The view, p.10
The View, page 10
“Calm down? Are you serious? I haven’t been home. Oh my God! My husband. He’s probably freaking out. What the hell did I do?” she yelled in a panic. She looked around frantically as all the other issues surrounding her night of passion invaded her mind. “I was supposed to be at work a half an hour ago, and I have no clothes except the ones from yesterday.” She jumped up from the bed and scurried toward the door. “And how the hell did I even end up in bed? We fell asleep in the chair.”
Hudson placed his tea down on a little table by the chair and met her before she bolted out the door. Gently yet sternly holding her by the shoulders, Hudson forced her to stare into his eyes. “Calm down, Karli.”
She exhaled. “You don’t understand—”
“I called Jack and let him know that your phone was dead and that we had an early morning meeting. Your phone rang only once, and I didn’t answer it, nor did I check it. I assume your husband just wants to know if you’re okay. You can tell him you overslept, which is not a lie. You got in the bed because I woke up in the middle of the night and placed you there. And I took the liberty of having the hotel boutique bring you up a pantsuit. Size ten, right?”
She nodded.
He went on. “So please calm down. Everything is under control.”
After walking back to the bed, with the sheet still wrapped around her naked body, she sat down and dropped her head in her hands. Her internal struggle was intense. She had never done anything like this in her life. She’d prided herself on doing the right things, and now here she was with Hudson. What bothered her the most was that while she was worried about her husband and concerned about her marriage, being with Hudson felt good. It felt as if Hudson had breathed life into her at a time when she felt dead inside and unwanted. Sadly, the pleasure felt just as good to her as the guilt felt bad.
Hudson sat down beside her and pulled her hand into his. “Are you okay? How was last night?”
Karli scoffed. “I’m worried about the state of my marriage, and you’re asking me about last night?” she said, side eyeing him in disbelief.
He nodded, with a smirk. “Yep. Yes, I am.” He rubbed the back of her hand. “So how was it?”
She shrugged, tears threatening her eyes. “Hudson, I’m a married woman. Last night wasn’t even supposed to happen.” She sighed, looking into those deep ocean-blue eyes, and for some reason, a wave of calm washed over her. “But I can’t deny that last night was . . . You know that last night was amazing.”
Biting his lip, he caressed the side of her face. “So if you enjoyed it, then why change it? You’re covered at work. You can check in to make your husband feel better and spend the day with me. I can make last night last all day.”
Karli groaned deeply. The struggle was already beyond real, and now he was tempting her with forbidden fruit. Fruit that she’d already tasted and enjoyed. Surely, Hudson was igniting something inside her that she’d never known existed. These feelings, emotions, and pleasures were begging her to let him set her free, but her heart felt guilty. Rational thoughts mixed with irrational emotions was not a winning combination.
“Hudson, last night may have been something I wanted, but I can’t do this. I can’t trade my marriage for something that’s meaningless,” she told him. “I mean, you’re only attracted to what’s behind closed doors, and I can’t sell myself short as your honey pot for hire.”
Hudson stood, placed his hands in his pockets, and hovered in front of her. “Karli, my attraction to you was instant. When I walked into that conference room and saw your high-powered suit and those Louboutins on your feet, your hazel eyes and beautiful body, everything inside me lit up. But I didn’t approach you, and do you want to know why?”
When she nodded, he continued. “Because you were married, for one. And because I am a multimillionaire, a good-looking woman comes my way every fifteen minutes, sometimes out of want, most times out of need. I say that to convey that if looks were all that mattered to me, then you would not be the woman in my bed right now. The hotel desk clerk could be in my bed, that cute office assistant of yours could be in my bed, and the hotel boutique owner could be in my bed. Lacking a woman in my bed is not my problem, and a honey pot for hire you are not and never will be. I’m attracted to what makes you shine from the inside. The way you asked me about me. The way you’re concerned if I made it home after our late-night meetings. Or when you make it a point to bring hot tea, because you know I like it. Or the way you fight for a marriage and a man who hasn’t even called yet to see if you’re okay. Yes, I lied when I said that I hadn’t checked, but damn that.”
He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Then he went on. “Your intellect, your fire and passion for what you do, and the way you care are what attracts me to you. If I have to get used to the fact that this is all there is, I can try my damnedest to do that, but know the reason why first. And to clear up the ‘behind closed doors’ comment, every woman I have ever dated was black, because that is what I prefer, and if I ever go outside the confines of the four walls with you or any other brown-skinned beauty, I will definitely not be ashamed of that.” He stood back to allow Karli to make her decision.
Karli couldn’t help herself and tried to stifle a grin, until she couldn’t and laughed aloud. Although Hudson was being dead serious, he couldn’t help but laugh with her.
“I’m sorry.” She put her hand up. “That just explains a helluva lot.”
Realizing what she meant, he kneeled in front of her so that they were eye to eye. “You like the motion in that stroke, huh?”
Karli giggled. “Can’t deny that.” She grew serious and looked at him sorrowfully. “I’m sorry.” Karli got up, and Hudson moved to the side and retrieved her cell for her. She unlocked it and found that the only missed calls were from work and Catrina, and the only text she’d received was from Stacy, who’d texted her when she got home.
