Page 39 of When We Dare

Maybe she had only given me a slice of her story in this moment, but it felt as if she’d opened a door into her heart, into understanding her in a way I hadn’t before.

While I couldn’t fully grasp it this moment, the enormity of what had happened for me wasn’t lost. When it came to relationships, I kept things on the surface. Always. Until now.

Stella’s hand dropped away from the hem of her shirt as she lifted her chin. “We don’t have to keep this a secret. But what are we doing?” She closed her eyes, letting out a soft laugh. “We set ground rules, and now I don’t know what to think.”

My lips twisted to the side with a wry smile. “We broke one of those rules on the very first night,” I pointed out.

Her lips pressed together before another laugh filtered out. “We did. What is this?” she whispered.

My emotions felt visceral. This feeling between us was gathering force, like the air before a storm. I thought of winter in Alaska and the way you could smell snow coming before it fell. The more potent the storm, the stronger that subtle scent was in the air. It was difficult to describe to someone who’d never experienced it. This feeling was like that for me.

If someone had tried to describe intimacy before I felt it, I wouldn’t have understood. It wasn’t words. Words went with it, just as actions went with it, but it was the feeling itself that shaped everything.

When it flickered to life between us, it felt as if cords were binding us, stitching us, tighter and tighter together. I took a slow breath as I tried to collect my thoughts into something sensible. What I eventually said felt inadequate.

“I don’t really know. I don’t want this to stop.”

We stepped toward each other at the same time, two forces striking metal and sparks leaping into the air. I was lost in her eyes. Her lips parted as she looked up at me, her hand falling to my chest. Her touch was warm. My heart kicked forward against it.

The moment stretched between us, burning hot, until I cupped her cheek and bent to claim her mouth.

Chapter Thirty

STELLA

When Hudson’s lips met mine and his fingers tangled in my hair, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Losing myself in him was the only way to slake my need.

My rational mind, my protective mind, was lost in the roar of the storm. I knew I was breaking all of my own rules, but I felt safe with Hudson. It was remarkable how intoxicating it was to feel safe.

Our kiss got messy fast, a tangle of lips and tongue, before we broke apart. We gulped in air, desperate for oxygen. We yanked at each other’s clothes.

With my sweater in a rumple on the floor and my jeans kicked to the side, I got naked first, maybe because I was more impatient, or Hudson was more helpful. His chest was bare with his jeans hanging open as he lifted me onto the counter. My leg curled around his hips, and I watched through heavy-lidded eyes as he dragged his thick crown through my slippery wet folds.

“Fuck me,” he muttered gruffly.

“Please do,” I gasped when he stepped back.

“I need a condom,” he bit out. He started to turn away, but I caught his hand.

“I’m on the pill.” I took a shaky breath as we stared at each other.

Hudson’s gaze burned into mine. “Are you sure?”

In the loaded space between us, I whispered, “I am.”

He stepped closer again, one hand sliding around me to press at the base of my spine as he pulled my hips a little closer to the edge of the counter. He stepped between my knees, his eyes locked to mine. Even though this wasn’t the first time for us, I felt the depth of our intimacy, the power of our connection. Tonight, in this moment, it felt very real.

Up to now, I’d been shying away from it, trying to ignore what my heart already knew. I wasn’t quite ready to say it, but I knew I was falling in love with Hudson and there was no turning back.

It was like falling over a waterfall, the rush of it carrying me down. I could only hope that he would hold on tight and keep me safe.

“Stella,” he rasped.

I looked into his eyes, ensnared in the heat of his gaze as he notched his cock at my entrance and filled me in one slow thrust. “Stay with me,” he ordered. His words were commanding, but soft. I didn’t want to look away.

He fucked me slowly on the counter with deep thrusts, seating himself more deeply each time. With the way my legs dangled down, it created an intense friction where we were joined. Each time he filled me, the sensation was intoxicating. I was delirious from the pleasure of it, from the look in his eyes, from the intimacy shimmering around us like cinders falling from the sky.

My release began to build, drawing tighter and tighter inside. Little pings of pleasure reverberated outward in ripples through my body. He rocked inside once more, whispering, “Come for me, sweetheart.”

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