21. Nakul

Nakul

The day passes by like molasses as I try to focus on anything other than tonight. Without the need to go anywhere, I spend most of my time at the Windsor Creek shops, this time looking for the perfect present for Judd. I grab that stuffed elephant for Stevie and then check in with my boss to make sure he knows that we’re winding down for the holiday.

By the time I step into the lobby of my motel, it feels both too small and too big at the same time. The anticipation is almost too much—I’m nervous, excited, and giddy all at once. Another night with Judd beneath me, moments we can spend together and not have to be quiet tugs at my fantasies.

The sound of tires crunching over gravel pulls me out of my thoughts and when I look up, I see his car pulling in. A smile immediately tugs at my lips and the tension in my chest eases.

Judd steps out, and for a moment, I’m struck by how good he looks in the evening light. His sweater hugs his frame perfectly, and there’s a nervous energy about him that mirrors my own. When he spots me through the glass doors, his face lights up with a shy smile that makes my heart stutter.

I push open the door and step out to meet him, my breath visible in the crisp night air. Before I can say a word, he closes the distance between us, his hands sliding up to my shoulders as his lips meet mine in a kiss that’s soft and tentative, but full of promise.

“Hey,” he mumbles when we pull apart, his eyes searching mine.

“Hey,” I reply, my voice low and steady despite the fluttering in my chest. His hand slips into mine as we head upstairs to my room, the memory of our first kiss in this room raging through my head. I had thought it was over at that point. I thought I had ruined everything and now, I can’t imagine not having taken that step.

I settle on the mattress, having planned everything as I pull him into my side. Judd is about to protest when I flick on the crappy television at the end of the room. “Come on,” I say, tugging on his hand. “I’m not watching this alone.”

“You’re impossible,” he replies, leaning against my side.

I reach over to grab the bowl of kettle popcorn and the two cans of root beer I’d stashed by the pillows. “Ta-da,” I announce, holding them up.

Judd raises an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Where did you even get that?”

“The vending machine downstairs,” I muse. “It’s surprisingly well-stocked. Cost me almost as much as dinner the other night, though.”

That gets him to laugh. “Well, thank you for your noble sacrifice.”

“Anything for you,” I tease, nudging the bowl into his lap. He shakes his head, but there’s a softness in his eyes as he digs into the popcorn.

I hit play on the remote and the movie starts with an overly festive jingle, complete with snowflakes falling across the screen and a montage of small-town charm. It’s exactly the kind of ridiculous, over-the-top Christmas movie that Judd would probably hate. But when I glance at him, he’s already smirking, his eyes alight with curiosity.

“Don’t tell me you picked this on purpose,” he says, popping a kernel into his mouth.

“I absolutely did,” I reply, deadpan. “You’re welcome.”

The movie is... as terrible as expected. The plot revolves around a big-city executive returning to her small hometown, where she promptly falls for the local handyman while rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas.

The dialogue is painfully predictable, the acting is borderline cringe-worthy, and the fake snow looks like soap suds. But instead of rolling his eyes or checking out, Judd surprises me by leaning into it.

“Did she just fall for him because he chopped wood?” he asks, feigning disbelief.

“Clearly, that’s all it takes,” I laugh, tossing a piece of popcorn at him. “Don’t underestimate the power of flannel.”

He catches the popcorn mid-air, his grin widening as he chews it dramatically. “Noted.”

As the movie progresses, the laughter comes easier. We trade jabs at the melodramatic twists, groaning at the cliché moments and adding our own commentary. Judd’s shoulders shake as he laughs at an especially absurd montage involving the handyman teaching the executive to ice skate.

Somewhere between the second act and the third, Judd shifts closer, curling into my side. My arm drapes over his shoulders, my fingers brushing against the fabric of his soft, worn sweater.

“This is perfect,” Judd murmurs.

“It is,” I agree, pressing a kiss to his temple.

His body relaxes further, and for a while, we sit in a comfortable silence, save for the occasional crunch of popcorn and the overly dramatic acting. My hand finds his, our fingers tangling together in a way that feels easy, natural.

“Nakul,” he says softly, twisting up to meet my gaze.

“Hmm?” I tilt his chin up gently, my thumb brushing against his cheek.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” His voice is almost breathy, nearly silent but I hear those words loud and clear.

“I’m glad because I think I’m falling in love with you too, Judd Stathis,” I mumble against his lips just before I kiss him. I drag the popcorn bowl out of the way, fumbling with it until it hits the nightstand surface.

Judd moans as I roll him onto his back, the moment devolving into rabid desire as we pull at shirts and pants. It isn’t long before I’m thrusting my lube-coated fingers into his ass, Judd swallowing those beautiful sounds I love so much.

“Not in here, love. You don’t have to be quiet.” Judd didn’t hate it last time when I called him that and it just happens so easily that I continue using it. His back arches upward, his face twisted in pleasure as he finally lets out an unbidden moan that has me needing to be inside of him.

He widens his legs as I replace my fingers with my cock, adding extra lube to soften the slide. Judd is just as eager as I am as he pulls me into another kiss, our tongues tangling together. When I’m fully seated, our breaths mingling, I relish in this moment. A moment that should have never happened but did because fate brought us together.

Had I never been looking for a way out with Ava, I would have never found those court documents. I would have never reached out to Judd. I would have never found the most precious man in the universe.

Judd says that he’s falling in love with me.

I think I’ve already fallen.

“Move, Nakul. Fuck, I need you to move.” His hands tangle in my hair around the back of my shoulders as I pull out and thrust back in, taking up a pace that’s a little rougher and faster than last night. His cock rubs against our stomachs, Judd already losing himself to the sensation.

Neither one of us is going to last long but I don’t even care. His fingers dig into my back, one of his legs curling around my waist, his heel digging into my ass. My lips move from his to his neck, Judd grunting every time I hit that spot inside of him. It’s like music to my ears as he moves with me, the two of us moving like a well-oiled machine until we let go.

Everything about this moment is perfect. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be telling him that I already love him. But that comes with time, time I now have because Judd is mine.