Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
I sighed. “The security is for Stevie. Not him. He’d likely take down anyone before the giant could. That’s just backup.”
Hudson snorted and looked amused. “Whatever. Call me tonight when you can. We will talk more about things.”
I hadn’t been calling him because lying to him about where I was and what I was doing felt wrong. Hearing his voice would have only made it worse. But he knew now, and talking to him might be what got me through this. At least until I adjusted to this change.
“Okay. I’m going to give it a week, then start looking for a job. So, if you get a call from a dental practice about me, make that referral a good one.” I added the last part teasingly.
I’d worried about that before, but it seemed Hudson loved me more than I’d realized.
“That won’t be hard to do. But could you stick with an old man or a female dentist? I’m already having to accept your living under another man’s roof. If you are working for a male dentist, all I will be able to think about is the hard-on he’s going to have while working for you.”
I jerked my eyes off the car and looked up at him, then let out a startled laugh. Hudson never said things like that to me. “What?”
His eyes met mine. “You heard me, Branwen. Don’t act like you didn’t know I had been salivating over you since day one.”
I mean…I had known he was attracted to me, but he’d never said it like that before.
Just before we reached the door, the driver opened it, then stood in front of Hudson, blocking him from getting closer, while he held out a hand for me to proceed. This was awkward. I should have thought of this. Of course Linc wouldn’t want him near the vehicle. Hudson backed up looking startled.
“I, uh…well, this is as far as you go,” I explained, wincing.
He raised his eyebrows. “Seriously? Stevie is going to be my stepdaughter. She doesn’t need protecting from me.”
“I know,” I replied quietly, not wanting Linc to hear us. That might cause a problem. “It’s just…” I said gently, placing a hand on his chest. “This is new. All of it. For all of us. Give it some time.”
Hudson glared at the vehicle, and the driver took a step toward him and tilted his head down to look at him. I wasn’t sure if that was meant to be a warning or a challenge, but I was going with both.
“Please just go back inside,” I pleaded.
Although he was trying to appear like he wasn’t scared of the man, his skin had paled, and his eyes were wary. This was never going to work. He’d see soon enough that it was best to end it.
Hudson barely nodded his head. “Okay. Go get your car and drive it back. You need it, and it’s yours. I want to know you have something safe to drive in.”
I was ninety-five percent sure Linc wasn’t going to let me go get that car. I needed to give him the fob back, but he did have the second one at his house. It had come with two of them. I could always mail this one to him. Arguing with him about it with the current audience we had wasn’t smart.
I opened my mouth to tell him okay when the door on the other side of the limo opened. My head snapped around, and my stomach sank as Linc stepped out. I shouldn’t have let Hudson come out here. Shit!
Linc placed his cowboy hat on his head, then pulled something from his back pocket. I moved quickly to stand between him and Hudson. But when he turned around, I realized he hadn’t reached for his gun. He stuck a cigarette between his lips and was holding a lighter up to the tip. His eyes brushed past Hudson as the flame went out, and he tucked it back into his pocket. When his eyes met mine, I let out the breath I had been holding. He didn’t look ready to kill anyone. He just appeared bored.
“She’s asleep,” he drawled. “If y’all are gonna keep talking, then I need a smoke.”
When he leaned against the limo casually, like some badass cowboy from a movie, the tension radiating off Hudson just got worse. I could feel it, and I wanted to slap my hand over his mouth to keep him from saying anything that might make Linc pull the gun he kept on him at all times. If Stevie were awake, then there was a chance he wouldn’t, but with her asleep, Hudson wasn’t safe.
“The doors are open,” Hudson said tightly. “The smoke can drift inside, and that’s not good for Stevie’s lungs.”
Oh God. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut?