34. Aster
Chapter 34
Aster
W e fall into bed, kissing and tugging clothes off in a desperate attempt to get naked as quickly as possible. I need to feel Hudson’s skin on mine to ground me and celebrate what we’ve managed to find in the midst of all this chaos.
Hudson grazes my throat with his teeth, bumping his hips into mine. “I’ve never felt so safe,” he murmurs, so softly I almost didn’t hear it, but I did, and the words stop me.
“Hud.” I lift my head to gaze down at him. He has the softest, most serene expression, as if the months of stress and fear and pain have literally melted away, and I’d swear he looks younger. “You can’t imagine how good it feels to know you feel safe with me.”
“I think I always have.” He reaches up to brush his fingers across my cheek. “From the first time you showed up there was something about you that disarmed me. I was so paranoid and skittish and just fucking scared all the time, but you helped me reclaim who I used to be. You inspire me to dream about who I might become with you in my life. You gave me solid ground to stand on again.”
“That means a lot to me. You deserve so much happiness, and I hope I can contribute to a lot of it. You’re amazing and so damn strong. You survived. Now we get to live.”
Smiling, he nods, but then as he twists his fingers in my hair, his smile shifts to a sultry smirk. “Now we get to make love. Truly make love.”
“Starting now.”
I kiss his neck and make my way down his body while he fumbles with the lube bottle. I watch with barely contained desire from between his legs as he takes my hand and pours some into it. Smiling, I move back up his body, claiming his delicious mouth, while I slide my fingers under him to explore his rim.
Hudson helps me by lifting and spreading his legs, his hands on his knees for support while our tongues tangle and our bodies notch against each other like puzzle pieces. My cock grinds against his, growing slick with precum and heat, and all my mind can process is that this is mine. I get to keep these feelings and this desire and this man. I get to keep Hudson.
I have to clear my throat of the emotions threatening to spill over. I can cry about it later. Right now, I have a beautiful man in my arms who deserves to come so hard he can’t see straight for a few minutes.
“Aster,” Hudson moans when I breach him with my fingers. “Feels so good.”
“My cock will feel better.”
He nods, gazing up at me with lust-heavy eyes. Fuck, he looks like a debauched angel right now, painted by some renaissance master obsessed with his elegant bone structure, the sexy pout of his lips, and those eyes that see straight to my soul.
I used to believe in luck until I met Hudson. Now I know it had to be Fate. There’s no way this man wasn’t designed just for me. I don’t know why I get to have him, but I won’t take the gift for granted.
“Please,” he whimpers, clawing at my back. “Need you.”
“I can’t get enough of you.” I bite his neck. “You’re so soft and warm, Hud. So fucking perfect.”
He makes a needy groan and humps into me, so I stop fucking around and get down to business. I remove my fingers to the sounds of his protest and use my slicked hand to lube up my cock, then line it up with his entrance.
“This is the best part,” he whispers, exhaling a shaky breath. “There’s nothing better.”
“Nothing.”
I push into him slowly, reveling in every inch as I push past the tight ring of muscles, and we both exhale when his body relents and accepts me. Hudson’s fingers dig into my shoulders as he tilts his head back and stares up at the ceiling like he can see angels.
I steady myself, afraid I’ll blow if I move a centimeter, but my arms are shaking.
“Let yourself go, lover,” Hudson says, touching my cheek. “Give me everything you’ve got.”
“Just trying not to end it too soon.”
“Impossible. Because we’ve got forever.”
I search his eyes, awed by who he is and how he loves once he feels safe enough to do it.
“I love you, Hudson. I’m so damn in love with you.”
The smile on his face makes my heart flutter in my chest. “Amazing.”
“Yeah, you are.”
I drop down and close the space between us, attacking his mouth and burying my cock as deep as I can. He wraps his legs around my waist, accepting every thrust I give and answering with his warm, clenching insides. I’d swear sex has never felt like this, and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve never felt like this about a person before or if somehow sex is just better with Hudson, but the reason doesn’t matter.
“Aster,” he whispers, over and over again, rocking his hips in time with mine.
We rise and fall together like waves in the warmest ocean, and when we crest, my name falls from his lips one more glorious time, like I’m some kind of god and he’s my devout worshipper.
