Chapter 10
ten
CALLIE
Hudson’s house was absolutely gorgeous.
Big windows.
Cozy furniture, paint, and flooring.
Fancy appliances.
Modern everything.
My dad’s house had been in serious need of updating when I was a kid, and he’d never bothered, so the style of it was more than forty years out of date.
At Hudson’s instruction, I sat on the counter while he made dinner for us.
“Do you think you’d be willing to move here?” he asked me, as he stirred the chili on the stove with his spare hand sitting on my thigh.
“Yep.” I nodded. “But if you leave me, I’m keeping this place.”
“I’ll put it in the contract,” he agreed, flashing me a grin. “Because I’m not leaving.”
“Good.”
“Now, I want to hear about the bastard who taught you how to give a blowjob. And all the other assholes you’ve dated.”
I rolled my eyes. “We’re not talking about my exes right now.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ve always been possessive, even before we were actually together. The last thing I need is to make that worse.”
“I’ll trade something in exchange.” He continued stirring.
“Like…”
“Orgasms.”
I blinked.
His hand left my thigh as he set his spoon down and washed his hands in the sink.
Suddenly, I was feeling warm.
Very warm.
“That’s not fair,” I said, as he walked back over.
“Never said it was.” He pulled me smoothly to the edge of the countertop, then peeled the waistband of my leggings downward. When he reached my ass, I lifted it for him.
Probably shouldn’t have, but I wanted him to touch me.
“What would the morality police say about forcing me to tell you about my exes in exchange for sexual favors?” I countered, settling back down on my ass, wearing nothing but my shirt and a pair of panties.
“That you could just refuse.”
He ran his knuckles over the front of my center, and I inhaled sharply.
His chest rumbled in satisfaction. “You’re already wet for me.”
“You’re going to touch me whether or not I tell you anything,” I breathed, as he teased my clit through the lace again.
“Probably.”
“ Definitely .”
He pulled the crotch of my panties tighter, so they parted my folds, and gave me a low growl as he lowered to his knees in front of me. “Fuck, you’re perfect.”
“You’ve never been with anyone else, so you don’t kn—ohhh.” I moaned when he tore my panties away and dragged his tongue over my clit.
My fingers fisted in his hair, tightening as he licked me again, faster, and harder.
I clutched him desperately as he devoured me, nipping with his teeth when he wanted to make my hips jerk.
My climax built quickly, and my cries filled the air as I lost control on his tongue.
In no hurry to stop, he ate me out until I came again, my body jerking desperately when I did.
I was panting when he released my clit with one last swipe of his tongue. He stood, tugging his shirt over his head before doing the same with mine. Though the buckle on my bra made him pause a moment, he got that off too, and it joined the rest of my clothes on the floor.
I unbuttoned his jeans, pushing them down his hips. He helped me shove them down until we were bare together, my hand on his cock and his on my tits.
“You’re so fucking beautiful, Cal,” he said, lifting one of his hands to my face so he could tip my head back as he kissed me.
“So are you.” I slid my hand over the ridges on his abdomen, making him flex for me.
My legs parted wider as he stepped into me, and in one smooth motion, filled me with his cock.
My lips rounded at the feel of him, so insanely thick.
“You okay?” he dragged a thumb over my nipple.
“Forgot how good that feels,” I breathed.
“How about this?” He opened me wider and took another step, taking me deeper.
I moaned. “Hud…”
“Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours.” I pressed against him as he pulled out before filling me again, harder and faster. Every motion took me closer to the edge—closer to him—and closer to admitting how desperately, hopelessly in love with him I’d been for so long.
We climaxed as one, and he wrapped his arms around me, holding me to his chest as I sucked in air, trying to recover from my orgasm.
He rumbled in satisfaction against me, his cock still insanely thick and hard.
The timer on his phone went off, telling us the chili was done, and I groaned.
He chuckled, reaching over to turn off the stove before he lifted me off the counter.
