But Kenna had made her desires known, and they didn’t include the two of them together. They’d been her terms, and he trusted her to know her own limitations, so he hadn’t pushed.
But Christ, he’d wanted to. Still did.
Kenna cleared her throat and pointed to the fresh peaches he’d peeled and prepped earlier. “That’s a whole lot of peaches. How do you know that’s still what I like?”
He froze and lifted his head, his eyes narrowing on her. Last time he’d talked to Momma, she’d mentioned Kenna ordering a couple peach pies—her favorite. Had been the only currency she’d ever accepted whenever she’d helped in the bakery while they’d been teens. “Don’t tell me you’re a blueberry girl now.”
She scrunched up her nose, her lips making this adorable little pout, and he barked out a laugh. “No, I’m not interested in the devil’s fruit, thank you very much. How dare you suggest such a thing.”
He grabbed a handful of blueberries from the ever-present bowl his momma kept filled with fresh fruit and held up his fist. “Oh, you mean these?”
Kenna scrambled behind her chair, narrowing her eyes and pointing a finger at him. “Don’t you even think about sneakin’ those in any of my pies, Hudson Matthew Miller.”
“Damn, girl, three-namin’ me five minutes in? That’s harsh.”
“You deserve that and a whole lot more. I swear, if you—”
“Nah, I wouldn’t do that.” He tossed the entire handful into his mouth and chewed loudly, smiling at her through no doubt blue-stained teeth. “But how about a welcome home kiss?”
She gave him a look of absolute horror before screeching as he lunged for her. “Don’t you dare, Hud. Don’t you fucking dare!”
After a circuit around the dining room, she leaped up on a chair, her leg poised to hurdle the whole damn table, when Hudson snagged her around the waist and pulled her flush to him.
They’d been this close since he’d been home—twice now—but it still didn’t lessen the effects her body’s nearness had on him. Especially when her heavy breaths brushed against his neck, her breasts pressing against his chest with every deep inhale. His cock was growing thick and hard in his jeans, and there wasn’t much he could do to hide it.
It’d be so easy to drop his head a couple inches, close his eyes, and press his lips to hers. Taste her again for the first time in way too long.
Would be so damn easy, except for the look of pure lust warring with absolute terror in her eyes.
He leaned down, studying every inch of her face, from her lips parted on panting breaths to the color high on her cheeks to that look in her eyes that stayed there until they fluttered shut the closer he got.
Instead of doing what his cock was begging him to—and what he was pretty sure at least seventy percent of Kenna wanted him to do as well—he bypassed her lips and pressed a wet, smacking kiss to her cheek, close enough to her mouth that his dick jumped a little behind his zipper.
Her eyes snapped open, the desire tamped down slightly. “You did not just do that.”
“’Fraid I did.”
“You’re a jerk,” she said, but her words lacked conviction.
“Not the first time you’ve called me that, and probably won’t be the last. You know I love goadin’ you.”
“What you love is havin’ those balls in your mouth, but keep those dirty beasts to yourself.”
Hudson breathed out a laugh, relief and overwhelming desire swarming in his chest. He’d been so worried things wouldn’t still be easy with her. That he’d exaggerated their connection in his mind and reality wouldn’t come close to his memories. Turned out he didn’t have a damn thing to worry about.
The connection, the tension, the spark—it was all still there, only multiplied by a thousand.
He set Kenna on her feet and took a step back, brushing his hands together. “Time to get to work. What do you say we make this a little more interesting?”
“And how do you propose we do that?”
“Bet I can make more crusts than you.”
Kenna laughed. “You’re such a child. You do realize you’re in this predicament because of the last bet you made me, right?” She plucked one of the peeled peaches from the bowl and took a bite, her lips wrapping around the juicy fruit. He’d never been more jealous of a piece of food in his life. “Are you sure you wanna go down that road again? I figured you’d be tired of me wiping the floor with you.”
