I nodded. I loved her words. All of them. Always.
“I need you to know something too,” she said. “I believe you about the bond—I feel it too, and it means more to me than I could ever say, which sounds crazy since I never seem to run out of things to say. But I’m doing this because I want to, Hudson. I wantyou. Not just as a friend and protector and a fated mate, or whatever you call it. But something more.”
She stood and stripped out of her clothes, revealing herself to me in the moonlight, naked and perfect and damn near stealing my breath away.
I held her at arm’s length, searching her face, unable to hide my goofy grin.
I wanted something more too. All of it.
“But if that’s not where you intended things to go tonight,” she continued, “then you can be honest with me about that. Words, notes, hand gestures—however you need to say it, just say it. No games, no sugar coating. Not with us.”
The fire in her eyes, in her voice… It finally broke through the haze in my mind.
I fisted her hair and brought her close, running my nose along her jaw, inhaling her scent. Desire rumbled up through my chest, my throat tight with it. “Haley fucking Barnes. How can you not know?”
“I know it seems obvious, right? I mean, all the signals are there.” She glanced down at my hard length and smiled. “But I can’t make guesses and assumptions. Not with this—it’s too important to me.You’retoo important. So please, Hudson. Tell me what you want.”
“You need to hear me say it, then?”
She bit her plump lower lip. Nodded. That sweet blush darkened her cheeks, and I could tell from the tightness in her shoulders she was holding her breath.
Time to end this torture… for both of us.
“What Iwant,” I growled, “is for you to ride my face untilyou’retrembling andIcan’t remember the taste of any damn thing in the world but you. I don’t need notes, don’t need hand gestures, and I sure as shit don’t intend to play games. I just need you in my mouth so I can make you come so hard you forget how to fuckingbreathe. That clear enough for you?”
She gasped, her cheeks blushing a few shades deeper, and for a second I wondered if I’d pushed it too far.
But then my girl just busted up laughing, a sound that made my heart kick up a few more gears.
“Oh, you think that’s funny, do you?” I teased. “I’ll give you funny.” I grabbed her in a bear hug and dropped, taking her right down with me. I stretched out flat on my back in her bed of black roses and dirt, Haley straddling me, heat radiating from every inch of her.
“Seriously?” She was still laughing. “Seriously?”
“Depends on what you’re seriously-ing me about.”
“Before tonight, I could’ve counted the number of words you’ve said out loud on one hand. Maybe two. Now you’re coming at me with words likethat?”
“Yeah, well. Ain’t no point in mincing them now, right?”
She leaned forward, hands sliding up over the tattoos covering my pecs, her hair falling against my face. Her mouth was kissably close when she whispered, “Say more, Hudson.”
The taste of my name on her breath…Fuck.
I swept back her hair, gathering it in my fist at the base of her neck so I could see her eyes. They glittered like emeralds in the darkness, two bright jewels that felt like another gift from the gods.
“I loved kissing your sweet mouth,” I said softly, “But now it ain’t enough. I need to kiss youeverywhere, Haley.I need toknow just what my spooky little monster tastes like as I make her shatter.”
“Holy shit,” she breathed. “Where haveyoubeen hiding, filthy-mouthed gargoyle superhottie?”
“I’m not hiding, babygirl. I’m right here. And I needyouto get your fine ass right up—” I grabbed her hips and hauled her close until she was finally straddling my face. “—here.”
Another gasp slipped out from her cherry-red mouth, her thighs brushing against my ears as she hovered above me, still just out of reach.
I slid my hands up and cupped her ass, urging her closer, a groan of frustration rumbling through my chest. “Closer.”
“So impatient,” she teased. “Naughty gargoyle.”
“You’re killing me.”Fuck. At that point, I was pretty sure I’d turn to stone and crumble into dust if she refused me for even one more minute. “No more talking.Please, babygirl. Let me taste you.”
