Chapter 5
Cassie excused herself to get dressed after making a second cup of coffee. When she returned, Hudson was back at the stove and heating up the stir-fry.
She reclaimed her seat at the table and took another sip of the blessed fresh brew.
This state of bliss would be short-lived since she was leaving tomorrow morning, early.
Ever since planning and pulling off her disappearance from Fort Worth, she’d been on the run.
She’d barely had time to think because she’d had to pull the trigger on her plan earlier than she’d hoped after overhearing that the money being kept at her home would be taken away the next day.
Her escape plan had hinged on having access to loads of untraceable cash.
Leaving Texas altogether would be so much easier if he didn’t still live here—he, being the son she’d given up for adoption at seventeen.
It had taken months to track him down, and she’d used some of Jarek’s resources.
So, yeah, for part of her plan to be successful meant Enzo remaining loyal to her and not Jarek.
Enzo had seen the bruises her ex had given her.
Enzo had taken her to the hospital when Jarek had broken her arm.
And Enzo had been the one to suggest she leave before Jarek ended up killing her.
She’d explained how Jarek watched her every move and gave her just enough money to buy basics.
He watched her credit card charges like a hawk with daily check-ins.
She couldn’t turn around without him counting how many times.
When he was on a flight, not much changed.
Enzo and Franco had kept watch over her.
Franco had been an asshole, whereas Enzo hadn’t been able to stand to watch the abuse.
He’d confided that he was making his own escape plan as soon as he banked enough cash from this gig, the gig being one of Jarek’s right-hand men.
For the longest time, she hadn’t been able to decide whether or not to trust Enzo.
She’d feared he might be setting a trap.
She’d worried that he might be setting her up so that he could be the one to bust her and bring her back to Jarek, making him a hero.
In that twisted world, trust was near-impossible to come by.
In the end, she’d decided that she didn’t have a choice.
Trusting Enzo would give her the best possibility of escape.
And she knew he’d been looking out for her when he’d gotten Franco to talk about the money being moved so that she could overhear them while in the next room.
It had worked perfectly because Enzo had distracted attention away from himself by saying Franco had a big mouth.
It was true, too. Franco did have a big mouth.
He also had a big gun that he wasn’t afraid to use.
He’d been clear with her that she meant nothing to him, and he would shoot her the second she stepped out of line and think nothing of it.
Franco was a bully. But then, he’d been paid to intimidate her as well as keep an eye on her.
“Shit,” Hudson said, drawing his hand away from the stir-fry pan.
“You okay?”
“It’s just a burn,” he said, shaking his hand before checking his finger. “Hey, look at that. I’ll live.” He shot a smile at her that struck with the force of a bullet fired at close range. Warmth exploded in the center of her chest, flooding her with feelings she had no idea what to do with.
Why did Hudson have to be so damn adorable? Was that even the right word? He was already gorgeous, sexy, honorable, and intelligent. The man had to have some bad traits, right?
“I just burned dinner worse than my finger.”
“Totally unacceptable.” She hoped the light teasing would make him smile. When she was rewarded with a show of perfectly straight, white teeth, more of that warmth pooled lower, settling between her thighs.
Shit.
Having an attraction to someone was one thing. Acting on it was another. So, fine, she could be attracted to Hudson. She would be leaving at first light tomorrow morning, and their paths would never cross again.
What would living in the moment hurt for a few hours?
Cassie stood up and walked over to him. “The food is still edible.”
He clicked the burner off and moved the skillet. When he turned around, she was standing almost toe-to-toe with him.
“Mind if I take a look at that burned finger?” She brought her gaze up to meet his, setting off a fireworks show that could light the darkest sky.
Would kissing him tamp down some of this out-of-control attraction?
Her gaze settled on a set of perfect lips—thick, Cupid’s bow lips that begged to be kissed.
Could she…? Ask for a kiss…?
“Be my guest.” He stood there, not budging or seeming to mind that she’d moved so close—close enough to breathe in his unique scent of spice and warmth with woodsy aftertones. The way he looked at her made her feel deeply seen in a way that defied logic, considering they barely knew each other.
