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This book is a work of fiction. Names,

characters, establishments, or organizations, and
incidents are either products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense
of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons,
living or dead, events, or locales is entirely
coincidental. Tequila Haze is intended for 18+
older, and for mature audiences only.

Editing by Amy Gamache @ Rose David

Editing

Cover Design by Author Melissa Toppen

Chapter One

The lights pulse with the music

–

perfectly timed

flashes that make the room dance with color. The
heavy beat of the drum vibrates the floor beneath
my feet as I move with the rhythm of the upbeat
song.

This isn’t my scene. Well, not usually. I’m more

of a dinner and a movie kind of girl. I can count the
number of times I’ve stepped into a club on one
hand. But tonight is not about me. It’s about my
best friend, Emma.

“You only turn twenty-two once,” she had said

to me earlier in the evening. I bit my tongue,
choosing not to remind her that’s exactly what she
says every year.

Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I

didn’t suck it up every once in a while and step
outside of my comfort zone for my best friend of
ten years?

So here I am, smashed into a room with way too

many people, in a dress that might as well have
been painted on it’s so tight, throwing back cosmos
like this is an everyday occurrence for me.

When Emma goes out, she goes all out. And I

mean that by she spends more money than she can
afford on a new little black number and a minimum
of two hours on her hair and makeup. Of course
I’m expected to follow along.

I’ve learned to roll with it, as I have most things

with Emma, choosing the path of least resistance.
Trust me when I say, she always gets her way in the
end anyway.

I have to admit, even when I don’t really want

to do something, I usually end up enjoying myself
just the same. Not that I would ever admit that out
loud. Admitting Emma is right about something is a
sure fire way to make sure you never live it down.

As the song winds down and a slower one takes

its place, I turn to see Emma a couple feet away,
pressed firmly against a twenties something hipster
with a dark man bun tied at the back of his head.

Ignoring the way the man looks at me as I step

up next to them, I immediately lean into my
friend’s space.

“I’m in need of another Cosmo. Stat,” I

announce a little louder than necessary.

Emma turns her head toward me, a small smile

playing on the corners of her lips. Even red faced

with sweat collecting at her brow, Emma is a
complete and total knockout. Her skin the softest
brown

–

a perfect combination of her father’s dark

skin and her mother’s fair. Her long brown waves
fall perfectly to the middle of her back and she has
legs that go on for days. But what really puts her
over the edge is her crisp green eyes which are so
bright they stand out even in the dimness of rooms.

We really are polar opposites. At least on the

outside. I’m about as fair as they come

–

ghost

white even in the dead of summer

–

despite the fact

that I live in Florida which is pretty much sunny
year round. My hair is light

–

a dirty blonde with

natural highlights. Unlike Emma, I’m not tall or
model skinny but short and curvy. No matter how
hard I work out I’ve got a butt and thighs I simply
cannot get rid of.

Emma says that’s why guys fawn all over me.

I’m not sure what planet she’s living on, but she’s
the one that has the male sex eating out of the palm
of her hand. Has as long as I’ve known her.

“Order me one. I’ll be over soon,” she says,

nodding her head ever so slightly to the guy whose
hands I’m now noticing are resting comfortably on
her ass.

“You got it.” I flash her a knowing smile before

quickly turning and maneuvering my way through
the crowd of people that stand between me and the
bar that resides along the far back wall.

Snagging the only empty stool I can find, I lean

forward on my elbows and let out a slow breath,
feeling slightly overheated and a whole lot buzzed.

“Two more?” My gaze lands on the muscled

bartender that stops in front of me.

“Please.” I bat my eyelashes in a way that

makes me cringe internally, followed up by a wide
smile.

“Coming right up.” He winks, quickly turning.
“You’ll have to tell me your secret.” A deep

voice resonates next to me and I instantly turn
toward the sound, sucking in a sharp breath when I
meet a pair of deep brown eyes.

“Huh?” It’s the only word I can manage,

completely transfixed by the yellow speckles that
pepper the brown eyes currently locked on mine.

“Your secret.” The man smiles and my gaze

immediately dips to his mouth. Full lips shadowed
by a dusting of dark facial hair.

“Secret?” I try to shake off the fog that seems

to have settled around me and refocus.

“Considering nearly everyone on this side of

the bar has been standing here for ten minutes and
muscles hasn’t even looked our way once.” He
gestures toward the bartender.

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” I

find myself teasing, fueled by the alcohol and how
damn attractive this man is.

I’d guess him in his mid-twenties. He has two

length dark brown hair

–

short underneath and

longer on top

–

pushed back away from his face

that’s sporting neatly trimmed facial hair. He’s
hands down the hottest guy in here, and by the
smirk on his face, I’d guess he’s perfectly aware of
this fact.

“I might be dying of thirst. I think I’ll take the

risk,” he immediately counters, his smile growing.
A deep dimple makes an appearance on his right
cheek.

My stomach instantly whooshes and it takes me

a full ten seconds to gather my bearings enough to
come up with a response.

“Come here.” I hitch my finger, gesturing for

him to come closer. “You can’t tell anyone.” I
lower my voice when he gets close, moving to
place my lips just shy of his ear.

His scent invades my senses and I take a

moment to appreciate how amazing he smells
before finally finishing my sentence.

“Boobs,” I whisper, giggling when he pulls

back, deep laughter rumbling through him.

I decide right there that his laugh is the best

laugh I’ve ever heard. The kind I could close my
eyes and listen to for hours. Just the sound of it
makes my skin prickle.

“Boobs?” he questions through his laughter. It’s

only then that I pick up the slight drawl to his voice

and I have to admit, I really like it.

“That’s my secret.” Straightening my posture, I

tuck my hand toward my chest. “I have boobs,” I
mouth, biting my bottom lip to contain my laughter.

“I’m Hudson,” he announces, as if my

comment was enough to make him decide I was
worth introducing himself to. “Hudson Demasi.”

“Lennon Claire.” I take his hand when he

stretches it between us.

“Lennon?” He phrases my name like a

question, clearly thinking what everyone does when
they first learn my name. Wrapping his fingers
gently around mine, he shakes my hand. “I take it
your parents were big Beatles fans?”

“My sister’s name is Starr, spelled with two R’s.

What do you think?” I roll my eyes.

“Wow.” He shakes his head, amused. “Well,

would it make you feel better to know that I think
Lennon is a kick ass name?”

“Not really,” I joke, pulling my hand from his as

the bartender reappears with my two cosmos,
setting them on the bar in front of me.

“Can I get a Bud Light and two shots of tequila

too?” I quickly request, watching the bartender’s
gaze shoot to Hudson and then back to me.

Instead of lingering eyes and a flirty smile this

time, he simply nods before walking away again.

“I hope you like beer,” I offer, picking up one

of the cosmos and taking a small sip. “I wouldn’t

want you to die of thirst or anything.”

“Beer is good with me.” He smiles, that dimple

once again gracing his face. “Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome. Besides, now that

we’re friends I feel like it’s my responsibility to
make sure you’re taken care of.”

“You always make friends so easily?” He

arches a brow playfully.

“Only when I find someone I feel like I can

really open up to. I mean, I did tell you my secret
after all,” I say playfully, watching his eyes dance
with humor.

“I guess that’s true. Now you’re stuck with

me.” His gaze slides to the bartender who reappears
with two shot glasses filled with clear liquid and a
bottle of Bud Light.

“Thirty-three dollars,” he says, setting the

drinks on the bar in front of us.

“On me.” Hudson immediately reaches for his

wallet.

“Not a chance,” I object, reaching into my bra

to pull out a small roll of bills, dropping two
twenties on the bar.

Hudson pauses mid motion and watches me, a

mixture of humor and disbelief washing over his
incredibly handsome face.

“Keep the change,” I inform the bartender,

tucking the remaining bills back into my bra before

grabbing the two shot glasses and extending one to
Hudson.

He takes it, one side of his mouth cocked up in

a sexy smirk.

“You always keep your money there?” His eyes

dip to my chest as I shove the shot into his hand.

“Do you see this dress? Where else would I

keep it?” I gesture to myself.

“Oh, I see it alright.” His words instantly make

my heart pick up speed and causes tiny droplets of
perspiration to form at the base of my neck.

“To new friends,” I say, choosing to ignore his

comment. I wait until his eyes meet mine again
before clinking my shot glass against his.

“To new friends,” he repeats, his gaze holding

mine for a moment longer before he tips his head
back and pours the shot into his mouth.

I mirror his action, cringing slightly as I

swallow- the tequila burning a trail of fire down my
throat.

Hudson, clearly seeing the grimace on my face,

bites back a smile, but before he can say anything,
Emma suddenly appears at my side.

“There you are.” She leans in, reaching over me

to retrieve her Cosmo from the bar. “I was
wondering where the hell you...” She trails off
when her gaze lands on Hudson and she completely
redirects. “Well, hello,” she purrs in the way only
Emma can.

“Hello.” Hudson grins.
“And who are you?” She smiles, her eyes

bouncing between the two of us.

“This is Hudson,” I interject. “Hudson, this is

Emma.” I gesture to my friend, noticing his gaze is
now focused on the person standing behind Emma

–

the hipster guy who had his hands all over her ass

on the dance floor.

“Where the hell’s my beer, douche?” It takes

me a second to realize he’s talking to Hudson.

“Sorry, dude, you were over there pretending to

dance.”

“Pretending my ass. Did you see those sick

moves?” He twirls his hips causing Hudson to
laugh, the sound once again making my whole body
ignite.

“So I take it you two know each other?” I

question, gesturing to the hipster who gladly
accepts the glass Emma offers him, killing half of
her Cosmo in one swift gulp before handing it back
to her.

“Unfortunately, yes.” Hudson shakes his head,

humor on his face. “Lennon, Colton. Colton,
Lennon,” he introduces us.

“I see he’s made friends with my friend,” I say

to Hudson rather than acknowledging Colton
directly.

“It would appear so,” Hudson agrees, following

my line of sight to where Colton now has his arm

wrapped around Emma’s slender waist.

“Come on, babe, let’s show these lame asses

what real dancing is.” Colton ignores me and
Hudson altogether and waits until Emma finishes
off her drink before taking the empty glass and
setting it on the bar behind me.

“Len.” Emma reaches for me.
“I think I’m gonna hang out here with Hudson

for a while. You two go, dance,” I say, giving her a
look that I know she’ll understand. One that says
‘leave me alone so I can spend more time with this
incredibly hot guy next to me.’

Emma smiles knowingly and nods once before

taking Colton’s hand and letting him pull her back
onto the dance floor.

“You realize your friend has been violating my

friend half the night,” I inform Hudson as Emma
and Colton disappear into the sea of people and
flashing lights.

“I don’t claim him.” He lifts the beer bottle to

his lips and takes a long pull, the action way sexier
than it should be.

“Funny, I don’t think I would either,” I tease.
“So Emma?”
“My best friend since I was twelve. Colton?”
“Since I was born,” he responds without

hesitation.

“And you’re how old?” I arch a brow.
“Twenty-five. You?”

“Twenty-two,” I answer before adding,

“You’ve known each other that long?”

“All our lives.”
“Are you two from around here?”
“Nashville.” He rests the bottom of his beer

bottle right above his knee as he angles himself
more toward me, his leg brushing mine as he does.

“Nashville?” I question, trying to hide the

disappointment in my voice.

It would figure. The first interesting person I’ve

met in a long time and he’s not even from around
here.

“Well, Texas originally. Just north of Austin.

But I moved to Nashville a couple years ago to
pursue music and Colton came with me. I’ve tried
to get rid of him but he doesn’t seem to get the hint.
I’m still trying to convince him he’s not my
manager, though he’s claimed to be since we were
teenagers.”

“You’re a musician?” I question, trying my

damndest to keep it cool. I’m a total sucker for
musicians. I just met this man and it’s like he
already knows my weaknesses. “Do you sing or
play instruments?”

“Both. Well, I sing and play guitar.”
If I could fan myself and not look like a total

psycho I totally would. Not only is he super hot but
he also sings and plays the guitar. Dear lord, help
me now.

“That’s awesome. What kind of music do you

play?”

“A mix of country and rock.”
“So far so good.” I nod in approval. “Do you

play in bars and stuff or are you one of those street
performers?”

“Been to Nashville before, have ya?”
“A couple of times. My sister loves Nashville.”
“There’s a lot to love.” He takes another pull of

beer, sliding his finger around the rim of the bottle
when he rests it back against his knee.

“So what brings you to Destin?” I clear my

throat, trying to seem cool when I feel like the
biggest dork.

I swear I’m hanging on to every word he says

like it’s the most interesting thing I’ve ever heard.
Mainly because it kind of is. Not that what he’s
saying is some kind of epic statement, but it’s more
just listening to him talk. That I think I could do all
day long.

“Vacation. We’ve been coming here every

March since we were kids.” He gestures off
somewhere in the vicinity of our friends. “Colton’s
family and mine are extremely close. Our moms
have been best friends since they were in grade
school, so our families did everything together
growing up, including vacations. Colton’s dad
passed a few years back. I think continuing to come
here is his way of keeping his memory alive.”

“I get that,” I sympathize, not even able to

fathom not having my dad around.

“It’s been tough on him but he’s getting by.

Mainly by driving my ass crazy.” He laughs to
himself. “What about you? You local?”

“Born and raised.” I nod, taking a sip of my

Cosmo.

“I would have given anything to live by the

beach growing up.”

“If I had a dime for everyone that has said that

to me over the years I’d be rich.”

“I guess you kind of take it for granted. The

weather, the beach. When it’s around every day it
probably loses a bit of its luster.”

“When I was younger maybe, but not so much

now. I don’t know, it’s different I guess. For all the
times I’ve said I couldn’t wait to get out of here I
don’t really ever see myself leaving either. I think
I’d miss it too much.”

“And what is it that you do? For a living I

mean,” he tacks on when I don’t answer right away.

“Actually, Emma and I are seniors in college.”
“Students.”
“For another three months anyway.”
“That’s amazing. What are you majoring in?”
“Design.” I shrug. “Emma’s dad buys and sells

a ton of real estate and he’s agreed to cut me and
Emma in once we graduate. Let us design his

renovation projects. His only stipulation is that we,
well really she, went to college first.”

“That’s pretty cool of him.”
“I thought so.” I shrug. “So how long are you

and Colton in town for?”

“We’re heading back tomorrow morning. This

is our last night in Florida.”

“Well that doesn’t leave us much time then,

does it?” I grin mischievously.

“Time for what?” He cocks a brow, his eyes

dancing with humor.

I knock back the rest of my Cosmo and push to

my feet, reaching for his hand. “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” He stands, taking my

outstretched hand in his.

“You’ll see.” I wink before turning, pulling him

through the crowd of people onto the dance floor.

“Um, I don’t dance,” Hudson informs me when

I stop in the center of the dancing masses and turn
toward him.

“Well it’s about time you start.” I smile,

reaching up to wrap my hands around the back of
his neck. “Besides, you owe me.”

“Do I now?” He wastes no time pulling me

close, dropping his face within inches of mine.

“I did buy you a beer after all,” I remind him,

slowly starting to move my hips, the front of my
body sliding against his.

“I didn’t realize it came with strings,” he quips,

his smile fully intact.

“I’ll make it worth your while,” I promise,

pushing up on my tip toes to close the small
distance between us.

“Is that so?” His voice is low and sexy, his

breath hot on my lips.

“Do you trust me?” I whisper, my eyes locked

on his.

“I’m not sure yet.”
“Well get sure.” I smile, reaching down to grab

his hand before taking a full step back.

He eyes the sudden space between us and a

slow smile pulls up the corners of his mouth.

With one hard tug, he pulls me back against his

body, and just like that, he starts to move.

Chapter Two

It’s nearly two o’clock in the morning when we
finally exit the club. After spending nearly three
hours dancing and drinking with Hudson, the night
air feels incredible on my face.

Turning, I watch Emma step out onto the

sidewalk, Colton fast on her heels. Hudson is the
last to exit and the minute he steps up next to me
I’m grasping at how I can avoid saying goodbye to
him.

“This was fun.” He smiles down, standing a

good six or seven inches taller than me.

“It was,” I agree, turning just in time to see the

Uber car that pulls up along the curb and stops just
shy of where we’re standing.

“Well, this is us,” Emma says, turning toward

Colton like she too doesn’t want this night to end.

“Why don’t we go somewhere else?” Hudson

chimes in, pulling my attention back to him.

“Where? Everything is closed.” Emma is the

first to respond.

“We could always go back to our hotel room.”

Colton grins at her, dropping an arm over her
shoulder.

“Next suggestion.” She shakes her head at him.
“What’s wrong with going back to our hotel?”

he counters.

“You’re cute and all, sweetie, but my father did

not raise someone who goes to a hotel with a man
she just met a few hours ago.”

I stifle a laugh. Leave it to Emma to lay it out

there so bluntly.

“Ouch.” Colton grips at his chest dramatically

with his free hand. “Here I thought you liked me.”

“I think we should probably call it a night,” I

find myself saying even though it’s the last thing I
want to do.

I have to agree with Emma

–

going back to their

hotel isn’t an option. Neither is taking them to our
place. That pretty much leaves nowhere.

