“I don’t know….”I trailed off, far from ready to even contemplate what they were asking.
“You don’t need to answer now,” Hudson rumbled assuredly.
“How does Josh fit into all this?”I cocked my head to the side, eyeing them shrewdly.
“We’ve cut off contact with him,” my mother confirmed.“And we had no part in his trip to Green River.You wanted to end the relationship—he needs to respect that.”
“This is such a 180, it’s making my head spin.”I suddenly felt exhausted.
“We lost you,” my mother replied quietly.“We never wanted that.”She shook her head.“Are you… are you okay?”
The first spark of tears hit the back of my eyes then.She’d never asked me that, not in such a way, and she seemed to genuinely care about my response.
“I’m really happy.”I glanced over at Hudson with a grateful smile before turning back to my parents.“And I’m not sure if you two can fit into that.To be honest, I’m afraid to let you try.”
My father cleared his throat again and nodded stiffly.“We just hope you’ll think about what we said.We’ll leave you to it; we know you have a big day tomorrow.”He rose from his seat and reached for my mother’s hand.“We hope you’ll consider giving us a call sometime.That’s all we came to say.We won’t bother you again.”
I looked up at them, feeling utterly conflicted as Hudson squeezed my thigh in silent reassurance.“I’ll think about it,” I agreed quietly.It was all I could give, and frankly, in that moment, it felt like more than they deserved.
I sank into Hudson’s side as they left the room, his arm wrapping tightly around my shoulders as he pulled me close.“You did so well, baby,” he murmured in my ear.“Let’s get to bed.”Rising, he took my hand.
Thankfully, the lobby was mainly empty as he guided me into the elevator, hitting the button for the top floor.
When we entered the suite, I distractedly noticed how gorgeous it was, but I only had eyes for Hudson.“I need you.”I felt desperate to be close to him.
“You have me.”Taking me in his arms, he backed us toward the bed.“I can’t fucking wait to see you in lingerie, but tonight, I need you bare to me.”He pulled his tee up over his head, revealing his incredibly cut torso.I’d never tire of admiring his body, or the look in his eyes when he looked at me as he was now.
Like he’d die if he didn’t have me.
Leaning over, he rid me of my boots before sliding my jeans and panties down my legs and lifting my blouse over my head.Then he unfastened my bra and tossed it over his shoulder.He stood and unbuckled his belt before sliding his jeans and boxers down his legs, his eyes on mine—their color eclipsed by his blown pupils.
I reached up, pulling him down to me, relishing the feel of his hard body over mine as he took my mouth in a soul-searing kiss.
He allowed me to roll us so that I was on top of him, my mouth eager to taste, paying special homage to his neck and nipples before moving lower still—ravenous for him.
I took him in my mouth, spurred on by his delicious answering groan as I worked him with my lips and tongue.
Before long, he gripped my hips and pulled me up his body, and I wasn’t complaining as he guided me down onto him seconds later, filling me with a single, solid thrust.
“Fuck,” he bit out, gripping my hips and guiding me to ride him.“Give it to me, Luce,” he growled, his tone nearly feral as he slammed into me from underneath.His thumb found my clit, rubbing expertly and bringing me to the brink faster than I thought possible.
I threw back my head and gave him what we both needed.He followed seconds later with a low groan of pleasure.
“No one hurts you, not ever,” he vowed as I lay on top of his heaving chest, his hands clutching my hair.
“I know,” I assured him.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you, too.”I leaned up to gently kiss him.
As we fell asleep in each other’s arms, I distantly thought of the encounter with my parents—the interaction eclipsed by the love I now knew truly existed and the type of family I’d build from it.
With or without them.
Chapter 22
“Baby, we’re landing,” I murmured as Lucy slept with her head on my shoulder.I’d kept her up late after the show, but she was an all-too-eager participant in the adrenaline high that I always got after performing.I used to go to the gym after a show.As it turned out, working it out with her was far more enjoyable.
