Page 45 of The Wedding Fake
My kisses had been aggressive and lusty, but Hudson moved far more slowly, sampling me like I was a taste he wanted to savor. Still, when my lips parted for him he didn’t hesitate. His tongue slipped in along mine, moving in sweeps and thrusts that my body emulated, my hips canting toward his with a need that surprised me.
I was out of breath when he broke the kiss, my body too overwhelmed by sensation to worry about such paltry concerns. “You ready?” he asked on a quiet breath.
I most certainly was not. I was pretty sure I was flushed and mussed and so damn turned on I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. “I’m good,” I lied, glancing down. “Do I look?—”
“Spectacular,” he interrupted before I could ask.
“Okay,” I murmured, smoothing my hands over my hair. “You go ahead outside and I’ll check on Emily.”
He nodded once and squeezed my hand, then stepped ahead of me and headed out the door, understanding we’d cover our absence better by splitting up. I watched him go, then slumped against the cool wall of the stairwell, sighing deeply, my head thunking painfully against the cement behind me.
What was I doing? I couldn’t be one of those women who had one-night stands and walked home with last night’s thong in their pocket. I didn’t even own a thong.
My eyes fell closed. But Hudson. God, Hudson. Sometimes he looked at me, and it felt like I was right on the verge of an anxiety attack, like I could fall off a cliff into some great unknown—except, instead of fearing it, I wanted to dive into the feeling.
He made my skin buzz and my chest hurt, and God help me, he made me ache. I could normally go months without masturbating—just sort of forget I was a sexual being—but around Hudson, thinking about sex not only felt natural, it felt necessary.
I shook my head, a miserable war raging in my brain. I knew I shouldn’t even consider this, and yet I couldn’t turn away. At a loss, I slipped out my phone and opened the internet.
Percentage of one night stands that become relationships
I skimmed over the answers quickly.
Sixty percent of people have had a one-night stand and thirty percent of them turned it into a relationship.
I frowned, not sure whether to consider this news good or bad, then stuffed the phone back into my pocket, hurrying up the stairs and walking back into the kitchen.
Even at a distance I could see Emily was done cutting the melon, and now stood with a single hip against the counter, talking to Tessa, Agatha, and Mom. I hoped I could slip into their conversation without drawing too much attention to myself now that I’d been downstairs so long.
“Oh, Claire,” Mom said as I stepped into their loosely knit circle. “Agatha was just telling us about Grant joining the practice.”
I lifted a brow politely at Agatha, smiling and nodding, which was as much interest as I could muster on the subject of Grant Dupree.
“It really sounds lovely,” Emily agreed, but I recognized the strain in her voice. “Claire Bear, can you show me where the drinks are outside?” Emily asked. “If you’ll excuse me,” she added, touching Agatha’s arm.
“Of course, dear,” the older woman replied. “It was nice to hear your residency is going so well.”
“I’ll come with you,” Tessa said abruptly, adding, “I’m thirsty,” awkwardly as Mom and Agatha shifted to talk amongst themselves.
“Getting an earful about Grant?” I murmured as we got far enough away to offer privacy.
Emily scoffed. “Don’t worry, they’re saving Grant for you. I’m getting an earful about how great the practice is, and how, if I just moved back home, I could have the same.”
“Where’s Hudson?” Tessa asked, sparing me from having to comment on our mother’s constant interference in our lives.
I gave a casual nod to the door as if I wasn’t obsessing about the man at that very second. Emily gave a twitch of the eyebrow that said she wasn’t fooled, but Tessa seemed oblivious.
“Is that where Grant and his dad are as well?” Tess asked.
“The better question,” Emily offered, ignoring Tessa’s query completely, “is where Nora and Ethan are. Isn’t this their party?”
At this Tessa frowned, rolling her eyes. “Nora and Ethan are late to everything. I’m sure they’ll have us waiting at the wedding, too.”
“Of course they will,” Emily grumbled, turning the doorknob to take us out back.
I didn’t comment, partially because I preferred not to embroil myself in my sisters’ bickering and infighting, and partially because I was too busy thinking about Hudson to care if Nora was late again.
I was the last of my sisters through the door, but Hudson’s eyes were on me as I stepped through the threshold, and his lips curled up at the corner. Now that I’d decided to have something short-term and fun with Hud, I regretted wasting the last two days avoiding the possibility of something physical. I couldn’t keep him forever, but I was damn-well sure one night wasn’t going to be enough.