“Brynn,” he said as he opened the door. His eyes washed over me, looking me up and down. “Wow. You’re all…dressed up.”
My face turned several shades of scarlet as I suddenly felt sheepish. Maybe I overdid it?
Hudson pulled me by the arm and led me over to his bed where I promptly sat down.
“Want something to drink?” he asked.
“Sure,” I replied.
“Just don’t pass out on me this time,” he laughed. He turned to the mini bar and pulled out a couple tiny glass bottles and began to mix them with some soda of some sort. “Here you go.”
I took a sip and let the bubbles fill my mouth and tickle my tongue. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Hudson would be leaving town soon and our little fairytale wonderland would be nothing but a few memories.
“You seem extra quiet tonight,” he said as he took a seat next to me. “Something on your mind?”
I didn’t want to get into it with him, but I didn’t want to keep thinking about it all night either.
“Luke stopped by my apartment earlier,” I said.
“And?”
“He’s still not taking it very well,” I said. “He basically said I ruined everything and he can’t even look at me.”
Hudson huffed as he took another sip of his drink.
“His loss,” he said. “Truly.”
I clutched onto my plastic cup with both hands, staying mum.
“Brynn,” he said. “Please don’t let that asshole make you feel bad about what happened.”
“Easy for you to say,” I sighed.
“Life is too short,” Hudson said as he placed his arm around me and squeezed me tight. “Have you enjoyed our time together this week?”
I nodded slowly. I’d enjoyed it thoroughly. It was probably one of the best weeks of my entire life.
“Okay then,” Hudson said. “Don’t feel bad about it. If Luke wants to forgive you, he will. If he doesn’t, then move on.”
“You make it sound so simple.”
“That’s because it is,” he said. “He’s clearly jealous. He clearly has feelings for you or else he wouldn’t freak out about you hooking up with someone else. If he’s not man enough to get over it and feels the need to make you feel like shit for having a little fun, he doesn’t deserve you.”
I’d never known anyone to call Luke a jerk before, but that was probably because he was pretty revered and respected in Rock River. Everyone knew not to mess with him or he and his three brothers would come after them. I guess he was sort of a jerk, but he was always my jerk.
Hudson’s face turned towards mine, and I knew it was only a matter of time before we were lip locked. I wanted it so badly. I wanted him once more.
He slipped his soft hand under my chin.
“You’re so different than anyone I’ve ever met,” he said in a low, sexy groan. “You’re intoxicating.”
He leaned down and kissed me, his hands gliding down my sides and resting on my hips as we fell backwards on the bed. His hand worked its way up my shirt and under my bra, massaging my heaving breasts. Hudson’s breath tasted like cinnamon once again, and the clean smell of his aftershave was nothing short of mind-altering.
My hand reached down to undo his jeans, and I could feel the bulge beginning to form in his pants. His cock, his big, beautiful cock, was all I wanted. I wanted to taste it. I wanted to touch it. I wanted it inside me.
Hudson stood up and pulled his pants down the rest of the way, revealing his solid manhood in all its glory. He pulled my pants off before leaning down and biting the lace fringe of my panties with his perfect teeth. He pulled them off slowly and then climbed over top of me.
His hands worked around to my back as he unhooked my bra, leaning down to kiss my collarbone at the same time. I loved when our bodies were pressed together like that, naked, one on top of another. I had never felt so close to anyone in my entire life. When I was with Hudson, he made me feel like I was the only person in the entire world. His undivided attention was intense to say the least.
“I want you so bad,” he whispered. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”
I felt myself begin to grow wet with his words as his hands caressed every inch of my body. I reached up and gripped onto his muscled shoulders, tracing my fingernails down over each ripple and bend.
He scooped his hands under my back and lifted my body upwards until we were near the head of the bed, laying me down delicately until my head rested on a pillow. His eyes locked and never leaving mine, he reached over into his nightstand and pulled out a shiny gold wrapper.
“I can’t wait any longer,” he said. “I have to be inside you.”
Those words sent me reeling as I widened my hips and readied myself for him to take me over. Within seconds, he was ready and positioned himself between my thighs. His hand reached down and massaged my clit for a little bit until I was good and ready, and then he wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and pressed it into me.
“Aah,” I sighed as he inserted himself.
“You okay?” he asked.
I bit my lip and nodded, a kinky smile emerging from my mouth.
He thrusted himself in and out of me, slowly at first, and then began to pick up speed. His hot mouth covered my left breast as his tongue swirled, teased, and licked my pink nipple.
Hudson’s strong arms reached down and grabbed my legs, hoisting them over his broad shoulders until he was deeper inside me. I gripped onto the sheets underneath me as the intensity was almost too much to handle. It hurt and felt amazing all at the same time.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he heaved as he continued thrusting.
I wanted to tell him how gorgeous he was too, but I figured he already knew. That or he probably heard it every single day in some capacity from someone.
