Chapter 6
Cassie opened her mouth to speak. A growing force inside her wanted to tell Hudson everything about her situation. These past few weeks of becoming someone else and not being able to tell a soul the truth or even have an honest conversation were taking a toll on her mentally and physically.
The kiss she’d shared with this man imprinted her, causing her to freeze up. It had been special, raising the bar for all future kisses. Again, Hudson was the type of person who wouldn’t back down from a fight. Not backing down could cost his life.
The magnetic force pulling her toward him, making her want to open up to him, could also be the thing that ended his life.
She gave a mental shake of her head. No way could she risk his safety over her selfishness because it would be pure self-interest that would cause her to tell him everything.
Dumping her problems on him wasn’t something she could do to another human being, let alone one who’d become important to her in such a short time.
So, she clamped her mouth shut.
“If the offer still stands, I’ll stay tonight,” she said, unwilling or unable to force herself to walk out the door.
Besides, the sun was descending. By the time she found her campsite again, it would be dark outside.
Now that she had the option to sleep in a real bed in a real home, she couldn’t force herself to curl up on the unforgiving earth if she didn’t have to.
In fact, staying would give her a chance to rethink her next steps.
“The offer is open-ended,” he said. “You can stay as long as you like. No strings attached.”
“I find myself thanking you on a regular basis, Hudson.”
“It’s no big deal.”
His words shouldn’t feel like knife jabs, but they did. It was to her. Hudson had no idea just how impactful his kindness was.
Now that she was showered and rested, her body’s aches and pains rose to the surface.
Everything was stiff. She had more than a few bruises on various body parts.
Her feet hurt from all the walking despite wearing running shoes.
Her hasty exit from the home she’d shared with Jarek in Fort Worth had caused her to leave behind a few necessities, like hiking boots.
She hadn’t been able to leave them out in the open with Jarek and his people coming in and out.
“Hungry?” He turned his back on her.
At least she could breathe easier without him studying her. There was something different in the way Hudson looked at her, like he really saw her. And that scared the hell out of Cassie.
“I could eat,” she said. “But you have to let me help. No more waiting on me hand and foot.” She didn’t need to get used to having him around or letting him take care of her, no matter how good it felt. Like a stalker in a dark alley, reality would always be lurking a step behind.
“Plates are up there.” He pointed to the cabinet near the sink. “Forks in the drawer below. Mind setting the table?”
“Not a bit.” She moved around him, reaching for the items. When she walked past, the back of her hand accidentally brushed against him. Electricity hummed, bringing parts of her to life that she hadn’t felt in years. Or maybe ever…?
But she couldn’t think about that right now. Her first priority was figuring out where to go once she packed up her tent. A jolt of panic struck at the thought she’d left too many personal items at her makeshift camp. It’s fine, a voice in the back of her mind said. No one knows you were here.
The thought should calm her more than it did. Then again, her nerves were fried.
After setting the table, Hudson filled their plates with his stir-fry.
“It’s not as badly burnt as your finger,” she said to him after settling into her seat and picking up her fork. “Should you put some aloe on it?”
“I’m fine.” He examined his finger again. “Not much there. Believe me when I say I’ve been banged up worse than this.” The pain in those intense blue eyes, buried deep, was like looking into a mirror.
Could they set all that aside for one night and actually enjoy themselves? “After dinner, what do you think about watching a movie?”
He shrugged. “We could do that.”
“Only if you want to.”
“It could be good.”
She glanced over at the massive flatscreen TV attached to the living room wall. “It’d be a shame to let that bad boy go to waste.”
Hudson chuckled, a low rumble from deep in his chest. His voice had a dizzying effect on her in the best way possible.
The sound wrapped around her. It made her think the world had righted itself for just a moment, causing her skin to rise in goose bumps.
He could make reading a cereal box sound sexy.
The kiss…?
Don’t even get her started on how amazing that had been.
“I lost you again.” Hudson’s voice drew her back to the present.
“Sorry,” she said.
“Can I ask what you do for a living?”
“I used to try and then recommend products on social media,” she said. She’d had a decent enough following to bring in enough money to cover rent and basic necessities. Her business had been growing, too, until Jarek had come along, gotten jealous, and pressured her to shut it down.
“Social media?” Hudson’s eyebrow shot up. “Like an influencer?”
“That would be correct. Except I didn’t do makeup or hair products. I was more into finding things to make our lives easier.”
He barked out a laugh, chewed the bite he’d taken.
“Good luck with that. Seems like the more ‘simplified’ we try to make our lives, the more complicated they get. Take phones, for instance. Sure, they help in some ways, but they also give folks the expectation you’ll be available twenty-four-seven. ”
She couldn’t help but smile. “That’s true enough.”
“Why did you stop? Or did you have a choice? I’m guessing followers can be fickle creatures.”
His second question had nearly knocked the wind out of her. She’d tensed. Thankfully, he’d gone in a different direction than she’d expected. “Something like that.”
“Why do I feel like I just stepped on a landmine?”
“I’m not sure.” The lie tasted bitter on her tongue.
“Okay-y-y.”
“Let’s just say I needed to stop for my own safety,” she said after taking a bite.
“Did you pick up stalkers?”
Her hesitation in answering might be a dead giveaway.
“Not exactly.” She involuntarily shivered at the memory of Jarek threatening her if she didn’t stop working.
She’d learned the hard way that people who wanted to control you could be incredibly charming when you first met.
Their attention, and even jealousy, came across as caring in the beginning.
Then they found ways to slowly chip away at your self-confidence.
