38 comments/ 73174 views/ 170 favorites The Best Friend's Girlfriend By: SAbitch Hey Again! Sorry that I have been quiet lately, but I had a serious bout of writers block! Some good news, Junky part 4 is under construction and I won't keep you guessing for too much longer. On a serious note, I want to thank idrublood for being my beta reader and doing some editing for me, your expertise are appreciated. Then I want to make a dedication, I am not going to use her real name, but simplydivine24, this one is for you. You reminded why I started writing and I thank you for that. I think the final part of the story was written to you and I hope you find some hope in the words. Thank you so much for inspiring me again and I hope I can do the same for you. Then to 'my angel', thanks for being a constant in my life. I want to dedicate this one to you as well, for being as amazing as you are and for putting up with my craziness. Love you. To the rest of you, I hope you enjoy and here is to many more! Happy reading ********** Hunter walked into the overcrowded bar, scanning the room to find her friend whom she was supposed to meet for the rugby. It was going to be a big game, every game between Samoa and South Africa always promised a lot of action with a lot of big hits and dirty play from the Samoan side. But Hayden had also mysteriously said that he had something he wanted to tell her and here she was, trying to find him and a good spot to watch the game. She finally spotted him at a table in front of the big screen and bumped through the crowd to join him. "I wasn't expecting this place to be so full," Hunter said as she took her seat. "Hey butch," he leaned over the table to give her a hug. "Hey there, so what was the news?" she asked and ordered a beer from the waiter. "You will see her now. I finally found a girl that I like enough to consider settling down with, I even stopped fucking the secretary after we dated for about a week," he said with a large smile. "Wow, that must be some girl then," she said with a smile that matched his. "She is," as he spoke Hunter saw the blonde manoeuvring through the crowd. She finally reached the table and sat down next to Hayden, "this is Caylen, Caylen this is my best friend Hunter." "Nice to meet you," Hunter said and took in the beautiful blonde. "You too, no offense but I was kind of expecting a guy when he said Hunter," Caylen said with a shy smile. "It doesn't help that he always makes me sound like one either, so I don't blame you," Hunter accepted her beer and took a long drink. Caylen was exactly what she had always imagined her future girlfriend would look like, the blonde hair that fell effortlessly across her shoulders and the green eyes that held tiny golden flecks. She had a tiny button nose and full, pink lips that always seemed ready to curve into a smile. Her 5'6" frame was lean, strong and undoubtedly feminine with large breasts that sat proudly upon her chest. The green Springbok rugby jersey she wore enhanced the greenness of her eyes that reminded Hunter of the tree groves on the farm. "You know I see you as one of the guys, Butch. You offer me the best of both worlds, your great advice on what women want and how I should dress and then you are also someone I get to play PlayStation with and who loves watching rugby," Hayden tried to defend himself. "I didn't say that you were wrong, it might just make everyone you tell about me more comfortable if you add that I am a female so that they aren't shell shocked when they meet me," Hunter said and smiled at Caylen. "Did he just call you Butch?" Caylen asked with a tiny smile playing at her lips. "Yeah I did. That is exactly what she is and it just fits. It comes from school days though, she was always talking sports with the guys instead of fashion and make-up with the girls," Hayden laughed at the memory. "It is kind of cute actually and it suits you very well," Caylen said as she studied the tall woman sitting opposite Hayden. Her ebony hair was cut short along the sides and at the back with long bangs that fell over her right eye and a few platinum highlights that gave her hair some depth. Impossibly clear blue eyes stared back at her and the slightly upturned nose crinkled when she smiled. Her plump, Cupid's bow lips were formed into a slight pout and her strong jaw gave her face the subtle masculinity that made her unbelievably beautiful. Caylen stared at the rugby jersey that stretched tightly across the broad shoulders and saw the strong and muscled arms that peaked from beneath the shirt. Her left arm was covered in a full sleeve tattoo and her long legs in faded blue jeans. "Thanks, I think," Hunter said and scratched her head. Hayden ordered shooters and mere minutes later the game started. Everyone in the pub rose to their feet and clutched their shirts with their right hands when the national anthem began. South Africans are a very proud nation and this came across clearly when all the voices rang out as they sang. Hunter's body burst into gooseflesh in the moment that never ceased to stir her because she knew that even this country where the citizen's differences were so publicly advertised that they all stood together when fighting a common enemy, even if it was in sport. Throughout the game Hunter looked over at the couple and realized that they fit together very well, Hayden was a large man with broad shoulders. One of their favourite pass times as friends were going to the gym and the results clearly showed. His light brown hair was short and neatly trimmed and his face always cleanly shaven, his hazel eyes were always friendly and Hunter was happy that her friend finally found someone that he truly liked. "How are things on the farm?" Hayden asked during half time. "Busy, my dad has been taking on less and less, after his heart attack he has gradually become weaker and I fear that he won't be around much longer. I have been running the place lately and trying to convince him to move into the city where he will be closer to decent medical care," Hunter replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "He will die on that farm and we both know it," Hayden said concern colouring his voice. "Yeah he will and there's not much that I can do to convince him otherwise," she had given up that particular fight and in her heart she knew that her father had also done the same, except he gave up on the fight to live. "Can't your mother talk him into moving to the city?" Caylen asked and noticed the flinch of pain across Hunter's features when she asked. "My mother deserted us about twelve years ago when I was just eleven. She never wrote or tried to call, so the answer to your question would be no, she won't be able to convince him of anything at this stage." Caylen's face fell and she suddenly regretted asking, "I am so sorry, I didn't know." "Don't worry about it, things like that happen in life and it can only make us stronger," Hunter smiled at the smaller woman and felt her heart skip a beat when the smile was returned. "Well, back to the game, Samoa will be starting their foul play tricks now because they are so far behind," Hayden said and rested his hand on Caylen's thigh for reassurance. "That is to be expected, although they have already started," Hunter joined the conversation and tried to drown out her reaction at Caylen's smile. The game continued with the entire pub swearing at the Samoan players after one tackled the Springbok captain with a stiff arm against his neck and another grabbed Strauss between the legs in a ruck. If the referee had to hear all of the creative names that the supporters called him he would immediately hang up his refereeing jersey and walk away. "That motherfucker deserved a red card for that move!" Hunter said in outrage and heard the people around them agree. "I just hope for his sake that Strauss doesn't bump into him off the field," Caylen said looked at the replay again. "I would murder a man if he did that to me," Hayden said and shook his head. "He was just handling the ball," Hunter said with a chuckle and heard Caylen laugh, a melodic sound that sent her heart rate into over drive. "Classy, Butch, very classy," Hayden said between chuckles. "Rather him handling those balls than me," she returned and shrugged. The rest of the night passed uneventfully and Hayden clearly expressed his pleasure at his best friend and girlfriend getting along so well. Hunter invited them over to the farm the weekend and he was looking forward to being on the grounds that held a lot of his school memories once again. He travelled a lot for work and was pleased to know that Hunter would be here to look out for Caylen if she ever needed anything. They said their goodbyes and Hunter drove off to the apartment they had in the city, her mind filled with images of the young blonde. Unbeknownst to Hunter, Caylen was having similar thoughts and admonished herself for thinking about another woman that way. But no matter how hard she tried, those blue eyes kept reappearing in her mind's eye and she couldn't rid herself of the thoughts of that smile. ********** The weekend came quickly and Hunter worked extra hard to try and keep her mind occupied. She and Caylen had exchanged numbers and soon they were texting like they have been friends for years. This didn't help Hunter's attempts to keep the blonde from her mind and she cursed herself every time she thought about Caylen in an inappropriate manner. She is dating your best friend, for fucks sake and she is simply trying to establish a good friendship with you because she plans on being in Hayden's life for a long time. Relationships just work out easier if you get along with the key players in the other person's life. She stood on the patio and stared across the hills surrounding their farm, the greenery of the tree groves never ceased to steel her breath and the orange and pink rays of the setting sun gave the scenery an idyllic appeal. She heard the crunch of tires on the driveway and Rusty and Titus's frantic barking at the approaching vehicle. "Behave! It is only Hayden and his new girlfriend," she told the two Graydains and watched as they sat down, their tails wagging. The Land Rover came to a halt before the garage and Hunter walked down the steps to greet her guests, Rusty and Titus followed but remained beside their owner. Caylen almost jumped back into the large vehicle when she saw the large