I nod. “I’m starving. I haven’t eaten real food all day.”
We all move inside the house where the kitchen table is already set for three. In the center is a platter that holds grilled chicken smothered in garlic butter. The chicken sits on a bed of mushrooms and onions. There’s mashed potatoes, some fresh vegetables, and dinner rolls. Just smelling the food makes my mouth water. I can’t tell you the last time I was able to just sit down and eat good food with good company.
Celeste goes to lay the baby down while Drake and I start making our plates.
“This all smells delicious,” I say, scooping out a big portion of mashed potatoes.
He laughs as he watches me. “Been a while since you ate real food, huh?”
“That’s okay, Hudson. You eat all that you can handle,” Celeste says, taking her seat between Drake and me.
I offer her a kind smile. “Thank you, Celeste.” I shoot Drake a look that causes him to laugh.
Once I have my plate made, I sit down and start eating. Being in the military, I’m used to scarfing it down. I’ve done it so long now that I don’t know how to eat at a normal pace anymore. When I look up, Celeste and Drake are both starting at me.
“What?” I ask, mouth full of food as I look down at my nearly empty plate and then to their full ones. “Oh, I forgot I’m not in the mess hall. Sorry.” I forced myself to swallow the food in my mouth.
Celeste, the sweet, kindhearted woman she is, smiles. “You’re just fine, Hudson. I’m sure all you need is just time to adjust to this new life. What do you plan on doing next?” She places the smallest bit of chicken in her mouth.
I wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin on my lap and take a drink of the beer I was given. I shrug. “I honestly have no idea just yet. I wasn’t exactly planning this. I mean, in a weird way, it feels like I just got out of high school and I’m trying to pick a path all over again. I never thought I’d be out of the military this early in my life.”
She nods, understanding. “Well, I’m sure Drake has something for you down at the brewery,” she mentions.
Drake speaks up. “I already offered. Hudson needs something a little more, what word did you use? Adventurous,” he says, the corners of his mouth lifting upward.
Celeste lets out a giggle. “I’m sure sitting behind a desk doesn’t seem like much fun compared to dodging bullets as they whiz by your head.”
“I’m just…very active. I’m not good when it comes to sitting down for a long period of time and having to concentrate on paperwork. In fact, I think I’m going to go for a jog. That was a long ride home. I can’t remember the last time I sat still this long. Thanks for dinner, Celeste. It was delicious,” I say, standing and pushing my chair back.
I grab my bag out of the living room floor, and Drake points me in the direction of my room. I walk into the room and close the door behind me, breathing in a deep breath of relief. I look around the room to find everything set up for a nursery. There’s a crib, changing table, rocking chair, and more stuffed animals than any one kid needs. Looking around this room only confirms my thoughts. I shouldn’t be here. This is Drake’s life, his family. I need to find my own place, my own life.
I quickly change into a pair of basketball shorts and tennis shoes. I hook up my wireless earbuds and slip in my armband, and loud music begins to blare. On the porch, I take a minute to stretch before pushing myself forward.
As I jog down the old gravel road, I start to relax. As my lungs work for oxygen, my heart beats faster and faster. This is how I like to live my life. Fast. Alone. Nothing is standing in my way, and I’m not standing in anyone else’s way. There’s no one to answer to. No one to worry about. It’s just me, the road, and the sound of my heart.
My first order of business will be to find myself a place to live. I don’t like bumming off my brothers. I don’t like feeling like I’m interrupting their lives. I need to find my own place, my own way.
A car speeds past me, and I don’t think anything of it until I see the car stop up ahead. I continue on with my jog until I come to a stop at the open passenger side window. I bend down, wondering if whoever is driving is okay.
“Hudson?” a guy’s voice asks.
My eyes lock on Brad Olsen, an old pal of mine. I smile wide. “Hey, man! What have you been up to?”
He laughs as he throws the car in park and gets out. He heads around the front of the car where we meet for a handshake and a hug.
