Tequila

by Toppen, Melissa

  Unlocking the door and pushing my way inside, I drop my keys on the breakfast bar and freeze when I spot Hudson standing at the dining room table I rarely ever use. The round glass surface is set for two. A bottle of wine, bread, and what appears to be pasta sit in the middle, illuminated by two tall candlesticks burning in the center.

  “What’s this?” I ask, looking from the table back to Hudson.

  “Dinner.” He grins.

  “You cooked?” I raise an eyebrow at him.

  “I did.” He pulls out a chair and gestures for me to join him.

  “You didn’t have to do this.” Kicking off my shoes, I take a seat as Hudson takes the seat next to me.

  “I know. I wanted to.” He unfolds his napkin and sets it in his lap. “I hope you like chicken parmesan.”

  “One of my favorites.”

  “Confession. I knew that already. I may have texted your sister,” he admits, his dimple pulling my gaze to his cheek.

  “Oh lord. You probably made her day.” I roll my eyes and laugh.

  “I wanted to make you something I knew you’d enjoy. It just so happens my mother taught me how to make homemade pasta.”

  “You made this yourself?” I look down at the perfectly round noodles.

  “Well, I had to go to the store and buy a pasta maker, but yes, I did.”

  “You bought a pasta maker?” I chuckle.

  “It’s the easiest way to roll out pasta.” He shrugs, picking up his fork before spinning it into his noodles and shoveling a bite into his mouth seconds later.

  I shake my head, not able to wipe the smile off my face as I twist noodles onto my fork before sliding them into my mouth.

  “This is amazing,” I tell him around my mouthful, practically moaning around the bite. “Did you make the sauce too?” I ask after I’ve swallowed and washed it down with a drink of Moscato.

  “From scratch.” He nods.

  “My god. Remind me to let you cook from now on.”

  “I don’t know. You’re pretty good in the kitchen too.”

  “Not this good.” I point my fork down at my plate.

  “I’m glad you like it.” He takes a drink of wine. “So how was work?”

  “It was work.” I shrug. “I love the house we’re working on but I’m not as excited about it as I was the beach house. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about any project as I was the beach house.”

  “It’s a pretty fantastic house,” he agrees, giving me a knowing look.

  A vision of me pressed up against the glass window while he pounded into me from behind flashes through my mind and instantly my face heats.

  “It sold today,” I tell him, grabbing a piece of bread from the middle of the table and tearing off a bite before popping it into my mouth. “Emma texted me just a few minutes ago.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?”

  “For my bank account, yes. But I really loved that house. I’m sad to see it go.”

  “I get that. Probably comes with the job.”

  “It’s definitely not the first house I’ve wished I could buy for myself, but it’s the one I wanted the most. I’m sure it won’t be the last though.” I take another long drink of wine. “What about you? How was your day?” I change topics.

  “Pretty good. I went to the store, ran a couple errands, caught up with Jerry, and did a Skype interview with an online music broadcast.”

  “You did all that and still managed to make all this?” I question.

  “This week has felt like a vacation in comparison to the last few months. I forgot how nice it is to just exist and not be stretched so thin I feel like I might snap in half.” He chuckles. “Speaking of, I’m going to have to head back to Nashville next week to take care of a few things.”

  “Okay.” I try not to let the disappointment I feel show on my face.

  It’s been a week since everything went down with Gage, and while things are almost back to normal, there’s still an uncertainty with us that wasn’t there before. Having him here the last few days has really helped to silence some of the doubts that continue to creep in. I’m worried how I’ll feel once he’s gone, but I know he can’t stay here forever.

  “I shouldn’t be gone more than a few days. I was thinking I would head out Sunday after lunch and be back by Friday.”

  “You’re planning on going to Sunday lunch again?” I ask.

  “Of course I am. This is part of your life and they’re your family. I want to submerse myself into your world as much as I can.”

  “Is that so?” I question, smiling at him like a damn idiot.

  “You have a problem with that?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Besides, I think it’s about time I meet this Nana of yours.” His smile widens.

  “Oh lord.” I laugh. “She’s likely to grope you under the table.”

  “Noted. Don’t sit next to Nana.”

  We spend the remainder of dinner talking about everything from our childhoods to some of the things we’d like to do before Hudson leaves on tour. By the end of our meal I feel more relaxed than I have in days and I have no idea why. Maybe it’s the wine or the amazing meal Hudson made, or maybe it’s that I’m finally letting go of everything that happened last week.

  After some persuading on my part, Hudson took a glass of wine with him to the balcony while I cleaned up. He was adamant that he should be the one to do the dishes, but I explained to him that in the Claire household one cooks and one cleans. Since he cooked, it was my job to clean up. He wasn’t happy about it but he let me have my way.

  Tearing off a piece of paper towel, I dry my hands before tossing it into the trash can. After refilling my third glass of wine, I make my way through the open balcony door. Hudson’s kicked back in one of the chairs, his feet propped up on the railing.

  His gaze comes to me as I approach, a lazy smile pulling up the sides of his mouth.

  “Hey.” I pull up a chair next to him before taking a seat.

