Nineteen
The room went silent after Gracie left. Viviana tried not to fidget. She didn’t want to look at Hudson, but he was the first to speak. “Stays awake all day like her? Vampires do that?”
“Most vampires sleep during the day,” Viviana said. “But some, like Gracie, have different abilities. She can stay awake.”
“So, it wouldn’t be as easy as walking in and staking him,” Hudson said.
Viviana shook her head and faced her parents. “I’m turning in for the night.”
Hudson looked like he had more to say, but she left the office and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She told herself that she wanted to be alone, away from the rest of her pride.
But really, she needed to get away from Hudson. His clean laundry scent seemed to follow her everywhere through the house. She could still taste his kisses, if she closed her eyes and concentrated.
She heard footsteps behind her. The scent of clean laundry in the air caused her heart to leap with joy and her mind to groan with dread. Hudson.
“Just don’t,” she said, spinning to face him. “I’m tired of you following me around, tired of you pretending there’s nothing between us, tired of your stinking professional face that won’t stop me from wanting to pin you down and kiss you.”
Spine straight, she opened the door to her room and stepped in. She tried to close it in his face, but he held it open.
“Hudson, just leave me alone,” Viviana said. “Let me be—”
He stopped her with a kiss. His mouth was hot, demanding. She allowed herself to be carried away by the sensations for just a moment, and then she pulled back.
“You think you can shut me up with a kiss?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He crowded her back into her room, closing and locking her door behind them. “Come here.”
He led her into the bathroom, where she noticed her dirty clothes on the floor. She kicked them to the side, embarrassed that she hadn’t cleaned up after herself. Then again, it wasn’t as if she’d been expecting company.
He smirked. “You’re going to be showing me a lot more than your dirty panties and bras.”
“I—?”
“Strip.”
Her heart thudding, she hesitated. “What?”
“You’ve been pushing me and pushing me, Viviana. And I’m not holding back anymore. Never again. You want all of me? Then take off those fucking clothes and see what I have to offer.”
Her hands shook. This was what she wanted, wasn’t it? But…he was ordering her around. He was telling her what to do. No, she didn’t play like that. She would call the shots.
“You first,” she said.
He shook his head. “Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think I know what you need. I’ve been paying attention to your body. You want to be told what to do. You want to be made to listen. Not anywhere else, no. But in bed? You do. Tell me if I’m wrong.”
She stared back at him and caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror behind him. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes blazing. He was right—every time he gave her an instruction, it made her even hotter.
“You’re not wrong,” she whispered. It was the most she could do.
Grinning, he said, “Good. So take off your clothes and I’ll give you your next instruction.”
Her face felt like it was on fire. He was really doing this.
When she slid her t-shirt over her head, she heard him suck in a staggering breath.
Oh, she thought. So he liked this as much as she did. Already she was wet between her legs—her panties were damp and uncomfortable. She looked up, met his gaze. His eyes flashed with a searing heat as he took in her bare breasts and stomach.
“You’re perfect,” he said, and rewarded her with a kiss. His tongue made the briefest lick into her mouth, then darted out again. “Keep going.”
She stared at him. He had all his clothes on, but he was sporting a very obvious boner—she could see the outline through his jeans. If he’d just take off one thing, she’d feel better about this.
“Please,” she said. “At least take off your shirt?”
He looked like he would ignore her request, but something in his eyes softened. “Sure, Viviana.”
Her name always sounded like an endearment on his lips, like her name embodied all the tenderness of sweetheart or beautiful or precious. She was unbelievably turned on, but melting inside at the same time.
She watched as Hudson reached down to the hem of his shirt and lifted it up, over his chest. Muscles rippled—he was just as built as a shifter. Grace, power, strength. Viviana gulped. His beauty took her breath away—did he know that? Should she tell him?
He didn’t give her a chance. “The rest,” he said, gesturing at her jeans.
She slid them down, along with her underwear. It was true—she did want him to take control like this. She was tired of the pressure of not knowing what would happen next. She was tired of being groomed to be alpha. So much responsibility waiting for her. Not tonight—not right now.
She stood before Hudson, naked, her hair falling around her shoulders and tickling her skin.
“So beautiful,” he murmured. He leaned back against the counter and squeezed his cock through his jeans. “Touch yourself for me. Start with your tits.”
“Ohmygosh,” she said. “I don’t know—”
“Come on. You’ve done it before.”
