Love in the Shadows

Prologue

Hunter is twenty- three and a male model. He has to always be at his best. Look the best and be in perfect shape. It's a dog eat dog world out there. If he didn't stay on his A game someone would come and take everything that he's worked so hard to achieve.

He has women always trying to get his attention, but they aren't what he wants. See Hunter has a thing for women with curves. He gets laughed at for the women he dates, but that's just what he wants. Who are they to say it's wrong? He just sees a person differently then others. He doesn't judge based on looks. If a woman has a good heart, then that's who I want to be with.

CeeCee is a chef in a very nice restaurant that her family owns. Cooking is her passion. One day she wants to open her own restaurant. She had big dreams, but she was always to scared to go after them. She doesn't think her family would be very supportive of her leaving to be out on her own. Family doesn't leave.

She is dating a very famous male model named Hunter, but no one even knows it. He seems to be to ashamed of her to be seen with her. He claims he loves the way she looks, but she knows he is lying. Can he prove to her she is indeed what he wants before it's too late?

What is she to think when all he wants to do is hide her away? Her family doesn't even know. He said he does this to protect her, but is that the real reason why? Or is he just ashamed of what people would say?

He gets paid to look good. Women throw themselves at him everywhere he goes. Does Hunter just want his cake and eat it to? Should CeeCee give up, and just walk away? Maybe true love doesn't exist after all. Hunter better tell the world about his girl and stop hiding her away before it's too late.

Chapter 1

Hunter's pov

I was beyond exhausted. Jet lag was murder on the body. I was flying back and fourth between modeling gigs. I just couldn't wait to be home and have a few weeks off or more if I did what I had planned. I was tired of this life. I never get a break. It's all about work all the time.

I have been modeling since I was a little kid. I grew up in the business. I wanted to be known for something other than the way I looked. Besides I was sick of all the attention. I was sick of being put down for the type of women I liked. See I am not like most men. I am not attracted to smaller women. After dealing with models all day every day I just couldn't date them.

I like plus sized girls. The curvier the better. I think big is beautiful. There was just something magnificent about a woman that owned her curves and loved her body. Don't get me wrong I think all sizes in women are beautiful but I just prefer big beautiful women.

I was tired of my relationships ending because of what was written about them in the tabloids. Truth be told I was just done with the spotlight. I mean who was anyone to judge me for the type of women I wanted? The media could just be so mean, and I was over it.

At twenty-three all I had going for me is my modeling and my looks. So, I told my agent I wanted out. I was just done. I was just tired. I wanted to just be more than what I was now. I have a great girl named CeeCee in my life and I really wanted things to work with her. I'm tired of always being away from her. It's no way to have a relationship that lasts.

I have enough money saved up that I can figure out what I want to do with my future. The best thing is that CeeCee encourages me to go after my dreams. She's unlike any other woman I have ever met before. I was falling in love with her. Who was I kidding I have already fallen. She meant the world to me.

I had to hide her away from the rest of the world which I hated. I didn't do it because I was embarrassed of her but because I wanted to protect her. I was so badly wanted this to work. I was scared she would leave me like all the rest before her did. I wasn't going to let anyone put her down or try and come between us. So, I didn't let anyone know about us.

I was so happy once the plane touched down. I knew once I got home my girl would be there waiting for me. We don't live together yet, but I did give her my key, so she could come and go as she pleases. I wish she would just move in. She said she was coming over to make me a home cooked meal because I haven't been eating well due to traveling so much. She was always taking care of me.

When we met I had just gotten out of a bad relationship with a model that I was working with. I wasn't looking for anyone when she found me. I thought she was amazing right away. I knew right off that I needed to make her mine. I didn't want her to find someone else.

Of course, because of the way I look she didn't take me serious right off. I had to slowly earn her trust. I had to prove myself to her. She still asks me on a daily basis what I see in her. I simply say perfection. To me she is absolutely beautiful. I am a very lucky man.

I know she hates keeping us a secret. She thinks I do that, so I can cheat or something. It's really not like that. I have never cheated on anyone and I never will. If I wasn't afraid she would leave me for what others say about her I would

I can't wait to hold her in my arms and once again prove myself to her. To have her let go of all her doubts. I know this isn't your normal very day type of relationship. I have been gone more times then I have been home with her. She has been so supportive and patient.

I need to do something special for her. Not many women would put up with everything she has. I just wanted to show her that I am so thankful she has stuck with me. Part of the reason I was walking away from modeling is because I was tired of leaving her. I wanted to be here with her. Saying bye to her each time I left broke me.

