Fixed on You (13 page)

His mouth tightened into a
straight line. “If that’s what you need.”

“I do.” I hugged myself,
embarrassed by my outburst. “And I need a shower. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. In there.” He
gestured toward the bathroom. “I’ll bring you some towels.”

He sounded distant, and I
immediately regretted pushing him there. Already I missed the warmth of him.

In the bathroom, I threw my
clothes on the black granite counter and avoided looking in the mirror, not liking
who I’d see staring back at me. I turned the shower on extra hot, hoping the
heat would relieve the chill that had settled on me, and climbed under the
heavy spray.

In there, alone, water and steam
embracing me, the tears came freely. I cried soundlessly, surrendering to the
hollow loneliness that I had grown accustomed to before Hudson arrived to show
me something new.

Absorbed in my self-pity, I
didn’t hear him enter the bathroom with the towels, and when he opened the shower
door and slid in to join me, instead of cursing his obvious lack of respect for
my wishes to withdraw from him, I abandoned myself and pressed my lips to his.

He responded without hesitation,
kissing me with gentle aggression. When I pulled away to catch my breath, he
reached for the bottle of body wash and poured a small dollop onto his hand.
Then he began to wash me. He took his time, running his soapy hands over every
inch of my body. At my breasts he lingered longer, squeezing and caressing them
both, flicking across my nipples with his thumbs. I sighed into the pleasure.

When he’d thoroughly cleaned the
top half of me, he bent to wash my legs, starting with my feet and moving up my
long limbs. He moved so slowly, so sensually, massaging the suds into my skin,
that by the time his fingers slid through the folds at the base of my belly, I
was ready to beg. His thumbs brushed past my clit and I moaned.

He swept through my folds over
and over, and I jerked at each teasing pass. “Hudson,” I said, my teeth
gritted, my pussy clenching with need.

“Is this what you want?” He
thrust two fingers inside me, twisting them.

“Yes!” I gasped. “I mean, no. I
want you.”

His grin was wicked as he
continued to grind into me with his fingers. “You’ll have to wait. I’m enjoying
making you wait.”

I wanted to argue, but he added a
third finger to his probe and gently squeezed my clit and speech became
impossible. I moaned as I rocked back and forth, digging my nails into Hudson’s
broad shoulders.

Just when I’d reached the brink
of orgasm, his fingers left my body. I opened my eyes and found him standing in
front of me, holding the bottle of body wash. “I need to be washed too.”

My body ached with yearning, but
I was eager to explore him. I hadn’t even fully taken in his naked body, having
been too distracted in the bedroom and now in the shower. Lathering my hands
up, I began as he had, at his shoulders, but I was too greedy to move slowly.
Soon, I’d cleansed all but his cock. I stared at his giant erection, fascinated
by its length and girth. He’d felt big, but I had no idea he was
that
big.

I swallowed. Hard.

“What’s the matter, precious?” I
sensed he was smiling, unable to move my eyes from the sight in front of me.

“Um, wow,” I managed. “I’m a
little intimidated.”

“But it’s already been inside
you. You know it fits.” His voice grew ragged. “Touch it, Alayna.”

His command stirred me to
movement. I circled my hands around his shaft and stroked his hot silky skin.
He felt so firm, so powerful, so perfect. I moved my fist up and down, once,
twice, and the third time, he leapt in my hands.

At the next stroke, he growled
and hoisted me up, encouraging me to wrap my legs around him. He pressed my
back against the tile wall, his mouth ravaging mine, and in one fierce thrust,
he was inside me. I tangled my hands in his hair as he rammed into me, feeling
every inch of his cock filling me and fucking me.

I cried as my orgasm shook
through me, the tremors of it spreading all the way to my toes. Hudson
quickened his pace, clutching tighter to my hips so he could pump through my
sex as it spasmed around his steel shaft. Several strokes later he released
with his own cry, his cock jerking inside me as he spurted hotly into my sex.

In that moment, I let myself
believe we could be together like that, how he wanted, without becoming
consumed, even though I was afraid that I already was.

Anxious for our shopping
adventure, I decided to wait for Hudson in front of my building. I’d expected
Jordan and the Maybach, so I was surprised when Hudson pulled up driving a
Mercedes SL Roadster.

