be fine."

"Oh, but baby, I don't want to leave you alone," he protested, putting an arm around her waist, pulling her more firmly against him. He smiled down at her. "And besides," he went on huskily, "I'm really in the mood, and you know what that means..." He leaned down and kissed her.

She kissed him back wholeheartedly, running her fingers through his hair and moaning a little into his mouth. As the kiss got heated, he backed over to the leather couch and sat down, pulling her down on top of him, making her straddle him. She kept kissing him for a while, then pulled back, panting heavily.

"Hunter, we can't do it here," she said, hands on his shoulders.

"Why not? We both want it," he pointed out, kissing her on the neck and nipping lightly at her skin. "Feel me, Stephanie, feel how much I want you. "

"I can feel it," she said with a little giggle. "I'm sitting on the evidence."

"So that's what you call my...tool? 'Evidence?'" he asked with a laugh. "But seriously, Steph, I need you... I need you right now."

"I feel it, and I need you, too," she whispered, kissing him briefly. "But baby, I have to finish this work, or I won't have a job."

"Like Vince would fire you," he scoffed, before putting his hand on the back of her head and forcing her to kiss him again.

He didn't have to force her much, because she wanted him as much as he wanted her. She kissed him back, feeling the evidence of his arousal pressing firmly against her. But she knew they couldn't do it, not at that moment, not in her office at the arena.

"Honey, I can't do this right now," she whispered, brushing her lips lightly over his. She ran her hands over the sculpted muscles of his chest and shivered. "Just go back to the hotel and save it for me. I'll make it worth the wait when I get there, I promise."

"But Steph, I could die from being so hard for so long," he said bluntly, not caring that it sounded like he was begging, because he was begging and he knew it. He needed her and he would do just about anything to attain his release.

"Don't be dramatic, sweetie," she said, pulling away from him and standing up. She pulled him to his feet and tried to shove him towards the door. "Now get out of here, big guy."

"Fine, I'll go," he said. "But I'm warning you, I might have to go find myself a lady of the night to fulfill my needs."

"Like you'd cheat on me," she laughed. "That's absurd, absolutely absurd."

"You're right, that is absurd," he agreed. "I'd never cheat on you."

"Ok, so if you want me back at the hotel anytime soon, if you really, really want me..." Her voice trailed off. "What am I saying? Of course you want me... Just go to the hotel and wait for me... Go get ready for me..."

"Oh, I'll be ready for you, sweetie," he assured her, leaning down to kiss her passionately for a minute. He pulled back and trailed a finger along her jaw line. "I'll be ready for you. The question is, will you be ready for me?"

"Yes, I'll be ready," she whispered. She smiled at him and watched him go, admiring his butt in the jeans he was wearing before closing the door and getting back to the work that would take her hours to complete...

Hunter walked down the hallway, trying to cover the front of his pants up in case he ran into someone. He didn't need anyone to see how turned on he was at the moment. He just needed to get back to the hotel and let his hand take care of the problem for the time being, until Stephanie got there...

"Hi, Hunter, can I have a word with you, please?" came a female voice from behind him, just as he reached the doors to the exit. He felt a delicate hand on his arm, and he looked down to see some perfectly manicured nails pressing gently against his skin.

"Trish," he said, turning around to face the blonde diva. "What can I do for you?"

"Ooh, lots of things," she said, trailing her fingers up and down his skin. She looked down at the front of his pants, then back up at him, and she smiled. "But right now, the question is, what can I do for you?"

"Um, nothing. I don't need anything," he said quickly, pulling his arm out of her grasp. "The question is, what do you want from me? Because you so obviously want something."

"Ok, you got me. I do want something," she admitted. "But I want to give you something first. I mean, it would only be fair."

"What do you want to give me?" he asked curiously.

She pulled him down a little so she could whisper into his ear. "Stratusfaction... From that boner you're sporting, you could use it."

He took a shaky breath and pulled away. "I'm married, you know that," he said, looking down at her. "My wife will take care of it for me when she gets done working."

"And when will that be? Two, three hours from now?" she asked knowingly.

"Probably," he said, looking down. "But still... I can wait."

"But you don't want to."

"But I can."

"Well, just hear me out," she said, one hand touching his chest. "I have a proposition for you..."

"Alright, alright, walk with me," he said, giving in. He opened the door and held it. She walked out in front of him and he followed close behind for a minute before moving to her side. "So, what's this proposition about?"

"I have a...plan...and I need someone on the inside," she said, getting straight to the point. "I think you could be that person."

"What's the plan?"

"I can't tell you."