He shook the dirty thoughts from his mind, rested his hands on the counter, and leaned toward her. “Something you should know by now…”
She cocked a brow, popping the last half of the peach into her mouth. “What’s that?”
He stared straight into her eyes, putting as much conviction into his tone as he could. “I’ll never be tired of you, Kenna.”
She stopped chewing, her eyes widening slightly as she stared at him. Her gaze tracked every inch of his face, as if trying to get a read on him. As if weighing his sincerity. Good thing he was sincere as a motherfucker when it came to this. When it came to her.
Finally, she dropped her eyes, seeming to shake whatever thoughts she had right out of her head. She cleared her throat. “Name your terms.”
He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading. She was coming back to him. Slowly and reluctantly, but she was peeking out. The Kenna he knew and had fallen in love with was still there under the cynic she hid behind. He couldn’t wait to keep peeling back her layers.
HE COULDN’T LIE—GETTING walloped by Kenna twice in as many days was hard on the ego. He’d thought he’d have a hand up in this particular competition—what since he’d baked approximately seventeen thousand pies in his lifetime—but it’d been a long time since he’d been home. Even longer since he’d baked a pie. And apparently Kenna hadn’t let her expertise in that area wane.
He glanced at her neatly laid-out pie tins in front of her, each with a perfectly formed and pinched crust, then narrowed his eyes on her. “Did you hustle me?”
She wiped her hands on the dish towel hanging over her shoulder. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”
“I mean you just finished your sixth crust, and I’m barely on three. You get a job over at the shop that no one filled me in on?”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “Not technically, but I may have helped a time or two.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. When Marianne had her surgery and they’d needed someone immediately. They couldn’t train anyone fast enough to fill in while she was out for recovery. So, I jumped in. Started that day and worked for a couple weeks till they got things sorted.” She shrugged like it was no big deal, but it was a hell of a big deal to him.
He’d never forget receiving the call that his momma had been in a serious car accident. He’d been stationed overseas, in Germany, unable to come home on leave. He hadn’t been able to do a damn thing but wait for updates from Lilah, angry at himself that he hadn’t been home to help either of them. And Kenna’d been here, ensuring things ran smoothly for his family.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice full of gravel. He leveled his gaze on hers, making sure she saw the sincerity in his eyes. “For taking care of them while I’ve been gone.”
Her face softened, and she placed her hand on his forearm. “They’re pretty good at takin’ care of themselves, Hud.”
“I know.” He nodded. “They are.” Turning to face her, he propped his hip against the counter. “But you’re pretty good at takin’ care of people and then not takin’ credit for any of it.”
Her brows shot up. “Seems everyone loves tellin’ me that. You been talkin’ to Will since you’ve been home?”
“Nah. I just know you. And some things might’ve changed, but not that. You proved as much last night at the bar with Darcy and Atticus.”
Kenna hated having the spotlight shined on her—always had. Still did, if her uncomfortable squirming was anything to go by. If he were a betting man—and he was—he’d lay down money on
her deflecting next.
“You remember our last bet before you left?” she asked.
Annnnd, there it was. The deflection. As was his damned erection, back with a vengeance. Did he remember? Of fucking course he remembered. It’d only been one of the best and worst days of his entire life. Finally being with her how he’d fantasized about for so long, but also revealing the secret he’d been keeping from her for months and nearly tearing them apart in the process.
As it turned out, he tore them apart anyway.
At some point, he’d stepped closer to her because suddenly there wasn’t any space between them. She stared up at him, her eyes glazed and lips parted. His cock was rock hard and aching, remembering exactly what that bet had led to. A kiss in a fishing boat, an impromptu dry-hump where she’d come in his lap so hard, he’d nearly seen stars… Then the fight, the tears, the anger. Before, finally, their resolution. A promise of not right now but someday and spending the rest of the weekend getting lost in each other’s bodies.
