Georgia-Blue & Hudson (Stoney Creek #5)

Chapter 21

21

Georgia

The sun feels amazing. I can’t remember the last time I had a day to just lie by the pool and soak up the sun without worrying about work, or Gabriel yelling or having to babysit one of the kids on short notice. It’s so relaxing. I can’t even remember the last time I had a moment to read a book. It feels indulgent but I remind myself that I work hard and deserve this.

I also haven’t confessed to Celeste yet about last night, and I know I have to tell someone. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be a good idea, but I know I can trust Celeste. As long as she doesn’t blab to Callan, then there is no way anyone can find out.

This morning, I admit, I was a minx. I was so ready for Hudson again. Seeing him lying there like that in my bed, rousing from sleep after the wild night we had, completely naked; I couldn’t contain myself.

Even though I’m feeling the aftermath of Hurricane Hudson between my legs, I’m not regretting it. This morning wasn’t fucking… it was something else. Hudson was slow, making sure I wasn’t uncomfortable, it’s as if he gets off seeing my pleasure.

I didn’t expect sex. I expected Hudson to run out of the room with his things, tripping over himself to be gone before daylight. I’m still wondering where the catch is because as much as I know he’ll be on the ‘we can’t do this’ train, he’s not acting like that at the moment.

He sets a tray of french fries down between us and I look up gratefully. “You know the way to my heart,” I sing-song, sitting up. His eyes skate down my black polka dot bikini and he frowns.

“Shouldn’t that have a little more material?”

Oh, here we go. GP is alive and well. “It’s a bikini, Cowboy, pretty much the same style you already saw me in the other day with the hot pink . I’m not wearing a potato sack to swim in.”

He mutters something about my top looking more like an eyepatch but I ignore him and take another guzzle of my Energizer Juice. No more alcohol for me, at least, not on this trip.

I remember Hudson on the dance floor last night, and that makes me smile. He danced for me, and it was the sweetest thing.

He plops down on the sun lounger next to me. And if I didn’t think there was a greater sight than seeing Hudson naked, I clearly hadn’t seen him in his swim shorts. Holy cockadoodle-do. He’s not Adonis to the Gods; he’s so much more. And seeing him out of his work attire has me all gooey like a freshly baked cinnamon roll. Except he’s the cinnamon roll and damn do I wanna lick that icing off.

“You got sunblock on?”

I roll my lips because he’s at it again just like at the beach, looking over my glasses at him as I reach for a fry. “Yes, Dad. ”

He shakes his head, taking a large sip of his juice. “I don’t know what the hell is in this, but it tastes pretty good.”

“The lady at the juice bar said it was good for hangovers.”

He gives me a side eye. “I wasn’t drunk.”

“Oh, does that explain your behavior?”

His lips twitch. “Does that explain yours?”

I point at myself. “ Me? I’m the influencee, not the influencer. Old boy. ”

“This old boy made you scream so many times I lost count.” He smiles without humor. “And we both know no other guy would’ve been able to do that.”

“Yes, I know. You don’t need me to validate your penis, which by the way, could have its own zip code.”

He glances around, making sure nobody can hear. “We’re in public.”

“Yeah, so? Surrounded by nobody we know, other than some of the guests from the wedding who don’t know us.”

“Someone from Stoney Creek could.”

My heart sinks just a little. “Yeah, they could.” I didn’t mean to make my voice sound small, but he leans over and nudges my knee with his hand.

“I didn’t mean it like that. People talk?—”

“I get it, Huds, I’m not a child. I wish everyone would stop babying me like I am.”

His face softens. “We should talk about what happens when we leave.”

Here we go.

“Let me save you the drama.” I shove my glasses up my nose so he can’t see my eyes. “We fuck while we’re here to get away with it, and when we get back home, we act like it never happened.”

There’s a long pause, enough for me to turn my gaze to find his.

“That’s what should happen,” he says eventually. Is it just me, or does he sound uncertain?

Is he uncertain because he regrets it, or because he’s worried about my stupid brothers?

