Mind. Blown.
No wonder that billionaire was sinking so much money into reopening the Asylum. People would pay out the wazoo for an experience like this.
“Babe. Mila. Are you okay?”
“Hmm?” I was still floating in the lovely afterglow of orgasmpalooza. “Oh, yeah. I’m doing fine and dandy, thank you very much.”
He laughed. “Okay, good. I was worried for a minute I’d killed you. Death by orgasm.”
“You will kill me if you keep squishing me against this counter.” One that I’d be cleaning with a lot of anti-bacterial products before the shop opened.
Hudson released his grip on my hips and stepped away. The cool air of late late night, or early early morning hit me like a deep freeze. One big shiver swept over my skin before Hud pulled me up and wrapped me in his arms.
“Let me take care of you, my little flower.” He tucked my head into the crook of his neck and rubbed my back. I wanted to stay there for hours. Except for two things. One, the shop was opening in two and a half hours and I had a lot of work to do to get it ready for the morning rush, and two, he’d called me his little flower.
He’d been the only person to ever call me that.
Back when we’d been in love.
I stepped away and searched for my clothes. No use snuggling and getting all attached. This was a one-night stand as far as I was concerned. One night of fun and freedom, then back to the grind of daily life, two jobs, bills, and fathers to disappoint.
My panties were at my feet, but my bra hung from the latch on the walk-in cooler on the other side of the room. “I need to get things cleaned up, and you have to go. The bakery opens soon.”
He frowned and confusion flashed through his eyes. “I’m not letting you clean up by yourself.”
Not letting me? Yeah, that right there was why I hadn’t dabbled in the BDSM the Asylum offered. Two orgasms do not a kept woman make.
“Yeah, thanks, but I can do it fine by myself. You should go.”
“Not a chance. Aftercare is part of the deal. Or have your other Doms not treated you right?”
Other Doms? Uh. No.
“I don’t have other Doms. I’m not, I mean, I haven’t—” Ack. Now he had me stumbling over my own thoughts and words. Besides in fantasies, I had no intentions of being in a BDSM relationship. Sure, the sex was hot, but I didn’t have time for any of that.
“You call all the men who fuck you sir?”
“Geez, no. I don’t know why I did that.”
Hudson crossed his arms and stared me down. I almost folded. He was naked as a plain donut and I wanted to eat him up.
Neither the donut or Hudson were good for me.
The best way to avoid temptation was to ignore it. I put on my bra and undies and grabbed an extra uniform shirt from the locker. Too bad I didn’t keep pants here, too.
That silk dress would be destroyed within minutes. Damn. But there was no way around it. I didn’t have time to go home to change. Maybe double aprons would protect me.
“You can try and ignore me, but I’m not going anywhere.” Hudson took care of the condom, tossing it into the trash, and grabbed my dress off the floor and handed it to me.
“Thanks.” I slipped the dress on and threw the shirt on over it. “And you can’t stay. I have to start the baking.”
“You always work at, what, four in the morning?”
“That’s how a bakery that sells breakfast works.” I was trying my best to pretend a hot naked man wasn’t standing two feet away from me, and that he hadn’t been inside me, making me say and do things I wouldn’t normally do only a few minutes ago.
I did an excellent job of making believe until he took me in his arms again.
“How’s this going to work, Camila?” Hudson stared down into my eyes, searching for what, I didn’t know.
“How’s what going to work? This? Easy. You’re going to go home and move on to your next conquest, and I’m going to make some rumchata cupcakes.”
“You’re not a conquest. I refuse to allow this awkward morning after bullshit. You can pretend you’re not into submission, but we had some fucking awesome sex, and I have zero intention at leaving it at that.”
I wasn’t into submission. Okay, maybe I had flirted with the idea of trying it, which was why I applied for the job at the Asylum in the first place. And maybe I’d really liked how rough Hudson had been, how he’d taken control. But no way was I letting it go any further.
This had to be a one-night stand. One night of letting loose. It would be way too easy to let Hudson in, and then I’d start relying on him, and then I’d depend on him.
My family had shown me well that was a bad life choice. Love meant dependence, and that clearly didn’t work for me.
I’d rely and depend on myself, thank you very much. Independence above all.
A relationship with a Dom was the last way to remain independent.
“I won’t deny that the sex was amazing. But I work two jobs, and need to get a third. When I’m not working, I’m sleeping. I don’t have time for a relationship. This was a fun reunion, but we need to leave it at that, and no more.”
“This is more.” Hud grabbed my face and took my mouth in a gentler kiss than I expected from him. He slid his mouth across mine, caressing my lips with his. His tongue tasted my skin, asking for permission to have more.
I wanted to give in. This soft side of Hudson was exactly what I needed. But not what I could have.
My eyes still closed, I whispered, “It can’t be. Not for me.”
He nipped my lip and then released me. “I’ll let it go, for now.”
Another ten seconds in his arms, and I’d have given in.
I breathed the tiniest sigh of relief. Then the jingling bell of the backdoor to the bakery sounded.
Oh shit.
LaRee, the owner of the bakery walked into the kitchen. Took one look at Hudson and said, “Whoo boy. Now, there’s something to live for.”