animals but Hunter quickly reassured her. "They won't bite, I promise," to show they would behave they sat down next to Hunter and longingly stared at their visitors. "Okay, I trust you," Caylen said and slowly approached the four legged creatures, kneeling down in front of them. "Gently, guys. Give her big doggy kisses," at this the dogs both licked Caylen's face from her chin to her eyebrows and Hayden and Hunter laughed when Caylen sputtered. "Go say hello to Hayden," the dogs immediately took off and jumped on the large man. "That is disgusting!" Caylen said and desperately tried to wipe her face clean. "Aww, how can you say that? They just wanted to give you some love," Hunter said putting on her best innocent face. "If everyone who wanted to show me love had to lick me like that I would have lived a solitary life," Caylen said with a mock scowl. "Well I am sure that if those licks were in the right places you wouldn't have minded at all," this caused Caylen to blush a bright red and Hayden to burst out laughing. Hunter smiled endearingly at the adorable site and decided to make sure that she saw that as often as possible. She whistled and the dogs immediately sat by her feet, Rusty had a large stick in her mouth and begged Hunter to take the hint. She grabbed the stick and instead of throwing it took off sprinting as two frantic animals followed her closely, trying to get possession of the stick. Caylen stared at Hunter, her long legs ate the ground with each stride and she saw the strong muscles working beneath the skin as she sprinted across the large expanse of lawn. Hunter stopped and looked back, their eyes met and Caylen felt her heart rate increase drastically when she saw the beautiful portrait the setting sun and green hills made as the backdrop for the tall woman. That was an image she knew would stay with her for the rest of her life. "Let's take bags in," Hayden broke her reverie and she quickly grabbed a bag to help. He led the way inside and showed her to the room he usually had when he spent holidays and weekends here. Caylen marvelled at the interior of the modern house, the walls were painted in different shades of grey and the furniture was all in clean, straight lines. There were large windows that gave way to an amazing view of the landscape surrounding the house and Caylen immediately felt a sense of peace and tranquillity surround her. Hayden opened the door to the room they would be staying in and revealed a large four poster bed in an espresso stain and square matching pedestals and a dresser. The windows in the room were large as well and the room was painted in a soft blue. "Wow, this is amazing," Caylen said and turned in circles trying to take in the room. "Hunter redesigned the entire house a few years ago, she has this incredible creative side to her. You should see the apartment in Cape Town," Hayden said with a smile and took the small woman in his arms. He lowered his head and kissed her, glad to be sharing this place that held so many memories for him with the woman he considered the woman of his dreams. Hunter walked down the hall and saw the tender moment between the lovers, jealousy raged within her and she fought it down. She walked back to the living area in search of father, they are together, what did you expect? And why are you even this way? It is your best friend's girlfriend! What the fuck is wrong with you? "Hey dad," Hunter said when she found him the kitchen, cooking up a storm. "Hey, lil one," he smiled at her and saw the inner turmoil in her eyes. "Whatcha cooking?" "My favourite girl's favourite dish," he said with a large smile. "Lasagne? Have I told you that I love you yet today?" she beamed. "No you haven't, but it's good to hear it. So tell your old man what's bothering you?" "It's nothing, really," she said quickly but the look he gave her made her back track, "I have a crush on Hayden's girl. It's ridiculous, I know. But for some reason I get butterflies when I see her and my heart literally skips a beat when she smiles." He looked at his only child and knew that she didn't easily develop crushes, which meant that there had to be something special about this girl, "lil one, I know that you don't easily develop crushes, but now you get one when you are not supposed to! Just remember, Hayden is your best friend, so don't let anything come between you two. You never know, life might surprise you." "I hate that this is happening, I am trying really hard to just ignore it, but when those irritating butterflies start swarming it gets difficult," her shoulders slouched and she fell into the chair. "It will be okay, lil one. Maybe it will pass," he rubbed her shoulders and walked back to the oven. "I hope so, dad." Hayden and Caylen walked into the kitchen and Hunter introduced Caylen to her father. He immediately saw why his daughter was developing feelings for the young woman and hoped in his heart that things would find a way of working out without breaking his daughter's heart. Caylen saw the similarities between father and daughter, both were tall and shared the blue eyes and tanned skin. Grant's black hair was littered with grey but his eyes still held the vitality of a young man. There was no sign of the weakness that Hunter was referring to the previous weekend but she soon realized that she didn't know either well enough to know what they described as getting weak. "What are you cooking, uncle?" Hayden asked as he grabbed four beers from the fridge. "Lasagne, I haven't made that for Hunter in ages and I thought today was as good a day as any," he smiled. "There is wine if Caylen would prefer that," Hunter offered before Hayden opened the bottle. "Do you have a Baron?" Caylen asked and smiled at Hunter's thoughtfulness. "We do, just let me run to the cellar quickly. Which one would you prefer? Nederburg or Moreson?" Hunter asked as she rose from her chair. "Would you mind if I came with? I would love to see the cellar," Caylen asked hopefully. "Sure thing, do you want to come, Hayden?" she asked and prayed that he would agree. "No, you two go ahead, I don't know anything about wines and that cellar just scares me," he said with a laugh. Caylen followed Hunter to the cellar in silence and she wondered why Hunter didn't want to be alone with her. Before she could ponder on the thought long they walked into the cellar and Caylen smiled at the rows and rows of dusty wine bottles. "This is amazing," she mused aloud. "Dad loves his wines and I just thought it would be cool to have a wine cellar. Makes me think of all those American horror movies with the rich and dignified people," Hunter said with a chuckle and led the way to the Baron's and other red wines. "I would die for one of these filled with wine," Caylen said and smiled the tall woman who held out the two different Baron wines. "I will go with the Nederburg one, they aren't the best South African wine producers for nothing. Can I have a look around?" Caylen asked as her eyes tried to take in all the different wines. "I am going to grab a J.C. le Roux crystal as well, we might as well celebrate you and Hayden finding each other," Hunter said with a laugh and reached for the bottle. She saw Caylen trying to reach another bottle and stepped in to help, she effortlessly removed the bottle but when she looked down she found their bodies pressed together. Her heart rate skyrocketed as she looked into the green depths, Caylen stood on her toes and closed her eyes, leaning forward with her lips parted. Before Hunter could stop herself she leaned down and claimed the full lips. Caylen's heart was beating so hard that she thought it was going to tear right out of her chest when she felt the softness of Hunter's lips. She pressed herself tighter against the surprisingly soft body and circled her arms around Hunter's neck, her entire body melting into the touch. Hunter blindly put the bottle down and took the smaller woman into her arms, her tongue begging for entrance at the soft lips. Entrance was granted and soon their tongues duelled and explored each other's mouths. Her senses suddenly returning, Hunter pushed the blonde away and desperately gasped for air, willing her heart rate down to its normal rate. "We can't do this," Hunter breathed. "Sorry, I just kind of got lost in the moment. Please don't let this ruin our friendship," Caylen frantically begged and willed herself to step away, because all she wanted was to feel those soft lips again. "It never happened," Hunter mumbled awkwardly and retrieved their selections. The walk back to the kitchen was silent and Hunter wondered how she would ever be able to forget that one magical moment. You are a fucking idiot! Why didn't you just stop the kiss before it happened? Why did you have to be so fucking selfish? All you did now was hurt yourself, because she made a mistake and she said so! She is with Hayden and you will never be able to compete, no, you shouldn't want to compete! Hunter berated herself as they walked. Why did it feel so good to kiss her? And what the fuck was up with the butterflies and tingling sensation? God dammit! You have a boyfriend and then you go and kiss his best friend! Jesus, you must be losing your mind, Caylen! But if it is so wrong, why do I want to do it again? Hayden's kisses are never that soft and he never makes me feel those butterflies. Caylen was confused and she needed time to sort through these thoughts. When they reached the kitchen both women plastered on happy faces and pretended as though nothing ever happened. The Best Friend's Girlfriend "You have some great wines there, Mr Camden," Caylen said and sat on Hayden's lap. "Call me Grant, please and thank you. I would like to take credit but Hunter is the master of all things alcoholic," he said with a chuckle. "Wow, dad, you make me sound like an alcoholic. I don't even drink much," she whined in protest and tried to ignore the image of Caylen on Hayden's lap. "You might not drink much, anymore, but you still know a lot about booze," Hayden laughed. "We are surrounded by wineries and you tend to make friends and learn some things along the way," Hunter effortlessly pulled the cork from the bottle and poured a bit into a wine glass. Caylen tasted it and smiled, "that's definitely a good one." "As you said, Nederburg are the masters of wine in South Africa," she returned the smile and took a long swig of her beer. Everyone gathered