So, the question, again, is why keep it from me? My first thought was that he was afraid I’d see how rich he was and latch onto him like a leech. I suspect that has happened to Hudson a lot. I mean, even Monica comes from money, and she seems sort of leech-ish.
Hudson’s back from the kitchen, pointing at the bag. “Open it.”
“Hudson. You don’t need to buy me––“
He takes the gift bag from my hand and reaches in and retrieves something made of light blue fabric. Dropping the bag, he unfolds the item revealing a T-shirt. Turning it so I can see, he’s smiling. There’s a picture of a black, cartoon-like cat holding a bloody knife with one word below it:What?
I laugh, because who wouldn’t laugh at an image of cat who looks like he just killed someone or some thing?
When I quit laughing, I see Hudson beaming with pride. “I thought you’d like it.” He hands it to me. “I got one for myself too.”
“You did?”Why?“Do you have a cat?”
“No.” He shakes his head. “But my girlfriend does.”
Who? I tense up, my shoulders moving closer to my neck. He’s got a girlfriend? That jerk. I’m instantly outraged until I realize what he did there. “Hudson.” I relax a little.
“No.” Hudson steps closer. “I realize this is all fast. Maybe too fast but like I told you before, I want to try. We need to give this a shot. If we don’t, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life and maybe you will too.”
Hudson takes my hand and pulls me to my sofa. Sitting down, he pulls me with him until I’m half on his lap, half off. My legs are slung over his thighs, and his hand is resting on my knee. “Let’s talk this out.”
Oh, boy. I’m not sure I’m ready for this. I know I’m not. It’s why I ran away in the middle of the baseball game. It was too much. Overwhelming. All I could think to do was go home, put on my comfy clothes, and talk to Barney.
Truth be told, he wasn’t super supportive of my choices. As a matter of fact, I think he’s quite irked with me. He likes Hudson. Hudson brings him treats and toys. Of course he likes Hudson Adler.
“Look, Hudson. “I’m not the kind of woman who dates billionaires. That only happens in romance books.”
ChapterTwenty-Two
HUDSON
“I’m not a billionaire.”I smirk “Not yet, anyway.”
“That’s not helping your case,” she says, rolling her eyes. Willa lays her head back and sighs. “I like you too, Hudson. Too much.”
Too much? “Is liking me too much such a bad thing, Willa?”
Leaning forward, she’s still got her golden-brown eyes on me. “Can I be honest?”
“Always.”
“I’m scared.”
“Of me?” Shit. That’s not what I expected to hear.
“Notofyou. Of how this will end. You’re going to break my heart, Hudson Adler. I know it.”
“I feel the same about you. Every time you pull away, it hurts. But I keep coming back because Iknowthis is worth a shot. There are no guarantees about anything in life…”
“I know.”
Of course, she knows.
“Can I have time to think about––everything?”
I want to ask her how long she needs, but that’s going to backfire. Instead, I force a smile onto my face. “Sure.” Standing, I place her T-shirt on the kitchen counter, and I then make my way to the front door. I glance at the screen mounted into the wall. “New video doorbell?”
“Yes.” She shrugs. “The owner of this place has suddenly taken an interest in our safety, I guess.”