“I can’t believe you’re back here! Where ya been? How’a been?” He runs his hand through his dark hair, pushing it away from his forehead.
I nod. “I’m good. I was just discharged, so I came back home to pick up where I left off. How about you? Last I heard from you, your mom was moving your family upstate.” That was when we were still in high school. I had no idea he’d moved back.
“I’m good,” he says, nodding. “I moved back a few months ago. Got a job at the brewery. I got an apartment in town. Where you staying?”
“I just got back today, so I’m crashing with my brother until I find a place.”
“I got an extra room if you want it. I’ve been looking for a roommate, but most of the guys I work with already have a place. I don’t know many people in town anymore.” He slides his hands into his jean pockets. The action only draws my attention to the fresh ink on his tanned arms.
I want to ask about them, but figure now isn’t the time. It seems that Brad has changed quite a bit over the years. The Brad I knew was a straight-A student. He didn’t have many friends and never got in trouble. He was in charge of all the academic clubs and always made honor roll. I thought he would’ve gone to college and been sitting at the top of a skyscraper by now, not standing in this small town, working for my brother, and covered in ink.
“Yeah? You care if I swing by tomorrow? Check it out?”
“Yeah, man. Absolutely. I work the midnight shift at the brewery, so you could swing by around three in the afternoon after I wake up?”
I smile and nod. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Let me get your number and I’ll text you the address.”
We quickly exchange numbers before we go our separate ways. I turn around and jog back to Drake’s as he climbs behind the wheel and heads toward town.
It’s going on eight when I make it back. The house is quiet, with the two of them cuddled up on the couch. Drake asks if I want to join them to watch TV, but I turn them down, opting to take a shower so I can get out of the house for a little while. As long as I’m staying here, I’m going to try to be as scarce as possible. I don’t want to cramp their style. The less they see of me, the better.
I shower quickly, then pull on a pair of jeans, my boots, and an old fitted T-shirt before climbing behind the wheel of the beat-up truck. The engine turns over with the first try, the roar cutting through the silence of the evening. I pray that the loud motor doesn’t wake the baby, so I back out of the drive as fast as possible.
I roll the windows down and let the country air blow through the cab of the truck. With every bump of the gravel road, the body squeaks and squeals. The scent of honeysuckle fills my nose, mixing with the smell of the dry earth and sunbaked asphalt.
I drive through town and find nowhere to go other than a bar. With it being a Friday night, there are already several cars in the parking lot. I pull up to the side of the building and climb out, heading inside. The sound of loud country music fills my ears as I walk in. The smell of stale beer washes over me. I take in the place, noticing a few guys playing pool in the back, a couple of people sitting at the tables around the room, and a few older men sitting at the bar.
I take a seat by myself and order a beer to kill some time. I was hoping to run into some old friends, but it doesn’t seem like many are left. Most of them went away to college and I can only assume that once they finished, they moved on to bigger cities for their dream career or to start a family of their own. Sitting alone makes me wish that I’d asked Brad to join me, bu
t I’m sure he probably has to work tonight.
I sit and drink beer after beer, randomly talking to the men at the bar and, sometimes, the bartender when she throws in her two cents. There’s no serious talk. It’s all just random shit about the town or the shape of the economy and the state of our county. The place never fills up, but I keep an eye on the door, watching as people go in and out.
I can’t help but notice when a woman walks in. I’ve never seen her before, but when my eyes meet hers, something familiar I can’t place washes over me. She’s tall and thin. She has dark hair that’s stick straight and hangs down to her round ass. Her dark eyes are almond-shaped, and her plump lips turn up into a grin as she takes me in.
My eyes travel from her tanned legs to her big tits, which she’s managed to trap under her tight white tank top. She comes to a stop beside me, setting her purse on the bar as she digs out some money while ordering a drink. When the bartender comes back with a pink drink, I slide a twenty over to her.
“It’s on me.”
The woman at my side smiles. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” I nod in her direction. I turn my attention back to the beer in my hand and tip it back, taking a long drink.
