Groggy, I wake up thinking the birds are really freaking loud this morning, and someone forgot to turn off the light. Then my eyes flicker open, and through a wide, round window is the most stunning view I’ve ever seen. Blue sky kisses the top of snow-capped mountains, while bushy pines tug at their sides, swathing the mountain sides in deep green.
It all comes rushing back to me. I’m at a cabin in the middle of nowhere, and there’s a hunk of a grump sleeping downstairs.
Sleepily, I roll to the other side of the bed and swing my feet to the floor. To my surprise, they land on something squishy, and it moves.
As I scream, Hudson sits up and jumps to his feet before completing a 180 spin of the room and diving on top of me, pinning me to the bed.
I’m squished under his weight and the hard muscles of his chest, and every part of my body is touching him, including my bare legs.
His face is inches from mine, and for a moment, we stare at each other. I never noticed his eyes before, pale gray like an overcast sky, and this morning they’re stormy.
But his eyes aren’t the only thing I notice. His morning wood pokes into my belly, and it should be offensive but instead it feels nice, heating me from the belly down.
“What are you doing?” I’m the first one to break the silence. Instead of answering, Hudson rolls off me and jumps to his feet.
I miss the weight of his body far more than I should.
“Why did you scream?” He runs a hand through his mussed-up hair, but it only sticks up further, giving him a disheveled appearance that looks far too good on him. He looks damn hot standing in his white undershirt and matching white briefs with his bare feet scrunching up the sleeping bag, which is right next to my bed for some reason.
“Why were you on the floor of my room?”
“Your room?” He raises his eyebrows at me.
“You know what I mean. You nearly gave me a heart attack. And then you attacked me.”
He scratches the stubble on his chin, and I like this sleepy, disheveled Hudson. He’s different from the composed put together man I’ve known him as.
“You can’t scream, Willow. I thought you were under attack.”
It’s my turn to raise my eyebrows. “I was.” My gaze darts down to his package, and yup, he’s standing at attention. “From you.”
Glancing down, he notices where I’m looking. Blushing, he covers himself with his hands and mutters an apology. “It happens in the morning.”
“I’m aware.”
His eyes darken, and I think he’ll respond. But instead he turns away and shakes out his sleeping bag, giving me the perfect view of his hard butt, the muscles jumping as he shakes out his bedding. Lordy, I am in trouble with this man walking around in his tighty-whities, especially after the way he listened to me at dinner last night. I expected tutting and head shaking and judgment from Hudson, but instead I got compassion, empathy, and understanding. And that’s unsettling.
There’s more to Captain America than I first thought, and I’m liking what I see maybe a little too much.
“Is that a SEAL tactic, jumping on a woman to protect her?”
Though he glares at me, his lips quirk up. “I can’t give away our combat secrets.”
“But you’re giving awaysomesecrets.” I glance at his package again and the outline through his almost translucent pants.
“You’re giving away a few yourself.”
His eyes flick to my bare legs, and my skin prickles under the heat of his gaze.
I like this flirty Hudson. He’s hot, and he makes me forget why we’re here. It gives me something to focus on, something I can control.
“These secrets—” I wave my hands over the space in front of my body, “—are classified. Top secret.”
He chuckles, and the smile is a good look on him.
“Glad to hear it,” he murmurs. “Don’t give away your secrets.”
Turning away, Hudson tucks his rolled-up sleeping bag under his arm and heads toward the ladder. I watch his retreating ass go and have to clasp my hands together to stop myself from giving it a squeeze. Flirting is one thing, but harassing the guy who’s saving my ass wouldn’t be a good look.
