Once my GPS shouts at me that my destination is on the right, I pull into the circle driveway in front of a massive house. What did this guy do for a living? There are seven other cars in the driveway, two of which are Hudson and Lacey’s.
Me: I’m here.
I text him, before getting out of my car and heading up to the front door.
Hudson: Come in and head to the backyard.
Isn’t it weird to walk into someone else’s house? Oh well, I turn the doorknob, and it opens to a grand staircase and a living room with vaulted ceilings. Yeah, this guy must be well off or something. Through the living room I go, until I come to a sliding back door, where I can see everyone outside.
My stomach drops, knowing this will be our first night in front of people as an item, and praying that nothing goes wrong. I slide the door open and close it behind me.
“Hey guys. I found the backyard at least,” I say, jokingly.
A man approaches me. “You must be Laurel. I’m Leo. Welcome.”
Hudson strides over and puts his hand on the small of my back. “Come have a seat. We just started the fire. You want something to drink?”
Entering alcohol into the equation this early isn’t a good idea. Let’s see how this pans out first. I need to be sober if anyone starts questioning him about me.
After sitting down, Lacey is a couple seats down, not even paying attention to my arrival and too focused on laughing with Justin about college finals approaching in the coming months.
“You okay?” He peers at me, putting his arm around me. “You seem distant or nervous.”
“Sorry, it’s our first time out together. And we work with them, so I’m not sure how I should act.”
This seems so weird coming out of my mouth, because Hudson is normally this way. When am I ever awkward at social outings? Get a grip.
He kisses me softly. “Just be yourself. We aren’t at work, and we don’t need to hide. Remember, commit 100%.”
Okay. Take a deep breath and own it. My eyes pan around the fire. Lacey is now talking to Leo, and her hand is on his shoulder. Are they flirting? Or well, her attempt anyway. Lacey’s been through a lot, and after what happened to her, I’m not sure if I’m entirely comfortable with this scene. Hell, I know nothing about this Leo guy except that he’s friends with Hudson.
“So, what’s Leo’s story, huh?” I say, whispering in his ear, not taking my eyes off Lacey.
He fills me in on his wife passing from cancer, being high school sweethearts, and a police officer now. They served in the Navy together.
“So…”
He understands what I’m going to ask. “No, you don’t have anything to worry about. He’s a great guy. Trust me. Whoever ends up with him… will be well taken care of.”
Somehow, this still doesn’t ease my mind, and the overprotective side takes over. I don’t approach her or anything, but will keep a close eye tonight.
“I’ll be right back,” I say to Hudson.
Walking back inside, I see the pictures of his wife still up around the house. He might not be ready to move on any way.
I head to the bathroom, close the door, and pull down my skirt. Right when I did, the door swings open.
“Fuck, lock the door next time,” Justin yells, covering his eyes.
It isn’t even two minutes later. Hudson is standing in the bathroom with me, almost possessive. “I don’t want anyone else to see you.”
Is that jealousy? He’s concerned about other men looking at me. I get up to wash my hands while he closes the space between us.
He drapes his arms around me. “We’ve been getting close,” he says.
Instead of responding, I just shake my head. We still haven’t slept together, but there is hand-holding and make out sessions for sure. I’m careful because I know once I sleep with him, I will not be able to walk away.
He plants a kiss on my lips, and I cup his face before getting on the counter. I pull him even closer, while he fondles my breasts and then pries off my underwear underneath my denim skirt. A spark of sensations runs through me. He eases a finger inside me, and the moan erupts. Hudson begins to go faster, and this is where I lose it. I need to ride this feeling for as long as I can. My legs are shaking, and my eyes are closed.
“It’s okay. Do it,” he whispers into my ears, sending chills down my body.
As he requests, I let go, and a cry erupts, making me shiver.
We can hear people coming inside, so he opens the door, smiles, and walks out. Damn, not even a kiss? Maybe I’m just being insecure for some reason, but why does he always leave after? I do the best I can at taming my hair and making it look like I didn’t just have one of the most significant orgasms of my life.