Darkroom: A Moo U Hockey Romance

by Kate Willoughby

  The inner layer was an opaque black silk. The outer layer and the sleeves were made of a sheer fabric covered with gold embroidered cranes.

  I slanted her a look. “You knew about this.”

  She didn’t even try to deny it.

  “I helped him pick it out too. You need to try it on with the proper shoes.”

  Ruby left the room and returned with a pair of black high heels dangling from her hand.

  The dress fit perfectly. The hem hit just below the knee and there was a sexy cut out in the back I hadn’t noticed before. With Ruby’s strappy heels on, I looked pretty good. Elegant and, well, grown-up.

  A couple of hours later, Hudson arrived to pick me up. I knew I shouldn’t compare, but the night Austin and I had planned to have sex, he hadn’t taken me anywhere. He’d just come over one evening while my parents were at Slice. He’d been wearing a T-shirt, jeans and athletic shoes. I think the one choice he’d made for the “occasion” was to take a shower.

  Hudson, on the other hand, looked like a dream in a tailored gray suit. His tie had black and gold stripes to match my dress and his black shoes were polished to a high gloss. Hudson in casual clothes was sexy personified. Hudson dressed up in a suit blew every standard for sexy out of the water.

  “Hello, gorgeous,” he said, kissing me.

  “Back at you,” I replied. “Thank you for the dress.”

  “My pleasure. You look…almost perfect,” he said.

  “Almost?” I said in mock indignation.

  “You’re just missing one tiny detail.” He whipped a corsage out from nowhere and presented it to me.

  As I opened the box, I caught the sweet scent of gardenia. I held the delicate flowers up to my nose to inhale deeply before sliding it onto my wrist. When I looked up, he had a matching boutonniere pinned to his lapel.

  “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  “You guys look so great together. Let me get some pictures,” Ruby said.

  After the mini photo shoot, Hudson thanked Ruby.

  “Anytime. Where are you going?”

  “That’s for me know and her to find out,” he said smiling at me.

  Ruby scoffed. “Are you really not going to tell me?”

  “I’ll let Indi tell you tomorrow.”

  “I officially hate you, Hudson Forte,” Ruby said.

  He took me to one of the nicest restaurants in Burlington, Hen of the Wood. It was a farm-to-table place with a menu that depended on whatever was the freshest or ripest. Inside, the ceiling was especially striking. Beams intersected to create deeply recessed triangles that housed the warmly glowing lights. The large bar was crowded and the delectable aromas of food made my stomach growl.

  People glanced at us curiously as we entered. Although Hudson wasn’t the only man wearing a suit, no woman was as dressed up as I was. But as my mom always said, better to be overdressed than under.

  “Reservation for two. The name is Forte,” Hudson said.

  “Yes, Mr. Forte. Right this way,” the hostess said. “Prom?”

  Hudson chuckled. “Yes. Prom.”

  “I didn’t know they held proms in the fall,” the hostess said.

  “This one’s special.”

  “Hudson,” I said as he pulled my chair out for me. “why did you tell her it was our prom?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Maybe they’ll give us a free dessert.”

  We drank some excellent champagne, ate amazing food like their signature mushroom toast, wood-fire roasted broccoli, hanger steak, and crushed potatoes with a tarragon aioli. For dessert, he ordered the ice cream trio and I got the honey tart and we shared. At the end of the meal, he refused to let me even look at the bill, and although it had to be the most expensive meal I’d ever consumed, I didn’t put up much of a fight.

  The drive back to his apartment only took three minutes, but that was long enough for butterflies to show up in my very full stomach. After he put the car in park, he turned to me and said, “I need you to wait here while I get some stuff ready. I’ll be right back. Close your eyes.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t argue. Just close your eyes and keep them closed until I tell you. No peeking.”

  Even though I was dying of curiosity, I closed my eyes. A couple of minutes later, he was back, opening my door and leading me by the hand up the stairs to the door of his apartment. I stood at the threshold vibrating with excitement and nervousness.

