Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
HUDSON
I ’ve lost my mind. This is so much worse than last time, with Jemma. I thought I heard Addy’s voice in Ma’s study a few days ago. Heartbreak has gone straight to my head, ’cause she is gone, and I can still hear her. My heart shatters all over again.
Keep your hands busy, Huddo.
Solid advice from my little brother. Mack and Reed were here for my last heartbreak. I shouldn’t have expected anything less. But unlike last time, there is no coming back from this. The way that Adam guy slung his arm over her chair... I never pegged Addy for a pushover, but he is familiar, and maybe she needed that. I don’t believe it... At least, I don’t want to.
Silver lining, I’m sure Charlie enjoyed his first and last road trip. Back to the task at hand, I measure for the fifth time and line the trim up to the proper angle before letting the blade drop. After a full day working with the colt and wrangling cattle, my body aches. But my mind won’t quit, so I raise the blade and tug the trim from the deck.
Up the ladder, I hold it in place before nailing it between the wall and the ceiling with the pneumatic nail gun. The thwack echoes through this empty house, rattling through my heart with each nail I send into the trim. And by the time I reach the end, my hands tremble.
Charlie is curled up in front of the fire. The wind picks up outside. The chance of freezing rain or sleet is high. I grab the whiskey from the cabinet. At least it might take the edge off and warm me up. The sun is falling fast outside, and I grab a glass and pour a couple inches in the bottom. I toss it down and revel in the burn that sinks all the way to my gut.
Charlie’s head pops up and he stares at the door for a moment before laying it on his paws again. But his beady eyes are stuck on the damn door. The way they have been for the past three days. I don’t have the heart to tell him he’s waiting for something that’s not going to happen. Someone who’s not coming.
I pour another inch into the glass and raise it to my lips. Charlie springs up and darts to the door, tail wagging. What the hell?
I place the glass down and am halfway to the door when I hear tires on gravel.
I halt in my tracks.
Hoping that it’s Reed’s truck.
Hoping it’s not.
A car door opens and slams shut. Then another.
I walk to the front door and bend down to where Charlie is going nuts, desperate to be let out. “Who is it, boy?”
Thunder crackles overhead. Rain pelts down and the wind picks up as the house darkens inside. Charlie barks impatiently at me now. “Alright.”
But my hand hesitates over the door handle.
When Charlie growls at me, I huff an incredulous laugh and open the door for him. “Alright, little man, you win.”
The rain is heavy.
The Cherokee parked in my drive is covered in mud.
Charlie flies down the stairs.
Addy stands holding her bags in the pouring rain. She drops them the instant Charlie reaches her and drops to her knees. He jumps around her, lapping at her face. A rock slides into my throat. I walk across the porch and down the stairs until I am standing inches from her crouched form. Jaw clenched tight, I wait for her. And when she pushes to her feet, those gorgeous brown eyes find mine.
Hair, wet and messy, dangles around her shoulders. Her chest heaves and her mouth parts. “Huddy,” she rasps, and her face crumples.
My hands find her face and I slam my mouth to hers. She huffs a strangled laugh and sobs into my mouth. Tears burn down my cheeks and I pull her closer. She parts her mouth and I claim every inch of her.
Her hands wander into my soaked hair. My cock thickens with every touch as she pushes and pulls her way through my hair, down my neck, and to my collar. She grips the shirt with both hands and breaks from the kiss. “I heard there was a position available... Something about a vacancy for captain?”
She smiles.
So fucking beautiful.
I sweep her up into my arms and walk up the stairs. Charlie trots inside and heads back to the fireplace.
Addy shivers in my arms. “Need a hot shower, sweet girl?”
“Amongst other things.” She pulls my mouth down to hers, and I fumble my way to the shower. When I have the water on, I set her down and she stares at me, her breathing fast, heavy. “Hudson?”
“Yeah?”
“You were never a choice for me. You’re it... I love you.”
I turn back and rip the shirt from my back. Her eyes follow the lines on my body. “Adeline Howard, I have loved you since the day Charlie killed that snake.”
Her mouth drops open with the word “oh” before curling into a smile. Her hungry eyes follow me as I close the distance between us and I growl, “Arms up.”