My cock pulses inside him, wrapped in overwhelming heat, our bodies as entwined as our hearts are. Hudson holds on to me like he’d fall if he let go, his body trembling as he spills thick ropes of cum between us.
We lie together until my softened cock slips from his body, and we both shiver from the loss. I’m sweaty, sticky, and overheated, but I can honestly say I’ve never been happier.
After a few minutes, I try to roll off of Hudson, but he wraps around me tighter. “No,” he moans.
“Aren’t you hot, babe?”
“Don’t care.”
Chuckling, I nuzzle his neck. “If you get up, we can take a shower together.”
“Hmm. And then what?”
“Whatever you want.”
Before he can say anything else, his stomach growls so loudly the sound vibrates through me too.
“How about we feed you?”
Hudson blows out a breath. “Fine. I’m hungry.”
“Me too.” He releases me and I lift up on my elbows. “We can go out somewhere. We’re free now.”
A sweet smile spreads across his lips. “That sounds good.”
I thought I’d feel nervous, but I couldn’t be more calm. Standing in the kitchen where this whole thing started, I’m brimming with a sense of hope and optimism far beyond anything I’ve experienced before. It’s mind-blowing, honestly.
“Handbook,” I whisper, not wanting to draw Hudson’s attention.
I told him I was making us some sandwiches for dinner, but I wanted to read about the love bond logistics. Except the page comes up and it’s just the same stuff I’ve already read. There’s nothing additional. How do you do it?
“Hey, Crash, you around?”
He pops up, sitting perched on the island. “At your service.”
“You’re a genie in a bottle now?”
He chuckles. “I wish I could grant wishes. What’s up, homie?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I step closer as if Crash can’t hear me unless I’m close. “How do I request the love bond? There’s nothing in the handbook.”
Crash’s eyes go wide and he does a shimmy with his shoulders. “I knew it. You guys talked about it?”
I’m slightly embarrassed and even a little protective of such a major moment, but I couldn’t have done any of this without Crash’s help.
“We talked about it. He’s in.”
“‘The love bond is irrelevant,’” he says in a high-pitched voice. “Or whatever the fuck you said when I brought it up.”
“Yeah, yeah. Can you just help me?”
“I’d love to. You have to request Farnsworth, but not like you normally do.”
“Okay. Hit me.”
He tilts his head. “Why would I hit you?”
“Sorry. That’s slang. Tell me.”
“Hit me means tell me?”
“Yeah. It comes from blackjack. The card game.”
“Hmm. I like it. Anyway, what you do is you say his name and then ‘requesting love bond.’ He’ll know what to do after that and guide you. You need a supernatural witness.” He waggles his eyebrows. “Can I be your best man? I’ve never been one before.”
“Of course. I owe you a lot. Thank you for choosing me.”
Crash puts his hands over his heart. “Aw. Don’t make me cry. It was my pleasure to help, but you did a lot on your own. Don’t short yourself the credit. You were a badass. It was wicked awesome to watch.”
“Thanks. All Horrors aren’t as bad as this one was, are they?”
He shrugs. “It varies, but they’re called Horrors for a reason, if you get my drift.”
“I do, yeah.”
“Are you gonna live here now?”
“Uh, you know, we haven’t discussed it, but I would guess so. I just have a dinky apartment and he’s got this beautiful house he loves.”
“Do you think I can stay? I could hang out with the other house spirits and…” He pauses, glancing past me for a second. “Have a place to call home.”
My jaw drops. “You don’t stay anywhere?”
He shakes his head. “No. I bounce around a lot. Sometimes I click with a Chaser and we hang out for a while, but they don’t always want me around for good. I know I can be annoying.”
“You’re not annoying, Crash. Not at all.”
His expression lightens a bit. “Do you think Hudson likes me?”
“I think so. Otto certainly does.”
“He’s a good boy. I promise to stay out of the way. I won’t ever watch or even listen when you guys bang.”
I have to fight back a smile. “That’s nice of you.”
“And I could help you when you get assignments. I could watch Otto and Hudson too. I can be useful, Aster.”
“You’re very useful. I’ll talk to Hudson, but I’m sure he’d be okay with it.”
