Page 7

Chapter six

Daphne

My heart’s pounding like I’ve just sprinted a mile. The world around us feels hazy, distant, as Hudson’s hand comes up to cup my cheek. His touch is warm, steady, and when he tilts my face slightly, it ignites a tsunami of heat that spreads throughout my body.

And then, just like that, he closes the space between us, causing my heart to stutter.

The first brush of his lips is feather light, so tentative it feels like a question. I didn’t expect him to kiss me like this. I thought he’d dive in and claim me, but he’s being so gentle it’s making my chest tighten. It’s so overwhelming, the sensation coursing through my veins, down my spine, warm and insistent in my core.

Without thinking, my fingers find his shirt, clutching the fabric as if it’s the only thing tethering me to the ground. And when his lips move against mine again, deeper this time, everything inside me responds in kind. There’s nothing hesitant about it now. It’s slow but consuming.

His hand slides to the back of my neck, his thumb brushing against the rapid beat of my pulse, caressing my skin. I taste the faint sweetness of maple syrup on his lips, and it’s completely him , or what I’ve quickly learned of him. Sweet and addictive.

I breathe a soft, involuntary sound against his mouth, and it’s like his control snaps. His hand tightens slightly, pulling me closer, until I can’t tell where I end and he begins. My arms wind around his neck, holding on to him.

When he finally pulls back, both of us greedily sucking in air, his forehead rests against mine. My eyes stay closed, the warmth of him still pressed against me, and a dazed, breathless smile tugs at my lips.

“I’ve wanted to do that all night,” he breathes out with a laugh.

His words blanket me in warmth, and I open my eyes to find his dark and focused on me. “What took you so long?”

His thumb traces a line along my jaw. “I wasn’t sure if you’d let me.”

My eyebrows knit. “Did I give you that impression?”

“You seem like someone who’d keep me guessing, which, by the way, is equal parts frustrating and irresistible.”

I laugh, a little shakily, as I trail my hands from his neck down the front of his shirt, skimming muscle as I pass. A lot of muscle. “For the record, I would’ve let you kiss me earlier.”

“Good to know. I’m hoping you’ll let me do it again too,” he says so casually, his lips quirking in that boyish way that makes it impossible to look anywhere else. “Shall we?” He extends his hand, and I take it, feeling content and light as air as we walk to our hotel. Are there clouds attached to my feet? I think there might be.

The walk back to the hotel is quieter than I expected, but the silence between us feels thick, buzzing, alive. My lips are still tingling from the kiss, and every time I sneak a glance at Hudson, I catch him doing the same to me. It’s maddening in the best way.

When we step into the hotel lobby, the warmth inside coats my already heated skin. Hudson presses the elevator button, and we wait. I want to say something, anything, but my mind is still too caught on the feel of his lips against mine.

The elevator dings, and we step inside. The tinny music hums in the background, but I barely notice it as we both press our floor buttons and he settles closer to me.

Too close. Not close enough.

As I lean back against the wall, my palms brush the cold metal rail, trying to look nonchalant, but my chest swells with every second we’re in this confined space together. Hudson takes a step closer to me, the fabric of his jacket brushing against my sleeve, and the heat between us flares.

I glance up at him, trying to keep my face neutral, but my pulse betrays me, hammering hard and fast. His lips twitch upward into that teasing smirk I like, but there’s a faint flush creeping up his neck that tells me I’m not the only one unraveling.

I shift on my feet, and the small movement brings me even closer to him. He turns to face me, his gaze heavy and full of lust. Each beat of my heart dares me to turn my body entirely to his. God, I want him.

Biting the inside of my lip, I watch his chest move in an irregular rhythm up and down, too fast for someone who’s standing still. As soon as I lift my eyes to meet his again, everything pauses.

“Fuck it,” he mutters, the words barely audible, but they strike like a match in a dark room.

Before I can blink, his hand slides around the back of my neck, warm and sure, pulling me toward him. When his lips crash against mine, the world tilts. The cold, metallic elevator against my back melts away as the kiss consumes every thought, every nerve, every inch of me.

His fingers press gently into my neck, grounding me as his other hand braces against the wall beside me. The kiss is firm, deliberate, but not rushed. This is what I expected earlier, a claiming, but even now it feels like more. He’s taking his time, tasting, learning, until my knees threaten to give out. My hands find the front of his shirt again, gripping it tight.

As his lips part slightly, the soft, teasing flick of his tongue sends a bolt of heat to my core. I gasp into the kiss, and he pulls me flush against him, pulling a breathy moan from my chest. My pulse pounds in my ears, drowning out everything else until the elevator slows, the sudden change in gravity forcing me back to reality. The soft ding of the doors opening cuts through the haze, and Hudson pulls back just enough for our eyes to meet.

“This is me,” he murmurs, his voice low and raspy.

My hand tightens instinctively to stop him. “Wait,” I say, the word tumbling out before I can think better of it.

His eyebrows lift, but he doesn’t move. “Yeah?”

I hesitate, my fingers brushing over the fabric between us. “I, uh… I…” I trail off, unsure of what I’m allowed to do here. We can’t go to my room, because Liv will be in there, and am I brave enough to invite myself to his? Nope.

The corner of his mouth curves into a slow, knowing grin, but he doesn’t make a joke or tease. Instead, he studies me for a moment, his hand still resting at my waist. “Do you want to come in?” he asks.

Oh thank god he asked first. “Do you want me to?”

His grin shifts into something deeper, his eyes dropping briefly to my lips before meeting mine again. “More than you know.”

I swallow roughly, my nerves battling with the warmth unfurling in my chest. Then, finally, I nod, and my lips curve into a small, tentative smile. “I want to,” I whisper.

He steps back just enough to grab the door before it closes completely, his hand finding mine to guide me out.