Disappointed, she sighed and sent a text to Michael, telling him that she was okay and that she would see him later on. She’d expected Hudson to be wrong about her husband not contacting her, figuring that he hadn’t recognized the text or he’d overlooked Michael’s call from the preview. Yet he was right. There were many things that she could say were lacking in her marriage these days, but the foundational values—love, caring, protectiveness—were ones she had been holding on to. Even if everything else was failing in her marriage, she had thought she could at least fall back on that foundation. But knowing that her husband hadn’t even been concerned enough to check on her, despite the fact that he was aware that she had unexpectedly spent the night in another city, away from their bed, made her feel that their marriage had hit an all-time low. The foundation was officially cracked, and she was unsure if there was any coming back from that.
Usually, it wouldn’t bother Hudson if a female wanted to walk away. It meant fewer complications and less drama, and in this situation, he definitely didn’t need the drama. However, watching her preparing to leave him did something to him. Hudson couldn’t believe the power that she held over him, and she didn’t even know it. Surely, it was something he couldn’t reveal to her.
After some deep contemplation, Karli sat her phone down on the nightstand and walked to the doorway, still clutching the sheet around her. She leaned against the doorframe that separated the bedroom from the larger living area and peered out the wall of windows across the room, taking in the view. So many things were in chaos, but one thing was surely crystal clear. She would no longer fight against the one thing that she was sure of. She needed her peace in the midst of the storm.
Looking back and seeing Hudson with his head down, she smiled. “I wonder what the view is like during the day,” she said aloud.
Hudson peered up. “What?”
After turning her back to him, she looked over her shoulder at him. “You said you could make last night last all day, so I wonder what the view is like during the day. There is only one way to find out,” she said devilishly as she dropped the sheet on the floor and walked into the living area.
Hudson joined her at the windows, pulled her to him by the waist, and kissed the nape of her neck. She moaned and reached back and caressed the side of his face.
“Let me make—”
“Hudson,” she said sexily, interrupting whatever he was about to say.
“Yes, baby?”
“I need you to fuck me,” she muttered breathlessly.
Hudson groaned and instantly grew rock solid. Karli turned to face him and helped him slide out of his sweats as they kissed feverishly. As soon as the protector was on tight, Hudson turned her around and guided her over to the window seat while kissing her neck and shoulders. He gently pushed her forward so that she was kneeling on the window seat. Smoothing his hands across her bodacious behind, he gave her three gentle love taps as she moaned with excited anticipation.
He leaned toward her and slid inside. As they united, they both had to pause and let the moment soak in. It was electrifying to both of them.
Hudson leaned forward and whispered, “I’m about to beat it up.”
Karli braced herself as he slid easily in and out and then increased his speed, gripping handfuls of her backside and power driving his way to home plate. The view made her feel free to enjoy the moment, and though she was full monty, no one could actually see her. Her body rippled with pleasure as Hudson made her booty bounce in delight. Squeezing her eyes tight, she bit on her lip as Hudson delivered hard thrusting pleasure and tapped roughly on her G-spot. Gripping the seat cushion with all her might, she knew that his powerful dives would soon make her come undone. It felt too good to hold on to. Karli began to feel her pressure mount, and Hudson thickened. As they released together, they let out wails that surely would’ve made the entire hotel vibrate if they were not on the penthouse floor.
Collapsing into a nearby chair, Hudson panted heavily and eyed Karli as she turned and sat on the seat facing him.
“Karli. My Karli.” He grinned at her.
She leaned forward, lifted the arm on which he wore his watch, and peered at the time. It was 10:00 a.m. She looked up at him with a sneaky and sexy look in her eyes.
He smiled at her. “What’s on your mind?”
Biting her lip, she held up three fingers. “Round three?” she asked.
Hudson winked at her and waved her over. “Come over here.”
Chapter 15
“So I say to you, who here is so perfect that they can cast the first stone?” Pastor Monroe asked. “That’s right. None of you. Do you want to know what most Christians’ hang-up is? They get so caught up in religion, in being ‘Christians,’ that they forget the purpose is to be Christlike. No one is perfect, not even Christians. We just accept God’s perfect love of our imperfect selves. So if we ask God, who is omnipotent, to accept us, then who are we to not be loving and accepting of others? How dare we, with our imperfect selves, claim self-righteousness? Are we to be examples? Yes. But we have to remember that we are examples of Christlike behavior, not a replacement for Christ.”
Michael zoned out as he listened to the words of his pastor. His message resonated so clearly with him. Here he was, mistreating his wife and judging her when she’d never mistreated or judged him. Last weekend had been a sexual disaster, and it seemed that this week they had only gotten worse. Ever since this weekend had started, Karli seemed to be avoiding him altogether. He knew it was his fault, and he had to find a way to make it right. She wasn’t even at church with him again today. She’d claimed she was tired, but he knew better. She didn’t want to be around him. How could he blame her? It was time to let it go and get his wife back. When he knelt at the altar, he received prayer, because God knows he was going to need it.
