Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Now I was really angry. My face flushed and his eyes narrowed at whatever he saw in my gaze. “Don’t you understand why I’m so upset? I have decided you’re my future. All those important moments I was talking about? I can’t picture them now with anyone else but you and the reason I’m upset is because I want to share those moments, our moments, with my family who happens to be my brother and I’m scared shitless because whatever happens here”—I gestured frantically between us—“I’m going to lose someone that I love!”
The word rang out around us for just a fraction of a second and then Hudson was kissing me.
He was kissing me like the only way to get oxygen was to kiss it out of me.
I wrapped myself around him, completely forgetting where we were.
When he finally pulled back, he said, sounding breathless, “You love me?”
I shrugged, helplessly. “Heart on sleeve girl here.”
“You love me?”
“I love you.”
He crushed me against him, holding me so tight. “I love you, too. Fuck, I love you, too.”
I shook my head against his chest, feeling a spectacularly confusing rush of bliss and fear. “What are we doing, Hudson?”
After a moment of just holding me, Hudson tipped my head back with his thumb against my chin, and butterflies rushed to life in my belly at the way he looked at me. All barriers were down.
He loved me.
It blazed out of his eyes.
Hudson loved me.
“I don’t want to lose you,” I whispered fearfully.
Shaking his head, he hushed me. “Let’s just sit on it for a few days, okay? We’ll each take time to think, to really think, all the while enjoying the fuck out of loving each other. And when your vacation is coming to an end, we’ll sit down and we’ll hash this out. But whatever happens, Autumn, you won’t lose someone you love. So I’m asking you to just hold on a few more days. Can you do that? Can you hold on?”
I nodded, knowing there wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for this man. “I can hold on.”
8
As promised, I only considered our dilemma when we weren’t enjoying the heck out of each other. And we did. Oh, we did that thoroughly.
I’d never considered myself particularly sexually adventurous before Hudson, but when I was with him all my inhibitions disappeared. No man had ever made me feel more wanted and that gave me a kind of sexual confidence and power that made me revel in our lovemaking.
When we weren’t sequestered in my suite, I was with Susan and Molly putting together the finishing touches for Molly’s party. Most of our invites had been responded to within twenty-four hours and I’d organized a large bus to collect Molly’s friends and family and bring them up Winterhaven. Thanks to Hudson, those who wanted to receive ski rental equipment and free lessons could—something he’d worked out with the owner, Deke, so it wouldn’t eat into my budget.
Molly and Susan were surrounded by supportive friends and family who seemed relieved to see the two enjoying themselves. I’d decorated the condo with fairy lights, pink and white paper floral arrangements in amongst the real ones, and strands of rose gold bunting.
The day before, Hudson had let me loose in his kitchen in the condo but the problem was, for some reason, my baking turned him on. He kept distracting and interrupting me with his hands and mouth.
While my cupcakes were cooling, he’d unzipped both our jeans and fucked me on the kitchen counter. There was no other word for it.
And it was glorious!
Hudson appeared at the party to be there when I gave Molly her gift from me and him—a necklace I’d seen her admiring in a store in Copper Cliffs. She was delighted and after receiving a hug from Hudson that made her get this soft, dreamy look on her face, Hudson left us to it. Not without first telling me he’d see me later, with a sensual promise in his beautiful eyes.
The party was a huge success and my appetizers and baked goods went down an absolute treat. Having promised to keep some for Hudson, I managed to snag a cupcake, fairy cake, and a couple of brownies before they were all gone. With them secured in a small airtight container in my hands, I waved a final goodbye to Susan and Molly after a tearful cluster of hugs.
I’d given Susan my number and email and asked her to keep me up to date but only if she felt like it. The truth was I was melancholy leaving them because I wanted everything to turn out all right for them, and it was one of those horrible occasions when it never really would. I knew because I’d been through it. You moved on with your life but it was always that little bit empty. That was what it was to be human. To keep living, to find happiness, but doing it always being just that little bit sad because loss was inevitable.