From Ice to Flames

by Hargrove, A. M.

  By now she was crying. “If you don’t believe me, ask Grey. She pestered him too. Now it’s me and I’m sure after me, it’ll be Pearson.”

  When she finally stopped laughing-crying, she said, “Well, now that it’s out in the open, do you think she’ll pick out the wedding dress and cake too?”

  A voice answered from behind us, “I would love to.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Milly

  We both turned around to see Paige standing there smiling. I wasn’t sure what to say, but Hudson handled it for me.

  “The cat’s out of the bag, Mom. I told Milly you had the wedding all planned for us, but she’d like to wait a while I believe.”

  “Oh, great. Did you set a date then?”

  “No! For God’s sake, can you please let it go?”

  His mom grinned. “Only when I have the two of you together. I see what you two may not and that is you’re perfect together. I’m sorry if you think I’m butting in, but I’m a lot wiser than you are when it comes to relationships. I can see how you two would have a great life together.”

  “Mom, you’ve spent what, two hours with us but you know that already? Where’s your crystal ball?”

  “I’m a great judge of character. What can I say? I knew it about your brother and Marin too.”

  Hudson turned to me, held out his hands, and said, “I’m sorry, Milly. My mom needs to hang a shingle. Madam Paige, palm reader.”

  Rick walked outside and said, “Paige, are you making trouble for these two?”

  Paige said no, and Hudson said yes at the same time.

  Rick said, “Darling, don’t you think we should let the two of them figure it out? We did and look how we ended up.” He put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. These two seemed very affectionate with each other and reminded me of my parents.

  “But, Rick—”

  “No, buts, darling. Hudson is a grown man and Milly is a grown woman. They are two intelligent people who can figure this relationship stuff out themselves.” He leaned closer to her and whispered loudly, “Let them do it. Remember how much fun we had doing it?”

  “Yes, I seem to remember very clearly.”

  “Good. Then come inside with me and let’s leave these two to themselves.”

  Rick ushered his wife into the house and left me outside with Hudson. Once they were gone, he apologized to me.

  “Why are you sorry? Your mom’s adorable.”

  “And embarrassing. How would you like it if your mom did that?”

  “I’m actually flattered. Most mothers don’t like the women their sons bring home because they’re not good enough.”

  “You have a point. I didn’t think of it that way. I was only thinking of her being pushy.”

  “I get it. And don’t worry. I’m in no hurry to walk down the aisle. Been there done that, you know.”

  He frowned. For some reason, I got the impression he didn’t like the sound of those words coming from my mouth.

  He kept staring at me, and then said, “Right. One bad ride was enough.”

  I stared at my toes a second too long. Was he thinking the same thing I was? Did he want to give this thing a go?

  “I hope you don’t think my mom was …”

  “Hudson, it’s cool. Really.”

  I didn’t mind what his mom was doing. I actually thought it was cute.

  “Let’s check on Dick.”

  “Oh! I forgot about him. I'm such a bad dog mom.” I ran toward the back of the yard calling out for him.

  “Milly. Dad took him inside earlier.”

  I stopped and turned. “I didn’t know. I’m such an idiot.” He watched as I walked past him, embarrassment heating my cheeks. I was sure they were bright crimson. Thank God it was dark outside. Maybe he wouldn’t notice.

  “Milly, wait.” My steps slowed. He caught my wrist and pulled me close enough to wrap me in his arms. “I’ve been waiting all day for this.” Then his mouth tasted my lips, softly at first, until I kissed him back. My hands crept up to his shoulders, fingers reaching for his hair. I loved to play with his hair—it was so soft and thick. I wanted so much more, but it would have to wait. Instead, I nuzzled his neck, enjoying his scent. He kissed me lightly and nibbled the place where my ear hit my neck that made me want more.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” he whispered. His warm breath tickled as it fanned across my heated skin.

  “I’m glad too.”

  He linked our fingers and we walked inside.

  “Dick,” she said.

  “He’s fine. Sleeping, I imagine.”

  “He’ll be okay down here?” she asked.

  “I’m going to set my alarm so I can check on him during the night. Take him out for a brief bathroom break.”

  “I can do that.” I dropped to my knees and opened the crate door. The thing was big enough for me to fit inside. Dick was blissfully snoring, and I let out a muffled giggle. “He always did snore.”

  He helped me to my feet and said, “Come on. Let me show you your room.” I closed the crate door, and we climbed the steps as he escorted me to my room.

  “This is the guest room.”

  “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Mom had always designated this as the special room. It has its own bathroom and she usually redecorates it every few years.” It was currently done in pale gray and white.

  “Which one’s your room?”

  “I’m across the hall. Follow me.”

  We went to his room, and a huge smile spread across my face. I imagined him as a teenager in here. It was decorated with sports memorabilia, all kinds of bands, and posters of beautiful places in Italy. It looked like a typical college kid’s room, minus the Italy posters.

  “I love it. You were into some serious rock, huh?”

  “I liked everything. Old rock, metal, alternative, even classical. I got into that when I studied abroad in Italy,” he said.

  “I wondered about all the Italy posters.”

  “Yeah, I was there for a semester and then the summer afterward.”