  “Okay…on three, open your eyes. One…two…three.”

  A confusing curtain of colorful crepe streamers blocked my entrance. I bit my lip as I crossed the threshold then gasped in amazement. A reflective, rotating disco ball hung suspended from the ceiling, creating a kaleidoscope of dazzling color and light. More streamers arced across the room from corner to corner. A moment later, some upbeat music began to play and I saw he’d cleared a space in the center of the living room.

  “What is all this?” I asked, still agape in wonder.

  Smiling, he gestured with his finger for me to turn around.

  On the wall behind me was a big, hand-painted sign that said, “Indi’s Prom: The Sequel.” Below that was a photo booth station with glittery props—his and her crowns, wacky eyeglasses, moustaches and beards and “My prom date is a hottie!” and “A Night to Remember” signs.

  The corsage suddenly made sense. So did the prom comment at the restaurant. I turned in a slow circle, staring at it all, unable to speak. He’d gone to so much trouble to try and fix one of the most horrible nights of my life. I remembered the Monday after the prom having to lie to everyone at school and say I was sick. And when I’d returned the dress to the store, they gave me dirty looks.

  Hudson came to stand beside me, a worried expression on his face. “Indi, say something. Do you like it?” he asked over the music.

  I threw my arms around his neck. “It’s the most wonderful thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

  Then I couldn’t help it. I started crying.

  “Hey, hey, don’t cry,” he said, laughing.

  “They’re happy tears,” I told him. “Very happy tears. My first ever.”

  “I guess it’s a night of firsts. How about this song?” He raised his index finger. “I thought it was particularly appropriate.”

  As I listened, he started dancing, snapping his fingers, kicking his feet out and singing along with “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go.” Laughing, I took my shoes off and joined him. Dancing with him was free and easy, mostly because no one was watching, but also because he inserted silly moves, naming them as he performed them.

  “Target!” He pranced forward and back pretending to put items into an invisible grocery cart. “Come on, do the Target.”

  Laughing, I followed his lead.

  “Pepper grinder!” We both ground imaginary pepper to the beat.

  “Lasso!” We made like cowboys twirling ropes above our heads. “And double lasso!” Two ropes and goofy grins.

  Each time he called out a move, I tried to copy him but it was hard to breathe because I was laughing so hard.

  I honestly had never had so much fun dancing. We made full use of the photo station and danced a bunch more but then a slow song came on. With a relaxed smile, he took me into his arms and held me close as we swayed to the music. I could feel his heart beating against my cheek. The deep bass of it comforted me, calmed me.

  “Hudson, this…you…” I looked up, unable to express my feelings. As a child, I’d received a bounty of love from my adoptive parents. The home they provided me, their guidance, their attention…it was all for me. I had no siblings. But what Hudson had done tonight made me feel cherished in a completely different way. He’d done all this of his own free will, out of a desire to give me a special experience. He’d been worried about tonight not living up to my expectations, but he needn’t have been. He’d already far exceeded anything I could have imagined.

  He smiled down at me and kissed me. The moment our lips touched, my body seemed to w
ake up. I was suddenly very aware of the very hard, very male body touching mine. Crazy how I’d forgotten that tonight wasn’t just about dancing or taking silly selfies. It was about sex.

  I was going to finally have sex.

  His mouth moved over mine and I gave myself up to the kiss. Surrounded by the slow tempo song and the swirling lights, we stood there kissing and swaying. His hands roamed over my back down to my butt and I made a breathless noise.

  With a groan, he slid his tongue inside to deepen the kiss. He took his time exploring my mouth, the kiss a tantalizing slide into a place where nothing mattered except Hudson. I felt a sweet insistent ache between my legs and when he pulled me closer, his erection pressed against my belly and that got me even more excited.

  “God, Indi,” he said against my lips as he hiked my dress up. “I want you so much.”