He lowered my legs down from his shoulders and they fell to the sides of his hips as he pulled himself out of me. He rolled me to my side, crawled behind me and lifted one of my legs up a little before inserting himself in me. He wrapped his arm around my chest and pulled me close as he fucked me from behind. We were skin to skin, so close, and his heady breaths in my ear tickled every inch of me.
He kissed my neck as he massaged my breasts and traced the outline of my jaw. His hands were busy, and he showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
He leaned forward a bit and rolled me back over to my back, never taking himself out of me for even a second. It was like we were sealed, he and I, and he was fucking me like it was the last time. I was pretty sure it was the last time.
He pressed his body over mine and we were skin to skin again. His eyes were wide open, piercing into mine, and he leaned down to kiss my half-open mouths, muffling the sighs that escaped from them with every thrust.
He reached up and brushed my hair from my face in the tenderest of moves, and I could tell he was fighting the urge to release himself into me. He didn’t want it to end either.
“It’s okay,” I said. “We have all night. I’m not going anywhere.”
As if I said the magic words, he released a huge sigh and three hard plunges later, it was all over. His body convulsed as he emptied himself and the sweet release took a hold of him. He collapsed on top of me, sweaty and panting, and buried his face in my neck.
I ran my fingers up and down his back, grazing his skin with my nails, as I waited for him to recover.
“That was fucking amazing,” he said.
“Yes, it was,” I agreed. For someone who didn’t do half the work, I was sure out of breath.
As soon as the warmth of his body left mine, I began to shiver in the cool, hotel air conditioning. Without hesitating, Hudson swiftly pulled the comforter up and covered me, slipping his arm behind my neck and holding me close.
“Thanks,” I said. I loved how intuitive he was with me.
“I want to take care of you later,” he said. “I know that was all about me, but I just had to have you. I couldn’t wait.”
>
“It’s okay,” I said.
“No, it’s not,” he said. “I promise. I want you to feel the way you make me feel.”
His words tickled my spine as the thought of him touching me down there or licking me got me all hot and bothered again.
I rested my head on his shoulder, breathing him in, and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to look at the clock. I didn’t want to watch the minutes ticking by. I didn’t want any of this to end.
“I wish I wasn’t leaving so soon,” he said, out of nowhere. “Who’d have thought I’d want to stay in Iowa any longer than I had to.”
“Hey,” I said, playfully slapping his chest.
“Come on,” he said. “It’s Iowa. It’s not exactly the excitement capitol of the world.”
“I know,” I said. “But it’s home. At least for me. Where’s home for you?”
“Everywhere,” he said. “Technically I have a house in L.A., but home is everywhere. You won’t believe how freeing it is when you lose that attachment to a certain place.”
I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept. I was attached to Rock River, probably too attached, and until meeting Hudson, I never even thought about leaving that town.
I felt his hand begin to trace around my belly button and then felt it again as it moved downwards to the split between my thighs. My heart began to race as he spread my legs apart and slipped his finger up and down my slit, massaging my clit all the while.
“Close your eyes,” he said. “Just relax. Let me do the rest.”
I obeyed his command, shut my eyes, and leaned back into my pillow. I felt the warmth of his body leave my space as he crawled under the covers and got into position between my thighs. Within seconds, his hot tongue was lapping up my wetness below, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was twisting in sheer ecstasy with Hudson at the helm.
CHAPTER 5
“Piper Ann,” I called out as I walked into the coffee shop Wednesday morning. I was floating on cloud nine, and I knew she was going to see it written all over my face.
“Oh, hey,” she said as she looked up from her magazine. It was clearly another slow morning for her. “What’s up with you?”
Just as I expected, she noticed there was something different about me.
“So I went and talked to Luke yesterday,” I said as I sat my sunglasses down on the counter and took a seat.
“And?”
“He didn’t take it very well. Just as I expected,” I said. “He’s really disappointed in me I think. Said I changed everything.”
I let out a laugh, and Piper looked at me as if I were some crazy person.
“Why is that funny?” she asked. “I thought you wanted Luke to get over it so things could go back to normal?”
I smiled a Cheshire grin as I bit my lip.
“You hooked up with Hudson again, didn’t you?” she asked as her eyes lit up. “I knew it!”
“Piper,” I said with an exasperated sigh. “You have no idea how amazing he is.”
“I can imagine,” she said. “I’m sure he’s had lots of experience.”
“No,” I said. “He’s not like that.”
“Whatever,” she laughed.
“He’s opened my eyes to a whole new world,” I said. “He’s made me think about things in a whole different light.”
“So Hudson officially trumps Luke now?” she asked.
“I think so?” I said, though it was more of a question.
“Luke stopped by again for tea this morning,” she said. “Before he went out to the field.”
“Weird,” I said.
“What’s so weird about that?”
“Nothing,” I said. It wasn’t like him to stop in town to get something to drink. His mama raised four strapping, hungry farm boys. They had two refrigerators in their kitchen and one in their mud room. There was never a shortage of food or beverages in the Summers’ farmhouse.
“So what are you going to do?” Piper asked, resting her head on her hands.
