Lucy #2
Hudson started to reply, but Camila’s gasp cut him off. “Lucy, oh my goodness, what did you do to yourself?”
Hudson’s brows rose in shock as he looked me over. “Christ, baby, I didn’t see it in the dark. What the hell happened?”
I looked down at my arms and legs, realizing they were covered in cuts—some worse than others. “Well, Sadie had gotten herself pretty far back in some thicket, and I had to coax her out.”
“Baby, you should have just left her and come to get one of us. That has to hurt like hell.” He winced.
“I wasn’t going to leave her there,” I replied firmly, looking him square in the eye.
We were still getting to know each other, but his gaze softened in understanding. “Okay, darlin’. But maybe we can talk next time before there’s a chance you might shed blood over a favor for one of my brothers.”
“I’ll take it into consideration,” I huffed, eliciting chuckles from Riley and a man I assumed was Hudson’s father, who stood off to the side with his arm around his wife. “I probably do need to shower and bandage some of this up,” I admitted.
“I’ll take you home,” Hudson offered immediately. “I’ll leave the boat and come back for it in the morning.”
“It was lovely to meet you, even under these circumstances.” Camila smiled as she offered me a plate she’d wrapped in tinfoil. “Make sure she eats, Hud.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And we’ll meet properly next time.” His dad lifted a hand. “But thank you for your help tonight.”
“Something tells me that we’ll have plenty of opportunities to hang out,” Riley muttered good-naturedly as he grabbed Ranger’s leash. “I’ll help you unhitch the boat.”
I waved in parting as Hudson took my other hand, genuinely having enjoyed meeting them. They were so real and clearly close—it was far from what I was used to.
“You get Rambo in the truck. I’ll start unhitching the boat,” Riley offered, and despite his jovial demeanor, it was clear how much he cared about his family.
“Rambo?” I raised a brow. “Like the 80’s action movie?” At his nod, I laughed. I had to admit, I didn’t hate the moniker.
“Rambo’s artillery had nothing on these guns,” I replied, flexing my arms.
Riley threw back his head and laughed. “Dude, hang on to this one.” He slapped his brother on the back as Hudson helped me into the passenger seat.
“I plan on it.” Hudson stroked my cheek tenderly before reaching over to buckle my seat belt. “We’ll get you home, cleaned up, and fed,” he promised before closing the door and getting Ranger up in the back seat.
Before long, we were pulling away from the curb.
“Your family is amazing.” I sighed. “You’re so lucky.”
He reached over and squeezed my thigh in silent acknowledgement, appearing deep in thought. I left him to it, content to ride in comfortable silence.
When we arrived at my place, he surprised me by cutting the engine.
“You’re coming in?”
He shot me an exasperated look. “Are you bleeding?”
“Well, yeah,” I replied in confusion.
For reasons I couldn’t understand, he seemed to be fighting for patience before turning to me. “Then yeah, baby. I’m going to come in. I’m going to make sure you’re good. Make sure you eat. And honestly, stay until you kick me out.”
“Do your first dates usually last twelve hours?” I teased.
He looked me over with an intensity that had settled over him since we’d left his brother’s house. “Not even close, babe.”
“Not in the mood for jokes. Noted,” I murmured to myself as he swung out of the truck and came around to my side to open the door.
“Okay if Ranger comes in?” He cocked a brow.
“Of course.”
He whistled for Ranger, and the three of us made our way up my front walk.
“I’m going to take a shower. Make yourself at home. I think there’s beer in the fridge.”
He offered a chin lift in response as I made my way to the bathroom. Truth be told, now that the excitement from the day had worn off, I was realizing how much the cuts and scrapes on my skin hurt. They throbbed like little pinpricks all over my arms and legs.
I stripped down before stepping under the warm spray, wincing as the water hit my skin. I washed my hair and face quickly before soaping up my cuts.
Wrapped in a towel, I dug through my dresser drawers for something comfortable to wear when he tapped at my bedroom door.
“Do you have Neosporin in there?” he asked through the door. “I brought in the first aid kit from my truck.”
“Um, no, I don’t. I was just going to throw on some sweats and a long-sleeved shirt.”
