Chapter 16
16
Rachel
R achel’s heart had never pounded so hard as it did in that moment. She’d held onto his confession, telling herself that to share it with Athena would only make things more complicated than they had to be.
When Henry and Athena had shown up on her doorstep, at first she’d thought that whoever had wanted to do her harm had returned. Hudson would have come right in, but her sister and future brother-in-law had knocked.
The relief she’d felt over seeing them through the spy hole had disappeared just as quickly as Hudson had earlier in the day—because now she knew he might not return.
Even now as she marched up the stairs to her temporary bedroom, she was reeling from everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours. It felt like so much longer. From the break-in to getting the dogs, to Hudson’s confession and now hers, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to sleep at all.
The second she opened the door to her bedroom, her puppy came barreling out. Rachel couldn’t help the smile that touched her lips as the creature circled her legs and yipped to be picked up.
Okay, maybe she’d be able to sleep as long as she had the ball of fluff close by.
Rachel picked up the pup and rubbed her face into her fur. She still hadn’t picked out a name. Nothing sounded quite right. Well, that wasn’t true. There was one name that had stuck with her, and she couldn’t decide if she was happy about it or not.
She pulled the puppy from her face and held her up to get a better look at her. “Are you a Cookie?”
The puppy yipped, and her small pink tongue lopped out of her mouth.
Rachel let out a little laugh. “I really hope I’m not going to regret naming you that. It’s sorta ridiculous.” Except it was the name that Hudson had come up with, and for some reason, it was the one that made the most sense.
Cookie squirmed in her hands, and she put the puppy down. It was getting to be time for bed anyway. They’d bought all the necessities for the dogs on the way home from Mateo’s, and while Hudson had been gone, Rachel had set everything up.
From the bed to the food dishes, to the pee pads for potty training, she’d gotten everything ready. Cookie jumped onto Rachel’s ankles and yipped again. While Rachel knew it wasn’t a good idea to get the dog used to sleeping in her bed, she couldn’t deny that she wanted it just as much as the dog.
Scooping Cookie up with one hand, Rachel let out a sigh. “I know I’m going to regret this. But you get to sleep with me tonight.” She placed the pup on her bed, then reached to take off her shoes.
When the second shoe hit the floor, there was a knock on her door.
Cookie immediately went on high alert and spun toward the noise. She yipped and barked in her small voice. Rachel rubbed Cookie’s head and then got up from the bed. Without opening the door, Rachel called out, “What do you want?”
“Can we talk?” Hudson’s voice sounded even more tired and defeated than it had when they’d been in the kitchen.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she called back, leaning against the door.
There was a lull, a moment when she thought he had left. But then he spoke again. This time it was quieter, as if he didn’t know whether he wanted her to hear him or not. “You were right.”
She turned toward the door, her hand resting on the knob. It was getting harder to ignore the voice in her head that told her to let things be. The attraction she had for him had only grown since he’d shown up on this land unannounced, insisting that he was going to keep it safe.
It was a bad idea to give in to that voice. She was going to regret doing so, and she knew it. But that wasn’t right now.
Rachel turned the doorknob and pulled the door open.
Hudson had his forearm resting on the doorjamb, his head hung low. When she opened the door, he lifted it. The intensity of his gaze burned right through her. She half expected him to add to what he’d said to get her to open the door. But instead, he pushed his way into her room.
His hands cupped her face on either side, lifting it gently until she was looking into his eyes. He swept his focus over her face, searching, imploring her to give him a sign that she wanted this too.
Slowly, as if against her own will and better judgment, Rachel lifted her hand. She threaded her fingers through his hair, exploring the soft texture. Everything around them disappeared. Her senses had given up reporting the smell, warmth, and sounds of her bedroom. Instead, her brain had been inundated with alarm bells.
Her heart raced too fast.
Her pulse roared in her ears.
Her mouth had gone dry.
She couldn’t breathe.
And yet, none of that mattered.
Hudson lowered his face closer to hers, one hand slipping around her waist, the other around the back of her neck.
