Chapter 27
CHAPTER 27
JULIETTE
I lay in bed with Hudson, my finger tracing the line of hair on his chest. We just made love, and I’m still out of breath from the way he took me. My body is buzzing, every inch of me still alive from the intensity of what we just shared. My thighs still quiver, and I can feel the lingering sensation of his cock, the way he filled me completely, taking me again and again until I was nothing but soft gasps and moans beneath him. My tongue runs over my lips, savoring the remnants of him, reliving every second of what had just passed.
This is the first time he’s stayed in bed with me after we’ve been together. Most of the time, we fall asleep wrapped around each other, spent from the intensity, but when I wake up, he’s gone, the bed cold where his warmth used to be. It’s become a routine—him giving me everything I need, his body dominating mine, and then vanishing like a ghost, leaving me with the memory of his touch, the way he made me feel.
We seem to have fallen into that rhythm—satisfying the needs of our flesh with a kind of desperate urgency, our bodies colliding with an intensity that leaves me breathless, craving more of him, more of the way he makes me feel. And then, in the morning, I find activities to fill my time, waiting for him to return, and then we fuck again.
But this morning was different. Before he left, he kissed me. It wasn’t just a casual goodbye kiss —it was deep, lingering, full of something unspoken. His lips pressed against mine with an intensity that made my toes curl, his hand cupping my face as if he didn’t want to let go. The way he held me close, his mouth moving over mine, was so raw and passionate that it left me dizzy, my heart pounding long after he pulled away. The memory of that kiss will forever be etched in my mind, something I’ll treat like a rare piece of art, cherished and unforgettable.
Even now, lying here with him, I can still feel it—the way he took me, his body pressed against mine, his movements slow and deep at first, savoring every moment, every gasp and moan that escaped my lips. The way he made me feel cherished and desired, his hands holding me close, his lips finding mine in kisses that left me breathless. And then, when the intensity built, when I couldn’t take it anymore, he gave me everything, his pace quickening, his body moving against mine with a need that matched my own, his cock driving me wild, bringing me to the brink over and over until I couldn’t hold back, my release crashing over me like a wave.
And even after he came, his body tensing as he filled me, he didn’t pull away. He stayed, his arms wrapping around me, holding me close as our breathing slowed, his presence comforting, grounding me in the aftermath of something so intense, so overwhelming.
After having such a lovely morning, nothing could derail me from having the best day. Not even Phillipa, who kept pacing around the house, expecting me to speak up and ask if she was alright, or Alison, who I saw on my way to work, who gave me the death glare but surprisingly didn’t come up to me. I couldn’t let them sow weeds into my perfect morning, which stretched to cover the rest of the day.
After I had my shower, Alejandro showed me how to make some more recipes. After that, we baked, keeping the house constantly infused with such a beautiful smell.
“What did you do today?” I ask Hudson, feeling comfortable with him in bed. It’s dark outside and we should go down for our dinner, but I don’t want to move away from the welcoming heat emanating from his body. We can get food later. This right here is better than food. It's a good thing there is no family dinner tonight. Frank wouldn’t dare to call for another after the last one ended in such a travesty.
“I made good deals,” he says and turns to me. His fingers pull away a stray hair so he can see my eyes better. He smiles and then reaches to kiss me. “You look beautiful,” he adds.
“What’s that for?” I ask, feeling shy and self-conscious.
“I just wanted to look at you,” he says.
“Did you meet with Elizabeth?” I asked him.
“Yes. I think she’ll help me.”
“Her father doesn’t see her,” I say, sympathizing with the poor girl. Frank is a self-absorbed and self-obsessed asshole. And naturally, Elizabeth will expect no sign of acknowledgment from him, but his relationship, or at least what substitutes for it with Phillipa, has made something obvious. Frank can pay attention to his children if he wants to; he has just chosen to ignore Elizabeth and, by extension, her brother.
“Yes,” Hudson agrees with me. “She sees that his recent decisions will only lead to ruin. She doesn’t want to be caught in the mix when that happens. She also wants control. She has her own vision for the company, and unfortunately for her, if her father remains at the helm of things, that is never going to happen.”
“Will you help her achieve her dream?” I ask him.
“We’ll help each other.”
Hudson gets up suddenly and pulls away from me. He heads to the closet and starts to get into his clothes.
“What is it?” I ask him.
“Get dressed,” he says. “I want to show you something.”
“It’s late. We have to eat.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll eat. We’ll be back here before midnight.”
“Midnight? Christ, where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” Hudson says with a sly grin. I have no other choice but to stand up and get dressed. A few minutes later, we’re driving out of the ranch house.
“Wherever we are going, can we eat first?” I ask, feeling very hungry.
“Yes, of course. Where would you like to go?”
“Anywhere, really. I just want to eat.”
So, we find a fast-food joint still open and make a quick order. I remain in the car while Hudson quickly runs in and out to get the food. We sit in the car and have our meal. Sitting here with Hudson, having something as ordinary as a happy meal makes me feel so cherished. I never knew I could be so happy.
“So, who’s Benny?” Hudson asks, and he almost causes me to choke on my Coke.
“How do you know Benny?” I ask him.
