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His eyes lit up. “Really? At your house? Roman mentioned being at your place in Stowe when he and Scotty met. Are you hosting everyone?”
I shrugged. “It’s on my property, but it’s more of a shared event space. The Vermont place is like a family compound. We all have houses on the property, and there’s a barn-type building for big parties. That’s where the wedding will be.”
Hugh frowned. “Are you okay? You seem…” He stopped and looked around before pinching his mouth closed.
I leaned over and kissed the soft skin over his cheekbone, taking a moment to inhale my shampoo scent again. It smelled different on him, more intoxicating than any Bloody Mary or Mimosa. “Can we go home now?”
He nodded, thankfully agreeing with me silently without pointing out I’d said “home” instead of simply asking if we could leave. And since he hadn’t corrected me, I did the asshole thing by pretending to forget to take him home again.
Still, he didn’t say a word. We took the elevator to the top floor and got out in silence. Hugh turned me in the direction of the bedroom and followed me there.
Once we got into the room, Hugh pushed the buttons on the wall to close the electronic blinds and turn the lights down low until it felt like the middle of the night again.
This time, when he stripped me down and took me apart, I let him take more of me than before, more of me than was smart or safe or even sane.
I clenched my teeth together against floods of words that wanted to spill out and splash all over him before he even had time enough to take a lifesaving breath.
That morning, while I’d been sitting at a table full of family, full of people I’d known for almost twenty years, I realized there was one person there I wanted to take home with me. One person I always fit with, whose company I couldn’t imagine ever getting tired of, who even helped me see my family in a new light. One person I wanted to lean into and forget all my fears and worries for the future, if only for a little while.
One person I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to… at least until New Year’s.
When he turned me onto my side and slid his fat dick inside of me, I gasped and reached back to grab his thigh. Hugh’s body was sweat damp, his muscles tight as he curled around me in a possessive clutch. One knee bent up behind mine while the other pressed the inside of my other knee to keep my legs spread apart. The rough catch of his pubic hair against the tender skin of my ass and the scent of his sweat in my nose were driving me fucking crazy. He was everywhere around and on and inside of me… and it still wasn’t enough.
Still wasn’t enough. I sucked in a breath. And another.
“Set it down, you beautiful idiot,” he hissed against the back of my ear. “Give it to me and fucking let go.”
I came with an embarrassing grunt that sounded more like a sob. Every bit of pleasure shot through my blood with a pulsing heat. I moved my hand up to grab him by his hair, keeping his lips against the skin of my neck so he didn’t dare pull away.
Meager servings of oxygen sawed in and out of my lungs as I tried to search for more.
He stayed with me just like that, fucking in and out of me still until his own release came. His entire body tightened around me as he thrust deep inside. I held on tight, squeezing my eyes closed so I could listen to every sound he made as he cried out and shuddered against me.
Let me have this, I begged the universe. I can pretend through New Year’s. Please let me have this at least until then.
I already knew I was screwed anyway. At this point, the breakup would already destroy me. Because the fake relationship Hugh and I had accidentally stumbled into was deeper and more meaningful than any real relationship I’d ever had.
18
HUGH
After cleaning Oscar up, I lay beside him until he dozed off. Once his breathing turned rhythmic, I opened my eyes to study him.
Spending time with him and his family today had been… eye-opening. I finally felt like another layer of his complex shell had broken apart, revealing a kind of tender vulnerability underneath.
He wanted so much to be loved, to be included and welcomed into his big gregarious family, but for some reason, he held himself apart. He resisted all of their overtures and kept a clear wall up between himself and every other member of the large, loving family.
I just couldn’t figure out why.
His vow against falling in love made sense to me, even though I didn’t agree with it. I understood “once bitten, twice shy” from personal experience. Even though my reaction to being burned was different from his, I still understood it.
But family love wasn’t the same. Was it? It wasn’t like he’d given his heart to another family in the past and had them walk away…
I blinked at him as a possible explanation became obvious. He never talked about his father, but I knew he’d left when Oscar was young. Was that it? Was he afraid of giving his heart to the Flower Family because they, too, might leave him one day?
How could he possibly think that when there were so many of them and they were all incredibly happy to have him in their lives?
Suddenly, I remembered the centerpiece on the dining table at Oscar’s parents’ house. It was a riotous collection of colorful flowers distributed unevenly between a collection of cut-crystal vases. Oscar’s brother Heath had explained that the botanical designs curled around each vase represented Birch, Gladiolus, Hyacinth, Lily, Jasmine, Rose, Marigold, Heath, Sage, and Basil. Ten vases, all different, but all designed to go together. They represented the Flower Family, and Oscar had gifted them to Gloria and Birch for their crystal anniversary.