He’d taken so much of it for granted. He’d been hungry for it and had gone after it like a ravenous wolf, but he hadn’t savored it. If he could go back now, he’d do so many things over. Starting with taking his time. Cataloging every inch of her. Spending an entire evening with his mouth between her legs just so the cadence of her moans would be trapped in his subconscious for the rest of his life.
“Hud,” she whispered, her tone a little worried and a lot breathy.
This was probably a bad idea. Actually, there was no probably about it. This was a terrible fucking idea. Their friendship had barely survived the last time they’d done this, and their ending was still the same—he was leaving in less than three weeks, and Kenna had made it perfectly clear she didn’t want a long-distance relationship with him. Didn’t matter. He had no hope of stopping himself. Even less when Kenna reached out, tucked her fingers into the front waistband of his jeans a mere centimeter from his throbbing cock, and tugged him the slightest bit toward her.
That was it. All bets were off.
Cupping her face in his hands, he leaned down, maintaining eye contact—waiting for her to say no while silently chanting a prayer she wouldn’t—until her lids fluttered closed a moment before he pressed his lips to hers.
She breathed out a sigh, and he was gone. He’d dreamed of that sigh. Had gotten off to it more times than he could count. And for years, he’d longed to hear it again.
He tightened the hand around her neck, holding her captive for his mouth, while he slid the other around and cupped her ass, tugging her up against him. He groaned when her body came in contact with his shaft, needing the pressure. Desperate to relieve the ache by sliding into the sweet heaven between her legs.
He swept his tongue into her mouth, inhaling her moan. Sucking it right into himself so he’d have it forever. She tasted like peaches and home, and he never ever wanted to leave this nirvana.
If he didn’t live another day, he’d die a happy man right then and there with Kenna wrapped up in his arms, her lips under his and her moans a symphony in his ears.
A zombie had more energy than Mac did, even after two cups of coffee. She’d slept like shit last night, lying awake until three in the morning, her mind whirring over what had happened at Hudson’s. And then when she’d finally fallen asleep, her dreams had been plagued by the same thing.
His lips on hers, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, and his cock, so hot and hard, pressing against her belly. His hand on her ass, tugging her closer. Rocking into her, insistent and needy… She’d wanted nothing more than to strip right there in his kitchen, hop up on the counter, and hold him prisoner with her legs.
Her phone rang from its perch next to her on the couch, Will’s picture flashing on the screen. Well, this would be interesting. Mac hadn’t kept a secret from her sister in…well, ever. But she sure as hell wasn’t going to tell Willow what had happened yesterday, lest she get any grand ideas of a romantic reunion. “Hello?”
“Hey, so I know we already decided on the bouquets for the wedding, but what’re your thoughts on peonies instead of hydrangeas? I think it might—”
“I kissed Hud.” Mac sank back into the couch cushions and slapped a hand to her forehead. And that was exactly why she didn’t keep secrets from her sister. She couldn’t. They just spilled forth like water from a breaking dam.
Silence swept over the line for long moments. Then Will said, “Pardon me?”
“Dammit, I wasn’t gonna tell you that.”
“I see that worked out real well for you. Now, spill.”
Mac rested her head against the back cushions and blew out a deep breath. “Yesterday. While we were supposed to be bakin’ pies. We kissed.”
“You…kissed.”
“Fine, so we made out for a solid fifteen minutes, and he definitely got to second base, and I’m three-thousand-percent certain we would’ve had sex right there on the kitchen floor if Caleb hadn’t walked in. This is bad, Will. Really fucking bad.”
“What did y’all do when he walked in?”
“Jerked away from each other like a couple of teenagers getting caught by their parents. And then I made up a lame excuse and ran.”
So that was what she was now—an almost twenty-eight-year-old runner. A scaredy-cat who was too afraid of the what-ifs and unknowns to venture down that path with Hudson again. She had enough failures under her belt, thank you very much. She certainly didn’t need to add this one to the list.
“Well.” Willow cleared her throat. “Hmmm.”
“What’s the hum for?”