When Michael arrived home from church, he found Karli sitting on the bed in some leggings and a long T-shirt, watching television. She looked up at him, shocked that he was standing in their bedroom, since he still had not moved back into it.
Not knowing what to do, she quickly dismissed his presence by focusing back on the program she was watching. Michael stood there, flabbergasted that she’d truly dismissed him. He pulled off his suit jacket and tie, threw them on the foot of the bed, and stood in front of the television.
Karli threw up her hands. “Seriously, are we getting this petty now?” Rolling her eyes, she reached over to the nightstand and picked up a poetry book entitled Timeless Ink, which she’d been reading lately. Before she delved into the book, she looked up at him, unable to resist giving him the third degree. “What are you even doing in here, Michael? Your room is down the hall.”
Calmly, he held his hands out to her. “I don’t want to argue, Karli—”
“Or talk,” she snapped, then refocused on the book.
He nodded. “I deserved that.”
Karli placed the book down on the bed and massaged her temples. “Why are you here, Michael?”
He took Karli in and realized that in a few short months, he didn’t even know his wife anymore. Sure, she was the same person, but the closeness, the warmth, the love, none of it was there. Her eyes were so cold to him. It was like looking at ice.
Knowing what he had done to them, he allowed uncontrollable tears to well up in his eyes, and he began to sob profusely. He fell to his knees and wailed out in pain.
Instinctively, Karli hopped off the bed, unsure of what was going on. She ran over to him and knelt down beside him on the floor. “Michael, what’s wrong? Oh God. What happened?”
“I . . . I . . . am . . . so . . . sor . . . sorry,” he struggled to get out. He reached up and hugged her tightly. “I miss you. I love you, and I’m sorry about what I did to us. I’m sorry. We can talk. Whatever you want. I just want you to forgive me. Please forgive me. Please take me back, Karli. I can’t. I can’t.”
Karli held him as he sobbed in her chest. The sincerity in his voice filled her with guilt. True, his actions had driven the wedge between them, but her actions had kept it there. How could she not forgive him when she definitely had done something she needed forgiveness for? Just two days ago, she’d been in another man’s bed.
She lifted his face to hers, and all the hurt and pain just seemed to flow from him. Her heart melted as she palmed his face.
“Please, Karli. I was wrong. I need you back. I need my old thing back.”
She nodded. “Okay, it’s okay, Michael. I forgive you for that. We don’t have to talk about it. We’ll let it go. All of it.”
Those words were music to his ears as he leaned on her and poured all his tears into her. She held him in her arms as they sat on the floor, rocking back and forth. When his tears subsided, they got up, he changed into his sweats, and they lay in their bed and held each other for the rest of the day, in silence.
Chapter 16
Sitting at her desk, going over paperwork for another client, Karli let out a nervous sigh when her cell phone buzzed. It was another phone call from Hudson. Suffice it to say, she’d been ignoring him for the past two weeks. She figured that if it were truly work related, he’d call the office. Since he had no reason to, given the recent success of his campaigns, she knew he was calling because she’d ignored all ten voice mails, fifteen emails, twenty texts, and now thirty phone calls from him.
When she’d parted ways from Hudson late that Friday afternoon, they’d vowed to keep in contact, but she’d explained that she was going to try to limit their fling to that one time. He’d promised that he wouldn’t pressure her, but he’d also told her that he’d be available whenever she was ready, because he felt that she wouldn’t be able to hold true to her own demands, and he’d even given her the spare elevator key card for the penthouse as added assurance.
She hadn’t let on that she felt he was correct in his assessment, because she wanted to prove herself wrong, and if she couldn’t resist him, there was no harm in making him sweat about it. She had pondered what she would do the next time they were face-to-face, and after a hot and steamy phone conversation on Saturday, she’d been convinced that she wouldn’t be able to resist the sexual tension between them. The only issue she’d been having trouble deciding on was when she would give in. That was until Sunday afternoon.
She’d all but written off her marriage until Michael fell down on his knees in tears. It was as if all the love that she ever had for him had rushed back into her like a tidal wave, and she had known in that moment she couldn’t leave him. She had to fight for her marriage, and now that she knew Michael wanted the same, Hudson had to go. It was better to cut it off before either one of them was too vested in a side relationship that was doomed for failure, anyway. But she damn sure missed their sex.
She and Michael had not made love, because they were trying to learn to talk again and be friends. They were working on them, so while she missed the loving that Hudson had given her, she refused to get sucked into another whirlwind tryst with that man. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t think of him often. Of course, he didn’t make it any easier with the constant attempts to reach out to her. However, she owed it to her husband to make their marriage work, and work it would not if she answered even one personal call from Hudson. She was weak for that man. Too weak. Until she could build up her resilience, she had to stay clear of any personal contact with him, and the only way to do that was to flat-out ignore him.
As she sat there signing off on paperwork, a knock came on her office door. “Come in,” she called out as she stood and turned to pull out some files in her filing cabinet.
The door opened and shut, and when no one said anything, Karli turned around to see who it was. Hudson was standing in her office.
“How in the—”
“I told your receptionist that we had an impromptu meeting. Since I’m your number one client, she believed me and told me it was clear to come to your office. Why have you been ignoring my calls, Karli?”