  “Hey.” He stretches, reaching behind him to retrieve his wine from the table. “You get everything squared away?”

  “All clean.” I sip my wine, my gaze on the gulf as I relax back into my seat.

  “I’m going to Nashville to clear out my apartment,” he says out of the blue.

  “You are?” I question, having not heard him even mention anything of the sort before now.

  “Makes sense. No reason for me to pay for an apartment when I’m going to be on the road for eight months and any time I have off I plan to spend here with you.”

  “I see.” I nod, turning to face him as I do. “What will you do with all your stuff?”

  “Probably stick most of it in storage.” He shrugs, tipping his wine glass to his lips.

  “You could store it here,” I offer without thinking it through. Truth is, I like the thought of having parts of him here with me even when he’s not. “I don’t have room for furniture but there’s a spare room you could put whatever you have in.”

  “The apartment I’m leasing is furnished so all I really have are odds and ends, clothes, a couple guitars.”

  “Well there you go.”

  “You sure you don’t mind?”

  “Are you kidding?” I give him a look that says he should know better. “You already said so yourself. When you have time off you’ll be here. Makes sense that your stuff be here too.”

  “Okay then.” He smiles and goose bumps erupt across my skin.

  “Okay.” I return his smile.

  “Did we just agree to live together?” he questions after a long moment of silence.

  “I think we kind of did.” I chuckle, having not really looked at it that way. “Are you sure you want to give up Nashville? I know how much you love it there.”

  “Nashville has nothing on this.” He gestures out to the beach. “Or on you.” He turns his gaze back to me. “I don’t care where I am as long as you’re there with me.”

  “I feel
the same.”

  “So you and me...we’re doing this?” He reaches over and takes my hand, entwining his fingers with mine.

  “Looks like it.” I nod, feeling overwhelmed by how quickly this all seems to be happening but having no desire to slow it down either.

  Chapter Seven

  “Best fucking view on the whole beach.” I open my eyes, shielding my face from the sun as I look up to see Hudson standing over me, a wide smile on his face.

  “You’re back.” I jump up from my lounge chair, my arms going around his neck seconds later. “Why didn’t you call and tell me you were on your way?” I ask, squeezing him tightly.

  “For this very reason. God you smell good.” He buries his face into the crook of my neck and inhales deeply.

  “I smell like sunscreen and the ocean,” I say, pulling back to look up at him.

  “You smell like fucking heaven.” He tips my chin before dropping a light kiss to my mouth.

  I instantly melt into him, feeling like it’s been an eternity since I’ve felt his lips on mine even though he’s only been gone four days. I can only imagine how I will feel when he’s gone for weeks at a time.

  I ignore the way my stomach twists at the thought. We still have one month – even though I know that month is going to fly by.

  “Did you just get back?” I ask, stepping out of his embrace.

  “A few minutes ago. Figured I’d find you out here.”

  “You know me too well.”

  “And yet I want to know so much more.” He grins, smacking my bikini covered backside as I turn to grab my beach bag that’s sitting in the sand next to my chair.

  “Hudson.” I whack at his chest playfully.

  “What? You’re gonna have that ass on display then I’m going to touch it.” He shrugs, fighting back a laugh.

  “Men.” I roll my eyes, allowing Hudson to take my bag so I can slide my bathing suit cover on. “So how was your trip? Did you get everything squared away?” I ask.

  “Yep. All set. I have a few small boxes I brought with me. I went ahead and dropped them in the spare room. I don’t think there’s anything in there I’m going to need while I’m on the road. I’ll pile them in the closet out of the way or something.”

  “Yeah. Whatever works.” I take his hand when he offers it, allowing him to lead me up the beach toward the condo. “So did Colton decide what he’s going to do?” I question, considering up until a couple days ago he was renting the second bedroom at Hudson’s place.

  “Yeah, he’s going to camp out at his parent’s until we leave for tour.”

  “He probably doesn’t know what to do with himself since you’re not around every second of the day like you used to be.”

  “Honestly I think he’s enjoying being rid of my ass.” He chuckles, his hand falling to the small of my back as he guides me inside the elevator. “He’ll get more time with me than he will be able to handle once we hit the road.”

  “It’s awesome that you have him there with you. Sometimes you don’t know who you can trust. But with Colton you know he’s got your back no matter what.”

  “Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He isn’t just my lifelong friend. He’s my brother.”

  “I happen to know he feels exactly the same about you,” I say, stepping off the elevator the moment the doors open in front of me.

  “Been talking about me, have ya?” His slight southern drawl comes out thicker than normal and lord if it doesn’t make every inch of my skin prickle.

  “Maybe a little.” I shrug, unlocking the front door and pushing my way inside.

  I spot an old acoustic guitar leaning against the side of the couch and it instantly brings a smile to my face.

  “So what do you think your parents are gonna say when they find out I’m technically living here?” He snags my wrist before I can make it to the living room, hauling me backward until my back is flush with his front. He drops an open mouth kiss against my rapid pulse, his breath hot on the side of my neck.

  “Nothing, because they aren’t going to find out.”

  “You’re not going to tell them?” He pulls back, spinning me around to face him.