“I had a lot a fun tonight.” I turn my gaze back

to Hudson. “Even if you were the worst dancer on
the floor,” I tease.

“Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad,” he fakes

offense, but he’s unable to contain the smile that
stretches across his handsome face.

My eyes go directly to that damn dimple and

my stomach dips for the hundredth time tonight.

“You weren’t that bad,” I finally concede,

stepping up in front of him. “Have a safe trip home.
Who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other again
next year.”

Pushing up on my tip toes, I lay a gentle kiss to

his scruff covered jaw before turning toward the
small black car on the curb.

“Wait.” My hand freezes mid-air as I reach for

the door, Hudson’s voice halting the motion. “Let’s
flip a coin.”

I turn to see him already digging in his jeans

pocket, his hand reemerging seconds later holding a
quarter.

“What?” I question, not really sure what he’s

saying.

“Let’s flip a coin,” he repeats. “Heads, we part

ways now. Tails, we keep the night alive.”

“And go where?” Emma chimes in.
“Anywhere. How about the beach?”
“I’m in.” She shrugs indifferent, even though I

know deep down she likes the idea of spending
more time with Colton. “Besides, it is my birthday
after all.”

“I hate to break it to you, honey, but your

birthday ended over two hours ago,” I remind her.

“Tomato, tomatoe.” She swipes her hand

through the air. “I say the man flips the damn
coin.”

“Okay,” I concede. “Flip the coin.”

I watch Hudson twist the quarter between his

fingers, studying it for a long moment before
tossing it into the air. It flips a few times before he
snags it, closing his fingers tight around the coin
before slamming it down on the back of his other
hand.

His gaze meets mine for the briefest moment

before he looks back down right as his hand lifts.

“Tails.” He smiles, his eyes once again flashing

to mine.

“Well alright then.” Emma giggles. “Looks like

the adventure continues.” She skips to the Uber and
throws the passenger door open, dipping her head
inside. “You got room for four?” She says moments
before she turns back to the group. “Well come on,
bitches.” She grins and quickly slides into the front
seat.

“You heard the woman.” Colton is the first to

move, quickly pulling open the back door and
climbing inside.

I turn to follow him in, but Hudson’s fingers

close around my wrist and pull me back toward
him.

“Wait,” is all he says before his face lowers

toward mine.

I don’t have time to react, to even breathe,

before our lips connect. The instant they meet my
body turns to complete mush. Melting into his so
easily it’s like it was made to do just that.

His tongue skirts along my bottom lip before

gently slipping inside my mouth and it’s all I can do
not to moan. His fingers tangle into my hair and he
tugs gently, sending arousal shooting through my
belly.

The kiss ends just as abruptly as it began.

Hudson pulls back to look down at me, a satisfied
smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

“I’ve been wanting to do that all night.” He

tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Well it took you long enough.” I shove

playfully at his chest.

“Are you two coming or are you gonna stand

there making out all night?” Emma groans from the
car and I turn to see her leaning through the open
window. “Today, love birds.” She winks at me,
quickly rolling up the window.

“Come on.” I grab Hudson’s hand and pull him

toward the car, releasing it to climb into the middle
of the backseat next to Colton.

Hudson appears next to me seconds later,

sandwiching me between him and his friend.

“Where to?” the driver asks, not seeming the

least bit annoyed that he’s been sitting here waiting
for us to decide what the hell we’re doing for a
good five minutes.

“9999 Gulf Shore,” Emma rambles, giving the

driver our address.

“Em,” I start to object.

She looks over her shoulder at me. “We decided

the beach, yes?”

“Beach, not our house.”
“Same thing,” she quips.
“Wait, you live on the beach?” Colton asks, his

voice dripping with envy.

“Technically my dad owns the condo, but yes,

we live on the beach.” She settles back into her
seat, strapping her seatbelt seconds before the
driver pulls out onto the street.

I open my mouth to say something else but snap

it closed when Hudson’s hand settles just above my
knee.

I turn in his direction, kneading my bottom lip

between my teeth nervously when he hits me with a
look that physically makes me squirm in my seat.

Deep breaths, Lennon. Deep breaths.
Facing forward again, I try to focus on anything

other than how his hand feels on my bare skin, but
it’s no use. I’m completely consumed by it. I feel
every shift, every tiny movement caused by the
motion of the car.

I’m so distracted that I don’t even notice we’ve

reached our condo complex until I hear the car
door open and look up to see Emma already exiting
the front seat.

I flash my eyes to Hudson who’s watching me

with an expression that tells me he knows exactly
what his touch is doing to me.

“Shall we?” His lips tip up in a smirk before he

turns, quickly exiting the car. Colton exits from the
other side at the exact same time.

Shifting out of the backseat, careful to keep my

dress from riding up too high as I do, I avoid
looking in Hudson’s direction as I straighten my
posture and turn toward Emma.

“Okay, boys. To the beach,” Emma instructs,

pointing out to where the moon is perfectly
accenting the water a couple hundred feet from
where we’re standing. “Lennon and I will go get
refreshments and meet you out there in a couple
minutes.” With that, she hitches her arm through
mine and quickly drags me toward the elevator that
sits right inside the parking garage.

“Holy shit. Holy shit.” It’s the first thing Emma

says when the elevator doors slide closed behind
us. “He’s so into you.” She turns toward me, her
green eyes wide with excitement.

“What?”
“Hudson. Holy shit. He is so freaking hot too.”

She fans herself dramatically.

“He really is,” I agree, not able to fight the

smile that spreads across my face.

“And the way he kissed you outside the club.

Holy shit.” She leans against the back wall of the
elevator. “He hasn’t taken his eyes off of you all
night, Len. Like at all.”

“What about Colton? He seems pretty smitten

by you. Not that there’s anything surprising about
that.”

“He’s okay.” She shrugs, almost indifferent.
“Okay? He’s had his hands on your ass half the

night. I sure as hell hope you think he’s better than
just okay.”

“I mean, yeah, he’s hot and sweet and he’s

definitely the kind of guy you take home for a one
night stand and never see again, but he’s certainly
not dating material. Not that I’d want to date him,
I’m just saying.”

“Why do you think he’s not dateable?” I ask as

the elevator doors slide open on the fifth floor.

“Have you not been paying attention?” she

asks, shaking her head on a laugh. “No, I guess you
haven’t. Anyway, Colton is a player. Like, with a
capital P. I knew that within thirty seconds of
meeting him.”

“Then why spend the whole night dancing with

him?” I ask, following her out of the elevator and
across the hall to our door.

“Because look at him. Plus, he’s been rubbing

his crotch on me all night and I happen to know for
a fact he’s packing down below. If you know what I
mean.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me before
finally clicking the lock and pushing her way inside.

“Oh my god, Em. Please tell me you haven’t

spent the entire night with him because you think

he has a big dick.”

“No, I’ve spent the entire night with him

because I plan to prove he does.” She grins,
shimmying her hips as she crosses through the
living room, flipping on lights as she goes.

“You’re not actually going to sleep with him,

are you?” I ask, pulling my last ten dollar bill out of
my bra and dropping it on the end table sitting next
to the fluffy white couch that lines the back wall.

There definitely are perks to having your best

friend’s dad in the real estate business. Not only has
he allowed us to live in a condo well beyond
anything we could dream to afford, but he also
gave Emma pretty much an endless budget to
decorate it however she wanted since he will rent it
furnished once we move out. Needless to say, she
went a little overboard. Buying way nicer things
than either of us would probably ever buy for
ourselves, leaving us with a gorgeous water front
condo that looks like a successful business woman
lives here rather than two poor college students.

“Um, of course I am,” Emma answers as she

reemerges from the fridge, a bottle of Tequila in
one hand and flavored vodka in the other.

Neither of us are huge drinkers. Well, except on

Thursdays. We don’t have class on Friday so
typically Thursday is reserved for margaritas or
cosmos and a binge session of whatever we’re

currently watching on Netflix. Hence the vodka
and tequila.

“Tell me you’re not planning on banging that

hottie who’s been following you around all night
like he can’t see past that fantastic ass of yours,”
she counters.

“Absolutely not,” I say adamantly, unsure if I’m

trying to convince myself or Emma.

“Says the girl whose legs turned to jelly when

he kissed her. You’re totally going to bang him.”

“Don’t do that.” I crinkle my nose.
“Do what?”
“Refer to sex using phrases like ‘bang him’.

Makes me feel like some horny teenager.”

“As opposed to a horny twenty-two year old,”

she quips, rolling her eyes at me. “Come on. Let’s
not keep them waiting.” Emma slides out of the
open kitchen that’s only separated from the rest of
the living space by a large breakfast bar lined with
round top stools.

“You go ahead. I’m gonna change out of this

dress first. It’s pretty chilly outside.”

“Suit yourself. But make it quick, would ya?”

She narrows her eyes at me. “You bail on me and I
swear to god, Lennon, I will cut off your left tit,”
she warns.

“Like I would do that.” I shake my head at her,

instinctively cupping my left breast protectively.

“Five minutes, Len. Seriously. Five minutes or

I’m sending Hudson up to get you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I huff, wondering if maybe I

don’t want to test her threat. As much as I hate to
admit it, the thought of having Hudson alone in my
house causes my stomach to do more than just twist
with excitement.

Turning, I quickly head down the hall,

disappearing inside my bedroom seconds after I
hear the front door close behind Emma.

Unlike the rest of the house, my bedroom is

pretty blah. Clean but blah. Filled with hand me
down bedroom furniture from my parents and a
desk I got for dirt cheap at a thrift shop.

Flipping on the light, I quickly scour my closet

for something to wear, settling on a pair of worn,
ripped jeans and a long gray sweater. While it was
in the mid-seventies earlier today, I know for a fact
how cold the air coming off the water can get at
this time of year.

I change at rapid speed, stopping in the hall

bathroom to give myself a once over before
heading out into the living room. Considering it’s
the middle of the night and I’ve been drinking and
dancing for the last several hours, I don’t look
nearly as bad as I thought I would. My blonde hair
a bit wild and untamed and my lipstick is long gone,
but other than that, my makeup has held up pretty
well.

Slipping on the flip flops I always leave next to

the door, I grab Emma’s favorite sweatshirt off the
coat hook, knowing she’ll probably need it, before
quickly exiting the condo, locking the door behind
me.

It isn’t until I’m on the elevator that the reality

of the situation seems to settle over me. While I
may be outgoing and flirty, I’ve never picked
someone up at a bar before. This whole situation is
new territory for me. I’m completely and totally out
of my element and yet, I can’t deny the bubble of
excitement simmering through me.

I spot Hudson, Emma, and Colton on the sand

not far from our private beach entrance, all three
barefoot and wading in the water.

Kicking off my flip flops at the edge of the

sand, I quickly make my way toward them, tossing
Emma her sweatshirt before stopping next to
Hudson. The minute his dark eyes find mine I’m a
ball of nervous energy.

“Much more you,” he says, allowing his eyes to

travel down my body before coming back up to my
face.

“I thought you liked my dress?” I question,

biting my lip to contain my smile.

“Oh I did.” He gives me a heated look. “But

this,” he gestures to my attire. “This is much more
you.”

“Well, you’re not wrong there.” I shrug my

shoulders, not really sure what to say.

“You wanna take a walk?” He reaches for my

hand, squeezing my fingers the minute he grabs it.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” I turn toward Emma who

already has the Tequila bottle extended to me.

“We’ll be back.” I smile, snagging the bottle

from her hand.

“No rush.” She winks, shooing me away before

I can say more.

“Tequila it is.” I hold the bottle up and give it a

little shake once we’ve walked several feet from
where our friends are.

“Considering you’ve been forcing it down my

throat all night, a little more shouldn’t hurt.”

“I did not force anything.” I nudge my shoulder

against his.

“If you say so.” He chuckles, reaching over to

snag the bottle away from me with his free hand.

“Hey!” I object.
“Don’t worry. I’ll save some for you,” he

teases, dropping my hand so he can open the bottle.

“You better. I’m parched,” I say dramatically.
“I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed by how

well you can handle your liquor. I’ve known girls
who could drink as much as you have. But never
ones that could walk a straight line afterward.”

“Maybe because I haven’t actually drank that

much,” I offer.

“Five cosmos and three shots of tequila, and

that’s not counting anything before you forced your
friendship on me.” He smiles, taking a swift drink
of tequila before extending the bottle to me.

“Forced my friendship on you.” I chuckle. “As

I recall I saved you from dying of thirst.”

“Is that what happened?” He cocks his head to

the side, his eyes dancing with humor as he watches
me take a long gulp of tequila.

“Not only that, but I also endured your dancing

all night when no other girl was willing to take one
for the team.”

“Is that how you saw it?”
“Yep.” I shrug, taking another drink before

shoving the bottle back into his hands. “Way I see
it you owe me a huge thank you.”

“Do I now?” He laughs, taking another long

gulp.

“You do. Question is, how do you plan to repay

me?” I take a full step closer, waiting until he’s
screwed the cap back on the tequila before
grabbing it from his hands and dropping it in the
sand at our feet.

“How do you want me to repay you?” He

swallows hard when my fingers grip his shirt,
pulling his body flush with mine.

“I can think of a few ways.” I push up on my

toes, nipping at the flesh below his jaw.

“Lennon,” he warns, his voice thick.

“What?” I question innocently, my lips

sweeping across the base of his throat. “You don’t
like this?” I flick my tongue across his Adam’s
apple.

“I think maybe I like it a little too much.” He

swallows against my lips.

“Mmm,” I hum against his skin. “Come on.

There’s something I want to do.” I smile, taking a
full step back.

I have my jeans half way down my legs when

Hudson seems to realize I’m undressing.

“What are you doing?” he asks, mildly amused.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m going

swimming.” I toss my jeans at his head, missing him
by a good six inches.

“Now?”
“Have you never gone swimming at night?” I

ask, grabbing the hem of my sweater and peeling it
up.

“Not in the ocean.” His eyes flicker to my body

when I toss my sweater in the sand next to my
jeans.

Normally I wouldn’t be so bold, but since I’m

only partially visible in the darkness of the beach I
don’t shrink under his gaze. Besides, my matching
black panty and bra set are no more revealing than
the array of bikinis I’ve worn over the years.

“Well, there’s no time like the present.” I plant

my hands firmly on my hips. “Now, are you gonna

stand there gawking at me all night or are you
gonna take off your clothes.”

“I knew it. You’re just trying to get me naked.”

He laughs, his eyes twinkling under the moonlight.

“So what if I am?” I quip. “Do you give all the

ladies this much trouble? If so, I’m starting to
understand why you were sitting alone at the bar
tonight.”

“Who says I was alone? Maybe I blew her off

when you came along.” With that he reaches for
the buckle of his jeans.

My breath hitches in my throat, watching his

large hand slide the zipper downward.

“You’re so full of it,” I recover, making sure my

eyes stay on his face as he steps out of his pants.

“Am I?” he teases, sliding his t-shirt over his

head.

Taking the brief moment when the material is

covering his face, I glance at what was under his
clothing. I don’t get to look long, but it’s long
enough to see he’s got a killer body; broad chest,
defined abs, thick muscular thighs. It’s impossible
not to look at other areas as well but because his
boxer briefs are black and it’s dark out, I don’t get
a very good glimpse.

When my eyes come back to his face it’s clear

I’ve been busted. Not really sure what else to do
and feeling like I might die of embarrassment at any

moment, I quickly turn and take off toward the
water.

The waves no more than reach my feet when

I’m lifted from behind and twisted in midair,
somehow finding myself slung over Hudson’s
shoulder.

“What are you doing?” I squeal, the words

riddled with laughter.

“What does it look like I’m doing?” He laughs,

the action rumbling through him as he treks deeper
in the water.

“Hudson, I swear to god if you throw me in this

water there will be serious repercussions,” I warn.

“Serious repercussions?” He laughs harder.

“What am I, ten?”

“Right now you’re kind of acting like it, yes.” I

swat at his ass which happens to be just out of
reach.

“Hey, you said you wanted to go swimming. So

baby, let’s go swimming.” That’s the last thing I
hear before Hudson shifts and I’m airborne, cold
water engulfing me seconds later.

The water has quite a bite to it but it’s not

unbearable. Even still, when I resurface the cool
night air sends a tremble through me.

“You. Asshole.” I push my hair out of my face

to see a laughing Hudson a couple feet from me.

“I’m sorry, but you asked for that.”

“How did I ask for it?” I hold my arms out for

dramatic effect.

“Kissing all over my neck like that, stripping

down to almost nothing right in front of me. You’re
purposely fucking with me, Lennon. So, I found it
only fair to return the favor.”

“Oh you think you’re so smart.” I jump toward

him but he quickly moves to the side. “Fine,” I
huff. “You want to play that way.” I reach around
and expertly unsnap my bra, pulling the straps
down my arms before he realizes what I’m doing.

The second it registers his eyes lock on my

chest and stay there for several seconds before his
now dark gaze hits my face.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” he says,

his voice deep and gravelly.

“Well I did. Your move.”
He’s on me in seconds, his arms closing around

my backside as he effortlessly lifts me from the
water. I wrap my legs around his waist, tangling my
fingers in his hair.

“Good choice,” I whisper against his mouth,

pressing my lips firmly to his.