around the table for dinner and ate in companionable chatter. The alcohol flowed freely and Hunter opened the champagne, "a toast, to Hayden and Caylen. When Hayden told me that he finally met the girl I was truly happy for him, so a toast to years and years of happiness for you two!" Caylen smiled and toasted with everyone else, even though the toast was supposed to make her happy, hearing that Hayden considered her to be 'the girl' she couldn't muster a truly happy smile. He kissed her and she kissed him back, a little harder than necessary but she desperately hoped that she would feel those butterflies with him, pulling away disappointed when she didn't. She looked over to Hunter and saw that she was staring at the blank wall ahead of her. Caylen wondered what was going on in that head. Grant excused himself and headed to his room, Hunter could see that he was feeling weak and that the colour had drained from his face. Caylen noticed the worried look in her eyes and wanted nothing more but to take away the pain that she might have been feeling at that moment. The three of them continued their party, Hunter drinking more than usual in attempt of forgetting the kiss and the feelings it awakened within her. Not long after, when Hayden kept kissing Caylen, she excused herself and headed to her room, there she lay awake in bed, trying to get the blonde from her thoughts. Hayden took Caylen in his arms and carried her to their room, he kissed her deeply and when he shut the door his hands roamed all over her body. I wonder if Hunter's hands would feel this rough. Would she also skip all the foreplay and get to the fucking part or would she take her time and work me to the right high before using me to get off? She tried to remain in the moment but her thoughts kept travelling back to the dark haired woman and the soft kiss. Before she knew it, she found herself on her knees and Hayden's large cock in her face, waiting to be sucked off. She closed her eyes and took his large member into her mouth. ********** Hunter got up early the next morning and headed off into their home gym, she was standing in front of a boxing bag, green 4 ounce gloves covered her hands and she beating the bag with all of her might. Her body was drenched in sweat and her black sports bra and gym shorts clung to her body. Caylen walked down the hall in the direction of the music and stopped in the doorway when she saw the muscled body pounding away at the large bag. She was mesmerised by the movement of the muscles and Hunter's fluent movements. Caylen stood rooted to the spot and wondered what had caused Hunter to relentlessly beat the bag until her muscles gave way due to fatigue. When Hunter's movements slowed she cautiously walked inside and looked up into troubled blue eyes. "What did that bag ever do to you?" she asked jokingly. Hunter smiled sincerely, "it called me fat so I decided to teach it a lesson." "Remind me to never call you fat," Caylen said in a semi-serious tone. "Don't worry, if you ever do, I will just come and beat the bag for teaching you to say it," Hunter smiled and wiped the sweat from her body. Caylen's eyes travelled over the strong body, a six pack was visible and she had a deep v cut in her lower abdomen. Her veins stood out from the sudden flow of blood and her dark skin glowed in the artificial lighting of the room. "Poor bag," she mumbled and looked at the floor. "Would you like some coffee?" Hunter asked when she saw the sad look on her friend's face. "That would be amazing," she felt a pang of disappointment when Hunter pulled a shirt over her head before leading the way to the kitchen. Hunter busied herself with the coffee machine and took out four cups, "is Hayden still sleeping?" "Yeah, I think last night was a bit much for him," she smiled. "At the rate you two were groping each other I am surprised that you're awake," Hunter said and laughed at the endearing site of Caylen's blush, choosing to ignore the pang of jealousy. "I am so sorry, the alcohol got to us," she said and hung her head low. "What for? You are both adults in a loving relationship, sex is the fun part of that," Hunter placed two aspirin and a glass of water in front of the blonde. "Thanks," Caylen mumbled and once again felt embarrassed, because throughout their entire love making session all she thought about was Hunter. "Hey, stop being embarrassed, sex is natural and this is like Hayden's second home so it is yours as well and you should feel comfortable enough to express yourselves," Hunter said reassuringly. "It's not that, it's just that I couldn't stop..." Caylen was cut short by Hayden's appearance. "Morning ladies," he mumbled through a yawn and kissed Caylen. "Mornin'" Hunter said and poured the coffee. They started talking and Grant soon joined them for breakfast when Hayden's phone rang. He excused himself and the remaining three chattered away, Grant noticed the look of longing that Caylen gave his daughter and wondered where this was headed. "That was work, apparently they moved the hearing up to Monday so I am going to have leave to catch a flight to Johannesburg and prep the client," he said with an apologetic smile. "That sucks," Hunter said and realized she was more disappointed about Caylen leaving than not spending the weekend with her best friend. "I was looking forward to this weekend, can't you postpone until Sunday?" Caylen asked angrily. "Hey, you can stay. Hunter can just take you into the city tomorrow when you want to head home and then I will see you on Friday," Hayden looked at Hunter hopefully and she nodded. "Fine, but I wanted to spend it with you," Caylen said and followed Hayden to help him pack and say goodbye. ********** After Hayden left things were awkward between Caylen and Hunter for a while, but they soon got over it as Hunter showed Caylen the inner workings of the farm. The drove to the orange tree grove and started walking between the trees, Hunter gave a few commands to the workers as they walked and Caylen loved seeing the men and women pick the oranges. She inhaled deeply, the sweet smell of citrus and earth filled her nostrils and she soon realized that it was a smell she would forever associate with Hunter. "It's beautiful here," Caylen said softly. "This is my piece of heaven, I grew up between these trees and watched the workers pick the fruit. It was something I knew I wanted to learn and the place I knew I wanted to spend my life at," Hunter said with a smile and Caylen noticed her blue eyes grow lighter as she bathed in the peacefulness of this land. "I can see why you'd want this. The big city rushes so much that we all forget to stop and look at what Mother Nature has given us," Caylen tried to look away from Hunter, but her eyes wouldn't obey the simple command. "I tried my hand at big city living and I couldn't cope with it. I will be a farm girl for the rest of my life," they reached the Jeep again and Hunter held the door open for Caylen to get in. Once Hunter was inside, Caylen looked over at her and spoke, "I am sorry about last night." "Some things are better left forgotten, so don't worry about it. It won't affect our friendship," Hunter said and wished that she had met Caylen first. "You're right," there was more she wanted from Hunter, she didn't know what she was expecting but a suggestion to completely ignore what had happened and the chemistry between them was not it. "So, let's grab lunch and then we still have dinner at the winery tonight. If you want to have a nap this afternoon feel free to do so, the night might get quite long," Hunter drove along the winding dirt roads and glanced at the blonde who was sitting there pensively. "A nap sounds good," she managed a half smile. Why is it so difficult to just be in her company without wanting more? She clearly thinks this was a mistake, so I just forget it and move on. But, why haven't I asked myself the biggest question of all yet? Why am I attracted to another woman? Okay, if I am honest, I have always admired other women's beauty, but I have never had the urge to reach out and touch them, let alone kiss them! What the fuck is wrong with me? They reached the house and Caylen wordlessly got out of the car, she looked at the tall woman and felt her heart ache with need. She had to get over this crush and soon, because otherwise she will jeopardize a perfectly good friendship and relationship. Hunter entered the kitchen and saw her father sitting at the table, he was pale and looked exhausted. "Dad, are you okay?" Hunter asked crouched down before him. "I am fine, lil one. Just worked a little too hard, is all," he reassured her quickly but knew that his heart was giving in and fast too. "Let me take you to the doctor, please?" Hunter pleaded. "There is nothing wrong, I just need a nap and then I will be good as new," he smiled and got up from the table. "Goddammit, why does he have to be so stubborn?" Hunter asked no one in particular. "Let him rest, if he doesn't look better afterward then we can take him to the hospital," Caylen said and rest her hand on Hunter's arm. "Yeah, I guess," Hunter replied and stood there a little longer, basking in the feel of the soft hand on her arm. "Let me make lunch," Caylen said and moved away, her need to kiss Hunter again becoming unbearable, "what do you want?" "Uh, just a sandwich would be fine. Whatever you want to put on there," Hunter said and excused herself to go wash her hands. You are in so much shit here, Hunter! How can you allow your heart to rule your head like this? Why did she have to be the one girl that makes you feel this way? Goddammit, why did Hayden have to get her? When she returned Caylen already had the sandwiches plated up and was pouring them each large glasses of fresh juice. They chatted away as they ate, both avoiding the topic of their kiss and how badly they wanted it to happen again. Caylen was Hayden's girl and Hunter wasn't going to mess with the friendship she had cherished for a long time already. They finished eating and quickly cleaned up after themselves, Caylen disappeared to the spare room to take her nap and Hunter went back to the groves to do the work her father was having trouble with. ********** The night came quickly and Hunter was sitting on the porch waiting for Caylen to come out of her room. They were headed to one of the nearby wineries for dinner and Hunter dressed smart-casual in her dark jeans