It’s a simple statement, but it has so much meaning behind it. At least, that’s what it sounds like to me, and as weird as it sounds, it’s something I’ve never been asked before. Even though Sebastian and I spent some nights together, we never intentionally left any personal belongings at the other person’s place. It never even occurred to me, if I’m being honest. I was a good little visitor, taking everything back home with me when I left. Oddly enough, it felt right. That should have been a sign right there.
Realizing Hudson is still waiting for an answer, I nod. I feel like throwing my arms around him and thanking him for being this awesome person. He makes all this intimacy stuff so easy, something I never knew could be like that. “I was gonna jump in the shower quick, wash all this food smell off me.”
“How about a bath?” The words shoot out of his mouth, as if he’s been waiting to say them for hours. “You deserve some nice relaxation time after this week. I can run it for you in my bathroom. I mean, my bathtub is a lot bigger.”
Interestingly enough, I feel a little disappointed at his lack of flirtation right now, which can only mean he’s actually planning on letting me have the bath by myself.
Something in me clicks in that moment, bringing out a hidden part of me, and I open myself up to a need I’ve never felt before.
Seduction.
Taking a step forward, I lean into his body, both of my hands firmly pressed against his chest. I look up at him from under my eyelashes, hoping I’m not making a total fool out of myself. I’m not sure I’d recover from that. “A bath sounds perfect, but only if you join me.”
His eyes go wide for a moment before he wraps his arms around my waist. “That’s not what I meant, but I’d be a fool to refuse.”
“Well, then you better not be one.”
“Oh, Charlie. What am I gonna do with you?” He’s close enough for me to feel his warm breath on my face.
“So many possibilities.” I grin and go up on my toes, closing the last bit of space between us to seal his lips with mine. “Give me one minute. I’ll be right back.”
After getting everything I need from my room, and checking on Mirabelle one more time, who passed out hours ago, I make my way back to Hudson’s room, my nerves on full alert.
When I walk into his bathroom, there’s a sea of bubbles rising in the bathtub. Hudson stands in front of the bathtub with his back to me. I put my things on the large counter and quietly walk over to him. Circling my arms around his middle, I rest my head between his shoulder blades, taking in a deep breath. I love his scent, it’s familiar and soothing, the sound of the running water an added balm for my soul.
He turns around in my arms to face me, and after a long moment of staring into my eyes, he cups my face with his hands, pulling me in for a kiss. His lips are soft, his tongue unhurried as it delves into my mouth. Since I can’t ignore the tense back muscles under my hands, I’m convinced he’s taking things slowly for my benefit. I can’t find it in me to complain, though, because this is perfect. This is exactly what I needed, and I’m sure Hudson knows that.
My hands drift under his shirt before tugging it up at the edges. Hudson gets the memo and lifts his arms for me to pull off his shirt, revealing his beautiful chest in the process. My hands have a mind of their own, exploring his naked skin—dips and curves of his muscles included—with a tenacity I don’t usually have.
I’m slowly starting to realize Hudson brings that out in me. He’s already been such a big influence in so many aspects of my life. It’s almost like he has a direct connection to my inner self, sometimes knowing what I need before I even know it myself.
After stripping off his jeans, leaving him in only his tight black boxer briefs that do nothing to hide his erection, he kisses me again until we’re both breathless. “Your turn.”
Lifting my arms over my head, I let him pull up the dress I’m wearing, my eyes never leaving his as he takes in every new inch of skin he’s revealing. The awe and pure lust in his gaze is a turn-on I’ve never experienced before, making me tingle in places I haven’t felt anything in a very long time.
“Oh shit.” Hudson drops my dress and jumps away from me, leaping to the bathtub to turn off the faucet. “That was a close one.”
I have to laugh at the fact that we almost let the bathtub water overflow, and therefore flood the bathroom. Just shows how distracted we were.
“We should probably get in there before it gets cold.”
I gulp, nerves making my stomach clench, and I think Hudson is able to see it as clear as day.
“You’re sure you’re good with this? It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind.” He comes back over to me and takes my hands in his.
“No!” I almost yell at him and decide that honesty is the best policy, as usual. “I’m just a little nervous, I guess. I haven’t been with anyone since, you know, last year, and even then, it never felt like this before. Everything is just so intense with you.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” He reaches up to brush my hair back, giving me a soft kiss. “I actually just remembered something. Why don’t you get in the tub already? I’ll be right back, okay?”
Nodding at him, I don’t even care if he’s telling the truth right now or not. The fact that this man cares enough to want to ease my nerves is something I don’t take lightly. There are a whole bunch of people out there that wouldn’t have cared one bit about my discomfort or would have been pushy, or maybe even annoyed instead. Even though we all want the same thing, it’s the way we treat others to get to that goal that matters. Sadly, a lot of people have no clue what that actually means.
Thankfully for me, Hudson is an expert in not only reading me, but in being a decent human being in general.
Once he’s gone, I discard my underwear and bra, slipping into the hot bathwater with a sigh. The bubbles cover me immediately, enveloping my body like a silky cloud, while the delicious smells of lavender and vanilla surround me, relaxing me instantly.