“You need Neosporin, Luce, and Band-Aids on a few of the larger gashes. Can I help?”
I bit my lip, debating. “Okay.” I seemed to be using that word a lot around him.
He opened the door and stepped through, appearing larger than life in the small space. He glanced around my room before looking back at me quizzically. “What the fuck is up with all the ducks?”
I couldn’t help it—the look of genuine befuddlement on his face had me bursting out laughing.
“Got some sort of duck kink?” he asked with a wide grin, clearly amused by my outburst.
“No,” I wheezed, trying to get a hold of myself as I wiped away tears of laughter. “They came with the house.”
“Doesn’t look like they’re superglued to the wall, babe.” He quirked a playful brow.
“Shut up.” I shoved at his chest with one hand while holding my towel cinched with the other. “I keep meaning to take them down. But I do kind of like that one.” I pointed to the one I’d taken to talking to like a loon.
I turned back to him, surprised to find him staring at me so intently. “What?” I asked in confusion, feeling suddenly self-conscious.
“Christ, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he marveled. “Without makeup on, you have these gorgeous freckles.” His thumb skated over my cheek.
Goose bumps broke out across my skin at his touch. “I hated them growing up,” I admitted, swallowing hard at the hungry look in his gaze, all too aware that I was nearly naked. “You okay?” I asked quietly when he appeared to be trying to collect himself.
He let out a slow breath. “I promised myself that if you let me come in here, I’d be a gentleman. That I’d see to your cuts that I’m sorry as all hell you got on my account. I’m just finding that promise a little harder to keep than I thought. But I will keep it, Luce.”
“It wasn’t on your account. You didn’t push me into the bushes,” I protested as he guided me to sit on the edge of the bed and began to gently dab ointment on my arms. “And I can do this myself.”
“You could,” he agreed, “but you’re not going to.”
“You’re very growly this evening,” I noted as he kneeled in front of me, focused on a particularly angry gash on my thigh.
He looked up at me, his eyes darkened with intent. “This ex of yours, how’s he not getting the message?” he demanded bizarrely.
I was shocked at the direction of his thoughts. “What? You’re still thinking about that? Why?”
“How’s he not getting the message, Luce?” he asked again.
I regarded him carefully, my gaze sweeping over his handsome face, trying to understand where this was coming from.
“Hudson, we’re just getting to know each other.
And though we might be breaking one of the records for longest date in history, this is still technically our first date.
I’d really rather not spend it airing out all my dirty laundry. ”
He gripped my hips in his large hands. “It’s our first official date,” he agreed.
“But I only needed one day with you to know that I want a hell of a lot more. That I want you. My fame has its drawbacks; you haven’t seen that, not really.
But if we keep going forward the way I want to, I’ll need to make sure you’re protected.
And it’s not dirty laundry, babe. I don’t see it that way at all.
It’s your past—one I want to fully support you walking away from.
Christ, I feel like I’m fucking this up. ”
I cupped his neck and leaned in for a soft kiss. “You’re not.”
He squeezed my hips and blew out a relieved breath.
“This is the beginning of us, Luce. I don’t say that lightly, and I figure laying it out might be a better play than holding myself back.
Seems I get growly when I try to do that.
” His lips twitched into a semblance of a smile.
“So, I need to know what I’m dealing with here, sweetheart. How’s he not getting the message?”
I sighed in resignation. “He’s just texting a lot, demanding I come back, that I take his calls. My mom made a comment that he might just show up here.” I shuddered at the thought.
His gaze darkened. “If I’m not with you and he shows up here, I want you to call me immediately, Lucy. Promise?”
“Promise,” I agreed.
“What’s his last name? I’d like to get some eyes on him, just to be cautious.”
“Peters,” I sighed, hating that Josh had to be a topic of conversation between us.
“Alright.” He appeared somewhat appeased. “Why don’t you get dressed? I’ll warm up your plate, and we can test out that new couch of yours.”
“I don’t know if it’ll fit both of us. You’re a giant,” I complained, hiding my grin.
He threw an arm gently around my shoulders and kissed my temple. “Well then, I guess we’ll have to cuddle.”