The view, p.9
The View, page 9
“Yeah, man? What’s up?”
“So you blew like a hurricane through the office today. Even Stephanie caught it, and I’ve never seen you snap at her. What the hell happened? I thought you were supposed to have had a good weekend with your wife.”
“Man, it sure started off good, but in the middle of us gettin’ it in, she freezes up. I mean straight Sahara!”
“Did you try to talk to her? I mean, maybe she’s still juiced up on that ho move you played.”
Rubbing his head in frustration, Michael spat, “I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to make love to my wife.” He huffed. “But, man, it wasn’t just that. When I tried to ask her what was wrong or even touch her, she cringed like, like I repulsed her.”
Bryson was quiet for a moment. “Did you ask her about it?”
“Are you crazy? Heck no. I’m not going to rush into a conversation about how I don’t do it for my wife anymore. I couldn’t take it if she told me she didn’t want me or, worse yet, didn’t love me anymore. I just . . . I can’t take that. I think I’m just going to give her a little more time to get over whatever ill feelings she has, and then we’ll try again.”
Bryson shook his head skeptically, though Michael couldn’t see him. “I think you should really talk about what happened that night. Karli loves you. Something isn’t right.”
“Nah, I’m going to wait it out for a bit. Maybe it was a fluke or just her having to get used to our intimacy again,” Michael replied. “I know Karli. She’ll get over this, and we’ll be fine. Just watch.”
Bryson sighed, feeling sorry for his friends and feeling that Michael could be making a huge mistake by not attempting to nip this thing in the bud. “Well, you better find a way to work it out quickly. A marriage is too sacred to leave in shambles. The devil breeds in confusion. Don’t dance in his playground.”
Michael stared at the phone in disbelief. “Funny, but you sound just like my father, and I’m supposed to be the deacon,” he said, thinking back on an earlier conversation he’d had with his dad, who’d given him similar advice.
Chuckling slightly, Bryson quipped, “Well, we both know your father is a bright man who’s been married forty years. You should listen to him, and not to toot my own horn, to me too.” Sensing Michael’s apprehension, Bryson added, “Just think about it.”
“It’s all I ever think about.”
Chapter 14
After the botched reunion last weekend, Karli immersed herself completely in her work. It was the only thing keeping the monkey off her back. She felt horrible and ashamed. How could she talk to her husband about what had happened? What would she say? That in the throes of passion with him, she had imagined having sex with another man, one whom she worked closely with? If Michael hated her new job title already, she shuddered to think how he’d react to that news, even though her thoughts were unintentional.
What surprised her was the fact that Michael hadn’t asked about it. If she were in his shoes, she surely would have. Though she was relieved that he hadn’t, she couldn’t help but feel somewhat bothered that he hadn’t even attempted to sort it out. Had he just given up on them? Did he care anymore? Maybe she should have just told him and tried to explain the entire story. At the end of the day, she had no ties to Hudson, and though at times she was smitten with him, there was nothing between them but work. At least that was what she kept telling herself. It was the truth, the only truth she could hold on to.
Delving into work helped her not only personally, but also professionally, as her creative juices were forced to kick into overdrive. During an entire week of work devoted to Lewis Investments, Karli and Hudson’s team produced a hugely successful ad campaign. After the celebration dinner, the team met briefly in Lewis Investments’ Manhattan office to go over meetings and schedules for the second phase of the campaign. An hour later, they had wrapped things up as best they could, and everyone began filing out. Hudson and Karli stayed behind in the conference room, discussing particulars for the meetings they had scheduled and making sure all necessary points of discussion were on the agenda.
Karli looked down at her watch. “Oh my goodness! It’s after seven o’clock. I better get going, since I have an hour-and-a-half drive to look forward to,” she said to Hudson as she rose to her feet.
Just then, Karli’s cell rang. It was her assistant, Stacy.
“Hey, Stacy. Did you forget something?” Karli said when she picked up.
“I was just checking on you to see if you were stuck in this traffic too.”