and purple dress shirt. She found herself imagining what would have happened if this was a date and Hunter had the chance to truly sweep Caylen off her feet. Before she got too caught up in the fantasy she quickly shook the thoughts away and told herself that she was just spending the night with a friend. This little speech worked until Caylen stepped from the house and Hunter's jaw nearly dropped to the floor. She was dressed smartly in a black cocktail dress that came inches above her knees and showed off her lean legs. The dress was strapless and showed of Caylen's large breasts, black high heeled pumps completed her look. Her blonde hair was wavy and fell around her face, framing it beautifully, Hunter had to mentally slap herself to keep from staring. "Wow," was all Hunter managed to mumble, her vocabulary suddenly lost. "Thanks, you look good yourself," Caylen said with a blush. "Uh... Thanks. You really look, wow, just wow," Hunter said and blushed at her lack of ability to form proper words. Caylen kissed Hunter's cheek as a thank you and accepted the proffered arm. For the first time in a long time she felt wanted and cherished, like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She slipped into the passenger seat of the Audi S4 and smiled at the chivalrous behaviour that Hunter always showed. The drive to the farm was quick and the two women chattered away, barely leaving a moment of silence between the two on the drive. They were finally comfortable in each other's company again and the night seemed promising. Once inside the venue Hunter made sure to stay by Caylen's side and introduce her to everyone they came across. A young brunette approached Caylen and looked her over with a sly smile. "So, you must be Hunter's date. Let me guess, just a friend because you are probably dating Hayden right? Yeah I kind of figured, Hunter can't keep a girl because she is too obsessed with that farm and her own self gain," the brunette sniped. Caylen looked at her in shock, "actually Hunter and I have been dating for a month now. I have never been this happy in my life, she is such an amazing person and she knows exactly how to make me smile." "Wait, you are dating Hunter Camden? You must be a real idiot just wait until she starts with her little drug habit again and becomes abusive," she retorted easily and tried to get a reaction from Caylen, but the blonde's face remained impassive. "She won't ever be abusive toward me, because she knows that what we share is more important than some temporary high. I am sorry to hear that you couldn't keep someone as intelligent as her interested," Caylen smiled and walked off toward Hunter, wondering what the brunette was talking about. "What did Nicky have to say?" Hunter asked when Caylen reached her. "Apparently you have a drug habit and become abusive," Caylen responded easily and hooked her arm around Hunter's waist, "oh, I told her we were dating." Hunter laughed and looked down at Caylen, her eyes betraying a deep sadness, "that probably pissed her off." Caylen started leading them outside before she spoke, "so do you have a drug habit?" "When I met her I did, yes. But I never abused her in any way, she was the one who introduced me to drugs and when Hayden came to my rescue and sent me to rehab she started spreading those rumours to try and clear her name. I have never been able to find a girl whom she hasn't convinced about my drug habit and abusive streak, so I stopped dating entirely," Hunter shrugged. "Well, I didn't believe her for one second. You are too good for someone like her anyway," Caylen hugged Hunter briefly and smiled into the blue eyes. "Thanks, but yeah, I owe Hayden my life and I would never do anything to hurt him," Hunter said when the touch became too comfortable for her. "I understand," Caylen smiled. So it is purely out of guilt that she pushes it all away, Caylen thought and smiled at finally understanding the complex friendship between her boyfriend and Hunter. The rest of the night passed quickly, they danced and shared stories with some people from neighbouring farms. By the time the party ended Caylen was quite buzzed and feeling braver than she had all day. The drive went by in silence and when they walked into the house Hunter quickly said goodnight and disappeared to her room. Caylen was too tempting and Hunter was afraid that she wouldn't be able to resist the small blonde. Caylen stared after the retreating figure, wondering why she had walked away so suddenly and trying to deal with the urge that she had to kiss the tall woman again. She slowly walked into her room and a sense of dread suddenly filled her at the thought of leaving the following day. ********** Caylen found Hunter in the kitchen the following day chatting away with her father who still didn't look too well. She greeted the pair and took a seat at the table where coffee was served. "Did you enjoy last night?" Grant asked the bleary eyed blonde. "It was amazing and the food was great," Caylen smiled and felt her head pound with the effort. Hunter placed aspirin and water in front of her and smiled at the obvious hangover, "that should help." "Don't laugh at me, the wine was free and really good," the blonde scowled. "Apparently so is the headache," Hunter said with a chuckle. "Don't mind my daughter, I have nursed more than enough of her hangovers," Grant smiled and squeezed her arm. "Where did she learn to dance that way?" Caylen asked after swallowing the tablets. "I can take credit for that," Grant said with pride in his voice, "we taught her at a really young age already." "She is a great dancer, so I will definitely give you credit for that," she smiled and sipped her coffee. "What about credit to me for being such a great learner?" Hunter asked and scowled at the pair sitting by the table. "You have the advantage of being able to dance," Grant smiled. "Don't be such an attention hog," Caylen mocked along. "No, it's fine, don't appreciate the breakfast I cook for you or my amazing dancing skills. You can keep it," Hunter said and placed the plates in front of the pair, doing her best imitation of sad puppy eyes. "Aww, just look at the face! That is too adorable," Caylen smiled at the expression and wished she could kiss the pouty lips. Grant and Caylen kept mocking Hunter throughout breakfast and the threesome spent a long time at the table simply talking about everything. They laughed at the funny stories each person told and Grant couldn't help but notice the way Caylen looked at his daughter, for a moment he wondered if either women knew that they had both fallen in love. He watched the interplay and wished that he could have lived long enough to see whether they would finally give in to what their hearts desired, but his time was up and the only wish he made while sitting there was that Hunter would finally find happiness. Caylen will carry her through this, I just know she will. "We should probably hit the road," Hunter finally said after avoiding the topic of Caylen's return the entire morning. "I guess so," Caylen's face fell. She hugged and kissed Grant goodbye, "don't let my daughter live without the love she deserves. I know how loyal she is, but you're heart isn't with Hayden and hers is already with you. I don't think she realized that she had given it away so freely." That was Grant's final message to the blonde before she strapped in for the road home. The words replayed in her mind over and over again and her response was simply, "I won't." *********** He watched the Jeep disappear around the bend and walked into the house. When he reached his room he removed the photo album and paged through all the memories he shared with his daughter and wondered where his ex-wife was. It was something they never spoke about and even though her presence was missed they had gotten by just fine without her. The pain in his chest increased and he felt his heart rate pick up before it started beating irregularly and he collapsed onto the floor. He moaned in pain and saw all of the images flash before his eyes like a movie playing out its final scene. Within minutes he felt and heard no more, his limp body lying on the floor and he whispered his final words to the universe, "please protect Hunter." The Best Friend's Girlfriend ********** Hunter pulled up to Caylen's small apartment and wondered how she would say goodbye hen all she wanted was to keep the woman close. She helped the blonde carry her bags upstairs and soon after they found themselves awkwardly standing at the door. "Thanks for everything, the weekend was amazing," Caylen smiled sadly when it finally hit her that it had come to an end. "Thanks for being there," Hunter moved in to hug her and felt the smaller woman hold on. When the hug finally broke Caylen looked into Hunter's eyes and whispered her next words, "Can I kiss you?" Hunter's body went rigid but didn't resist when she was pulled down and the soft lips sought out her own. The kiss was soft, a promise of what could be and a farewell for if it didn't happen. When they finally pulled apart Hunter stared into the sad green eyes and found hope that things would work out the way they were supposed to. Caylen decided right there that she would do whatever it took to be the one who could kiss Hunter goodnight. Their hearts ached when Hunter walked away and the growing distance only increased the pain. Hunter drove as fast as she could, knowing that the more distance she put between them the less the chances were that she would turn around. If only she knew the pain that lay ahead of her when she was to open the door to her home that night. The Jeep came to a halt in front of the large house and Hunter saw Rusty and Titus desperately trying to get into the house. "Stop that!" she shouted and opened the door, only to be pushed aside by the large animals that sprinted down the hall. A feeling of dread overcame her and she quickly followed the four legged creatures. Her father's body was pale and she ran to his side, shouting as she did. She immediately started CPR and dialled an ambulance with shaky fingers. There was no one around to help and her desperate pleas for help was drowned out of the solidarity of their home. Tears ran down her cheeks and she didn't cease her actions until an ambulance arrived an hour later. She barely heard the paramedic announce her father deceased and her vision blurred around the white