They began to isolate you from your friends, which hadn’t taken much with Cassie.
She’d known people online more so than in real life.
The computer screen had always made her feel like she kept a safe distance while still being connected to the world.
It hadn’t taken as long as it should have for Jarek to break her down.
She’d lowered her guard too much with him and had paid a dear price the last couple of years.
“I get the feeling you don’t want to talk about any of this,” Hudson finally said after clearing his plate.
“No, I don’t.”
“Then, let’s clear the table so we can watch a movie.”
They did, working side-by-side in silence. Being with Hudson like this felt like the most natural thing.
Could it last without bringing down Jarek’s vengeance?
Dishes were rinsed and in the dishwasher. Showers were complete. An oversized T-shirt was on loan to give Cassie something to sleep in besides the clothes she’d had on her back.
Hudson picked up the remote and waited, remembering to plug in his cell to charge the battery.
He couldn’t imagine a life where his income depended on being online.
He craved fresh air, starry nights, and being out alone on the land with no one around for miles.
Being glued to a device would be his worst nightmare, especially when he was as bad at keeping his phone charged as he was.
Part of the appeal of being out on the land was not being connected.
The best way to unplug was to be out of cell range.
His family agreed. Or, at least, they used to before a recent spate of crimes had them rethinking safety measures.
They’d talked about using satellite phones so no one would be stranded again.
Growing up on Sturgess property, he’d never once feared an outsider would try to hurt him.
Inside the family home, it had been a different story.
Beaumont had been the real monster underneath the bed.
Aside from Hudson’s father, he’d had nothing else to worry about.
Hudson’s questions about Cassie mounted.
He wished she felt comfortable enough to open up.
Thinking back to when he was a kid and under threat, he hadn’t told anyone about the abuse he’d suffered, either.
So, he couldn’t fault Cassie. More than anything, he wished there was something he could say or do to ease her pain.
Despite having lived in a full house, he recalled the isolation that he’d felt under Beaumont’s rule.
Cassie didn’t have to go through any of this alone. He intended to tell her as much when the timing was right. Besides, what kind of human being would he be if he let her fend for herself?
When she returned to the living room wearing his faded Luke Combs concert T-shirt, the knot in his chest pulled taut. His throat dried up, so he did the only thing he could…picked up the remote and patted the seat beside him.
She walked over, grabbed the blanket off the back of the sofa, and then curled up, tucking her feet underneath her bottom—a sweet, round bottom that he didn’t need to be thinking about right now.
The kiss from earlier branded his thoughts as he breathed in her clean, citrus and spring flower scent. Companies could make a fortune if they bottled and sold it.
“What sounds good?” he asked.
“Something light,” she said. “My body can’t take any more adrenaline rushes.
I’ve had enough thrills to last a lifetime.
” The hint of sarcasm wasn’t lost on him.
He wanted to give her a quiet night in. Give her a break from whatever was going on that had made her camp in unfamiliar woods with a rifle.
Of course, he had her to thank for saving his backside from the mountain lion. Speaking of that…
“It’s still out there,” he said to Cassie as he flipped through options. “The mountain lion.”
“It is? Poor thing.”
“Marcus said there’s a high probability that it’s doing okay since they can’t locate it.” Part of him hoped she would realize just how dangerous camping alone could be and change her mind about leaving in the morning.
“Does he believe it’s still in the area?”
“No one knows for certain,” he said.
“Should we help look for it?” she asked with concern. “I am the reason it’s injured in the first place.” She exhaled. “I’m the reason it might not be able to defend itself. Maybe I should have fired a warning shot instead.”
“You did the right thing. Plus, you saved my hide,” he said. “I’m not sure what would’ve happened if you hadn’t been there to step in.”
This time, she smiled. His heart skipped a few beats.
He returned his focus to the TV. “What do you think? See anything you like?”
“How do you feel about watching a comedy—maybe the one with Will Ferrell that just passed by?”
He found it. “Looks good to me.” He tapped the remote and then tossed it onto the coffee table.
“Hudson?”
“Yes.”
“Can I scoot closer?”
“Yes.”
She did, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“I haven’t felt this safe in a very long time.” She said the words so softly that he was certain he wasn’t supposed to hear them.
Rather than respond, he pressed his lips to her forehead, then settled in.
“Hold on.” He raised his arm to place it around her. She repositioned into the crook of his arm. She fit perfectly.
The movie started, but he couldn’t concentrate with her this close. Not with the way she felt against him, soft and warm. Not with the way her unique scent filled his senses. And not with the desire causing the knot in his chest to tighten until he thought it might break.
Hudson took in a slow, deep breath to calm himself.
Mistake.
All that did was invite more of her inside. Did she feel the electricity pinging between them? Did she feel the heat building? Did she sense the campfires lighting inside of him with her sitting so close?
Cassie tilted her face toward his. A dozen bombs detonated inside him.
“I would very much like to kiss you right now,” he said before logic could override emotion and ruin the moment happening between them, or her talk him out of asking.
“Well, I would like that very much, Hudson.”
He did. Kiss her. Tenderly at first. Then, harder as desire took over. She parted her lips enough for him to dip the tip of his tongue inside. She tasted like peppermint and the remnants of the coffee they’d had; his new favorite flavors.
Cassie repositioned, bringing her hands up to his shoulders. He turned enough to capture her face in his hands as they deepened the kiss. Her mouth fused against his, lips moving in perfect harmony with his.
His pulse shot through the roof as air came out in jagged breaths. The tempo of her chest rising and falling matched his own.
Hudson was in deep trouble when it came to Cassie.
Shit.