Chapter 43

43

Hudson

Hudson’s Revelation:

Making love is a completely different thing than having sex.

Even though our words were playful, the touches we shared when we came together in bed were tender and loving. The words were still there between us, wrapping us in that warm, fragile feeling of new love.

I may have been unsure about how our future would look, but I wasn’t confused one bit about the man himself. He was mine and I was his.

I rubbed my hands up and down his back and down to his little rounded ass. I’d never known what an ass man I was until seeing and feeling Charlie’s. Maybe it was because I’d never felt the freedom to maul my lover’s cheeks with firm squeezes and periodic smacks, but I thought it was more probably the knowledge he would welcome me into that tight heat anytime I wanted it.

Tonight I wanted it. I needed to as close to him as possible.

“Please,” I hissed as he continued to writhe above me, rubbing our naked erections together and driving me insane. “Want to be inside you. Need you.”

His green eyes were half-lidded, lips cherry red and slick from our kisses. His fiery hair trailed down onto my chest and cheeks. Charlie was the very picture of sex, and the image burned into my memory like a brand.

He reached for the supplies, and I had a thought of what it might be like one day when we were able to move past using condoms. To feel his bare skin inside me. To feel his naked channel around my own cock with no barrier between us. I wanted that with him.

His lips grazed the spot behind my ear that made my balls heavy and my stomach tight. He moved wet lips down my neck to my collarbone where he sucked up what would surely be a bruise tomorrow. I ran fingers through his hair to hold it back from his face. I wanted to see.

I love you.

He was so beautiful. I still saw the creamy skin with youthful freckles, the thick hair with a slight wave to it. But now I also saw the man inside. The beautiful, flawed human whose heart was made of the thinnest of spun glass. I wanted to hold it steady, keep it safe, make sure no one ever had a chance to crush it.

Please don’t leave.

I wondered if I had the guts to follow him. What was I saying? Of course I’d follow him. It wasn’t an issue of guts; it was unthinkable to let him go so far away from me forever. So much for bravery; it would be cowardice that led me there… fear of being apart from him for the rest of my life.

When his mouth landed on my hip bone and sucked slowly on a patch of skin there, I looked down at him and knew that I would follow the man wherever he led.

You are mine and I am yours. Forever.

And when I flipped him over and finally pushed into his body, stroking slowly in and out of his tight heat and kissing his lips with sweet softness, I was torn between sobbing in relief and shouting with joy. So this is what it felt like to give oneself completely over to another.

It felt like home.

* * *

When my bodyroused from sleep several hours later, it was still dark outside. The clock indicated it was shortly past six, so I decided to get up and embrace the day. I looked over at Charlie.

He was small and slender and feminine, skin so pale he almost looked fragile and with a sprinkling of freckles that made him look even younger than he was. But I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have beside me when I was at my most vulnerable. He was strong and brave and loyal. Charlie was feisty and passionate and so very dedicated to righting a wrong.

I wanted the world for him. But I had no idea how to go about it.

My plan was to go into town early and triple check everything was ready for our grand opening. I could stop at Sugar Britches and have Charlie’s favorite coffee ready for him the minute he arrived.

I slipped out of bed with a soft kiss on Charlie’s cheek, just below the dark eyelashes closed gently in sleep. “I love you,” I whispered to his sleeping form before making my way into the shower.

The note I left on top of his wallet explained my plan to meet him at the pub. I climbed into the truck and drove to the square, deciding to walk to Sugar Britches first thing.

Before I got out of my truck, I made a phone call. Bruce answered on the second ring. “You’re up and at ‘em early today, Hudson. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

I’d known he was an early riser too. “Yes, sir. Exciting day ahead. But that’s not what I’m calling about. I was hoping you could help me with something else.”

“Sure, what’s on your mind?”

Bruce had been colder than normal toward me after catching me kissing Charlie, but during dinner he’d seemed to thaw. Maybe during the course of the meal he somehow realized I was still the same man he’d always known despite the change in who I was dating. I hoped my asking for his help would appeal to the part of him that couldn’t resist new business opportunities.

“I wonder if you might be able to help me find a buyer for my tap nozzle invention,” I said, trying desperately to keep my insecurity at bay. It was highly possible no one would want it. Just because one Irish bartender saw value in it, didn’t mean anyone else would be willing to lay down an investment on it.

“Considering I’m in the business of investing, I’m sure I can find an investor interested in it. Let me make a few calls and see what I can set up.”