  “Where?”

  “Florence.”

  “I’m so jealous.” I was practically drooling. Italy had always been on my bucket list, but my husband never expressed an interest when I tossed out all kinds of hints.

  “I’ll admit, it was great. My parents thought I could use a bit of refining, so they sent me there. I wasn’t really into it at first, but it didn’t take me long to immerse myself in the culture. We should go sometime.”

  I’d love to go, but I didn’t want to dream too much.

  “Did you travel much when you were there?” I asked.

  “Every weekend. Initially, it was everything Italy. We went all over. Italy is diverse, so we wanted to experience it all. Then we broadened our horizons and went all over Europe. I extended it to the summer, so I was fortunate to see a lot.”

  My dreamy expression must’ve told him everything. “We’ll go sometime, and I’ll show you my favorite places.”

  My sigh filled the room. “Don’t tease me like that.”

  “I wouldn’t dare.”

  I inspected all of his posters. The Tuscany ones held more interest for me than anything. “Do you speak Italian?”

  “I did then but don’t anymore. I lost it. When I go back, I pick it up some, but only while I’m there.”

  “How often do you go back?”

  “As often as I can. When Grey and Marin got married in Paris, I went afterward. I love it there.”

  A Parisian wedding sounded so romantic, but I didn’t say anything. “It all sounds so wonderful. I hope to visit someday.”

  “We should plan to go. The late fall is the best time because that’s when all the tourists are gone and the grape harvesting is done. We could visit some wineries too.” I was shocked when he said this. Planning ahead wasn’t something I thought he’d be into. I didn’t think I would either, but with him, it sounded amazing.

  My fingers ling
ered on some of his posters as I traced the outlines of the gorgeous scenery. “That would be one of my dreams come true.” I glanced over at him to find him staring at me with an odd expression. His gaze seemed to burn straight through me.

  Suddenly he cleared his throat and asked, “Would you like to watch a movie?”

  It was still fairly early, so I said, “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

  He shrugged and suggested we go and pick something out. We ended up watching some Italian movie, but I fell asleep and woke up when he was putting me to bed.

  “Bona sera, principessa.” He kissed me on the forehead and went to leave.

  “Hudson, stay.”

  “We’re at my parents’.”

  “I know. Just to sleep. Set your alarm to wake up early.”

  I didn’t have to ask him twice. He actually set two alarms. He woke up at three and walked Dick, even though I tried to do it, and then at five, he slipped out of bed to go to his own. I hated sleeping alone after he left. I was getting very used to having him next to me. And it was scaring me, something I hated to admit. Hudson West was definitely getting close. I wondered how I would feel after our date weekend next week.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Hudson

  “Your chariot awaits.” She wore tight jeans and a simple white shirt, but looked like a million bucks.

  “Great.” She had a small carry-on bag, plus a garment bag, which I assumed was her dress.

  “Let me get that for you.” I reached for her dress and suitcase.

  “Just take my dress. I can handle the bag.”

  “Okay, then let’s blow this joint. First stop, cocktails in the hotel.”

  We checked into our room and it was posh. Marin had done her research. It held a king sized bed, a gorgeous view of lower Manhattan, and had the added bonus of a spacious bathroom, complete with a spa tub and huge walk-in shower.

  “Wow. This is great.”

  “Thank Marin,” I said.

  “Was this payment for the peen pic?”

  I laughed. “No, she did this before I sent that.”

  “Then I’m glad she didn’t cancel.”

  We went down for a cocktail and then came back up to change. As she was taking off her jeans, I couldn’t help but stare.

  “See something you like?”

  “Did you by any chance get that eyepatch? Because you’re going to get a good glimpse of my pirates. Like right now.”

  I stripped and grabbed her. Picking her up, I braced her against the wall and kissed her. Her skin was silk. Smooth and satiny. I thought I’d go for a taste but couldn’t stop. By the time I got to that place where her neck meets her shoulder, I was fucked.

  Pulling her thong to the side, I slid my finger inside to see if she was ready. There was no stopping now. Unfortunately, her thong didn’t survive. One twist, and it snapped. My dick was eager to get inside of her and it wasn’t difficult for her to tell.

  “Brutus is impatient today.”

  “So is Hudson.”

  “So is Milly.”

  That was all I needed to hear. With one shove, I was deep inside, banging her against the wall. Her heels dug into my ass as she grasped my arms. This went on, her urging me with words until the idea of her sexy ass came to mind. I wanted to see her, it … needed to see it. Walking to the bed, I set her down. Lifting her up, I flipped her over, then thrust in from behind. Reaching around, I found her clit and massaged it until her muscles flexed around me. That was when I lost it. Watching my cock slide in and out of her was more than I could take.

  “Jesus, you’re hot.”

  She only moaned as she backed into me each time.

  A thought slammed into me. “Shit.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We’re running late for our reservation.”

  “It’s not my fault.”

  “No? It definitely is. If you hadn’t looked good enough to fuck, then we wouldn’t be in this situation right now.” I pulled out and slapped her delicious ass.