She scoots over, taking the empty barstool between us. “I’m Danielle,” she says, holding out her hand.
“I’m Hudson.” I shake her hand and the moment we touch, every hair on my body stands on end. “You from around here?”
She shakes her head. “Nah, I live in Denver. I just graduated college. I’m just here spending the summer with some family before real life kicks in.” She offers up a smile of her perfectly straight, white teeth. Her lips are painted a deep red, making her teeth sparkle that much more. “What about you?”
“I was born and raised here. I managed to get out for a few years. I was in the military. But I’ve been discharged and just got back today.”
“Mmm, I’ve always loved a man in a uniform,” she says, running the tips of her fingers around the rim of her glass.
She’s flirting with me, and it makes my dick harden. It’s been a long time since I’ve been with a woman—at least six months since the last random fling I had back in Germany. I wish I had a place to take her to, but it’s not like I have my own apartment yet.
“Wanna dance?” she asks, looking at me from beneath her long, dark eyelashes.
I down the rest of my beer and stand up, holding out my arm for her. She slips her arm around mine and follows as I lead her to the dance floor. The song is soft and slow as I spin her around to face me. She lands perfectly in my arms and I pull her close. Her big tits press against my chest, and I breathe in her scent of jasmine and vanilla.
She wraps her arms around my neck and her breath blows across my neck, only teasing me more. Every muscle in my body hardens as I try to hold off the flood of need and want that holding her brings on. It’s been so long, I would fuck her in the bathroom if she’d let me. With that thought, my dick twitches.
Her eyes widen and leap up to mine. She must have felt me harden against her. Her tongue comes out, wetting her bottom lip. “Wanna go someplace a little quieter? Just the two of us?” Her fingers thread into the back of my hair. Her touch is so soft, my eyes want to flutter closed.
“I just got into town. I don’t have a place yet,” I say, wanting to kick myself for letting Drake talk me out of getting that motel room.
Without warning, she presses her lips to mine, her tongue coming out and pushing its way into my mouth. My eyes close as my hands pull her closer. She kisses me fast and hard, one hand tugging at my hair while the other falls down between us, fisting around my shirt.
My hands move from her hips around to her ass, which I squeeze. She lets out a gasp before pulling away.
“You drive here?”
I’m breathless from our kiss, but I nod.
She flashes a teasing smile. “Then let’s go.”
Two
Deven
The moment I walk into the bar, my eyes land on Hudson Slade—a guy I’ve had a crush on for as long as I can remember. He and my brother were the best of friends back in high school, back before Mama moved us to Denver. I was only a little girl then, someone that wasn’t even on Hudson Slade’s radar. It’s easy to see that he doesn’t recognize me. If he does, he doesn’t let on. Instead of telling him my first name, I give him my middle name and he seems to accept it. I know that if I tell him my first name, he’ll place me in a heartbeat. Not many girls have the name Deven. I don’t know if he and my brother are still close, but I know he won’t ever go for his old friend’s little sister.
But it’s not like I’m expecting a lifelong relationship here either. I just want the one thing I never thought I’d get. Him, for one night. It’s been years since we’d seen one another, and I grew up a lot in that time. I’m no longer the geeky little girl with braces and Coke-bottle glasses. My ugly duckling phase is over, and it seems like Hudson is turned on by the swan I’ve become. If I was still the good little girl he remembered, I’d insist on a real date: dinner, dancing, a bed. But I’m not that good little girl anymore. I’m an adult now. I’ve had more boyfriends than I can keep track of and more hook-ups than I should be willing to admit. Leading him out to the parking lot, I only have one thing on my mind: showing him what I’ve become.
He seems to pick up on where I’m going. He tugs my hand, spinning me around to face him. In the same second, he pulls me to his chest, his mouth finding mine. I wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him hard and fast, blind passion boiling between us. His strong hands find my hips, and he picks me up against him, where my legs wrap around his waist. He presses my back to the cool metal truck door, giving his hands the chance to tour my body.
