by Lily Cahill
"We were at Princeton together," she said. "He, well ... at this point, I'm fairly certain he only dated me to get closer to my father. And it worked."
"What do you mean?" Hudson asked.
"We dated for almost three years. I introduced him to my dad, got him a job with the company, tried to help him do well there. He didn't come from a wealthy background. I wanted to give him a chance to succeed."
Hudson reached for her hand and she let him take it. This wasn't an easy story to tell.
"We were both being groomed for leadership. Being the boss's daughter, I thought there was nothing I could do to lose the top position, so I kept helping him in order to prove to my parents that he would make a good son-in-law. But I was wrong. My dad saw all the ideas Chase was bringing to him and didn't know they were mine. So he promoted him to a junior executive position that was directly over me. I was surprised, of course. And mad. But I had done it to myself, I saw that. And I intended to learn from it--to prove to my father that I was the one who deserved to lead the company one day."
She took a deep breath. The next part was hard to say.
"But that same night, I caught Chase in bed with another woman. I'm pretty sure he wanted me to find him. I'm pretty sure he wanted it to seem like it was my idea to leave him, not his. I was willing to try to work it out. I'd been with him for so long and I thought it was a one-time thing. But it wasn't. He told me he'd been sleeping with other people the entire time we were together."
She looked up at Hudson and saw his nostrils were flared.
"I was humiliated. I couldn't stand the idea of working underneath him and went to my father. But he refused to fire Chase. He refused to even let me transfer to another department. So I quit. I've been in Kentucky for the last few months, helping my friend Laila with her movie and trying to figure out what to do with my life."
"I'm so sorry that happened to you, Kay. I really am."
"It was my own fault. Even after I left, I still didn't want to see the truth. That night at the bar? I thought he wanted me back. I hoped he had changed. I wanted to believe that he liked me, that he could like someone like me. I was stupid and pathetic."
She felt his fingers on her chin, felt him lifting her to meet his eyes.
"Please don't ever say that again. You weren't stupid, Kay, or pathetic. Don't blame yourself because someone abused your trust. It's his fault. Not yours."
Kay felt a flood of emotion overtake her. They were exactly the words she'd wanted to hear from someone--her father, her mother, Chase--for the last seven months. And here they were coming from someone she'd only known for a week. It was as gratifying as it was confusing.
She closed her eyes, and didn't resist when he placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"If I could do something to take away the actions of that monster, I would," Hudson said.
"Thank you for saying that," she said.
"I think I understand why it hurt you so much when I took you to the condo, and I'm so sorry. I was an idiot."
"It did hurt me. I can't be in a relationship with someone I can't trust."
"And you're not sure if you can trust me?" Hudson asked.
"I want to, but I don't even know you," she admitted. "I feel like I've only ever gotten tiny glimpses of the real you. I spent three years of my life second-guessing myself with Chase. Every time he was cold or distant I would find a way to excuse his actions. But I can't do that anymore. I need clarity, Hudson. I need transparency. And I don't know if you're capable of that."
"If that's what you need, I'll give it to you," he said. "Bob, stop here, please."
Kay looked out the window and realized they were in front of the Glenarm Hotel, the same place they'd met.
"I'm not," she said. "I don't want to--"
"We're not going up to my suite. I'll never ask you to go there again. I already put it on the market with my real estate agent this afternoon. We're going for a ride in my helicopter."
"Helicopter?" Kay asked. She wasn't sure where this was going.
"Spend an hour with me, okay?" Hudson asked. "After that, I'll take you anywhere you want. Can you do that for me?"
Kay wanted to believe in him. She wanted to believe in him more than anything she'd ever wanted in her life. "Yes," she said.
"Good," he said. "Thank you."
Hudson made a phone call to a man named Larry. Then they took the elevator up to the rooftop and boarded Hudson's chopper. Kay tried to enjoy the scenery during the trip. They sailed over the city, over Lake Michigan, the moonlight reflected in its calm, gently rippling waters.
"Where are we going?" she asked after they'd been in the air for more than ten minutes and he still hadn't told her.
"We're going to my home. The real one. The one that's never been in the papers."
Chapter Ten
Hudson
They landed at the lake house and Hudson helped Kay out of the helicopter. She was still dressed in her ball gown, and the fabric fluttered against her from the slowing blades above their head. It made her look like a movie star, like a goddess, like a woman straight out of a Peter Paul Rubens painting.
Ellen met them at the door and her face lit up when she saw him holding hands with Kay. "Oh my goodness," she said, her hand flying to her mouth in disbelief. Then a wide grin spread across her face. "Hudson, you devil! You didn't tell us you were bringing a girl home."
"I thought I'd surprise you," he said. "This is Kay. Kay, this is Aunt Ellen, my stepmother."
Kay looked both happy and bewildered. "Pleased to meet you," she said, holding out her hand.
Ellen pulled her into a giant hug. "Oh, honey. I'm the one who's pleased. I've been waiting forever to meet you. You have no idea."
"Let her breathe, Auntie," Hudson said.
