Chapter 3 #2
I suspected the transition from ‘angel’ to ‘babe’ in the endearment department wasn’t a good thing, and I hated that it caused this horrible ache in my chest. The truth was just because I couldn’t give in to my attraction to Hudson didn’t mean I wanted him to dislike me.
“I thought I made it clear I’m not trying to play you.”
“You did.”
“So you want to explain the attitude with Dara?”
We stared at each other in silence and then he sighed, not hiding his disappointment. “Swear to God, you walked into that restaurant and everything about you drew me like I’d been trekking through snow for days and you were a roaring fucking fire just out of reach. But I guess I was wrong.”
Hurt, I flinched, not wanting him to think I was cold.
Frustration crossed his expression. “Now why the hell do I feel like I need to apologize?” he practically growled.
“You don’t.” I shook my head and bravely stared right into his gorgeous eyes while I gave him the truth.
“Hudson, this can’t happen. You want to know why I came here?
Because my life is a mess. I have no job, no idea what I want to do with my life, and my last boyfriend hit me and then started to harass me when I broke things off with him for hitting me. ”
The air at the table suddenly felt stifling as Hudson’s face darkened with fury.
His intense reaction at once frightened and thrilled me but I forged ahead.
“The guy before him stole my money. We decided to open a catering company together, I handed over the start-up funds without any legal paperwork, and he took off with my money instead. There was nothing I could do unless I wanted a long and lengthy legal battle where a court full of people would hear how trusting and foolish I’d been.
Before him, my boyfriend cheated with someone I thought was my friend.
And before him was my first real boyfriend.
He was older than me—looking back, much too old for me—and I learned too late I was one of many ‘young things’ he liked to ‘collect.’” My chest tightened at the anger in Hudson’s eyes, knowing that it was on my behalf.
“I’m not saying I don’t trust people, trust men.
I’ve proven time and time again that I wear my heart on my sleeve.
And my brother is a prime example that good men exist. But the last guy was kind of the straw that broke the camel’s back. ”
Hudson’s eyes flared and he gestured to me. “You can’t keep all that beauty from some lucky guy because of a couple of assholes.”
I smiled at his terse compliment. “I don’t intend to.
I love being in a relationship too much.
I’m an affectionate person. I need that in my life.
But the timing is all wrong.” I squashed the hope flaring to life in his eyes.
“It’s not just about what Darren did to me.
It’s about me. I’m floundering. I came here to try to figure my life out and a guy just can’t factor into that. ”
“Why not? I’m just asking for dinner, angel.”
“Exactly. But what if I end up wanting more?” I bit my lip, my heart pounding at putting my honesty out there. Usually I had no problem sharing my true feelings with anyone. But that’s how they’d gotten trampled in the past and I had a feeling Hudson could really, really hurt me.
His voice turned husky as he leaned even farther across the table. “Angel, I’m hoping you do.”
I shook my head, trying to ignore the heat between my thighs at the sexual promise in his gaze. “I mean more than that, too.”
I held my breath, waiting for him to flee.
Instead he studied my face with a sweet reverence that made me want to meet him across that table with my mouth. “Fuck me,” he muttered, “you’re right. Heart on your sleeve.”
He finally understood, which made me blush like an idiot.
That for some reason made his expression soften to a look of such tenderness I felt a little breathless. “You gotta know I think you’re the sweetest fucking woman I’ve ever met.”
I huffed, blushing harder. My goodness, I’d never blushed so much in my life. “You don’t know me.”
“I think I’m starting to. And what I do know, I really like.” Sudden determination hardened his features. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
Startled laughter burst out of me before I could stop it. “Didn’t you hear anything I said?”
“Yeah, I did. Every word. And I’m going to prove to you that there are men ready to treat you like the angel you are and I’m one of them.”
“It’s just physical attraction, Hudson.” Even I heard the panic in my voice.
It made him reach out and thread his callused fingers through mine and I couldn’t stop the flutters in my belly. “After what you just laid out, do you really think I’d keep on you if all I wanted to do was fuck you and walk away?”