sheet that covered his limp body when they wheeled him out of the house. Another paramedic took her phone when it kept ringing and Hunter was too dazed to answer. The next thing she knew she was lying in a hospital bed and Hayden and Caylen stood beside the bed, their eyes brimming with unshed tears. ********** The week passed quickly and Hunter was left in a daze, Hayden took off from work and he and Caylen stayed with Hunter. Blurry, blue eyes stared at the large stone church, the rain pounding down on her head and body. She barely noticed the rain or the cold, she was numb. Caylen gently took her arm and led the wet woman inside where she and Hayden took seats on either side of her. She stared ahead of her, not hearing anything that the preacher said or the condolences that so many people offered her. Her normally sparkling eyes were dull and her face was pale and sunken. She had no more tears to cry and simply nodded when the preacher presented her father's ashes to her. Caylen looked at the broken woman and heard Grant's words echo through her mind again. She could heal Hunter, she knew she could but she was so torn. What she had with Hayden was good and he presented a future, but Hunter made her feel in a way she had never before. She stood next to the dazed woman and saw an older version of Hunter approach them, suddenly her heart sank when she saw Hayden hurry to Hunter's side. "Hunter?" the woman whispered. Unfocused blue eyes looked at the face and the last colour she had paled. "Mrs Camden, this is not a good time, please leave," Hayden whispered harshly. "You cannot tell me to leave my daughter's side through this tragic time," Nora whispered back stubbornly. "Daughter?" Hunter rose from her seat, cold blue eyes looking at the woman in front of her. "You deserted us! Left in the middle of the night and was never heard from again! Now you dare stand here at my father's funeral and call me your daughter?!" Hunter seethed loudly. "You were too young to understand..." she was cut off before she could finish. "Too young? Get the fuck out here! The only reason you are here is because you want his fucking money! You never gave a shit about us and you dare stand here right now and tell me I don't understand? FUCK OFF!!!" Hunter shouted and the older woman stepped back. Hayden stepped in and took the woman's arm, leading her out of the church and away from the curious onlookers. "What the fuck are you looking at?" Hunter asked before storming away and a shocked Caylen ran after her. "Let me take you home," Caylen said softly and led Hunter to the car. The drive to the farm was quiet and Caylen felt like someone had ripped her heart out when she saw the pain in Hunter's eyes. Once they reached the house Caylen led her to her room and helped the woman out of her clothes and laid her between the sheets in her underwear. "Please stay," a broken voice whispered. Without hesitation Caylen stripped and held the sobbing woman in her arms, trying desperately to soothe her. Hayden had texted her and said that he had to go into the office and Caylen felt a cold fury at the man who would desert his best friend in her greatest time of need. She felt the rigid body relax and the breathing evening out, her arms remained locked around the dark woman. She is completely broken and all I can think about is breaking up with Hayden and telling her that I want to be with her. There is no way she will accept that now, she doesn't believe that she deserves to be happy. Caylen's eyes closed and within minutes she joined the tall woman in sleep. ********** Hayden's life had gone on, days after the funeral he was going on business trips again and Caylen temporarily moved into the farm house to help Hunter out. Her smile had returned, even if it was only seen rarely and life on the farm was slowly but surely returning to normal. Then the phone call came, a lawyer phoned to inform Hunter that her mother was going to fight the will and for what she claimed was her fair share. "She what?" Hunter shouted in the phone. "She is fighting the will and claims that 50% of everything belongs to her as your father's legal wife," the lawyer responded dejectedly. "There is absolutely no fucking way that I will let her have a cent of what my father worked so hard to build! She abandoned us and now she wants to come back when there's money involved!" Caylen saw the tall body trembling in barely controlled rage. "I am sorry Miss Camden, I am simply phoning to give you the news," he said back. "Tell your boss to prepare for a bitter fucking fight! Because they will not receive a cent while I am still alive!" she slammed the phone down and paced around the living room. Caylen walked up to the angry woman and wrapped her arms around the tension filled body. At first Hunter stood locked in place, her body not relaxing one bit, "I am here for you, Butch. Whatever you need." Those soft words crumbled Hunter's defence and her body went slack. Caylen held on as Hunter slipped to the floor and soothed the crying woman as best she could. She ran her fingers through the soft ebony strands and whispered soothing words in her ear. Caylen took Hunter's chin and turned her face to her own, looking deeply into the sad blue eyes. "She won't win and I will be here every step of the way to make sure that doesn't happen." Hunter stared into the green eyes, seeing nothing but undying support and friendship there. Without thought she brought her lips to the pink ones in front of her, the lips she had dreamed about ever since that first kiss. The first touch was tentative but Caylen cupped her face and brought their lips together for closer contact. She tasted the salty tears and the sweet lips, her tongue begging for entrance into the silky warmth of Hunter's mouth. The tall woman's hands pulled Caylen into her lap when she sat back and let them travel up her back. Her hands wondered from the warm back to her hips, pulling her tighter against herself as she deepened the kiss and their tongues duelled. Caylen melted into the warmth of the strong arms around her and the soft lips against her own. She raked her teeth over Hunter's bottom lip and dropped her hands to Hunter's sides. Her thumbs caressed the swells of Hunter's breasts and her hands tentatively moved over the smallish breasts and cupped them. Hunter tugged at her shirt and she willingly lifted her arms to allow the shirt to be removed before she pulled Hunter's over her head. Hunter leaned Caylen back and crouched over the small body, her blue eyes searching the green ones for any sign that she should stop. When she found none she tasted the pink lips again and her hand immediately started fumbling with the button of Caylen's jeans. Clothes were thrown around the room in a desperate need to feel their flesh meet and when they were naked Hunter took a puffy nipple between her lips and suckled. Caylen arched her back at the pleasurable sensations, her hands locked behind Hunter's head to keep her in place. She felt a strong thigh press against her wetness and let out a deep moan when it made contact with her swollen mons. Her hips started pumping against Hunter's legs and Hunter felt the wet warmth spread across her thigh. She took the neglected nipple into her mouth and raked her teeth across it, hearing another moan escape the parted lips. Caylen rocked harder and faster against the strong leg, her orgasm building fast as she felt the sensations of floating on a cloud and the warmth spread throughout her entire body. Her peak was right there and Hunter sensed this pressing her thigh harder against the wet, swollen flesh. Caylen felt her body start to shake and increased her efforts until she felt the fuse burn and explode within her. She let out a desperate scream and her nails dug into Hunter's back while her own arched from the floor and her eyes rolled back in her head. Hunter stared in amazement at the beauty of Caylen when she was in the throes of passion. Caylen limply collapsed back onto the floor and gasped for breath when she felt Hunter's soft lips kiss down her abdomen. She shivered when she felt the wet tongue on her shaven mound and felt her excitement building rapidly. Caylen thought she had died and gone to heaven when she felt the warm tongue connect with labia and the teeth rake over the swollen flesh. Hunter savoured the taste of Caylen, it was the first time since her father passed that she felt something and it spread through her like the sun warming a cold winter's day. The pungent taste filled her senses and she pushed her tongue into the velvety depths to get more of the sweet nectar. "Sweet Jesus! Right there," Caylen panted and frantically searched for something to hold onto. Her moans became louder when Hunter pumped her tongue in and out of the velvety depths and alternating it with long swipes between the wet lips. Without warning Hunter's lips closed around the clit and sucked, two fingers found her hole and slowly slid inside. "Oh fuck! That feels so good," Caylen moaned loudly. The fingers started pumping and Caylen rocked her hips into Hunter's face, her orgasm building rapidly. Suddenly she was tumbling over the edge, screaming Hunter's name while her fingers dug into the carpet. When she started coming down she saw smiling blue eyes looking down at her, she took the beautiful face between her palms and kissed the glistening mouth. She tasted herself and decided that the taste of her own juices on Hunter's mouth was like drinking water after spending days in the dessert. "That was amazing," Caylen mumbled and tried to get as close to the warm body as possible. "You are so beautiful," Hunter whispered and ran her hands through the sweaty golden locks. "So are you," Caylen was in heaven and her heart felt light for the first time in her life. She cuddled up to Hunter's side and they soon fell asleep. The first dreamless sleep Hunter had since the first time Caylen crawled into bed with her. When she awoke a few hours later, however, she felt the guilt set in of what she had just done. ********** Hunter untangled herself from the limbs that were flung across her body and retrieved a blanket from the nearby closet. She looked at the beautiful body sprawled on the floor and wished that things were different and she could be the one who fell asleep next to Caylen every day. But unfortunately life was the way it was and Hayden was the closest thing to family