Before I know it we are tangled tongues and

ragged breaths. The water knocks Hudson
backward a few steps every time a wave rolls in,
but not once does it break his concentration.

His lips are on my lips, then my cheek, my jaw,

down the side of my neck, nipping at the flesh

below my ear.

His hands slide across my wet back, exploring

the feel of my skin beneath his palms, blazing a trail
of heat everywhere they touch.

Hudson handles me like he can read my mind,

like he knows exactly what I want. So when his
hand slides between us, and over the fabric of my
thin panties, I’m ready for it. But no matter how
ready I thought I was, nothing could have prepared
me for the explosion that seems to go off inside of
me the moment his fingers glide under the material
and touch me for the first time.

“Hudson.” I drop my head back on a moan,

loving the way his expert fingers glide along the
sensitive flesh.

“Let me take you upstairs.” He growls against

my throat, sliding one finger inside of me.

“Hudson.” I whimper again when he inserts a

second finger.

“Upstairs, Lennon,” he almost demands.
Straightening my posture, I look down, meeting

his heated gaze.

“Okay.”
I barely get the word out before Hudson

withdraws his hand and carries me from the water.
We’re only a few feet in, so it doesn’t take him long
to reach the shore. Depositing me on my feet next
to our clothing, he quickly slides my sweater over

my head seconds after I’ve managed to snap my
soaked bra back on.

Getting my pants on is an even harder story, but

somehow I manage to peel the material up my wet
legs. Hudson dresses in record time and the second
I’m situated, he grabs my hand and tugs me up the
beach toward my condo building.

It feels like it takes an eternity and yet no time

at all to reach the elevator in the parking garage.
Hudson tucks me into his side, his hand skirting
lightly along my hip as we wait for the doors to
open.

I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my own

skin by the time the lift finally arrives.

Hudson hurries me inside, watching me press

the fifth floor button, his eyes hot on the side of my
face. The doors have barely slid closed behind us
before Hudson is on me again, pinning me to the
elevator wall as his mouth once again closes down
on mine.

He kisses me in a way that no one has ever

kissed me before. I feel it all the way down to the
tips of my toes and back up again.

I barely register the elevator stopping or the

sound of the doors reopening. All I know is that
when Hudson kisses me I don’t ever want him to
stop.

“God,” he groans, forcing himself to step away

from me.

“Come on.” I grab his hand and practically drag

him into the hallway, thanking the heavens my unit
is just feet away.

We barely make it through the front door when

we collide together, hands everywhere, mouths
connected, the sounds of our desperation filtering
through the space.

I don’t know how I manage to get Hudson back

to my bedroom. One minute we’re in the living
room, the next he’s pressing me against the back of
my bedroom door. Clothes are torn away with
reckless abandon, both of our patience long since
evaporated.

I don’t even realize we’ve moved until Hudson

is depositing me onto the bed. I squint into the dark
room, only able to see his silhouette in the dim light
that’s seeping in under the door.

I hear the rustle of fabric and the rip of a

condom wrapper seconds before Hudson crawls up
my body. I hold my breath, trying to anticipate his
next move.

He starts at my knee, his lips brushing gently

against my skin as he kisses his way upward.
Slowing when he reaches my hip, he nips along the
bone and dips down, running his tongue upward
along my seam in one quick movement.

I’ve barely recovered before his mouth moves

to my lower belly as he continues his path upward.

His lips graze the side of my breast, his tongue
sliding along my nipple before moving to my neck.

He nips and licks the flesh until he reaches my

mouth, pausing as he settles his body between my
legs.

“Are you sure?” he asks, his lips hovering just

above mine.

The question is oddly sweet. I reach up to cup

his face in my hands, pulling his mouth back to
mine. This must be the reassurance he’s looking for
because seconds later he fills me with one powerful
thrust.

The intensity of being consumed by him so

sudden and so complete, causes me to cry out, the
sound of my voice that of a complete stranger. He
stills the moment he’s planted inside of me, letting
my body accommodate to him as his mouth moves
against mine.

But when he starts to move, his actions are

anything but gentle; thrusting in and out of me so
hard that our bodies smack together, the sound
echoing off the walls around us. My body teeters
between pain and pleasure, the combination leaving
me feeling almost dizzy.

I’m drunk on Hudson. Intoxicated by his

beauty, his smell, the way his body feels against me,
inside of me.

Digging my nails into his back, I tighten my grip

as I feel my hold slipping. It’s only been a couple of

minutes and already I’m climbing. The pleasure
coursing through me is enough to leave me
disoriented and desperate. I grind against him, the
feeling of him tight against my walls only dragging
me closer and closer upward with each pull until
finally, I can’t hold on any longer.

I explode around him, biting down on his

shoulder in an attempt to muffle my cries. My body
quakes, pulsing in a steady rhythm as I tremble in
his arms. This seems to break what little control he
has left.

Pulling out, Hudson flips me in one quick

movement before driving into me from behind. He
goes so deep I swear I can feel him in my stomach,
but that doesn’t stop me from pushing backward,
meeting him thrust for thrust.

His fingers dig into my hips so tightly I know

I’ll bruise. I claw at the sheets, cry out his name,
feeling so overwhelmed by him that I have no
control over the things spilling from my mouth.

My second orgasm builds at an even faster rate

than the first. It rips through me so quickly I have
no time to brace myself, my entire body shuddering
as I struggle to keep my weight up on my arms.

Hudson’s body goes rigid behind me as he

chases his own release. His calculated, controlled
thrusts are suddenly more wild and chaotic than
before. A deep groan tears from his throat seconds
before he spills his release.

After several seconds he starts to slow his

movements, dragging two more deep pulls inside
my body before finally stilling. Collapsing down
onto my back, he buries his head into the crook of
my neck as he struggles to catch his breath.

“That was...” he starts, pressing his lips to my

bare shoulder.

“Incredible,” I finish his sentence, whimpering

when he pulls out and stands.

Rolling to my back, I watch his silhouette as he

crosses toward the door, jarring it open just enough
for light to spill into the room.

“There’s a trash can right there.” I point next to

my desk, realizing what he’s looking for.

Watching him roll the condom off and drop it in

the trash can is way more erotic than I ever thought
possible. The way his hand slides along his still hard
erection has me biting my bottom lip to keep myself
from moaning at the sight of him.

Reaching over to close the bedroom door, it’s

only seconds before he’s climbing back into the bed
with me. Rolling to his back, he pulls me into the
crook of his arm where I’m able to nestle my head
against his chest.

“You are full of surprises, Lennon Claire.” I

hear the smile in his voice as he presses his lips to
the top of my head.

“I guess the fact that you remember my full

name is a good sign. Means I did something right,” I

tease, my fingers running slow circles across his
broad chest.

“You did a lot of things right.” He chuckles,

shifting so I’m forced to roll onto my back seconds
before his sweet weight settles on top of me. “The
first thing being this.” He leans down and kisses me
deep, my body instantly stirring back to life.

“Sweetest mouth I’ve ever tasted,” he mumbles

against my lips before dropping his face to my
neck. “And this.” He breathes in deeply. “Best
smell in the entire world.” His hand trails slowly up
my side. “Softest skin I’ve ever felt.” His lips are
on mine again, his tongue sliding along the seam of
my mouth.

“I’m gathering you have a thing for my body,” I

whisper against his lips, loving every second of this.

“You’re gathering right.” He deepens the kiss as

he starts to harden against my thigh.

“Well, Mr. Nashville, you better get your fill

considering tonight is all you get.”

“Oh I plan to,” he promises. “But first, I want

something else.” With that he starts to work his
way down my body, not stopping until his face is
nestled between my thighs.

Chapter Three

After two very intense rounds of lovemaking,
Hudson and I have spent the last hour lying in my
bed talking. At almost six in the morning, it’s clear
that neither of us is ready to close the book on this
incredible night.

Emma and Colton came in sometime during

round two, but I was too preoccupied to really note
the time. Considering the condo has been pretty
silent since, I’m guessing they crashed quickly.
Emma doesn’t have it in her to be quiet during,
well, you know. We’ve lived together long enough
that I know how loud she gets. Although I think
tonight I may have given her a run for her money in
the noise department.

I can’t remember a time where a sexual

experience has felt anything like this. I mean yes,
I’ve had good sex and even better orgasms but
nothing like tonight. Hudson took my body to a
place even I didn’t know it could go.

“So you’re a songwriter.” It’s not a question but

a statement.

Running my fingers slowly through Hudson’s

incredible hair, I smile when he hums against my
stomach where his head is currently resting.

“And you get your inspiration from

experiences, yes?”

“Experiences, people, the way things make me

feel.” His hand slides across my lower belly. “I get
inspiration from a lot of places.”

“So how’d I do?” I question, smiling when he

lifts his head and cocks it in my direction.

“How’d you do?” he repeats, shifting so he’s

lying next to me rather than on me.

“Yeah.” I reach out, shoving a piece of hair out

of his face before my hand slides down his jaw, my
nails lightly scratching across his short facial hair.
“Was I song worthy?” I smile when he takes my
hand from his face and turns it upward, laying a
sweet kiss to my palm.

“Song worthy.” He chuckles, releasing my hand

as he props up on an elbow. His face is barely
visible in the darkness of the room but I see the
smile playing on his full lips. “You’re funny,” he
observes.

“I’m glad I amuse you.” I shove playfully at his

shoulder.

“You do more than just amuse me.” He rolls

toward me, pinning me between his hard, lean body

and the bed.

He nips at my bottom lip before his mouth

closes over mine. And that is where the
conversation ends.

We make love until the bright morning sun

leaks through my bedroom window, then I fall
asleep cocooned in Hudson’s arms

–

thinking there

is no place on this earth that has felt more right.

—-

“Wake up sleepy head,” Emma says seconds
before the bed dips beneath her weight.

I peel an eye open, spotting her next to me, a

steaming cup of coffee in her hand.

“I thought you might need this.” She smiles,

waiting until I sluggishly prop myself up against the
headboard before sliding the warm mug into my
hand.

“Thank you. What time is it?” I ask, taking a

tentative sip of the black liquid.

“Just after eleven. From the sound of it I’m

gauging you didn’t fall asleep until after five.” She
gives me a knowing smirk.

“Try more like seven.” I can’t help the smile

that spreads across my face or the warmth that
seeps through my chest at the thought of Hudson. I
also can’t help the way my smile slips when I
realize he’s not in the bed next to me.

“They left about an hour ago. Hudson wouldn’t

let me wake you, but he did leave you this.” She
holds up a small folded piece of paper.

I instantly snag it out of her hand, depositing

my coffee on the bed side table before quickly
opening it. My eyes scan the slanted letters of
Hudson’s handwriting, my smile reappearing at the
sight of his words.

Lennon,
Totally song worthy.
You better call.
-Hudson
Below his name he had written his phone

number with a heart next to it. My smile grew
wider, thinking how drawing a heart on a little note
did not seem like Hudson’s style and yet it’s totally
him all at the same time. Sweet and understated.

My eyes scan the note again. Totally song

worthy. The flutter in my chest intensifies tenfold.

I mean, our chemistry together was most

definitely off the charts. I have no doubt that he felt
that too. And while my actions last night were
pretty far from anything I’ve ever done before, I
can’t bring myself to regret one single second of it.

I think I knew the moment my eyes landed on

his that Hudson Demasi was someone worth my
time. No matter how little time that might be.

“Uh oh. I know that look.” Emma breaks into

my thoughts, snatching the note from my grasp

before her eyes scan the paper. “Uh oh,” she
repeats, slowly folding the piece of paper up before
handing it back to me.

“Uh oh what?” I unfold the paper and read it

again.

“You like him.” Her smile stretches so wide it’s

a wonder her face doesn’t split in half.

“What gave it away?” I bite out sarcastically.
“I mean, you like him like him.” She’s still

watching me with that ridiculous grin.

“And?”
“And, I haven’t seen you like this over a guy

since Lance Roberts, junior year.”

“Like what?” I brush off whatever she’s trying

to imply.

“Like you’re so happy you might float away on

the cloud you’re currently sitting on.”

“And that’s a bad thing?” I counter, not

bothering to deny the truth in her words.

“Not at all. Unlike Lance Roberts, Hudson

seems like a great guy.”

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t really matter, does it?” I

drop the note on my nightstand and pick my coffee
back up, taking a small sip.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she

questions, sliding further onto the bed before
adjusting her body to face me, her long legs crossed
in front of her.

“It means he lives in Tennessee and I live in

Florida. Even if we wanted to pursue something,
neither of us are in a place right now where this
could even be a possibility.” I push down how sad
the thought makes me. “We’re getting ready to
graduate and start working with your dad. Hudson’s
in Nashville pursuing his music career and that’s
where his focus should be.”

“And there she goes.” Emma sighs.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I rub my eye

with the back of my hand, feeling the effects of my
lack of sleep.

“You’re tearing the puzzle apart before you’ve

even had a chance to finish it.”

“Come again?” I ask, confused by her

statement and why the hell we’re talking about
puzzles all of a sudden.

“I’m just saying, you spend hours putting this

freaking kick ass puzzle together but before you
finish it and are able to appreciate what your time
and effort has created, you’re disassembling it.
Maybe you should try to finish the puzzle and enjoy
the view for longer than five seconds.”

“Okay, I’m gonna pretend like I know what the

hell you’re talking about.” I shake my head at my
friend.

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Hudson made you feel something last night.
Probably something you’ve never felt before given

the state the two of you were in when Colton and I
came in. And now you’re freaking out because it
might be hard to make something work so you’re
giving up without even trying.”

“I’m not doing anything like that. Hudson and I

had fun. A lot of fun. And I really like him. But
that’s all there is, Em. It was one night of fun. One
night of make believe. It’s time to return to reality.”

“And why can’t your reality include an insanely

hot dude who’s seriously into you?”

“Because that’s not reality. That’s fantasy. I had

my fun.” I shrug, completely unconvinced. “So
how did things go with Colton? You seemed awfully
quiet out there.” I point in the general vicinity of
the living room.

“Way to change the subject.” Emma rolls her

eyes but her mock frustration does nothing to mask
the smile she’s trying to fight.

“Well, I’m waiting.” I tap my fingers

impatiently against my bare knee, not realizing until
this very moment that I’m damn near naked

–

wearing only a pair of panties and a thin camisole.
And even though Em has seen me in my birthday
suit more times than I care to admit, I still pull the
covers up a little higher.

“What do you want to know?” She toys with

me purposely.

“I’m not nearly awake enough for your games,

Emma Barrett. Now spill.”

“Well, we walked on the beach for a while.

Then we enjoyed the pretty freaking hilarious show
you and Hudson were putting on in the water. After
you two snuck off, I took him down to the pier.”

“You didn’t.” My mouth goes slack as I stare at

my best friend.

“You brought Hudson into our home and let

him fuck your brains out all night. Do not look at
me like that.”

“I’m not looking at you like anything. I’m just

surprised,” I say, purposely not pointing out the
obvious. The pier was her and her ex-boyfriend,
Jeremy’s, special spot.

There’s a large outstretch of sand underneath

the pier that’s blocked completely from view unless
you’re standing directly under it, which is where
her and Jeremy would meet up to have sex when
we were in high school. She hasn’t, to my
knowledge, taken anyone there since he broke her
heart a couple years ago.

“And, how was it?” I add when she makes no

attempt to elaborate.

“Weird,” she admits, one side of her mouth

quirking upward.

“Weird?” I question, surprised by her response.

“Weird how?”

“It just wasn’t there. I mean, he’s obviously hot

and we hit it off and all, but when we started

getting hot and heavy under the pier, something felt
off. I don’t know, there was just no spark.”

“So what happened?” I press for more

information.

“I told him I couldn’t do it.”
“And how did he react?”
“Surprisingly, he was really cool about it. I

think he felt it too. It was different when we were
at the club under the flashing lights with alcohol
pumping through us. But being outside under the
moon, the fresh air in my nose, I don’t know. I
guess it opened my eyes a little. Don’t get me
wrong, Colton is totally friend material. I just didn’t
see it going beyond that. When he kissed me I
expected to feel a spark, but I felt nothing. Like
literally nothing. It was like kissing my cousin or
something. It’s hard to explain. I tried to push
myself through it, thinking maybe it was the pier
and that I’d made a mistake in taking him there, but
I soon realized that wasn’t it. I could tell he felt off
about it too. I guess when you know, you know.”
She shrugs.

“I guess,” I agree softly, my mind drifting back

to Hudson.

“So anyway, we exchanged phone numbers and

he invited me up next weekend.”

“Wait, he invited you up where next weekend?”

I ask, my heart suddenly pounding inside my chest.

“Nashville,” she states like it should be so

obvious.

“Hold up. You’re telling me that you met a guy,

thought you were into him, spent the night grinding
on his leg only to realize later as you were making
out that you weren’t into him, and then at some
point in the time that followed you made plans to
visit him hours away?” I ask, not trying to hide how
odd it all sounds.

“Just because we didn’t click sexually doesn’t

mean we didn’t click. We spent all night getting to
know each other. Like I said, he’s definitely
friendship material. And truthfully, I could always
use more friends. Beats looking at your ugly mug
all the time.” She laughs when I grab the closest
pillow and swing it at her head.

