17. Hudson

Chapter Seventeen

HUDSON

Fifteen minutes earlier

“G’night,” I called to the guys.

There was a chorus of goodbyes as I turned to begin walking out of Wildlands. Parker fell into step beside me. “I’m headed out too,” he said.

It was kind of strange how familiar his presence felt. Parker and I had spent only a short time together, but it had been condensed and unlike any other part of my life.

I was really glad he was doing well. As I stepped out into the parking area and the door swung shut behind us, the sounds from the restaurant became muted. The air was crisp and cold and the stars bright in the winter sky as our footsteps crunched on the frozen gravel.

I stopped at the back of my truck and glanced over. “It’s really good to see you,” I offered.

His smile was wry. “Same.”

“I’ll catch you around at the station. You’ve got my cell now,” I added. “Anytime you want to meet for coffee, or whatever, just text me.”

He clapped me on the shoulder before he continued walking. “Of course.”

A few minutes later, as soon as I pointed my vehicle toward home, Stella commandeered my thoughts.

My body felt drawn tight, leashed need rampaging through me as I tried to contain it. Stella stood before me, her riot of blond curls pulled up in a ponytail. She was wearing a big sweater that fell below the curves of her hips over a pair of fleece leggings and fuzzy socks. There was nothing particularly sexy about what she was wearing. But this was Stella. Everything about her was sexy to me. I wanted to smooth my hands over her soft sweater, knowing that what lay behind was beyond tempting.

“What’s your answer?” I asked.

“Huh?” An adorable little furrow formed between her brows.

It had been four days since our last encounter in the kitchen when I told her to take a few days to think about it. Ever since, I’d pondered what “a few” meant to her.

A pause stretched like elastic between us before snapping tight and drawing everything inside me to a shivering tension. “When I said I didn’t want to be friendly strangers and asked if you wanted more,” I explained over the echoing thud of my heartbeat.

Stella blinked and her fingers tightened around the edge of the counter. I heard her breath draw in swiftly before she replied, “Yes.”

My breath came out in a rush of relief at her answer. Obviously, I would’ve respected if she thought this whole thing was flat-out crazy. It was, but I wanted her too fiercely to think clearly.

Just now, my hands clenched into fists. I wanted to dive into the fire burning between us. Yet, I thought this warranted a little more conversation.

I cleared my throat. “Ground rules. This stays between you and me. There’s no sense in having it get messy as far as rumors. If you change your mind, at any point, all you have to do is say so. While this is happening, it’s just you and me. Any more ground rules?”

Stella’s teeth dented her bottom lip as she uncurled her hand from her glass on the counter and pushed it away. The claws of need sank more deeply, the sharpness keeping me on edge.

“I don’t think so,” she finally said. “Well, except birth control. You wear condoms.”

“Of course,” I said without hesitation.

“Anything else?” she prompted.

“Where are we sleeping?”

Her brows flew up in surprise. After a charged moment, she lifted her chin. “We sleep in our own beds.”

I nodded. “Anything else?”

Her ponytail swung as she shook her head.

“Do we start tonight?”

Stella’s hand dropped away from the counter, her fingers catching her sweater and sliding back and forth on the hem. The time between my question and her answer stretched as the tension ratcheted higher. The air around us felt heavy, reverberating with the force of a lit fuse.

“Yes,” she finally said, her voice a little forceful.

I’d expected her to say we should wait. While I grappled with that, she jumped in again, her words coming out in a rush. “If you want to wait, that’s totally fine. I just kind of wanted to get it over with and –”

“Wait.” I stepped closer.

Stella stared up at me, her cheeks stained a deep rosy pink and her lips slightly parted. When she slid her tongue across them nervously, need pounded inside of me, the driving pace increasing to the point of pain.

“Okay,” she said quickly. “We wait.”

“That’s not what I meant. I don’t want to wait.”

Taking another step, I stopped inches away. I could feel the heat emanating from her, along with a subtle sense of restlessness. I lifted a hand to brush a loose curl away from her cheek. Catching the end of it, I spun it around a finger as I drew it out. The silky curl bounced when I released it.

Her palm landed on my chest, close to my heart. My heart lunged at the soft touch. “You don’t want to wait?” Her voice was breathy, the soft sound spinning like fire in my veins.

I couldn’t even speak, but I managed to shake my head. “Not unless you do.”

Stella shook her head, her curls swinging slightly.

“Does that mean you want to wait, or you don’t want to wait?” A laugh rustled in my throat at the double negative.

“I don’t want to wait.” Her words were clear as she looked up at me, the boldness shimmering in her gaze nearly made my knees give out.

I meant to take control of this situation, to grab a hold of the moment and bend it to my need. My need was rampaging through me, but it was out of control.

Stella erased what little distance there was between us. I felt the soft give of her curves against me, the warmth of her as she leaned up. I dipped my head and our lips collided. It was like metal striking pavement, scattering the sparks high and bright.

My rational brain tried to fire off instructions, trying to point out I needed to go slow, I needed to make this amazing for Stella. But the roar of need was like a storm raging out of control inside. She was the eye of the storm, and all I could do was hold on.

She made this little whimpering sound in her throat as our tongues tangled. I groaned as I angled my head to the side and slid my hand into her curls. I couldn’t get enough of her sweet taste, andher soft curves. I slid my arm around her waist, giving in to the urge to slide it down her back and over her luscious bottom.

Her hand slipped under my shirt and the feel of her palm exploring my chest before sliding around my waist was intoxicating. Her touch was bold and curious.

I wanted everything all at once. We finally broke apart to breathe. I stared down at her, searching her gaze, looking for hesitation.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked.