“Hudson,” I sigh, kissing the sheen of sweat covering his brow. He laid his body half on, half off my chest. It has been a marathon two days, neither one of us able to quench the hunger and need, only craving each other more with each touch. It was splendid...and exhausting.
“Am I crushing you?” he breathes huskily, his lips lazy against my skin. I tighten my grip on him, not wanting him to move.
“You’re fine...it’s perfect,” the effects of our marathon have left us worn out and while we still have a little over twelve hours until he leaves neither one of us wants to waste a single moment.
“Yes, you are,” he lifts his head and smiles at me.
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” I smile back and smack him playfully on the arm. His eyes grow serious and somber, focusing on me.
“No one compares to you, Alice,” he shifts bringing his hand to my face, his finger tracing the curve of my cheek. “We’d both know I was lying through my teeth if I said there weren’t any others but I’m confident in saying none of them holds a candle to you.”
His words penetrate the shell of my heart and I can’t hold back anymore. I lift my head and kiss him. I never thought I’d feel this whole in my life again and it was because of him. How I had gotten so lucky was beyond me.
“If I wasn’t so tired, I’d show you just how much they can’t compare,” I giggle against his lips. He lifts off of me and settles beside me, pulling my body against his, like a spoon. I sigh contently.
“Sleep precious,” he kisses my ear. My eyes are heavy, my body sated and my heart full it doesn’t take long to find sleep. Just as we started the day in each other’s arms, we end it the same.
Yes, I’d go through all of it again if the end result was a lifetime of this moment.
“I love you…”
*****
Hudson
My heart stops.
Her words were barely a whisper but they hit me like a ton of bricks.
The seriousness of the last few days claws at my mind. I don’t know what I expected to be at the end of all of this but there was no way we could go back from here. Surprisingly I was alright with it but it wasn’t until those three words slipped from her mouth did I realize how much was invested. And it scares me. I can’t help worrying if I am worthy of her love or if loving her back is a good for her.
I was set to leave in a little over twelve hours and I was beginning to believe it was the best thing for us. Using this opportunity to put some space and distance between us would allow the rush of emotions to cool and their intensity to fade, better to assess our feelings later.
I care for her, deeply and I always said I’d never let a woman in this close again but she was unlike any woman I’d ever known. She’s strong, passionate and soft all at once. Her laugh fills the room with warmth, her smile lights up the dark and her voice is a silky song I’d put on repeat. She deserves a man who can love her with everything he is, with every breath he takes and who will give her the life she deserves.
I just wasn’t sure if that man was me.
Chapter 26
Alice
1 week later...
Hudson has been gone a week and I haven’t heard a peep from him. Besides the initial text to let me know he landed safely, it was silent. The guys and Missy assured me he was making all of his required check-ins and his silence was normal for a job like this. Upon further prodding I discovered his check-ins happened to be an email every other day, which didn’t make me happy at all. I argued with King explaining how easy it would be to forge an email. I think proceeded to question how he runs his operations. Thankfully he was a patient man and he understood my reactions were out of worry and love. I hate to think of what could’ve happened had he not been the man he is.
Hudson and I hadn’t talked about keeping in contact while he was away but I had assumed with things they way they were between us, I’d at least hear from him from time to time. It wasn’t just me though. Beyond the emails, no one had heard from him at all. I felt like I needed to know how he was and an email with a code word or phrase to indicate health and safety was not going to cut it for me. He had become a big part of my life and it felt wrong to have him missing from it, even for a week. My chest aches from not seeing him and hearing his voice every day.
I spent more time in his house than was probably healthy but I found a comfort among his things. I did get out, occasionally meeting Missy for lunch or an impromptu shopping trip. I even scheduled a pedicure appointment at Eleanor’s Beauty Bucket, choosing a lavender color for my toes this time. Missy called often and she stopped in with late dinners after her shift at the hospital. We would gorge on Chinese takeout and watch movies until one of us passed out. I secretly hoped she would have some news about him each time we met up and I found myself more and more disappointed when she didn’t.