21. Hudson
Chapter 21
Hudson
I was in that state of consciousness where I wasn’t asleep, but not quite awake, when my phone pinged with Evan’s text tone. Reaching for my nightstand to collect it, I tapped the screen, eager to read his text.
Evan: I wish you were here.
A photo popped up of my messy-haired superstar stretched out on the bed, the chin dimple I loved calling to me. His bare chest and sculpted torso were on display as the top sheet draped low across his hips.
I was sure of exactly one thing. I was a very lucky man to have him.
Me: Tease.
Me: I wish I was there too.
My cock thickened as I zoomed in on the photo, trying unsuccessfully to see more than what was there. His dark chest hair stretched down his torso to his happy trail and led to the nest of neatly trimmed pubic hair. I wanted him in my mouth.
The photo would be the perfect jerk-off material when we weren’t together, but I couldn’t leave it in my camera roll to be discovered.
Closing the text window, I went to my photos and made a new folder. However, naming said folder became difficult, so I settled on inspiration.
Another text popped up.
Evan: What are you doing?
Evan: No photo for me?
Me: Making a top-secret folder for your photography.
Evan: Give me a second and I’ll send you more.
Me: Or you could get your ass up and get over here.
Evan: I like that idea better.
Evan: See you in ten.
Glancing at the clock, it was still early. The kids didn’t have to be up for another half hour.
Me: Hurry. We have less than thirty minutes. If we’re lucky.
That was a calculated lie. It was summer vacation, but I wanted him here as soon as possible. And if Evan didn’t pick up on it, all the better.
Evan: See you in five.
Eager to get up, I smiled and crawled out of bed. After a quick stop in the bathroom to brush my teeth, I slipped into shorts and a T-shirt before heading downstairs to the kitchen.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee permeated the air when the knock came on the door. I hurried, okay, almost ran, to the door like some lovesick fool.
And I guess I was. Thank god no one was around to witness my behavior.
Swinging the door open, Evan stood before me in a sleeveless tank and running shorts. I gave him a quick up-down before reaching out to pull him into the house.
“Well, good morning to you,” he said, wrapping me in his arms.
“Good morning.”
Wasting no time, I shoved him back against the door and blanketed my body with his. Evan laughed as he slid down a couple of inches to make us the same height. I was no slouch at six-foot-three, but Evan still had me by several inches. And I was more than fine with that. I loved this new dynamic we had. He loved surprising me, and I loved his attention. It was refreshing.
“Coffee smells…”
I cut him off with a tongue-tangling kiss and pressed my second brain alongside his. Shifting from side to side, I rubbed myself all over him like a cat in heat as we made out like teenagers. But our make-out session was cut short when I heard Erin calling my name.
“Fuck,” I breathed, pushing off him.
“I’ll be right there,” I called over my shoulder.
Evan let go of me and reached up to wipe the saliva from my face.
“It’s okay, Governor. She knows about us.”
I let out a shaky breath as I willed my cock to deflate. “Yeah, I know. But they’ve never seen me kiss anyone but their mother.”
Regret for bringing up Carrie filled me, but Evan looked unfazed. Still, he could read my expression.
“It’s okay, Hudson. I’m not offended in the least when you bring her up. But I could use a good cup of coffee.”
I reached out and cupped his cheek, then took his hand. “Come on. Let’s go have breakfast.”
His smile lit up every cell in my body.
“You gonna cook for me, Gov? That’s kinda romantical.”
I laughed at his incorrect word. “Yeah, Superstar. I got a brand new box of Wheaties waiting for you.”
Evan released a laugh as we walked into the kitchen, much to Erin’s delight.
“What are you doing here?” she squealed at a pitch only dogs could hear, then jumped into his arms.
I knew exactly how she felt. I wanted to jump into his arms like that, too.
“Hey, girlie,” he said, hugging her. “I missed you guys and decided to come up for a visit.”
“How long are you staying?”
Evan looked over at me, and I smiled. “Three weeks, sweetheart.”
Erin frowned. “But we’re with Mimi and Pops in Seattle next week.”
“I know, sweetheart. Evan surprised me, too. But he’ll still be here when you get back.”
“What are you yelling about, dumbass? And keep who entertained?” Jack griped, striding down the stairs.
I gave Jack a look that said, watch your fucking mouth.
“Me,” Evan replied, smiling at Jack.
My son whipped his head around to see his idol standing in the kitchen again.
Evan walked over and put my son in a headlock, much to his sister’s delight.
“And be nice to your sister. Do you guys have plans today? I know your dad has to govern today, but I was hoping you guys might want to hang at my place.”
Jack struggled a bit before Evan let him go.
“What do you mean, your place? You want us to go to San Diego for the day?”
