How did he think I could talk? “No,” I managed on a breathy exhale.
“It drives me fucking insane.” He jabbed two fingers inside. At least, it felt like two fingers. It was difficult to be certain. All I knew for sure was that it felt amazing.
He plunged again as his thumb resumed whirling over my clit. Swirling and plunging, he fucked me with his hand, right there, in the open air, as the crowd around us stared upward in a patriotic daze.
So. Fucking. Hot.
The tension was building, tightening in my womb.
Then his lips were moving at my ear again. “Sometimes it’s all I think about. Taking you to the edge. Watching you spill over. It’s the most goddamned beautiful thing there is.”
I was close. So close. About to explode. I leaned back against him, rubbing his erection with my ass. I felt incredible. Sexy. On fire. Small grunts formed at the back of my throat.
“Bite on your hand to stifle your screams if you need to.”
I wanted to challenge him—to say, oh you’re so sure I’ll be screaming—but then he bent his fingers and stroked against a particularly sensitive spot. A moan escaped from my lips.
“Hand,” he ordered.
Just in time, I flung my hand to my mouth, biting down on my finger as I came. My orgasm flared through me, erupting in tandem with a spectacular sequence of fireworks. I couldn’t tell what parts of my blinded vision were from the display and which were from Hudson. It was glorious.
But I wasn’t nearly sated.
I wanted more. Wanted him.
I spun into him, kissing him with frenzy. My hand rubbed his cock through his pants. He was so hard. He wanted me as much as I wanted him. More, maybe.
The fireworks show wasn’t over. I didn’t care. “Take me to bed,” I demanded against his lips.
It was Hudson’s turn to groan. I swallowed the sound with another wet kiss, licking into his mouth with deep strokes. God, he tasted good. I couldn’t get enough of him, was ready to fuck him right there on the deck.
Somehow Hudson found the strength to untangle from my embrace. “Jesus, woman.” His eyes were nearly black with desire. Then he turned toward the entry to the staterooms, pulling me behind him.
The crowd cheered at that moment. For the fireworks, of course, but it drew my gaze up.
That’s when I saw her.
On the upper deck, looking down at me was Celia Werner. My mind flashed back to my dream and the terror that accompanied it sparked through me. Her eyes met mine, piercing through me, and I suddenly understood the phrase “shooting daggers.” Anger emitted from her cold stare. Hudson had said it was he that she was mad at, and maybe she was mad at him. But she hated me. It was evident in her entire posture.
A chill ran down my spine as, again, I realized she’d always be there. She’d always be threatening at the periphery of my life with Hudson.
The realization only fueled my need for Hudson to be inside me.
I pushed Hudson onward, determined to recapture the mood from a moment before, to remind myself that I was the one with him, not her. Me. Only me.
As soon as we were in the hallway leading to the staterooms, we were kissing again. He pushed me against the wall, his hands reaching under my dress to fondle my naked ass.
Desperate to make his groin meet mine, I curled my leg around his thigh. He relaxed his pressure so that I could jump up and wrap my legs around his waist. He sucked and licked along my neck as he carried me to our room. There, he braced me against the other wall so he could fumble with the key and the lock, swearing as he did until we were finally inside with the door shut behind us.
Panting, we both broke into a laugh. Hudson’s serious demeanor made outbursts like this rare, and I swam in the sound of his unbridled amusement.
Until our eyes met.
Then we were lip-locked once again.
With me still wrapped around him, he sat—more like fell—onto the bed. I didn’t hesitate, scrambling down to the floor to my knees so I could undo his belt. He toed his shoes off and lifted his hips so I could pull his pants and briefs down.
As soon as his cock sprang free, my eyes were glued. I wanted to lick it, to take it in my mouth, to feel it filling me, twitching in me. But there were still clothes in the way, and I needed to be naked. Needed him naked.
I reached my arms up so Hudson could pull my dress over my head. The backless nature of the outfit hadn’t allowed for a bra to be worn. Thank god. One less item to be removed. While he worked on unbuttoning his shirt, I circled my hands around his penis. Damn, it was steel. I only had time to stroke him a couple of times before he was pulling me with him onto the bed.
Both of us naked, we pressed into each other with a frantic need to be skin-on-skin in as many places as possible. Our hands explored like it was the first time, like we might never have the chance again—caressing and touching while we kissed with fevered passion. Hudson’s fingers eventually made their way to my lower regions where I wanted him most.