“Where are we going?” I mumbled against his shoulder.
“To bed. So I can try to get stories out of you.”
I groaned again, for a reason that was absolutely not sexual.
He laughed. “It can’t be as bad when I’m buried inside you.”
“It absolutely can.”
His steps forced him into me even deeper, and my breathing grew shallow.
He settled on his back on the bed, leaving me on top of him and therefore in control. It was the first time I’d ridden him like that, and the sensation was incredible.
“Holy shit,” I breathed, moving slightly, and he throbbed inside me.
I forced myself to try to breathe deeper, to fight the desire, but it was intense. I wasn’t sure whether to blame it on the mate bond, our past, or just my existing level of horniness.
He didn’t ask again about my exes—but I knew he hadn’t dropped it. Hudson didn’t drop things like that.
And truthfully, we were going to talk about it eventually. If he’d saved himself for me, there was no way around that conversation. So, we might as well get it over with while our bodies were connected, forcing us to feel pleasure.
“The first guy was a few weeks after I started college,” I admitted. “Wren introduced me to him. I was missing you horribly, so she dragged me to this game night that some people she sort of knew were hosting. We all got a little tipsy. The guy and I had been flirting all night, the flirting led to making out, and…”
Hudson’s chest was rumbling in a way that told me he didn’t like what he was hearing, but that was expected.
I let out a long breath. “I don’t regret getting it over with, but I’ve always wished it was with someone I knew and trusted. He didn’t care about me. Didn’t even try to get me off.”
Hudson’s hands slid over my thighs and around my ass, squeezing. “I should’ve been there.”
“It’s in the past, Hud. No point in dwelling. You’re here now. And you’re not leaving.”
“Not a fucking chance.”
I moved my hips a little.
“Who else?”
“I started dating a guy a few weeks after that. Still needed a distraction after being away from you. We were together for a month, and he did try to make the sex good for me.”
Hudson’s eyes darkened. “He’s the one who taught you to give a blowjob.”
“Yes.”
He dragged his thumb over my clit, and I gasped.
“Tell me you’re mine, Cal.”
“Definitely yours,” I panted.
“The last guy?”
I groaned. “Not this again.”
“Callie,” he warned, still teasing my clit.
“I was pickier after the second,” I moaned, as Hudson pushed me closer to the edge. “I realized I didn’t like meaningless sex. I dated, but made a rule not to sleep with anyone until the third time we went out. Nothing ever got serious enough until my senior year of college. We’d had a few classes together, and had been friends since sophomore year. When he asked me out, I was surprised, but we hit it off. We were together nine months. After graduation, we had to decide between marriage and breaking up, and I—” I cried out as Hudson stopped teasing my clit just before he got me off. “Damn you!”
“I don’t want you coming with anyone but me on your mind.”
“Possessive bastard.” I dug my fingers into his abdomen, sitting back on his erection so he bottomed out inside me again.
“Undeniably. Now finish your story.”
“I couldn’t commit. It was that simple. Some part of me was still in love with you, no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise. We broke up, and I moved to New York. Haven’t dated anyone seriously since then, and I kept my rule.”
“It’s been three years?”
“Four.”
He made a noise of satisfaction. “Thanks for telling me.”
“You were never going to put it to rest if I didn’t.”
He chuckled. “You know me too well.”
Hudson started working my clit again, and my thoughts went blank. My mind went quiet.
Every fiber of my being was focused on the way he felt inside me—until I shattered again.
Eventually, we slipped out of bed. After a stop in the bathroom to clean up, Hudson tugged one of his shirts over my head and pulled on a pair of shorts. He held my hand as we walked back to the kitchen.
Somehow, the place already felt like home.
He dished up bowls of chili (and cornbread with honey that he whipped up quickly, of course), then joined me at the table. He sat down beside me instead of across from me, settling one of his hands casually between my thighs as he ate with the other. His feet tangled with mine, and I couldn’t bite back my smile.