I slipped into the passenger
seat. “Nice wheels.”

His lips curled up into a sexy
grin as he eased the car out into traffic. “Glad you approve.”

I didn’t know where to look first—at
the luxury sports car or at Hudson in his tight dark blue jeans and fitted
maroon button down shirt. I hadn’t seen him in casual wear, and, as good as he
looked in his suits, this new look had my tummy fluttering.

Well, Hudson in general made my
tummy flutter.

“So you drove yourself?”
Normally, I’m not much into small talk, but the sexual undertone between us
needed silencing. Especially because another morning of constantly questioning
the healthiness of my Hudson relationship had led me to decide the day needed
to be sex free. I needed to counteract any attachment with distance. Hopefully,
I wouldn’t chicken out when it came to telling him.

He glanced at me over his
shoulder before he switched lanes. “Why does my driving surprise you?”

I shrugged, securing my seatbelt.
“I figured you always had a driver.” Not that he needed one. He navigated city
traffic well and watching him handle the wheel was hot.

“What’s the fun of having a cool
car if you don’t get to drive it?”

“Good point.”

At the next stoplight, Hudson
peeked at me over his Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses. “You look gorgeous, Alayna.
As usual.”

His voice oozed pure seduction,
and I pulled at the hem of my blue shift dress, wondering if it had always been
as short as it suddenly seemed. “Are you buttering me up so I’ll let you choose
what I try on?”

“I’ll choose what you try on
anyway.”

“Of course, you will.” He was
paying, after all.

We drove in silence for a few
minutes, exchanging occasional glances that held the entire weight of our
attraction. Under certain circumstances, the flirting and tension would be fun,
but not when I felt so off-balance and unsure.

I had to get my declaration over
with. “Um, Hudson, could we keep today to shopping only?” I hoped to God he
understood what I meant without spelling it out.

He did. A brief flash of disappointment
crossed his face—or maybe it was my imagination. His voice seemed stiff when he
said, “Whatever you want, Alayna.”

Immediately, I regretted saying
anything. The fun flirty mood vanished, and Hudson became reserved and
withdrawn. I considered taking my words back, but really, how could I do that?

“We’re going to Mirabelle’s,” he
said after a few minutes, not looking at me.

“Mirabelle, your sister?”
Hudson’s sister, Mirabelle owned a popular designer boutique in Greenwich
Village. It was the type of place you could only get into with an appointment,
but from what I’d seen from window-shopping, the woman had mad fashion skills.

“Yes. Her friends are throwing
her a baby shower today and so I’d hoped she wouldn’t be at the shop. However,
when she learned I was bringing my
girlfriend
in for a fitting, she
insisted on being there to meet you. Which means we’re officially on the job. Is
that a problem?”

“Um, no, of course not.” My palms
started to sweat. It occurred to me that the hours I spent worrying if I had
any impulse to stalk Hudson online should have been spent actually stalking him
online. Then I’d maybe have some more info about the supposed love of my life. “What
if she asks me things? About you? About us?” And how would we be able to pull
off the image of a happy couple when the tension between us was palpable?

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be
there. Follow my lead.” Hudson reached under his glasses and rubbed the bridge
of his nose. “Frankly, you’re unlikely to get a chance to speak at all. Mirabelle
is somewhat of a talker.”

“But…what do I
do
?”

“Just be my girlfriend.”

***

“Oh my god, Hudson, you told me
she was gorgeous, but I had no idea!” The perky brunette who stood in front of
me was clearly Hudson’s relative. They shared many of the same features—chiseled
cheekbones and strong jaws and matching hair and skin tones. Where Hudson was
broad and muscular, Mirabelle was petite, her small stature accentuated by the
round belly that protruded in front of her.

Mirabelle continued talking as
she scanned me up and down, circling around me and Hudson, who had held my hand
since grabbing it right before ringing the service bell. “She is going to be so
much fun to dress. She’s got my favorite body type—all boobs and hips and—“ She
paused as she raised my already short dress. “Fantastic legs, Hudson!”

Hudson’s wicked grin appeared as
he squeezed my hand. “Yes, I’m well acquainted with Alayna’s physical assets.”

Heat ran to my face.

