“Now, baby,” he groans, his voice wrecked. “Come for me.”
As soon as the words roll off his lips, I let go, coming so hard I see white spots. My body clenches around him, pulsing.
He gives one final thrust. “Fuck, Ivory,” he growls, and I can feel him coming inside me. He buries his face in my neck, feeling his whole body shake as he rides the waves of his orgasm.
When he’s finally able to move, he collapses next to me, breathing heavily. The sweat, tears, and pleasure blur everything else away.
“Shit, Ivory. That was amazing,” he says, breathless.
“Hmm…” That’s the only thing I’m able to get out.
He laughs, rolling back over toward me, laying his head on my chest. He pulls me close as I run my fingers over his scalp, the short dark strands now damp from our lovemaking.
He sighs, tracing circles on my stomach. Then, all of a sudden, he sits up. “Shit, angel,” he mutters, his voice raw, full of concern. “I didn’t mean to be so rough.”
I look down and see his fingers tracing over a spot on my hip that’s starting to turn blue.
Smiling wide, I grab his hand and kiss his knuckles.
“Hudson, it’s fine. You don’t have to apologize. I wanted everything we just did, and the way it happened. I want to feel you tomorrow.”
He laughs, low and satisfied, leaning down to press his lips against my forehead, cradling me like I’m something precious, and for once, I believe I am.
13
HUDSON
Out of nowhere,I jolt awake. It’s pitch black, and my pulse is hammering. I know right away that something is off. I can feel it in my gut. It’s quiet but not the good kind. I let myself sit there for a minute, hoping that I’m just being paranoid.
Then I hear it. A sound outside. A car door, maybe. It has to be, because it’s too soft to be a raccoon or a wild animal but too loud for it to be the wind. Immediately, my instincts take over, and I’m reaching for the gun under my pillow, fingers wrapping tightly around the grip. I gently slip out of bed, careful not to make a sound or wake up Ivory, where she is curled up on her side of the bed, sound asleep and dead to the world, wearing nothing but one of my old tee shirts. She looks so peaceful, so vulnerable. And she’s mine to protect.
I grab my discarded pants from the night before and pull them on quickly with one hand. Padding out of the bedroom, I close the door behind me as I quietly start to move through the cabin, my bare feet silent against the old wood floors, every sense on high alert. My heart starts beating harder as I hug the wall, checking every shadow between me and the kitchen. I keep the pistol low, the safety off, ready for anything that’s come to do harm.
I’m almost at the end of the hall when I hear another noise, stopping me from going any further. This time, it sounds like footsteps. I wait it out, keeping my back flush against the wall, weapon cocked and ready. The moment the kitchen floor creaks, I go for it, rounding the corner, gun raised.
“Stop!” I shout.
The light snaps on, blinding me for a second.
“Jesus Christ, Hudson! What the hell? Have you lost your damn mind? Put that thing away before you kill someone.”
Hannah stands by the fridge, keys dangling from her fingers, hair piled on top of her head in one of those messy buns she always wears. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and lower the gun.
“Fuck, Han! Are you trying to get shot? What are you doing here?” My jaw is tight, my voice a low growl, half adrenaline, half brotherly irritation. “You could’ve at least called.”
“Okay, Rambo. Maybe I would have if I knew you would actually answer your phone.” That one stings. “But if you must know, I got a notification that someone was trying to use the old code to disarm the system.” She shrugs, the corner of her mouth twitching. “I figured it was your dumb ass and approved the entry from my phone, then drove up after work to make sure everything was okay.” Her eyes flick from the gun to my bare chest. “Are you always this paranoid, or only when you’re hiding out with some girl?” Hannah’s smirk barely has time to settle before the big-brother switch flips in my head.
“First of all,” I snap, setting the gun on the counter with more force than necessary, “you should never come up here alone. Ever.” I take a step toward her, adrenaline still buzzing under my skin. “You don’t just drive into the middle of nowhere at night because your phone pings. What if it hadn’t been me? What if someone else had broken in here?”
She rolls her eyes, but I can see the flicker of concern behind it. “Hudson?—”
“No.” I cut in, pointing at her like I’m lecturing a teenager instead of a grown woman with a job and a mortgage. “I mean it, Han. Don’t you ever just show up in the dark like this.”
Her brows lift, amused. “Are you done?”
“Not even close,” I mutter, running a hand through my short hair. “You scared the hell out of me.”
I hear soft footsteps behind me.
