Chapter 7 #2
His mouth was warm and firm and tasted faintly of mint.
And it didn’t soften under hers. In fact, he didn’t move a muscle—not to pull her closer or push her away.
The shock of what she’d done rippled through her and Audrey froze.
A second later she dropped back to her feet, her face feeling like a five-alarm fire. “Um. Sorry about that.”
She couldn’t look at him as she stepped out of his arms. He didn’t fight to keep her there.
“No worries.” His tone was easy, unconcerned, as if women threw themselves at him every day. Maybe they did. “Want to go again?”
Yes, yes, I would, but I wish you’d kiss me back.
But he was talking about ziplining. And yeah, she wanted to do that again, too.
Not meeting the eyes of the staff member manning this particular platform, she just nodded and let him switch her over to the next line.
Then, without a word, she jumped and hoped the wind would cool the mortification still flaming in her cheeks.
At the end of the zipline course, Audrey made excuses to get back to camp.
Hudson let her because he needed the space.
Neither of them had made eye contact since that kiss.
He knew she was embarrassed, and he felt like a dick leaving the giant elephant between them.
But drawing attention to it would only make things worse.
It couldn’t happen again. She made him forget, made him feel good, and he didn’t deserve that.
When she rode the golf cart back to camp proper, he opted to walk.
He’d hoped it would clear his head. But all he managed was several instant replays, where he responded to that soft, sweet mouth on his. Needing to get himself grounded, he slipped out his phone, chancing that this high up, he might have enough signal to check-in on John.
One bar. Probably not enough for a call, but he could still text.
Hey Rach. Just checking in. How is he today?
The reply came back as Hudson was cresting the ridge, bringing the central camp buildings into view.
Rachel: The same. Why are you texting? You’re not supposed to have your phone.
Hudson: You can always reach me. You know that.
Rachel: You’re on vacation. Act like it.
Seriously? Did she, of all people, think he’d be able to switch everything off and just go on living as if his best friend, his brother of the heart, wasn’t lying, unresponsive in a hospital bed?
His phone pinged with another text.
Rachel: He’d be pissed you’re doing this, you know.
Then he could damned well wake up and tell Hud so himself.
Hudson: I love you both.
Rachel: We know. Love you back. Go play.
Play. He’d done that for a precious stretch this morning. Focused on this place, this woman—both far removed from home and work and tragedy. He felt guilty as hell about forgetting, even for a moment, but Audrey’s infectious enthusiasm was a drug he wanted another hit of.
Well, now he had fresh guilt to add to the pile.
He couldn’t shake the sense that he owed Audrey an apology.
Not that he knew exactly how to say it. Look, I’m sorry I didn’t kiss you back the way I wanted.
It’s not you, it’s me. My life is a mess, I’m an asshole, and you don’t actually want to be involved with me.
Right. That would make her feel better.
She was better off if he stayed away. He managed to convince himself of that for at least a few hours, but by late afternoon, he sought her out.
Even if he’d mucked up the nascent friendship—or whatever the hell was between them—he needed to know she was okay.
After the highly physical morning, Hudson expected Audrey would be hanging in the crafts hut or the pottery studio.
He remembered how excited she’d been about getting her hands dirty.
Instead, he found her at the ropes course, strapping on yet another helmet and harness.
Well, you go girl. He stood for a long moment, admiring her moxie. Then, before he could think better of it, he was asking if there was room for one more.
“The hermit emerges,” Charlie quipped.
“We aren’t all as social as you,” Hudson retorted.
Sam gave him a long, speculative look, but not the eat shit and die glare he expected. So maybe Audrey hadn’t said anything about the kiss. Considering the speed with which she was attempting to climb that ladder and get away from him, it looked like she was still embarrassed.
Ready to leap into action, he kept a sharp eye on her until she made it up to the first perch.
Then he slipped into his own safety gear and went up after her.
His greater height and reach gave him an advantage in catching up.
Whereas Charlie and Sam went straight for the upper levels of the course, Audrey was being smart and starting with the easier obstacles.
So at least her desire to get away from him wasn’t overriding good sense.
He left her to it, circling around from the other side as she worked her way through each section.
Only when she made it to the upper reaches, to the tougher part, did he draw near.
By then all her concentration was on foot placement and hand-holds.
He made it to the top ahead of her and waited, watching as she slowly picked her way across the net bridge.
Far below, Sam and Charlie shouted encouragement, having already finished their run.
Audrey was trembling with exhaustion. Hudson could see it as she made it to the next perch. One obstacle left to get to the end. The hardest.
“You can do it, Audrey!” Sam called.
“I’ll need a nap after this,” Audrey answered. She took a moment to catch her breath, then stretched out her arm, reaching for the next bar. It was several inches out of her grasp.
“You’ll have to take the leap,” he said, not so loud that those on the ground could hear.
She didn’t take her focus off her goal. After a long moment, she said, “Tried that once today. Didn’t end so well.”
So, she had heard him.
“Took me by surprise.”
Audrey looked at him then, a mix of exasperation and disbelief on her features. “Really? You’re gonna go with that?”
“It’s the truth.” But it wasn’t the whole truth. “Look, this morning wasn’t about you. I’m...dealing with some stuff.” He knew he couldn’t just leave it there. “Make it over here to the other side, and I’ll tell you.”
“Promise?”
He held up his hand in a Boy Scout salute. “I’m a man of my word.”
Audrey seemed to consider that for a long moment.
Then she nodded, her eyes going back to the bars.
She was too short to make it easily, but it was clear she was about to try.
Hudson readied himself to retrieve her if she missed one of the narrow rungs that crossed the chasm and ended up dangling from her safety harness.
Still, he wasn’t prepared when she jumped for the first handhold.
He sucked in a breath. But her fingers closed around it, leaving her dangling, feet nowhere near the row of steps across the bottom.
Her legs swung, her arms straining as she lurched forward, reaching for the next bar.
She grabbed it. Amazed, Hudson watched as she repeated the performance, working her way across the final obstacle as if it were a set of elementary school monkey bars.
There was nothing more for her to grab onto at the final perch.
Nothing except him. He opened his arms, waiting to catch her, wondering if her trust was so damaged that she’d rather not finish than do this.
But Audrey didn’t hesitate, pitching herself forward the last few feet to crash into him.
Cheers went up from below. Hudson stepped back, tugging her away from the edge, out of view of their audience.
He ought to let her go. He’d done the bare minimum and caught her.
But his arms wouldn’t release, and he couldn’t look away from her big blue eyes.
Her adrenaline was up again. He could see it in the thump of her pulse, feel it in the tremble against his body.
But she wasn’t smiling this time. Neither was he.
Somehow his hand lifted of its own volition, threading into the hair at her nape. Yeah, soft as it looked.
“Good job,” he murmured.
Tension drew taut between them, and he knew he was going to kiss her. He shouldn’t. But he’d damn himself later.
“Are you seeing somebody?” she blurted.
“Right now, I’m looking at you.” At her fearless determination and refusal to accept limitations. It was sexy as hell.
“That’s...that’s not what I meant.”
Hudson stroked a thumb along her cheek. “I’m not with anybody, no.”
“Then perhaps we could have this conversation somewhere with a little less altitude. The way you’re looking at me makes me dizzy.”
He smiled a little at that. “Yeah, we can do that. You up for a walk?”
“Lead the way.”