31. Stella

Chapter Thirty-One

STELLA

After we untangled ourselves, Hudson carried me upstairs to bed. Butter curled up at our feet. While listening to the rumble of his purr, my heart felt soft andvulnerable. I was deep into the danger zone with Hudson. And yet, I didn’t want to worry about it. Not now.

I was curled up against his side, tracing my fingers through the light dusting of hair on his chest. “I need to go meet Biscuit.”

Hudson rolled his head to the side, opening his eyes. While the room was dark, there was a little light from the moon outside the windows.

“Biscuit?” he prompted, looking confused.

“The rescue cat that Tiffany’s trying to get me to adopt,” I reminded him.

“Oh, that’s right.” His lips curled into a drowsy smile. “If you like her, just bring her home.”

As I drifted into sleep a few minutes later, my mind kept bouncing that word around—home.

Was home this place, or us?

The following morning, I tried not to get too caught up in the view of a naked Hudson as he toweled off after our shower. I tried not to think about the fact he’d just fucked me against the tiled wall in that shower.

This was all getting way too comfortable. My eyes lingered on the subtle flexion of his back muscles as he moved. I never knew I had a thing for backs. Maybe it was him. He was all lean muscle, his shoulders, his forearms, even his hands.

He turned toward me again and I almost groaned at the sight of his chest. Blessedly, he reached for a T-shirt. A moment later, he had on a pair of jeans and he was even putting on socks. This was all helpful for my ability to focus.

I already had on a pair of jeans and reached for my bra. I felt him standing in front of me as I reached to hook the clasp together between my breasts. He let out a low growl before he said, “Give me just a minute.”

Before I could ask why, he cupped my bare breasts, teasing his thumbs over them. When I glanced up and saw the heat banked in his eyes, my nipples tightened, my belly felt tickly from the butterflies, and the core of me clenched tight.

“Hudson,” I whispered, feeling a flush rise to my skin.

“Stella,” he murmured, his voice teasing when he bent low and sucked one of my nipples into his mouth before releasing it and blowing softly over it.

In a matter of seconds, I was slick and needy for him.

“I have to go to work,” I choked out.

He stepped back, the sound of his low chuckle sending goosebumps chasing over the surface of my skin. “You’ll have to wait for more until tonight.”

Flustered, all I could do was shake my head. I swiftly finished getting dressed.

Minutes later, we were in the kitchen. I glanced over, contemplating what I’d been thinking about off and on since I’d learned Parker was his close friend.

“I’m going to talk to Parker,” I announced.

Hudson drained a glass of orange juice. “He already knows we’re seeing each other.”

“I know, but—” I paused, gathering my thoughts. “I want him to understand that I appreciate that he cares, but I’m used to taking care of myself.”

Hudson’s eyes held mine. “Okay, are we going to be public about us now?”

Throughout most of my early adulthood, I had desperately wanted to be in a committed relationship. And yet, my anxiety and expectation that things would fall apart had proven to be accurate. I’d never been public about dating anyone as a result. I feared I would jinx myself.

With Hudson, that fear ballooned. I knew the way I felt about him went far past the way I’d ever felt about anyone else. Before it had been nothing but the mist of hope. Now, my feelings were concrete. Even though I wasn’t ready to speak it out loud, I knew I was already in love with him. I didn’t want him to know. I was close to panic. All I could manage was a quick breath before I nodded jerkily.