Page 52 of Playing With Fire
“Don’t go. It’s late and you’re right, I have to be up in a few hours so I need to get to bed, but I’ll sleep better knowing you aren’t driving on these wet roads, headed home alone in the dark, stewing in your thoughts.”
I pause, feeling his breath on the back of my neck.
How am I supposed to turn that down? With Gregor gone until tomorrow night, Serafina with my mom, no place to be in the morning, and emotional exhaustion seeping into every one of my cells, I relent.
“If you’re sure.”
He turns me to face him. “I’m sure. Come on, I’ll get you set up.”
He pulls me toward his room and goes to the chest of drawers. His room smells like him and instantly I can’t wait to crawl under the covers and wrap myself up in his scent. The comforter on his queen-sized bed is dark and looks heavy. His curtains are open, revealing the moonless sky beyond.
“Here,” he says, holding out plaid pajama pants and a gray t-shirt. “In case you don’t want to sleep in jeans.”
“I wasn’t planning on sleeping in anything,” I admit, loving the way his lust lights his eyes.
“I didn’t want to assume,” he whispers before flashing me a wink. “But I was hoping. Bathroom is in here.” He roots around under the sink and procures an unopened toothbrush.
“Wow, you’re more prepared than I expected.” I can hear the insecurity in my own tone so I know Hudson picks up on it.
“I went to the dentist last week,” he explains, setting my mind at ease. “This house doesn’t see overnight guests other than my niece, nephew, and the guys.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“Until you tell me you’re choosing to stay married and this thing between you and I isn’t going anywhere, of course it’s your business.”
I hesitate, unable to look him in the eye as I drown in the hope of his words. His golden irises are too intense and I know they’re able to see all the things I’ve been feeling for the last year. The inadequacy, the resentment, the bitterness. He cups my face with his hand. “In a perfect world, I would have met you first, swept you off your feet, and I still wouldn’t have set you down. But ten years ago, I wasn’t a man worthy of you. We don’t get to choose when people enter our lives, but we can choose how we treat them once they do.”
“You treat me far better than I deserve,” I tell him.
“Regardless of what society thinks, this doesn’t make you a bad person. All this does is make you a good person in an impossible situation. Gregor is just as guilty as you and I.”
It seems strange hearing my husband’s name come out of my lover’s mouth. I desperately want to believe his words, but I don’t know what to say so I just nod and take the offered toothbrush.
“Thank you.”
“Are you okay if I sleep in here with you or would you rather I sleep down the hall?”
I pinch my brows, not understanding. Why would he think I didn’t want to sleep next to him?
I don’t have to wait long to find out.
“Sleeping next to each other is just as intimate as having sex,” he explains. “You’re trusting me to protect you and keep you safe in your most vulnerable state. But if youdotrust me for those things, I’d love to sleep next to you. I’ll try not to wake you in the morning. Make yourself at home and just lock the doorknob when you leave.”
After brushing my teeth and stripping Hudson, I grab him and pull him to bed with me. Placing my head on his chest, I smile as his arms wrap around me, and I drift into the most peaceful, deep slumber I’ve had in months.
Chapter 20
Hudson
How in the actual fuck am I supposed to leave this house, leave thisroom, knowing that Shannon is currently in my bed? Calling upon every ounce of self-restraint I have inside me, I turn away from her and move to the closet, stripping quickly and changing for work in here. When I re-emerge, Shannon’s rolled onto her back, and it’s just my fucking luck that the sheets have dropped low on her right side, revealing her perfect breast.
Unable to stop myself, I walk to the edge of my bed and lean down, gently nipping and biting the tantalizing flesh.
I startle her awake as she tries to pull away before realizing it’s me and sinks back into the pillows, her hands flying to my head, keeping me in place.
I open my mouth wider, devouring her perfect tit as I squeeze it with my left hand while using my right to brace myself above her.
After another minute, she’s using both hands to pull me down on top of her. She succeeds when she grips me tightly and rolls the opposite direction, knocking me off balance.
