CHAPTER ELEVEN
I curled on Hudson”s chest, listening to his heart slow its frantic pace. My thighs were sticky, and he hadn’t made an effort to clean me but I got it. And...I kinda of liked the marks he left on me, something I never liked from anyone else, and certainly not–
My eyes squeezed shut as I burrowed into his chest and let out a horrifyingly weak and pitiful sound.
“It’s okay. He can’t hurt you anymore. Promise.” Hudson’s finger stroking my hair never wavered.
“I know. I just hate that he still takes up space in my head.”
“Want me to remove that for you?” Before I could take another breath I was on my back, staring up into the face of the man prepared to do anything to make me happy.
Little did he seem to know that he’d already done that–removed the threat to my existence that always hung over me.
When Archer gave me my assignment, I shook my head. “No. No fucking way. Sir,’ I spat placing the folder back on his desk. “I won’t be involved with him again.”
“But you have asked to fix the problem he presented in the past. What changed?” Acher asked, ignoring the rejected case file.
“This is putting me right in with him. Rebuilding trust like what we had was– that it was alright. This is far from okay.”
Archer nodded, steepling his fingers. “You’re right. It’s not alright. Do you know how many women have died because of him? Indirectly, some,” he ignored my gasp. “Others, because he tired of them, or they talked about his business. You thought he was bad, Skye, but the truth is he’s trafficked women, drugs and ruined more lives than either of us can count on both hands. Are you prepared to let that slide?”
He held my gaze and I was the first to answer.
“No, sir. I’m not.”
I kissed Hudson, snapping us both out of a place where we were lost in our heads and brought us back by complete accident. “I want a lot of things, Hudson, but I don’t think I can have nice things.” I offered him a sad smile. “Like you.”
The best you’ll get from me is a shitty partner who might fold at the worst time.
“What if I want something else?” Hudson wrapped me tight in his arms, tangling his legs around mine until I wasn”t sure where he began, and I ended. “What if I think we’re okay for more?”
His eyes begged me to give this a try and my traitorous heart ached to say yes.
“No.” I shook my head. “Tonight can’t happen again.”
Hudson reared back, a hard look on his face. “You’re right. It can’t.” He pushed back from me, leaving me in a pile of fake polyester bear fur, trembling a little from the force of our lovemaking.
Because Hudson didn’t fuck No matter what he said, his sort of love started fun and got heavy fast. Really fast.
And I lived on a slow lane to solitude somewhere. Being caught up with him wasn’t the best thing for either of us. And yet, I wanted him.
“Hudson?” I grabbed a crochet pink blanket—so, so much pink–and wrapped it around myself. Not that it covered much, but that wasn’t the point. “I’m sorry.”
He laughed hollowly, raking a hand through his hair. “It should be me saying that to you.” His hands trembled, his stance rigid, and I realised how much he’d hidden from me in order to take away my pain.
My heart melted a little.
Okay, a lot.
He paced the room, butt naked and incredible. The man’s physique was beyond cut. He was powerful in every way, and none of the muscle was for decoration. I knew that now. Plus, the man had speed, determination, tenacity, love...what was I saying no to at this point?
His pacing grew agitated, his turns on the thick pile–yeah, pink–carpet leaving heavy indents as he stalked across the length of the room and back. It was the first time I’d seen him lose his shit, and I hated it. Wanted to fix him.
So I did the thing I thought he wanted most.
“Hudson, stop,” I said quietly.
He spun on his heel, staring down at me with a hard, closed face. “You know I gave you everything. Everything, Skye. And my heart–fuck,” he muttered rubbing his chest like he could remove the ache that tore him up from the inside.
I sympathised. Mine was the same.
“Come here,” I whispered, unwrapping the blanket, and getting on my hands and knees to crawl to him. I kept it sexy, but I wanted him to see the lack of threat, what I was willing to put aside for him.
I had no idea how this would work; if it would work, but suddenly I saw what had been right in front of me the entire time and somehow missed it.
Missed him.
But he saw me when I needed him, and now I had to return that favour.
He knelt before me, hauling me up his body, frowning at me. “You shouldn’t be down there.”
“But it seemed like the right thing to do.” I shrugged, looping my wrists behind his neck and settling over him.
Large hands caught my hips firmly and pulled me right into him, leaving no space between us. “Damn, you feel good, girl. You gonna give this thing a go? Or was that the last time I got to touch you like this?” he squeezed my ass, digging his fingers right in.
A breath whooshed from me, along with a mewl. I snapped my mouth shut and gave him a hard look. “No more freebies for you, fireboy.”
“That’s Ranger, princess. Just like you.” He kissed me quick and drew back just as suddenly.
My heart thumped hard, and heat rose in my chest. “Do it again, but slower,” I whispered. “And maybe we can find out just how long summer really lasts.”
His smile turned sinful as he lifted me up and set me back down, right on top of the hard length that impaled me until I moaned his name against his mouth.
And then everything was long and slow for a damn long time.
I loved it. Him. Maybe that sort of love could cover a world of hurts, despite being so freaking scary. But with him I’d try it. Maybe for a real long time. He twirled the ring on my finger I forgot to take off, and gave me a hard squeeze.
“If I take this off now, it won’t be long before it’s back on,” he promised darkly, before he began to move and I forgot all the arguments that could wait for the road trip back home to Texas.
Cliche? Maybe. But remember, ladies. If you’ve got a man who’s willing to kneel for you, he thinks you’re a queen.
Take that crown and be worthy of it. He’ll never stop kneeling.