she had left. The guilt set in and she realized that she had just betrayed him on the deepest possible level. She pulled her clothes on and walked to the kitchen where she boiled the kettle for a cup of coffee she desperately needed. Caylen wrapped her arms around the muscled body and held on tightly. "Hey," she mumbled and smiled into the broad back. "Uh, hi," Hunter whispered. After hearing the hurt in her voice Caylen turned Hunter around to face her, "what's wrong?" "I just betrayed the closest person I have to family," Hunter said on the verge of tears. "No, Hunter! I am in love with you and I have been falling in love with you since the day I met you. Hayden doesn't make me feel what you do, no one does," Caylen's voice broke and she started sobbing. "No, Caylen, you don't love me. You pity me, there is a difference. Hayden is like a brother to me and I just betrayed him," Hunter wanted to scoop the crying woman into her arms but knew that if she did her resolve would break. "I don't pity you! Not one fucking bit, because what happened to you happens to everyone, it is called life!" Caylen shouted. "I am sorry, Caylen, but I can't. Hayden loves you," her voice was barely whisper. "Fuck you Hunter!" Caylen stormed from the kitchen and started throwing her belonging into her bag. Hunter stood there and felt her heart break worse than she ever imagined possible. Caylen stood by the door with her bag minutes later and Hunter was standing exactly where she had left her. "You know what your father told me that Sunday before I left? He said that I should make sure that you didn't live without the love that you deserve. He said that he could see that my heart isn't with Hayden and that he could see that you had already given yours to me but you don't realize that!" "WHAT? He said that to you before he died and you didn't even think to mention it to me? I could have saved him if I knew he was talking like that!" Hunter shouted across the kitchen and Rusty and Titus ran inside, standing next to Caylen. "You couldn't have, Hunter! He wanted to die and he asked me to make sure that you find happiness!" "You don't know a fucking thing about me or my father! I could have saved him if it weren't for you!" Hunter shouted and heard the dogs growl when she stepped forward. "That is so fucking typical of you! You take the blame for everything and you have always believed that you don't deserve love or happiness! If you want to die alone, then be my fucking guest!" Caylen stormed out of the house and slammed the door shut. Seconds later Hunter heard the car speed down the driveway and she was left in an empty house, alone with her thoughts. She didn't sleep that night, her thoughts kept returning to the fight she and Caylen just had and she ended up spending the night in the gym, desperately trying to forget the hurtful words. ********** Hunter drove to Hayden's office the next day to ask him if he would represent her in the upcoming trial. She could barely focus on anything he said and she realized that he never once mentioned Caylen or the fight that she and Hunter had. "Caylen said that she will come around with me tomorrow and we can try and find the divorce papers your father filed and any other papers that might prove that she had left," Hayden said with a smile. "She wants to help?" Hunter asked, shocked. "Of course she does. You became a good friend to her, Butch and she said that she would do anything to help." Hunter couldn't believe it, "okay." "And I still wanted to tell you, I am planning on proposing!" Hayden beamed and Hunter felt the last piece of her heart break. "Wow, that's uh great news," she said as enthusiastically as she could. "I know you're still in a lot of pain, but it will get better and it won't be a good thing to be the best woman at your best friend's wedding." Hunter's mouth kept opening and closing but no sound came out, so she simply nodded and admitted defeat. "Great, now let's get this trial out of the way and then we can start a new chapter," Hayden smiled and hugged Hunter. Caylen did come around as promised but the air between the two women was icy. They searched her father's study and a week later had all the papers they would need to prove that Nora did not deserve a cent of the Camden money. Hunter came across photos that her father had, had taken and it showed that her mother was having an affair. She guessed that her father confronted her mother and instead of facing the consequences she ran. Suddenly Hunter saw herself in her mother and the thought made her sick. She was running away too, only she was doing it differently. Hunter didn't want to face the consequences of loving another person who could leave her so she ran and hid behind her loyalty. She was running from her love of Caylen and she realized that it didn't matter how hard she ran, those feelings caught up every time she looked at the beautiful blonde. It was the day after the first court hearing and Hunter was sitting in the kitchen with Caylen, nursing a cold beer, "Hayden proposed." "Yeah, I know," Hunter refused to meet Caylen's eyes. "I said yes," she hoped that this would be the moment that Hunter would jump up and declare her love. "I know that too," was the only answer she got, "congratulations." "Thanks. Look, I am sorry for what I said. I should have told you even though I still know that you couldn't have changed what happened," Caylen whispered and was relieved when Hunter finally looked at her. "Yeah, I know. It's just easier to believe that if I knew I could have done something than think that I was happy while he died. I was kissing you while he probably clutched his heart and screamed for help," tears sprung to Hunter's eyes. "Hey, just always remember that he wanted you to be happy. That was his reason for living, Butch. Even now, his only wish is to see you happy and he obviously believed that I would be the one to make you happy, but it is clear that you don't want it to be me and I have accepted that." If only you knew how much I wished that was possible, "let's just forget about it." "Whatever works for you," Caylen said dejectedly and realized that she would never again experience the true happiness she felt in those blissful hours on the carpet. ********** Hunter knocked on Hayden's office door and opened without waiting for a response. Immediately she wished that she had remained waiting when she felt the anger of the scene build up within her. Hayden was fucking his secretary from behind over his desk and it took everything in Hunter's power to not storm in and rip him apart. "What the fuck?" she shouted to him. "Butch, hey. It's not what it looks like," he said and scrambled to pull his pants up while the secretary ran from the office. "You are an absolute dick! How can you do this Caylen?" Hunter shut the door and advanced on her friend. "What she doesn't know, doesn't hurt her," he said and backed up. "You are an asshole, Hayden and you don't deserve her! I hope your dick rots off!" she turned around and headed for the door. The Best Friend's Girlfriend "You are not going to tell her, are you?" he asked, some bravado returning to his voice. "No, you are," she said and faced him. "Just keep your fucking mouth shut, Hunter! This has nothing to do with you and if you tell her I will make sure your mother wins the case." "Don't you fucking dare threaten me, Hayden. I will fucking ruin your life without blinking!" she grabbed him by his shirt and lifted the large man against the wall. Neither heard the door open or saw Caylen standing there, "put me down, Hunter! Or I will fucking sue you for everything you have." "Try you dumb motherfucker! Caylen is an amazing woman and you had her, why the fuck would you want to stick your dick in anywhere else? You told me you stopped fucking the secretary!" Hunter's voice was a low growl. "Stay out of my life!" he swung and hit Hunter on the jaw. The next moment a fight broke out and fists were flying everywhere. Caylen stood frozen on the spot and tried to comprehend what was happening. Nothing made sense and she didn't know what to do, "STOP!" Hunter and Hayden stopped and looked up the crying woman in the door. Hayden was the first to his feet and he took the small woman in his arms. When Hunter saw the small hands lock behind his back, she rose and tried to pass the couple in the door. Blood was pouring from various cuts on her face and Hayden looked the same. Before she could pass Caylen shoved Hayden away and slapped him across the face. "How dare you?!" her words were a venomous whisper. "I swear it is not what you think," he tried to explain but felt the engagement ring hit him in the face. Caylen stood there and gave Hunter a cold stare before walking out. Without another word said Hunter left, she drove to Caylen's apartment and knocked. She pleaded with the blonde to let her in but the door didn't open. She rested her back against the door and sunk down the ground, the blood on her face was dry and her entire body hurt. Her eyes wanted to close and she fought against it, but eventually the tiredness won out. Caylen opened the door and Hunter's cold body fell into the apartment, the dried blood caking over the gaping wounds. "Hunter," she shook her. "Yeah?" Hunter asked and slowly opened her eyes, her heart fluttering when green eyes stared back at her. "Come on, let's clean you up," Caylen said and Hunter saw the red puffiness around her eyes from crying. "You don't have to, I just wanted to come and tell you that I am sorry and I didn't know a thing about any of it. I was defending you," Hunter said in a small voice, finally standing and trying to stretch her aching muscles. "You still hurt me, Hunter." "I know and neither Hayden nor I deserve someone like you. I really just came over to apologize and couldn't leave without saying those words to you." "Let's clean you up and let me make you some coffee," Caylen said and pulled Hunter inside before closing the door to keep the cold outside. "Thank you," Hunter said and followed the blonde into the bathroom. She sat Hunter down on the closed toilet, removed Hunter's jacket and ran a basin full of warm water. After adding antiseptic and wetting the cloth she gently cleaned away the dry blood. Most of the cuts were small but a few needed extra attention but luckily no stitches. When Hunter's face was clean she saw the bruising rapidly discolouring and she flinched when