Not letting my violence distract her, she quickly

continues, “So anyways, I think I might go.”

“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” She shrugs like it’s all perfectly

normal.

“Em, you cannot drive damn near eight hours

by yourself to spend the weekend with a guy you
hung out with once. That’s insane.”

“One, it’s not even a little insane. I like him and

you know how much I’ve been dying to go to
Nashville. Two, Hudson is playing on Friday night
and from what Colton tells me, he’s pretty amazing.

I definitely want to see that. And third, I won’t be
going alone because you’re going with me.”

“What?” I momentarily wonder if I’m still

dreaming.

“You heard me. You’re coming with me.”
“I most certainly am not,” I object, setting my

coffee back onto the night stand before crossing my
arms in front of my chest.

“Tell me you’re not the least bit interested in

seeing Hudson again,” she challenges.

“Em,” I start.
“Seriously, Lennon. Just think about it. We

could take a long weekend. Head down on Friday,
see Hudson play. Spend some much needed girl
time together on Saturday. Head home on Sunday
and spend Monday recuperating from what
hopefully will be one hell of a weekend.”

Even I can’t deny her plan doesn’t sound half

bad. And of course I’m dying to see Hudson again,
even if I’m not willing to admit that piece of
information out loud. And seeing him play? I’ve
been dying to do that since the second he told me
he was a musician. I mean, come on, what girl
doesn’t love a hot musician? And Hudson definitely
has the hot part down.

“You know you want to,” Em adds,

straightening her leg out to nudge the side of my
knee with her foot. “Come on, Len. What do you
say?”

“I don’t want Hudson to know I’ll be there.”
“Done.” She nods once. “Colton’s gonna shit

when he finds out we’re coming.”

“You mean Colton doesn’t know? I thought you

said he invited you?”

“He did. I told him I’d think about it. I had to

make sure you’d go with me first.” She smiles wide
and winks before quickly climbing out of the bed.

Rolling to my side, I throw the covers over my

head and let out a slow breath, still not able to fully
process everything that happened last night or how
I feel about it.

I must have dozed off in the few minutes Emma

was gone because when she flops down on the bed
next to me I shoot up, disoriented and a little
confused.

“We’re all set,” she announces, pushing my

wild mess of blonde hair out of my face.

“All set for what?” I manage through a large

yawn.

“I talked to Colton. He gave me the information

to the bar where Hudson is playing. We’re meeting
him there at ten. I figure we will head up right after
class which will put us checking into our hotel
about eight. Then of course we need time to get
ready. Hudson goes on at nine so they’ll be there if
we get in earlier.”

“We’re actually doing this?” I question,

collapsing back onto the bed before rolling face

down into my pillow. “I thought maybe I was
dreaming,” I speak directly into the fluffy cotton.

“No such luck, butter cup.” The bed shifts

seconds before Emma’s hand connects with my ass
cheek on a hard smack. “Now get your ass up.
You’ve got to be at your parents in less than an
hour.”

“I don’t wanna go,” I whine, throwing my

hands dramatically to the side.

“Well too bad. You’ve missed lunch the last two

weekends. If you don’t go today they will come to
us and as much as I love your parents, I do not
want to deal with Elise Claire when she’s in one of
her moods.” I hear the smile in her voice as she
refers to my mother.

My parents are incredible but my mom tends to

get a bit of a stick up her ass when she hasn’t seen
me in a while. Considering my sister, Nana, and
Uncle Scott never miss Sunday lunch, she doesn’t
take too kindly to it when I do.

In my defense, Nana, my mother’s mother,

never misses anything, like ever. Uncle Scott, who
isn’t actually my uncle but a very good family
friend, has exactly two friends and that’s my mom
and dad, so he always shows. He and dad usually
end up sneaking off shortly after eating whatever
elaborate thing my mom made to drink beer and
watch whatever sports program happens to be on at
the time. And Starr, well she still lives with my

parents so she’s there by default. I keep telling my
mom that shouldn’t count but in her book it does.

“Fine.” I groan, knowing she’s right. There’s no

way I can get out of it a third weekend in a row,
especially considering I’ll be missing next Sunday
to be in Nashville with Emma. “You sure you don’t
want to come with me?” I lift my head, spotting my
best friend leaning in the doorway waiting to make
sure I’m actually going to get up.

“I think I hit my quota for the month. Besides,

I’m pretty sure your Nana still hates me. I swear I
feel her glaring at me every time I go anywhere
near her.”

“She does not hate you.” I laugh.
“No, she only blames me for every bad decision

you’ve ever made,” she says with a smile on her
face and humor in her voice.

“She has to blame someone I guess.” I grin,

slowly sitting up before dropping my legs over the
side of the bed.

I stretch my arms over my head, my body sore

in all the right places, causing my smile to spread.

“And there she goes,” Emma says knowingly,

turning in the doorway. “I’ll leave you to day
dream about your hottie. I got shit to do. I’ll be
back later tonight.”

“Love you,” I say to her backside seconds

before she disappears down the hall.

“Love you back,” she says, the front door

opening and closing moments later.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. The

smell of Hudson’s cologne still lingers in the room,
almost as prominent as his touch still lingers on my
skin.

I know it was just one night. Despite any plans

Emma has to prove otherwise, that’s probably all it
will ever be.

Even still, I can’t deny the way my stomach

flutters at the thought of seeing him again next
weekend, even if I think it’s ultimately a bad idea.
There’s no way things will work between us long
term so why make it any harder than it already is.

And even though I know with almost absolute

certainty that this is true, it doesn’t silence that
small voice in my head saying maybe things could
turn out differently for us.

I give myself exactly thirty seconds to mull that

over before I force myself out of bed, knowing the
only thing worse than not showing for Sunday
lunch is showing late and making everyone wait to
eat.

Chapter Four

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” I say,
pausing on the sidewalk under a huge sign that
reads Thrive

–

the bar where Hudson is apparently

playing.

We’ve been in Nashville a total of three hours

and while every part of me has been dying to reach
this moment, now that we’re here I have the
sudden urge to turn around and run in the opposite
direction.

“Relax, Len.” Emma slides an arm across my

shoulders. “He’s gonna be over the moon to see
you.”

“And what if he isn’t?” I voice my real concern

out loud for the first time.

“He will be,” she assures me, giving me a

squeeze before dropping her arm. “You look
incredible. There’s no way he’s going to see you
and not lose his fucking breath.” She smiles, her
eyes sliding down my outfit.

Since it’s a bit chillier in Tennessee, I decided

against the dress Emma tried to get me to wear and
settled on a pair of dark skinny jeans partnered with
an off the shoulder charcoal sweater. My black
boots hit me about mid-calf, accessorized with
charcoal boot socks with black bows on the sides. I
kept my hair down and wavy and my make-up
natural.

I feel good. Not particularly sexy like I did the

night I met Hudson, but definitely more myself.
Which if I remember correctly, Hudson really liked.

“Come on, girl. Everything will be great, you’ll

see.” Emma loops her arm through mine and pulls
me through the front door of the bar.

The moment we step inside, it’s clear to see that

it’s standing room only. People are packed into the
small space like sardines, talking so loudly you can
barely hear the music coming from the in house
speaker system.

My eyes find the stage which is set up with full

band equipment only there’s no band in sight.

Leaning into Emma, I practically shout, “I

thought Hudson was playing.”

“He’s probably on a break or something. Come

on,” she says, giving my arm another tug as she
pulls me further into the room.

I fumble forward, my eyes scanning the crowd

until they land on the side of Hudson’s smiling face
and my entire body freezes.

Emma must feel me go rigid next to her as I feel

her eyes on the side of my face before she turns to
follow my line of sight.

“See, told ya he’d be here...” The last word

trails off as she takes in the same scene that I am.

Hudson’s sitting at a round high top table to the

right of the stage, a stunning brunette in his lap, and
two blondes filling the other two seats next to him.

The woman in his lap leans down and whispers

something in his ear. He drops his head back and
laughs, the sound seeming to vibrate through me
even though I can’t actually hear it.

“Probably just some groupie.” Emma bumps

her shoulder against mine.

And that’s when it happens. That’s when I

watch the perfect brunette dip her head, her lips
landing on Hudson’s. I watch as she practically
swallows his face for all of three seconds before I
move in the opposite direction.

My chest feels tight and tears sting the back of

my nose the instant the cool evening air hits my
face. Walking a good ten feet away from the front
entrance, I don’t stop until Emma’s fingers close
around my wrist from behind.

“Lennon.”
“Do not Lennon me.” I rip my arm out of her

grasp, spinning on my heel to face her. “I told you
to leave it alone. I told you I didn’t want to do this.

I knew this would happen. I knew it.” I throw my
hands up in the air.

“You don’t even know what’s going on in there,

Len. She could be nothing more than some bimbo
trying to throw herself at the hot guy on the mic
tonight.”

“Sure didn’t look like she had to throw very

hard,” I bite, emotion welling in my throat.

I’m pissed. Pissed that I came here against my

better judgment. Pissed that less than a week after
he was in my bed, he’s making out with another
girl. When I’ve been unable to think about anything
but him. And I’m furious with myself for feeling as
hurt as I do right now.

I’m not naïve enough to believe that after a one

night stand he would swear off any woman that
wasn’t me. But deep down I’d hoped it would take
him longer to shake me. Lord knows I haven’t
shaken him.

Song worthy. That’s what his note had said.

Song worthy. Yeah, maybe a song about all the
notches in his bedpost. My stomach rolls at the
thought.

“Lennon,” Emma tries again.
“What did I expect?” I swipe angrily at a tear

that manages to escape my eye; even more pissed
that I’m crying over him too.

Crying.
Me.

Over a man I don’t even know.
A man who I slept with one night and intended

to never see again.

“You like him. It was worth a try. I’m sorry I

insisted you come. You’re right, this was a bad idea
all around. I just hated the idea of you letting the
first guy who really affected you to walk out of
your life so easily.”

“This isn’t your fault.” My voice softening

when I see the regret on her face.

“Yes it is. There was never a plan to meet up

with Colton, Len. I made that up. At some point
during the night he mentioned that Hudson had
landed a gig at Thrive for that next weekend and
how big of a deal it was for him. I didn’t think
much of it until I saw you the next morning. You
looked so happy. I wanted you to hang onto that.”

“You set this whole thing up for me to see

Hudson again?” I question, my voice breaking in
the middle.

“I remembered the name of the bar because I

thought it was a cool name. I didn’t see where it
would hurt to show up. I thought you two would
see each other and none of what I did to get you
here would matter.”

“That wasn’t your call, Em. You lied to me.”

Angry tears start to rebuild behind my eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Len. Truly. I thought I was doing

something good for you. You know, giving you the

push you needed.”

“Yeah, you pushed me flat on my face.” I

ignore the look of hurt that flashes across her own.
It’s easier to be mad at her than to admit it’s really
myself I’m angry with.

I was the one who went to bed with him

knowing I wasn’t the kind of person capable of a
one night stand. The one who came here foolishly
believing that a one night stand I claimed to be
okay with would turn into something more. This
was all on me.

“I want to go home now,” I say, hugging my

arms around myself.

“Of course.” Emma nods once before I turn and

start walking further away from Thrive and the man
that may have just unknowingly broken my heart.

Chapter Five

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Come on, bitches. We’re gonna be late,” my

sister calls from the open door of our hotel suite.

“The concert doesn’t start for another four

hours,” I remind Starr, quickly slapping on another
layer of bright red lipstick that matches the
ridiculous shirts Starr is forcing all of us to wear.

We were all provided with two tanks to wear

for the weekend. One for Friday night to attend the
concert of Starr’s favorite country artist, Travis
Travers. The other for Saturday when we will be
bar hopping and drinking until we forget our names.
My sister’s words, not mine.

Tonight’s tanks have our roles in her wedding

printed across the front in bold red lettering and

whatever stupid nick name she has dubbed for
everyone on the back.

Mine says Maid of Honor on the front and

Luscious Lennon on the back. I bit my tongue and
rolled with it because, well, she’s my little sister
and she’s getting married. If there’s any time she
gets to do things her way, this is it.

Besides, it could be worse. My tank could say

Slutty Sandy like our poor cousin’s does.

My sister does nothing small and this weekend

is no exception. Lucky for Starr, she landed herself
an incredible man who worships the ground she
walks on. At twenty-five, she’s found a man ten
years her senior, who has done pretty well for
himself financially and is determined to give her
everything she wants. Including her dream
bachelorette party weekend in Nashville.

Not only did my future brother-in-law pay for

this incredible suite that we are all sharing for the
weekend, he also got all six of us ‘impossible to
find’ Travis Travers tickets when they had been
sold out for months.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little jealous of

what my sister found. Not that I would go for Mark.
He’s so far from my type it’s almost comical. But
he’s good for Starr. They’re good together.

It’s more what they share that has me staring

face to face with the ugly green monster nearly
every time I’m around them. The way he looks at

her. The way she looks at him. God, what I
wouldn’t give to have someone look at me that way
and mean it.

My mind flashes to Gage and a full body tremor

runs through me. I thought I had found something
with Gage. I’d spent two years convinced that I
had. Until six months ago when the rug got pulled
out from underneath me and I have still yet to find
my footing.

“Ladies.” Starr pulls my attention back to

where she’s still standing in the doorway, her
sandaled foot tapping the floor impatiently.

My sister and I look a lot alike. She’s slimmer

than me, lacking my boobs and hips, and her hair’s
about two shades darker than mine but other than
that you might swear we were twins. More than
once we’ve been mistaken as just that.

“Alright, girls. Let’s wrap this up before

Princess Starr has a conniption and we all spend the
rest of the evening paying for it.” I smile at my
sister who instantly flips me off, tossing her hair
over one shoulder.

It takes me nearly five minutes to gather my

sister’s three friends

–

Chelsea, Julie, and Jaime

–

and our cousin Sandy and usher them all out the
door. As the maid of honor my sister put me in
charge of keeping everyone on task and on time.

Oh joy!

The party bus Mark rented for us is waiting on

the curb of the hotel when we step outside. The
instant the warm air engulfs me sweat forms at the
nape of my neck.

It’s summer. Summer in Florida is hot. Summer

in Nashville is torture. The air is so much heavier
making it feel almost impossible to breathe
sometimes. Thankfully when we step into the party
bus the air conditioning is blasting.

It’s around ninety-five degrees out and my

bridezilla of a sister is making us stand out under
the blaring sun for nearly four hours to ensure she
is close to the stage for when Travis Travers comes
out.

Four hours...
In the middle of the summer...
I don’t even really like Travis Travers. I mean,

he’s cute, is probably one of the only country artists
who can pull off skinny jeans, and has a pretty
stellar voice, but it’s his songs that don’t strike a
chord with me. Most of his music has little to no
meaning for me and I have trouble truly enjoying it.
To me music is all about the connection, the
meaning, the words, the way it makes me feel.

Needless to say, she’s lucky I love her.
Since we’re staying downtown and the concert

is taking place at the football stadium just a few
blocks away, we could have walked with no issue,
but Starr was having none of that. So, in true Mark

fashion, he rented a bus and paid a pretty penny to
have it sit on the curb all night before driving us the
five minutes back to the hotel at the end of the
concert.

A huge waste if you ask me.
We’ve just pulled onto the main strip when my

eyes land on the large sign that I know first-hand is
lit in neon lettering at night. Thrive.

My stomach twists and a weird knot forms in

the back of my throat. I haven’t been to Nashville
since that night five years ago.

I can’t believe it’s been five years.
Hudson’s face instantly flashes in front of my

eyes. I can still see him in my mind like it was
yesterday. Weird, I know, considering I spent less
than twelve hours with the man. But there he is,
etched into my mind as if I’d known him half my
life.

My phone vibrates in the back pocket of my cut

off jean shorts, snapping me from my trance.
Pulling it out, I smile when I see Emma’s name
flash across the screen, glancing up just in time to
see Thrive disappear through the back window of
the bus.

“Are you ready to kill her yet?” Are the first

words that leave my best friend’s mouth.

“We’re heading to the concert nearly four hours

early. What do you think?” I mutter quietly into the
phone.

“Ouch. Why not just tell her you’ll meet her

there when the concert actually starts?” she
suggests.

“You think I didn’t try that one already,” I

retort.

“Didn’t go for it, huh?” She chuckles.
“Not for a second,” I deadpan. “And to make

matters worse, I have to deal with her all by myself
because my best friend totally bailed on me to
spend the week in Cancun with her perfect
husband.” I pretend gag into the phone.

Emma met Robert around the same time I met

Gage. Robert is amazing. Dark skin, dark eyes, a
smile that lights up an entire room. Emma has
always been the most beautiful person in a crowd
but Robert is her perfect equal. Together they will
have the most gorgeous babies on planet Earth.

They dated about a year before she finally

moved in with him. Two months later I moved in
with Gage, leaving behind the condo that Emma
and I had shared since freshman year of college.
The condo her dad generously re-rented to me at
half the normal cost after things with Gage went
south.

Emma and Robert got married six months ago.

It was actually the night of their wedding when I
found out Gage had been cheating on me for
months and had gotten the girl pregnant. Not a fair
trade off if you ask me.