“You were talking to your mother on the phone while I was in the bathroom earlier. You weren’t particularly discrete about the conversation, and the name Benny came up a lot of times.
“Don’t you worry about Benny,” I tell him.
“Come on, I’m sure I deserve some gossip. I got you food.”
That gets me laughing out loud: “Food for gossip, huh? That’s a crazy exchange.”
“Business is business.”
“Alright, I’ll tell you. Benny is my ex-boyfriend.”
“Oh,” he says.
“What’s Oh?”
He shrugs again.
“What? You didn’t think I’d have an ex-boyfriend.”
“Nope, not that. I just wasn’t expecting the answer to be an ex-boyfriend. I was thinking maybe a brother or cousin.”
Is that jealousy I see in his eyes?
“Are you jealous?”
“Of Benny? I don’t even know the guy,” he snickers.
“My mom thinks he’s the best man and best choice for me.”
After I say that, he starts to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
“You just asked me if I’m jealous of the guy your mother is trying to fix you up with? That’s the most non-threatening man ever.”
“That’s not fair to Benny,” I say. “He’s a good man.”
“Why isn’t he here then?” he asks me and leans into me, his tongue pushing my lips about and kissing me. “Instead, I’m the one here.”
“Don’t be mean. Benny is a good guy, but he’s like your Phillipa; everything feels bland with him. I was with him for six months in college, and we never made love once in those six months.”
“Not even once?”
“Nope.”
“Is there something wrong with him?”
“I don’t think so. He wanted to take things slow. Savor the moment.”
“Oooof. Poor guy.”
“That wasn’t even a turnoff. I liked it. I appreciated it because it would have been more embarrassing if we ever tried anything, and I just never got in the mood.”
“I know, right? Does your mom know that?”
“Ma doesn’t care about all that. Benny is a doctor, and that’s good enough for her.”
“What does she think of me?”
“You?” Now, it’s my turn to laugh. “You’re the devil’s spawn.”
“Come on, you have to change her mind about that.”
“Change her mind? She came to that conclusion after my review.”
Hudson looks at me with shock. “No way. Demarketing me already, are we? This is all Benny’s work, I’m sure of it. He’s got his tentacles all around you.”
“If he’s got anything around me, it definitely isn’t tentacles.”
That throws the two of us into a fit of laughter.
We talk about random things to pass the time as we eat, and finally, we pull out of the parking lot.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” Hudson says as he drives on. The drive lasts about fifteen more minutes, and we arrive at the location—Tideline Sea Company.
“This is your company,” I say as Hudson pulls up to a gate. A man who looks sleepy, like he was roused only recently and is doing all he can not to appear sleepy, opens the gate.
“Mr. Sinclair,” says the man. “This is a surprise.”
“How are you doing, James?” Hudson says as he drives past the man and continues into a complex. Streetlights light our way as we drive deeper into the complex. The further we go, the louder the sound of lapping waters.
“I can hear the ocean,” I tell him, elated. I feel special. He’s showing me a big part of his life.
“It’s because it’s night. It’s all quiet now. If you came here in the middle of the day at the height of the activities, you’d barely be able to tell there is sea close by unless you see it.”
He parks beside a van and steps out. I follow him out. We’re in front of a building labeled General Office.
“At this time of the day, you won’t be able to see how things function, but that’s not why we’re here,” Hudson says, taking my hand. We start towards the front door, which opens before we get there. An older man strolls out of the building, dressed in shorts and a tank top. He looks like he’s been swimming and has a flashlight, even though the streetlamps and the moon were luminous enough. He has a big smile on his face as he stands before us.
“James called me to tell me you just pulled in. I told him he was dreaming,” says the man as he hugs Hudson. They pat each other on their backs. He turns his attention to me and bows gently. “Ma’am,” he says.
His geniality is so infectious that I find myself curtseying.
“Darry, how’s the seas?” Hudson says.
“Treating us well. We can’t complain, it’s the sea. We’ll take whatever it throws. Will you introduce me to the dainty lady with you?” Darry asks.
Now, I’m blushing silly.
“Darry, this is Juliette. She’s my fiancée,” Hudson says with such ease that I almost believed every word from his mouth.
“I see the news is true,” Darry says, focusing on me again. It’s nice to meet you finally, Ma’am. I thought you were a beauty in the pictures, but now I see that the pictures have done you no justice at all. You’re a blessing to look upon.
“You flatter me,” I tell Darry, secretly enjoying every moment of this.
“Flattery is one of Darry’s best cards in the deck.”
“Now, he flatters me,” Darry says. “To what do we owe this August visit?”
“I want to show Juliette around,” Hudson says.
“Oh, that is a business best done in the light of the day.”
“And we’ll do that tomorrow morning. Tonight, I have something special to show Juliette.”
I look up at Hudson and judging by his words; I see that he has no intention of us leaving tonight. He lied about us returning home for the night.
“Of course,” Darry said. “I best get out of your way then. If you need my help, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“We won’t be needing your help, Darry. Go have a good night. Tomorrow, I’ll speak to everyone.”
“If you say so, Hud,” Darry says. “Nice to meet you, Ma’am.”
Darry walks past us and enters the van parked beside our car. He drives off, waving goodbye to us. Once he’s out of earshot, I attack Hudson.