7. Hugo

Hugo

“This is nice,” she noted happily, a soft smile playing over her pretty, pink lips. It was fucking hard not to stare at her, and it had been about thirty minutes since I gave up the fight.

“You like it?” My lips twitched.

“I do.” She giggled. That damn sound was going to give me a lifetime of blue balls, and fuck me, I was looking forward to it. She rested her head on my shoulder. Our chairs sat next to one another as we stared at the flames of a fireplace. Not a real fireplace or flames but the ones playing on a TV I’d borrowed from Nicole’s Ornaments.

“Next time we do this, we’re doing this up at my cabin, and we’re doing it right.”

“You have a cabin?” I felt her move and look up at me.

“I do. Up in Sugarloaf. Ever heard of it?” It was a small place near more touristy towns.

“Is that by Big Bear and Serendipity Springs?” she asked, impressing me with her knowledge. Sugarloaf was a small little mountain town many drove through without really noticing it.

“It is. You been up there?” She shook her head.

“No, not yet. There’s a farmers’ market I am working up there for New Year’s Eve.”

“New Year’s, huh?” I stored that little tidbit of information. “Where do they do that?” I asked. Not that I was into farmers’ markets, but I was definitely very into her.

“Sweetie’s Active Retirement Home? It said it’s by the lake.” Sweeties was close to my cabin.

“I know it.” Again, saving that information for later. Thunder and lightning cracked through the air again, and we both glanced toward the windows.

“When I saw we might get rain, I didn’t believe it,” she confessed, and I grinned.

“I understand. When they say it’s going to rain in LA, it’s usually a slight two-minute drizzle before it’s over.”

“And call it storm watch on the news,” she joked, and I chuckled. We looked out the windows. Rain poured outside, and as if it was timed, lightning and thunder joined in. “I love rain,” she shared, settling her head back on my shoulder.

I breathed in the soft scent of her hair. Cherries and vanilla filled my lungs and made my mouth water. My thoughts went down a dirty, windy path it shouldn’t, but I couldn’t stop. I kept wondering if she would smell like that all over. If I ever got the privilege of tasting her, I wouldn’t miss an inch of her skin.

“I do, too.” Thunder struck a little louder than it had all night. Piper jumped in my arms and almost into my lap.

“Thunder and lightning, not so much.” She winced, and I opened my mouth to tell her that it was okay when I heard it. Her stomach growled loudly. I frowned. Fuck, my girl was hungry. By the blush in her cheeks and the horrified look on her face, I could tell she was embarrassed. I simply patted my stomach and pulled back to get a better look at her.

“You hungry? I’m starving,” I groaned, hoping that would help her relax.

“Oh, umm…” She licked her lips. “I could eat.” I tore my eyes off those pretty lips that beckoned me. I couldn’t go there. Not yet.

“Good. Come on.” I stood and took her hand in mine, loving the way our hands fit perfectly. “I have an idea.”

We walked over to the food area of the warehouse, and I quickly made do with what we could. Making sure to note how much I would need to Zelle the vendors once I had my phone to cover what we took from the stuff they had left behind. There wasn’t much, but it was enough for us to get by.

“This is delicious,” she complimented. My eyes dropped to her mouth and my hands fisted at my side from the soft little sound of pleasure she made as she took a bite of the sandwiches I’d whipped up. “A sandwich always tastes better when someone else makes it for you. Thank you, Hugo.”

“Thank you for this.” I lifted my cup and winked before taking a sip of the drink she’d made me.

“It was pretty easy to pour a Coke.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, cutie.” I winked. “You did it perfectly. No spills or foaming,” I complimented.

“Well, thanks.” She smiled, then her eyes drifted toward the window. “Do you think the rain will keep going?”

“I’m not sure,” I answered honestly. “But even though we’re stuck in here, the good thing is, we don’t have to drive in that.” My chin tipped toward the window.

“Very true. LA drivers and rain don’t mix.”

“That’s because all they ever get is drizzle.” She laughed, but her expression changed. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Oh, umm…” She pressed her lips together, and I squeezed her hand, silently encouraging her to talk to me. “My best friend is in Colorado right now. She flew out today.” I watched her, waiting for her to keep sharing. “They’re supposed to get snow in her area. I was just wondering, well, hoping she’s okay.”