I just couldn't do it anymore. She didn't know I was coming home for good. I can't wait to tell her. I just hoped she would be happy about it. I don't want her to be upset. She always tells me she doesn't want me giving up my dreams for her. She doesn't get that she has given me the courage to finally go after my dreams.

She inspires me to be a better person. She is such an amazing person. She is a cook in her family's restaurant but one day hopes to open her own. I want to encourage her to go after her dreams as well. I believe in her. I want this to be an equal partnership.

I felt like time was going so slow. I just wanted to get my luggage get into a cab and get my girl. Yet, here I was still on this plane because there was some delay in us being able to exit the plane. It was if someone was trying to keep me away from my girl. I can't even text her to tell her I was home because we couldn't be on out phones just yet. What the hell was going on?

Chapter 2

CeeCee's pov

I have been cooking for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a big Italian family. Food was everything to us. We used food to celebrate everything that happens in a person's life. Maybe that's why I am so big. I would taste everything I cooked, and we would have huge family dinners every night it seemed. Food was always there tempting me.

I am now the head chef at one of the many restaurants my family owns. I own a beautiful house, and everyone seems to love me. I should be happy right? Wrong! I have an amazing family that loves me and supports me with everything I do. They always tell me I am beautiful and how special I am. That one day some guy is going to realize that and sweep me off my feet.

I am very respected in my community. Everyone knows me and seems to really love me. No one ever says anything bad about me. So why am I so down on myself? I'm not even single either. I have an amazing boyfriend. He's actually a male model. Shocking right? I still don't get what he even sees in me or why he wants to be with me.

I love him so much. The problem is no one knows he is my boyfriend. He says he does this for my own good. He claims his fans can be cruel. I didn't realize models even had fans. He then said the media would go after me. I don't know how he knows all this, but he seemed legit when he said it. I want to believe him, but I just don't know if I can.

Day after day I see him all over these skinny beautiful models that doesn't even know that he's in a serious relationship. I just know the real reason is because he is embarrassed by me. He claims he loves me, but I know it's not true. If he did he wouldn't hide me away. He is just having a little fun with me. I am nothing more then a quick little play thing for him. A little fetish he will soon grow tired of and get rid of. No this isn't love.

If he really did love me and respect me he wouldn't keep me hidden from the rest of the world. I don't like feeling as if I am his dirty little secret. I mostly feel like I am doing something wrong. I don't like sneaking around with the man that's that supposed to be my boyfriend. I don't like feeling this way. I can't be with someone that makes me feel this way.

I want a man I can bring home to meet my family. Hell, I want a family some day in the near future and I can't have that with a man that always wants to keep me in the shadows. Family is everything to me. Having such a sexy boyfriend be ashamed of you to the point that he refuses to tell anyone your even his girlfriend does make a person very insecure. I guess that's why I am so down on myself all the time.

Maybe I should just leave him. If he truly loved me then he wouldn't be doing this to me. I just don't know what to do anymore. I just feel like this relationship is bringing me down. I cry more than I smile. I wish I had someone I could talk to about this, but no one knows what I am going through.

Here I am sitting at his apartment and not one picture of us together is in it. There isn't anything of me in here. It looks like a bachelor pad. This is his home no one ever comes here yet he still doesn't have anything here that would say he has a girlfriend. I don't know why he even gave me a key.

I told him I was having second thoughts about us and wasn't sure I could do this anymore. He then gave me a key to his place. I took it as a sign of how committed he was to me. A sign that things were going to change, but nothing has. It's all still the same. I need to move on. Nothing with him will ever change.

I don't want to look back years from now and realize I wasted so much of my life on a man that doesn't give a crap about me. Changes needed to be done now while I am feeling brave or else I'll never do anything about it.

I couldn't call or text him because I just couldn't hear his voice. If I did then I would chicken out. I just need to make a clean break. I think that would be for the best. I decided to sit down and make a pro's and con's list. I wanted to have a clear headed about all of this. I needed to know I was doing the right thing.

I broke down and called my mom and told her everything. She listened to me as I cried and told me she knew something was going on with me. She didn't make any judgements just listened. My mom was just amazing like that. We were really close I knew I could always count on her.

She told me I needed to follow my instincts. That deep down I knew what needed to be done. That no matter what I decided to do she would help me in any way I needed her too. Talking to her helped me so much. I was glad that someone finally knew everything I was going through.

I didn't like keeping secrets or feel like I was lying to the people that mean the most to me. I thought about what I needed to do and finally came up with what needed to be done. It wasn't easy but it's what I had to do for myself.