I climb into Judson's Truck, and we drive downtown. He pulls into a parking garage at Bridgestone Arena.
"What is going on?" I ask.
"The preds play tonight." He smiles at me and pulls me over the console, careful not to hit my hand. He kisses my lips and neck and jumps out to get to my door.
By the half, I am sure that I am going to kill him of embarrassment. He puts on a brave face as I yell and whistle. He places his hand on my thigh, and I am tingling all over. I forgot what it was like for him to touch me and how my body reacts to his touch. I find myself distracted by thoughts of where I want his hands for the rest of the game. When it's over, I have never been more ready to get outside. Needing fresh air to cool me down and a bucket of water to douse the heat between my thighs.
"Did you have fun?" He asks, pulling me in close to him as we walk toward the car.
"Are you kidding? That was incredible. Those seats were insane!"
He looks up to me with those dark eyes.
"So how many gifts do I owe you now?"
I stop in my tracks, turning to him with a grin.
"You remember that?" I think back to our walk on the beach when he was dying for information, and I played games with him.
"I told you I remember everything."
"It's been a year, Judson. You don't owe me anything." I laugh.
"I keep my promises." He states as he opens my door and gets into the driver's seat.
"Your mom said she has Jacob for the night, but if you want to get back to him, I can take you there," He says.
"I don't think I'm ready for this night to be over."
He places his hand on the back of my neck, threading his fingers softly through my hair. He puts his lips on mine, and my breath hitches as he swipes his tongue along my bottom lip. His lips become more demanding as I become completely captivated by this kiss. He pulls back quickly, looking at me with wild eyes, desire shining through. It's like I'm under some type of magical spell.
He doesn't say a word. He pulls the car into drive, and we go about a half of a mile before he turns into a hotel. He slams the brakes at the valet stand, tossing him the keys before opening my door. His hand reaches for mine as he pulls me through the lobby and into the elevator. I can see him fidgeting impatiently as the elevator goes up 10 floors. The elevator doors slide open, and we walk hand in hand to the end of the hall, where Judson sticks the keycard into the door.
In the back of my mind, I'm scared to let him in. I am afraid that this is the beginning of the end. He shoves the door closed, and his lips slam into mine. We stumble through the entryway to the bedroom. He pulls away long enough to look into my eyes, giving me a chance to change my mind. I get lost in his familiarity and how it feels like just yesterday that his lips were on mine. His hands roam under my shirt, his fingers tracing my skin. The more area his hands explore, the more desperate I become.
He pushes me back onto the bed, pulling his shirt frantically over his head, reconnecting his lips to mine.
His hands fist the top of my jeans and pull them down my thighs. I hear him rip a condom open, and instantly I put everything on hold, shuffling away from him. I lift myself off the bed.
"I can't do this."
He quickly grabs my hands, thinking he has pushed me too far.
"I'm sorry," he breathes, pushing his forehead against mine, "I got carried away."
"It's not that I don't want to." I pull my pants back up, offering him an apologetic smile.
"I just, well, it's not quite been six weeks since I had JC. Plus, I had a baby, Judson. I'm not what you remember."
I glance to my thicker thighs and fuller stomach. I stretch my shirt out, hoping he doesn't analyze.
"Blakely, your body is beautiful. It gave me a son, a beautiful baby, that is half of me and half of you." He pushes my hair behind my ear, his fingers raking down my jawline.
"I love you."
I connect my forehead with his before responding with what I've known all along.
"I love you so much."