A moment later, Hudson comes back, two glasses and the bottle of champagne I know was in the fridge in his hands. “I remembered you liked this one, so I thought you might want a glass?”
“I’d love one, thanks.”
Hudson pops the cork and pours us both a glass before giving one to me.
“Thank you.” I take a deep breath as he stands right next to the bathtub, silently swallowing my nerves. I move forward in the bathtub to make room behind me. “Come on in already, the water is perfect.”
Rather than looking at him, I focus on the glass in my hand, watching the little bubbles in the liquid sparkle. He climbs in behind me, the water sloshing all around me from the movement. After settling in, his long legs on either side of me, he places a kiss on one of my shoulders, and I lean into the caress without a second thought.
His touch makes me feel everything—especially the overwhelming sensation of losing control that I always feared but secretly missed regardless. It’s filled with passion, emotions, so much affection, and earth-shattering lust that I’m not sure I know what to do with it.
“Come here.” Hudson takes my glass and puts both on the large windowsill next to us before wrapping his hands around my waist to pull me back against him.
Nothing between us.
Skin to skin.
Unable to cover the gasp of surprise that escapes my mouth, I lean back, my head resting on his shoulder, while I try to commit every sensation to memory.
The mixture of the hot water lapping around, his warm body behind and around me, and his warm hands now on me too—not to forget his erection that’s pressed against my butt. It feels so good I want to stay here forever.
My body is on high-alert, so sensitive to everything going on that I involuntarily jerk when Hudson’s hands begin to move on my stomach.
After giving my midsection some attention, they move further up, and the anticipation of him touching me intimately almost makes me jump out of my skin. When he finally reaches my breasts and cups them, I’m pre
tty sure I’m ready to see stars.
Hudson groans behind me as he gently pinches my nipples, rolling and rubbing them to his heart’s content, while I start to get more and more restless. He chuckles behind me and leans forward, removing a hand from my breast and guiding my face toward his.
“You feel so good.” He stares into my eyes, his other hand still firmly on my breast, squeezing it when he gives me a kiss so passionately, I forget where left and right is. His erection throbs behind me when his hand leaves my face to move down my body.
This time, he doesn’t stop at my breast or belly. Instead, he moves beyond it to where I need him the most right now.
“Hudson.” His name falls from my lips right before his fingers touch my bundle of nerves, eliciting a loud moan from my throat. For a split second, I’m not sure if I should be embarrassed about it, but then I push the self-doubt away. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything remotely like this—if ever, really—that I can’t bring myself to feel any kind of shame.
He rubs me halfway into oblivion, knowing exactly what I need before he plunges deep inside me with his fingers. He fills me, over and over again, while still taking care of my now almost quivering nub. “I love how responsive you are.”
The combination of hearing his sexy voice and the never-ending stimulation sends me flying over the edge so hard, I’m not sure I’d stay upright if it wasn’t for his secure grip on me.
After gently bringing me down from my orgasm, he kisses me with a fierceness that makes it hard for me to tell if the tingles in my lower body are after-tremors or new ones.
He nibbles on my lower lip, and I close my eyes at the feeling of it. “You’re so incredibly sexy. I can’t wait to do that all over again.”
Somehow that makes me chuckle, since the pleasure was very obviously—and loudly—all mine. “Me too.”
I turn around in his arms, shaky legs and all, and look into his eyes.
I can’t wait for more with him, fully intending on returning the favor tonight.
Chapter Thirty
“Where are we going, Hudson?” I can’t decide where to look, switching back and forth between the beautiful greenery we’re passing and Hudson’s handsome profile.
He chuckles in response. “You already know I won’t tell you, so stop asking me.”
We’ve been in the car for maybe half an hour, but it feels like forever. After this last week and everything that’s happened between us—especially last night in the bathtub—I shouldn’t feel so on edge, but my nerves are shot, and my anticipation is through the roof.
Hudson grabs my hand across the middle console and squeezes it. “I can tell you, if you really want to know.”
Now I feel bad.
I’m sure he can see the slight panic on my face from a mile away, even though I realize I don’t really have a reason for it. “I’m good, sorry. Just a bit nervous, I guess.”
“If it makes you feel any better, so am I.” He pulls my hand up to his face and gives it a gentle kiss.
Just like that, everything in my world is right again. The nerves aren’t fully gone, but his admission puts everything back in perspective.
This beautiful person wants to spend time with me and surprise me with our date.
Time to relax.
I take a deep breath and tighten the grip on our hands. The smile that crosses his face makes my heartbeat speed up, and I have to grin too.
Putting on the signal, he turns left and heads up a little mountain. “We’re almost there, I promise.”
Trying not to stare at him nonstop like a stalker, I nod and turn to look out the window again. We left the city—or rather, town—a little while ago, and all that’s left is the gorgeous landscape. The car turns onto a dirt trail, slowing down to accommodate the road condition while also allowing me to really take in the beauty that’s all around us.
I haven’t been out of Brooksville since we moved here, so I’m equally excited and mesmerized by everything I see.
The car comes to a stop. “We’re here.”
