His Curvy Fantasy, page 13
HBF: Hopefully that doesn’t happen.
MFMMDT: I agree.
HBF: Do you think we know each other?
A tease tickled the back of my neck. I’d asked myself that question many times. When I walked down the street, I wondered if the men I passed could be HereByForce. I found myself smiling at random people, just in case one of them was him.
But in all our conversations, I hadn’t figured out who he was. Which meant if we did know each other, we didn’t know each other well.
MFMMDT: I don’t know. I don’t have any guesses as to who you are. Do you think you know who I am?
HBF: No. And I’m afraid to ask. What if you already hate me?
MFMMDT: If I already hate you, maybe this will change my mind. What if you hate me?
HBF: I can’t think of any woman I hate.
MFMMDT: Hopefully that means we’re good.
HBF: Does that mean you want to meet?
All the air whooshed out of me. I knew it would happen. Eventually, one of us had to say it. It had been weeks of regular chats. I was curious. And it would be nice to have someone other than Hudson to think about.
I’d only seen Hudson in passing over the last few weeks. I stayed out of O’Kelleys. I would text Joey when I got there to come outside to the car. I suggested other places to eat when Finley wanted to order lunch. I avoided every possible contact with him.
But meeting up with another man instantly made me think of Hudson. What would he think if I went on a date? Why did I want to know? Did I want to date someone else? Did I want to date him?
HBF: Never mind. I don’t want you to feel pressured.
MFMMDT: It’s been a long time since I went on a date.
HBF: Then how about a drink?
I took a breath and closed my eyes. I could do this.
MFMMDT: Tomorrow night. Eight pm. O’Kelley’s. Do you know where that is?
HBF: I’ve been there a time or two, yeah.
MFMMDT: I’ll sit at the bar. I’ll be wearing a purple sweater.
HBF: See you then.
Butterflies lifted off in my stomach. I smiled.
Then I imagined Hudson’s face when he saw me with another man.
My thighs tingled. My pulse quickened. My lips parted.
I didn’t want to be turned on thinking about Hudson getting jealous, but I was. Maybe he wouldn’t care. But maybe he would.
I hoped he would.
I sent Goldie a text, knowing I needed encouragement from a friend. She was excited for me and made me promise to spill all the details when we had dinner in two nights.
Matty was sleeping over at a friend’s house, and Joey was going out with Tierney and a few other friends to the movies. I dropped both my boys off, then went to O’Kelley’s.
The pit in the center of my stomach tightened when I walked in the door. It was busy. Not the busiest I’d ever seen it, but definitely busier than I expected. That many people witnessing what was sure to be a failure on my end was not something I was looking forward to.
Neither was feeling pressure to go home with a stranger. Sure, I made the date when I knew I was free, but that didn’t mean I wanted anything more than a drink with the guy.
What the hell was I thinking?
I was about to turn and go when I saw Hudson watching me from behind the bar. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was glaring at me.
Why did I choose his bar for this?
I swallowed my uneasiness and admitted to myself it was the same reason Finley said she met Trent there. She knew, just like I knew, Hudson would never let anything bad happen.
But for me, he might be the bad thing happening.
My knees wobbled as I moved across the bar toward him. I slid onto a stool at the end, where I could see the door and disappear down the hallway to the bathrooms if I needed a break.
Hudson’s gaze didn’t stray for one second. When I finally looked up, his eyes were so dilated they were nearly black.
“Can I get a drink?” I asked him.
He nodded sharply. He didn’t say anything as he grabbed a glass and filled it with ice. I turned away from him, not wanting to watch as he crafted me something I was sure to like a little too much. When the thunk of the glass hit the bar in front of me, I spun back around and found him still holding the glass and watching me.
I stared up at him, holding the quiver deep inside me didn’t show on my face.
“I haven’t seen you in almost a month,” he said. His voice was quiet in the loud bar, bordering on harsh, like he was holding something back.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Not too busy tonight?”
