Promise Me (Asher Family #1)

Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

HUDSON

I can’t remember the last time I laughed the way I have tonight.

Year twenty-eight was a success. Sadie crushed that unicorn pi?ata, but if you ask Linc, he set it up for her. If you ask me, it’s a good thing Linc didn’t play baseball.

Year twenty-nine was underestimated. When Linc and Brooke told me about the wing-eating contest Sadie had on that birthday, I remembered them telling me back then how she ate more wings than Linc, and he claimed she cheated. Back then, I can admit that I agreed with him. But now, knowing Sadie and witnessing it for myself, Linc lost fair and square. To be honest, so did I. I might have put up a better fight if I wanted, but I was too busy watching her.

I wasn’t lying when I told her that outside the rink. Watching her and being in her presence has been my favorite part of the past few weeks.

I’m well aware of the sap I’ve turned into when it comes to her, but I don’t really care.

I didn’t think there was anything left in this life for me to look forward to, for me to celebrate, but Sadie has proved me wrong.

I won’t tell her this, not yet anyway, but it seems that after all those years of fighting, she might have been right more times than I care to admit.

As soon as the wings were gone and more pictures were taken, we all moved on to year thirty. It was much more laid-back, and everyone here has basically found a spot near the windows and her favorite chairs or around the bar.

I pour myself another drink and glance around until I find Sadie sitting by herself. She’s watching the room, and as if she can sense my eyes on her, she smirks in my direction. I grab my drink and make my way toward her, taking the seat next to her. I’m close enough that our shoulders bump when either of us moves, and our thighs are flush against each other.

“Having a good night?” I ask.

She nods. “Are you?”

I smile. “It’s one of the best.”

“Is it because of the fact you were on the ice earlier or because all our favorite people are in this room right now?”

All our favorite people.

She’s not wrong. Even through all the fighting, we shared a large list of important people in our lives.

“Both.” I take a drink.

“Come on, admit it. You’re happier tonight because just hours ago, you were on the ice and skating with all those?—”

“You were on the ice today?” Luca comes up quickly.

“Skating?” Dad adds right behind him.

“Oh—” Sadie leans close to me and whispers, “Was that a secret?”

I shake my head. I can tell from her tone that she hoped I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret.

I reach behind us and rub her back. “No, it wasn’t a secret. I just didn’t tell anyone about it because I wasn’t sure how it would go, and I didn’t want anyone to get their hopes up.”

My father grins. “How did it go?”

“He was amazing,” Sadie cuts in and then bites her lip as she lowers her chin to her chest, likely embarrassed for the outburst.

For me, my heart swells at the pride she clearly has for me.

“It was better than I expected.”

“And you were with him?” Luca directs his question to Sadie, who simply nods.

“It was actually Sadie who put the whole thing in motion.”

“It was not,” she argues. “You said yes on your own.”

“Well, I wouldn't have had a yes to answer with if you hadn’t wanted to go inside the rink last week, and you’re the one who gave the coach my number after the boys spotted me.”

“How could I not? You should have seen your face. I’m not sure who was more excited, you or that team.”

“Hey, I was shocked at how many of them knew who I was.”

Sadie rolls her eyes and smiles. “You left quite the impression.”

“Did I now?”

Before she has a chance to answer, a throat clears in front of us. We both snap our attention to my father, who is shaking his head and grinning. My brothers, now that Miles has joined us, both have similar looks on their faces. I’d slightly forgotten they were here.

“Either way, thank you, Sadie,” my dad says before heading to the bar. My brothers do the same, but their twin senses must be on alert because they both look back at the same time, smirking.

“I’m happy you had a good day,” Sadie says.

Without thinking, I reach my hand forward and rest it on her knee. My thumb rubs her inner thigh as I try to think of what I’m about to say. I’m touching her as if it’s something I do every day. As if touching her is the most normal thing for us.

“Enough about my day,” I say. “This is your party.”

“Hmm, you know what I like the most about today?” she asks.

“If you say watching me skate on the ice, I swear I’m going to?—”

I close my mouth before I can finish that sentence. The things I would do to punish her would not be things my best friend approves of.

But, oh hell, these feelings aren’t going away anytime soon. If ever. I should just man up and?—

“You’re going to what, Hudson?”

Sadie leans close, and I suck in a breath at how her presence makes me feel. Anxious and tempted all at once.

This party needs to end before I get myself into trouble.

“I can’t finish that sentence,'” I tell her.

“But it’s my birthday.”

I chuckle. “Tell me the best part of this day.”

She rolls her eyes and says, “My favorite part of this day was spending it with you.”

Fuck. This woman is trying to kill me.

I’m at war with the choices I need to make, and here sits Sadie Collins, openly asking me to choose her.