A bright smile spreads across his face. “It would be nice to have a home again, and friends, and the spirits said they like me too. I haven’t had that in a long time.”
“Are you sure you like it better up here with the living?”
“Uh, yeah. The Below is dreary. I’d rather be lonely than sad. Wouldn’t you?”
I nod. “Yeah.” I rub my hands together and exhale. “I’m ready. Farnsworth, requesting a love bond.”
I startle when Farnsworth appears before me. “Is that so?”
I nod. “Yes. What do I need to do?”
He glances at Crash. “I assume you’ve chosen a mortal?”
Crash sputters a laugh.
“Yes. Hudson’s in the living room, working.”
“And you’ve selected Crash as your supernatural witness?”
“Yes.” A thought comes to me. Hudson would probably like his sister here for this. “Can we have a living witness too?”
Farnsworth furrows his brow. “No. The living cannot know about our world.”
“What if she already does?”
His expression softens. “She has gifts?”
“Yeah. Hudson’s sister. She helped with the Horror and even convinced Hudson to contact me in the beginning.”
He looks uncomfortable with the thought, tapping his wing tipped shoes on the tile floors. “It’s unusual, but if you’re certain she can handle it, I’ll allow it.”
“Thank you.”
He bows his head.
“How do we prepare for it?”
“Assemble your witnesses and choose your location—I recommend outdoors—and when you’re ready, call me back.”
“Okay.”
“Do you understand, fully understand, what you’re committing to? And more importantly, does your mortal?”
“Yes. We’ve discussed it at length, and he’s prepared to accept the risks.”
“The risks, while worthy of concern, are infrequent. What’s most likely to happen is that you will live for eternity, and that is an amount of time your mind cannot yet comprehend. You are committing to this person until time ends. That is a very, very long time. The pain of a bad union is worse than anything the Below could deliver. You must be sure, Aster.”
His words bounce around my head, and as I wait for something to scare me off or tell me not to do it, I get nothing but a sense of peace and absolute certainty. Apparently, judging from his soft smile, Farnsworth senses my determination.
“Very well,” he says. “I’ll return when you’re ready.”
“Thank you.”
He nods and then he’s gone.
“Ooh this is so exciting,” Crash says.
“It is.”
I walk out to the living room where Hudson is sitting on the couch. He’s hunched over the coffee table, where he’s been since we returned from lunch, typing furiously on his laptop. He doesn’t even notice when I enter the room.
“Hud?”
He looks up and a bright smile spreads across his face. “Hi.”
“Hey. You’re busy.”
“Just excited. I have so many ideas brimming now. It’s like the dam broke on my creativity and I can barely keep up with my own thoughts.”
“That is exciting. I don’t want to interrupt but… um…”
Hudson sits back. “Is something wrong?”
“No.” I shake my head, finishing my approach and sitting next to him. “Nothing’s wrong. I spoke to Farnsworth about the bond.”
“Oh.” He grips my hand. “And?”
“He’s ready whenever we are. I got permission for Jocelyn to come if you want.”
He blinks rapidly. “Really?”
“Because she already knows about the world beyond the veil. I didn’t ask about her wife. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” He rubs his forehead. “It’s still good.”
“Farnsworth wanted to make sure you really understand what you’re getting into. He told me that bad things happening are rare, so actually we’d probably be together longer than our minds can even imagine. Choosing to separate is painful. I think we should take it literally that our souls are bonded. Inseparable.”
Hudson nods, searching my eyes. “Isn’t that beautiful? It’s what everyone wants when they finally find love, right? We promise each other forever, but we can’t deliver it, not really. But you can. You can promise me forever, Aster. You can promise me you’ll never leave. You won’t die and leave me here alone. What could be better than that?”
The emotions I’ve been holding in finally bubble over and I throw myself into his arms as I choke on a sob. Hudson wraps his arms around me, wrapping me in his warmth and love.
“I thought I was gonna be alone,” I manage to say. “It doesn’t seem real that I get to have a man like you love me.”
“I feel the same way.”
I pull back so I can see his face. “We’re gonna be so happy. I know it.”
He cups my face. “I do too. I’m okay with eternity if you are.”
“Yeah. Call Jocelyn when you’re ready.”
“I’m ready.”