she thought about the pain it must be causing. "We will put an ice pack on that," Caylen whispered and gently put some antiseptic crème on the wounds. "It will be fine, I should get going in any way," Hunter mumbled and tried to get up. "Please stay," Caylen asked and pushed Hunter back down. "I hurt you and you want me to stay?" Hunter asked incredulously. "Yes, because you also tried to protect me, even though you knew about his affairs, you believed he stopped. I can't believe that you would push me to him if you knew he was still fucking around." "You really are amazing, Caylen. You deserve a great man, someone who will be there for you and support you," Hunter said and tried to get up again, only to be pushed back down. "What if all I want is you?" her face was mere inches from Hunter's and she could feel the warm breath on her lips. "I would ask why," Hunter's eyes was locked with the green one in front of her. "Then I would tell you because you make my heart beat faster, you put my nerve endings on fire with a simply touch and you make me believe that true love exists." Hunter kissed Caylen as an answer, "my father was right, I did give my heart to you." The kiss that followed was filled with hope for the future and promises about many days of happiness to come. Their tongues did a familiar duel and Hunter felt the small body against her own that seemed to fit so perfectly in her arms. Caylen looped her arms around Hunter's neck and held on as if she was afraid that Hunter would disappear. She pressed closer and Hunter whimpered when she pushed against a bruised rib. "Oh my God, I am sorry," Caylen said and lifted the shirt to have a look at the large bruise on her side. "It's okay," Hunter smiled and lifted her arms so that Caylen could remove the shirt. She sat there in her sports bra as Caylen inspected the bruise, "go lie on the bed. I am going to get an icepack." Caylen got up from Hunter's lap and looked at the bruised face, a face that got bruised while standing up for her and she kissed her chin. She pulled Hunter up and led her to the bed, there she removed her shoes and jeans before lying her down. A smile played across her lips, despite the betrayal that she had experienced that day and she walked briskly to the kitchen to retrieve the icepack, there weren't any icepacks so she threw some ice blocks into a cloth. Hunter's eyes were barely open when Caylen returned and she smiled at the endearing site of the woman of her dreams half asleep on her bed. "Let's just put some ice on those bruises and then I will let you sleep," Caylen said and sat on the bed next to Hunter. "I will sleep on the couch," Hunter and sat up, before Caylen pushed her down again. "I would like to hold you tonight, if you don't mind," Caylen whispered and pressed the ice against her black eye. "Why do you want to hold me after I accused you of being the reason my father died or hearing what you heard today?" "Because I love you, Hunter. Nothing else matters and I know you said those things because you were hurting and you had to lash out. As for what happened today, I watched you beat the living shit out of that asshole and I heard you tell him that you thought I was amazing," she leaned down, her face inches from Hunter's, "and if you kiss me right now, I will know that you meant it." Hunter leaned forward a tiny bit and felt those soft lips against hers again, she took the makeshift icepack away and pulled the blonde on top of her. Her hands immediately sought out bare skin and she ran them beneath Caylen's shirt. Caylen lifted herself and quickly removed her shirt before getting off the bed and removing the rest of her clothes. Hunter sat up and followed suite, taking Caylen into her arms after turning the covers. Caylen took the icepack and put it on the floor after removing a single ice cube and putting it her mouth. She lowered her mouth to all of the bruises of Hunter's face and gave them icy kisses before moving down to the large bruise on her ribs. Hunter's skin was covered in gooseflesh after the first touch, but revelled in the feel of the cold but soft lips against her skin. Cold water ran down her torso and when the cube melted Caylen kissed Hunter passionately. Hunter reversed their roles and once she was on top she reached down for her own ice cube and kissed Caylen before putting it in her mouth. She teased the hard nipples with the cold in her mouth and heard Caylen whimper in pleasure and felt the nails digging into her skin. "That feels, so good," she murmured between laboured breaths. Hunter reached for a second cube and made a wet trail down her abdomen. She placed cold kisses on the bare mound before using her tongue to push the ice cube into Caylen's wet depths. Caylen's hips arched off the bed and she let out a loud squeal of delight when she felt the cold mouth close around her swollen clit. The sensations of the cold ice cube against her skin drove her insane and she felt her orgasm building quickly while a mixture of melted water and her liquid arousal dripped onto the sheets. Hunter flicked her tongue over the hard nub and alternated them with long strokes of her tongue along the length of Caylen's slit. She heard the incoherent mumblings of the blonde woman and increased the level of her attentions. Her thumb rubbed Caylen's clit and she took the swollen lips between her own, grazing them with her teeth. Caylen's hips were bucking wildly against her face and she felt her hands tangle in her hair, pulling Hunter deeper into her wet need. Stars burst before her eyes and a scream escaped her dry throat when she was pushed over the edge. Caylen panted wildly, trying desperately to suck air into her burning lungs when she felt the strong body covering her own, "for the record, I love you too." She reached blindly for her lover and kissed her as though she was the very oxygen she breathed. The kiss was short before Caylen broke away to suck in more air and Hunter smiled at the unfocused green eyes. "My turn," Caylen mumbled and used all of her strength to push Hunter onto her back. "You don't have to," Hunter protested but was silenced with a kiss. "Shut up and let me get to know this gorgeous body of yours." Caylen sucked on Hunter's neck, making sure to leave a large hickey there and show every single woman out there that the dark hair woman was hers. She took her time getting to know Hunter's body and every time she hit a spot that made her gasp she was sure to return to it and lavish it with extra loving attention. The first time Caylen sucked a soft nipple into her mouth was like heaven. The feel of the pliant flesh under her tongue, the puffiness that filled her mouth and the gasps she earned by suckling on them was one of the most momentous experiences of her life. She quickly learned that biting the soft flesh earned her a loud growl and running her tongue over the sensitive tip gave way to gasps. Caylen softly kissed the large bruise and moved lower on her lover's torso. When she reached the v she learned that nibbling right next to the muscles made Hunter squirm and she could smell the arousal seeping from her lover. She kissed across the bare mound and gave a tentative lick to glistening mons before her. Hunter tasted earthy and sweet and Caylen quickly dove in for more of the addictive elixir. She ran her tongue up and the wetness, gathering as much of the sweet juices as she could before sticking her tongue into Hunter in search of the source. Hunter's hips arched off the bed and Caylen hooked her arms around the hips to hold them in place. Once she minimized the bucking she feasted to her hearts content and when she heard the strangled 'please,' escaping her lover's lips she took her hard nub into her mouth and suckled. Within seconds of the contact Hunter's dam burst and she whimpered as the orgasm warmed her body. It wasn't a mind blowing orgasm, but one that signified pure and unadulterated love. Caylen kissed Hunter and soon realized that the taste of their arousal mixed together on their lips was more addictive than any drug she could ever use. "You are amazing," Hunter whispered against Caylen's lips. "That would be the second time I've heard you say that today, be careful or I might believe it," Caylen joked and cuddled up to Hunter's uninjured side. "You better believe it, my love," Hunter spoke into the golden hair. Both women were more content than they could ever remember being and fell into a peaceful sleep. Somehow knowing that whatever happened in the future as long as they were together everything would be just fine. ********** Caylen got up after the insistent knocking became too irritating to ignore any further. Her eyes adjusted and she looked at the sleeping figure protectively curled around her. She didn't want to leave the safe haven of those arms and wondered who would bother them so early on a Saturday morning. After pulling her robe she made her way to the door and gasped when she saw Hayden standing on the other side. "Hi honey, sorry to wake you but I really needed to talk to you," he said through a split lip. "There is nothing to talk about, now please leave," Caylen responded harshly, "Is that Hunter's car down there?" he asked bitterly. "Yes it is. She came by last night to see if I was okay." "And she what? Stayed the night?" his voice was rising. "We are over Hayden, who stays the night has got nothing to do with you." "You were fucking my best friend?" he shouted. "Shut up, I have neighbours," Caylen hissed through clenched teeth. "You are a real slut, do you know that?" he pushed passed her into the apartment, "where is that whore so I can show her who she fucked with." Before Caylen could respond Hunter was standing in front of Hayden, "if you know what is good for you, you would leave right now." "You slept with my fucking fiancé! And you dare call yourself my friend?" "I stopped calling you my friend or myself yours yesterday when I saw you cheating on her," Hunter voice remained calm. Hayden grabbed Caylen by the arm and pulled her to him, before he could even pull her against him, his hand was removed from her arm and he found himself once again suspended in mid-air by the tall woman. "If you ever touch her or come near her again, I will rip you apart with my bare hands," Hunter hissed through clenched teeth. "Do you love her, Hunter?" he said in a strangled voice. "Yes, I do and unlike you, when I say I love someone