  By the time we were ready, I knew we’d be a little late, so I snuck off to call the helicopter company to tell them we were on the way. Milly didn’t know about this part of the evening.

  On the elevator, she said, “You owe me some underwear.”

  “I’ll buy you dozens.”

  “I’m holding you to that. Those were my favorite pair.”

  “Have you ever wondered why they call them pairs? It’s only one.”

  “Actually, I have, and it makes no sense.”

  Our car was waiting and whisked us away. We arrived at the building where the helicopter would take us on our tour.

  “What’s here? This doesn’t look like a restaurant.”

  “You’ll see.” We rode the elevator to the top floor and then we took a staircase up to the roof.

  “Ahh. Rooftop cocktails. How cool.” She thought she’d guessed.

  But when I opened the door and the helicopter sat there, she looked slightly dazed. “Is this a joke?”

  “Nope. Come on. We’re going for a ride.”

  “Wow.”

  A man opened the door for us and said, “Dr. West, Ms. Fremont, welcome to your sky tour of Manhattan.”

  “Thank you,” I said. We climbed in the back where a bottle of nice champagne on ice with two glasses were waiting for us.

  “I’m impressed, Hudson.”

  The pilot was seated at the controls, and the man who’d opened our door, closed it, then climbed in the co-pilot’s seat.

  “Welcome aboard. I’m Greg Abbot and I’ll be your pilot tonight. That’s David Winston and he’s the co-pilot. Is this your first helicopter ride?”

  Milly said yes, and I said no. They were going to fly us around the island of Manhattan, over the Statue of Liberty and then point out other interesting landmarks for us.

  We were in the air for about an hour and it was amazing. The sun was setting when they brought us back, but only after making sure we had great views of The Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, and The Freedom Tower.

  When we left, Milly said, “That will be impossible to top.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Didn’t you tell me Brutus was damned spectacular?”

  She died laughing.

  I folded her arm around mine and said, “Come on. I’m starving, and we still have dinner.”

  Which turned out to be fantastic. My brother must’ve really put it on for his wife was all I could say. The restaurant we went to was out of this gastronomical world. Milly couldn’t stop talking about how delicious everything was, from our appetizers, to the salad, to our entrees, to the desserts we each chose.

  Even the wine pairings were excellent, along with the service. During dinner, our conversation ranged from things we did in college to our disastrous marriages. She was easy to talk to and I found myself opening up to her about things I was usually reticent about, especially Lydia.

  When we returned to the hotel, we didn’t waste time in getting naked. Her sexy black dress she’d worn had tempted me all night, and I couldn’t wait to get the damn thing off her. But when I did, I was unprepared for how seductive she looked. Black lacy strapless bra coupled with a matching thong almost turned me into a beast. She put her hand on the placket of my pants and my cock nearly burst through. I had never desired a woman like this. She was fire racing through my blood.

  “Milly. You are gorgeous, but babe, I need to be inside you.”

  The sound of my zipper opening almost did it, but when her hot, wet, mouth wrapped around my cock, I didn’t think my legs would support me. She dropped to her knees and took me all the way in. Then her eyes lifted to mine and I groaned. Long and loud. “Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.”

  Her tongue targeted the tiny opening, and slid down my length. She sucked me off hard until I thought I would bust wide open.

  “Christ, Milly. I’m gonna come if you keep that up.”

  She kept it up. I came, erupting straight down her warm throat. When it
was over, she rested her cheek against my thigh and I almost got hard again just looking at that pose. So goddamn sexy. I wanted to bang her until we were both raw. She made me feel things I’d never experienced before. Where had that come from?

  We ended up in bed where I licked and sucked her like a starving man. And then I fucked her, only this time it was slow and easy. Our eyes locked as we moved to a perfect rhythm. I whispered all kinds of incoherent things to her, things I didn’t want to admit to myself. Because they scared me. She scared me. This whole thing scared the shit out of me. Milly was someone who could last. And I had sworn not to get involved with someone who could last.

  But I had and now what? It was too late to shut the door on this. That would be cruel. Maybe I could back away slowly. Or maybe I should take it one day at a time and stop being a pussy. But I had to figure something out fast because this thing between us was growing by the minute and before long it would be taking me over.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Milly

  I wasn’t the only one who sensed the change between us. I wanted to pull away, but then again, I didn’t.

  “This is deep. I mean what just happened?” I asked, bringing it out into the open.

  He lifted up to his forearms. “You can say that again.”

  “It was unexpected.”

  “But was it really?” he asked.

  “You mean it wasn’t for you?”

  “I’m not sure. Little things along the way should’ve clued me in.”

  “It freaks me out.” My belly quivered at the thought.

  He huffed out a chuckle. “That makes two of us.”

  “I, uh …”

  He brushed the hair back from my eyes. “Look, Milly, we might as well talk about this, yeah?”

  “I suppose. My heart is extremely fragile, Hudson.”

  He scraped his lower lip with his teeth. “Right. Mine isn’t exactly made out of steel, not to mention, there’s Wiley to consider.”

  “True, but you’re so lucky you have him.”

  “I realize that. But I never wanted him to get involved and he already is. He’s asking for a MillyMom, like Kinsley has a MarnieMom.”