You Make Me Weak (The Blackwells of Crystal Lake Book 1)

by Juliana Stone

Her mouth went dry at the look on his face. He tore off his shirt and stepped out of his boots before ridding himself of his jeans.

  “Now, Rebecca,” he said with a growl, pointing to the sofa.

  She took an extra second just to drink him in. God, he was magnificent. Tall, muscled, with those long legs and wide shoulders. The tattoos that ran down his arms gave him a dangerous edge, and good Lord, but she loved them. Rebecca licked her lips in anticipation as she bent over the sofa. She spread her legs and smiled to herself when she heard him swear.

  “You’re the one who said bend over,” she whispered, though she nearly ate her words when she felt his hands on her ass. She held her breath as his fingers slowly kneaded every inch of her and slid down the middle, teasing with his fingers. Slowly. Methodically. She bit her tongue.

  He wouldn’t…

  She felt the heat of him behind her. Felt him spread her cheeks.

  Would he?

  Every muscle in her body was tight, and with a groan, she stood on her toes, presenting her back end to him in a way that left no mistake—she was surrendering. One hand slipped around her, and she cried out when his fingers grazed the edge of her clitoris. Once. Twice. Again and again.

  She began to writhe, her hips automatically finding a rhythm all her own, and when she felt pressure at her other opening, when his fingers began to play with her there, she rolled her head to the side, breathing heavily.

  It appeared that he would.

  “Huds, I’ve never…”

  “Shshshsh, darlin’. Let me show you how amazing this can be.”

  She gripped one of the throw pillows with both hands and relaxed as he began to stroke the wetness between her legs, his expert fingers playing her clitoris as if it were an instrument. All the while his other hand gently massaged her from behind, his thumb and forefinger teased, pushing inside her with just enough pressure…to make her tingle. Arch her back for more. Lord but it was amazing.

  She rocked against him, swollen and wet with need. All she heard was their labored breathing, the sound so basic, so raw. Both of his hands working in tandem, and she shuddered, moaning as the muscles in her stomach clenched. That beautiful pressure began to build, and her hips moved along with Hudson’s hands. Faster and faster until she shattered.

  “Oh God.” Limp, she rested her cheek on the pillow, sides heaving. “That was…” Her mouth was dry and she began again. “That was…”

  “It’s not over.” Hudson’s face was near hers, and he kissed the side of her face, the touch gentle—so gentle it brought tears to her eyes. He eased inside her, the thick length of him stretching and filling her in a way that made her sigh.

  “That’s it, babe. That’s what I love to hear.” His voice was rough, his breath warm against her cheek as he slowly began to move. The sofa fabric was rough against her nipples and each time she pushed back to meet his thrust, the erotic sensation added to her pleasure.

  The light from the hall filtered into the room, washing their bodies in a soft glow that reflected in the window. It drew her gaze, and she watched as Hudson’s huge body covered hers, a primal male taking what was his. His muscles strained, his large hands spanned her hips as he thrust into her.

  He was beautiful.

  His thrusts increased, and he brought her ass up a bit more, the angle allowing him to go deep. To hit that spot that drove her crazy. Sweat shone on his body, emphasizing the absolute maleness of him, and when Hudson hunched over her to bite her shoulder, she thought that it was the most erotic thing she’d ever seen.

  “I can feel you tightening,” he said, his voice deep and husky. “Feels good.”

  “Don’t stop,” she said. “Not yet.”

  “Becs, I’ve got maybe two minutes left in me.”

  “Okay.” She smiled to herself, eyes slamming shut as the first twinges of her orgasm began to build. “That’s all I need.”

  At some point, they’d ended up in her bedroom. It was after Liam called to ask if he could spend the night with his Uncle Mac, and before Hudson had done that thing with his…

  Rebecca blushed and rolled over. It was a bloody miracle she could still blush considering all the sex she’d been having. ’Cause there’d been a lot. Had to be some kind of record.

  “Here.”

  She rolled over again and brought the blanket along with her, wrapping it around her midsection as Hudson strolled into her room. He wore only his boxers. Slung low on his hips, they left little to the imagination. She dragged her gaze upward and arched a brow at the satisfied look on his face.