  “Not yet. I mean, yes your stuff is here but in a few weeks you won’t be,” I say, sadness hitting me like a cinder block to the face.

  “Lennon.” He tips my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.

  “I know. I know. It will be fine. We’ll find every opportunity to see each other. Blah. Blah. Blah.”

  “Are you being smart with me, Miss Claire?” He cocks a brow, humor etched in his features.

  “Maybe.” I can’t fight my smile with the way he’s looking at me.

  “Come here.” He pulls me flush with his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head as his fingers work along the exposed skin across my shoulders. “Let’s just enjoy our time together and worry about the rest when it gets here.”

  “I’m trying,” I whine dramatically into his shirt causing him to chuckle against me.

  “So you’re really not going to tell your parents?”

  “Why would I?” I pull out of his embrace seconds before turning and plopping down on the couch with a loud humph. “I’m twenty-seven years old. I don’t need their permission.”

  “I know. But don’t you feel like they have a right to know?”

  “Not really, no.” I shake my head, not sure why he’s pushing this.

  “Well, I told mine.” He smiles, crossing around the coffee table to take the seat next to me.

  “You did?” I ask, climbing into his lap and facing him the instant he’s settled.

  “Yep.” He nods, his hands sliding up my bathing suit cover and along my back. “I wanted them to know how serious I am about you.”

  “And how serious is that exactly?” I question, locking my hands around the back of his neck.

  “Serious enough to move in with you after only three months.”

  “And what did they have to say about you moving to the good ole sunshine state?”

  “My mom is over the moon.” He grins at the shocked expression that crosses my face.

  “Why?”

  “Because she thinks you’re amazing. She can see how much I love you. I meant it when I told you that I’ve never been this tied up over a woman before. You’ve got me, Lennon Claire. As long as you want me I’m yours.”

  “I’m always going to want you.” Leaning forward, I trail my tongue gently across his bottom lip.

  “Then I’m always going to be yours.” He groans when I press down onto his growing erection and slide my hips back and forth.

  “I’m going to hold you to that.” I give him a wicked smile before pulling off my bathing suit cover and tossing it behind me.

  “I hope you do.” His eyes go heavy as I untie my bikini top and it too goes sailing somewhere behind me.

  “Now stop talking and show me how much you’ve missed me.” Cupping his cheeks in both of my hands, I lay a hot, wet kiss to his mouth.

  “Yes ma’am.” He shifts his hands beneath me, forcing me upward slightly as he quickly works the clasp of his jeans open.

  By the time he’s freed himself I’ve already got both sides of my bottoms untied and pulled the material out from between us. Grabbing his weight in my hand, I’m so desperate for him that I waste no time lining him at my entrance before slowly sinking down, taking him all the way inside of me.

  “Fuck.” He groans, pushing my hair away from my face as he pulls my mouth to his.

  He kisses me deep, his tongue sweeping across every inch of my mouth as I begin to ride him. I’m teasing, moving at a tortuously slow pace as I twirl my hips on the way up and then slide straight back down, taking him so deep.

  Before long he takes control, one hand wrapped around my shoulder, the other tight on my hip as he pushes me up and pulls me back down to meet his thrusting hips.

  “Hudson,” I cry, feeling myself already starting to build after just a couple of minutes.r />
  That’s what he does to me. One touch and I feel like I’m ready to come undone. One kiss and my entire body aches for him. He consumes me in the best way possible and I know with absolute certainty that I will never be able to get enough of this feeling.

  “I need to come inside you, baby. It’s been too long.” The desperation in his voice pulls my release to the forefront and before I can say anything at all, I explode around him. Hudson falls right along with me, and together we ride out the waves of pleasure.

  Chapter Eight

  “You okay?” Hudson squeezes my hand as we make our way into the Nashville office of Rock Saw Records.

  “Yeah.” I force a smile, so nervous I feel like I might puke at any second.

  When Hudson suggested I come to Nashville with him for a long weekend to take care of some business, I had no idea I’d be visiting his label or meeting the woman he will be touring with for eight months. As happy as I am to be with him, having enjoyed our weekend together immensely, right now I’m wishing I was back in Florida laughing with Emma or shopping for counter tops.

  “You look beautiful by the way.” Hudson’s eyes travel down my body in a way that makes me feel like I’m standing next to him naked.

  “If I had known we were coming here I would have done better than jeans and a tee.” I tug at the bottom of my baseball style t-shirt with my free hand.

  “You look perfect.” He smiles, adjusting the backward baseball cap on his head.

  Considering he’s wearing a faded tee and ripped jeans, I shouldn’t feel so out of place. But then again he makes the clothing look like a million bucks whereas I feel frumpy.

  Pulling me down a long corridor, we take the elevator up to the second floor and step out into a wide open space with a large reception desk directly in front of us. The woman behind the counter smiles.

  “Good morning, Mr. James. Jerry, Annabelle, and Jane are in the main conference room.”

  “Thanks, Bea.” He gives the older lady his dimpled grin and even though she’s way too old for him, it’s immediately clear that it doesn’t lessen the affect he has on her.