“Nothing!” Will said too fast. “Nothing. Um…”
“Just say it. You know you will. Might as well do it now and get it done with.”
“I’m gonna ask a question, and I want you to really think about it before you go blurtin’ out an answer, all right?”
Mac rolled her eyes but didn’t respond. She wasn’t going to agree to anything. Not before she knew exactly what her sister was up to.
“Would it really be so bad?” Will asked.
“What? Kissin’ him? Sleepin’ with him? No, I’m pretty sure it’d be amazin’ and would ruin me for all other men. Again.”
“Then I don’t see the problem.”
Mac released a frustrated growl. “I know you’re not this dense, Will. He’s leavin’. We’ve got less than three weeks, and then he’ll be off to—shit, I don’t even know where he’s supposed to be next. Or when his next deployment is. Or how long he’s plannin’ to stay in the army. Or how long he’ll be away from Havenbrook.”
“Maybe those are things y’all should talk about.”
Probably. Except, no. She couldn’t do that. The truth was, she was scared to death of the answers—whatever they may be. What if his answer wasn’t what she hoped it’d be? What if it was, but she still managed to screw it up? No, she’d definitely rather bury her head in the sand and go on in blissful ignorance than have a mature, adult conversation about this stuff.
“Or maybe you just throw caution to the wind and do it anyway,” Will said.
Mac breathed out a disbelieving laugh. “You do remember what happened the last time I did that, right?”
Her sister was quiet for several moments. So long that Mac pulled the phone away from her ear to see if the call had dropped. Finally, Will said, “I had almost this same conversation with Avery, you know. Back when I didn’t know if Finn was stayin’ in Havenbrook for good, but I couldn’t dismiss the chemistry between us anymore.”
“Let me guess—she told you to get your freak on and rack up those O’s while you could.”
Will laughed. “Not exactly. She told me tryin’ is better than regrettin’. While it might end and it might hurt, none of that pain would compare to a lifetime of regret.”
Her words pierced Mac’s chest, burrowing into her so deep, she could feel them in her bones. She’d lived regret. Every day for the past ten years, she’d regretted her actions. Wondered if things would’ve be
en different for them if they’d kept seeing each other. Or if they’d confessed their feelings a few months prior. Or if she’d kept in touch. Or if she’d taken him up on the half-dozen offers he’d sent her to fly to where he was stationed so they could see each other.
Yeah, she’d been living with a lifetime of regrets, and she still felt the pain. So maybe her sister was onto something.
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text, and she pulled it away to see a message from Edna.
You feel like keeping me company today? I could use an alibi.
Oh shit.
“Will, I gotta go. Edna’s ’bout to do something to Earl.”
“I don’t have time to go to the police station today, Mackenna, so y’all better not get into trouble!”
“That was one time. And it was all her!”
“I’m just sayin’. I’ve got too much stuff piled up at work. Daddy’s been out of the office more than usual with appointments, so I’m playin’ catch up. Be good. And think about what I said.”
Before Mac could respond, Will called out a quick, “Love you!” and hung up.
And yeah…Mac was going to pass on the whole thinking about what Will said thing. She wasn’t quite ready for that—not when she could still taste Hudson on her lips, feel him against her body. Nope, she definitely didn’t need to spend any more time today in her head. What she needed was a distraction, and her seventy-year-old cohort was the perfect person to provide it.
What nefarious things do you have planned, and do I need to be worried?
Almost immediately, the bubbles popped up, indicating Edna was typing her response.
Earl’s getting breakfast with Betty Jo, so I’m gonna turn off his AC and leave a dead squirrel under his bed. We’ll see how the ladies like that…
Oh Lord, that woman was on a mission to a) make her ex-husband’s life pure hell and/or b) get herself arrested. Looked like Mac’s day had just been booked. She’d keep Edna out of jail, and in turn, Edna would keep Mac’s mind off Hudson. Win-win.
Captain Heartbreaker (Havenbrook Book 4) Page 5