“What did my mom say?” he asked, and my smile faded.
She might be able to keep his dad’s secrets from him, but I couldn’t. It had been hard enough to lie about dating when he asked over the phone a few times a year. Now that we were together again, I didn’t think I could sell a lie even if I tried.
“Your dad was in her driveway when I got there,” I said.
He frowned, his forehead creasing. “Why?”
I took a bite of chili to give myself a moment to figure out how to word the admission. “They’re engaged.”
His forehead creased further. “No they’re not.”
“I didn’t believe it either, but I watched them interact like a real couple from my car. Your mom saw me after he left, and waved me over. When I got inside her house, she explained.”
I gave him a very detailed rundown of everything she’d told me about his dad’s conversation with his friends, and their realization.
Hudson didn’t touch his food the entire time I was speaking.
He let out a slow breath when I wrapped up the explanation, his grip on my thigh deathly tight. “I need some air.”
Releasing my leg, he stood, then stopped abruptly.
“This isn’t me leaving you,” he said. “I’m not. I’d never.”
“You’re a bear. I know you need time alone to process sometimes. That’s not new.” I captured his hand and squeezed it. “I get it.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I love you, Cal.”
With that, he strode out of the cabin, ditching his shorts on the porch.
I finished my food—and some of his—before digging through the kitchen for Tupperware. After I’d put the rest of the chili and cornbread away, I grabbed my phone. Then, I made my way out to the porch and sat down on the swing out there. It was positioned to face the forest just like the one at my dad’s house.
Lifting my feet onto the railing, I sent a message.
Me
I’m sorry about Hudson, I tried to stop him
Any sign of he who shall not be named?
Wren
Nope
It’s been six hours already, and the flight only takes four. I looked it up
And don’t worry about Hudson. I thought Sylvie would tell him ages ago, remember? It was inevitable that someone would break the news
Me
Did you look at flight times to find out the earliest he can get here?
Wren
No
That would make it feel too real
I looked it up.
Me
The only plane he could get on today would land at 10 PM if it’s on time. With the hour drive from the airport, 11 is the earliest you’d see him
Wren
Dammit
I was finally starting to feel better
Me
Liar
Wren
Shhh
Me
How’s Parker?
Wren
He’s seemed fine ever since he threw up. Maybe he ate something that disagreed with his stomach
Me
At least he’s not still puking
Wren
No kidding
Sorry again about that
How are things between you guys?
Me
Really good, honestly
I don’t think he’s going to leave
Wren
I don’t either
And that makes me really, really happy for you 3
I set my phone down on the bench beside me. Leaning back against the swing, I let myself picture what the future might look like.
Hudson, building a crib while lecturing me that I shouldn’t be painting the baby’s room while pregnant.
Holding my hand in the hospital.
Holding our baby with his arm around my shoulder.
Holding me when I cried because I was worried I’d be a shitty mom. Mine had died when I was so young that I wouldn’t know the first thing about doing it well.
But I could see him playing catch with our toddler, running around the house with the little guy.
Carrying our son on his shoulders.
Playing sports with him as he grew up.
Hudson would be an amazing dad. Just like mine had been.
I wiped my eyes as a few more memories slipped in.
My dad putting a bright pink Band-Aid on my knee after I fell and scraped it while running with Hudson.
Laughing with me as we watched the silly TV shows I’d liked.
Making me Rice Krispy Treats with pink food coloring, because I wanted them to be cute.
Taking me to the store and teaching me about tampons while pointing out the different types after he researched them.
My father had his demons and his struggles, but he was a good dad. I wished I’d been in Cub Lake to help him when his addiction set in again. He’d overcome it when my mom was pregnant with me, and it hurt to know that he’d been struggling alone at the end.
But the past was in the past.
Like I’d told Hudson, there was no point in dwelling on it.
He had been an amazing father, and I would do everything I could to make sure I was as good to my baby as he had been to me.