“Luke’s made it pretty clear that he’s not going to get over this Hudson Smith thing. At least not anytime soon,” I said. “It leaves me with no other option but to move on, don’t you think?”
“It’s just so weird,” Piper said as she gazed off. “I always thought you two would end up together. Best friends. Homecoming Queen and King. Quarterback and head cheerleader. It was only a matter of time. You were supposed to get married, have a bunch of kids, and take over the family farm.”
“Maybe that’s not what I want anymore,” I said. “Maybe that’s not the way it’s supposed to be for me.”
Piper looked at me like I’d just said the unspeakable.
“I feel like I don’t even know you right now,” she said. “Who is this girl standing in front of me?”
I laughed, hoping she was joking but half-knowing that she probably wasn’t.
“A week ago, my life was all mapped out,” I said. “I know exactly what it was going to be like and who I wanted to spend it with.”
“And then you met this movie star and now you think you’re going to run off to Hollywood and live this magical, fairytale life with your new Prince Charming,” Piper sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Sounds very realistic.”
“No,” I said, annoyed at her. “He’s leaving town tomorrow. I’ll never see him again.”
“So he’s leaving and you’re suddenly over Luke anyway?” Piper asked, squinting at me as if I were making no sense.
“Right,” I said. “I’ve tasted caviar and champagne, my friend. I don’t think there’s any going back.”
“Okay, now you’re just being weird,” Piper said, shifting on her feet.
I could tell she was uncomfortable with this new side of me. Heck, even I was a little uncomfortable with it. I was changing, rapidly, and I didn’t know why. I just knew it was all because of Hudson.
“Listen to yourself,” Piper said as her eyes were as round as saucers. “You’re going to regret this someday.”
“I don’t think I will,” I said.
“So are you going to move out of Rock River?” she asked. “Or do you really want to stick around and watch Luke marry Mandy McClintock and see her get your happily ever after.”
Mandy McClintock was my biggest rival in high school, and she would’ve done anything to have Luke all to herself. And man, did she try. She was pretty and mostly well-liked, but she had a vicious, competitive side. She had flirting down to a science and Luke took the bait every time. She came home from college once a month and spent most of her nights at The Manhattan trying to get her hooks into Luke. He never gave in to her, as far as I knew, but it was still painful to watch him drool all over her big breasts and mile-long legs.
“Mandy can have him,” I said.
Piper looked taken aback at my flippant attitude about Mandy McClintock and Luke.
“I should probably get back to work,” Piper said. In other words, she was done with our conversation and wanted me to leave.
I wondered if she was just jealous of me. She’d always sort of lived vicariously through me our entire lives. She’d never had a lot of friends or a lot of men who paid any sort of attention to her. She was a late bloomer and pretty much looked like she was thirteen until the day we graduated from high school. She’d been starting to come into her own the last few years, but most of the guys our age had left town or couldn’t shake the image of a tender-faced Piper from their minds and see her as a young woman.
“I suppose,” I sighed to her. “I’ll let you get back to work. Since you’re so busy and all.”
I winked at her. I didn’t want to walk out of there on awkward terms. She was still my best friend and nothing was going to change that.
“See ya,” she said as she avoided eye contact with me. She was still pissed. I could tell.
***
My eight hour shift at the Brown Bag Diner was about to end with ten minutes left on the clock. It’d been a long day and an even longer night. I
t was steak night, which meant the entire town of Rock River came out for dinner.
My hair was greasy from running all over the place, and I smelled like steak and baked potatoes and fryer grease. By the time I’d closed up the register and locked up for the night, I wanted nothing more than to soak in a long, hot bubble bath in the comfort of my apartment.
But Hudson had other plans for me.
“Hi,” I said as I saw him leaning against my car. I immediately felt self-conscious as I smoothed loose strands of hair back behind my ear. Under the pale moonlight of the parking lot, I was thankful he couldn’t see all the makeup that had melted off my face or settled into my pores. “I was hoping I’d see you again.”
His lips curled into a smile as he walked towards me, slipping his hands around my waist and giving me a sweet kiss.
“Come with me,” he said.
“Huh?” I laughed. “What are you talking about?”
I figured he wanted one last roll in the hay before he left town.
“Can I go home and shower first?” I asked. “I feel gross.”
“No, I mean, come with me back to L.A.,” he said.
I scrunched my face as the idea of it. It wasn’t realistic as much as I wished it was.
“I can’t do that,” I said.
“Why not?” he argued. “Of course you can.”
“I don’t have a job there, money, any of that,” I said.
“You don’t need any of that,” he laughed. “I’m going to take care of you.”
My heart skipped a beat. I’d never had a guy who wanted to take care of me before, and especially not one like him.
“I have to see if this can work,” he said. “If I leave Iowa tomorrow, I’m probably never coming back. I can’t imagine not seeing you ever again, Brynn.”
The truth was, I couldn’t imagine never seeing him again either.
“We’re from two different worlds, Hudson,” I said. “I don’t know how we could ever make this work.”
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