Page 67

“I moved out of the guest room.” Her eyes meet mine, and the fire there is both satisfying and sexy.

“Yeah?” I feign nonchalance. “Where’d you move to?”

She makes a playful face. “Your room, silly.”

I frown like I’m confused. “Which room is that?”

She momentarily falters. “Wh-what do you mean?”

I shrug. “I don’t have a room. We have a room, though.”

Her face softens and tears glisten in her eyes. “Hudson…” She puts down her fork and blinks a few times. But I don’t want her to be upset.

“Don’t cry, princess.” I reach out and run my knuckles across her cheek. “I want you here. You know that, don’t you? This isn’t about being your bodyguard. I have half a dozen safe houses and corporate apartments all over the state where I could put you, where you would be safe. There’s only one reason I’d keep you here—with me.”

She swallows, eyes never leaving mine. “Are we… is this…” She stops talking and closes her eyes, as if rethinking what she wants to say. “I mean, I feel it too. I just don’t want to assume… Dylan is the only man I’ve ever been in a relationship with as an adult. And I don’t want you to feel trapped because you feel?—”

“Trapped?” I stare at her. “Are you serious, princess? You think I’d let myself be trapped if I didn’t want to be? I’m crazy about you. From the minute I saw you lying there in that hospital bed, something pulled at me. And that was before I knew you were Willow St. Claire. The woman lying there spoke to my soul. Believe me, I know how ridiculous that sounds but?—”

“It’s not ridiculous. From the moment you started to read to me, I knew you were special. I didn’t know you, but your voice broke through the coma, the subconscious part of me that was too afraid to come out of the darkness because I knew what was waiting for me. But then there was you. You were waiting in the light and that gave me the strength to come back.” Her eyes glisten with tears again. “My soul was listening, Hudson.”

I lean over and brush my lips across hers.

We stare at each other for a beat, and then dinner is forgotten. I get to my feet and then lift her right out of her chair. Her legs close around me as our mouths fuse together.

Fuck, I want her all the damn time.

I push her against the nearest wall, kissing her like I’m about to stake a claim. Her lips are sweet, the faint taste of wine from dinner lingering, and our tongues swirl with familiarity and heat. She’s so passionate when she lets herself go, and watching her come undone has become my favorite pastime.

“Bedroom,” I grunt, letting her slide to the ground. I’m not supposed to carry more than fifty pounds yet—and while she’s slender, I don’t want to risk it.

She doesn’t seem to be worried about whether or not I carry her, because she grabs my hand and we practically fly up the stairs.

We’re ripping each other’s clothes off the minute we get to my—our—room, and she grabs a condom before throwing herself on the bed. We’re a tangle of limbs and lips and groping hands, touching and kissing and climbing all over each other. She’s finding herself again, and I love being the man who brings out her passionate side.

She has one long leg wrapped around my middle and I grind my cock against her core, making her moan.

“Hudson, I need you…”

I just kiss her some more in response, plunging my tongue deep into her mouth as she wiggles and writhes against me. I slip two fingers between her legs and she’s drenched—for me. This never gets old, knowing—feeling—how much she wants me. She may look fragile and delicate, but when we’re together like this, she burns with sensuality and passion.

So maybe it’s time to up the intensity.

I like it a little rough, but I’ve held back with Willow, wanting to earn her trust and learn what she likes. But it feels like she needs more from me and I want to give her anything and everything she needs.

I grab her hands, lifting them over her head, and holding them firmly in one of mine as I roll us over so I’m on top.

She wiggles and twists her head. “Hudson, don’t?—”

“My hip is fine, princess,” I growl. “Now let me?—”

“Hudson, no!” Her cry of distress pierces my lusty haze and I freeze.

“Princess?”

“Stop, no! Let me go!” Her eyes are wide and no longer filled with the desire of a few seconds ago.

I immediately let go of her hands. “Willow, what’s?—”