The side of the bar doesn’t have any lights, so it’s rather dark compared to the front of the building. There’s only a little light that makes it to the far back corner, just enough to give a little glimpse here and there. But with his mouth on mine and his hands touching my body, I couldn’t force my eyes open if I wanted to. Hudson Slade was the sexiest guy I’d ever laid eyes on, and time has only intensified his good looks. His dark hair is kept shorter than he used to keep it, but I’m sure that’s more about the military than his personal preference. He’s tall and thin, but rock hard, his biceps nearly the size of my thighs. And they’re covered in black and gray ink. His face, that’s what’s always gets me though. His eyes are blue, the bluest blue I’ve ever seen. They’re like ice water on a hot summer day. His angular jaw has a five o’clock shadow that gives me goosebumps when it scrapes against my soft skin. Hudson Slade has always been untouchable to me, and just knowing that he’s soon going to slide into me makes me want to come undone with the slightest touch.
He opens the passenger side door of the truck and lowers me on the seat with him between my legs. His hand slides up my inner thigh, making me call out. My hands find the hem of his shirt, and I pull it up his chest. He breaks our kiss for a moment, just long enough to pull the shirt off and toss it into the footwell, then his mouth is back on mine.
As his hand climbs higher up my thigh, I pull my tank top over my head. Our kiss slows and breaks completely. He watches with fire in his eyes as I unclasp my bra and let it fall to the floor. He swallows, causing his Adam’s apple to bob in his throat. He wets his lips, and without warning, he moves in, capturing my nipple in his mouth.
My head falls back as a moan leaves my lips. He sucks my nipple before flicking his tongue against it. While his mouth stays busy on my breast, his hand moves up, finding my panties and pulling them down my legs. I lift my hips up, allowing him to slide them off me. He tosses them into the floor next to the rest of our clothing.
“Do you have a condom?” I ask, breathless, enjoying the way his mouth works.
He pulls away completely and reaches behind him for his wallet. Seconds later, he’s taking out a foil packet and tossing his wallet onto the dash. After checking around us, he unbuttons his jeans and lowers his
fly. Ripping the package open with his teeth, he removes the condom and pushes his jeans past his hips. His long, thick cock springs free.
My muscles tighten in anticipation as I watch him roll the condom over his length. Seconds later, his hands are back on my hips, pulling me to the edge of the seat. My skirt slides up to my waist as he positions himself at my entrance. With his mouth on mine, he pushes into me, making me gasp at the pain and the pleasure that surges through my body. He lets out the softest of moans into my mouth before sliding out and pushing back in.
With each thrust, I get closer and closer to my release. Every time he pushes into me, he uses more force. My arms, which are stretched out behind me, supporting me, give out and I have no choice but to lay back in the seat as he claims my body. Waves of pleasure wash over me, lighting my body on fire and causing tingles to spread over me. I tighten around him and he doubles his efforts, pushing me over the edge. My release hits me like a brick wall. I crumble and give in to the pleasure coursing through my veins. I can’t do anything but hang on for dear life as I ride out every last wave of my release.
He pulls out of me quickly and for a moment, I’m worried that our time is over, but then he flips me over so I’m bent over the seat with my feet on the ground and he slides back into me, claiming me in a whole different way. I call out his name. In this position, he feels even bigger than before. He thrusts into me forcefully, never slowing or easing off. Before I know it, I’m coming undone again. He lets out a deep moan as his hips become more erratic, less precise. With one last grunt, his hips come to a stop and he bends over and rests his head against my back to catch his breath.
I’m completely breathless, my heart pounding a million times a minute. I can’t move, can’t feel my toes. It feels like every hair on my body is standing on end, like every nerve ending is tingling and vibrating. Without warning, he removes himself from me. I feel cold and empty without him, and a little sad that our one night together is over. I pull my skirt back down into its rightful place as I watch him remove the condom. He tosses it into a trash can at the corner of the building before replacing his clothes.
The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 79