“Thank you, Bruce. I appreciate it.”

I entered the bakery with a noticeably lighter spring in my step, and I wasn’t the only one. Stevie was chipper this morning.

“It’s the vanilla bean! Maxwell House, coming right up.” He turned to start my plain house roast, but I stopped him.

“Actually, I’ll have a mocha latte,” I said, reaching into my pocket for my wallet. “And a blueberry muffin. And whatever Charlie likes.”

“Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit. Hudson Wilde has gone round the bend,” Stevie teased. “Fancy hot cocoa and a Charlie special coming right up. How’s your boo?”

I felt my cheeks tighten with a big grin. “Gorgeous. Sexy. Mine.”

Stevie’s eyes widened. “Good for you, McSassafras. ’Bout time you claimed him for real. That man’s a snack.”

Instead of growling at him, I grinned even more. “A serious snack. Tasty and sweet and sometimes even deliciously salty.”

I wasn’t sure Stevie had ever been so shocked. He turned around to finish making the drinks and mumbled something to himself about wonders never ceasing.

After gathering my treats, I left the bakery and made my way over to the pub. When I entered, I saw a beautiful vision behind the bar. Only I knew this time it wasn’t a woman. It was most definitely a man. Under those clothes were muscles and body hair, strength and steel, and a gorgeous uncut cock I knew almost better than my own.

I blinked.

That gorgeous man was mine. He was mine, and I was going to find a way to be with him when everything was said and done.

“Charlie Murray, get your arse in here,” a voice boomed from the direction of the kitchen. “The man has no boxty on the menu! Christ Jaysus.”

Charlie turned around to answer but saw me first. His frustrated expression turned to happiness in a split second.

“Hiya, handsome,” he said. “I missed you this morning.”

I walked up and took him in my arms, not giving a shit who saw us or what they thought. The only inappropriate part was the coworking nature of our situation, and that was as good as over.

“I had to take care of some things. Is that your dad in the kitchen?”

“Mm, yeah. I expected Max to rage quit, but I think he’s actually too intimidated by the auld man to leave,” he said with a chuckle. “My dad can have that effect on people.”

I kissed him quickly before taking a deep breath. “Think maybe I should meet him properly?”

“You look flustered. You all right?”

I kissed him again. “Way, way better than all right, Irish.”

His eyes sparkled and his face flushed. “Well then, let’s see what we can do to bring you down a peg or two, shall we? Dad!” he yelled in the direction of the war zone. “Hudson’s here.”

The big man came rushing out of the kitchen, a black apron tied smartly over a pub golf shirt he’d acquired somehow.

“There’s the man,” he said with a big welcoming grin. It was very different from the greeting the day before. “Come give me some love.”

My eyes must have given away my shock because both Murrays started laughing at me. Sean gave me a giant bear hug and then held me out from him with big hands on my shoulders.

“Lemme get a look at ya. Charlie says you’re a good one, yeah? Gonna treat my boy right?”

“Dad, fuck,” Charlie muttered, flushing even deeper pink.

“If he’ll let me. Yes, sir. He’s the good one, not me.”

Sean looked at his son. “I reckon he’ll do.” And then he turned and went back in the kitchen yelling for Max to get his hands out of the stew.

I turned back to Charlie. “Big day. I’m here. Put me to work.”

The day went fast after that. We mostly went over everything and taste tested Max’s efforts at compliance with Sean’s stricter standards. When five o’clock rolled around, I was stuffed and Charlie was borderline manic with nerves.

“Baby, relax,” I murmured into his ear after taking him into a hug for the millionth time today. I’d used any excuse all day to touch him. “It’s going to be perfect. You’ve done an amazing job.”

“We’ve done an amazing job,” he corrected.

Bruce walked in the door, calling out a greeting and walking up to congratulate us on the arrival of the big day.

“Hudson, after we got off the phone this morning, I booked a big meeting for you on Monday in Chicago. I hope you don’t mind me tagging along to help smooth the introduction. We fly out Sunday night. I think this is going to make for an exciting future for you, Hudson. There are several investors up there excited to meet you.”

My heart skipped a beat. This could really be happening.

“Of course not. Thank you, Bruce. I can’t thank you enough for arranging that opportunity for me.”

Sometimes in life you don’t realize when you’ve uttered words that have the power to fuck everything up. This was one of those times.

I didn’t realize how the conversation had sounded to Charlie.

And by the time I figured it out, he was gone.

Hudson’s Lament:

Old habits die hard.