I remain true and loyal to them." "You deserve each other," he said after Hunter let him down and stormed out of the apartment. "Are you okay?" Hunter asked and rushed to Caylen's side. "I am fine," Caylen wrapped her arms around her lover and laid her head against her chest, listening to the rapid heartbeat. "He must have gotten you really mad, you are heart is racing." "No, it wasn't him. My heart does that every time I am near you," Hunter kissed the golden head. "Really?" big green eyes looked up at her. "Yeah, and if you could hear the butterflies in my stomach I would have let you listen there too," just as Hunter spoke her stomach growled and Caylen started giggling. "That sounds more like a lion than butterflies," she kissed the embarrassed woman, "let me cook for you for a change." Hunter sat with Caylen as she prepared breakfast and they talked about nothing in particular. When they finished eating Caylen dragged her off to the room and kept her in bed for the rest of the day. They made love after short intervals of sleeping in between until the sun rose the following morning. ********** Hunter was in court again on Monday after replacing Hayden with a new lawyer and the trial was running smoothly. The judged said that he would have a verdict within two days and Hunter made the long trip back to the farm to spend the rest of the day checking the groves and waiting until Caylen finished work. The previous day they had agreed to spend the week days in the city and the weekends on the farm whenever they could. Neither woman wanted to smother the other but also dreaded the hours they spent apart, so Hunter agreed to make the trip to the farm during the day and drive back to the city at night. When the workers packed up for the day she scrambled into the house and packed an overnight bag before making the drive to Caylen's place. By the time she arrived Caylen had already prepared dinner and was drinking a glass of wine on the couch. The moment she heard the door open she ran to her lover and jumped into her arms, her lips were on Hunter's before either could even mumble a 'hello'. "If this is what I have to look forward to every night I will end up wishing my days away," Hunter said breathlessly. "Then you better start wishing, baby," Caylen smiled against Hunter's lips. She carried Caylen to the couch and sat down so that Caylen straddled her lap, "how was your day, love?" "All I did was work and miss you, so very busy. What happened with the case?" "Missing me keeps you busy?" Hunter chuckled, "the judge will give his verdict on Wednesday." "Missing you makes me sad, so I need a lot of kisses to make up for the hours spent apart. At least you will have some closure then." "If you put your lips against mine I will kiss you all you want." "So I have to do all the work?" Caylen asked, with her best imitation of shock. Hunter quickly laid her down on the couch and kissed her, their lips and tongues meeting in a new yet familiar duel for supremacy. When Hunter's hands cupped Caylen's breasts Caylen pushed her away, "easy there, Butch. I have a surprise for you and it doesn't involve the couch, apart from that, I made dinner." Hunter reluctantly let Caylen go after another quick peck and followed her to the kitchen. She pulled a large pan of lasagne from the oven and Hunter nearly burst into tears. "I remember your dad saying that it is your favourite dish. Now I doubt that it would be as good as his, but I tried. And I kind of figured the last time you had it was that night we went to the farm." Tears streaked Hunter's face and she wordlessly walked to her lover and kissed her, "thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." "I love you, Butch." "I love you too, angel." They ate dinner in relative silence and Hunter savoured the lasagne that Caylen had made for her. It wasn't her father's lasagne, but it was equally tasty and she could easily get used to eating this in the years to come. "That was delicious," Hunter kissed Caylen. "I am glad you enjoyed it," Caylen wrapped her arms around her lover and simply basked in the affection of the embrace. "Let me do the dishes," Hunter said and Caylen used this as the chance to go to her room and prepare her surprise. Once the dishes were done, Hunter walked to the room and knocked on the door. She heard a faint 'come in' and opened the door to find tea candles burning throughout the room. "This is amazing," Hunter whispered, afraid of breaking the spell. "I wanted to do something to show how much I love you and I have something I want to try," Caylen said nervously. Hunter looked at the blonde wrapped in a white robe and smiled, "anything for you my angel." Caylen dropped the robe and revealed a red set of lingerie. The demi cup bra was see through and the red thong barely covered her mound. "Fuck that's sexy," Hunter mumbled and started removing her clothes, when she was down to her underwear she walked to Caylen and took her into her arms. "I wanted to look good for you, so I went shopping at lunch today," Caylen spoke against Hunter's lips before kissing them hungrily. Soon the underwear was strewn across the room and Hunter was carrying Caylen to the bed, ready to ravish the small body over and over again. "Wait," Caylen said breathlessly. "What?" Hunter asked confused. "I bought something else I want us to try," a faint blush coloured her cheeks and Hunter smiled before letting her down. Caylen returned with a sealed package and held it out to Hunter. A sly smile crept onto Hunter's lips when she saw the large strap-on, without a word she removed it from the packaging and stepped into it. "Fuck that's hot," Caylen mumbled as her eyes drank in the site of her strong lover with a large cock strapped onto her. The Best Friend's Girlfriend "You think?" Hunter asked and without waiting for an answer scooped Caylen into her arms again. Caylen reached behind herself and got the lube from the dresser, she pushed her hands between their bodies and coated the phallus generously. Hunter brought their mouths together and pushed Caylen against the wall before lifting her and slowly lowering her onto the large cock. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," was all Caylen mumbled as the toy filled her. "How does that feel?" Hunter asked when the entire toy was inside. "Full, amazing," she responded in broken sentences. Hunter started rocking her hips and looked into the blonde's eyes that went hazy with pleasure as her lips parted and she breathed hard. Caylen's hips started rocking in time with Hunter's and soon Hunter increased the pace and pressure. She slammed the toy into Caylen's tight hole and felt her own orgasm building rapidly as the little nub rubbed against her clit. Caylen's nails dug into her back and she heard the strangled scream that escaped her lover's lips. She carried her to the bed and when Caylen recovered a little bit she started rocking her hips again, driving Caylen into orgasm after orgasm. A couple of hours later they were both too sensitive to continue and after removing the phallus they both slumped into a deep sleep. ********** Hunter stood in court, her heart pounding and her hands shaking as she waited for the judge to deliver his verdict. "After examining all the documents and listening to both parties' arguments I have come to a conclusion. Taking into consideration Mrs Camden abandonment of the deceased Mr Camden and their daughter I rule in favour of Miss Camden. The final will and testament of Mr Camden will remain unchanged and none of the assets will be awarded to Mrs Camden." He closed his verdict and Hunter jumped into the air, "don't worry, dad, she's not taking anything we worked for." She hugged her lawyer and pressed the speed dial for Caylen, after sharing the news with her she left the courtroom and walked into her mother. "Well, I hope you are happy now. I am a broke old lady," Nora said to her daughter. "Life could have been different, but unfortunately we are all bound by the choices we make." Hunter turned and walked away. ********** In the years that followed Hunter and Caylen got married and started a family of their own on the farm. Their son and two daughters loved nature as much as Hunter did and Caylen thanked the heavens every day for giving her such an amazing partner. She stood by the door as Hunter soothed their eldest daughter after having her heart broken for the first time. "You know what your grandpa always told me when I got my heart broken?" she asked the blonde girl. Valerie shook her head and rested it on her mother's large shoulder, allowing herself to be comforted. "He said that we had to look at our hearts like a grove of trees, just like here on the farm. Your heart is like the soil the trees grow in and because the roots of those trees reach so deep it hurts the soil when the trees hurt. Sometimes things happen in the grove and the trees and the soil get hurt or even get sick. So when we want to save that piece of land we remove the trees from the roots up, so that the land can have time to rest and heal. That could take a long time, but when the land heals we start ploughing again and that is like reopening the scars of that thing that hurt you so much. Once that is done we plant new seeds and feed them with fertilizer and water. The tears that you cry are like the water we need to help the trees grow and every time you cry you let go a little bit and that is like the fertilizer. Before you know it you have new trees and once one tree grows all the others grow too. Those new trees are like hope and when they bear fruit you can feed an entire town. Grandpa regrew his grove after grandma just walked away and when those fruits grew he gave me and your mommy hope again. I know it hurts, baby, but just like the grove, new trees will grow and they will get hurt, because that is just how life works. But one day the grove in your heart will look like mommy's and you will also bring smiles to everyone's face that you come across. If it wasn't for heartache and your mommy lending me some of her seeds of hope, we would never have been together. Just be strong baby girl, it gets better I promise." Caylen looked at her wife with tears in her eyes, even though Hunter said that it was Caylen's persistence that brought them together she knew that it was as simple as Hayden poisoning the groves in both their hearts and them replanting them together. THE END!!!!