“I’m just about to leave. You left two hours ago. You’re not home yet?” she asked, and Hudson looked up at Karli with growing concern.
“There is a bad accident on the FDR. The radio is reporting a seven-car pileup. It has traffic backed up for miles. I may be home in another forty-five minutes to an hour, give or take. But if you haven’t left yet, you better be prepared for a good four- to five-hour drive back home.”
“Shit!” Karli cussed aloud.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. I was calling to see if we could keep each other company, but I think you’re going to be worse than me.”
Karli waved her hand. “Don’t worry about me. You focus on the road, and text me when you make it home.”
“Will do. Have a good night, Karli.”
When they hung up, Hudson looked at her, waiting to hear the news.
“FDR is backed up from a seven-car pileup. I’ll have a good four- or five-hour drive home. If I leave now, I may make it home by midnight.”
Hudson stood up. “Nonsense. Just spend the night in Manhattan and leave in the morning.”
“My husband would not want me running up a hotel bill by staying here.”
“I’d hope he’d be more concerned that his wife is safe and secure at a stable location rather than on the highway by herself in the middle of the night,” Hudson huffed, shaking his head. “Besides, if you think I’m going to let you drive back tonight, you must be suffering from exhaustion.”
Karli sat down and put her head back in frustration. “I don’t have time to be looking for a hotel room—”
Hudson spread his arms out. “Good thing my office is right across the street from a hotel. Problem solved.”
Karli looked at him as if he were crazy. “Not that I don’t have the money, but that place is like staying in a palace. I’m sorry, but I can’t see frivolously throwing away eight hundred dollars for one night’s sleep.”
“Who said you had to pay anything?”
Karli stood up again, shaking her head. “You will not pay for my room there. No. Absolutely not.”
Hudson laughed. “Okay, I won’t, and you’re still staying.”
When she arched her eyebrows, Hudson gathered their things and motioned for her to come with him. They left the building and walked across the street. When they entered the hotel, he led her to the elevators, and they stepped on one together.
Karli turned to him. “Hudson, what are you doing? We bypassed the front desk. We don’t even know if they have a vacancy, and I’m too old and too scared of jail to sneak into a hotel room.”
Hudson burst into teary-eyed laughter. “That’s funny. But don’t worry. You don’t have to pay, nor are you going to jail.”
He pulled out a card, stuck it in a slot on the elevator’s panel, punched in a code, and then pressed the letter P.
“The penthouse? Why would you reserve the penthouse? Did you plan on staying here?” Karli asked suspiciously, folding her arms.
Hudson shook his head. “No, I planned on leaving to go home, but I’m not chancing the FDR. And I didn’t have to reserve the penthouse, because I own the penthouse. I own the hotel,” he explained as the elevator doors opened.
They stepped off and Karli realized they were on a floor with a single suite. He put the key in the door, opened it, and allowed Karli to walk inside the penthouse first.
Karli paused in the doorway. She was used to the finer things in life. Her parents were well off. She was on the smaller side of rich, between Michael’s salary and her own, but this . . . this was wealth. Hudson was like Bill Gates.
Karli gasped as she took slow steps inside the suite. “Oh my God. Hudson, this is amazing,” she said in wonderment. Then she shook her head. “No, I can’t do this. I can’t be in a hotel . . . your hotel . . . your hotel suite . . . with you.”
Hudson turned to the left, then the right. “Seriously, Karli, look at this place. We don’t even have to be in the same room if you don’t want to be. The amenities are endless. There are three bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living areas, a balcony with a view, and . . . okay, well, only one kitchen, but we literally do not have to be in the same space at the same time. This place spans the entire top floor of the hotel.”
Karli bit her lip and began to walk around, admiring the exquisite trim and molding on the walls, the lighting, the paintings, the furniture, and mostly the alluring floor-to-ceiling windows with custom window seating. Hudson removed his scarf and his blazer and draped them on a chair as he watched her move about, her Louboutins gracefully stabbing the floor with each step. She moved to the massive wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in the larger of the two living areas as night began to fall. The view of the city from this vantage point was breathtaking, unlike any she’d ever seen.
