Chapter 22
ANGELA
For once, I'd slept in. The sun was streaming through the curtains, and I felt relaxed and sore in places I hadn't felt in a long time.
I couldn't believe that we'd had sex several times last night. He'd even woken me in the middle of the night and urged me to straddle his lap. There had been a dreamlike quality to it because I was half asleep when I was riding him.
I stretched, stopping when my arm came in contact with hard muscle. A part of me assumed that he would leave in the middle of the night or early this morning. We'd driven together, but I wasn't used to a man sticking around.
I turned on my side, folding my hands underneath my cheek and watching him breathe. His eye lashes fanned his cheeks, and he looked so peaceful in sleep.
His eyelids fluttered open. "Are you watching me sleep?"
"Yes." I wasn't even embarrassed by the fact.
He cupped my chin, lifting it, and then kissed me, slow and deep. "I could wake up to you every morning."
"Wouldn't that be nice?" I still felt the effects of last night. I was euphoric from the orgasms and not thinking clearly. The doubts and worries hadn't had a chance to settle in. Instead, I felt like I was floating and that anything was possible.
The reality was that my child was with me most nights of the week. I got the occasional weekend, but otherwise, Hudson would have to get used to not being able to stay overnight. At least not yet.
I hadn't discussed our relationship with Ayla yet. She was a little young, but she'd know something was going on. I'd have to talk to her soon.
He reared up and kissed me. "I'm going to make breakfast."
"That would be nice." When was the last time someone made me breakfast? Probably my parents when I was living at home.
"Take your time getting ready." Then he winked. His muscles flexed as he braced on the bed. "Or you can stay here, and I'll bring it to you."
"That sounds nice. But I want to spend time with you." I wanted to watch him move around my kitchen.
He kissed me once more before getting out of bed and pulling on his briefs and slacks.
He didn't bother with a shirt, and I admired the sight of his defined muscles.
He strolled out of the room, and I sighed.
He was so attractive, and the way he'd used his body last night? I'd never experienced anything like it.
I was slow to get out of bed, pulling his crisp white shirt over my shoulders, buttoning it. I brushed my hair and teeth before washing my face and heading downstairs.
The wood floor was cool underneath my feet. He stood with a spatula at my stove. "I thought I'd make omelets."
I moved toward him, and he reached out, pulling me against his body. "I love being here with you like this."
"Me too." I could get used to him standing in my kitchen, bare chested.
"And I like you wearing my shirt." His hands drifted under the hem and encountered my bare ass. He groaned. "You're going to be the death of me."
I loved that I affected him. That he wanted me. It was hard to believe after so many years of being alone, but I'd finally found someone who might be the person I could share my life with. But I couldn't get ahead of myself.
One perfect date and morning after didn't a boyfriend make. It was the little things over time, putting up my lights, gifting us with a tree, and then helping me with the bike. Hudson had been there for me and was continuing to show up.
He smacked my ass lightly. "Breakfast first. Then we can decide what to do with our day."
"You want to spend the day together?" I asked, a little surprised.
He raised a brow. "Of course."
"I wasn't sure if you had things to do." I didn't want to assume anything, not this early in the relationship.
"When I'm dating someone, I want to spend my free time with them." His voice was gruff.
That was sweet.
He raised a brow. "That okay with you?"
My heart was fluttering wildly. "That sounds really nice."
"I don't just want to spend time with you. I want to be with Ayla too. If I'm going to date you, she's part of the package. I want her to be involved," he said carefully, as if he was bracing for my reaction.
I sat on the stool. "I agree."
He flashed me a smile before turning his attention to the pan.
I was in so much trouble. He was saying and doing all the right things. I just hoped that I hadn't misjudged him. That this wasn't too good to be true.
I couldn't help but think that things didn't work out for me. My ex was a disappointment. Ayla was obviously a bright spot, but I never intended to be a single mother.
Was Hudson the man for me? Only time would tell. I should take this slowly, but that was the opposite of what we did last night. That was my fault. I was the one who planned the sexy photo shoot.
We'd gone from our first official date to sleeping together. I needed to slow things down, but I wasn't sure how one managed that after moving at warp speed.
He placed an omelet on a plate, arranging half-moon-shaped avocado slices on top. Then he put the plate in front of me. "I almost forgot the coffee."
He moved to the coffee machine, pouring the hot liquid into a mug. Then he set it next to my plate. "You can get started while I whip up another omelet."
He poured the egg mixture into the pan. When he realized I hadn't eaten anything, he asked, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm just— This is a bit overwhelming. I'm trying to process everything that happened last night and you being here in my kitchen serving breakfast."
He flashed an easy smile. "Get used to the sight of me in your kitchen. I plan to be here a lot. It's not new to me since this was my kitchen for so many years."
I blinked. "This is comfortable for you?"
He leaned a hip against the counter, his body angled so that he could keep an eye on the cooking omelet and me. "I'm comfortable cooking in this kitchen. I have to say I haven't had a chance to cook for a woman before."
"This is new for you too then?"
He nodded. "We're in this together."
I liked the sound of that. "Okay."
He pointed the spatula at me. "Now eat. I have plans for you, and you're going to need energy."
I complied, cutting into the veggie omelet and eating a bite. "This is delicious."
He grinned. "Glad you like it."
It was nice being served in my kitchen. I was the one who usually did all the serving. I could get used to someone taking care of me, which was dangerous, because it wouldn't continue. Or at least, not in my experience. All good things came to an end.
The part of me that urged caution warred with the side of me that invited Hudson to my shop last night. The question was, which side of me would dominate in this situation? The practical or the adventurous?
When his omelet was done, he sat next to me, digging into his food while I sipped my coffee. It was a slow morning. I didn't have to wash anyone's face or clean up a sticky countertop. The view wasn't too bad either.
