Laurelin Paige - Forever with You

And still, as I was already flying, I needed to be sure. “W-w-what?”

His lips fell into an easy smile. “You heard me.”

“I want to hear it again.” I held my breath, afraid that if I stirred at all that the spell would be broken and I’d be alone in our bed at the penthouse, that all of this would be a dream.

But it wasn’t a dream. And I wasn’t alone. And I was in the arms of the man who was saying once again, “I love you.”

“You love me?”

He brushed his lips over mine. “I love you, precious. I’ve always loved you. From the moment I first saw you. I knew before you did, I think.” He tilted my chin to meet his eyes. “But there are things—things in my past—that have kept me from being able to tell you. And now…I have to do this…this thing. Finish this deal. Then, when I get back, we’ll talk.”

“We’ll talk?” I felt like a parrot, repeating his last words, but I was delirious, my mind hazy with happiness. It was all I could manage.

“I’ll tell you anything you want to know. And if you still want me, I’ll come home.” He swept a strand of my hair behind my ear, seeming to need to keep touching me as badly as I needed to be touched.

God, he’s such an idiot! “Yes, I want you home. Of course I do. We belong there together. There’s nothing you could say that would make me stop loving you. Nothing. I stick, remember?”

He sighed into me. “Oh, precious. I hope that’s true.”

“It is.” It was the truest thing I knew, like the way the sun knew to rise in the morning, the way a rosebud knew to blossom in the spring. He was in my veins, in the innermost recesses of my heart and soul. I’d love him until I died—through death, even. Through fire, through hell. I’d love him through eternity.

And now I believed he might love me that way too.

I dug my fingers into his jacket and shook him softly. “Say it again.”

“You’re such a spoiled girl.” He circled my nose with his. “And I love…spoiling you.”

I leaned back and smacked his chest.

“And I love you.” He pulled me back toward his mouth. “I love you, I love you. I love you.”

Hudson and I kissed and cuddled right until the moment he was supposed to leave, neither of us wanting to end our reunion. Hand in hand, we walked out of the building together. He invited me to ride with him in the limo to the airport. I considered it, but Norma was accompanying him, and the look in Hudson’s eyes said he’d have his way with me, no matter who was present.

We did get a chance for a goodbye kiss. “I’ll miss you,” he mumbled against my lips.

If he wasn’t going to say it, I would. “You could ask me to come to L.A.”

“Someone keeps reminding me about a club that she has to run…” He ran a hand down my bare arm, sending chills down my spine. “And I’m going to be swamped. Though I’d love you there, you’d be ignored.”

Briefly I wondered if he had an ulterior reason for not wanting me to go with him, but I didn’t let the thought stay. He was right. I had responsibilities at home. His recognition of that was a big step on his part.

But I pouted all the same.

Hudson kissed my forehead. “Don’t pout. Stay here, go to David’s going away party on Sunday, I’ll be back by Monday.”

“Back to the penthouse?” I wanted his reassurance once more. I could bear a few more days if he’d come home for good.

“Back to our house, yes.” He brushed one more kiss against my lips then got in the limo and rode away.

* * *

Though Hudson and I were still apart in the literal sense, the fact that we were a couple again made all the difference in our distance. Finally, we were happy and in love. Happy and in love like we’d never been before. I fluttered around work all shift like I had wings. Gwen introduced herself to me, claiming we’d never met. David, on the other hand, spent the evening being glum. He blamed it on his impending move, but I knew it was me. He’d been hoping Hudson and I were over. Thank god we weren’t.

Even across the miles, Hudson showed me things were different. He had flowers sent to work—a bouquet of wildflowers that looked exactly like the patches we’d seen in the Poconos. He also texted me, something he rarely initiated. I’d received several before I had the chance to look at my phone.

Just landed in L.A.

Did you get my flowers?

I had some sent to my room too, so I could think of you.

Are you avoiding me now?

I laughed at his repeat of what I’d said when he hadn’t responded to my texts. Then I sent: Not avoiding you, working. Thnx for the flowers. Keep texting. I’ll read every one.

His next message came immediately, as though he’d been sitting with his phone in his hand, waiting for it to buzz. If that’s a challenge, I accept.

He continued texting me throughout the evening. I responded when I could between the busy Friday nightclub scene. Our messages varied from romantic to sexual to sweet to funny. We acted like a couple in that slaphappy, I-can’t-get-enough-of-you phase that happened at the beginning of relationships. With our untraditional start, we’d never really experienced that. Then we’d had too many walls. But now they were all down—or nearly all down.

On Saturday, more flowers arrived at the penthouse. Then late that afternoon, he did more than text. He called.

I answered on the second ring. “I can’t believe you’re calling me.” Hudson called as rarely as he texted. He was a no-nonsense type of guy. To him, chit-chat was a waste of time.

Now though, he was acting like I was anything but a waste of time.

“I wanted to hear your voice. Digital letters weren’t cutting it any longer.”

Talk about wanting to hear a voice…

His low tenor stirred butterflies to dance in my stomach. “I love hearing you too.” I stretched on the bedroom floor, my legs raised to rest against the bed. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“I did not. I’ve slept horribly every night that I haven’t fallen asleep inside you.”

I couldn’t hide my grin from showing in my voice. “So you’re horny.”

“No, Alayna. If I were simply horny, I could take care of myself.”

That’s something I wouldn’t mind watching.