Ellen pulled back. "Sorry. I'm just a little overwhelmed. Hudson has never brought anyone home before," she said to Kay. Then she turned to Hudson with a knowing look. "So I can only assume this is serious?" she asked.
Hudson knew what she was asking. She was asking if Kay was his mate.
"Yes," he said proudly. "Very serious."
Ellen clapped her hands together. "Then this calls for champagne," she said. "Steve?" she called into the house. "Wake up! Hudson brought a girl home!"
#
Hudson spent the next two hours listening to Ellen tell Kay all of his most embarrassing childhood stories. He didn't love it, but it was worth it to watch Kay smile. It was worth it to feel her squeeze his knee under the table every now and then. It was worth it to have her look up at him with that look in her eye that told him he'd made the right move.
Eventually, though, his stepparents grew tired. After they said their goodnights to Kay, they asked Hudson if they could speak to him privately.
"She doesn't know yet, does she?" Steve asked.
They were asking whether Kay knew about what Hudson could do--whether she knew he could shift into a bear.
"Not yet," Hudson said. Admittedly, it had him nervous. He'd already asked her to step out of her comfort zone so much. "I don't want to push her."
"She's ready," Ellen said. "I can see it. That girl cares about you."
"Sometimes it's better to do it fast, get it over with," Steve said.
"Maybe," Hudson hedged. He wanted to tell her--knew he would eventually have to tell her--but he still wasn't sure if it was the right time.
"Don't drag it out. That'll only make it harder. If she's your mate, she deserves to know the truth."
"I'll tell her soon," he said.
"The sooner the better," Ellen said.
"I promise."
"Good," Steve said. "Now you go enjoy the rest of your night. But when you tell her, let us know, okay? There are some important things we need to talk about."
The tone of Steve's voice worried him a bit. Whatever it was that he wanted to talk about sounded serious.
"Is there something I need to know?" Hudson asked. "Is it a problem that she's--that she's not
a shifter?"
"No, no. Nothing like that," Ellen said.
"It's nothing to worry about," Steve said.
"Then why not tell me now?" Hudson asked.
Steve smiled and patted him on the arm. "All in good time, son. All in good time."
Hudson knew that was the most he'd get out of them. They had a tendency to be very stubborn. Besides, he couldn't wait to get back to Kay.
"All right," he said. "Goodnight."
#
His stepparents finally went to bed and he went back to the kitchen. Kay was warming her hands on a cup of tea, looking out at the dense forest through the wide, tall windows. When he entered the room, she looked up at him and smiled.
"Thank you for this," she said. "It was ... it was exactly what I needed."
"I want you in my life, Kay," he said, sitting next to her. "I want you to know every part of it. Every detail. All you have to do is ask."
"Thank you," she said again. "I think ... I think I want that too."
"Good," Hudson said with a smile. He didn't like the "I think" part, but they were making progress. And he had one or two ideas that might persuade her into absolute certainty.
He leaned forward and scooped her into his arms, lifting her out of her chair. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Her lips tasted like chamomile and honey. He wanted to lick them clean.
"Now you have a choice," he said, pressing his forehead against hers and purring his next words. "Would you like to go home? Or would you like to stay here with me tonight?"
She fluttered those rich brown eyes up at him, looking open and vulnerable with her lips parted slightly. "Here," she breathed.
It was only one word, but it was the only word he needed to hear. Hudson carried her through the long hallways to the opposite wing of the house from his stepparents--his own private wing--and straight into his bedroom.
#
He ditched his clothes and unzipped her dress. It had been too long since he'd had her, and he knew his patience would be thin tonight. He needed her. And he needed her now.
As her red dress fell, Hudson saw she wore black lace undergarments that she must have known would drive him wild. And he was going to reward her for it.
Standing behind her, he reached around to the front of her panties and plunged two fingers into her already-wet pussy. If the feel of her was any indication, she needed him just as much as he needed her.
She gasped, arched her back against him, and moaned.
"You wore these for me, didn't you baby?" he asked, dipping the other hand beneath the fabric of her bra to lift her breasts out.
"Yes," she panted.
He teased her nipples, using his large hand to make contact with both at the same time and feather against them back and forth.
"When you put these on, did you imagine me fucking you?" he asked, kissing her neck and plunging into her deep.
"Yes," she moaned.
"I like them. And I like it when you dress like this just for me. I like knowing I'm the only one who gets to see your beautiful body this way."
She let out a little whimper and the sound of it made his cock surge with need. He needed to feel her. He pulled down her panties and turned her around to tease her with his cock.
He held her by the waist, and rubbed his sensitive head against her pussy as he tongued her mouth. His cock ran up and down her slit, making her moan in pleasure.
"That feels so good, baby," he said. "I love feeling you against me like this. Does it feel good to you?"
"Yes," she panted. "Oh, God yes."
She tilted her pelvis back and forth, matching his motion, riding him before he was even inside her. Her hands gripped his shoulders for leverage. Damn, it was sexy to see her seeking pleasure from him like that.
"Yes, Hudson" she cried, grinding into him. "Yes."
God, he loved the sound of his name in her mouth.