I shook my head. “Matty’s at a sleepover, and Joey’s out with friends.”
“And you’re…?”
“Meeting someone.”
He blew a breath out of his nose. “Anyone I know?”
“I doubt it.”
“What makes you say that? I know a lot of people.”
I considered what he was saying and wondered if Hudson knew HereByForce. If he did, would that make it better or worse?
“What’s his name?”
I almost said his screen name but decided not to share that information with Hudson. He would mock me for using an online dating site. “Why?”
“Wondering if I know him. I didn’t realize you were dating someone.”
“Who said I was?”
“I asked what his name was. You didn’t correct me.”
Shit. He was right. “Is that a problem?”
“Nope. Nice sweater.”
I sipped my drink. “Thanks.”
“I guess you’re a fan of purple.”
“Why do you say that?”
He shrugged. “Purple tree. Purple sweater. Seems like that’s a favorite.”
“How did… Oh, I forgot you helped Joey with that. Thank you. It was a wonderful surprise. I love it.”
Hudson nodded again. He seemed stiff. Uncomfortable. Like how I felt.
I ignored him another moment and scanned the bar. I knew telling HereByForce what I was wearing meant giving him the power to decide if he wanted to meet me or not. If he didn’t show, I had no choice but to assume he wasn’t interested.
My phone buzzed in my bag, and I dug it out. A new message.
HereByForce: Purple looks damn good on you.
I gasped. He was here. And he was watching me.
MyFriendsMadeMeDoThis: I’m definitely a fan. Since you know who I am, are you going to come say hi?
I waited, my heart in my throat. I looked around to see if I could spot anyone on their phones. People were talking and laughing with friends. Some had phones out, but most were engaged in conversation. I didn’t spot anyone who could have been HereByForce.
HereByForce: I already did.
I tilted my head to the side and tried to figure out what he was talking about. The only one I’d spoken to since I got there was…
No.
It was not possible.
I lifted my gaze to his. He was staring at me. His phone was in his hand. He lifted one dark brow. A challenge or a question. It didn’t matter which. I had to go.
I scrambled off the stool I was on and shoved my way through the crowd. Hudson Grant could not be HereByForce. Just no. He wasn’t the kind, considerate man who’d spent two months getting to know me. He wasn’t the guy I was enjoying talking to.
My car was too far away, so I rushed down the snow-covered sidewalk and prayed he didn’t make it to me before I made it to my car. I don’t know why I was worried, though. When I got in my car and cranked it up, I didn’t see anyone on the sidewalk.
He wasn’t chasing after me.
I pushed down my disappointment and pulled away from the curb. It wasn’t fair. Hudson drove me crazy in every way possible. He never showed that side of himself. The side that was kind and thoughtful and impossible to resist. As much as I debated meeting HereByForce tonight, there was a pull to him I felt since our first talk.
On my birthday. When I messaged him six times.
I groaned and shook my head. I was so stupid. Why did I think dating was a good idea? Even online dating. Eventually, it moved to real life, and real life was messy.
I berated myself the entire drive, and when I got home, I’d decided I was done dating. It wasn’t worth the humiliation of someone like Hudson learning all the private details I’d shared with him. I felt like such an idiot.
I was almost to my door when a vehicle door closed behind me. It was dark, and my neighborhood wasn’t the best, so I hurried to the safety of my building. Then he called out to me.
“Anna. Wait. Please.”
I sighed heavily. Hudson. A part of me was happy he’d come after me, and a part of me was completely shut down. He knew things. He knew about feeling like a failure as a parent. He knew about Nick and some of what he put me through. He knew I didn’t feel desirable. He knew so many things. Was he toying with me the entire time? Did he know who I was and wanted me to feel stupid when I figured out who he was?
“Why?” I asked.