So while my best friend floats around in perfect

wedded bliss and my sister floats around in soon to
be perfect wedded bliss, I’m dragging my bitter ass
out of bed every morning wondering why I seem to
be the only one who can’t find ‘the one’.

“I totally would be there if I could. You know I

would,” Emma says, pulling me back to the present,
her smile reflected through her tone.

“Don’t lie. You are thanking your lucky stars

that your vacation just happened to fall on the same
weekend. Otherwise you know I would have made
you come.”

“Okay. I won’t deny that I would much rather

be here.” She giggles, covering the phone as she
says something to who I’m assuming is Robert. “I
still feel bad that I’m not there for you,” she finally
adds.

“Yeah. Yeah. Save that shit for someone who’ll

believe it.”

“Hello, Lennon,” Robert says into the phone.
“Hello, Mister stole my best friend but I love

you anyway because you make her insanely
happy,” I reply.

“You’re too easy on me,” he replies and I

realize Emma has me on speaker phone.

“I figure you have to deal with Emma. How

much can one man take?”

He chuckles, followed by what sounds like a

smack, no doubt Emma laying into him for

laughing, drifts over the line.

“Okay, you two. I gotta go. Four hours of

unbearable heat followed by four hours of music
I’m sure I won’t enjoy is calling to me.”

“Who knows, maybe something amazing will

happen.” That’s Emma’s staple response whenever
I try to be a pessimist. She tries to balance it out
with her eternal optimism.

“I’ll be sure to hold my breath.” I roll my eyes.
“You’ll be back on Monday, right? We’ve got

that big beach house project coming up. The
contractors are already there gutting it so we should
be able to go in and start sketching the design by
then.”

“I knew you couldn’t resist talking about

work,” Robert says, a playful annoyance in his
voice.

“Of course not, she is her father’s daughter,” I

remind him.

“There you two go again, ganging up on me,”

Emma whines playfully.

“On that note, I gotta go, love birds. Be safe

and I’ll see you on Monday, Em.”

“Okay, love you,” Emma offers, followed by

Robert’s very over the top, “Love you, Lennon.”

“Love you both too. Though sometimes I

question my sanity,” I quip, hearing Robert’s deep
chuckle and Emma’s dramatic gasp seconds before
I end the call.

Shoving the device back into my pocket, I tune

into the conversation happening on the bus just in
time to hear my sister telling Chelsea that she’s
going to flash her boobs at Travis Travers to see if
he’ll pull her on stage.

I open my mouth to point out that she will most

likely be one of hundreds of women that will try
that exact same stunt to grab the hot country star’s
attention. Never mind that she’s getting married in
two weeks’ time so she should definitely not be
doing anything of the sort, but knowing it will do
me no good I snap it closed.

Once the driver swings around to the front of

the stadium and opens the door, the girls file out
one after the other, me being the last to exit. I feel
like a mother agreeing to take five teenage girls to
see Justin Bieber with the way they all bounce
down the sidewalk with excitement, quickly joining
the line of people already waiting.

Even though I’m only two years older than

Starr and her friends and one year older than Sandy,
I feel like we are all worlds apart. I’m not really
sure when I became the old mother hen of the
group but I do know how much I dislike the
thought.

Chapter Six

I’m done. I’ve gone from standing outside the
stadium roasting my ass off to standing inside the
stadium still roasting my ass off. I’ve guzzled beer
after beer at ten bucks a pop hoping it will provide
me with some kind of relief but it’s done no good.
I’m pretty sure the alcohol is just seeping out of my
sweat glands seconds after I drink it.

I’m hot. I’m tired. I’m currently squished

between hundreds of people not far from the stage,
and even though I feel like I’ve been walking
around in sky high heels for the last several hours,
there’s nowhere for me to sit to get any kind of
relief.

The opening act left the stage a few minutes

ago. Some guy/girl group that I’d never heard of.

They weren’t awful, but they weren’t good enough
to make me forget how miserable I was either.

Thankfully the sun has almost fully set and

while it’s still warm, without the blazing heat
bearing down on me I’m finally starting to cool off
a little.

The crowd around us buzzes waiting for the

second act to take the stage. Meanwhile, I check
my cell phone for the hundredth time wondering
how much longer they could possibly take. At this
rate we’re going to be here all night. I don’t relish
the idea.

“Here.” I look up from my phone just in time to

see Sandy peek through the crowd, holding out a
beer to me.

“You’ve been gone forever,” I comment, sliding

my phone into the back pocket of my shorts. I take
a long guzzle of the cold liquid the second it’s in my
hand.

“The lines are ridiculous.” She shakes her head.

“I’m remembering why I don’t come to huge
concerts like this.”

“Yeah, you and me both.”
“There’s at least twenty people back there that

threatened to kick my ass on my way back here.
They didn’t want to let me by them. Like one
person is going to make any kind of difference as to
how close they get to the stage.” She rolls her blue
eyes, taking a drink of her own beer.

“Yeah, I experienced that earlier.” When it had

been my turn to do the beer run I almost couldn’t
get back to the group.

“Insanity.” She shakes her head, taking another

long pull of her beer. “At least they’re twenty-four
ounces, otherwise we’d be doing more beer runs
than anything else.” She gestures to the can in her
hand.

I nod, glancing around when the lights suddenly

dim and the song blaring from the speakers cuts
out. The crowd erupts in applause moments later as
the second band takes the stage.

“Who is this, anyway?” I ask Sandy as we both

turn our attention toward the stage, catching sight
of my sister and her three friends two rows in front
of us.

“Hudson James,” she yells over the opening

chords of the guitar.

“Never heard of him.”
“He sings that Tequila Haze song that’s on the

radio a lot.”

“Gotcha.” I nod my head, having heard the

song a couple times recently.

“Holy shit. That man is fine!” I watch my

cousin openly gawk before I follow her line of
sight.

The second I locate the man she’s talking about,

everything goes fuzzy. He steps up to the
microphone and smiles out at the audience.

I’d know that smile anywhere.
Hudson?
“How we doin’ tonight, Nashville?” His voice

rings out over the crowd and screams erupt around
me, coming from every direction. I can’t move.
Can’t react. Stuck in some kind of trance.

I convince myself I’m seeing things. Certainly

that’s not my Hudson. Not that he was ever mine,
but you know what I mean.

I squint harder, thinking maybe there’s

something wrong with my eyes and that being in
the heat all day is somehow messing with me.

I blink slow, reopening my eyes just as he starts

to sing the opening line of his first song. The instant
his voice washes over me I feel like I’ve been
transported to some alternate universe. He’s
incredible. Goose bumps break out all over my
skin.

His sexy rasp fills the air and I know with

complete certainty that I’m not the only one that
can feel it. The magic. The knowledge that you’re
witnessing something truly special.

I had wondered for years what happened to

Hudson. Did he still play in Nashville? Was he
married? Was he happy? Did he ever think of me?

And now I have my answer. Well, at least one

of my answers.

It feels like only seconds have passed when the

first song comes to an end. I haven’t moved an

inch. I’m stuck in the exact same place I was when
he first walked out on that stage, trying to process
that it’s really him standing in front of me.

I can’t tear my eyes away from him. He’s just

as gorgeous as I remember. No, scratch that. He’s
even more so. Age has only made him more
irresistible. Of course, the way his faded jeans hang
on his hips and his white tee clings to his incredible
body doesn’t hurt matters at all. My eyes drink him
in, ounce by delicious ounce, jumping slightly when
the band starts another song. The recognition is
instant.

Tequila Haze.
It isn’t until he starts singing again that reality

starts to seep back in. I’ve been listening to Hudson
on the radio for weeks and had no idea it was him.
While it’s a great song, I hadn’t taken the time to
listen to the words until now. I mean, really listen.

I close my eyes for the briefest moment,

allowing the words to take me back to five years
ago when Hudson and I danced all night doing
shots of tequila. And how we drank from the same
bottle as we walked on the beach. And then what
came after. I’ve never looked at tequila the same
again.

And that’s when everything shifts.
No?
He wouldn’t have...

My mind rushes with the possibility and I focus

harder on the words.

“I lost myself in a bottle of tequila and a blue

eyed girl.”

My heart starts thudding harder in my chest,

thundering so loud I can hear it over everything
else around me.

“She took me by the hand and led me to the

dance floor. My heart beating faster than it ever
had before. She smiled up at me through that
tequila haze...”

My eyes come back into focus and the world

seems to have slowed down around me. The
crowd’s cheering, swaying, and singing along but in
my world there’s only Hudson and me.

Emotion clogs tight in my throat and I find my

hand wrapped tightly around my cousin’s wrist,
having not even realized I put it there until Sandy
nudges me with her shoulder.

“You okay?” she asks when my slow gaze

meets hers.

“I think so,” I say slowly, mouthing around the

words. “I know him,” I say more to myself than her
as I turn my gaze back up to the stage.

“You know who?” she questions, her mouth

close to my ear.

“Him,” I say, my gaze locked on Hudson just as

his eyes sweep the audience and somehow find
mine out of the thousands in the crowd.

His face lights in recognition and after a couple

beats, where I’m sure he’s wondering the same
thing I am

—

if he’s seeing things

—

a full blown smile

spreads across his handsome face. I’m several feet
back from the stage but even from here I swear I
can see his dimple peak out beneath his facial hair.
It’s slightly longer than I remember but even sexier.

A whoosh runs through my entire body making

me feel instantly off balance. I close my eyes, take
a deep breath, and reopen them.

“Him,” I say again as Hudson moves to the

other side of the stage, his gaze coming back to me
again and again over the next several moments.

“Hudson James?” Sandy questions, her eyes

following where mine are.

“Hudson.” I smile around his name in

confirmation.

“I’m sorry. I’m confused. You’re telling me you

know Hudson James?” she practically screams in
my ear over the music and noise of the crowd.

“That, my dear cousin, is exactly what I’m

telling you.” I give her a knowing look, turning my
attention back to Hudson.

—-

Hudson’s set passes in a blur. It’s like one minute
he’s standing in front of the microphone and I’m
trying to remember how to breathe and the next

he’s thanking everyone before running off the
stage, red faced and shirt wet with sweat.

Starr turns and reaches for me as the crowd

starts to thin, trying to get in bathroom breaks and
beer runs before the headliner comes on. I take her
hand, allowing her to pull me up to where her and
her friends have managed to squeeze all the way up
to the stage.

“What did you think of Hudson James?” Starr

asks just as Sandy steps up beside me. “He was
incredible, wasn’t he?” she gushes without giving
anyone else the chance to answer.

“Lennon knows him,” Sandy announces and

my sister instantly starts laughing.

“Yeah, right.” She shakes her head, thinking

that Sandy is messing with her. “Wait, do you
really?” she chokes out when she sees the
seriousness on my face.

“I did. A long time ago anyway.”
“How? How do you know him?”
“Starr...” I start to tell her we can talk about it

later when a hand wraps around my bicep and turns
me to the left.

“Well, holy shit, it is you.” Colton smiles wide

when he takes in my face, the action reaching his
eyes. “When Hud told me he saw you in the crowd
I thought he was seeing things.”

Colton looks almost exactly as I remember.

Well, a little more filled out and the man bun is

nowhere in sight. His once long locks are now
trimmed short and spiked a little in the front.

“Surprise.” I hold my hands out in mock

excitement.

“I gotta be honest, I never thought I’d see you

again.”

“I gotta be honest, neither did I.” We both

smile, my cousin, sister, and her friends all
watching the interaction with unmasked curiosity.

“Anyway, Hudson sent me out to get you. He’s

backstage.”

“Wait, you’re here to take me backstage?” I

blurt in surprise, my heart instantly kicking up
speed as a nervous knot forms in the pit of my
stomach.

“Yep.” He nods his confirmation.
“I can’t go back stage...” I start, but his words

cut me off.

“That’s what this is for.” He slides one of the

two backstage passes from his neck and drops it
around mine. “Come on. We don’t have a lot of
time. Hudson has an interview scheduled in like
five minutes.”

“Wait, you got any more of those?” my sister

calls out seconds after Colton turns.

“Next time, ladies,” he promises, his eyes

tracing quickly over the five women before he
maneuvers me in front of him, guiding me through

the crowd toward the side of the stage, his hands on
my shoulders.

He releases me when we reach a security gate

where we are stopped by a large guard wearing
black cargos and a tight black tee. The man scans
both of our badges with a handheld device before
allowing us to continue through with nothing more
than a curt nod.

“So, how are you? How’s everything? How’s

Emma?” Colton asks me in quick succession as he
leads me through one of the tunnels I believe
football players use to enter and exit the field. Not
that I’d know for sure. I’m not much for watching
football, having never really understood the sport.

“Good. Everything’s good. Emma’s married

now,” I respond on a shaky exhale, my nerves so
shot I feel like I’m seconds away from barfing all
over the place.

“Married?” Colton questions, thinking over this

for a moment.

“Six months ago.” I chuckle at his expression.

Talking about Emma I can do. Anything to keep me
from thinking about where I’m currently headed, or
rather who I’m headed to. “Trust me, I was just as
surprised.” I shake my head, finally finishing my
thought.

“And you? Are you married?” he asks,

throwing me a sideways glance.

“That would be a no.” I grimace.

“Kids?”
“Nope.”
“Well that’s a relief,” he mutters under his

breath but I catch every word.

“Come again?” I press.
He throws me a knowing smile but before he

can explain why the hell he said what he said, my
focus goes somewhere else completely.

“Lennon Claire.” Hudson’s smooth voice

washes over me and I swear every inch of my skin
prickles.

I turn, my words getting lost in my throat when

Hudson stops directly in front of me. Without any
warning he pulls me into his arms, hugging me so
tight you would think we were old friends and not
two people who slept together one night a life time
ago.

“Hudson,” I force out as he steps back, his eyes

taking me in from head to toe.

“You never called.” He smirks, crossing his

arms in front of his chest.

“I, uh, yeah. I lost your number,” I spit out the

first excuse I can think of, feeling the heat instantly
flood my face.

“You lost my number,” he says slowly, studying

me.

“Yeah. You know me, I’m always losing things.

Well, I guess you don’t know that about me.
Anyway, you were incredible out there. I mean

truly. So good.” I shake my head, trying to stop
myself from rambling.

“Thanks.” His lips tip up and that damn dimple

makes an appearance, doing funny things to my
chest. I look away, realizing that Colton is no longer
next to me.

“I didn’t know you were playing tonight,” I

quickly continue. “In fact, I didn’t even know you
were still playing,” I admit, because I feel like I
need to keep talking for some reason. “Hudson
James? I thought your last name was Demasi.”

Five years ago I was all cool and calm. Tonight

I feel like I’m gonna vibrate out of my own skin
from the nervous energy coursing through me.

“You remember my last name.” He smirks.
“You remembered mine.”
“Good point.” He chuckles low in his throat

before answering the name question. “James is my
middle name. I got signed about a year ago. My
debut album dropped two weeks ago,” he offers
several answers in one quick go.

“That’s incredible, Hudson. Truly. You

definitely deserve it. When you said you were a
musician I had no idea.” I bite my bottom lip to
keep myself from saying more.

“So you’re in Nashville for a...” He eyes the

front of my shirt, quirking an eyebrow.
“Bachelorette party?” he finishes the statement.

“My sister’s,” I confirm.

“Starr.”
“You remember my sister’s name?”
“Kind of hard not to. Starr. With two Rs,” he

repeats what I told him that night at the bar.

“Right.” I laugh to myself. “She’s forcing us to

wear these shirts all weekend. It’s kind of
ridiculous.”

“Not at all.” He smirks. “I think they’re nice.”
“You just like them because you can pretty

much see right through them,” I counter.

“There she is.” He chuckles.
I lose myself in his eyes, in his smile, in the way

he’s looking at me like I’m the sweetest damn thing
he’s ever seen. It’s all too much and yet not
enough.

I’m instantly transported back to the last time I

was in Nashville, watching him kiss that girl like he
hadn’t been in my bed days before. It’s irrational of
me, just like it was the night it happened, but it
doesn’t take away the sting I still feel when I think
about it.

“How long are you in town for?” his question

breaks into my thoughts.

“Oh. Uh. We leave Sunday morning.”
“Perfect. Have dinner with me tomorrow

night.” His request catches me a little off guard.

“I can’t.” I hitch my finger toward my shirt.

“Maid of honor duties and all.”

“What’s your plan?”

“My sister is determined to drink at least one

drink at every bar on the main strip. Money says
I’ll be carrying her back to the hotel by nine.”

“So meet me after.”
“I shouldn’t. I don’t really know how late we’ll

go. Maybe Starr will be sensible for once in her life
and prove me wrong.” I shrug, realizing that I just
gave two conflicting answers.

“Then meet me for lunch before you go out.”
“Hudson,” I start to object.
“Come on. It’s lunch. We’ll catch up. I’ll have

you back to your sister with plenty of time for your
night of debauchery.” He holds his hands up in a
pretty please gesture.

I chew on my bottom lip, knowing I probably

shouldn’t say yes but also really, really wanting to.
Before I can answer a tall blonde appears at the
mouth of the hall not far from where we’re
standing.

“Hudson, there you are. Come on, everyone’s

waiting.” She crosses toward us, her cell phone
pressed to her ear. “Yeah, I got him. Give me five.”
She stops two feet from where we’re standing and
ends the call.

