8. Stella

Chapter Eight

STELLA

It was dark when I woke up. I was disoriented. Rolling my head to the side, my eyes landed on a small clock on the table beside the bed. It was four-thirty a.m.

I had to physically shake my head to remember I was in my new apartment. As soon as my brain rewound to last night, my cheeks burned hot in the darkness.

That kiss. With Hudson. Sweet hell. What was I going to do? I shouldn’t have kissed him.

“You already did,” I whispered in the darkness.

I knew I had a problem when I was speaking to myself in the darkness, alone in my new bedroom. Restless, I rolled onto my side, adjusting the pillow under the curve of my neck. Even the bedroom had an amazing view here. I could see the stars twinkling in the sky above the lake outside.

My thoughts replayed those moments with Hudson. My hormones had gone a little crazy with him carrying my boxes upstairs. He’d been so nice and helpful. He was ridiculously sexy with a rugged handsomeness to him. I’d cataloged the sharp cut of his jaw and the straight blade of his nose in those seconds. I’d wanted to kiss him so fiercely I couldn’t stop myself.

I let out a flustered sigh. Just thinking about it, and I was getting all hot and bothered. I was alone, all by myself in my bed. I shifted my legs, letting out a little whimper when I felt the slick moisture there.

I wanted Hudson, so very much. Nothing more than a mental replay, and I started getting wound up.

Maybe he’s really nice , my heart chirped.

Sometimes my heart felt like a baby bird, vulnerable, without feathers to protect it and constantly chirping at me. That’s how I was emotionally. I knew this about myself. I didn’t need to want things from a man, any man.

I sighed again and rolled restlessly onto my back, staring up at the ceiling. There was nothing to see, just darkness and a blank surface. My mind was naughty and disobedient. Every time I told myself to forget about it, my thoughts looped back to Hudson. The feel of his lips molding over mine, the way he took control of our kiss.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered to myself.

His tongue glided in to tease with mine. The way he rocked his hips and I could feel his hard length nestling just above the apex of my thighs. I’d been so wet by the time I managed to gather my wits that I didn’t even remember how I kept myself in check. I’d walked him down the stairs. All along, my pulse had been galloping madly.

Blessedly, my mom had called me and the sound of my phone ringing upstairs galvanized me. I’d choked out a goodbye and slammed the door as I dashed up the stairs. I never even answered the phone and sat at the top of my stairs, trying to pull myself together.

When I recalled the feel of his eyes boring into mine, my pussy clenched. My hand, disobeying me, slipped into my panties, teasing into my dripping wet folds. This was how bad I had it for Hudson. My fingers grazed my swollen clit. I was hot and wet, so desperate for more.

It only took minutes before I was burying my fingers into myself, the friction from the heel of my hand over my clit spiraling my pleasure into the stratosphere. I was trembling and shuddering, Hudson’s name a ragged whisper crossing my lips.

The following morning, I blushed in the shower just thinking about what I’d done. I endeavored to get a freaking grip. Hudson lived here. It was sort of a duplex, but we had a shared kitchen. I wasn’t so sure it was a good idea for me to live here. And yet, I was already here and I loved the apartment. It was the best apartment I’d ever had.

After I toweled off, I studied myself in the mirror. My blond curls were damp and my freckles stood out on my cheeks.

“You can handle this,” I told myself in the mirror.

I was back to talking to myself. What the ever-loving fuck?

Blessedly, there was no sign of Hudson when I made my way downstairs to the kitchen. His truck was gone. I made a quick list on my phone of groceries to get on my way home today before leaving.

A few minutes later, I was waiting in my car while a moose and two yearlings ambled across the road in front of me. One of the yearlings stopped and nosed the hood of my car.

Once the coast was clear, I made my way downtown, smiling at the sign for Firehouse Café. The bell jingled as I walked into the café. A second later, I collided with someone.

“Oh! I’m sorry!” I stepped back and looked up into Hudson’s green gaze.