“Because we need to talk. Let’s go inside.” He’d already caught up to me and was standing a step below me on the cracked concrete. Snow was piled up on either side of the walkway. It had mostly melted where salt had been liberally applied, but the temperatures were dropping and more snow was coming.
I told myself the shiver that raced through me was from the cold and not from the man standing a foot away. I spun and walked inside, feeling his silent strength behind me as I walked.
Inside my apartment, I wanted out. I had no interest in hearing how Hudson tricked me for months and was just trying to get a laugh. Or how he figured it out and wanted to let me know so we could end this. Or anything. Why? Why did this happen to me?
“I had no idea who you were until you walked into O’Kelley’s tonight,” he said. His voice scraped on every nerve in my body. “A part of me hoped maybe it was you, but I never let myself completely form that thought because it was unfair to the woman I was talking to.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you hope it was me?”
He laughed and ran a hand over his face. “You make me fucking nuts, Anna. You challenge me in a way no one ever has. You dominate my thoughts, and when I get close to you, I lose my fucking mind.”
My breath fled from my chest, making me weak. I sank to my couch and leaned forward, putting my elbows on my knees.
“You don’t feel the same,” he said, dropping to the chair in the corner. It wasn’t a question. He was interpreting my actions. But he was wrong.
“When we’re together, we’re either fighting or fucking. How does that work?”
He breath a laugh and shrugged. “I don’t know, but there’s no one I’d rather do either with.”
My gaze snapped to his, and I knew he was being honest. I tried to put him in the box I’d shoved him in a year ago. The asshole box. Like Nick. A man who thought he knew what was best for everyone. But the more I tried to put him in there, the harder it was for him to fit. Hudson wasn’t who I thought he was. He’d shown me that, but I didn’t want to believe it. He was kind and generous. He was sexy and passionate. He was smart and strong.
And for some reason, he was looking at me like I was everything he wanted.
“Anna,” he groaned. His fingers gripped the arms of the chair. The same chair he’d slept in when he brought me home on my birthday.
“I don’t want to fight with you right now.”
A slow, sexy grin lifted his lips as he took my words and understood what I was telling him. He prowled toward me, his movements unhurried as he walked across the small room. He leaned over me, forcing me to tilt my head back. His face was an inch from mine, his hands on the back of my couch. He smelled like beer and man. My heart pounded hard, my breath easing from me. I felt like we had all the time in the world.
And we were going to use every second of it.
I reached up and grabbed the gaping edge of his shirt. His warm skin was just beneath it, begging for my fingers. He hissed at the contact but didn’t move away. I slid my hand up, lifting his shirt as I went until his upper body was exposed.
I held his gaze as I leaned forward. He watched me until the angle stopped the connection and I licked his nipple.
He groaned. “Anna.”
I flicked my tongue over his nipple, loving the soft groans that came from him. I moved to the other one and gave that one a little bite. His groans got louder.
Another second and he grabbed my hips and flipped us. I came down on top of him, my thighs spread wide for him to settle between them. I moaned at the feel of his thickness against me and rocked over him.
“Take what you need from me,” he whispered. His hands shifted my hips, encouraging me to move.
“I need you,” I admitted.
Sure, an orgasm would be good, but it would be better if it was one he offered willingly. I could get myself off whenever I wanted, but having a partner do it was not usual for me.
“Me, too,” he whispered. Then he claimed my lips and pulled my body flush to his.
We kissed like teenagers on the couch, neither of us hurrying things along. My hips shifted, and his thrust, but we kept it to kissing and a few roaming hands while we settled into the idea of what was happening between us.
Hudson Grant, the man I spent the better part of the last year hating, was driving me out of my damn mind without even getting me naked.
“Hudson,” I whispered.
“Yeah?”
“Do we need to start fighting?”
He chuckled. “I’d prefer option two.”
“Good.”
15
Hudson
When Anna walked into O’Kelley’s in that purple sweater, I almost swallowed my fucking tongue. She was stunning. It highlighted her wide hips and her full figure. And she was wearing it for me.