  “What?” she asked, making room for him on the bed. The mattress gave way as he settled in beside her, a tray of food on his lap.

  “Nothing,” Hudson replied, offering her a grape.

  Her stomach rumbled, and she grabbed a napkin. “You did a good job.” The tray was filled with kielbasa, aged cheddar, grapes, crackers, and… “Hey,” she said, reaching for an orange wrapper. “That’s my Halloween stash.”

  “I see you still like Reeses.”

  “Is there anything better?”

  Hudson chuckled and got busy with the important task of eating. After a busy few hours, they were in desperate need of fuel, and it didn’t take long for them to annihilate the tray. Even the crumbs were scavenged.

  “Wow. It looks as if we licked this clean.” Rebecca took the tray from Hudson and slipped from the bed. Aware that his eyes were on her, she let the sheet drop and made a big show of placing the tray on the stool next to her desk. You know, the stool she needed to bend over to reach.

  He didn’t give her a chance to say or do anything. His arms were around her before she could blink.

  “Not fair,” he growled, pulling her back to him.

  “There is no way that you can…” She shook her head and giggled. “Not possible.”

  Hudson turned her around, his eyes glistening and wide with laughter. The sight took her breath away, and just for that moment, she forgot to breathe. Just for that moment, it felt as if the past hadn’t happened. As if the life she’d envisioned when she was young and in love, a life with Hudson, had been hers.

  She blinked it away, and when his mouth reached for her, there was a new desperation in her touch. A subconscious reckoning that this, this thing they were doing, couldn’t and wouldn’t last.

  Hudson scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom. There beneath the hot spray, he took her again. His body finding new ways to make her scream his name. New ways to claim what had always been his.

  They made love with a heated passion that was sparked by something neither one of them wanted to dwell on. It gave their lovemaking an edge and filled their souls with something fierce, something with substance.

  By the time they crawled into her bed, both of them were exhausted. “You can’t stay,” she said softly.

  “I know. But, woman, let me have a few hours.”

  As Rebecca curled into Hudson’s chest, she thought that maybe he felt too good. Maybe Hudson was too comfortable. It startled her, and as his breathing slowed and he fell asleep, she thought that maybe she’d made a mistake. Because the simple fact was that what they’d shared tonight wasn’t just sex.

  It was a lot more complicated than that. It was an uneasy thought, and it stuck with Rebecca, sinking into her brain until she finally gave in and fell asleep.

  It was quiet when she woke up. The sun was high in the sky, and the threat of snow was gone. Dead leaves blew by the window, and she rolled over with a groan, wincing at the aches and pains that told her she’d been well and truly looked after the night before.

  A quick glance at the clock told her it was just after ten in the morning, and she jumped to her feet. Shit. Liam would be home soon if he wasn’t already. He had a game at one, and she’d promised him a trip to the comic book store.

  Humming to herself, she slipped on an old pair of track pants, and a bulky sweatshirt that had seen better days. She pushed her feet into her slippers, made a face
at her reflection in the mirror when she brushed her teeth, and tried her best to tame the wild waves that curled around her head. She gave up and clipped the entire mess on top of her head.

  Rebecca took exactly one step downstairs when she heard voices. The next step confirmed that one of them was Liam’s. By the time she reached the third step, she knew that Hudson was still here.

  Frozen on the stairs like a teen who’d been caught doing something naughty, it took a few seconds for her to get her feet moving. And it was with a sense of dread that she made her way down the hall. What the hell was she going to tell Liam? And why was Hudson still here? He knew the rules. He should have been gone before the sun came up.

  Heart pounding and more than a little scared of the impending scene, Rebecca exhaled and peeked into the kitchen.

  Her heart skipped, and she felt light-headed. She made a strangled sound as she gulped in a deep breath, but it didn’t matter. Liam and Hudson didn’t notice. They were much too busy.

  Hudson was peeling potatoes, tossing them into the frying pan while Liam was chopping onion and garlic. Sausages were on the go in another skillet, and a plate of freshly scrambled eggs was on the warmer.

  Her son was chattering away about his upcoming game and some big kid named Gavin all the kids were scared of.

