He drained the last of his Mountain Dew, then crushed the can in one hand.
The macho show of strength made her heart flutter faster than the hummingbirds wings theyd so recently witnessed. He cavalierly threw the can over his shoulder. It sailed through the pass-through into the kitchen and sounded as if it landed in the sink. Then he came out of his chair, skirted around the coffee table and landed next to her.
Hi, there.
H-hi.
Wanna make out?
She very much did. Shed predicted Hudson would be a stand-up guy, but the boyish charm was a surprise, and it melted her jaded heart. She couldnt resist him, especially because he wasnt pushing her straight to the bedroom. The hungry look in his eyes told her he wanted her, but he didnt pressure her. His attitude was refreshing.
Elizabeth looped one arm around his neck, drawing him closer. He exuded warmth and an electric tension that her body responded to. Her skin prickled with heightened awareness, her chest tightened and she felt hot between her legs, hot and tickly, as if she was being brushed with rose petals. All from him touching her shoulder.
They took their time getting to that next kiss. She looked into his eyes, wishing she could dive right inside him, his delicious warmth enveloping her like a safe blanket. She parted her lips slightly, needing more oxygen. They shared the same air for several heartbeats before he finally closed that small gap between them and claimed her mouth with his.
He tasted like citrus, and she realized it must be the Mountain Dew. But the electric tingle of his mouth, the firm brush of lips on lips, tongue on tongue sizzled through her body. She would never be able to think about that beverage again without associating it with Hudson.
He shifted her onto his lap. His erection pressed against her thigh, and he adjusted her slightly so it nudged between her legs. His groan was more like a growl of pleasure.
They kissed for a long time. She learned everything there was to know about his mouth and what it could do to her, unable to stop herself from imagining how it would feel to have his talented tongue employed elsewhere on her body. She wanted him to lick her from head to toe like a giant Popsicle, and then she wanted to do the same to him.
He smelled good, like soap and leather, citrus and sunshine. His skin tasted incredible. She ran her tongue along his jawline, exploring the slightly sandpapery texture. He teased her ear with his tongue, which caused her to go very still so she could concentrate on every sensation. When he nipped her earlobe with his teeth she was sure she would spontaneously combust.
He hadnt even touched her breasts, but she was ready to skip over the rest of the foreplay and get him inside her. She was afraid she would climax before they were joined, and while that wouldnt be all bad, their first time she wanted them to come together.
Their first time. The thought set her back on her heels. As if there would be more. She knew how impossible that was, but she was already fantasizing about seeing him again.
Condoms? she asked between kisses, because that was the only word her sex-fogged brain could manage.
Bedroom.
She clamored off his lap and grabbed his hand, pulling him off the sofa. Like eager children, they raced toward the back of the house.
He didnt turn on any lights, so she received only a few fleeting impressions of his bedroombigger than expected, with a king-size bed on a platform. Some kind of dresser or chest in the corner. A ceiling fan overhead; that would be nice in the summer.
The bed was made, another unbachelorlike detail she filed away. Unless hed planned to make a conquest at the wedding and had cleaned up in anticipation, she could conclude that Hudson was a good housekeeper, and that he didnt need a lot of stuff around him to make him happy.
Hudson yanked back the covers, raising the faint scent of vanilla.
He didnt press her onto the mattress immediately; instead he took her in his arms and kissed her again, deftly lowering the zipper at the back of her dress. He smoothed the silky fabric off her shoulders and it slithered down her body and pooled at her feet.
Feeling uncharacteristically shy, she was glad to be in semidarkness. She didnt fixate on her body like some of her friends. She was lucky to be naturally slender, so she didnt fight her weight, but she didnt spend hours at the gym or taking Pilates classes. She wasnt ripped and toned. In fact, she might be considered too thin, and the push-up bra shed bought to help her A-cups fill out the dress was a bit of false advertising. When he unhooked and removed it, she had to resist the urge to cover her breasts with her arms.
He inhaled sharply. Im going to turn on the light.
No. The single word sounded abrupt, so she softened it by caressing his arm and reaching for the buttons on his shirt. Hed taken his tie off in the car. Though hed worn his lightweight suit well, she bet he looked unbelievable in a pair of faded jeans.