As promised, Hudson stops the car a few feet later, and I gasp at the sight in front of us. Nestled in between the magnificent trees and flowers is a little cabin. It looks straight out of a fairy tale. We both get out of the car, and Hudson walks around it to stand next to me as I take in the surroundings some more.
The area around the little brown wooden house seems well taken care of. A big blanket is spread out on the front lawn, with beautiful flowers surrounding it. The sight of it makes me a little emotional. It might not seem a lot to some, but no one has ever done anything like this for me.
Turning to Hudson with a timid smile, I feel a little overwhelmed by all the attention, and I can’t deny it’s doing funny things to my heart and stomach.
“Is that where you went this morning?” I shake my head at him. “You really didn’t have to do so much.”
“I wanted to do something special for you.” He studies me for a moment. “Does that mean you like it?” His voice sounds a little rough, making me wonder if there’s uncertainty behind it, which would be crazy.
“Are you kidding me? I love it. Thank you.” I close the distance between us, and his eyes widen in amusement and anticipation.
Our bodies touch, little bursts of energy tingling everywhere. My hand lifts on its own accord, drawn to the stubble on his strong jaw. I slowly move my fingers over it and make my way around to his neck. His hair is long enough for me to bury my hands in. I tug on it, and thankfully, he understands my signal and bends down just as I go up on my toes. We meet in the middle for a kiss that quickly turns into more.
“Charlie.” Hudson sighs his approval against my lips.
Both of my hands are at his neck, trying to pull him even closer to me while his hands move around my waist, pressing into my lower back. The little flickers inside my veins have turned into gigantic sparks, urging me on even more.
This man is his own kind of addiction I can never get enough of.
He seems to feel the same way as our kiss turns more frantic by the second.
I’ve never been much of an initiator, but Hudson makes me want to climb on top of him right now—no matter if we end up on the ground, the car, or whatever other surface we can find within a two-foot radius.
“Wait.” He pulls back, both of us breathing hard.
It takes me a good minute before I can think straight again, let alone get a word out. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to jump you like this.” I cover my face with my hands before peeking through my fingers at his smirking face.
Prying my hands from my face, he shakes his head. “Did I give you the impression I minded it in any way? You can attack me like that whenever you want, day or night.” The wink he gives me nearly does me in.
“Not really first date material though, huh?”
“I don’t think anything between us has been going according to any sort of normal timeline anyway, so I think we’re safe to do whatever we want, whenever we want it.”
Well, isn’t that a nice way to look at it? Even though, he’s right. We have been doing things completely out of order, which makes me chuckle.
Since it feels good to have that off my chest, I instantly relax. “I guess you’re right. No normal rules for us then?”
“Nope.” He gives me another kiss but doesn’t linger this time. Instead, he pulls on my hand and walks to the trunk. “Now, let me show you around and feed you before I change my mind and eat you up instead.”
“Some people do prefer to have dessert before their main meal.”
He stops and spins around, and it’s hard to tell who’s more shocked right now—him or me.
My eyes are wide as saucers as I clamp my free hand over my mouth, slowly shaking my head. “She does that to me. I swear, this is all her fault.” The words come out muffled through my fingers.
Hudson throws his head back and laughs. “I’m guessing we’re talking about Monica?” He taps the tip of my nose with his inde
x finger before leaning close to my ear. “I wouldn’t consider that a bad influence, though. Actually, I really like it—even more so, since it makes you blush.”
With that, he trails little kisses along my jaw before claiming my mouth once more. At this pace, we’ll never even make it close to the little cottage. When we come up for air, I can see the strain it takes him to stay away from me this time.
Closing his eyes for a moment, I listen to his breathing as he tries to calm down. “Phew, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“I’ll behave now. No more distractions from me.”
He shakes his head, like I have no idea what I’m talking about. To be honest, I’m not sure how much I comprehend right now. I feel like I’m walking through some sort of haze, my main focus being Hudson and those delicious lips of his. Nothing else registers, not even a bit.
I quietly chuckle to myself, realizing this is probably the first time I truly understand what Monica’s one-track mind is all about. No wonder she talks about this stuff constantly. It already feels utterly addicting.
My thoughts jump to my past for a moment, wondering what all of this says about my previous experiences with guys, because nothing was ever close to being this exciting or worthwhile before.
Nothing.
Not a single encounter.
Hudson squeezes my hand before letting go. Opening the trunk of his big SUV, I’m surprised to see it’s filled as far as the eye can see.
What on earth does this man plan on doing out here with me?
The sight makes me chuckle. “How long were you planning on staying here? A month?”
One side of his mouth quirks up, making his dimple pop out. “I just wanted to be prepared, that’s all. Plus, I want to spoil you, and also make sure you won’t get bored, so I brought lots of entertainment.”
Grasping his arm, I turn him around. “I really hope you don’t mean that. I can’t even tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to spending some time with you alone. No baby monitor or people that can come home and interrupt us. Just you and me. That’s all I need and want right now. There will absolutely not be any need for other forms of entertainment. Believe me.”
Baking With A Rockstar (A Brooksville Novel Book 1) Page 23