  “Is he fast?” Hudson asked, grabbing another potato.

  “He’s pretty fast.”

  “Can you beat him?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, just skate around the kid. Play smart and don’t let him catch you in the corners. Remember, the bigger the guy, the harder he falls. If you give him a good, clean hit, you can take him out. Use the momentum of your skates.”

  Okay. She needed to nip this in the bud. “Liam’s only eleven,” she said, walking into the kitchen.

  Her son whirled around and Rebecca tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. What did a person do when caught red-handed with a lover in the house? Just a few days earlier Hudson had hidden in her closet when Liam woke up in the night and knocked on her bedroom door. Liam had complained of a sore stomach and with Hudson in the closet, Rebecca had been more stressed than her son.

  Seriously. She was too old for this stuff.

  “Mom! Hudson was just coming over when I got home, so I asked him if he wanted to stay for breakfast, and he said that he was hungry because he did a lot of work last night.”

  Her eyebrow shot up at that. “Did he?” Rebecca didn’t quite care for the grin on Hudson’s face.

  “I didn’t think you’d mind because you’re friends.” He looked between the two adults. “Right?”

  “Oh yes,” she replied, heading for the coffee machine. “We’re friends.” Her words were laced with sarcasm.

  Liam looked from his mother to Hudson and then back to Rebecca. “Is it okay? Hudson said because he’d worked up such an appetite, we should make a big breakfast.”

  “That’s fine.” She leaned against the counter and did her best to avoid Hudson’s gaze.

  “He’s going to come to my hockey game too.”

  Her head whipped up at that. “I’m not sure…” She began, though the rest of her sentence died slowly at the earnest look on Liam’s face. “I mean, Hudson’s probably busy.”

  “I’m not,” he said, moving alongside her and grabbing his own mug from the cupboard. His hard thigh pressed into her—only for a second—but it was enough to send electric pulses dancing across her skin.

  “Busy,” Hudson continued, shooting her a glance while pouring himself a coffee.

  “Great.” Rebecca downed her coffee and smiled at her son. “Just great.”

  “I know, right?” Liam grinned from ear to ear and turned back to his task.

  It would seem that her fears the night before were coming true. Hudson in the kitchen with her son wasn’t part of their program. Coming to his hockey game? Not in their program. This thing had become complicated.

  The question was, what the hell was she going to do about it?

  Chapter 25

  The kid had skills.

  It had been a long time since Hudson attended a hockey game, and he was impressed at the level of play Liam and his teammates possessed. The big defender on the opposing team, Gavin, had been successfully neutralized, and the boys pulled out a win. Only by one goal, but a win nonetheless.

  It brought back a lot of memories, being here, and he was glad he’d come, even though it was obvious Rebecca wasn’t exactly happy about the idea. He’d driven himself and had watched the game from a solitary perch high up in the stands. He knew enough to know that if he sat with Rebecca, that is, if she’d let him, tongues would wag.

  As it was, he was getting more than his fair share of looks from the parents gathered in the main foyer of the arena. Hudson wandered over to the large glass display cases, one of which was devoted solely to his brother Travis. There were numerous photos spanning a career that had started at the tender age of three and ended with a framed shot from Travis’s rookie year.

  Hudson smiled. At one time, he and his brothers had practically lived in this arena. The smells, the fried food, and popcorn were still the same.

  “You came!”

  Hudson turned and spied Liam a few feet from him, hockey bag and stick in tow.

  “I didn’t see you watching.”

  “I was there. You guys worked your butts off.”

  Liam dropped his gear and walked over, peering around Hudson at the display case. Hudson saw the moment when realization hit. Wasn’t hard to miss. Liam’s eyes grew as big as saucers, and he began mumbling, “No way, no way.”

  “Is that…” Liam pointed to the rookie shot, his mouth open, expression pretty much priceless. “You guys have the same last name.”

  Hudson nodded. “Travis is my younger brother.”

  “Holy crap. How come no one said anything?” The kid was practically dancing. “Mom.” Liam was so loud several people turned. “Travis Blackwell is Hudson’s brother.”