He rubbed himself on her clit, and felt her nipples peak against his chest. He needed to taste them. He pulled his dick away from her so he could get both hands on her gorgeous breasts.
They filled his hands, heavy and full. He pressed them together so he could lap first one nipple, then the other in one solid motion of his tongue. He lapped back and forth, left and right, getting his fill. Her hands braced on his hips as she arched her back, sending herself further into his face.
He drew a single, dark nipple into his mouth and sucked, letting his free hand roam down to her lush bottom. He gave it a gentle smack, and she cried out in pleasure.
He did it again, a little harder this time, loving the feel of her soft flesh against his palm. Again, she rewarded him with a groan of contentment.
It had him so hard he would have felt selfish if she wasn't so clearly enjoying it too. His only regret was that he couldn't see her from behind when he did it. Just the thought of how she must look made his dick pulse. Which gave him an idea.
He turned her around and pulled her close, letting his cock rest against her soft cheeks. He let his hands roam over her body, massaging her breasts and skimming her soft stomach and circling her swollen clit with his fingers.
He wanted her to feel how much he worshipped her, wanted her to know that her body was perfection.
She began to rub herself against him, and he knew he wouldn't last if he let her keep doing it.
"I'm going to make love to you like this, baby," he said, feathering kisses down her neck. "Do you want me to make love to you?"
She looked up at him, her big brown eyes cloudy with desire. "Yes," she breathed.
Keeping her facing away, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her hips closer. He'd been right about that view. Her backside was round and luscious and divine.
He parted her deliciously thick thighs with his hands, then wrapped his arms around her and lifted her until his cock was level with the apex of her thighs.
Gently, he lowered her onto him.
Fuck.
Her pussy was warm and tight. She cried out in satisfaction as he sank himself all the way in. The weight of her body made the pressure around his cock so unbelievably pleasurable that he nearly lost control.
"Jesus, baby, you feel so damn good," he said, rocking against her. "I missed being inside you."
"Me too," she said.
He pressed a palm on her breasts to draw her closer, caressing them as she leaned back against his chest. He let the other hand dip between her thighs and circle her sensitive nub as he pumped into her again and again and again.
It didn't take long for them to rise together. Soon, Kay's breathing grew fast and the pitch of her moans rose higher. He could feel her getting tighter around him, getting ready to come.
He was ready too. He'd practically been ready since they stepped foot in his bedroom. It had been all he could do to hold on long enough to take care of her first. But now she was there, on the edge with him.
"Say you're mine, baby," he whispered against her hair. "I need to hear you say it."
"I'm yours," she panted.
"Forever," he said. "Say you're mine, forever."
"I'm yours, forever."
Hudson closed his eyes and savored her words. They meant more to him than when he'd closed his first major deal. They meant more to him than when he'd deposited his first million dollar check or signed the incorporation papers for his company. They meant everything.
He plunged into her one last time, and felt her spasms ripple around his cock. He let go too, pleasure radiating through his whole body as she trembled in his arms.
#
Later, when he had dressed in pajamas pants and she had washed her face, he pulled her close under the covers, her head nestled in his chest.
"There are things we need to talk about, Kay," he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "Serious, life-changing things."
"I know," Kay said sleepily.
He could hear the smile in her voice and he loved it. She didn't understand everything yet
, but she knew he wanted to make her his officially, and it made her happy. The realization made his heart soar.
"Tomorrow," she said, nuzzling her face in his chest. "You can ask me tomorrow."
And with that, she was asleep, her soft breath curling against his skin. With her in his arms, and the promise of their future more secure than ever before, he slipped into unconsciousness not long after.
Chapter Eleven
Kay
Kay woke to the sound of alarms blaring and the feel of Hudson tugging her out of bed.
"What's going on?" she asked, fully alert.
"Intruder," he said, his face stony. He tossed some clothes at her. "Come on. We're going to the panic room."
Kay leapt out of bed, tugging a soft t-shirt over her head that went down to her knees. She stepped into a pair of athletic shorts that bagged over her hips, and then snatched her phone and handbag off the bedside table out of pure instinct just before Hudson grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the room.
They bolted down the hall. To Kay, it felt like careening through darkness. But she trusted Hudson to know where he was going and didn't hesitate. She just ran.
They rounded a bend and Kay spotted Ellen and Steve standing at a bookshelf that was swinging out to become a door. Thank God they were okay.
Hudson shoved her inside the room concealed behind the fake door. "Don't open this door for anyone but me, understand?" he said.
"You're not coming in?" she asked. "Hudson, no."
But Hudson wasn't listening. He'd already turned his attention to Ellen.
"Protect her for me," he said.
Ellen nodded solemnly as she punched in a code on the electronic lock.
"Hudson, no!" Kay cried.
But without another word from him, the door was slammed shut, leaving she and Ellen inside and Hudson and Steve outside.The room was large--big enough to hold a bed, a couch, and a refrigerator. There was also a door that appeared to lead to a small bathroom.
"No," Kay whispered. She shivered as she stared back at the closed door, and it had nothing to do with the temperature. Hudson was out there. Hudson was in danger. And Steve, too. How had she let him go out there alone?