Free The Erotic Expeditions - Complete Collection by Hazel Hunter

had happened in the bedroom. At school the next day, it was her math teacher who had noticed her cracked lip and the bruise on her upper arm. The system had taken over from there and she was placed in foster care. Her mother had only been dead for a few months.
    Try to remember, she thought. Try to remember! Whatever had happened in there, she had to know because the unknown had started to have a terror all its own.
    She looked down at the empty space beside her on the bed. Unbidden, an image of Austin flashed into her mind. He was smiling.
    She clutched the pillow hard as a pain stabbed in her chest.
    “Austin,” she whispered as her eyes filled with tears.
    She had pushed him away, like all the others. Except, he wasn’t like all the others and she knew it.  
    But she had done it to spare him pain later–not her, him.
    She shook her head as the tears started to slip down her cheeks.
    She’d cried herself to sleep thinking of him. Now, the moment she was awake, she was doing the same thing.
    He had confessed his love .
    “Just give us a chance,” he had begged.
    She sobbed now in great shuddering waves, covering her face with her hands.
    The pain in his face.
    She couldn’t get that last image of him out of her head.  
    Only yesterday he had saved her life. Then she’d risked hers to save him. How could she have thrown that away?
    She shouldn’t have.  
    Her breath caught in her throat at the thought. It had been the wrong thing to do. Everything in her was saying it was a mistake–a huge one.
    “Oh god,” she muttered.
    She was wavering and she knew it. One part of her saw the familiar path that this would have to take but the other part couldn’t help but hope.
    She tried to get a hold of herself as she sniffed. She wiped her eyes and looked at the alarm clock. Three a.m. It’d be hours before there’d be anyone who could tell her where he lived.
    She reached out to the lamp on the nightstand and turned it on. Her eyes blinked but quickly landed on his sealskin clothes. He hadn’t taken them. There had hardly been time.
    She slipped out of bed, gathered his clothes up and then quickly got back under the covers. Again, she inhaled the sealskin’s oily scent and for a split second, she thought she heard his voice–saying her name.  
    Slowly, she laid down and curled herself into a ball, as she hugged his clothes to her chest.
    “Austin,” she whispered.
    In the morning, maybe she’d see things differently. In the bright light of day, she might come to her senses and really let him go. But as she buried her face in the clothing, she already knew what she needed to do.

Chapter 6

    Austin’s father was a bear of a man. That’s the only word that came to Emily’s mind.
    “Come in,” he said, holding the front door for her, though he didn’t step back.
    She almost had to turn sideways to get by him. She held the sealskin clothes in front of her and between them.
    “Thank you,” she said as she passed.
    He smiled at her. One of his eyeteeth was missing and the rest were a dull brown. His long black hair hung in greasy, shining strings.
    She did her best to smile in return.
    “I’m Karlin,” he said, closing the door and locking it behind him. He held out his hand
    “Emily,” she said, taking it.
    They shook but he used a regular handshake that completely covered her hand and he squeezed too hard. Then, he held on for a few seconds longer than he should have. He was staring at her.
    It was something she’d gotten used to over time but the strange twist to his upper lip was disquieting. She tried to maintain her smile and started to withdraw her hand but he didn’t let go.
    This was the awkward part. It didn’t happen often but it had happened enough that she immediately said her practiced line.
    “I’m going to need that hand,” she quipped and looked down at it.
    But he didn’t let go.
    Emily blinked and gave her hand a little tug.
    “What’s your hurry?” Karlin said, stepping