“It has nothing to do with sex—” He paused. “Well, it only has some to do with sex. It’s connecting with you that I miss.”

Damn, now I was horny. “I get it. I feel the same. When you come back, we’ll connect for hours, how does that sound?” Knowing Hudson, it would be literally hours. We had lots of reconnecting to do.

“It sounds wonderful, precious.” His tone grew serious. “But we still have to talk.”

“We’ll talk. We can connect first and then talk. And then connect some more.” I shook my head as I listened to myself. Usually it was Hudson who was all about the sex.

“You’re insatiable.” He didn’t sound like he minded. “You forget that you may not want to connect after we talk.”

I waggled my eyebrows even though he couldn’t see me. “Another reason to connect before. But I’m not worried about it. Just your willingness to talk is enough.” That wasn’t quite true. “Okay, not exactly enough, but it pleases me. A lot.” And even though I knew whatever he had to say would likely rock me, I was sure that we’d get through it.

Hudson still didn’t believe that. “Hmm,” he said, and I knew he doubted the strength of my love.

Part of me wished he’d just spill his secrets now, over the phone. I was eager to hear what they were, but more than that, I was eager to put him at ease—to prove that I’d stick around.

But I had to start getting ready for work soon. There wasn’t time. And I had the feeling we’d need connecting after his revelation, in whatever form that took.

We sat silently for several seconds, and I worried he was fretting. “What are you thinking about, H?”

“You. Bent over the couch in my office.”

I laughed. “No, you aren’t.”

“Actually, I am. The sounds you made…the way you looked at me…your eyes when I made you come…God, Alayna, do you have any idea how beautiful and sexy you are?”

My face warmed and my toes curled into the comforter. How could he make me blush over the phone? “If I am, it’s because you make me that way.”

“That’s a lie. I never want to hear you say that I’m responsible for your beauty again. I can’t take an ounce of credit for your perfection.”

“But you can take every ounce of credit for my happiness, and that’s much more important to me than beauty.”

He was silent again, and I feared I’d scared him. “What is it, Hudson?”

“I was just wondering what I did to deserve the responsibility of your happiness. I hope that I can live up to the honor.”

Perhaps it had been an ill-timed remark since he’d so recently made me miserable. That was the fact of the matter though—Hudson had the power to lift me to heights I’d never imagined, and that meant he also had the ability to absolutely obliterate me.

Maybe it was a lot of pressure, but it was part of the romantic relationship package. “You deserve the honor just for loving me,” I said softly.

“And love you, I do.” He barely let a beat pass before switching gears. “What are you wearing?”

“Black lacy panties and a camisole.” I pulled the phone from my face to check the time. Shit, I needed to wrap things up soon. “I was just about to jump in the shower when you called.” I rolled to my knees and stood.

Hudson’s next words were a gruff command. “Take off your panties.”

“Oh my god, Hudson, I don’t have time for this.” Though, I was already stripping. For the shower, not for him.

“You have to undress anyway.”

Such a man of reason. “For that alone, they’re off. And now I’m getting off the phone. You’re too distracting for me at the moment.” I walked to the bathroom as I spoke.

“Fine.” Tenderly, he added, “I miss you.”

“I miss you, I love you.”

“I love you first.”

I held on to the handle of the shower door and closed my eyes, relishing his words, breathing them in. “I said it first,” I teased.

“But I meant it first,” he said with finality. “Get in the shower. Don’t touch yourself unless you’re thinking of me.”

“Whom else would I think of, you silly man?” My nipples were already standing at full attention, and even though I was naked, it wasn’t because I was chilled. “I’m letting you know now that I plan to text you throughout the night. Wicked, dirty things. You’ll be desperate for me when you get back.”

“I’m desperate for you now,” he groaned. “Go, before I make you touch yourself with me on the phone.”

With a reluctant sigh, I said goodbye and hung up, catching my face in the mirror as I did. The woman I saw was quite a contrast to the one who’d stood there only the day before. And there would only be one more day—maybe two—before Hudson would be home. I couldn’t wait to see the woman in the mirror then.

* * *

By late afternoon on Sunday, I was stir-crazy. Minutes passed like they were wading in molasses. Every time I looked at the clock, it seemed the time hadn’t changed at all. Normally in these situations, I could entertain myself with a movie or a book. But I was too anxious, too ready for Hudson to be home. His texts and calls had occupied the days before, but he’d texted while I was sleeping that he would be in meetings the entire day and unreachable.

I’d already put a run in on the treadmill, and though I considered doing some window shopping, it was Reynold on duty and he was not my favorite companion. At five, I was already completely ready for David’s going away party—two hours early—and couldn’t think of a single thing to distract me from my boredom.

I decided to fuck it.

Grabbing my laptop bag, I set the alarm to away and slipped down to the lobby. I knew a text went out to my bodyguards when I set the alarm to home, but I wasn’t sure if it did anything when I left. I stood outside The Bowery for several minutes, waiting to see if Reynold would show up or message me. He didn’t. I scanned my surroundings. Seeing no pesky blondes lurking in the area, I set off for the French bakery on the corner of the block.

Being out on my own felt absolutely amazeballs. It wasn’t that I minded having Jordan and Reynold in tow; it was simply such a pain to arrange outings that spontaneity had lost its place in my routine. The whole need to be protected was Hudson’s idea, anyway. Celia didn’t scare me.