He licked up everything she gave him, sucked her soft pussy lips into his mouth, and brushed his beard against her clit as her body twitched under him.
He wanted to spend all night down there, wanted to get lost in the taste of her, in the scent of her and the feel of her. But more than that, he wanted to settle himself deep inside her. Be as close to her as two people could be.
“Hud,” she whispered, her voice urgent with need. Good, it wasn’t just him feeling this crazy pull. This near-constant need to be surrounded by her. To be owned by her.
“Take off your shirt.” His voice was pure gravel, all low and rough, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Not when he was so lost in desire he could barely see straight. Not when his cock was hard enough to pound nails.
She complied without hesitation, her back arching as she yanked off the offending piece of clothing. She reached to do the same for her panties, but he stilled her with a hand.
“Leave them. I’m gonna fuck you just like this.” He glanced down at her pussy, peeking out at him from her closed legs, and his mouth actually watered to get another taste.
He hesitated only a moment, briefly contemplating if it’d really be so bad if he dove back in and made her come against his mouth again. But the throbbing of his cock forced him to shift plans, and he shucked his boxer briefs before grabbing a condom from her nightstand—ones he’d stashed there while she was in the shower—and rolling it down his length.
He settled her ass between his spread thighs, lifting up on his knees to slide his cockhead through all her wetness. “Jesus, Kenna, you’re soaked.”
They both groaned as his erection slipped between her pussy lips and bumped her clit.
“You liked having my mouth on you, huh?”
“Your—” She broke off as he settled his cock against her, pumping his hips to slide it through her slit, her closed thighs providing a perfect, snug fit. “I loved your beard against me. Rubbing over my clit.”
Hudson’s eyebrows shot up, not having expected that. Both her detailed description and the fact that his facial hair had such an effect on her. And he’d never been more thankful for growing it out while on leave than he was in that moment.
“Then I’m gonna rub my beard all over your pussy every chance I get.”
She breathed out a laugh that seemed to freeze in her throat when Hudson placed his cock at her entrance and slowly sank inside her. Inch by inch, he pushed into her slick, tight fist, made all the more so by her positioning.
“Fuck me, you’re tight like this,” he said through gritted teeth. He spread his knees wider for balance and gripped the backs of her thighs for purchase as he fitted himself into the most perfect heaven he’d ever known.
“Hud.” Her feet twitched against where they sat propped on his chest, and she dug her nails into his spread thighs. “Hud…”
It seemed to be all she could manage, but she breathed a thousand different meanings into the single syllable. More and fuck yes and don’t stop and oh God please.
When he finally fit his cock all the way inside her, his balls resting against her ass, he looked down and stared at where they were joined. Groaning over the sight before him, her pussy flushed deep pink and glistening, stretching so perfectly around his thickness.
Every part of her fit him so perfectly.
It was something he’d known at sixteen, and that fact hadn’t abandoned him a single day since then.
He and Kenna fit, their bodies entwined and moving together as if they spoke the same language—one no one else understood. It wasn’t just her body—though that was something he’d get down on his knees and thank every deity in the world for—but her mind, too. Her spirit.
She fit him, and he fit her. And together, they were magic.
“Oh God,” Kenna breathed as he began moving, pulling back an inch before sinking even deeper inside.
Back and forth, he pumped into her, keeping pressure on her clit however he could manage. When he hit a particularly good spot inside her, she gasped, tossing her head back on the pillow as she cupped her breasts, her thumbs and forefingers plucking her nipples. Jesusfuck, the things this girl did to him.
“Christ, Kenna.” He groaned when she didn’t let up, her eyes locked on his as she continued her torture. “That’s it. Play with your tits just like I would while I work this pussy over.”
She did just that, and soon enough, nonsensical words and mutterings tumbled from her lips, a string of incoherency that made him feel invincible. Incoherency wasn’t a trait she readily possessed, so damn right it made him feel like he was ten feet tall, a god of a man sent for only one thing—to provide her with pleasure she couldn’t get anywhere else. To give her the escape from her life she so desperately needed.
Gripping the backs of her thighs just under her ass, he let his thumbs play in her wetness, sliding them through her slick pussy and down to meet his driving cock as it fucked her without mercy.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers, finding them locked on him, her mouth parted and color high on her cheeks. Her hair was a mess around her head, fanned out on her pillow, her hands still cupping and playing with her breasts like he’d ordered.
There was so much there in her gaze—desire and lust, of course, but there was more. Love, maybe? Longing, definitely. For what, he didn’t know, because she had him. Body, heart, and soul, he was hers. Had always been, would always be.
When he pressed his thumb against her clit, she went off like a bomb, detonating around him, her pussy squeezing and milking the orgasm straight from his bones. With their eyes locked, he emptied inside her, her name on his lips as she came around him.
And a plea he couldn’t quite bring himself to vocalize that she need him as desperately as he did her.
He was leaving in eight days, and he couldn’t change that. But maybe, just maybe, this time, he could convince her to give them a chance. Because he couldn’t imagine living without her again. Not when he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that a love like theirs was rare. Precious. Something to be protected and nourished.