Honestly, being the youngest — and a girl — has done me absolutely no favors what-so-ever. Nobody treats Beau like this, and he’s half an hour older than me!

“Should?” I grab a fry and wave it at him. “Are you having regrets?” It’s a double-ended question. It could mean regrets about last night, or regrets about us not being able to touch each other when we get back.

I have no clue as to what is going on in Hudson’s brain right now, I may be able to pick up on signs, but he’s not exactly an open book.

I do know he spooned me last night. His arms wrapped around me in a cocoon and I’ll treasure it for the rest of my life. Okay, maybe that’s dramatic. But he took my virginity, it’s not like I’m not gonna hold a special place in my heart for him now and forever. Even if nothing comes of it… Ouch. I clearly didn’t think any of this through, because now that I’ve had him, the ‘not’ having him could prove to be my downfall.

His hand still lingers on my knee and it doesn’t do anything to quash the rush of feelings going on inside me. Nor does it quench my suddenly wide-awake libido. I’m hungry for him like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. How am I going to go back home, acting like we’re nothing after this? My overactive brain goes into a tailspin, but the rational part deep inside tells me to enjoy this. Take it for what it is; it’s not like Hudson is offering anything more than a roll in the hay.

“I regret a lot of things in my life, GB,” he says after a long bout of silence. “But not this. I don’t like lyin’ to your brothers, especially Gray, and your dad... that’s another matter. Maybe I should feel some remorse over what I’ve done?—”

“What we’ve done.”

He looks up from where his thumb strokes my knee, then pulls his hand away. I grab onto it quickly. “George.” He sounds almost pained.

“Hudson, don’t do this. I didn’t expect hearts and flowers, and I know we can’t continue this when we get back.” Correct me at any time… “So we should just enjoy these last few days together. Like you said, nobody has to know, and it can be our little secret.”

“I don’t think I said that.”

“Maybe I’m the influencer?”

He snorts. “Nah. You’re not fooling anyone.”

We both laugh and then simultaneously fall silent.

He clears his throat and I frown.

“Hudson?” I prompt. “What’s wrong?”

He takes a long breath and shakes his head. “Nothin’, eat your fries, we’ll go for a swim and we can take a walk downtown.”

He’s so fucking dreamy.

I cock a brow. “You’re not letting me out of your sight, are you?”

He enraptures me with that smile I know and love. Love being the operative word. Shut up! You do not love him or his smile. I swallow hard. Shit. Shit. Shit! Okay, feelings are mounting, heart palpitations starting and throat thickening. Pull it together!

“Not a chance, especially with that dickface hanging around from the wedding.”

“He’s probably half-way back to the rock he crawled out from.”

I shove three fries into my mouth at once, then push one into Hudson's mouth. Of course, like a typical guy, he can pretty much eat whatever he wants and not worry about it. I don’t eat much fried food, but since I’m on vacation, I’ll cut myself a little slack.

When I slide off the lounger and adjust my bikini bottoms, Hudson’s eyes are on me. I don’t have to be a genius to know what he’s thinking. He wants it. So maybe I’ll just make him work for it.

I suck my stomach in a little, and head over the pool. I don’t dive, instead, I slide off the side, facing him, and then swim backward. I crook my finger, beckoning him to me. He obeys, sliding his sandals off — totally hot on him by the way — and in two seconds flat he’s diving over my head, splashing me, as I squeal.

His arms are around my waist before he surfaces and I shriek. When he comes up from under the water, he’s grinning.

“What do I get if I don’t dunk you under?”

“Hudson Nash, you wouldn’t dare!”

He cocks a brow. “Wouldn’t I?”

“No!” I protest, slapping his shoulder. “I mean it, I don’t want chlorine in my hair, it’ll dry it out.”

“Now who’s talkin’ like a little princess?”

I slide my hands up his biceps, enjoying the feel of his muscles. I can’t stand here because I’m too short, but he can. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. “You know you love it when I’m a brat.”

His fingers dig harder into my hips. “You’re so fuckin’ hard to resist.”