I flushed hot at the thought. “Hudson.”
“Though”—his voice lowered—“you laid it out so I’m laying it out. I do want you in my bed.”
My breathing stuttered at the sudden flurry of images his words provoked. “Hudson.”
“Keep saying my name in that breathy voice, in that sexy accent, angel, and I’m going to haul you out of here and up to the condo I’ve rented across the way.”
My fingers tightened in his, unwittingly letting him know I wanted that, and Hudson groaned. “You’re killing me.”
I wrenched my hand out of his and sat back. “We can’t.”
He shook his head. “Not leaving here until you agree to dinner.”
My God, I’d thought Killian was the most stubborn man I’d ever known but Hudson Ward could give him a run for his money. I let out a shaky breath. “Fine. Dinner tonight. But on one condition.”
Triumph and something I thought might be anticipation smoldered in his gaze. “Anything.”
“If I decide that whatever this is between us ends at dinner tonight, you’ll respect that decision and leave me alone.”
He didn’t hide that he hated the idea but he held out his hand and offered, “Deal.”
I tentatively accepted his handshake, concerned by how delicious even that simple touch felt.
Just as I went to release his hold, his tightened and he pulled me across the table.
I let out a surprised gasp as he leaned in to whisper in my ear, “Just warning you: I’m going to make sure you want another date. ”
Goosebumps cascaded down my neck at the feel of his warm breath on my ear and I felt my nipples tighten.
Oh God.
Then he released me and I slumped back in my seat, staring up at him, I’m sure dazedly, as he towered over me with a promise in his blue gaze. “What’s your room number?”
I gave him it without thinking it through.
“That one of the suites?”
“Yes.”
His brow wrinkled. “Look forward to hearing how you can swing that on no job, angel.”
“I—”
“Tonight.” He cut me off. “You can tell me tonight. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Okay.”
He gave me one last assessing look before he turned and walked out of the café.
Feeling completely thrown, confused, excited, scared, and more confused, I looked down at my ereader and wondered what Killian would say if he found out I had feelings for a man I’d just met. He would not be happy. I knew that. Shit.
Before I could let that thought fester, something made me look up and I watched with widening eyes as Hudson marched back through the snow toward the coffeehouse. His features were taut with tension and I wondered what the heck had happened in less than a minute to put that expression on his face.
I would understand seconds later when he threw open the coffeehouse door, strode purposefully toward me, and my now pounding heart, curled a hand around my wrist, and hauled me out of my seat with such force I collided against him.
His arm banded tight around my waist while his other hand tangled through my hair to clasp the back of my head. It all happened so fast I had no time to stop the crush of his lips against mine.
I gasped into his mouth in surprise and he took the opening, his tongue tangling with mine.
And that was how I received the deepest, wettest, sexiest kiss of my life.
I clung to him as fire lashed across my skin. I wanted to burrow into him, feel every inch of Hudson Ward wrapped around me. Thankfully he remembered we were in public and reluctantly broke the kiss but not his hold on me.
Staring up into his eyes in a lust-filled fog, slowly the titters from the other customers in the café filtered into my awareness and I tensed against Hudson.
He felt it and his grip on me tightened. Then he treated me to a shivery brush of his gorgeous mouth against mine and he said, his voice hoarse, “Best. Fucking. Kiss. Ever.”
At that I laughed because as crazy as it was, it was also bloody true. “Ever,” I agreed as he grinned back at me.
Then, like he couldn’t help himself, he brushed his mouth over mine once more, gave me a squeeze, and said, “Tonight.”
Then he abruptly let me go.
I was still standing, watching him walk out of the coffeehouse and across the snow toward the condos when it occurred to me that as much as I loved my brother, I suddenly couldn’t care less if Killian was happy or not that I had feelings for a man I’d just met.
Hudson Ward was unlike any man I’d ever been kissed by before and I knew even if I fought it, I’d only end up kissing him again. Deep down, in my secret heart of hearts, I knew I wanted him more than I wanted to be sensible.