“Everything’s fi…”

I forgot what I was saying mid sentence. When he’d whipped open the door and startled me, all I saw was an angry face. But now…

I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

My Lord.

Hudson’s dress shirt was unbuttoned. His belt was open, and the zipper to his pants was down, revealing dark boxer briefs. But it wasn’t his state of undress that had me unable to form words, it was what was underneath the clothes.

I knew from our talks that he exercised, so I’d expected him to be in good shape. But Hudson was so much more. He was…magnificent. Beautiful smooth, tan skin, carved pecs, and an eight-pack of rippled muscles. A thin line of hair led from his belly button down into his boxers, the sight of which made me salivate.

“Stella? Are you okay?”

Hearing the concern in his voice, I blinked a few times.

“Oh…yeah. I’m fine.” Though not as fine as you.

“You banged on my door like there was a fire or something.”

“Sorry.” I shook my head. “I was just anxious.”

“Anxious about what? The shoot tomorrow?”

“No…yes…no…well, I am anxious about the shoot tomorrow, but that’s not what I was anxious about when I knocked on your door.”

Hudson still looked confused.

But of course, why wouldn’t he when I was babbling like an idiot? So I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

“I…I…would you like to have dinner tomorrow night?”

“Dinner?”

I nodded and swallowed. “Yeah…like a date?”

All the confusion and anger disappeared from his face. He shook his head. “It’s about fucking time.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be all cocky about it. Do you want to or not?”

He smiled. “Yes, I’d very much like to go out with you, Stella.”

My belly did a little somersault. I suddenly felt like I was in middle school and the most popular boy had told me he liked me back. Nervous, I looked down. “Okay, so tomorrow then? After the shoot. We’ll have dinner or something?”

Hudson looked amused. “Yes, that’s how it usually works—dinner or something.”

I scowled at him. “This isn’t easy, you know. You don’t have to make it even more difficult by being a jerk.”

His eyes sparkled. “I’ll work on that.”

“Good.” I’d never asked a man out in my life, so I wasn’t sure what came next. But when I caught myself grabbing for the ring I always twisted when I felt nervous, I figured the best thing would be to say goodnight. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

I went to walk away, but Hudson stepped out of his room and grabbed my hand. “Hang on a second. You forgot something.”

My brows dipped. “What?”

He yanked my hand so I stumbled and fell against his chest. Then in one quick swoop, he leaned down, lifted me up, and turned us so my back was up against the door to his room. My legs wrapped around his waist, and Hudson pushed into me, pinning me with his body. He cupped my cheeks and looked into my eyes.

“This, sweetheart, you forgot this.”

Hudson’s mouth crashed down on mine. The gasp that had been halfway through my lips was swallowed, along with any shyness I’d felt a minute ago. I threaded my fingers through his thick hair and tugged, wanting him even closer.

Hudson groaned. He tilted my head to deepen the kiss, and our tongues frantically collided. All hell broke loose after that. Hudson grinded between my legs as one of his hands snaked around to the back of my head where he grabbed a fistful of my hair. The roughness of his actions coupled with the feel of his warm, hard body pushing against me brought a moan from somewhere deep inside me.

“Fuck,” Hudson growled as his mouth moved to my neck. He sucked along my pulse line before kissing his way back to my lips. “Do that again. Make that sound again.”

It wasn’t a sound I’d tried to make, so I wasn’t sure I could repeat it. Though when he rubbed his cock up and down between my spread legs, I didn’t have to worry about trying to make it, because yet again it came from somewhere deep inside me.

Hudson grunted. “Fuck, yes.”

I wasn’t sure how long we stayed like that—grabbing and pulling, grinding and groping—but when our kiss finally broke, we were both panting. I reached up and felt my swollen lips. “Wow.”

A smile spread across Hudson’s face as he leaned his forehead against mine. “Took you long enough.”

I laughed. “Shut up. I had good reason to be scared.”

Hudson pushed a lock of hair from my cheek, and his face softened. “Don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. Except maybe a little biting.”

A sound at the other end of the hallway interrupted the intimate moment. An older couple was headed down the hall toward us.

“Shit,” Hudson said as he lowered me to my feet. In a really adorable move, he pulled my black dress down and straightened it for me.

I laughed and pointed my eyes down to his trousers. “Uhh... I don’t think I’m the one you need to worry about looking obscene.”

Hudson’s forehead wrinkled until he glanced down and saw his erection bulging from his pants. “Shit.”

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I got you.” I stepped in front of him and angled myself to shield him until the couple passed. Then he pulled up his zipper and partially buckled his belt.

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll walk you to your room.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“It’s on my way.”

My brows furrowed. “On your way where?”

“To the front desk. I locked myself out of my room.”

I chuckled. “Smooth, Rothschild. Smooth.”

He responded by swatting my ass. “Be nice or I won’t be a gentleman when we get to your door.”

“Maybe I don’t want you to be a gentleman.”

He hooked an arm around my shoulder as we started walking. “I said I’d be a gentleman when we’re at your door. Trust me, that shit will stay parked outside once we’re somewhere less public, now that you’re mine.”

“Oh, I’m yours now, am I?”

When we arrived at my door, Hudson kissed me gently on the lips. “You have been for a while, sweetheart. You just finally admitted it.”

I rolled my eyes as if what he said was arrogant, but it was the truth.

I grabbed his shirt. “Do you…want to come in?”

He stroked my cheek. “Yes, I want to. But no, I won’t. You have to get up in the morning. Plus, you deserve a nice date, and I’m going to give you that before we take things any further. If we go into your room, I will wind up trying to get you naked. You’re impossible to resist. Trust me, I’ve fucking tried.”

I smiled and pushed up on my tippy toes for another sweet kiss. “Goodnight, Hudson.”

“Glad you finally listened to the whisper, sweetheart.”

“I didn’t really have a choice. My whisper has been more like a scream lately.”

CHAPTER 21