Page 49 of Crash and Burn

“Always, sir.” They smiled at each other, waved, and Harvey was out the door.

*

After Hudson pulled up in front of my place, we just sat there quietly for a moment, neither of us saying anything. I looked out at my apartment and up at Steven’s window. He wasn’t home. I could always tell when he was because he kept a light on in the front window. “Thanks, Hudson. I’m glad you came in tonight and sat for a while. It was nice to see you and Harvey going back and forth about the funnies in the paper.” I smiled.

“Yeah, it was. I like being there and I like being there when you’re working.” He turned to face me.

I wondered if I should invite him in. I wanted him to come in for a bit, thinking the night was still young. “Do you…um…do you want to come in for a little bit? I could make us some coffee and we can sit and talk.” I looked up at him, hopeful that he’d say yes.

“Yeah. I can come in for a bit.” He put the car in park and turned off the engine. I let out the breath I was holding.

When we got inside, I tossed my keys in the basket and slipped my shoes off. My feet hurt. Usually, I get a little downtime at work, but damn, that night was busy. “My feet hurt so bad. I’m gonna go change quick if that’s ok. I need to splash my face. I feel a little greasy from the kitchen.”

“Yeah, take your time. I’ll go start the coffee,” he said. Heading toward my room I peeked back over my shoulder and smiled, liking the way he looked moving around my kitchen.

After I had gotten changed, cleaned my face, and brushed my teeth, I came out to find Hudson sitting on the couch with one arm tossed over the back and a coffee in his hand. He had turned on the electric fireplace.

“Hey. How’s the coffee?” I asked him, coming around to sit across from him.

“It’s good. I hope you don’t mind. I turned on the fireplace. It was chilly in here.”

“No, that’s fine. It’s nice. I always lower my thermostat when I leave. No sense in paying for that when no one is in the house.” I shrugged.

“I can kind of see your logic there, but then you come home to a cold ass house.”

“Yeah but if you’re like me, you run hot, so the cool house is a welcome feeling after a long day in the hot ass diner.” I gave him a wink and pointed at him.

He laughed and set his coffee on the side table. “Come here. Give me your feet.”

“Huh?”

“You said your feet were killing you. Kick your feet up here. I’ll rub ‘em.”

“Wow. That’s really nice. You don’t have to, though.”

“Shut up and give me your feet.” He gestured a ‘gimme’ motion with his hands.

I spun so my back was leaning against the arm rest and set my feet in his lap. I smiled to myself thinking about thatLiving Singleepisode where Khadijah talked about her clothes falling off after a kiss and how good the man smelled and looked. Hudson smelled so good, and he was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt with his hat on backwards. And he was rubbing . my . feet. I could die a happy woman that very second with no regrets. Well, maybe one, as I imagined what Hudson’s body looked like under those clothes. I giggled and didn’t realize I did it out loud until Hudson said, “What’s so funny?”

My hand flew over my mouth, and I said, “Nothin’, got lost in a thought.”

“Do share? What’re you thinkin’ about right now, Ms. Davis, that has you blushingsohard?” He smiled a really sexy smile.

“Um…you suck. Stop looking at me like that!” I laughed and he was still staring with a questioning look. “Nothing! You’re just rubbing my feet and it’s nice. And you’re in sweats, which is basically lingerie for a man, and your hat is on backwards…”

He lost it and laughed so hard! I brought both my hands over my face. “So embarrassing. You’re done. I’m going to grab some water.”

I hopped up and he reached for me so fast, pulling me back onto his lap with his arms wrapped around me. We laughed as I fell to the side on the couch, and laid back, just staring at him. My legs were across his lap. He hopped up and brought his body over mine and leaned down to kiss me. Grabbing his face in my hands, I rubbed my fingers through his beard on their way to the back of his head. I wrapped my hands around him and pulled him into me for a kiss. Hudson leaned in, and just like every time, the kiss was explosive. He brought his knee up between my legs parting them wide.

I wondered if he was finally going to overcome his fears. It was the most he’d been intimate with me since the last time we were on the couch together. I was nervous he would run again. I just didn’t want him to stop. I wanted him to never stop.

The kiss intensified. He was half laying on his side and half laying on me. He brought a hand up to my neck and cupped my face. I could feel him… I knewhis bodywanted it, but I didn’t know ifhedid. I told myself,shut up, Amelia,and wrapped my hands around his neck. He brought his hand down, rubbing my breasts and I officially wanted to die. As much as I didn’t want to break the kiss, I needed to breathe. I needed air. I pulled back and groaned. “Hudson, you are a sexy, sexy man.”

He smiled through the kiss and kept pecking me on the lips and then going to my neck. But then, he let out a deep breath and pulled back a little, too. I moved with caution because I didn’t know where his head was, and we weren’t locked at the lips anymore.

He looked down and slowly pulls himself up to sit back on his feet. “Are you okay?” He asked me if I was okay. I wanted to ask if he was ok. His elbow was on the back of the couch while he ran his hand through his beard.

“I’m alright. Are you okay?” I pulled my legs in and scooted myself up, so my back is to the armrest again, and I’m facing him.

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