He gathered the dishes. "What do you normally do on the weekends?"
I frowned. "When Ayla's at her dad's, I usually get caught up on laundry or clean the house. Get groceries."
"I can help you with that. We'll get the laundry started, clean, and head to the grocery store."
I gave him a dubious look. "You want to do chores?"
"I want to make your life easier. We'll get the errands done and see what else we can get up to today. Sound good?"
"Yeah." He was completely unexpected.
After we got dressed, I gathered laundry while he picked up the living room and dusted. When I shut the washing machine's door and pressed Start, the vacuum turned on. He was cleaning my house.
No one had ever helped, especially not my ex. He said why bother when I'd just clean it before he could get to it.
But this was something else. Hudson was making my life better, more manageable. I could see how this could be our life, lazy Saturday mornings where he made us breakfast, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and maybe other activities.
He seemingly fit into my life in a way that no one else ever had. Even with my parents, I felt like a bit of an outsider. I wasn't quite part of their pair, and with my ex, I felt set apart. Alone.
In contrast, Hudson and I were a team. A good one. I cleaned my bathroom, then picked up the bedroom just as he was entering the room with his vacuum. He flashed me a grin as he proceeded to move around.
I went to the kitchen, sitting on the stool to check my phone. I wanted to see if Gus had said anything about bringing Ayla home early. This was about the time I usually got that message, even though she was supposed to stay through Sunday.
Instead, I had a message from Eve reminding me of the town hall this upcoming week. It was about my shop and the progress of the installation of the pipes. Everyone wanted to talk about when their shop would be fixed, and what better way to do that than to have everyone present at the same meeting?
But the real reason was that Bill had insisted on it. He wanted to disparage my shop and what I was trying to do. He made me feel like I was doing something wrong. A pit formed in my stomach.
I heard the vacuum turn off, and I rolled back my shoulders. I hated that I wasn't sure what was going on with my lease. Did this mean that it would be easier for Eve to not renew it? Would she decide to fix the other shops first?
I hated that my mind went there, and I'd assumed the worst. All the vile things Bill had said to me the last few months would be said again and louder in front of the entire town.
Everything that had felt so good this morning disappeared. I chewed my lip, wondering how I was going to handle it. It wasn't like I could avoid the meeting. I had to stand up for myself and the shop. I had to listen to Bill's insults and somehow deflect them.
He made me feel like what I was trying to do was wrong. And I hated that.
My phone was plucked out of my hand. I turned to find Hudson reading the message I hadn't been able to stop focusing on. The one where Eve told me the date and time of the town hall, requesting my presence.
He raised a brow. "What's this for?"
I licked my dry lips. "Bill called for a meeting. Eve's saying it's an update for the renovations, but he wants to discuss not renewing my lease."
Hudson's eyes narrowed. "Eve is allowing him to call town hall meetings now?"
I shuddered. "He'll be able to say all those horrid things in front of everyone."
His jaw tightened. "I don't like this. Are you sure that's what's going on?"
"Bill told me he'd do this if I didn't leave."
He handed the phone back to me. "I don't like this," he said again,
"I don't either." But what choice did I have?
The future of my shop wasn't set like everyone else's.
Belle just opened her shop, and there were plans to expand and renovate her space.
Why would Eve want to deal with me and all the issues that came with selling lingerie in Christmas Town? "Maybe Bill's right."
Hudson braced a hand on the counter next to my shoulder. "He doesn't get to dictate what you do. We're going to stay and fight."
"We're going to?" I couldn't help but ask.
"That's right." He pushed off the counter and paced in front of my chair. "We can't let him win. He doesn't get to dictate which shops stay and which ones go."
I chewed my lower lip. "He has been here a long time."
"That doesn't mean that his opinion should be weighed heavier."
"It shouldn't, but I have a feeling it does. Eve wants to keep everyone happy, and I'm the new girl. I'm the only shop owner to get a short-term lease. We all know what this was, a probationary period, and my time is up."
"I don't like the sound of that."
I shrugged. "Maybe I should make it easier on everyone and not renew my lease. Just pack up and move somewhere else."
"You love that town. Ayla can do her own thing, and everyone keeps an eye on her."
I nodded miserably. "She loves it too."
"It's a good fit for you, and I won't let him run you out of town."
"You think I should stay and fight?" Was I strong enough to do this?
Could I defend my shop and everything I believed in?
The point of my shop was to make women comfortable in their own skin, to pose in lingerie if they wanted to.
I wanted them to be confident. And here I was running from the first sign of trouble.
"Yeah, I do."
"Okay." My stomach was roiling with anxiety, but this felt like the right thing to do. I already had my shop renovated to my tastes. I couldn't imagine going anywhere else. "I'm not ready to give up."
"Yes, that's my girl." He hauled me off the stool so that I was standing in front of him, and he kissed me. "I want to do so many things to you. But first, we need to finish up and get our shopping on. Then we'll do something fun."
"What if Ayla joins us at some point?"
He grinned. "That would be great. We'll plan on something that would be fun for her too."
My shoulders lowered. This thing with Hudson might just work out.
He'd passed his first test. He'd supported me when I was upset instead of telling me that my feelings and worries weren't valid.
My ex would have told me that I shouldn't be upset.
That this was how the business world worked, and I should get over it.
It was nice to have someone validate my feelings and vow to be there for me.
"I'm going to this meeting. I'm the one handling the project. Plus, I want to be there for you. I won't let this Bill guy railroad anyone, especially you."
I placed my hands on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "Thank you."
He dropped another soft kiss on my lips. "I know you can stand up to guys like him, but I want to be there for you."
It felt amazing to have him by my side.