They reached his rental car and he unlocked it, putting his bag in there. She leaned against the hood of the rental and waited for him. He walked over to where she was and leaned next to her.

"So... You need someone on the inside, and I'm that someone?"

"Yes, so are you going to help me?"

"I need to know what it is you're doing. I can't go into this blind," he said seriously.

"You won't be blind... You'll just be riding the waves of ecstasy," she said in a low voice. She pressed herself up against him with her back to his chest, practically purring. "That is, if you'll help me."

"I'll help you," he agreed, biting his lip as she rubbed herself against him. "Just...stop."

She turned around to look at him, smiling. "I can't stop now, Hunter. Ever since I joined this company, I've wanted you... That hasn't changed... I still want you..." She pulled him down for a kiss.

"I'm married," he whispered against her lips.

"You keep saying that, but Stephanie's not here to take care of this delicious-feeling erection that's pressing against me," she whispered, pulling out all the stops so she could complete her seduction.

"She has to take care of her work first..."

"Then let me take care of you..."

They ended up kissing for quite a while, kisses that started out slow and sweet and ended up hungry and passionate. He tangled his strong fingers in her hair, pulling her closer, as close as possible. He could feel the need, he couldn't wait anymore. He had to have her.

"Trish, if we do this..."

"I won't tell."

"And aren't you dating Jericho?"

"What he doesn't know won't kill him."

He held her face in his hands and looked at her. "This is so very wrong. Stephanie-"

"Shhh, it's ok. I know you want me, and that's ok, because I want you, too," she whispered, pulling away from him. She leaned over the hood of the rental car and looked back at him, smirking a bit, with lust in her eyes. "Come on, take me, right here."

"This is too risky," he said apprehensively, looking around.

"Maybe you need to take a risk around here. It's deserted in here in this parking garage, and it's dark, and that's going to heighten the experience," she told him. She bared her neck to him and wiggled her hips invitingly, her short skirt barely covering her butt. "Besides, I'm ready for you..."

He didn't know why, but he went over to her, and before he really realized what he was doing, he was taking her from behind on the hood of his rental...

End Flashback

"So that's how it happened? She seduced you," Stephanie said, looking down at her hands.

"Yes. I had no plans to cheat on you, but then that night came and you had to work, and I was so turned on..."

"So turned on that you committed adultery?" she asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, ok? She let me take her on the hood of the rental, the hood! It just... I've always wanted to do kinky things like that, you know?"

"All you had to do was tell me... We could've..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked out the window. "Get me to the next city, there's someone I need to talk to."

He looked at her. "It's not Trish, is it? I don't want you to bother her about this."

"Worried about your little whore, huh?" she asked, not bothering even trying to cover up her anger at the woman her husband had cheated with. "Well don't worry. I don't want to even see her face, and I'm not going to confront her, ok?"

"Ok," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. He cranked the car up and soon they were back on the road again, headed for the next city. He glanced over at her and saw her looking out the window, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Steph. I mean it."

"Don't talk to me. Just get me to the next city fast," she whispered.

"If that's what you want," he answered.

She didn't bother replying to him. Instead, she pulled out her phone and flipped the screen up. She signed on to AIM and saw that the person she wanted to talk to was online.

Stephy76: I need you. Where are you?

cjrocks: I'm at a gas station right outside the next city. Trish is in the bathroom.

Stephy76: Can I see you today?

cjrocks: You can see me any day or night you want.

Stephy76: Then today I need to see you. Hunter just told me the whole story of how he and Trish hooked up.

cjrocks: And you're crying, aren't you?

Stephy76: I can't help it.

cjrocks: I'm going to wipe those tears away for you, I promise, as soon as I see you. I'll kiss them away...

Stephy76: Thanks. I know you'll make everything better when I see you.

cjrocks: Yep, I will... So until then, stay cool, ok? I have to go, but call me when you get to the next city.

Stephy76: Will do, Chris... Thanks for being a sweetie...

cjrocks: I'm your sweetie, Steph...

Stephy76: My sweetie?

cjrocks: I'll explain later. I have to go.

Stephy76: Later...

cjrocks: Bye...

Stephanie put on her away message and exited the AIM application, then put her phone in her purse and looked out the window. She wanted to be anywhere but in this car with Hunter...

But there was one place she wanted to be more than any other place, one person she wanted to be with more than any other person...

She wanted to be with Chris.

A/N: So now we know how the whole Hunter/Trish relationship started. I didn't even know how it started when I first started this story! But now I know, and now you all know... I'll update once I get some more ideas (and just so you all know, I have some ideas already). Stay cool, everybody, and drop me a review!