Fourteen
Hudson watched as Viviana walked upstairs. The hug with her mom had looked awkward, but he was glad to see some affection between them.
He stood up. If Viviana was going to bed, then he’d need to take up his station outside her door.
On his way to the staircase, Marlana stopped him. “I have a request,” she said.
Hudson nodded. “Go ahead.”
“I want you in her room.”
“In it?”
“Yes. She has a tendency to…wander, when things get hard. Please.”
Hudson nodded. This pride had been through so much in the last few hours. Staying in Viviana’s room was the least he could do. “Is she on board with this?” he asked.
“Yes. Barely.” Marlana gave him a rueful smile. “I apologize in advance for any attitude she gives you.”
He’d let Viviana do her own apologizing, but he nodded at Marlana anyway. “Thanks. See you in the morning.”
With that, Marlana stepped out of his way and he went upstairs. For the longest moment, he stood outside Viviana’s door. He listened for sounds of her within. Taking a deep breath, he finally knocked.
“Yes?”
He tried the handle, which was unlocked. “Sorry. I—your mom told me she wants me in here tonight.”
“Yes,” Viviana said. “She does.”
She turned and walked away from the open door, leaving Hudson there, staring after her. He was supposed to go into her room. Why was he so nervous? They’d just had that beautiful moment in the woods, and now it felt like everything was ruined.
He didn’t need shifter senses to tell that Viviana was sad. He also didn’t flatter himself that her sadness was about him and what they’d done, and what they’d decided afterward. She missed her pride member, pure and simple.
Hudson stepped forward, then closed the door behind him. “What can I do?” he asked. “What do you need right now?”
She turned wide blue eyes to him. “Nothing. I’m fine. Just…just cold.”
Without a word, he walked over and stood in front of her, then held out his arms. “Come here.”
She leaned forward, into his embrace. Her, in his arms. It felt so right. Why did it have to feel so good, as if something that had been unfinished was now perfectly complete? He shook off the thoughts.
She smelled good, like shampoo. Like woman. He didn’t know all the subtle scents that he’d heard his pack mates talk about when he was growing up. He probably couldn’t even distinguish lavender from rosemary. But he did know that she smelled divine.
He led her to the bed, then turned back the covers. “Get in. We’ll get you all wrapped up and you’ll be warm.”
He sat with her on the edge, helping her under the blankets, and tucked her in. It felt right, it felt wonderful, to stretch out alongside her, so he lay down over the covers. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest, trying to convey all of his comfort and care in that one gesture. Holding her, his Viviana.
She shivered lightly within the blankets, then turned her face toward him. She pressed her nose into his neck and inhaled. “You still smell like me,” she whispered.
“I—I wouldn’t know.” This was wrong—already his cock was waking up. She was hurting, she was sad, and his damn dick couldn’t keep still.
“That was a lot of fun, in the woods,” she whispered.
Oh hell, he thought. Only worse. She was reminding him of all the pleasure they’d shared. And his cock was now definitely interested. He moved uncomfortably in place.
Her breath came in soft puffs against his neck. Warm. Smelling of toothpaste. Why did she have to smell so good? All of her. And he knew her skin. His hands itched to feel it again, to trace her curves, follow the smooth lines to all the parts of her body. Bring her pleasure, take away her pain.
No—that wasn’t his role here. His role was to protect her.
Something warm and wet grazed his neck. She’d—she’d licked him.
He couldn’t pretend the tension wasn’t between them anymore. Turning his head, he was going to say that he should get up and sit by the door. But as soon as he saw her watching him, all of his intentions left his mind. He crashed his mouth to her lips, tasting her, drinking her.
She moaned in response and twined her fingers in his hair. “Hudson,” she whispered.
She was under the covers, he was on top of them. That had to change, immediately.
Even as he pulled the blankets back, he knew this wasn’t right. He was being unprofessional. His former boss would have crucified him for this. His current boss would probably flay him alive.
But he couldn’t give one single fuck.
Viviana’s camisole was thin, and her nipples were already poking up through it, hard like little buttons. He lightly pinched one, then the other. She squirmed, sliding her legs back and forth against each other, probably trying to relieve the tension he was causing between her legs. He moved his mouth back to hers and forced his tongue inside. She sucked it, greedily.
When he sent an exploring hand down to the waistband of her pajama shorts, she gasped against him and arched forward. She wanted this even more than he did.
“This okay?” he asked. Hating himself for giving in to this lust. This all-consuming lust. But he couldn’t stop, not if she wanted this like he did.
“Better than okay,” she whispered back. “I need to forget, Hudson. I need you, and I need to forget everything else.”
She needed him. That, right there, would be his undoing.
He hovered over her body, staring down at her beautiful face. He couldn’t stand to be away from her.