I can’t help but look her over. She’s tall, thin,

dressed in a tight pencil skirt, and ruffled cream
blouse, her hair pulled back in a low ponytail. I’d
guess she’s in her late thirties and even though her

expression says she just sucked on a lemon, it’s
clear she’s very pretty.

“What the hell are you doing out here? Patrick

is in there waiting.”

“Relax, J. A couple minutes isn’t going to kill

him.” Hudson shakes his head.

“No, but that doesn’t mean he won’t kill me,”

she clips, her eyes finally landing on me like she’s
just now noticing I’m standing here.

“Who’s this?” She swivels toward me, her eyes

giving me a long once over.

“J, this is Lennon. Lennon, my PR Manager

Jane. J for short.”

“It’s nice to meet you, J,” I start but she

immediately cuts me off.

“Yeah, yeah, you too.” Her tone is clipped and

laced with frustration but it’s clear it has very little
to do with me. “Seriously, Hudson, we have to go.
It took me weeks to arrange this interview.”

“I’m coming.” He nods his head toward the hall

she appeared from, gesturing for her to give him a
second.

“You have one minute, Hudson. Or I swear to

god I will drag you there by force,” she warns,
spinning on her high heels before quickly stomping
away.

“Ignore her. High strung as they come but if

you can get her to calm down a little she’s actually
not so bad.”

“I get it,” I say, even though I really don’t. “I

guess I should let you get to it.”

“I’m not going anywhere until you agree to

have lunch with me tomorrow.”

“Hudson.” I blow out a slow breath, trying to

remind myself of all the reasons I shouldn’t.

“Come on. It’s just lunch.” He takes a step

toward me and I instantly get a waft of his scent.
Deep musk with a hint of sweat. The combination
leaves me feeling a little light headed and a lot
turned on. “Besides, you kind of owe me one after
leaving me hanging the way you did.”

“I didn’t leave you hanging,” I argue.
“No?” He cocks his head to the side and studies

me for a long moment, a small smile playing on his
mouth. “That’s not how I remember it.”

“Well perhaps your memory isn’t that good,” I

quip, having trouble fighting my own smile when
his spreads into a full blown one. His entire face
lights up.

“Lunch. We can work out the details later. Just

say you’ll come.”

I feel my resolve waning, and even though I

know I shouldn’t, I can’t seem to resist him.
Especially with the way he’s looking at me.

“Fine.” Rolling my eyes I cave, not able to say

no despite how badly I wish I could. “But you’re
paying, Mr. Hot Shot Country Star.” I reach out and
shove playfully against his hard chest.

He catches my wrist mid-air and turns it

upward, dropping his lips to my palm the same way
he did that night five years ago.

“It’s the least I can do.” He looks up at me and

winks before straightening his stance. “I haven’t
touched a drink and yet I can feel the familiar
burn of Tequila,” he murmurs more to himself than
to me. I instantly recognize it as a lyric from the
song he started his set with.

“Tequila Haze?” I question. “It’s about our

night together, isn’t it?” I ask, hoping I don’t sound
too presumptuous.

He doesn’t confirm or deny but by the smile on

his face I’d say I hit the nail on the head.

“Cell.” He holds his hand out.
It takes a second to realize what he’s asking for,

but once I do I quickly pull the device out of my
back pocket and drop it into his hand.

He swipes across the screen and a few seconds

later his phone chirps in his pocket.

“There,” he says, ending the call. “Now I have

your number. You know, in case you lose mine
again.” He steps directly into me, reaching around
to slide my cell phone back into my jeans. His
breath is hot on the side of my neck, sending a full
body tremor right through me.

“I told you that you were song worthy,” he says

seconds before his lips kiss the soft spot beneath

my ear. “Tomorrow,” he confirms, pulling back to
meet my gaze.

“Tomorrow,” I barely get the word out, my

heart beating so hard and fast I swear there’s no
way he can’t hear it.

“Goodnight, Luscious Lennon.” He winks

before spinning on his heel and quickly walking
away.

I smile, not able to tear my eyes off of him until

he turns at the end of the hall and disappears
around the corner.

“You ready?” Colton reappears out of nowhere,

causing me to jump at his voice. I’d still been
staring at the spot I last saw Hudson at and hadn’t
heard him approach.

“Hey. Crap you scared me.” I clench my chest.
“Sorry. I kinda snuck up on ya there, didn’t I?

Hudson wanted me to take you back to your
friends.”

“You don’t have to do that. I can find my way,”

I say, giving him a friendly smile before turning.

“I want to,” he insists, matching my stride as I

head back down the tunnel we entered through.
“Everybody always gets so up in arms over going
backstage but I gotta tell ya, nothing beats being
out in the crowd.”

“Unless you’ve been out there for hours

blistering in the sun.”

“Yeah, about that.” He presses his finger on my

shoulder, watching the bright red skin turn white for
a split second before going red again.

“Yeah, I’m aware.”
“It’s called sunscreen,” he teases.
“It’s called fair skin,” I retort. “This is after

applying sunscreen nearly every hour.” I pull the
small, near empty tube from my pocket, proving my
point.

“Wow.” He laughs, shaking his head.
“Right.” I shove the tube back in my front

pocket as we reach the gate. “Well, thanks for
walking with me. I’m not sure how exactly I’m
going to get back up there.” I gesture toward the
people closest to the stage.

“Flash your backstage pass. They’ll think

you’re someone worth moving for.” He winks when
he catches my playfully offended expression.

“You know what, I think I just might do that.” I

flip my ponytail as I step past him, turning after I
pass the guard. “It was good seeing you again,
Colton.” I give him a smile.

“It was good seeing you too, Lennon. Tell

Emma I say hello.”

“Will do.” I throw up a half wave and quickly

walk away without looking back.

Chapter Seven

Unknown: Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

I smile as I read the text from Hudson, sent

approximately forty-five minutes ago. It was such a
cluster trying to exit the concert that I hadn’t even
thought of checking my phone until now.

I save the number under Hudson’s name and

quickly type out a reply.

Me: I’m sorry, do I know you?
I laugh to myself, tucking my knees up against

the seat in front of me like I always used to do
when I was a kid. Considering the party bus is more
like a small school bus, it’s something I do without
even really thinking about it.

Hudson: Maybe not well, but if I have anything

to say about it you will.

His words hold so much promise, the thought

sending a thrill right through me, causing me to
squirm a little in my seat.

Me: Is that so? What if I don’t like you once I

know you?

I hold my breath as I watch the dots bounce

across the screen, stop, and then start again seconds
later.

Hudson: You liked me just fine five years ago.
The memory of our night together hits me like a

hammer, pounding into me.

Me: Liked being the operative word.
Hudson: You wound me, Luscious Lennon.
Me: To be fair, I didn’t really know you five

years ago. One night hardly classifies knowing
someone.

Hudson: Well now’s the perfect time to remedy

that.

Me: And if it turns out I really don’t like you?

What then?

Hudson: Oh, you’ll like me just fine.
I read over his last message several times,

knowing with complete certainty that he’s right. I
more than liked him during our night together. Hell,
the days following that night I almost swore I had
fallen for him.

It was ludacris, of course. Who falls in love

with someone they just met? Then again, deep in
my chest, whether I want to admit it or not, Hudson

really did take a piece of me with him after that
night. A piece, no matter how hard I’ve tried, I
couldn’t seem to get back.

My phone signals another text message, pulling

me from my thoughts.

Hudson: Meet me at Mimi’s around noon?
Me: And Mimi’s is where exactly?
Hudson: Just off the main strip. I’ll text you

the address in the morning.

Me: Okay. Sounds like a plan.
My fingers hover over the screen as I fight the

urge to type more.

“Lennon, did you hear me?” I look up to see

Starr turned backward in the seat in front of me, an
annoyed look on her face.

“Sorry, what?” I quickly lock my phone and

drop it onto the seat next to me.

“I asked if you were going to tell me what

happened with the Hudson James,” she repeats the
question I didn’t hear the first time around.

When I finally made my way back to the group,

Travis Travers was already on stage and my sister
and her friends were too enthralled with the way he
was shaking his ass to question where I’d
disappeared to.

Sandy had given me a strange look to which I

mouthed “Later,” before turning my attention to
the man on stage.

“This I need to hear.” Sandy leans sideways in

the seat across from my sister, her head popping
into view.

“Sorry to disappoint, but there really isn’t

anything to tell,” I semi lie.

“Bullshit,” Starr bites out, pointing her finger

right at my face. “I know that look, Lennon Marie.
Now spill.”

“I’m meeting him for lunch tomorrow,” I say

without meaning to.

“You’re having lunch with Hudson James?”

Starr says almost disbelieving.

“His name is Hudson Demasi, and yes, we are

meeting tomorrow at noon at some place called
Mimi’s.”

“Tell me how it is that you just happen to know

this guy? I mean, not that you’re not pretty, sis, but
have you really looked at that man?”

I bite back a smile, choosing my next words

carefully.

“I’m going to pretend you didn’t imply that I’m

not good looking enough to go to lunch with him.
And for your information, I met him five years ago
when he was on spring break in Destin with his
friend, Colton.”

“The guy that came out and got you?” Sandy

questions.

I nod in response.

“So you met him five years ago. But how do

you remember each other?” My sister brings me
back to what she really wants to know.

“Emma and I were celebrating her birthday

when we met Hudson and Colton. We all hit it off
and ended up hanging out the rest of the night.
That’s pretty much it. I haven’t seen him since.”

“So you mean to tell me you only hung out

once, yet he was able to recognize you from up on
stage among all the other faces? I call bullshit.” She
studies me for a long moment before adding, “You
slept with him.”

“No I didn’t.” I shoot her comment down like

it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard and
yet something tells me my expression isn’t so
convincing.

“Oh my god, you totally did. You little slut.”

She slaps at me playfully.

“I’m not a slut,” I disagree, the corner of my

mouth twitching.

Truth be told, I’m about the furthest from a slut

you can get. Okay maybe not completely, but I’ve
only slept with four men in my twenty-seven years
on this earth and Hudson is the only one night stand
I’ve ever had.

Starr opens her mouth like she wants to say

more, but closes it when the bus pulls to a stop
outside of our hotel and the doors slide open.

“Don’t think you’re getting off that easy,” she

warns, standing. “I want every detail later. And I
mean every detail.” She shakes her head. “I can’t
believe you kept this from me.”

“Well in my defense, I had no idea he was the

Hudson James. Until I saw him on stage I thought
he was still some small time guitar player who sang
in random bars from time to time.”

“Uh huh.” She gives me a look that says she

really does not believe me before spinning and
quickly exiting the bus.

—-

“Shut up! Shut up!” Emma squeals so loudly I have
to hold the phone away from my ear as to not
rupture an eardrum.

“Calm down. You keep screaming like that

you’re likely to give your poor husband a heart
attack.”

“Oh please. He’s heard me scream a lot

louder.” Her words drip with seduction and I have
no control over the laugh that rips from my throat.

“I’m completely unsurprised by this news,” I

tell her flatly once I’ve reeled in the laughter still
apparent in my voice.

“Considering your room was right next to mine

for over half a decade, I should think not,” she
smarts. “Now stop trying to change the subject.

Hudson. Holy shit, Lennon. How are you not
freaking out right now?”

“Who says I’m not freaking out?” My voice

going up an octave.

“Well if you are freaking out you sound eerily

calm doing it.”

“I think I’m still in shock,” I admit.
Hell, when I woke up this morning I swore

yesterday had been a dream. I was convinced of it.
That is until I looked at my phone and saw a
message from Hudson sent just after nine this
morning. Seconds later I was on the phone with
Emma, feeling like I might vomit at any moment.

I don’t know why I’m so worked up. It’s not

like me to get this twisted up over a guy. But this
isn’t just any guy. This is the guy that after one
night with I was prepared to declare my love to.
This is the guy that no man, including Gage, has
been able to live up to since.

I have no idea how a one night stand five years

ago could still hold so much weight over me.
Maybe it’s because that night with Hudson was
magical. Or maybe I’ve convinced myself that
Hudson is something he’s not. Even after coming to
Nashville and seeing him with another girl I still
only thought fondly of him.

Sure, I was hurt. But I think it was more that I

was disappointed. I had hoped to be more than

what I’d agreed to. In the end, it was a pretty bitter
pill to swallow.

“Did you hear me, Lennon?” Emma’s annoyed

tone pulls me from my thoughts and I blink slowly,
wondering where the hell I just went.

“Sorry.” I shake my head trying to shake off the

fog. “What did you say?”

“I asked what your game plan is,” she says,

clearly for the second time.

“Game plan?” I repeat, not entirely sure I get

what she’s asking.

“Yeah. Your game plan. Clearly he still has the

same affect over you as he did five years ago. So
what’s your play?”

“I don’t know what you’re asking me,” my

voice full of confusion.

“Oh my god, Len, sometimes.” She huffs loudly

and I can imagine she is shaking her head. “I’m
saying that clearly you’re still into him. And
considering that he sent Colton after you last night,
then insisted you have lunch with him today, I’d
say he’s still into you. So, what’s the play? Are you
going to go in there hot and tell him straight up that
you came to Nashville for him because you wanted
more? And that you still want more? Or are you
going to try to play it cool, deny anything of the
sort, and end up failing miserably anyway.”

“Well, one, thanks for the confidence. Two, I

think you’re getting ahead of yourself. We hooked

up, had a great night, ran into each other again after
a few years and decided to have lunch to catch up.
I don’t want to make it more than it is.”

“More like you don’t want to get your hopes up

again.” Her voice softens as she reads my message
loud and clear.

“Exactly,” I confirm on a slow sigh. “That man

crushed me after one night. I can’t go back there
again. I’m not ashamed to admit he has a power
over me that no one has ever had. I can’t explain it
or even begin to understand it, but it’s there. And
that was just when he was a regular guy. Now he’s
an up and coming musician with his debut album
blowing up the charts. It’s only a matter of time
before he’s as big as Travis Travers. Then where
will that leave me? Even if things progress beyond
today, there’s no way this could ever work. And the
likelihood that he has interest in that is probably
minimal.”

“I think you’re wrong,” Emma quietly

interjects.

“I don’t think I am,” Glancing at the clock to

see it’s already almost ten and I still need to shower
and get ready. “I think what I'm going to be is late if
I don’t get off here,” I quickly add.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll let you go. But promise you’ll

call as soon as it’s over.”

“I promise.”
“Have fun on your date.”

“It’s not a date. We’re just having lunch,” I

argue.

“Call it whatever you want. I still think you’ll

end up flat on your back at the end of it.” She
giggles, not waiting for me to reply before ending
the call without warning.

“Why am I friends with her again?” I mutter to

the phone in my hand before grumpily tossing it
onto the bed.

Luckily for me, Starr and the other girls headed

out a while ago to get breakfast so none of them
were here to overhear my conversation with Emma.
The last thing I want to do is make this a big deal.
The bigger of a deal it is, the more disappointed I
will be in the end.

With that thought, I stand, grabbing the bag

with my toiletries in it before quickly ducking into
the bathroom. If nothing else maybe a hot shower
will help melt away some of the tension bundling
tightly in my shoulders.

Chapter Eight

“You look beautiful.” It’s the first thing Hudson
says to me when I reach him, leaning against the
wall outside of Mimi’s. His arms are crossed in
front of his chest and a baseball cap is pulled low
over his face.

I have to inhale a steady breath at the sight of

him. He’s so good looking it’s almost painful. Faded
jeans sit just right on his hips, a gray tee clinging to
his large biceps. The man knows what he’s working
with and it’s clear he knows how to work it.

“Thanks,” I manage to choke out.
I ignore the way my skin lights up as his gaze

drops to my sandal covered feet before trailing
slowly up my bare legs, his eyes dark by the time
they reach mine.

I had worried that my jean shorts and black top

would be too casual but seeing how Hudson is
dressed confirms I made the right call.

“I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding the

place.” He smiles like he wasn’t just stripping me
bare with his eyes, holding the door open and
ushering me inside.

“Not at all,” I answer when he follows me in.

“We’re staying at the Regency just a block away,” I
say, looking around.

Mimi’s is the perfect cross between a fancy

restaurant and a casual diner. Dim lighting, dark
colored booths, and beautiful place settings make it
feel more upscale. But the large glass display filled
with baked goods and the casual attire of the staff
bring it back down, giving it the balance it needs to
fit any type of customer.

“It’s awesome, right?” Hudson pulls my

attention back to him, a small grin playing on his
lips. “One of my favorite places to eat, but I don’t
get to come here as often as I’d like.”

“And why’s that?”
“Just been really busy the last couple of years.

Playing gigs, recording the album. It’s been crazy.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t even have time to
breathe.”

Before I can think of a way to respond, a

middle aged hostess interrupts, asking us how many

before leading us to a corner booth on the right side
of the restaurant.

Once seated, I feel even more nervous than I

did walking up to the restaurant.

Just breathe, Lennon. I’m not one that gets

nervous often and not entirely sure how to get
myself in check.

The last time I was with Hudson it was so easy.

I know a large part of that is because we were
drinking. But I think more than anything, back then
I didn’t know what he was capable of making me
feel. Now I do.