He’d captured her, and yet she didn’t feel trapped at all. If there was any way she could get closer to him, she would. With one motion, Hudson closed the distance, his lips crushing over hers, stealing what little breath she had left. She closed her eyes and let him whisk her away into a world where only magic existed. He was her knight in shining armor. No longer did she need to protect herself. Now she had someone who she could trust to take care of her—someone who would give anything for her.
Rachel wrapped both arms around his neck and deepened their kiss. They had become one, their hearts beating to the same rhythm. There was once a time when she would have shied away from such an expression of passion. She would have immediately assumed the man was only after one thing.
But something deep inside her knew Hudson was different. He wasn’t like the other men she’d gone on dates with. Hudson was a gentleman who cared more for others than himself. He was the kind of man she could trust not only her life with but her heart as well.
The heat between them continued to grow. Desire flickered to life and shifted into a dull roar. This was what she’d been missing out on. This was everything she’d wished for but had never found.
Suddenly, Hudson released her.
She teetered from the motion, shifting her weight from one foot to the other to keep her balance. The air missing from her lungs whooshed inside her body as she took a deep breath. Cool air replaced the heat that had sparked between them.
Rachel couldn’t tell if she was disappointed by the sudden shift or if she was grateful. There was no telling how far that might have gone, and she already knew she wasn’t in the right headspace to make smart decisions.
She swallowed hard and reached out to the wall beside her, steadying herself before meeting his eyes. Hudson stared at her hard from the doorway, his dark eyes more wolf-like than she’d remembered them. Desire and passion lingered in that gaze, sending shockwaves through her body.
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel safe with him. These sensations coursing through her body were something else—primal even. Rachel’s hands trembled, and to hide it, she shoved them into her pockets. Was he expecting her to say something? What could she say? Nothing. There was absolutely no way she’d be able to find her voice after a kiss like that.
Hudson raked a hand through his hair and glanced away. “I should… probably…” He peeked at her. “Do you want to…”
She swallowed at the lump in her throat, but it wouldn’t budge. “Want to… what?” she rasped.
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “Can we start over?”
Chills rushed down her spine, making her legs tingle. She bit back a smile. Something told her that asking her that question had been incredibly hard for him. At the same time, it was something that thrilled her beyond measure. “I’d like that,” she whispered.
Hudson nodded sharply, then turned on his heel and took a few steps toward the stairs. He stopped at the landing and turned back to face her. “I’m taking you out on a date.”
“Okay,” she mustered despite feeling dizzier than before.
“A real one. None of this staying home nonsense.”
“You don’t have to?—”
He waved a dismissive hand in the air. “We’ll go someplace nice. Just the two of us. To try and forget about the craziness of the past week... at least for a little while anyways.”
This time she did smile. “Okay.”
Hudson nodded again, then hurried down the steps, leaving her alone in the wake of what had just happened.
Numbly, Rachel reached for her bedroom door and shut it. She leaned against it and let out a soft laugh. This was one more thing she could add to the craziness that her life had become.
A soft yip drew her attention, and her eyes landed on Cookie pouncing around on Rachel’s bed. In a few long strides, Rachel was able to scoop up the puppy and give her a hug. Everything felt different now. There was more hope, more light, and more excitement for her future.
The feeling that she was drowning in her decisions had fled, being replaced with a sense that everything was going to be okay. She’d continue fighting for the wild horse sanctuary with Hudson by her side. A newfound giddiness joined all the other emotions swirling around inside her, and she let out a little squeal of delight.
It was a good thing she hadn’t told Athena what had happened between herself and Hudson before he’d taken off. She got the feeling that Athena would have come to her rescue. Her sister could probably rip Hudson to shreds at any given moment. All Athena knew was that Rachel had a scare with the break-in and Hudson was out checking the property.
Granted, Henry had seemed more upset, but he’d remained quiet as Rachel had updated Athena on everything going on.
Now, Rachel had something good she could call her sister about. She’d always wanted to have a sister she could share stories with, and now that she did, this could be one of them.
She hugged Cookie once more, then placed the pup on the bed again. It was time to get ready for bed and, hopefully, a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow would be the start of something new, and Rachel wanted to be ready for it.