“I think I’m going to take off,” Brooke says rather loudly as she approaches us. Then she whispers, “Someone has to be the first to make the move.”

Sadie stands to hug her goodbye, and quickly, a domino effect happens as everyone steps up to say their goodbyes for the night.

Linc and Sadie’s dad are the last to leave.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go home tonight?” Linc asks her. He’s talking in quiet tones, but since I've remained next to Sadie’s side, I hear him loud and clear.

“Not yet.”

Linc leans in to hug his sister; his gaze flickering to mine over her shoulder.

As soon as everyone is gone, I make my way to the windows to turn the blinds and start closing the place down.

“Thank you for tonight,” Sadie says, following suit and speeding up the process.

“Of course.”

As soon as everything is locked up, we head for the back stairs. Sadie doesn’t waste time the moment we are inside my apartment with the door closed.

“Why did you do that?” she asks.

“Do what?”

“Plan a surprise party for me.”

I shrug and step to move around her, but she stops me.

“Answer me.”

I take a deep breath and look down into her eyes.

“I told you. I wanted a way to say thank you, and I also didn’t want you to feel like you missed those years.”

“Why?”

“Sadie,” I warn.

“Just tell me. Tell me why you still let me live here. Tell me why you wanted me by your side when you went back to the ice rink. Tell me why you go to the store and buy food you hate just because you know I like it. And tell me why you would close your bar just to have a party for me that included maybe twenty people. Tell me, because?—”

“Because I want you, Sadie,” I snap. She steps back as my breathing increases. “I want you with me at all times. I want you here when I wake up, when I go to bed, when I come up for lunch to make a sandwich, when I walk to the gym, or when … he ll, Sadie, I want you every single moment of the day that I breathe. Just you. You’re all I think about.”

My hands are all but shaking because she’s too far out of reach, and I’ve never once had an outburst like that. Seconds pass, and she doesn’t do more than look at me.

I step toward her.

“I’ve never … wanted anything or anyone the way I want you. Not even hockey.”

Her hands drop to her sides. “I think I've made it clear what I want, and you’ve done nothing but tell me it can’t happen, so forgive me if I’m confused by your confession, Hudson.”

“I know.”

“So, give me the real reason you won’t take what you want. Not the shitty your brother’s my best friend excuse.”

The words are on my lips, but I can’t get them out.

She must feel my struggle, because Sadie moves until she’s right in front of me; her left hand caresses my face.

“You can tell me.”

“I’m afraid that if we start this, your memory will come back, and we’ll never get to see how it ends.”

She doesn’t respond right away, and I can’t decipher the expression in her eyes … I want to read them. I want to know her so deeply that I always know what she’s thinking or feeling before she says it. I want to know her better than anyone ever before, but fuck, losing her would be my undoing.

“I think it’s safe to say that my memory of who we used to be isn’t coming back.”

“You don’t know that for sure.”

She shakes her head. “No, I suppose I don’t.”

The room falls so eerily quiet that, even though you can hear a car idling outside or the flap of the bars sign in the wind, our breathing seems to be louder.

“Hudson. ”

“Yes?”

“All those things you said a moment ago, I want those, too, and I’m aware of the risk. But what if my memory doesn’t come back? Then what? We wasted all this time we could have been happy together because of fear. I don’t want to do that. I just want you.”

I try to back away from her, but she keeps a hold of me and pulls me closer.

“Please don’t,” she begs. “Please.”

“Sadie,” I whisper as she rests her forehead on mine. “If we do this, I need you to do something for me.”

“Okay,” she says softly. “What is it?”

“Promise me that if your memory ever comes back, this will be the version of us you keep.”

She pulls back, her hands still cupping my face. Her eyes peer into mine as if she’s trying to read everything going on inside my head right now.

As if she can understand everything with one look, she kisses me softly.

“I promise.”

My hands drop to grip her hips. She lets out the sexiest squeak as I jerk her closer to me.

I want her as close as she can be, and on her next breath, I crash her lips to mine.

Everything about Sadie surrounds me. Her soft skin under my fingertips, her lavender scent, the way her mouth tastes sweet like the wine she switched to downstairs, and the way her mouth feels against mine as if it was made for me.

I slip my tongue through our lips to tangle with hers, and at my touch, she throws her arms around my neck. I use this new angle to grip behind her thighs and lift her until her legs wrap around me as I walk us back to the bedroom .

Last night in the kitchen was just the beginning. This, tonight, there will be no coming back from it.

When we do this, this is it for us. I don’t need to be with her to know that this woman is it for me.