So intrigued with the view, she said, “I’ll call my husband to let him know what’s going on.”
“Good. I’m going to change,” Hudson said, and then he disappeared into a bedroom.
Karli called Michael to explain what was happening, and he agreed that she should stay in Manhattan for the night. They said their good-byes, and Karli placed her phone on a nearby table, slid off her pumps, and stood barefoot, never taking her gaze off the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows. The skyline and the city lights were mesmerizing. She’d seen the city from high up many times before, but never like this.
“It’s gorgeous,” she whispered, placing her hand on a windowpane.
“Yes, it is,” Hudson said softly. “It’s what I mean when I say I see what others don’t—”
“What goes beyond the matrix of others’ thought processes,” she whispered, intercepting his words.
Hudson slowly walked over to Karli. She looked gorgeous in her wrap dress, which clung to every inch and curve of her beautiful body. From her springy curls to her beautiful manicured toes, she was simply divine.
His heartbeat quickened as he got closer. He placed his hand on the pane beside hers, and they took in the soft lights of the skyline as distant lightning and soft, thunderclaps seemed to summon rain. Their breathing grew shallow as raindrops began to streak down the window, and Karli could feel the heat radiating from him.
Leaning in close, he murmured, “See? It’s the inner beauty of the thing that I care about.”
“Among the hustle and bustle, the bright lights of the big city, this is the calm,” Karli mused aloud, lost in the view.
“This is peace. That is the inner beauty of it. In the center of chaos lies peace,” Hudson added softly.
Feeling lost in his words, Karli turned, and Hudson hovered in front of her, with both hands on the glass pane, one on either side of her head. Their chests swiftly rose and fell in sync from anxiety and anticipation.
She swallowed hard, staring at those intense crystal blue orbs. “I can’t, Hudson. I’m married. My husband . . .”
“Is a damn fool,” Hudson said, finishing for her. “Not for letting you stay here, but for not loving the inner beauty of you. For not appreciating the one thing that men—men like me—crave.”
“He appreciates me. He loves me,” she protested weakly.
“Tell me how. For two months, I’ve been with you nearly every day, and not once has he called to check on you. Not once has he invited you to lunch or shown up to say hello. The only interaction you’ve had with him in front of me was tonight, and the conversation was so short, you would think you were checking in at the office. If you were mine, there’s no way in hell you would’ve gotten off that phone with me.”
He caressed the side of her face, and she leaned into his touch. He went on. “I would’ve stayed on the phone with you all night, making you cum just from the sound of my voice, leaving you so on fire that you’d rush out the next morning just to get to the real thing. You’re married to him, but he’s not taking care of you. Let me take care of you.”
Karli was nearly hyperventilating from his words and the dangerous level of attraction she was feeling. “But, but I’m married.”
Hudson smiled wickedly. “The only thing saying that is your mouth. No part of you believes that.” He touched her eyebrow. “Your eyes,” he said, sliding his fingers down her chest. “Your body.” He leaned in close to her neck. “Even your scent.” His lips grazed her ear as he whispered, “I’m not going to do anything you don’t want. If you still want to be his wife, you can, but do what you need to do for you. Let me take care of you, because I definitely want you to take care of me.”
He kissed her lips softly, then pulled back and looked into her eyes. Karli wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. Hungrily, he unfastened the tie of her dress, and as the garment fell off, she reached for the waistband of his sweats. He stepped out of them and pulled his shirt over his head.
Still kissing her lips as they hungrily tasted each other, he slid his fingers into her thong and then slid it off as he lowered himself to his knees. Karli couldn’t believe what was happening, but she didn’t fight it when Hudson lifted one of her legs onto his shoulder and planted his face in her neatly shaven essence. As Hudson’s tongue sensually connected with her love button, the fight in her was completely gone, and she gave in to the desire that she’d been desperately trying to ignore. Her juices flowed as his tongue encircled her throbbing bud. She held his head tightly in place, savoring every second of pleasure he gave.
