Page 114 of Pieces

Hey, Doc says everything is looking good with baby and the placenta has moved so woooo!

Mom

Great news, honey xx

Finn

Growing babies seems like a lot of work. You’re smashing it sis

Dad

Anything I can do, let me know x

I smile at the messages, feeling content. After the scare of everything last month, my parents have both been doing regular welfare checks on me. Dad finds subtle ways to bump into me around campus. Mom pops in for coffee at Mug Life and insists I join her. Even Finn’s video calls have become more frequent, despite the time zone difference.

This feels familiar, the family dynamic I’ve always known and loved. Now, it’s blended with the new life Hudson and I are creating. Our friends have rallied around us in ways I never expected, and Hudson’s mom and Rory have eagerly been sending us name ideas too, but I think we’re set already.

Discarding my phone, I busy myself, fluffing pillows and shaking out blankets, setting up a little impromptu movie night for us, to say thank you for everything Hudson does for me, when he walks back in.

“Daphne Princess James,” Hudson cries, no shirt on, loose sweatpants hanging low on his hips and a towel slung around his neck. “Sit your fine ass down. I’ll get the snacks.”

My brain short-cuts at the sight of him, but still, I snort. “That’s not my middle name.”

He takes the snacks from my arms. “And these aren’t the snacks Iwantto be eating,” he says, his eyes flickering down to me in that way that makes my cheeks warm, “but here we are.”

I cross my arms, but the corners of my mouth betray me with the hint of a smirk. “I’m perfectly capable of grabbing my own snacks, Hudson. They aren’t heavy.”

“Don’t argue with me, or I’ll have to turn that peachy ass red.”

My face flushes beetroot red, tingling my skin. Oh my, that sounds…interesting. “You wouldn’t.”

His eyes darken as he steps toward me, swiping his tongue over his lower lip. “I wouldn’t what?”

Lifting my chin, I refuse to give him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm. “You wouldn’t spank me.”

Suddenly, I’m very hot under the collar, and all the breath is vacating my lungs at an alarming rate. I almost choke on my tongue before I swallow. The very idea of his hand coming down hard on my skin sends a thrill so violent through my body I have to stop myself from shaking. Oh no, do I have a kink?

Hudson grumbles a laugh, and the sound vibrates through my core like a shock wave. His eyes glint with mischief as he steps closer, the bag of chips forgotten on the table. “Wouldn’t I?” he murmurs, his voice dropping an octave. “You sound awfully sure of yourself, princess.”

I’m not sure if it’s his tone or the way his heated gaze lingers, but my tummy keeps flipping around and around. My tongue flicks over my suddenly dry lips as I fight to maintain some semblance of control. “I don’t… I’ve n-never even thought of that...”

“Oh, fuck, you being all innocent is turning me on more.” He groans, his grin wolfish now, like he’s savoring every second of my unraveling. His hand comes up to trace the color I know is covering my face, and goosebumps erupt all over me. “So beautiful,” he hums. “So innocent, yet you look like you’re waiting for me to make a move.”

My face burns even hotter, and I instinctively shift my weight back a little, but Hudson follows. The bed dips as he crawls toward me. He’s close enough now that the warmth radiating from him is suffocating in the best way. “Is that what you need, Daphne? You need me to spank you? To get you off with my hand until you’re too wrecked to argue back?”

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” I manage, my voice more breathless than I’d like.

“I just found out my baby mama might have a kink, you bet I’m enjoying this.” Tilting his head, he studies me like I’m the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “Or maybe I just like seeing you squirm, all flushed and out of that comfort zone of yours.”

My heart is hammering so hard it feels like it’s trying to escape my chest. “I’m not squirming,” I lie, though the tremble in my voice and body tells another story.

Hudson’s grin widens again, slow and predatory, and just when I think he’s going to lean back and let me breathe, his hand comes up again, this time to trace the curve of my bottom lip with his thumb. The touch is so deliberate, so light, that it sends another shiver racing down my spine. “You biting this,” he murmurs as his thumb gently tugs my lower lip down, exposing just a hint of my teeth. “You know that drives me crazy, right?”

Words have officially escaped me. My tongue flicks against the inside of my lip where his thumb just was, and his eyes turn molten.

“Hudson,” I start, but the word comes out like a plea instead of the warning I want it to be.

“You gonna tell me to stop?” He leans closer, his lips hovering near my ear, his breath warm against my skin. “Or are you going to admit you like this?”

---