Evan laughed. “No. I rented a house a couple of blocks over. Thought we might go swimming and stuff until your dad gets through telling people what to do.”
I rolled my eyes and pulled out the cereal and milk.
Jack looked at me, then back at Evan. “Why don’t you just stay with us? We stayed with you.”
I wished. But we had a few hoops to jump through here in Sacramento.
“I’d love to do that, but it’s different here up.”
I looked at my kids, who seemed to be completely at ease with this new relationship.
“You guys wouldn’t mind if Evan stayed here?”
Jack shrugged. “Why would we?”
Evan’s lips turned up in a grin when he looked at me. “You guys know your dad is my boyfriend, right? We’re more than friends.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Duh. We knew that in San Diego.”
“Right. But me staying here is different from you guys staying with me in San Diego. That was a vacation.”
“Is this your vacation?” Erin asked. “Why can’t you stay with your boyfriend on your vacation?”
I wished it was as easy as they made it sound. “Because we’re a different kind of high-profile couple. There are expectations that come with my job, and Evan’s. No one knows about us except you two, and Adley. And Thomas.”
“Not even my team,” Evan added. “Well, except for Lennox. And he only thinks he knows something.”
“So?” Jack asked, pouring his cereal into a bowl. “You’re allowed to have a life. It’s no one’s business who you love.”
I looked at Evan, who was staring at me. He raised his brows and nodded toward Jack.
Clearing my throat, I was a little choked up. I expected more pushback from them.
“We like Evan, Daddy.”
I looked at my daughter. “I know you do, sweetheart. And I’m really glad you do. But with my job comes the media. And their scrutiny. There will be unkind things posted on the internet, and the kids at school might have some less than friendly opinions.”
I looked at my son. “And I want to protect you from anything that might blow back on you. People are mean when you’re not living in the spotlight. You two have never seen us show any physical affection to one another. How do you know it won’t freak you out?”
Erin and Jack looked at me, then at Evan. But Jack was the one to speak.
“Then show us what it looks like. And we’ll tell you if it weirds us out.”
Evan stood up and came around to where I was standing by the island. He draped his arm over my shoulders, then leaned down to kiss my cheek. I wrapped my arm around him, then looked at my kids, waiting to see how they handled us being together.
Jack stared at me, unseeing. He was obviously deep in thought, and it worried the shit out of me. Instinctively, I dropped my arm from around Evan, wondering if we’d gone too far with this experiment. But he only hugged me tighter.
“Jack?” I asked quietly. Anxiety took over and heated my skin.
My son finally looked at me with tears in his eyes, but what I saw wasn’t anger. It almost looked like relief, but I was afraid to hope.
“Are you okay, Son?”
Jack nodded as Evan remained plastered to my side. “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine.”
He looked over at Evan and pointed to the milk. “Can you pass the milk? And what time do we need to leave?”
I watched, speechless, as he poured the milk over his cereal and began to eat.
“How about after your dad goes to the office?”
As the three of them planned their day together, a sense of relief washed over me. Maybe this was going to be okay after all.
I picked up my phone and sent a text to Adley.
Me: I need to see Anne at 10 am. Can you arrange that, please?
I watched as the dots appeared and then bounced.
Adley: Yes, sir.
Adley: Will Evan be joining us?
I looked over at him, relaxed and engrossed in football talk with Jack.
Me: No. Just me.
Adley: We’ll be ready.
I put my phone down and poured myself a bowl of cereal. I took my seat at the bar next to Erin and had breakfast with my family.
When I walked into the small conference room connected to my office a few minutes before ten, I was determined to leave with a positive outcome. Adley and Thomas were at the table, along with Anne Martin, my Press Secretary and Communications Director.
“Good morning, Governor,” she said, as I took my seat at the table.
“Good morning, everyone. How was your vacation, Anne?”
“Wonderful,” she beamed as I took my seat. “But five days at Disneyland is too much. I’m too old for that. We should have done what you did and gone to the beach.”
I smiled, thinking about my vacation. “Yes, it was wonderful. And that’s partly what I wanted to speak to you about.”
“Adley was telling me about your meeting with Preston James. It sounds fantastic.”
I nodded. “Yes, Preston is very impressive. But that’s not what I want to talk about today.”
Glancing at Adley and Thomas, I looked back at Anne.
“I need your help to navigate a personal decision I’ve made.”
Anne’s eyes widened, and she sat up. “Have you changed your mind? Are you going to run for the presidency, Hudson?”
I laughed. “No. I know that was the plan a long time ago, but not now. However, I am going to make history, Anne.”
She looked confused. “Okay. What are you going to do?”
I sat back in my chair and smiled. “I’m going to be the first openly bisexual governor in the United States. I have a boyfriend. And he’s a football star.”