  Hudson spied Rebecca just behind Liam, chatting with another mother. She nodded, her gaze not quite meeting his before she turned back to whatever it was the woman was saying. She was putting on her public face. He couldn’t take it personally.

  “He’s like, amazing. Like a ninja between the pipes.” Liam stood beside Hudson, his face full of awe.

  Hudson looked back at the photo. “Yeah. He’s kind of great.”

  Something hit him square in the chest. Something harsh and painful. The photos of Travis reminded him of everything he’d lost. Of a mother taken much too soon and a father who’d retreated from the world, brought down by guilt and pain. Of brothers he’d lost touch with and a community he’d been entrenched in. They’d been a family once. They’d been happy. They’d been everything he wanted for himself.

  Hudson was thirty-five years old, and while a lot of folks would look at him and see success…all he saw was failure. He had no family. No wife and kids. He had a career he was damn good at, but did it make him happy?

  He used to think so. And maybe at one point, it had. Maybe back then, it was all he needed. But now? Now he wasn’t so sure.

  “What do you think?”

  Startled, he glanced down at Liam.

  “What was that?”

  “I was just wondering if, like, he ever comes home? Like maybe for Thanksgiving?”

  Hudson slowly shook his head. He knew what Liam was getting at. “No. I don’t think it’s going to happen.”

  “Oh.” Liam was disappointed. “That’s too bad.”

  “Yeah,” he murmured. “It is.”

  “Liam?”

  They both turned as Rebecca approached them. As always, Hudson was struck by her natural beauty. By the clarity in her eyes. The soft curve of her cheek and the gentle swell of her lips. She’d pulled her hair back into a simple ponytail and was makeup free. Dressed in jeans, brown boots, and a thick cream-colored turtleneck, she looked younger than her years.

  She cleared her thr
oat, avoiding Hudson’s eyes, and patted her son on the back. “We need to get going, hon. If you want to get to the comic book store before it closes.”

  “Okay.” Liam turned back to Hudson. “Thanks for coming to my game.”

  “You guys did good.”

  “Come on, Liam.”

  Rebecca didn’t look at him. She grabbed her son and offered a wave before shepherding him out of the arena. Just like that, he’d been dismissed. This was what they were, he and Rebecca. Two people who fucked and had some fun, but under the cover of darkness. In the harsh light of day, he didn’t belong.

  His mood dark, Hudson left the arena. He nodded to a few people he knew, but didn’t stop to chat. He wasn’t in the mood, and he didn’t have time. Regan Thorne had left a message on his cell, and he was already five minutes late for a meeting at the hospital.

  Snow began to fall by the time he reached Crystal Lake Memorial. It melted as soon as it hit his windshield, but still, it signaled a turn of the season. He hunched his shoulders against the wind and headed inside. The now-familiar path to his father’s room was littered with people he’d come to know, nurses, porters, and clerks, but he ignored them all. He didn’t have it in him to make polite conversation.

  He spied Regan at the nurses station. She was on the phone and indicated she’d meet him in his father’s room. When he got there, he was surprised to find Darlene at his father’s side, though John was fast asleep. Instantly concerned, he crossed the room.

  “He okay?”

  Darlene’s smile was as wide as the Grand Canyon. She nodded, her eyes shimmering. “He’s great. He’s doing wonderfully.” She slid off the bed. “I need to get out to the house and get some things prepared.”

  “Oh?” Puzzled, he looked from Darlene to his father.

  “He’s coming home tomorrow.”

  The door opened just then, and Darlene gave him a quick hug before sliding past Regan Thorne on her way out.

  “Does Darlene have it right? He’s well enough to come home?”

  Regan nodded and chuckled. “I don’t believe in miracles, but honestly, if someone had told me a month ago that I’d be releasing John Blackwell, I would have told them they were full of crap.” She looked down at her notes. “He’s still not one hundred percent, but I’m encouraged by his recovery from surgery, and he’s been asking to go home. We were able to clear his blockages, his heart is functioning much better, and his lungs are responding as well. I don’t see a reason to keep him.” She flashed a quick smile. “We’ll have home care come in a few days a week, but as long as he follows my instructions and takes his meds, he should do okay.”