“Mmm, Hudson,” she moaned, running her fingers through his curly mess of blond hair.
“My pussy tastes so sweet,” he groaned in ecstasy.
Karli’s wetness flowed like the Hudson River into his awaiting mouth. He stood, then picked her up by her waist and pushed her back against the windowpane. She pulled down the cups of her bra and allowed her melons to topple out. Hudson captured each one in his mouth, savored every inch of them as her moans grew stronger and louder.
He lifted his head up and whispered, “One moment, baby,” then surveyed the room. He turned quickly and reached for his blazer, which was draped on a nearby chair. After pulling out his wallet, he retrieved a gold wrapper from it. Bracing her against the window, he protected his massive shaft, then slid into her awaiting ocean.
Karli gasped at his girth. He was as thick as her husband, but he had to be at least an inch longer. Comfortably inside her, like a hand in a glove, he swirled methodically inside her. Her back lightly thumped against the window, taking turns with the rolling thunder and the rain. With each stroke, their passion grew to unimaginable heights. Karli’s insides began to tremble as a monstrous orgasm built in her core. Feeling her impending climax, Hudson gripped her hips and thrust longer and deeper into her center, so deep it appeared as if they were conjoined. Karli gripped his muscular back, digging her nails deep, as her toes curled and her legs shook uncontrollably.
“Ooh, Hudson. Hudson. Oh, Hudson,” she roared. Sweat beaded down her forehead, and tears cascaded out of her eyes.
Hudson reached behind him and unwrapped her legs from his waist. He held her steady on her weak legs and then turned her around and pressed the front of her body against the pane. Karli placed one foot on the cushioned window seat as they interlocked fingers, and he slid back into his new place called home and continued his masterful motions with endless pleasure. Karli was on a euphoric high as she continued to receive everything Hudson delivered.
He slowly massaged her luscious mounds with his hands and then pulled her hips to bounce her against him, making her derriere jiggle. The sight heightened Hudson’s arousal, and Karli felt him stiffen and extend a bit more. Arching her back, she dropped her head down a bit and threw her back into him. Hudson let out a deep groan from the pleasure Karli was giving him. He was skilled, but her love nest was taking him to a place of ecstasy he had never been to, and he pushed past to her soft, gushy center. A deep orgasm, one Karli had never felt before, overtook her, and her body released a powerful rain shower against Hudson.
“Oh God. Shit! Hudson. Hudson, take it. Daddy, it’s yours,” she moaned sexily.
“Ooh, Karli, baby. Oh, baby.”
Hudson could no longer restrain himself and he buried himself deep in her crevices. Then, with a deep growl, he released so hard, he had to brace against her to keep from falling over.
Barely able to move, Hudson stood still until every wave of pleasure had passed. When he could finally move, he walked a few paces and pulled over a big cushioned chair. He sat down in it and pulled her into his arms, and they leaned back together, holding each other, and stared at the view of the city through the rain and listened to the rise and fall of each other’s breathing before they drifted off to sleep.
* * *
Several feelings washed over Karli that she hadn’t felt in a long time. Calm, rest, pleasure, and satisfaction. When the light filtering into the room awoke her from her restful slumber, she stretched, feeling the plush bed and pillows.
“Mmm,” she moaned, turning on her side.
Suddenly, she remembered the previous night and where she was, and she bolted upright, clutching the sheet in front of her. Instinctively, she turned to look at the time on the clock. It read 8:32 a.m.
“Shit!” she said frantically, about to throw the covers off her body.
“Calm down, Karli.” Hudson’s voice resonated from the opposite corner of the room.
Karli jumped and turned to look at him. He was sitting in a chair, clad only in a pair of sweatpants, and was holding a cup of tea and gazing at her with those brilliant crystal blues. The red marks on his chiseled chest, his messy blond curls, and his five o’clock shadow told the tale of the intense, long night before.