“So your first album came out two weeks ago,”

I state, needing to keep the conversation flowing so
I don’t have the chance to get inside my own head.

He nods.
“I may have downloaded and listened to the

whole thing last night,” I admit.

“And?”
“It’s good. Really good. I’m not a huge country

music fan but you have this whole rock country
thing going. The style really suits your voice.”

“Thank you. That album was definitely a labor

of love. I’m pretty proud of it.”

“And it seems to be doing really well on the

charts.” I open the menu in front of me but make
no attempt to look at it. “So I assume you’re
touring right now and that’s why you were with
Travis last night?”

“Last night was actually my first show with

Travis. I got picked up for the last leg of his tour.
Since we’re on the same label, they’re all about
cross promotion and an artist like Travis Travers
can really help give me the exposure I need to
make this album a success.”

“From what I gather it’s already a success,” I

interject, briefly glancing down at the menu before
looking back to him. “The first single went number
one in the first month. For a new artist just hitting
the scene, that’s pretty incredible.”

I pause when a young brunette waitress appears

at our table, ignoring the way her eyes widen as she
takes in Hudson. At first I think it’s his obvious
good looks that have her gawking, but I quickly
realize that’s not the only reason she seems to have
lost her ability to speak the moment her eyes hit
him.

“You’re Hudson James,” she finally blurts,

stumbling over her words. “I love Tequila Haze so
much. It’s such a beautiful song.”

“Thank you, Addie.” Hudson smiles up at the

girl whose nametag he clearly just read.

“This is totally unprofessional, but can I please

get a picture with you?” she asks, already pulling
her phone out of the front of her apron.

“Of course,” Hudson answers without

hesitation, sliding from the booth as Addie hands
me the device.

I follow suit and quickly position myself in front

of them, snapping a couple pictures after Hudson
positions his arm around the girl and smiles that
panty melting smile of his.

After looking at the photos, Addie thanks

Hudson again, jots down our drink orders, and skips
away in a manner that has me half expecting her to
trip over her own two feet in her excitement.

“Sorry about that,” Hudson says as we retake

our seats across from each other.

“Are you kidding?” I shake my head and smile.

“That was amazing. Does that happen to you a
lot?”

“Not everywhere I go, but it’s becoming more

frequent. It’s weird because I’ve been playing in
this town for so long without anyone knowing or
caring who I am. Now when someone says my
name or asks for a picture or autograph, I briefly
wonder if maybe they’ve got the wrong guy.”

“Sounds surreal.”
“It really is,” he agrees, smiling at Addie who

reappears with our drinks moments later.

We place our orders, the poor girl having

trouble keeping her hand steady as she jots them
down on a notepad. And then finally, after what
feels like too long, she walks away leaving me once
again alone with Hudson.

“So you said you’re joining Travis Travers on

the last leg of his tour. What does that entail?” I

waste no time jumping back in, eager to know
everything I can.

“The next show is in Ohio and then we head

south again. Hitting the Carolina’s, Alabama, and
Georgia before we head west. I think there’s
something like sixteen shows left in the tour. After
that one wraps up I’ll likely head back out with
another artist on the label. Jerry seems to think I’ll
be on the road for the better part of a year before I
go back into the studio to start working on the next
album.”

“Jerry?” I question.
“My manager.”
“So how did you get signed?”
“It was totally unexpected actually. A guy from

Rock Saw Records saw me playing a local gig.
Approached me after the show. I had a few
meetings, submitted a demo, and the next thing I
know I’m in a room with lawyers and label execs
signing a record deal. It all happened so fast.”

Hudson takes a drink of his water, pulling my

attention to the intricate tattoo that spans the length
of his forearm and wraps around the underside.

“I got it last year after I got signed,” he says in

way of explanation when he sees me staring at his
arm.

“It’s incredible.” I reach over and trace my

fingers along the swirling lines that end on the back
of his hand.

I look up to find him watching me, an

expression I can’t quite read drawing up his
features. It isn’t until I look back down at my hand
that I realize what I’m doing. Quickly pulling away,
I clear my throat before asking, “What does it
say?”

It looks almost like a tribal with thick twirling

lines but if you look closely enough you can see
letters hidden within the design.

“It says Demasi. See.” He extends his arm out

and twists, showing me the letters with his finger.
Once he points them out, I can see them clear as
day.

“Why Demasi and not James? Since you said

you got it after you got signed.”

“I wanted to make sure that no matter what

happened from that point on, I never forgot where I
came from. I may be Hudson James to everyone
else, but to those who matter, I’ll always be a
Demasi.”

“I like that.” Taking a deep breath, I try to

control my rapid heartbeat.

“You got any tattoos?” he asks, leaning back

into the booth.

“Just the matching ones Emma and I got on her

twenty-first birthday. I’m pretty sure you’ve
already seen it.”

“Have I?” He cocks a brow, a smile playing on

his lips.

“Three stars on my lower stomach. Ring any

bells?” I tease.

“I don’t know. I think you’ll have to show me

again to be sure.” His smile widens, the dimple on
his right cheek making an appearance.

“Is that so?” I play along, loving this little back

and forth we seem to be doing.

“It is,” he confirms, leaning forward, his elbows

coming to rest on the table.

“Here you go.” We both jump, startled by the

waitress who neither of us realized was there.

“That was fast,” I observe, leaning back so

Addie can place the salad I ordered on the table in
front of me.

“Anything else I can get you?” she asks, her

eyes glued to Hudson the whole time.

I bite back the urge to remind her I’m at the

table as well, instead deciding to enjoy the show.

“I’m good.” He smiles before flipping his gaze

to me. “Lennon, you good, sweetheart?”

I nod once, not missing the disappointed look

that flutters over Addie’s face at the endearment or
the way Hudson’s eyes dance with humor.

“Enjoy your meal.” Addie turns and quickly

walks away without another word.

“Hudson,” I scold. “I think you just broke the

poor girl’s heart.”

“And how’s that?” He chuckles, picking a fry

up off his plate and popping it into his mouth.

“You called me sweetheart. Did you see the

look on her face. She thinks we’re together now.”

“We are together, aren’t we?” He pops another

fry in his mouth, chewing slowly as he watches me.

“Physically, at this very moment, yes. But what

happens after we leave here? Addie could have
been the one and now you’ll never know because
you led her to believe that we’re a thing.” I’m
teasing of course, but that doesn’t lessen the way
my stomach twists suddenly envisioning Addie’s
cheek pressed against the stock room door while
Hudson drives into her from behind.

I have to physically shake the image away.
“Are you listening to yourself? Are you

seriously trying to pawn me off on our waitress
who’s probably not even old enough to drink. Are
you that scared of me?”

“I’m not scared of you. I just don’t think you

should miss any opportunity. You never know
where you’ll meet your soul mate.”

“And if I’ve already met her?” he asks, his gaze

narrowing in on the way my cheeks flush with heat.

“Well, then good for you. I look forward to

meeting her.” I shuffle the salad around my plate
without breaking eye contact.

Hudson thinks on that for a long moment before

laughter rumbles through him, shaking his
shoulders.

“God I forgot how much fun you are to be

around,” he says, shaking his head before his smile
finally fades. “Why didn’t you call me?”

It takes me a second to catch up with the shift

but once I do, I find he’s fallen completely serious
across from me.

“I told you, I...”
“You lost my number,” he interrupts, the look

on his face telling me that he knows better.

“Hudson.”
“Why don’t you tell me the truth? I’m a big

boy. I can take it.”

“It wasn’t anything you did that night, if that’s

what you’re thinking.” I instantly feel guilty, not
once considering he might’ve thought I didn’t enjoy
our time together. “That night was...incredible.” I
let out a slow breath, knowing incredible doesn’t
come close to covering it.

“Then why the radio silence after?” He waits

patiently as I try to figure out exactly how to
answer this question. Finally, I decide to be upfront
with him.

“I came to Nashville.” I don’t miss the way his

eyes widen slightly at my confession. “The
weekend after you left, Emma and I drove up.
Colton had told her you were playing at Thrive and
I let her convince me it was a good idea to show up
unannounced. I knew if I called you I would let it
slip. I’m horrible at keeping secrets. So I chose not

to call at all, figuring you’d know why I hadn’t
once you saw me there.”

“But I didn’t see you,” he states the obvious,

clearly confused.

“But I saw you.” I set my fork down, knotting

my hands in my lap before meeting his gaze again.
“And I saw some brunette whose tongue was
jammed down your throat.”

“Lennon.” I quickly hold my hand up before he

can continue.

“You don’t have to say anything, Hudson. We

had a one night stand. It was foolish of me to think
maybe it was more. I’m not angry with you or
anything. You made no false promises. Hell, we
didn’t even talk about the possibility of seeing each
other again.”

“Lennon.”
“I mean it was fun, right? But seriously, driving

eight hours to drop in on your one night stand...”

“Lennon,” Hudson repeats more firmly and my

words instantly die off when I realize I’m rambling.

Pulling my hands from my lap, I pick up my

fork and take a bite to avoid the sudden tension
floating between Hudson and me. Chewing slowly,
I avoid his gaze until his hand comes down to rest
on top of mine just as I swallow.

“I’m sorry you had to see that.” His words

seem more sincere than I ever expected them to be.
“I won’t make excuses or lie to you. But I will tell

you that had I known you were there, the only girl
sitting in my lap would have been you.”

Even though his statement leaves me feeling

tingly inside, I still have to push past the gut feeling
I have that there’s more to it. Like I can sense he’s
holding something back though I have no idea why
I feel that way.

“I guess it happens a lot, huh?” I smirk,

deciding to keep the conversation light. “Girls
sitting in your lap and sucking your face off, I
mean. Probably a daily occurrence.”

He sees through my banter, smiling as he shakes

his head. “Happens more than I care to admit.”

“Hudson!” I exclaim, playfully kicking him

under the table. “You’re not supposed to tell me
that.”

“Gonna give it to you straight. Even if it makes

you feel some kind of way.”

“You wanna know what makes me feel some

kind of way?” I counter, narrowing my gaze at him.
“This entire conversation.”

His smile spreads, instantly followed by the

deep chuckle that makes my skin prickle.

“Doesn’t like to talk about women sucking my

face off. Noted,” he says, the gold specks in his
dark eyes practically sparkling in mischief.

We spend the rest of lunch on lighter topics. I

tell Hudson about Emma and Robert, noting that I
think she’ll be pregnant in no time.

I ask about return trips to Destin, surprised to

learn that he and Colton haven’t been back since
spring break five years ago. Though he doesn’t say
why they broke the tradition.

We talk about my job designing remodels for

Emma’s father, Jeff Barrett. And while I confirm I
still live at the same condo, I leave out the fact that
I moved out for a few months and then moved back
in, not wanting to have the Gage conversation with
him.

By the end of lunch it feels almost as natural as

it did that night five years ago.

Hudson’s smile is easy as we exit the restaurant,

his hand reaching out to take mine as we step out
onto the sidewalk.

Looking down at our adjoined hands and then

back up to Hudson, I can’t help but wonder how
the hell I ended up here. Looking into the same
dark eyes I’ve dreamt about more times over the
years than could ever be considered healthy.

“Come on, I’ll walk you back.” Hudson turns,

pulling me alongside him.

We’re within a block of my hotel before either

of us makes any attempt to speak.

“This was fun,” I say, keeping my gaze forward

as we weave through the busy afternoon crowd.

“We should do it again.” He nods and I feel his

eyes on the side of my face.

“Pretty soon you’re gonna be too famous to

spend your time with someone like me.”

“Someone like you?” he questions, pulling me

to a stop just a few feet from the entrance of the
hotel.

“I’m just saying.” I shrug. “Famous people

don’t have time for a nobody like me.” I’m joking
but I feel like maybe I’ve hit a nerve, even though
he recovers instantly.

Pulling me off to the side so that we aren’t

blocking the sidewalk, he steps closer, his hand
settling on the back of my neck as he forces my
face upward.

“My fame would never change who you are,

Lennon,” he says softly, his eyes holding my gaze.

“And who am I?” I push out past the knot that

has suddenly formed in my throat.

“Someone I should have fought for five years

ago. Good thing I know better than to make the
same mistake twice.”

Before I can even think to respond, Hudson’s

face dips and his lips press against mine. It’s not a
hot and heavy kiss like he delivered that night
outside the club, but it still causes me to sizzle from
head to toe.

He pulls back all too soon and I’m left

wondering what the hell happens next. Is this it? Is
this all I get? No matter what he says the truth still
remains. He’s going on tour for who knows how

long and I have a life in Florida. The reality of our
situation feels heavier than it should.

Dropping his forehead to mine, he lets out a

slow breath, his hand going from my neck to my
shoulder.

“I don’t want to say goodbye yet.” His

admission dulls some of the fear I felt only
moments before and replaces it with a slew of
butterflies that erupt in my stomach.

“Me either,” I admit, pulling back so I can look

at his handsome face.

“Can I see you again before you leave?”
“I don’t see how that will be possible. If it were

any other weekend I would. But this is for my
sister. I can’t bail on her.”

“I get it.” He takes a step back, letting his hands

fall. “You’ll call me later though, right?”

“Nope.” I shake my head, trying to act totally

serious but failing miserably. “You’ll call me.”

With that, I push up and lay another light kiss to

his mouth before I whip around and walk straight
into the hotel without a backward glance.

Hudson’s laughter can be heard until the door

closes behind me and instantly I feel the loss of
him.

This is so not good...

Chapter Nine

After texting Emma the watered down version of
my lunch with Hudson, I gave my sister and the
other girls the same info. I left out the fact that he
kissed me or that I kissed him, figuring it would
probably incite more questions which I had no clue
how to answer.

It wasn’t long after I arrived back from lunch

that we all started to get ready for our night out. I
hadn’t realized it at the time, but Hudson and I
were at Mimi’s for over three hours, something my
sister instantly pointed out when I walked in the
door at nearly four o’clock.

Now here we are four hours later, dressed once

again in matching shirts. Tonight’s attire is almost
identical to the tanks we wore yesterday, but the
words are different. The front of Starr’s shirt reads,

I’m getting married, with Bride across the back.
While ours say, So we’re getting drunk, with our
role in the wedding on the back. The colors are also
flip-flopped. Instead of white with red writing,
tonight’s shirts are red with white writing.

I partnered mine with short jean shorts and a

pair of black chucks, while the other girls

–

minus

Sandy

–

are sporting big fluffy tutus and heels. They

tried to sell me on wearing one, but there was no
way I was bar hopping in downtown Nashville
looking like a wanna be fairy princess. Not to
mention their feet will be killing them all night.

We’ve just stepped into the fifth bar of the night

and I’m already rocking a pretty solid buzz. Our
goal is to walk into every bar on the strip, do a shot,
and stay for one song. So I’ve had four shots in the
matter of thirty minutes; a blowjob, a buttery
nipple, sex with an alligator, and my favorite in
name only

–

slut juice.

With each stop we rotate who orders and pays,

and since everyone has paid but me, minus Starr
who’s not paying for anything tonight, I instantly
head toward the bar. Since it’s my turn to pay, I get
to pick the shot. Problem is, I have no idea what
the hell to order.

Sliding over to the far side of the bar away from

where several people have congregated, I wait
patiently for someone to come take my order, still
not sure what the hell I’m going to get.

I pull out my phone thinking I can look up

inappropriately named shots to get an idea of what
to order. Based on two of the four drinks we’ve
had, I don’t think they’re basing them off taste but
the name alone.

I’ve just pulled up a list of shot names when my

phone pings in my hand, a text notification at the
top. Hudson’s name catches my eye instantly.

Quickly exiting out of the web browser, I click

on the message, my eyes going wide the moment I
do.

Hudson: I think I liked Luscious Lennon better.

Though I have to admit red is definitely your color.

Looking up, my eyes trail down the bar.

Hudson’s here. He has to be. It’s the only way he
would know what I’m wearing. Not able to hide my
smile, I turn my gaze the other way and freeze
when I meet a pair of dark brown eyes, semi hidden
under the same black baseball cap Hudson wore
earlier today.

He flashes me a wide smile and instantly my

heart does something funny in my chest.

Of course, the bartender chooses this moment

to stop in front of me, barking out a rough, “What
can I get for you?” as he wipes the bar in front of
me where someone had spilled something.

“Oh, um...” Completely off my game, I stutter

over my words several times before managing to
say, “I need six shots named after something

sexual.” My cheeks redden when I hear Hudson’s
low chuckle as he slides up right next to me.

“How about a piece of ass?” the bartender

suggests, his thin mouth twitching slightly.

“I’ll take six pieces of ass,” I say, blushing

further when I feel eyes shift my way. “Perhaps I
said that too loudly,” I say, turning my gaze toward
Hudson.

He’s smiling widely when he leans into me and

replies, “I’d settle for just one piece of ass.” His
sultry look pins me to the barstool.

“What are you doing here?” I ask after I’ve

somewhat composed myself.

“I wanted to see you.”
“How did you know we’d be here?”
“You said every bar on the strip. I picked one

and hoped you’d show up sooner rather than later.”

“Hudson,” I start, but he quickly cuts me off.
“Don’t worry. I know tonight is about your

sister. Which is also kind of why I’m here.” He
knocks his shoulder gently against mine.