Mirabelle hit her brother playfully.
“You’re such a bad boy.” Then she faced me and gasped, covering her mouth with
her hand. “Oh my goodness, I’m talking about you in the third person. How could
I be so rude! I’m so excited to finally meet you, Alayna! Hudson has told me so
much about you!”

She threw her arms around me in a
generous hug. I glared at Hudson over her shoulder, wondering what he’d said
about me and how I’d let myself walk into this moment so unprepared. He
shrugged in response and let go of my hand, no longer giving me an excuse to
not embrace her back.

By the time Mirabelle released
me, I’d realized I needed to stop fretting and get into character. I swallowed
and gave her a wide smile. “Glad to meet you too. But call me Laynie.”

“And you can call me Mira. Huds
is way too proper.” She wrapped her arm around mine, reminding me of the
annoying popular girls in high school who walked down the halls with their
hands clasped with their girlfriends. Though admittedly, it wasn’t as annoying
when you were the girl being clasped. “Okay, okay, okay, I can’t stay long today
which I regret immensely, so let’s get started. I already have a million ideas
for you.”

I hadn’t had a chance to look
around, having been accosted by Mira at the entryway, but now I surveyed the
shop. Though small, Mirabelle’s held a wide range of women’s clothing and
shoes. The walls and furniture were all brilliant white, giving the room an air
of elegance while letting the clothing on display pop like art.

“Are we shopping only for Mom’s
event?” Mira asked, her forehead creased as if pondering where to start.

Hudson kept his hand at the small
of my back. Despite knowing that the gesture was part of the show staged for
his sister, the electricity that always accompanied his touch ran up my spine.
“Specifically for the fashion show, but let’s see what else we can find.
Whatever Alayna loves, we’ll buy.” He gazed at me with a look that could only
be described as adoration. God, he was good.

Mira’s attention was on us so I
made sure to return Hudson’s stare, fighting to not lose myself in his intense,
gray eyes. “Aw, thank you.” I added sugar to my usually unsweetened tone. I
turned to Mira. “Hudson spoils me. I don’t deserve him.”

Hudson began to protest but was
interrupted by a buzz on his phone. “Excuse me.” His eyes narrowed as he read
his text.

Mira ignored him and gathered
clothing over her arm. “This and this, oh and this will be perfect on you!” She
called toward the back of the store. “Stacy, can you start us a room?”

A tall, skinny blonde appeared
out of an office in the back. She took the clothing Mira handed her. “Which
room do you want to use?” Although she spoke to Mira, Stacy stared longingly
toward Hudson. Longingly enough to make me wonder if they had a history or if
Stacy wished they had a history.

 I snuck my own glance at Hudson.
He was still typing things into his cell phone, his brow furrowed and his mouth
pulled in a tight line.

 “The big dressing room please.
Laynie, this is my assistant, Stacy.” Mira drew the blonde’s attention back to
her. “Laynie is Hudson’s girlfriend so make sure she gets VIP treatment.”

“Certainly,” Stacy said with a
bright fake smile, her eyes shooting daggers in my direction.

When Stacy had retreated out of
earshot, I leaned into Mira. “Your assistant seems not to like me very much.” I
paused. Should I say more? I decided yes. It was the real me that wanted to
know about Stacy and Hudson, but girlfriend me would want to know too. “And she
seems to like Hudson an awful lot. Is there something between them?”

Mira hesitated, not looking me in
the eye. “Ignore her. Stacy’s totally been in love with Huds for forever, even
though she’s completely not his type. Nothing to worry about. It’s actually
comical.”

She seemed like she may have been
holding back, but on the other hand, maybe she was just awkward about talking
girl crushes with her brother’s girlfriend. I decided on the latter when Mira lowered
her voice. “Did you notice how Hudson didn’t even give her the time of day?”
She giggled.

“I did.” I giggled too. For real.
I liked Mira.

Mira continued gathering clothing
and accessories. “Hudson, what do you think about these?” She held up a pair of
strappy heels.

Without looking up, Hudson
grunted his response. “Uh huh.”

I bit my lip, wondering what had
him preoccupied. He’d been determined to pick clothes for me, and I knew he
wanted to play up the sham for his sister. Instead, he’d been on his phone
since we’d arrived. A small part of me feared he was passively-aggressively dealing
with my no sex declaration by avoiding our situation. But then again, Hudson
wasn’t ever passive about anything.