  A moment later, his hands were sliding into my underwear and over my butt again. My body arched and I found myself fumbling with his zipper, pulling it down and pushing my hand inside to find him hot and hard. He groaned loudly and, not to be outdone, he cupped me with his palm then stroked me softly. Pleasure surged through me, hot and intense, better than anything I’d ever felt before, but I wanted more. I wanted his hands on me, everywhere. I wanted us naked and horizontal, skin to skin, no barriers.

  The only problem was, I really liked what he was doing with his fingers. I didn’t want him to stop, not even for the two minutes it would take to get naked and in bed, but he withdrew his hand and took a step back. He was breathing hard and his eyes were blazing with hunger. For me.

  “Ready?” he asked. “Obviously, I am.”

  His cock stuck out of his pants at a sharp upward angle. I imagined him pushing it inside me, thrusting and thrusting, and another surge of agonizing want swept over me.

  “I’m more than ready.”

  He took my hand and led me to the bedroom. Here, too, he’d worked some magic. Lit candles flickered, bathing the room in a golden glow. All the decorative pillows were gone and the bed was turned down like at a fancy hotel, but unlike any hotel I’d ever been to, there were delicate pink rose petals scattered across the sheets.

  He smiled as he reached for the hem of my dress and pulled it up over my head. I hadn’t worn a bra because of the cutout on the back of the dress and the sudden chill made me shiver. I stood there in nothing but my black lace panties, panties I’d bought just for tonight.

  “God, Indi, you’re beautiful.”

  My face flushed as his eyes roved over me, drinking in every detail, and I reveled in his attention. Somehow his words felt true and real in a way that they never had when my parents had uttered them. Truthfully, it didn’t matter if my parents thought I was beautiful. It meant everything that Hudson did.

  Intoxicated with confidence, I turned around for him, spinning slowly so he could get the full 3-D Indi experience. He stared at me reverently and I could hear his labored breathing. As I finally completed my turn and faced him again, he pulled his tie off and let it fall to the floor. His fingers undid his shirt buttons like they were white hot. In moments, he was bare-chested and all his gloriously defined muscles were on display. As he shucked his shoes, pants and boxer briefs, I stepped out of my undies and when I looked up, he was naked too.

  Our eyes met. His lips curved in a slow smile as he cradled my head in his hands and kissed me again. This time, our bodies pressed together too. Again, I was lost in this entirely new sensation. There was so much to take in. His skin was hot, his body incredibly hard and solid. I felt the hair on his chest against my breasts, his big hands caressing my waist, my back, my hips, my butt. But most of all, I felt his cock burning against my belly.

  He bore me down to the bed his body on top of mine. I started to spread my legs, but he didn’t seem intent on getting between them, so there was a moment of awkwardness as our legs bumped, but I got over it quickly, because he was kissing his way to my breasts, one of which he was caressing with his hand. He brushed the nipple with his thumb, sending sparks of pleasure to my sex. Then his mouth descended.

  I got dizzy as he swirled his tongue around my nipple. He flicked and teased the hard tip and the scientific part of my brain wondered how many nerve endings were centered there but then he closed his lips around it and sucked and all rational thought left my head. The rhythmic pull of his mouth made me restless. I grabbed handfuls of his hair and rubbed my leg against his flank. When he moved away from my breasts, I whimpered until I felt his lips on my stomach where he laid a path of warm kisses as he parted my legs.

  My heart pounded and I rose up on my elbows. Was he going to…?

  Then I felt his hot mouth on me.

  Yes. Yes, he was.

  25

  Hudson

  My dick was literally aching and all I needed was a soft breeze and I’d go off like a Roman candle, so I decided to cool off a little by going down on her.

  I kissed my way down her stomach, going slowly and watching for any signals she didn’t want this. As for me, I was always up for a BJ, but I’d been with girls who didn’t want my face anywhere near their pussy.

  Indi didn’t seem to be one of them. When I put some gentle pressure on her thighs, she parted them for me and her spicy scent drew me closer. She was perfection from the soft thatch of black hair to the plump lips that I parted gently with my thumbs. Inhaling deeply, I put my mouth on her and licked.

