Chapter 32

32

Charlie

Charlie’s Words To Live By:

There’s nothing worse than casual sex.

Hudson and I spent the rest of Sunday night alternating between dozing and enjoying each other’s bodies in some way. By the time we finally fell asleep for the last time after midnight, I felt beyond sated and borderline dehydrated. But nothing in the world would have pulled me away from curling up next to Hudson’s warm body in my bed.

I slept like the dead until I heard a door open. I looked up to see Hudson disappearing into the small bathroom opposite the bed in my room. His bare arse was pale in the dim morning light, but I could make out the twin divots above it on his lower back.

I rolled over and smiled into the pillow. The memory of riding Hudson the night before played back through my mind. His face had been so reverent and his reactions so intense. The man was a careful lover, always minding my own pleasure and comfort before his own. But I could tell there was a part of him just begging to let go. To take as freely as he gave.

After the sound of the toilet flushing and the tap running for a moment, he came walking back into the room. The effect of his full-frontal nudity hit me in the balls in the very best way.

“Come here,” I said. “Gimme.”

His eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Are you sore?”

“In the very best way. Now come here.” I reached out a hand to him and pulled him close when he took it. He climbed on top of me and settled between my legs. His hands were cold from washing, and his breath was suspiciously fresh.

“Cheater,” I accused. “Your punishment is having to kiss moldy cheese mouth here.”

I forced the kiss on him, although he didn’t put up a fight. His tongue came happily into my mouth and shared the sweet minty flavor with me.

“Didn’t I ever tell you I like moldy cheese?” he teased between kisses.

“What time is it? Do we have to get ready for work yet?” I ran a hand down his back to cup his full arse. He had the best bum of anyone I’d met so far in Texas. The man’s arse was perfection. Every time I caught sight of him at work from behind, I imagined walking over to him and squeezing it with my hands. I was downright giddy that I could do so now.

He thrust his cock into my stomach. “I forgot to tell you. I have a meeting in Dallas early tomorrow morning.”

I stopped feeling him up and stared at him.

“Again? Why?”

His eyes skittered away, and immediately I knew something was off.

“Hudson, what’s going on? Is it a problem with the project? Do I need to come with you?”

He looked back at me. “No. No problem with the pub. I promise it has nothing to do with Fig and Bramble.”

I was reassured, but I still wondered what he wasn’t telling me. “Is everything okay with your job? The situation with Darci hasn’t put your position in any jeopardy, has it?”

Hudson’s hand reached out to brush hair away from my forehead. He loved doing that, and I loved it even more.

“No. Quite the opposite. Things are going well. I’m just disappointed I’m not going to get to sleep with you tonight,” he said softly. “It’s my new favorite thing.”

His weirdness had been because of me. My heart squeezed tight with the sentiment, but I didn’t trust myself to respond without hearing my voice rise up several octaves. So I kissed him thoroughly before going down on him.

By the time we drove into work, I was officially dehydrated but overwhelmingly relaxed and happy. I spent the entire day flirting with Hudson and counting how many times I could make him blush. When a carpet installer came by to fix a spot in the office, I asked him how to treat rug burn. I thought Hudson was going to faint right then and there, but he surprised me.

“Babe, I told you. My hands and knees feel fine. Stop bothering the nice man.”

And when Stevie stopped by to get us to try his new nut bar, Hudson beat me to the punch.

“I’ve got all the nuts I can handle from this guy already, Stevie. But thanks.” Hudson took a swat at my bum as I walked past him.

“What the hell has gotten into you, freshie?” I asked with a laugh.

“I’m happy. You make me happy.”

Stevie froze for a beat before squealing. “Oh mah gawd, what is happening right now? Do my eyes deceive me?” Stevie’s melodrama was back, and it reminded us we’d just inadvertently revealed Hobie’s biggest secret to Hobie’s worst secret-keeper. “Did someone finally turn him? Did anyone else see what I just saw? Is this for realsies?” He looked around comically only to discover we were the only three people in the building.

“You didn’t see anything,” I said.

Hudson walked right over and took my face between his hands, kissing me full on the lips until I was dizzy. When he pulled away, Stevie had a boner.

And he wasn’t the only one.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Hudson said with a straight face.

Stevie was practically hyperventilating. “I can’t… I can’t… what?”

“My family doesn’t know. You have to give me time to tell them without everyone in Hobie finding out. Promise me, Stevie.”

Stevie’s eyes fluttered from Hudson to me and back again. “Maybe you’re not gay. Maybe you should kiss me like you did Charlie as some kind of test just to be sure.”

Hudson chuckled, stepping forward as if to do as Stevie had suggested. I grabbed the back of his belt and hauled him against my front.

“Easy fella,” I growled against his ear. “Back over here. No need for tests. And if there were, I do the tests. He doesn’t do the tests.”

Stevie’s face softened into mush. “Aw, that is the sweetest thing ever. You two are totes adorbs. Can I take your picture with my phone? I won’t show anyone, I promise.”

Hudson shot me a look that clearly called Stevie a liar.

“Not today, Stevie. We need to get back to work,” I said with a laugh before walking the man out of the pub. Once I was out front, I saw a few people in front of Augie’s shop clearly admiring the display in the window. Needless to say, I hadn’t seen my collie in a while.

I wandered over to Augie’s shop to retrieve her before leading her back to the pub.

“Where’d you go?” Hudson asked before catching sight of Mama and leaning down to croon at her. “Oh, never mind. That cat has you wrapped around his little finger, huh? I know how you feel. Just want to spend the whole day wrapped up in him with nothing else to worry about, don’t you?”

As he continued to murmur sweet words to my girl, I fell even harder for him.