Not that she knew that, but she was.
I almost told her the minute she sat down, but I wanted to be sure it was her. When she took off, I almost didn’t follow her, but Jonathan told me I was an idiot if I didn’t.
I needed to buy that man a drink. Or a car. If he hadn’t said he’d handle closing, I wouldn’t have my hands full of the woman who’d starred in all my fantasies over the last few months.
“Matty’s gone all night?” I asked, needing to know if we would be interrupted.
She nodded.
“And Joey’s out with friends? Until when?”
“His curfew is eleven. His friend’s mom is bringing him home.”
“So, we have almost three hours alone?” I asked.
She sighed and shifted her hips. My cock was throbbing and painfully hard, but I’d deal with the mess it made if she kept going and I came in my pants.
“Are you going to let me fuck you right here on this couch?” I asked her.
She shivered at my words and bit her lip. “Better than fighting.”
I chuckled and eased my hands up her sides, lifting the soft sweater up and away from her body. She wore a tight tank top beneath it, one that cupped and molded to her curves. Her bra strap twisted with the thin straps of the tank top and begged me to tug them down and feast on her breasts.
She didn’t resist the move, helping to unhook her bra while I lifted one breast to my lips in offering. She gasped when I bit down on the tight little bud, then shifted her hips again.
Fucking hell. I saw stars. It took everything in me to hold back from thrusting up against her and losing myself in her, but I wanted to be inside her when I came. I only had one condom in my wallet, a wishful thinking condom I never thought I’d get to use after she tore out of my office the last time I was lucky enough to stop fighting with her long enough to fuck her.
I switched to the other nipple, leaving a wet trail between them. She moaned and rocked and eased herself to where she wanted to go. I intended to take my time. Last time, it was quick and angry and amazing, but this time I wanted to drive her right to the edge and let her dangle there before she fell over. I wanted to taste her on my tongue and feel her on my fingers. I wanted her wrung out and wet and so ready for me that there was no resistance when I pressed into her.
“Hudson,” she whispered.
She was already close. Fuck, the woman could come in a second. I loved how easily she fell apart, but I wanted to feel it.
I tugged at the stretchy fabric that covered her center and managed to get my hand inside. I brushed damp curls on my way down. She bucked against me, her core seeking my fingers as I twisted my hand to find her center.
When I did, I groaned right along with her. She was soaked, dripping wet and pulsing. I ignored her clit and slid two fingers inside her, biting down on her nipple as I did.
She tightened around my fingers and came with a near silent scream that had me aching to get her somewhere she could make all the noise she wanted.
“Fucking hell,” I growled. “I need more of that.”
She did, too, if the way her hips rode my hand was any indication. I pressed my thumb against her clit and swore when she fell apart just that fast a second time.
I pulled my hand out, loving the pained cry she gave me when I did. “On your back, Anna. Now.”
She didn’t hesitate to do as I asked. I eased her leggings and panties over her thighs and shoved a pillow beneath her hips. I pressed her thighs wide and blew air gently on her skin. She quivered and come leaked from her center. I leaned in and licked it away, groaning at the flavor of her on my tongue.
“Please,” she whispered.
I had no intention of stopping anytime soon, but she didn’t know that. I licked her again, then added my fingers to her channel once more. Three this time. She moaned and clenched around them, lifting her hips to meet my strokes.
“So good.”
I hummed in agreement and dragged my tongue around her tender, soft flesh. My fingers pumped in and out of her in a slow rhythm, not enough to take her higher yet. Just getting her used to it so when I pushed, she would jump.
She mewed and whimpered, begging for more without saying a word. I ached to sink into her and lose myself, but more than that, I ached to watch her lose her damn mind. It was one thing to make a woman as responsive as Anna come. It was another to tease her on the edge and leave her gasping for breath. I wanted the second one.