  Fuuuuuck. The taste of her intoxicated me—smoke, musk, and a salty sweetness that I couldn’t get enough of. I lapped at her lazily, exploring her with my tongue while she lay here panting.

  “Does that feel good?” I asked between licks. Her clit had stiffened and I circled it with the pad of my finger.

  “Yes. It feels so good that if you stop, I’ll have to kill you.”

  I laughed softly and used my tongue to stroke that small nub until she started moaning and rocking her hips, silently asking for more. I kept it up, sucking, nibbling, laving her. I could tell from the noises she was making that she was close. That’s when I went at her harder, when she shifted away, I followed.

  That’s it, Indi, let it come, I thought. You’re almost there.

  Then with a sharp gasp, she grabbed my head and shuddered against my mouth. Her pussy pulsed against my tongue and her panting cries were muffled because her thighs were clamped over my ears.

  Triumphant, I stayed with her until her orgasm faded and she relaxed onto the mattress, then I reached for one of the condoms I’d left on the nightstand. After sheathing myself, I lubed it up too. Every article I read said this was a good idea for a girl’s first time. It made sense to me. But, fuck, she looked plenty wet. My cock was so primed, I was literally gritting my teeth and thinking about face-off strategies to keep myself from coming before I even got started.

  Her silky black hair was spread against the pillow. She was flushed and a little sweaty, still breathing hard. A few rose petals were stuck to her skin.

  “You look so beautiful right now,” I said, sitting back on my haunches.

  “You keep saying that.”

  “Because it’s true.” I ran a hand down her stomach and stroked her pussy. “Are you ready?”

  She nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  “If you feel any pain, don’t be shy. I want you to tell me. We do this at your pace.”

  I reached between us and nestled my cock against her entrance.

  “Fuck,” I swore. Her pussy scorched me and the fear that I’d go off too early reared its head again.

  She tensed. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. You’re fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

  Maybe if I said it enough times, I could make it true.

  Smiling through the torture, I got myself in position again and swallowed a groan as I pushed the head of my cock in, slowly but steadily.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded but had a slight frown on her forehead. “It’s…uncomfortable, but not painful.”r />
  I got the head in but then met with some resistance. She was incredibly tight, tighter than I’d expected and as I worked my cock inside her with short probing strokes, every moment that passed I got one step closer to blowing my wad.

  It was the most excruciating exercise in control ever devised.

  Eventually, I felt the vise grip on my dick loosen. I was making headway now with each tentative thrust.

  “Indi, are you okay? How does it feel?”

  She didn’t answer, so I just kept rocking my hips, inching inside bit by bit until finally, I was fully sheathed, balls deep. I was panting like I’d just run a mile.

  The urge to thrust was intense. Everything inside me demanded action. Suddenly I knew what a horse at the starting gate felt like. But I took it slow, keeping my movements relaxed and easy. I was determined to make it good for her and wasn’t going to ruin it by losing control now.

  When she started rubbing my back and the line between her eyebrows disappeared, I knew she’d turned the corner.

  I kissed her deeply as I started pumping in earnest. She moaned into my mouth and started to meet my thrusts. The moment she started responding was the moment my orgasm decided it was tired of waiting. I broke into a sweat trying to stave it off. I couldn’t come yet, not until she did.

  I shut my ears to the desperate mewling sounds she was making, the way she was writhing beneath me. I tried not to think about how her hot velvety pussy opened for me as I drove myself into her again and again. I just needed to last another minute…

  On my next thrust, Indi suddenly scissored her legs together, keeping me buried to the hilt inside her. She bucked off the bed, hands fisting in the sheets as her pussy contracted around my cock. I came harder than I’d ever come before. The pleasure blew the top off my head and my balls erupted for what seemed like an eternity.

  26

  Indi

  I’d done it. I’d literally done it. I was now a sexually active woman.