Page 228 of Beautiful Collide

His thumb traces along my jawline.

The feeling is sublime.

My pulse hammers in my ears, and my body buzzes with anticipation.

He leans in.

The world seems to still as I wait for his lips to brush against mine.

Then they do, and everything in my life feels complete.

The kiss is soft at first, tentative, like he’s giving me the chance to pull away.

But I don’t.

Instead, I press closer, my hands sliding up to his shoulders, clutching the fabric of his shirt.

He deepens the kiss until it becomes more urgent, more consuming.

His hands move to my waist, pulling me closer, and the warmth of his touch seeps through every layer of my being.

“I want you.” His forehead rests against mine.

“I want you, too.”

He pulls his mouth away from mine before he trails his lips down my neck, lingering at my collarbone.

It’s all too much.

The way he kisses me. The way he trails his fingers down my skin.

It feels like I’m hovering over my body, and he’s the only thing that tethers me to reality.

“Hudson.” My fingers tangling in his hair.

Hudson’s hands slide under my shirt, caressing my skin. Shivers run across my skin.

I lift my arms, allowing him to gently remove my top. Now, the cool night air allows the goose bumps to rise on my skin.

“You’re so beautiful.” His hands move to my back, unclasping my bra with surprising deftness. As it falls away, he gazes at me with awe.

“This is everything I ever wanted,” Hudson tells me, and I shake my head in confusion. “Us being together on the farm.” The words are supposed to make me understand, but instead, they confuse me more. How long has he dreamed of us together?

Has it been as long as I’ve dreamed of him?Since the very beginning, even when I wouldn’t allow myself to.

I gasp as his mouth finds my breast, arching into his touch. “Hudson,” I moan softly.

He lavishes attention on me, alternating between gentle kisses and playful nips that leave me breathless.

When he’s at my belly, he pauses. Looking up at me, he stops. Then he dazzles me with his heart-stopping smile as he hooks his fingers into the waistband of my shorts.

I lift my hips, allowing him to slide them off along with my underwear.

Hudson kisses the inside of my thigh. “You’re perfect,” he murmurs against my skin.

Despite knowing what he’s about to do, I’m not at all prepared for the feeling when he latches his mouth around my clit.

For some reason, it feels different tonight under the stars.

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