30. Stella

Chapter Thirty

STELLA

When Hudson’s lips met mine and his fingers tangled in my hair, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Losing myself in him was the only way to slake my need.

My rational mind, my protective mind, was lost in the roar of the storm. I knew I was breaking all of my own rules, but I felt safe with Hudson. It was remarkable how intoxicating it was to feel safe.

Our kiss got messy fast, a tangle of lips and tongue, before we broke apart. We gulped in air, desperate for oxygen. We yanked at each other’s clothes.

With my sweater in a rumple on the floor and my jeans kicked to the side, I got naked first, maybe because I was more impatient, or Hudson was more helpful. His chest was bare with his jeans hanging open as he lifted me onto the counter. My leg curled around his hips, and I watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he dragged his thick crown through my slippery wet folds.

“Fuck me,” he muttered gruffly.

“Please do,” I gasped when he stepped back.

“I need a condom,” he bit out. He started to turn away, but I caught his hand.

“I’m on the pill.” I took a shaky breath as we stared at each other.

Hudson’s gaze burned into mine. “Are you sure?”

In the loaded space between us, I whispered, “I am.”

He stepped closer again, one hand sliding around me to press at the base of my spine as he pulled my hips a little closer to the edge of the counter. He stepped between my knees, his eyes locked to mine. Even though this wasn’t the first time for us, I felt the depth of our intimacy, the power of our connection. Tonight, in this moment, it felt very real.

Up to now, I’d been shying away from it, trying to ignore what my heart already knew. I wasn’t quite ready to say it, but I knew I was falling in love with Hudson and there was no turning back.

It was like falling over a waterfall, the rush of it carrying me down. I could only hope that he would hold on tight and keep me safe.

“Stella,” he rasped.

I looked into his eyes, ensnared in the heat of his gaze as he notched his cock at my entrance and filled me in one slow thrust. “Stay with me,” he ordered. His words were commanding, but soft. I didn’t want to look away.

He fucked me slowly on the counter with deep thrusts, seating himself more deeply each time. With the way my legs dangled down, it created an intense friction where we were joined. Each time he filled me, the sensation was intoxicating. I was delirious from the pleasure of it, from the look in his eyes, from the intimacy shimmering around us like cinders falling from the sky.

My release began to build, drawing tighter and tighter inside. Little pings of pleasure reverberated outward in ripples through my body. He rocked inside once more, whispering, “Come for me, sweetheart.”

I cried his name as the ripples rose to a crescendo inside. I heard my breath, ragged and broken. He drew back and thrust forward one more time. My name on his lips sounded almost like a prayer as he shuddered, and I could feel the heat of his release filling me.

His head dipped into the curve of my neck as he held me close and we trembled together.