I step through the doorway, her hands gripping my hair and tugging on it the way she did when my face was happily snacking between her legs. My cock grows to life, more so than when she wrapped her legs around me. She tries to pull me with her as I lay her on the bed, but I unlock her hands from around my neck, and then I step back.

She’s glowing.

The smile on her face is brighter than I’ve ever seen, and her gaze, the way she drinks me in from head to toe, makes me jerk my belt off in one swift motion and unzip my jeans to free my erection that keeps swelling under her look.

I can’t wait to make her mine.

“Take your shirt off,” I tell her, reaching into my briefs and gripping myself. I pull my dick out and love how she watches the way I stroke it.

She opens her mouth to say something, but as soon as she sets her sights on the way my thumb rolls over the head, she nods and does as she’s told.

“Good girl,” I say as she looks at me, obediently waiting for her next order.

“Now, climb onto your knees and sit on the edge of the bed.”

Again, there is no objection.

I take a step toward her, my hand continuing to move up and down my length.

“Do you want this?”

She nods.

“I need to hear you say it. Do you want this?”

“Yes.”

“Where? ”

A naughty gaze floats up to mine as she smirks. “In my mouth, between my legs, anywhere you want me to take it.”

I choke on my next breath, which only causes her to grin wickedly.

“If you can talk dirty, so can I,” she says.

She bites her lips, reaching for the button on her jean shorts.

“Ah, ah, I didn’t say you take those off yet.”

Her head falls back on a laugh, drawing my gaze to her neck.

Fuck these games right now.

I let go of myself and close the gap between me and the bed. I grab Sadie and flip her onto her back. My hand moves quickly, unzipping and pulling her clothes off her body. I grip her panties at the same time so that in one motion, she’s bare to me. All that’s left is her bra, which I discard just as fast.

As if we are two sex-crazed teenagers, she helps me strip from my jeans and my shirt, too. Being naked around someone for a time can be weird, but not with Sadie. I can see it with every confident movement that she feels the same. She pushes herself up and backs up to the top of the bed; I crawl over her to make sure that I’m hovering over her the entire time. Once she reaches a spot where she is most comfortable, she stops.

This time, when I kiss her, I move with patience. I kiss her as if there is nowhere in the world for me to be other than right here with her. Her mind and her body are my only focus at this moment. For tonight.

The softness of her lips and the way she circles her tongue with mine leaves me twitching to be inside her.

I nudge my legs between hers, and she opens for me, but not wide enough. I grab both of her knees, spreading her wide. I glance down to her core, and the glisten that shines back at me makes me growl.

“All this for me?” I ask .

“Keep licking your lips like that and you won’t even have to touch me.”

I let out a howl of a laugh and then run a finger from her calf all the way up to her thigh, following the slope that dips between her legs.

She reaches for my hand and guides me the rest of the way.

“There’s no need to take your time, Hudson. You can have me again and again.”

I don’t reply, but I let my index finger slide inside her. She gasps, her hips rising off the bed. I adjust myself so that I can rest my other forearm on her hips to keep her in place.

Then I add a finger.

She moans.

So I add a third.

She moans louder.

“I love the noises you make,” I tell her. “But I want you to sit up and watch.”

“Watch? Watch what?” she asks, lifting herself to balance on her hands.

“The way you take me,” I answer pulling my fingers out, sticking them in my mouth. I quickly roll a condom on and then guide my cock to her entrance. Slowly, oh so deliciously slowly, I push in.

“Fuck,” I say. “You’re so drenched, I thought I’d slide right in, but baby, you are tighter than I imagined.”

“Oh, you feel so good.”

She’s closed her eyes again.

I grip just under neck and growl out, “I told you to watch.”

Her eyes snap open, and she grins.

“Yes, sir.”

As soon as she casts her gaze down, I push the rest of the way in. I want to stop and savor the way her pussy grips me, but I can't, I can feel her sucking me so tight that I know what she wants, what she needs. So, I pull back and slam into her. My hand is still at the base of her neck as I hammer into her.

“Yes!”

“Fuck, baby, your body loves me.”

“Harder,” she says, and I laugh, but do as she says.

“Oh my god, oh fuck, I’m going to …”

Her words drift off as she tries to control her breathing. Her body is clamping around me, and the pressure is like lighting a firework. My orgasm shoots down my spine and through my entire body.

I keep the pace until the feeling starts to simmer, and then I slowly pump in and out. She’s humming a noise now that I swear is the only reason I’m still hard.

“Keeping making noises like that and there won’t be time to rest.” I capture her lips to mine.

She lets her hands go to thread them to my hair and deepen our kiss.

“What if I don’t need rest?”

I kiss her once more and then pull out.

When I take in the view of her below me and the blissful smile on her face, I sure as hell hope fate won’t take this away from me too.