He was willing to do that—was desperate to.
The only question was, was she?
Hudson woke the next morning to cold sheets and an empty bed. Kenna’s room was still dark, so it couldn’t have been past six a.m. He tossed back the sheets and pulled on his jeans before trekking downstairs in search of her.
“Kenna?” He scratched his rough jaw, looking around her small home for signs of life and finding none.
Maybe she was still too keyed up and went for a run. But then why wouldn’t she have woken him to join her?
Blowing out a sigh, he headed to the kitchen in search of coffee and found half a pot. In front of it lay a note in Kenna’s handwriting.
Hud,
Apparently the magic number for orgasms to bring on sleep is more than two. Headed to town hall so I won’t wake you.
Bracing his hands on the counter, he hung his head, staring down at the note. He knew she needed to feel useful to her family, because in some backward part of her brain, she didn’t see herself as that. Never mind all she did for them—hell, he’d just learned last night she taught fucking self-defense to one of her sisters. She looked out for her nieces, making sure they were safe. She’d probably given Finn a run for his money when he’d finally come back into town, all because he’d hurt her sister. And Hudson had no doubt there were dozens of other things she did, and yet she didn’t see her worth.
He was trying like hell not to read more into her disappearing act than what was in front of him, but it was damn hard not to feel like she was pulling away. With the date of his departure ticking closer and closer…and after what they’d shared last night? It had been more than just a quick fuck and multiple orgasms for her. He knew it had. And he also knew that’d scare the hell out of her, because what would she do when he was gone?
Well, he had an answer for that, if only the stubborn mule would just talk to him about her concerns. But
if she wasn’t going to woman up and do so, then he’d have to make the first move.
He made a quick detour to shower before throwing on the last pair of clean clothes he’d packed for the weekend, and then he was out the door and sliding into his truck with one destination in mind.
When he pulled up to town hall, hers was the only car in the lot, the streetlamps only just turning off as the sun rose, illuminating the tall, imposing brick building. He’d called her on the way and gotten her voice mail, so he strode to the back door they’d gone in and out of last night and tried the handle. Locked.
He figured it was a lost cause to attempt the front door at this early hour, but he did anyway, finding it locked as well.
“Goddammit,” he muttered, trying her cell one more time.
After another unanswered call, he left his car in the parking lot and walked across the street to The Sweet Spot. If anyone would know how the hell to approach this whole thing with Kenna, it’d be his momma.
He used his key to get in since they weren’t yet open for the day, except he didn’t find who he was looking for. Just Nash and several other workers buzzed around the space, neither his momma nor sister in sight.
“Hey.” Hudson lifted his chin in greeting.
“Hey, Hud, what’s goin’ on?” Nash asked.
Standing on opposite ends of one of the side walls, he and another guy Hudson didn’t know stood perched on ladders, both holding a board of shiplap against the wall. Nash whipped out his level to ensure proper placement before giving the other guy a nod of approval.
Through blasts of a nail gun, Hud answered, “Came to find my momma, actually. She in back?”
“Nah.” Nash pressed the gun against the board, nailing in his section. “She and Lilah decided yesterday afternoon to close down for a few days until we were done. Got too loud in here—for them and the customers, I think. That’s why we’re here so early. Tryin’ to get this done as soon as possible, so y’all don’t miss out on too much business. I know it’s a busy time of year with holiday orders.”
The bells on the front door chimed as someone tried to open the door, and Hudson turned to find a woman about his age with long red hair peering in through the glass.
Hudson unlocked and opened the door. “Hey, sorry, but we’re closed.”
“What!” she barked. “Nooooo. I need my fix. Surely you don’t expect me to go over there—” she gestured behind her toward town hall “—and deal with his highness’s bullshit without heaven in the form of a glazed croissant, do you? Do you? Are you really that cruel?”
“I—” He furrowed his brow, having no idea who this woman was. And then it hit him—he’d seen her once before on his first day home. She was one of Kenna’s friends.
“Hey, Avery,” Nash called, filling in the blank for Hudson. “Sorry ’bout that, but we’re tryin’ to finish up as quick as possible.”
“Lilah didn’t leave anything for me, did she?” she asked, a hopeful note in her tone, her hands clasped under her chin.
Hudson chuckled and shook his head. “’Fraid not, sorry.”
“Dammit,” she whined, then spun in a circle before facing him again. “Hey, did you get Mac home all right from the hospital?”
“Um…yeah.”
“Oh! Sorry to bombard you with questions before even introducing myself,” she said, her accent lacking the familiar drawl he was used to hearing in these parts. She definitely wasn’t from the South. She thrust out her hand toward him. “I’m Avery. Bestie to Will. Not-quite-bestie-but-still-excellent-friend to Mac. Nice to finally meet you, Hudson.”
“Hey. Good to meet you.” He gripped her hand, giving it a quick shake.
“Did she leave town hall when she got my note last night?”
He pressed his lips together and raised his eyebrows. If Avery was as good of a friend to Kenna as she said, then she’d know exactly what Kenna did when she came across the note. Namely, ignore it.