“Yeah, but—” She couldn’t say it out loud. That had been when his mouth was on her, when his fingers had been inside her. She’d been so driven by desire that she hadn’t given any thought at all to what she was doing with her breasts.
Hudson raised his eyebrows, waiting to be obeyed.
Biting her lip, she brought one of her hands up and rubbed it across the small mound of her breast. Hudson made a deep sound. If he’d been a shifter, it would have been a growl.
“Pinch yourself, just a little.”
Her face felt like it was on fire. But she did as he said, and felt an arc of pleasure shoot from her nipple, straight to her clit.
“With your other hand, touch your pussy. Put your finger inside.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. Please.”
He grinned wickedly. “You need help?”
She nodded, but felt a thread of misgiving about that satisfied smirk on his face.
He walked the two steps over to stand in front of her, then knelt on her shower mat. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, then took her index and middle fingers into his mouth, sucking on them gently. Viviana had never had someone do this to her before, and she felt like her knees would buckle.
Without warning, he yanked her fingers out of his mouth and directed them to her pussy. He pressed them slowly inside of her, allowing her to bend them to her shape.
“There,” he said, his voice gruff.
Viviana watched as he scooted back against her counter, sitting on the floor. She had two fingers in her pussy, and her other hand was at her breast. She didn’t know if she could even speak, or what she would say if she could.
He stared at her, his gaze hungry. If he’d looked impassive, or disapproving, she would have stopped. But after a second, he unfastened his jeans and made enough space to pull out his cock. He held it in his fist and jacked his hand up and down.
He was just as turned on as she was, and she loved it.
“What do I do next?”
He gave her a surprised smile. “You’re getting into this. Good. Next, I want you to pull your fingers out of your pussy and rub them over your clit.”
She did as she was told, her legs quaking with the pleasure spreading through her. This was so freaking hot she thought she’d fall over. Her brain couldn’t handle all the pleasure, and her muscles were tense from her approaching orgasm.
“Now I want you to turn around, and bend over.” Did his instructions sound a little breathless, or was that just Viviana’s imagination? He continued, “Grip the edge of the bathtub.”
She did as she was told. She was completely bare, and he could scrutinize every inch of her. She peeked behind her, saw him standing there, cock in hand, staring. She turned back to face her tub, eyes squeezed shut.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. “So beautiful.”
Then he was lining up behind her, the head of his cock at her entrance. Viviana held her breath, waiting for the stretching pressure of him. When would he do it? She waited.
“I loved watching you play with your tits, Viviana,” he whispered.
And then he shoved inside of her. Viviana bit her lip to keep from moaning aloud. He felt so good in there, so filling. She rocked back on her heels, hoping to get more of him in, wanting the delicious friction of him moving back and forth.
He groaned and pumped forward, hard. Viviana nearly came right there, but she held back, wanting to enjoy this even longer. He moved his hand around so he could pinch her nipples, one and then the other, back and forth. With his other hand, he fluttered his fingers over her clit.
“I liked watching you touch yourself,” he whispered. “Made me hard. But now I get to touch you, and your orgasm belongs to me. Understand? I’ll tell you when you can come.”
Viviana whimpered. She was so close. Please, please tell her she could come. The pleasure was building and building inside her, and she didn’t know if she’d be able to hold it back.
Her breaths were ragged and loud, echoing off the tile of her bathtub. To keep herself from coming, she focused on her shampoo and conditioner bottles. If she thought of shampoo and conditioner, she wouldn’t be as focused on the way he kept her on the very brink of an orgasm.
She wanted to give him everything—her orgasm, her heart, her very name—but if he didn’t allow her to come soon—
“Come,” he said. “Now.”
Viviana let the pleasure spiral out of her in a blinding bright sensation of joy. He pulsed inside of her as her pussy clamped down on his cock. The feelings of fullness and completion were overpowering. She held fast to the edge of the bathtub and moaned.
When Hudson pulled out, she felt the liquid of his come dripping out of her. She gradually stood up, her legs still shaking. “That was…” she said, but words failed her. She couldn’t describe it.
Hudson turned her around so she faced him, and then he leaned down and gave her a kiss. “I meant what I said. I’m not going to pull away from you anymore.”
Her heart thudded in her chest, and not only from the exertion of what they’d just done. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, I refuse to fight this. You’re right—we do belong together. We’re mates, Viviana. You and me. I’m terrified about what it means, but if I’m gonna be terrified, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be terrified with.” Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re everything to me.”