No?
I like the dark. Moonlight is...romantic.
Whatever you say. He slid two fingers of each hand inside the elastic of her panties and slowly slid them down her legs. She shivered, though she was anything but cold: her entire body burned from blushing.
She wasnt like this. Shed always been careful in relationships, careful about sex, watching for hints that a man was becoming too obsessed with her. Shed been the object of one mans obsession, and that was enough to cure her.
But this...encounter didnt feel dangerous or sleazy to her. It felt just right. Even if they never saw each other again after tonightand, fantasies aside, they couldntshe wouldnt feel bad about this. Theyd come together with no pretensions, no false promises or cajoling on either of their parts. Only the rather peculiar circumstances that had brought them together stopped her from enjoying herself without hesitation, and shed managed to stuff those reservations to the back of her mind.
Hudson peeled off his clothes with a grace and economy of motion that was a turn-on all by itself. What little light that came into the room from a sliding glass door played over the curves and angles of his body, revealing the hint of a muscled biceps here, a rippled abdomen there.
And the evidence of his desire, jutting forward without apology. Elizabeths mouth went dry.
He came at her like a big, lazy tomcat with anticipation in his gaze, eyeing a mouse. Her own anticipation was about to leap out of her body, a tangible thing. Touch me. Touch me.
He put his hands at her waist and tried to span her in his grasp. Youre tiny, he said with a sense of wonder.
Shed never thought of herself as tiny. Skinny, maybe. But her height had sometimes made her feel like a giant. Now that shed shucked her shoes, Hudson stood at least a few inches taller.
Youre just big, she countered, and they both knew she wasnt just talking about his muscular shoulders.
He grinned, proving no man was immune to a woman praising his equipment. Im glad you approve.
Lets see if I approve of how you use it. Elizabeth wasnt normally one for saucy quips, especially during sex, but something about him brought out her playfulness. She slowly sank onto the bed, pulling him with her.
He kissed her in earnest now, wrapping her in his arms and rolling on his back so she lay atop him. His erection pressed against her abdomen, and the heat between her legs threatened combustion. Her womb ached for him to complete her.
She spread her legs and straddled him, rubbing herself against his erection.
He growled again. Oh, man. Youre making me crazy, you know.
Enough foreplay. They could fondle and tease and seduce later, perhaps during round two. She could only hope she would be lucky enough to get to round two. Right now, she needed to finish this or she was going to implode.
Hudson reached for a drawer in the nightstand and fumbled a bit in the dark. She heard the rustle of plastic. Once he got the condom out of its wrapper she took it from him.
Turn around while you put that on me, he said.
Excuse me?
I want to look at your bottom.
She laughed. So outrageous. And she did as requested, turning around to face the foot of the bed, sitting on his ribs as she smoothed the latex over his swollen member. He was hard as a hunk of rebar and three times as thick.
While she worked, taking her time, enjoying every moment, he put his hands on her bottom. I knew it. You have the cutest little ass Ive ever seen.
Youre impertinent, she said in her best schoolmarm voice. But she wasnt immune to praise, either. His approval warmed her blood in a way mere strokes and caresses couldnt.
She turned back around to face him. Their eyes met. The moment seemed suddenly hugely significant. They were about to join their bodies and become one for the first time.
The only time, she reminded herself sternly.
Do you want to be on top? he asked.
She wasnt used to being asked for a preference. If she stayed on top, she could maintain better control. But control wasnt what she was after tonight. She wanted him to conquer her...at least for the moment.
She shifted her position yet again, sliding up next to him. She put her mouth right next to his ear. I want you to take me.
He needed no further urging. In one second he was on top, the conquering hero. She opened her legs and welcomed him.
Shed thought hed just thrust inside her, but he took his time, letting her get used to the feel of him filling her up, stretching her in a way that wasnt painful, yet she was very aware of his size and power. If he ever wanted to hurt her, he certainly could. And she knew he could be violent.
No. She wouldnt think about that now. The man she was getting to know wouldnt hurt someone smaller and weaker than him just because he could. Some cops were off on a power trip, but she was sure he wasnt that kind of cop no matter what the newspaper had said.
You okay?
Never better.
You went far away there for just a minute.