But…this shouldn’t be about what he needed. If he didn’t let himself find release, this wouldn’t be about him. It would only be about her…and then he wouldn’t feel as unprofessional.
He scooted back on the bed, nestling his head between her thighs. Her sweet scent filled his nose. He yanked her shorts down. She wasn’t wearing panties, and he grinned up at her, wickedly. That first time in the woods, she’d said, Tell me what to do. Did she get off on that? On being told what to do?
“Touch your breasts,” he said, his voice husky. “Touch yourself while I lick you.”
She moaned uncertainly, but did as he asked. Her pretty face was screwed up in concentration.
“Just let go, Viviana. It’s just you and me here, all right? Everything’s going to be fine. Just feel this.”
With that, he stuck his tongue out and licked along her seam. She was sweet, divine, and he couldn’t get enough. “I knew you’d taste good.”
She whimpered, her fingers pinching at her nipples. She was so ready. It would be so easy to slide up and into her and give her everything—but no. He had at least a little more restraint than that. He kept his jeans firmly on and continued to alternate licks along her pussy lips and little nibbling sucks on her clit. She squirmed more, tried to clamp her thighs around his head. He loved every second of driving her wild. With one hand, he held one of her thighs in place, and with the other, he slowly, ever so slowly, inserted a single finger into her pussy.
She moaned louder. “That feels—oh, Hudson. That feels so good.”
He moved his finger back and forth, reveling in the way she clamped down on him. Her muscles were so, so strong, and he wished they encased his cock instead. But no, that wouldn’t, that couldn’t be the case. He’d never be able to look in the mirror again.
When he put a second finger in along with his first, she whimpered and moaned. “Keep touching those gorgeous breasts,” he said. “Play with your tits.”
He wasn’t imagining the way her breath hitched every time he told her to do something. She was into this. He began to slide his fingers in and out of her faster and faster, and moved his tongue up to lick and suck her clit, both at once. She arched up, and her legs tensed around his shoulders.
“I’m coming—oh,” she whispered. Her entire body shuddered, and she squeezed his fingers.
He pulled them out of her pussy and licked them clean, then he slid up beside her.
She reached for his zipper, but he grabbed her wrist.
“No,” he said. “Thank you.”
“No? Thank you?” She giggled. “But, you’ve got to be kidding. I mean—”
“I mean, I should be sitting in a chair over there, by the door. Viviana, I feel bad enough that I did this much. I mean, I’d do it all again, but I shouldn’t be touching you.”
“Yeah.” She turned over on her side, facing the window. “Never mind, it’s fine.”
Hudson reached out and ghosted a touch along her spine. He wanted to feel her skin, wanted to lose himself in her.
But this was a job, not a relationship. He stood and straightened his shirt and pants, then grabbed her desk chair and dragged it over to the door. There he sat, replaying in his mind, over and over, the way her pussy had clamped around his fingers, the sweet taste of her filling his mouth.
It took a long time, but eventually Viviana’s breathing evened out and grew softer. He envied her sleep, envied the very bed she was sleeping in. He wanted to be with her in that bed, curled around her body.
When dawn broke, sending warm rays of light through her gauzy white curtains, Hudson stood up. Viviana remained asleep, her breaths even. Resisting the urge to wake her with a kiss, he replaced the chair by her desk and walked from the room.
In his own room, he locked his door. Then he lay on the bed, shoved his pants down to his feet, and lifted his shirt. Grabbing his cock in one hand, he felt the heavy thickness of it.
Maybe this was unprofessional, but it wasn’t like he was on the clock. This was his leisure time, after all, and he could do this silently. Nobody had to know what he was doing in here.
Or who he was thinking about.
He wondered what Viviana would think if she saw him holding his cock in his hand. Would her eyes grow wide with surprise? Would they become heavy-lidded with desire? Would she want to repeat everything they’d done in the woods?
Sounds of her shower running reached his ears. He stifled a groan, because now his imagination was going wild. He thought of the shower water beading on her skin. Imagined licking it from her shoulders, and trailing his tongue to her breasts to suckle her nipples gently.
This was killing him. He pumped his cock harder, faster. Felt his balls squeeze. He came suddenly, silently, then cleaned up and fell asleep.
The ringing of his phone woke him. He looked at the time. Noon. The caller ID read Heritage Pines, and his heart beat fast.
“Yes?” he said. “This is Hudson.”
“Mr. Hudson,” a female voice said, “this is Dr. Powers.”
“Yes?”
“Everything is fine. There’s been a massive improvement—your mother is speaking again, and she’s asked to speak with you.”
“She has?” This was fantastic—she was getting better. And it had been so long since he heard her voice. Not only was he worried about his mom, he’d also missed her. “I’ll be there in an hour.”
He hung up, feeling hopeful for the first time since he’d learned of Chase’s death.