Chapter 40 TONGUES AND SECRETS
If Hugo wanted to be honest with himself, the desire to go after Sophie had never left, not even for a second. Her family's disapproval wouldn't matter. He just needed one push, and her actions tonight were more than enough.
He grabbed her waist, guiding her closer until their bodies were pressed tight against each other.
She melted into him like warm butter, soft and pliant in his arms. His hands moved up her back, slow and possessive, before sliding back down to the soft nest of her bum. He groaned, his erection ached, hard and insistent. Pulling her tighter only intensified it, but he didn't stop.
She was breathing fast now, chest rising sharply with every inhale, her lips slightly parted, her eyes heavy with need. She rose on her toes, leaning up, her mouth inching toward his.
But he didn't kiss her.
Not yet.
Instead, he lifted his head just enough to watch her frustration flicker across her face. God, he liked how hungry she looked, how reactive she was to every brush of his skin on hers.
Then, cupping her butt with both hands, he pressed her deeper against the full length of his arousal. She gasped, the sound melting into a soft moan. Her hands gripped at his shoulders for balance, but it was clear she was already falling.
He raised her chin gently, guiding her gaze to meet his. Her lips were parted slightly, her eyes heavy with desire and in that moment, she looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Vulnerable. Absolutely his.
With slow, deliberate intent, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, a soft, teasing contact that sent a shiver through both of them.
God, her lips were soft. Softer than he ever imagined.
He kissed her again, deeper this time, his hand cupped her jaw, his thumb stroked the edge of her cheek. Her breath hitched, and she leaned into it, mouth parting for him.
That was all the invitation he needed.
He kissed her harder hungrily, his lips devouring hers with growing urgency.
His free hand slid back down to her waist, then lower, caressing the curve of her ass again as he pulled her tight against his pulsing arousal.
She moaned into his mouth, the sound muffled and needy. Her arms curled around his neck, pulling him closer. Then her fingers slid into his hair, tugging slightly as if she couldn't get enough of him.
He groaned deep and low, his tongue tangling with hers, every kiss more heated than the last. There was no hesitation now. Just want.
She tilted her head, letting him in even deeper, her body grinding against him in slow, instinctive movements that made his head spin.
Then, slowly, he slipped his hands beneath her shirt, his fingertips brushing against her bare skin. She shivered under his touch, her breath catching in her throat as he explored the warm curve of her waist, the soft dip of her stomach.
He kept going, his hands moving higher, sliding over her ribs until they reached the swell of her breasts.
She gasped.
He cupped them gently at first, savoring the feel of her in his hands. They were soft, full, and fit perfectly beneath his palms. His thumbs brushed across her nipples already hard and sensitive and she arched into him with a moan.
"Hugo..." she whispered, voice thick with longing.
The sound of his name on her lips nearly undid him.
He caressed her slowly, his hands moving in tender, deliberate circles, teasing and stroking until her body trembled against his.
Her nipples stiffened even more beneath his touch, and when he rolled them gently between his fingers, she whimpered, her hands clutching tighter around his shoulders.
Hugo was hard aching painfully. His erection throbbed with a need that was now unbearable. He slid his hands back down to her ass, pulling her against him, pressing her directly to the bulge straining against his pants. He groaned at the contact, grinding into her with growing urgency.
He wanted her. Badly. Completely.
He wanted to bury himself deep inside her over and over until she was shaking, breathless, begging him to stop.
Sophie was lost in him, intoxicated with desire. Her hands slid from his shoulders down his chest, trailing over every hard line of muscle until she reached the thick bulge between his legs.
God, he was so hard. So big.
Her breath hitched just from touching him.
Without thinking, she popped the button of his pants and slid her hand beneath the waistband. His lips crushed hers again slower now, deeper as her fingers wrapped around his length, stroking him softly, then firmer, back and forth.
He groaned raw and guttural a sound that came from deep inside him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd lost control like this.
"Sophie..." he panted, his voice wrecked. She had never seen Hugo like this so undone, so hungry, so exposed.
He couldn't take it anymore. With one swift motion, he lifted her off the ground. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, clinging tightly as he held her, her body flush against his, his hands gripping her thighs.
He was ready, desperate to devour her, to claim every inch of her.
But just as he backed her up against the nearest wall, something in him hesitated.
This was a car park. A dark, public place.
And she wasn't just anyone. He loved her.
He finally slowed down, breath still ragged, chest rising and falling against hers. Carefully, he let her down, grounding himself as the rush of desire faded into something deeper. Something quieter... but just as intense.
He leaned in and kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then everywhere soft, teasing kisses scattered across her face.
She let out a breathy laugh, her cheeks warm with shyness.
"I didn't know you were such a sweet man," she murmured, burying her face against his chest to hide her smile.
He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms tightly around her.
"You brought the sweetness out of me," he said, tilting his head, trying to see her face. But she stayed hidden, cheeks pressed against him like she was melting into his warmth.
That made him laugh again, a deep, genuine sound.
"I love you, Sophie," he whispered.
The words didn't come from his lips alone they came from the weight in his chest, the ache in his soul. And this time, he didn't try to stop them.
The sincerity in his voice made her pause. She looked up slowly, eyes wide, lips parting in disbelief.
"I love you too," she said softly.
He blinked, stunned.
"Wait... really?"
She giggled, lowering her eyes.
"Yeah. You were probably too busy hiding your feelings to notice mine."
And that was the honest truth.
His mind drifted back, suddenly seeing all the signs he had missed:
The way her smile always lingered a little longer around him.
The way she lit up when he walked into a room, even if she tried to hide it.
The silly excuses she made to be near him, dropping off things she could have just sent with someone else, showing up at events he didn't even know she was invited to.
The way she always listened really listened like every word he said mattered.
He exhaled a laugh, his lips brushing the top of her head.
God, how hadn't he seen it?
He held her close, her arms still wrapped around his waist, her cheek resting right over his heart.
For once in his life, he felt like he had something real. Something whole.
Something fulfilling like the universe had finally handed him exactly what he had asked for.