Im right here.
Youd tell me if it was too much, right? Even as he said this, he started to move. Every nerve ending in her vagina screamed with the pleasure of it, and it was all Elizabeth could do not to scream. Incredible.
She wanted to draw out the pleasure, but she found she had no self-control. She let the ecstasy overwhelm her, and she held nothing back, nearly weeping with the intensity.
Oh, man. Hudson was obviously trying to hold back, but he couldnt, either. Oh, yeah. Here it comes.
Still in the throes of her own climax, she watched his face as he came. His pleasure was a beautiful thing to behold. He gave himself over to it totally. She couldnt imagine him looking any happier if he really had won the lottery.
It was over quickly, yet Elizabeth couldnt imagine sex being any more perfect. As he lay on top of her, breathing hard, his skin slightly damp with perspiration, a glow of contentment settled on her.
I usually can last longer, he assured her when he could talk.
She laughed. Men and their egos. I wasnt timing you.
I just wanted it to be good for you.
It was, trust me.
Give me a few minutes to recover. I think with you I could have a go every half hour all night long.
Youre quite the optimist.
Its just that youre so pretty and sexy.
I...well, I probably should be going. She didnt want to go, and since tomorrow was Sunday, she had nowhere to be and no one would miss her. Still, she didnt want to overstay her welcome.
What? No way. I mean, of course Ill take you home if you really want to go, but Im not one of those guys who makes a conquest, then cant get rid of her fast enough. I want you to spend the night, to get to know you better...and not just in bed. He shifted, separating their bodies. She missed him already. I make killer banana pancakes.
I have to work tomorrow. It was a lie. But she did have to make the break clean and decisive. This could not be the start of something, much as she wanted it to be.
When he found out who she wasand he wouldhe was going to be one pissed-off dude.
Still, you dont have to run off. Its early yet.
He was right about that. It wasnt yet ten oclock. Though the longer she stayed, the harder it would be to leave, she couldnt make herself get out of bed and put her clothes on.
Ill stay awhile.
She snuggled up against him, still feeling the effects of her sexual haze. How sweet it would be if she could fall asleep here with her head on his shoulder, lulled by the rhythm of his deep breathing. Not that she could. Not with what she was keeping from him.
He, on the other hand, fell asleep almost instantly, which made her smile. Men were so predictable. She knew it was a physiological reaction, but it was amusing how he could be revved up in a frenzy one minute and a minute later sawing logs.
After a short while, she surprised herself by falling asleep, too.
When she woke sometime later, she was slightly disoriented. Hudson had an old-fashioned clock radio on his nightstand. Once she got her eyes to focus, she discovered it was almost 2:00 a.m.
She couldnt stay until morning. There was no way she could hide her identity from himit was getting harder and harder to be deceitful.
She was hunting around in the dark for her dress when she heard a strange noise outside. That was what had awakened her, she realized.
The wind? An animal, perhaps a raccoon? There were a lot of trees around, and critters liked to hang out near lakes.
She listened. There it was again. Footsteps. Someone was on the balcony. And it sounded as if they were trying to jimmy a window somewhere else in the house.
She sat up and shook Hudson. Hudson! she hissed. Wake up. Someone is trying to break in.
CHAPTER THREE
HUDSON WOKE INSTANTLY, sat up and listened. He heard it immediatelythe sound of a window rattling from the other bedroom. And it wasnt the wind.
He leaped out of bed and grabbed his pants, jumping into them commando style. His gun was in the safe in the closet, damn it. Hed seen no need to take it with him to a wedding, and he would never leave it where a burglar could steal it. Too many stolen guns were on the street.
Go into the bathroom, he said in the take-charge voice he used when he intended to be obeyed. Take your cell phone and lock the door in case you have to call for help. He slid open the door of his closet and quickly worked the combination, then grabbed his backup weapon, a sturdy Glock.
He noiselessly opened the sliding glass door that led out to the balcony, which completely encircled the house. As he stepped out onto the wooden decking in his bare feet, he realized Liz was right behind him. And damned if she didnt have his Louisville Slugger gripped in both her hands. Shed obviously thrown on the first item of clothing shed found, which happened to be his dress shirt. Shed buttoned only one button.