Page 72 of All the Beautiful Things
“Hudson—”
“I know.” He kissed my palm and began to move, slow, measure hard thrusts that forced my eyes closed every time he hits deep inside me. It took effort to not give him my cries and screams.
He didn’t. He could have no idea the depths of what I felt for him were, deeper than I understood and yet I still knew, in that moment, it would not help anything. If anything, it would stroke more fear inside of him.
And so I stayed silent, lifted my head and kissed him deeply, let the strength of what I felt for him show in the way I moved my body with his and clung to him.
Move he did. He rolled us so I was on top and yet he still maintained control with powerful thrusts of his hips. His wide hands spanned my hips and yanked me against him, pulling me forward in that perfect way where nerves singed my blood and sparked embers at my core.
That was what he needed. As we moved tougher, fought for each other’s pleasure, that fire flamed bright and hot, out of control.
Let the world burn.
This was all I needed anyway.
* * *
“Sandra,”I called out to Brandon’s assistant. I’d spent hours over the last week searching for something for Hudson for Christmas. Nixing clothes because Hudson dressed far too nice for anything I could afford and every single site came up empty.
What did a woman, who had very little money, get for a man who could afford anything he wanted and had given me everything?
“Still shopping?”
“I give up. What in the world do I buy for Hudson?”
Christmas was less than a week away. I’d spent hours every day at work, thinking of everything I knew about Hudson. His hobbies. His family. His home.
And every single day I came up blank.
Sandra flashed me a wink. “Lingerie? My husband always likes it when I show up in that. Maybe something cute and Christmasy?”
I imagined the look on David’s face and then the relentless teasing I would earn from Brandon if Hudson were to open a gift like that on Christmas morning. “Be serious.”
“I am.” She spun in her chair and pushed off it, coming to my desk until she twisted my laptop and her fingers wildly tapped on the keys.
She turned the screen back to me. “Something like this?”
Blush burned from the roots of my hair down to my toes. There was black lace and thin straps that looked like they could be bitten into pieces without much effort. A deep neckline that sliced between the model’s breasts and went as deep as her belly button, possibly lower. Thin, barely existing straps criss-crossed along the back, holding the pieces thatmightcover my breasts in place.
“I can’t wear that!”
“Please. If I was your age and with your body, you would probably never see me in anything but a get-up like this.”
“What a pleasant picture,” I teased. The outfit came in red and white as well as black. And a baby pink.
I chewed on the inside of my cheek and groaned. “Any other ideas that don’t involve me being ninety-five percent naked for the gift?”
“Well sure, I figure Hudson probably likes you one hundred percent naked overall. The site has toys.”
Oh dear sweet Jesus. I did not need the visual provided of my coworker and sex toys together in the same sentence.
“Sandra.” I choked and covered my mouth. “I am learning far too much about you today.”
She bumped her hips into my arm and laughed. “He’d probably like anything to do with golf, but do something sexy you know he’ll really love. What’s the harm?”
“My own self-humiliation?”
I clicked other images on the site she pulled up. Truthfully, she had a point. Hudson would definitely enjoy me in nothing. I kept scrolling until something snagged my attention.
