Page 40 of Only Some Stars Fall

The tears continue to fall onto my cheeks as I nod into his chest. I lie there and listen to the steady beat of his heart until sometime later, the tears dry, and I fall asleep.

I wakebefore sunrise with a start. The room is dark except for that shade of blue that covers everything right before the sun appears.

Hux is no longer beside me, but the sheets are still warm. He must have just gotten up. I stand, stretching my arms over my head and shivering from the chilly early morning air.Thankfully, I feel fine; all symptoms of what I drank are gone, and I even feel somewhat rested after last night.

Grabbing the wool blanket at the end of the bed, I wrap it around my body and tiptoe over to the kitchen alcove, but there is still no sign of Hux. I shuffle to the front windows, looking out over the lake, and that’s when I see him—sitting at the end of his dock. Though I can’t see his face, he looks peaceful. His feet are crossed and propped up on a small table while he sits in a forest-green Adirondack chair with his gaze toward the mountains, chin slightly lifted to the sky.

Barefoot, I step out into the fresh and frigid air. No matter how many mornings I spend here, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to fully describe the way the early morning air smells. It’s heavenly and my favorite thing about going to work early in the mornings. It almost makes me sad that this smell can never be recreated in the city. My time here is limited.

My time with him is limited.

The dock bounces slightly as I make my way to the matching chair beside Hux. He never turns to look at me, even when I sit beside him. Steam billows off the water, proving how chilly the Maine morning air is.

“This is my favorite time of day. Sunrises and sunsets are beautiful, but I love the moment right before the world wakes up. I always have since I was a kid.”

I smile at that, but I say nothing, just enjoying the stillness with him.

Hux stands, his blanket still wrapped around his body, and a cocky grin spreads across his face. The same cocky grin that has mostly infuriated me all summer, but the one that also makes my breathing hitch and my core tighten every time I see it. I’ve missed this look.

“Come for a swim with me.”

“What? It’s freezing out here, hence the wool blankets weare wrapped in! Plus, if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that Aurora Lake never rises above hypothermia-inducing temperatures.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. This is actually the only time of the day the lake feels warm… currently, the water is warmer than the air.” He waves his hand out, gesturing at the steam.

“That’s your selling point? You need to brush up on your persuasion skills.”

“Come on, live a little.” He smirks, dropping his blanket to the ground, revealing that he is only dressed from the waist down in a worn pair of jeans.

He undoes his belt buckle and lets them fall to his ankles. I let out a gasp, but this time, it’s not from his sarcastic comment, it’s from the fact that Hux Anderson is standing in front of me, at the end of his dock, completely naked. His beautiful, toned body on complete display.

Suddenly, I am no longer cold. In fact, I am sweltering beneath this wool blanket. I open my mouth, but no words come out. I slowly and unashamedly trail my eyes down every ridge and bulge. There is no doubt he is absolutely beautiful. The way my body responds to the sight of him naked is so intense I have to remind myself to breathe and swallow.

He doesn’t wait for my response before diving into the lake, which is good because, at this rate, my voice may never return. He cuts through the lake’s surface so swiftly that he barely makes a splash.

I hold my breath, waiting for him to resurface.

One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven…

I stand as my anxiety rises in my throat while I search the glassy water. Then, there he is, running his fingers through his shaggy locks of hair, pushing it off his face. His eyes lock with mine, and without any more hesitation, I drop my blanket to my feet. I am still in the party dress from the night before, and Islowly pull each thin strap down from my shoulders. I shimmy out of the dress until it pools at my feet.

Making eye contact with Hux, I swallow hard before unclasping my strapless bra. My nipples pebble into hard peaks as the cold air engulfs me. Goose bumps run up my back as I notice the tic of his jaw. My fingers hook into either side of my underwear, but before I push them down my shaky legs, I close my eyes, willing myself not to chicken out now. Slowly, I trail the soft fabric until it touches my ankles, prompting me to step out of them. Only now, as I stand up straight again, do I dare open my eyes and return my gaze to the man standing in chest-high water below me.

Just as Hux did minutes before, I stand fully bare. In the last few weeks, he has seen and touched a fair share of my body, but this feels different. This is me fully surrendering to my feelings for him, me finally letting go of my past heartbreak and the insecurities it left. This is seeing what I want in front of me and diving head first for it.

The water is piercing, but I have never felt something so purifying as my naked body lingers below the surface. I let it sink into every part of me, and just as my lungs begin to burn, I feel Hux’s warm hands graze my belly before wrapping them around my waist and pulling me to him.

When my head emerges, there is no time for air, his mouth is on mine. I grant his tongue access, and he deepens the kiss while my soft curves push against his hard form. I let myself explore his chest, defined jawline, and hair, running my hands through it, pushing it back as I have seen him do a hundred times, and always wondered what it would feel like. I bury them there, pulling slightly as I push my body harder into his. I can’t get enough of him.

Hux cups my ass, lifting me higher, his fingers dangerously close to the spot I want them most. Theheat of his chest combined with the bite of the cold water that swirls between us creates a friction that has my senses on overload. I feel his need for me grow as one calloused hand climbs up the sensitive skin of my torso to palm my breast as our mouths continue to work overtime.

When I truly think we cannot survive another moment without oxygen, Hux breaks the sweet torture, slightly pulling back, his chest heaving. I try to calm my own panting, but within seconds, Hux is back at it, this time his mouth on my neck, sucking and nibbling the sensitive skin. A moan escapes my lips, as he starts below my ear, devouring every inch of skin down to my collarbone. I involuntarily grin my center into the hard ridges of his lower abdomen.

He walks me backward, never taking his lips off my body until we are flush up against the end of the dock. Our eyes meet, and I see my hunger for him reflected in his eyes. He gently lifts my hands over my head, silently instructing me to hold on to the edge of the dock with my legs still wrapped around his waist.

Both of his hands are now free, and he roams the rest of my body. My back arches, my goose bump-covered flesh offered to his skillful hands and mouth as he kneads and sucks my sensitive skin. I feel the building of something intense in my core, knowing that I won’t be able to withstand his sweet torture much longer.

I want all of him.

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