Chapter Two HUDSON

I felt almost giddy. Although desire with Stella was always on a rolling boil, that night I wanted all of the simple things with her.

We bundled up to go outside after we tidied up from dinner. We slipped on boots and walked out onto the deck to watch the snowfall. It was a beautiful night. The snow had slowed to big plump snowflakes drifting down from the sky.

After that, we curled up on our bed upstairs with Butter and Biscuit while we watched television and drifted off to sleep. Later when I woke, Stella was curled up against my side with one of her knees hooked over my legs. She was wearing a tank top and a pair of stretchy cotton shorts.

I couldn’t resist sliding my hand down the curve of her back and over her bottom. She let out this little sigh. She turned her head and dropped a kiss on the inside curve of my shoulder.

“Are you awake?” she whispered in the darkness.

“Uh-huh.” I gave her a little squeeze, gratified when she giggled.

She boldly smoothed her hand down my chest over my abs and stroked over my length through my boxers.

“You can ignore that,” I said.

“What if I don’t want to?” Her voice was teasing.

My lips curved into a smile. “Well, in that case…”

In the hot seconds that followed, she yanked my boxers down, and I kicked them off with my feet while she shimmied out of her shorts. She rose up, dusting kisses over my chest as she straddled me. She rocked her hips, sliding over the underside of my cock. She was already slippery wet and teased me close to release.

“Stella –” I gasped.

Her gaze held mine in the dim light as she rose up and reached between us. A moment later, I felt the slick kiss of her entrance just before she rolled her hips down, sheathing me in the very core of her.

We rocked together in the darkness. I barely clung to my control until I felt her begin to tremble. When she cried my name, I followed her over the edge, my own release whipping through me so fast my mind went blank.

I held her against me as we caught our breath. My heart felt as if it were calling her name with every resounding beat.

A few moments later Stella rested against me, tracing lazy circles on my chest. Butter leapt up onto the bed, walking between us. Stella’s giggle pulled a chuckle from me.

“Well, you know what that means,” I offered dryly.

“We’re awake. Shower, then coffee.” She sat up, catching my hand and tugging me behind her.

Once the cats decided it was time for us to wake up, they would get on and off the bed until one or both of us got up to feed them. It was futile to try to fall back asleep.

I didn’t mind having Stella tug me into the shower with her. It was the perfect way to wake up even if it was only five in the morning. I’d follow her anywhere.

A little while later, we were down in the kitchen and she decided to make scrambled eggs while I started the coffee. When I looked over at her with her damp curls framing her face, my heart thumped her name again.

I’d be tired later, but it wouldn’t matter because I would come home to her.