An instant connection? Did that exist?
Rather than talk herself out of her next actions, she brought his finger up to touch her lips.
She feathered a kiss there and then on the vulnerable side of his wrist before checking in with a look to make sure her touch was welcomed.
The hunger, the look of need in his gaze, answered the question better than words ever could.
Still, consent was everything, so she asked. “Can I kiss you, Hudson?”
His smile widened as he spoke the word she wanted to hear.
“Yes.”
Cassie pushed up to her tiptoes and then pressed her lips to his.
Sensation flooded her as her pulse picked up pace.
The kind of heat she’d only ever read about in books threatened to consume her.
A kiss, no matter how brief, had never felt more right.
He dipped his head down as he brought his hands up to cup her face, positioning her for better access.
Then his mouth molded to hers. She parted her lips as he positioned his against hers, softly biting on her lower lip.
More of that fire spread inside her as she teased his tongue inside her mouth.
She brought her hands up, pressing her palms against his bare, muscled chest. The man was a brick wall covered by silk.
Her fingertips tingled with sensation and a need to explore every line and curve.
She lost track of time while they kissed. For a moment, nothing mattered. She had no worries or concerns, and life was simple, easy. She could stand in this feeling forever.
A noise outside caused reality to crash down hard on her.
She instinctively broke off the kiss and crouched down low, tugging Hudson down with her.
The realization that she was placing Hudson in danger by staying here slammed with the force of a runaway truck.
Real danger. The kind that could cost his life.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“We shouldn’t be visible through the windows until we figure out what that noise was,” she said, hearing the panic in her own voice. She hated this feeling, the one where it felt like she’d been caught and would be dragged back into a life that felt more like a prison sentence than a relationship.
Hudson army-crawled to the kitchen door. Slowly, deliberately, he raised up until he could investigate the noise. Meanwhile, Cassie froze.
Jarek doesn’t get to control me. Not now. Not ever again.
Going down without a fight wasn’t an option. It occurred to her that she’d left her rifle in the bed of Hudson’s truck. Before she could rationalize her next steps, she grabbed a knife from the block on the counter and followed Hudson outside.
He stopped two steps onto the back porch. A raccoon was trying to break into a shed.
Cassie exhaled a long, slow breath as she noticed her hands trembling. Her nerves were fried. The interesting thing about what had just happened was that her first thought had been about Hudson’s safety, not hers.
The kiss had blown her mind—body and soul. She had feelings for Hudson. They might be brand new, and maybe they hadn’t had enough time to fully develop, but she cared about this man and his well-being. Risking his life so she could sleep on a warm bed was the most selfish thing she’d ever done.
“I have to go,” she said before turning back to the house and running inside.
Hudson followed Cassie into the kitchen, where she returned the knife. “Tell me who he is, and I’ll make certain he’s caught the minute he sets foot in this town.”
She whirled around and then gripped the bullnose edge of his granite counter like she needed to anchor herself. “You can’t do that.”
“Yes, I can. Did I mention that my brother-in-law is the acting sheriff?”
Cassie’s mouth fell open, and her gaze widened. He saw real fear in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”
“It didn’t come up.”
“It should have,” she said, clearly in a panic as her gaze darted around the room. “This was a bad idea.”
“It felt pretty damn good a few minutes ago if you ask me.”
“The kiss?” She stared at him, managing to clear her expression of any sign of emotion. It was like suddenly staring at a blank piece of paper. “It never should have happened.”
“Agree to disagree on that front.” He studied her. “I realize that we have an agreement that means I’m not supposed to ask questions, but dammit, Cassie, I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s really going on.”
“That’s a bad idea.”
“Tell me why, and I’ll leave it alone,” he said.
“No, you won’t. You won’t be able to, Hudson. And do you want to know why? Because you’re an honest, decent person. You’re the kind of person who helps strangers and tends to injured animals.” Her disposition changed. She looked as wild and scared as the mountain lion had after it had been shot.