“What do you think?”
“Goddammit!” She stomped her high-heeled foot, balling her hands into fists. “Did she at least get some rest?”
“Not a whole lot, despite my efforts.”
Avery’s eyebrows shot up, and he worried too late he was supposed to keep that little tidbit to himself. “That so?”
“Yeah, well, she was gone this mornin’ when I got up.”
Avery’s spine snapped straight. “Is she at town hall right now?”
He nodded. “Since before the sun came up. I tried gettin’ in, but the doors were locked.”
“God, she’s a pain in my ass,” Avery grumbled, already marching toward town hall. She held up an arm and waved at him over her shoulder. “Don’t worry—I’m on it!”
“Maybe she’ll have better luck than I did,” he mumbled as he shut the door behind her, making sure the sign was flipped to closed.
Nash chuckled. “C’mon now, Hud. You know better than that. This is Mac we’re talkin’ about. Pretty sure no one’s gettin’ through to that girl unless she wants them to.”
And wasn’t that the damn truth?
HUDSON PLAYED Nash’s words on repeat the entire drive to his momma’s house. He couldn’t deny Nash was right—Kenna wouldn’t listen unless she wanted to, and that was what worried him. He hoped her fleeing this morning had more to do with her family and less to do with him, but he wasn’t so sure. Not after the night they’d shared. And not when he was set to leave in a week, theoretically leaving her behind. That was the last thing he wanted.
What he needed was to show her how good they were together, but if she’d already begun shutting him out, he had his work cut out for him.
After parking in his momma’s driveway, Hudson shot off a quick text to Caleb, letting his friend know he would be out to the cabin later this morning to help finish up the shingles and make sure CB wasn’t causing too much trouble.
He still had to figure out what the hell he was going to do with that dog. Whenever he’d pictured himself having a dog, it was always a massive, protective breed. A German shepherd or a mastiff. Never a tiny fluff ball he could lift in the palm of his hand.
And yet, the thought of sending CB to the shelter without anyone lined up to adopt her had his chest tightening with unease. He needed to bring her into the vet’s office and see if she was microchipped. Maybe she had a family waiting for her, and all his concern over what to do with her would be a moot point.
Without knocking, he let himself into the back door of his childhood home. “Momma?”
She popped her head around the corner from the living room, a huge smile brightening her face. “Hey you.” With her arms held wide, she strode toward him before engulfing him in a hug.
He returned her embrace, breathing in the scent of home, and squeezed her a little tighter. The whole situation with Kenna’s daddy had dredged up some unpleasant memories Hudson would rather forget. Like when his momma had been the one in the hospital bed and he’d been thousands of miles away, desperate to give anything to be by her side.
He was so damn grateful she was still here with them. That he still had someone waiting on him to come home.
“You all right?” she asked.
All he could do was hum in acknowledgment, because what else was there? Somehow, in the short time he’d been home, a hope he’d been valiantly trying to ignore had crept up until it was a constant buzz in the background of his thoughts. The trouble was, it was a hope he couldn’t have. Not now. Not yet.
She gripped his shoulders and held him at arm’s length, looking up into his eyes. “You get Mac all squared away? How’s her daddy doin’?”
“He’s all right. The surgery took longer than expected because of some complication with the bypass, but he was in recovery when we left last night. The doctor seemed to think he’d be back to bein’ an asshole soon enough.”
She gasped and tried to cover up her laughter with a cough. “Hudson Matthew…I can’t believe you said that about a hospital-ridden man.”
“Well.” She clucked her tongue and picked some piece of imaginary lint off the front of his shirt. “Still.”
At his chuckle, she finally broke into a smile. Though it melted from her lips after only a moment as she rested her fingers on his forearm. “And Mac?”
Blowing out a deep breath, he scrubbed a hand down his face. “That’s what I’m here for, actually. I was hopin’ you’d be able to help me with something.”
She pulled out the chair at the dining table and patted the seat next to her. “Let’s see what we can do. What’s goin’ on?”
He spun the other chair around and straddled it backward, resting his folded arms over the top. “She’s stressin’ herself out—puttin’ too much pressure on herself. She thinks she doesn’t bring any value to her family—or anyone, if I was readin’ between the lines correctly.”
“Well, that’s nonsense.”
“That’s what I tried tellin’ her, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“And what’re you hoping to do?”
“I…” He blew out an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know. I wanna help her however I can and make her life a little easier, but she’s too damn stubborn to ask for what she needs.”
“You might know another woman like that,” she said dryly, clearly referring to herself. “I hate askin’ for help—”
“You don’t say.”
“Hush now.” She batted her hand at him. “But even without my askin’, your daddy always knew.”
Hudson’s interest was piqued now. While they’d never shied away from talking about his father, it’d been nearly two decades since he’d died, and as the years had passed, the stories became fewer and fewer.
“He did?”
“Mhmm. It was little things, you know? Like always makin’ sure to schedule house or car maintenance so I didn’t have to deal with callin’ to set up appointments. Or never leavin’ me with an empty tank of gas.
Captain Heartbreaker (Havenbrook Book 4) Page 20