She raises her arms, eyes locked on mine as I peel the cold, wet clothes from her body. When they hit the floor with a wet slap, I slide my fingers into the waistband of her jeans. Her beautiful brown eyes burn into mine as I push them down and she steps out. I kick them to the side and kiss her mouth before tracking kisses down her neck. She runs her fingers into my hair and moans. “God, you have no idea how much I missed you, Hudson Rawlins.”
“I have a pretty good idea, Adeline.”
My cock throbs in my jeans.
“You have far too many clothes on, Huddy.”
“Nope. We are going to take this so damn slow.”
She huffs a small laugh and arches as my mouth finds her hard peaks. Steam fills the bathroom, and when I have sufficiently sucked and nibbled both nipples, I drop to my knees and kiss her stomach, sliding a thumb over her clit. She whimpers, and I spread her legs with my hands. “I have been driving for four days. Shower first, please.”
I push to my feet and pick her up. Her legs wrap around my waist, and I walk into the stream of hot water, jeans and all. She devours my mouth with hers, and I let her down. Swiping the soap up, I lather her up, making sure to cover every inch of her body. When I stand back up after soaping her calves, she grabs the button of my fly and flicks it open and drags the zipper down. A heartbeat later, my cock springs free, and I press it into her stomach, covering her lips with mine.
I run a hand down her stomach and trace circles around her clit. As she mutters something incoherent, I smile against her. Water running over those gorgeous breasts, her stomach, hips and ass, she is incredible. Shampoo appears in front of my face. “Wash my hair.”
I take the bottle from her hand, and she drops to her knees. “You’re not that tall, sweet girl.”
“I know.” Her mouth slips around the head of my cock, and my grip on the shampoo tightens. When I have some semblance of control, I squirt the liquid into my hand and start massaging it through her hair. She takes me deeper and I groan, fingers fisting in her hair. “Goddamn, Addy.”
She swirls her tongue around the head, and it is all I can do to hold back from thrusting into her pretty mouth. I concentrate on the shampoo and making sure all of her hair is lathered up before grabbing her under the arms and spinning her to face the tile. “Your turn.”
She glances over her shoulder at me and smiles.
My heart explodes.
And when she spreads her legs and tilts her ass toward me, I tug her closer and sweep the tip against her wet folds. “God above, Hudson. Please.”
I push into her entrance. She moans with every inch I give her. It’s too much. Not enough. I sweep her hair to one side and kiss her neck, finding her apex with my free hand. When her back curls further and her legs shake with every soft whimper, I thrust in hard. Sending her spiraling.
“Huddy! Oh god.”
I follow her, falling like I never have before.
Knowing this is only the start of our always.
“Hudson . . . Huddy.”
Something touches my face, light, feather soft, tracking down my jaw, down my neck. And when I crack my gaze open, beautiful, lit-up brown eyes are close in front of my face before soft lips cover mine. A man could get used to this.
My body responds to Addy’s. Cock hard, fire pooling deep in my belly. The canopy bed that I picked because it reminded me of her in her tiny townhouse creaks a little as I flip her over, pinning her under me. She stretches, languid like a cat in the sun. Naked, her soft, perfect breasts move, calling my name. And like a man starved, I grunt and nip at the peaks, rousing giggles from this amazing woman in my bed.
In our bed.
’Cause I sure as hell won’t be letting her go, ever again.
But first, I want to make this beautiful woman come undone. Every goddamn day from this moment forward.
Always.
By the time I track kisses to her belly button, she is writhing underneath me. Good.
And when I push her legs wider with my hands inside her thighs, I lap up the wetness that is mine. I suckle her apex, and she arches off the bed like a damn goddess. Hands gripping the headboard, she whimpers as I slide two fingers inside her and sweep my tongue back and forth over her clit.
She unravels, riding my hand, and I can’t help the smile that stretches my face, watching my Addy. Then this sweet girl comes around my fingers. Fucking perfect. And she’s mine.
“More,” she pants.
I shift to my knees and line her up with my hard cock. Her hands are over the headboard as I sink into her. Fuck me.
No amount of time with Addy is gonna be enough for me.
Never.
She decided I was worth her forever, and I will spend the rest of mine making damn sure I earn it. Even if it’s one kiss at a time.
One milestone.
One hurdle.
Whatever comes our way.
And there is only one way this cowboy knows how to make sure that happens.