“She went alone?”

“No. Her ex followed her up there.”

“Her ex?” My eyes widened. “And that’s okay?”

“Oh yeah! Winston is harmless. Actually, he’s perfect for her. It was just some stupid misunderstanding between them. Like a total guy, he couldn’t get himself to talk to her about something, and she thought there was someone else or something.” She shrugged. Her eyes rose and met mine. “Communication is important in relationships.”

“Is it?”

“Well, that’s what I’ve heard. I’m not the best at them,” she admitted, and fuck me if that didn’t make it the two of us. My hand reached for hers, taking it in my hold. I watched my thumb stroke the top of her hand before I looked up at her.

“Maybe that’s because you were in a relationship with the wrong person?” I asked, hoping that it wasn’t too much too fast. She was stuck in here alone with me. I didn’t want her to get creeped out.

“Hmm…” she sighed wistfully. “Does that mean you’re one of those people who believe in meeting the one?”

“The one?” I repeated as I turned.

Our eyes connected, and I felt something in the center of my chest. Bright blue eyes framed with thick long auburn lashes stared at me. I had no idea how the hell it had only been a week. A week of meeting her, knowing her, looking into blue eyes I knew I wanted to spend a lifetime staring into. Mine , a voice whispered loudly in my head.

“I didn’t think I believed in that. Soulmates and loves of your life and all that.” My voice sounded scratchy in my ears.

“Really?” Her gaze grew hooded.

“Yeah,” I confirmed huskily. “Way I lived—“ I swallowed hard. “But now? I believe in the one.”

“What made you change your mind?” she whispered, and I leaned in closer. Or we both did, I wasn’t positive. Suddenly, she was right next to me. My head dipped a little lower, so close I could smell the cherry-scented soda on her breath.

“I think you know what made me change my mind,” I whispered roughly.

Time slowed. We inched toward one another. Her lips parted, and the moment her mouth touched mine, it was exquisite. Soft lips danced against mine, and I held on to the tiniest sliver of control to keep things sweet and tender. She deserved a great first kiss, and I wanted to give that to her. But the moment the tip of her tongue swiped my lower lip, that thin thread of control snapped. My body shifted toward her, and my hands, having a mind of their own, reached for her curvy waist. She gasped against my mouth when I lifted her and settled her on my lap. The sound settled inside of me, but not as much as the sensation of her hands on my shoulders, her lips back on mine. We got lost in the moment, but there was no denying the control she silently handed over. My tongue dueled hers for dominance, the flavor or her mouth sinfully delicious.

I was a lucky son of a bitch that some idiot out in the world who had the privilege of meeting her before me hadn’t snatched and claimed her for himself. Tearing my mouth off hers, I made my way down to her neck. The tips of her fingernails embedded themselves into my biceps as her tits pressed against my chest. “Fucking delicious, princess.”

“Oh god,” she moaned. I laved at the line of her neck, licking and sucking. A sick depraved part of me wanted to leave a mark on her pale skin. Wanted something for her to look at in the next couple of days to remind her of my mouth on her skin and my hands on her body.

“Hugo,” she moaned sweetly, and it was like she was talking to the basest, most primal part of me. I scrapped my teeth against her skin before licking it again. “Oh god.”

“Not god, princess,” I rasped. My hands moved from her waist, drifting toward the hem of her white tank top. I loved the goose-fleshed skin of her back my hands encountered. “Tell me to stop, and I will,” I promised. “If this is too much.”

“More,” she whispered, tugging on my long-sleeved shirt. “So much more, please, Da— Hugo.” My dick thickened beneath the denim of my jeans. She had been about to call me daddy, and fuck me, I wanted that. I needed it. “I think you had it right the first time, baby,” I mumbled before pulling the long-sleeved shirt up and over my head, leaving me in a white tank because I’d tucked the thing into my pants. She pulled away and licked her lips. There was a fire in her eyes, a heat of appreciation at what she saw when she looked at me. I can make her love me , a voice whispered in the back of my head, and I agreed.

I could. No. I would.