When he ducks out of the bedroom, there’s a smile written across his face as he holds up a thick James Patterson novel. Of course it’s a James Patterson.
“I didn’t take you for Patterson man.” I lean back on the couch readjusting myself and opening my Kindle again. This could work. A girl must always keep hope.
Hudson shrugs, sitting back in the chair. He tosses his feet up on my coffee table and gets comfy. “Some of his plot points aren’t so far-fetched. Now shhhh,” he shooshes me with one finger across his lips. “I got into a good part on the plane.”
Psft. Like he thinks I’m going to be the one to interrupt our reading time. The only sound between us for the next twenty to thirty minutes is the noise every time he flips the page on his old-school paperback. He doesn’t even laugh at a funny part. Are there funny parts in a Patterson book?
I’ve never read a Patterson book. I’m not sure if it has any funny parts, but it’s still the same. He doesn’t make any facial expressions. Who reads a book and doesn’t make any facial expressions?
I spend the next five minutes staring at Hudson while he reads, wondering what’s going on in his big head. His nice to look at big head.
Too nice.
So nice I could imagine us doing this every weekend. Like a couple.
But we aren’t a couple.
I half close the lid of my cover and set it on my lap.
That draws Hudson’s attention. For a man who watches my every move normally, give him a book and hasn’t looked my way once.
“Why are you looking at me with that expression?” he questions, not closing his book even a smidge.
I shake my head but I have no idea what he’s talking about. “I wasn’t.”
“Yes, you were. You’ve watched me for the last few minutes without reading.”
“Have not.” I’m so busted. How does he do that? “You’ve been reading. How do you know if I haven’t been?”
This time Hudson closes his book, making sure to put the cheap paper bookmark on the page to keep his spot. Who uses bookmarks? You’re supposed to find the nearest scrap of paper to keep your page.
“Amanda,” his head shakes back and forth in disbelief. “I’m always watching you.”
“Yeah, because it’s your job, right?”
“No, because I can’t take my eyes off you.”
“Me?”
Hudson chuckles in a quiet fashion like he can’t believe I’m so behind on what’s going on.
It’s not far from the truth. I am pretty far behind. “What do you think of me?” I finally get the nerves to ask.
“Woman, I told you this already. I think you’re amazing and beautiful and nice and kind. You put up with those friends of yours, so you obviously have patience,” he says the last with a smile and it makes me laugh.
Hudson drops his book on my coffee table and pushes my feet to the side, taking up a spot on the other end of my sofa.
Like we are two magnets, drawn to one another on the couch — and yes, I get how ridiculous it sounds, but I can’t stop my heart from experiencing it. I position my body closer to his. “You really think that?”
Hudson breathes deeply, shaking his head twice and leaning closer. He lightly kisses me on the lips. “Absolutely. New Year’s Eve was one of the best nights of my life, but the next morning when you went back to acting as if everything was normal, I figured I should run with it. While it was my greatest memory ever, it was also not something normally allowed in my position. I don’t want to believe I used my authority over you to influence how you feel.”
I smile. “Your authority over me?” Now who’s the delusional one?
“Regardless of whether you think you’re in danger,” he says rolling his eyes, “I don’t want to abuse what we have between us.”
I sneak my arm around his neck and press my lips against his.
Hudson pulls back a fraction. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt you, Amanda.”