My heart flutters, my lips pressing against his. “I think they have a pool policy at this hotel,” I murmur. “No fucking in front of hotel guests.”

“Is that right?”

“Uh, huh.”

“What about the policy with indecent bikinis.”

“Hey, I could’ve gone topless. In fact, they have a nudist beach here somewhere…”

“Are you tryin’ to give me a heart attack?”

“No.” I kiss him gently, and he doesn’t pull back.

He moves us around in the water and I’ve never felt my heart constrict as much as it is right now.

Like I said, I’m good with vibes, and I’m not blowing my horn when I say that I know he’s into me. But I get this other thing from him and I can’t tell if it’s just wishful thinking, or if it’s really real.

There’s something between us. Something that I’m having a hard time imagining putting a lid on.

He just told me to keep things on the DL because someone from Stoney Creek might hear us, and here we are swimming around glued to each other like we’re the newlyweds. I love that he didn’t run away. That he didn’t tell me we can’t, even if he will as soon as we land back in Tennessee. That part I can’t think of right now. My new mantra for this year was to grab the bull by the horns and shake it. And goddamn am I shaking it.

“You’re beautiful, Georgia,” he whispers. “I don’t know how we’re gonna stop once we leave.”

It’s the most honest thing he’s ever said.

“Maybe we don’t have to.” The words are out before I can stop them.

I wait for it, but it never comes. He doesn’t tell me no, or we can’t, even though I’m a hundred percent certain just the sight of Grayson will make him head for the hills.

It’s my life. Not Grayson Bassetts. And he can’t dictate what we do. At the same point, Hudson may not want that. He might just want a holiday fling and to hold the trophy of having my virginity, not that it’s trophy worthy, but it was important to me.

No matter what, he’s changed how I feel about everything. Especially sex. I didn’t know it could be that good. I didn’t know that it was important to a man that you get off before him, and multiple times, like what Hudson did.

I will forever hold him on a pedestal, but in truth he earned every inch of it. All seven inches of him.

“You think too highly of me,” he mutters eventually.

“I do not, I’m teasing you half the time and trying to test your patience, remember?”

It’s like he doesn’t hear me. “You know we do have to stop when we get back.”

My heart sinks. And there it is.

“I know.” I don’t mean it to sound harsh. I want to break away and swim off, leaving him alone in the pool so I can go and sulk. But it’s time to pull my big girl panties up. He didn’t promise me the moon, and I can’t go falling in love with him. That would be dumb.

“I don’t want you to hate me.”

I frown. “I could never hate you.” My heart is breaking. I want him to keep wanting me. I want this. Us.

When did this go from a dirty weekend to feelings?

Get a grip!

“We can stop now if you want?”

I don’t hold back my sass this time. “Do you really mean that?”

“I don’t want it to seem like I’m using you, GB. I’m not. We have a connection, I feel it.”

“I hear a ‘but’ coming on…”

“You’re my best friend's little sister.”

I place a finger over his lips. “Let’s agree to never speak of that again. We all know the wrath of Grayson, but he’s not here. Let’s just enjoy the weekend and not worry about tomorrow.”

Lies! All of it is lies. I don’t mean a word, but this is what pulling up your big girl panties looks like, right?

I can’t go getting all attached to a man I can never have.

“I’m not sure you mean that?”

I give him a pointed look. “You got the hots for yourself, Cowboy? ” I drown my pain with humor. I just hope he can’t see through it.

“I could tickle you for that.”

“But you won’t because I squeal and it’ll draw attention to us.”

“Sneaky.”

My face lights up. “You do a lot of talking for a Grumpy Pants, maybe vacation suits you a little too well.”

He snorts, then captures my lips with his and I melt into him.

This will never not be a thing. No matter what he says. I’ll learn to keep it suppressed. He doesn’t need to know that I already love him in ways he can’t imagine. I’ll never tell him that. How embarrassing.

The one thing I’ve learned from this weekend? I will never, ever tire of Hudson Nash.