“What are you up to?” I turn to face him,

crossing my arms in front of myself.

“Guess you’ll have to hang around long enough

to find out.”

He leans down and kisses me softly on the

cheek. His hot breath on my face has my body
tingling in all sorts of places. If it wasn’t for Starr
and this being her bachelorette weekend, I’d be

begging Hudson to take me with him so I can
quench this sudden and relentless thirst I feel to be
pinned beneath his body with him moving inside of
me.

Hudson pulls away just as the bartender

reappears balancing six shot glasses in two hands.

“These are on me, Glenn. Do me a favor and

signal the guys, would you?” Glenn, the bartender
gives Hudson a nod before making his way around
the bar and into the crowd, leaving only one person
to help the ridiculous amount of people still waiting
to be served.

“You’re not paying for those. All the girls are

taking turns and this was my turn.”

“Well now it’s mine.” He smiles, his gaze going

back to Glenn who reappears next to us out of
nowhere. “All set?” Hudson asks him. Glenn nods,
shots still in hand.

“What’s he doing?” I question, watching him

once again disappear into the crowd.

“Helping you.” Hudson smiles. “Show him

where he’s going. I’ll catch up with you.” His hand
rests on the small of my back for a brief moment
and then it’s gone and I’m weaving through the
crowd with Glenn.

I finally locate the girls who are standing at a

table not far from the stage, happily chatting with
three college-aged men. Nodding my head toward

them, Glenn follows me over, setting the drinks on
the table the moment we reach it.

Turning to thank him, I’m met with the

backside of Glenn as he quickly makes his way
back to the bar.

“Here we go, ladies. Piece of ass for you,” I

hand a shot to my sister. “Piece of ass for you.” I
hand Chelsea hers next. I do this until all six of us
have our shots and are raising them to the bride.

Since it was my turn to pick the shot and pay,

which I don’t tell them I didn’t do, it is also my turn
to do the toast. Not really sure what to say, I recite
the same toast Emma always does anytime she’s
drinking, knowing she won’t mind if I borrow it for
this one occasion.

“We drink to those who love us. We drink to

those who don’t. We drink to those who fuck us.
And fuck the ones that don’t.” I laugh, thinking
Emma does this toast so much better. Not that I’m
even sure I got it right. “To Starr.” I raise my glass.

“To Starr,” the other girls repeat, all six of us

clinking glasses before emptying the contents in
one swift drink.

It’s very sweet and smooth and way better than

any shot we’ve had so far. I feel pretty proud of
myself even if I had nothing to do with selecting the
shot. That was all Glenn.

“Ladies and gentleman, we have a special

surprise for you this evening,” the singer of the

house band announces, pulling our attention toward
the stage. “How many Hudson James fans do we
have in the house tonight?” His question is met with
a deafening roar.

I shift to face the stage, my stomach fluttering

uncontrollably.

“Well do we have a treat for you,” the man

continues. “Ladies and gentleman, give it up for the
one and only, Hudson James.”

Again the room erupts and seconds later,

Hudson steps up on stage, confident and full of
charisma like he was born to be up there. Maybe he
was.

Starr smacks my arm and I look back to see all

five women looking at me with shocked faces. I
shrug and turn my smile back up toward Hudson,
his eyes locking with mine before flashing behind
me, no doubt able to locate my sister without a
second glance.

“Thank you guys so much,” Hudson finally

speaks, clutching the microphone in his right hand.
“I’m here tonight for a special lady who just so
happens to be getting married next month. Starr,
come on up here.” My sister squeals, gives me an
‘oh my god’ look, and practically runs to the stage.

Hudson extends a hand and helps her up,

wrapping his arm around her shoulder as she beams
at him.

“Alright, sweetheart, we’re all dying to know.

Who’s the lucky bastard?” Hudson looks out over
the crowd before peering down at my sister.

She immediately pulls the mic down to her

mouth. I swear there’s not a shy bone in her body.

“His name’s Mark.” She giggles, releasing the

microphone back to Hudson.

“And when’s the big day?”
“July twenty-ninth,” she responds when he

holds the mic down to her.

“And you’re getting married where?” He

glances to me before looking back at my sister. I
can’t help but feel like he’s up to something that
has nothing to do with my sister.

“On the beach at sunset, of course,” she says

like the true princess she is.

“Well of course.” Hudson chuckles, smiling at

her.

“And it looks like you’ve got all your ladies

here to help you celebrate.” He gestures over to our
group and Starr’s three friend’s wave like lunatics
while Sandy and I shrink into the background. “So
let’s get this party started, shall we?” he yells to the
crowd and their applause is immediate. “Starr, I
need you and your girls to do me a favor, okay?”
She nods and he continues, “I need you to get your
sexy asses out there and show these people how it’s
done. Think you can do that?”

“Oh, I can do that.” She winks flirtatiously

before hopping off the stage, Chelsea, Julie, and
Jaime meeting her on the dance floor.

“Bride to be, looks like you’re a couple ladies

down.” Hudson points to me and Sandy, prompting
my sister to come after us.

I try to refuse, but with so many eyes on us it’s

hard to say no without causing a huge scene, so I
cave and let Starr drag me out into the center of the
dance floor, Sandy right behind me.

“Alright, everyone, let’s wish Starr and Mark a

fucking beautiful life together

–

Nashville style.”

With that, Hudson places the mic into the stand,

snags a guitar from behind him, slides the strap over
his shoulder, and positions himself center stage,
winking at me seconds before he starts to play.

The band kicks in, immediately following his

lead, and within seconds Hudson starts to sing.
Seeing him up on that big stage at the concert was
nothing short of amazing, but seeing him like this,
in his element, in it just to have fun... it’s like seeing
a whole other side to him.

Before long even I can’t deny the feel of the

music coursing through my body and I start to
move with the upbeat rhythm of the song. I’ve
never heard it before. He sings about beer and hot
girls and as it would seem, those two are quite the
crowd pleaser here in Nashville. The audience goes

wild for him. But how could they not? He’s
incredible.

For the next three minutes I let myself go. Let

the feel of Hudson’s eyes watching me fuel my
boldness. Let the sound of his voice vibrate through
every inch of my body.

By the end of the song I’m overheated and in

need of a serious drink, but before I can even think
to move toward the bar, Hudson thanks everyone
and quickly jumps off the stage. He’s at my side in
seconds, wrapping his large hand around my much
smaller one.

“Ladies, I’m gonna steal her for ten minutes.”

He smiles and I swear all five girls melt into little
puddles of lust at his feet.

“Okay.” Starr looks at him with stars in her eyes

like she too has fallen in love with the man after
minutes of being in his presence.

Hudson tugs on my hand once more, walking

straight for the door before anyone can stop him.
Once on the sidewalk, he jerks me to the right and
slides me into a small alleyway that runs between
this bar and the one next to it.

Guiding me backward, he doesn’t stop until my

back is flush with the brick wall behind me. He
leans into me, caging me in with his arms seconds
before his mouth closes over mine.

He doesn’t coax or ease me into it. He kisses

me good and hard, his tongue sliding against mine

so seductively. A moan finds its way from me.

“Fuck.” He pulls back breathlessly, his face

hovering so close to mine I can’t see anything but
his eyes. “I thought I could kiss you and walk away
with my sanity but then you have to go and do
something like that.” He shakes his head. “You’re
going to be the death of me, Lennon Claire,” he
says, kissing me again, this time much gentler.

“Thank you for what you did for Starr,” I say

when he pulls back again, reaching around to lock
my hands around his neck. “You seriously made her
night.”

“I’m glad I could do that for her. And for you.”

He kisses the tip of my nose. “Speaking of which, I
better get you back inside.”

I whimper, not wanting to go anywhere except

wherever he’s going.

“Do that again and I’ll say fuck your sister’s

bachelorette weekend because you’ll be coming
home with me.” He presses his body flush with
mine, letting me feel his arousal hard against my
belly.

“I wish I could,” I answer truthfully, pulling his

face back to mine for another kiss. “Why don’t you
come back inside with me? You could hang out
with us the rest of the night,” I suggest, knowing
after what he just pulled Starr would probably be all
for this idea.

“I don’t want to impose. This is Starr’s

weekend. But I want to see you again,” he says, his
mouth lingering, his lips brushing against mine with
each word he speaks.

“I leave tomorrow morning,” I remind him.
“I mean beyond this weekend. I need to see

you again,” he emphasizes and it does something
fantastic to my insides. “We have a show in
Georgia next Friday and Saturday is clear before
we head to Utah early Sunday morning. I checked
the schedule this afternoon. I could drive down
Saturday morning and we could spend the day
together. It can be our first official date.” His
suggestion makes my chest swell and I nearly
pronounce my love for him right here.

But, I’m not naïve enough to believe that I

actually love him. Or maybe I do, but either way I
know being with him makes me so happy I feel like
I could burst into a bazillion pieces.

“You checked into all this this afternoon?” I

question, trying to contain how pleased this makes
me.

“I haven’t thought about anything but you since

the moment I saw you last night, standing out in the
middle of the crowd like a fucking angel calling to
me.”

“You sure are good with words.”
“I’m good with a lot of things.” He dips his

head, peppering kisses across my throat.

“I remember,” I say but my voice sounds

nothing like my own.

Hudson’s lips find mine again. “What do you

say, Luscious Lennon. Will you go on a date with
me?”

The way he phrases it makes me giggle against

his mouth. “Are you sure you can make it work?”

“I’ll make it work. Come hell or high water my

ass will be in Destin on Saturday. That is, if you
want me there.”

“I want you there,” my voice breathless as his

tongue once again slides into my mouth, the action
dominating my senses.

He’s everywhere. His hands on my body, his

scent invading my nostrils, his taste on my tongue. I
feel him everywhere.

“I need to go.” I press gently against Hudson’s

chest, knowing if I don’t stop this now it’s not going
to stop.

“I know.” He says it like he’s just as

disappointed as I am. Letting out a long breath
before stepping away, he snags my hand as he does.

“You’ll let me know about next weekend?” I

question, delaying the inevitable as he walks me
back to the front of the bar.

“I will. Don’t lose my number this time.” He

winks playfully.

“Not a chance,” I promise, leaning in to press

my lips to his one last time before turning and

quickly heading back inside.

Chapter Ten

“What do you think of this pattern?” Emma asks,
holding up a silver and white delicate looking wall
paper.

We’re trying to settle on what to use for the

accent wall in the office and thus far, have not been
able to agree.

“That’s okay.” I shrug. “I’m not in love with it

though.”

“You’re being more particular than usual,”

Emma points out, shoving the sample to the side
before pulling out another.

“It’s just this house. It’s a lot more high end

than we’re used to designing. I want to make sure
we get it perfect.”

“Fine.” Emma rolls her eyes and pulls out

another sample. This one pale gray with a wide

stroke ivory design.

“That’s it,” I say instantly, knowing it will

match the ivory colored sitting chairs that I’ve
already ordered for that room.

“You’re sure?” Emma turns it toward her and

studies it for a long moment before nodding. “Yeah,
you’re right. This is it. We can have the guys match
this color for the other three walls.” She points to
the light gray color.

“I think that sounds perfect,” I agree, stretching

my legs out on the floor in front of me.

Emma and I have been at this for hours. It’s

Wednesday and even though we have been design
sketching since Monday, we haven’t gotten much
done. The master bedroom and bathroom design
along with the office took us longer than expected.
I don’t know why. Usually we have our designs
drawn up in a matter of hours and are ordering
supplies while the contractors finish the demo, but
this project has proven to be much more
challenging. Not only is it nearly four times the size
of the condos and small beach houses we usually
design, but it’s also going to go for a lot higher
value, so it’s important we get the design right.

“So, have you talked to lover boy today?” she

asks, collecting the wall paper samples off the floor
before shoving them into the box next to her.

“Not today. They have a show in Charlotte

tonight, Birmingham tomorrow, and Atlanta on

Friday. I think it’s safe to say he’s pretty busy.”

“I still can’t believe he’s touring with Travis

Travers.” She shakes her head.

“I know. It’s crazy,” I agree, hoisting myself off

the floor of the unfinished office. “I’m still waiting
to wake up, ya know? Like this is all just some
crazy dream.”

“Has he told you what he’s got planned for

your date yet?” she asks, reaching her hands up for
me to help her off the floor.

Rolling my eyes, I grab both her hands and tug

her upright before answering.

“I think we’re just gonna hang out. Maybe hit

the beach and probably go out to dinner.” I shrug.
“We haven’t really had a lot of time to talk about it.
He called Sunday but couldn’t talk long. They’ve
had a show every night but one since and they are
doing tons of interviews and promo stuff for the
new album between shows, so we’ve mainly just
been texting.”

“Money says you two don’t make it to dinner

before clothes start coming off.” She smiles
mischievously before following me out of the room.

“Normally I would argue that you’re wrong but

with Hudson...” I let out a slow breath, stopping
inside the gutted kitchen to grab a bottle of water
from the cooler Emma brought.

“Girl, you’ve got it bad.” She leans her hip

against the frame where the kitchen sink will go,

crossing her arms over her chest.

“I know,” I admit, taking a long pull of water.

“And that’s what scares me. I don’t even know this
guy, Em. I mean, hell, I let you drag me all the way
to Nashville after spending one night with him.
That’s how crazy he makes me.”

“Love makes us all a little crazy.”
“This isn’t love. If anything it’s infatuation.”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” She smiles

like she knows something I don’t.

“Don’t do that,” I warn.
“Do what?” she clips innocently, reaching

around to tighten her long wavy ponytail.

“You know what.” I narrow my gaze at her.
“Looks intense in here,” a male voice rings out,

causing me to jump slightly. Spinning, I see Robert
standing inside the doorway just a few feet away.
“Am I interrupting something?”

“Just Emma being Emma.” I smile, watching

him cross the space toward us.

“Uh oh, what’d she do this time?” he asks,

wrapping his arms around Emma’s waist and
pulling her to him the second he reaches her.

“Lennon just doesn’t like it when I’m right.”

She smiles up at him, wrapping her arms around his
neck.

While Robert is no Hudson, he definitely fits in

the ‘too hot for his own good’ category. It’s clear to
see why he swept Emma off her feet so effortlessly.

The way his white pressed shirt looks against his
dark skin. The way it clings to his thick biceps.
Hell, it’s enough to make anyone take notice.

“The question is, are you actually right?” He

grins at her, tightening his grip when she tries to
pull away.

“I’m always right,” she bites back, smacking his

chest.

“Yes, dear.” He chuckles, stealing a kiss before

pulling her to his side, his arm wrapping around her
shoulders as they face me. “Do you think I could
steal my wife for the rest of the day?”

“Yep. I think we’re done for now anyway.” I

nod, not able to contain the smile on my face.

I never thought I’d see the day when Emma

Barrett (now Emma Mills) would be tamed by a
man. But Robert has definitely tamed her

–

in all

the good ways of course. She’s still crazy Emma,
just way happier and a hell of a lot more grown up
than she was before Robert came into her life.

I think that’s how you know it’s real. Love, that

is. I think love and relationships change everyone
but it’s real love

–

the kind that you know deep in

your bones is a forever kind of love

–

that brings

out the absolute best in you. And that’s exactly
what Robert has done for Emma.

“I’ll get the order placed for the wall paper that

we settled on tonight,” Emma informs me, stepping

out from underneath Robert’s arm to grab her keys
and bag from the floor.

“Perfect. I think I’m going to head over to

Trina’s and see if I can find some décor pieces for
the office and maybe some stuff for the other
rooms as well.” Trina’s is my absolute favorite
boutique that sells the most interesting home décor
items I’ve ever seen.

“Meet you back here in the morning?” She

smiles, taking Robert’s outstretched hand.

“Sounds good. You two kids have fun,” I call

over my shoulder as they head toward the door.

“Bye, Lennon,” Robert calls loudly over his

shoulder.

“Bye, Robert,” I return even louder seconds

before the door closes behind him.

—-

Hudson: Is it Saturday yet?

I stare at the text message that startled me

awake minutes after I had fallen asleep, an instant
smile darting across my face.

Me: I wish. How was the show tonight?
I settle back onto my pillow, holding the phone

above my face as I watch the dots bounce across
the screen before another message appears.

Hudson: Really good. I’m exhausted.

Me: I bet. Maybe you should try to sleep

Saturday instead of coming here.

Hudson: Trying to back out on me?
Me: Not a chance. I just feel bad. You’re so

busy. Now isn’t a good time for you.

I chew on my bottom lip as I wait for his reply,

which takes a lot longer to come through than I’d
like.

Hudson: I think I’m capable of deciding what I

have time for and for you, Luscious Lennon, I
definitely have time.

I smile so big my face hurts, wishing the

simplest things didn’t make me so giddy. Maybe
then I wouldn’t feel like I’m already in way over
my head.

Me: Well when you put it that way...
I hit send and then quickly type out another

message.

Me: Any idea on what you want to do while

you’re here?

The message shows delivered but doesn’t

switch to read for several minutes. I keep closing
out of the message thread before going back in to
see if it’s changed.

I’ve just started to doze off again when my

phone buzzes against my chest, startling me back
awake.

Hudson: Sorry. J was updating me on some

scheduling stuff. Are you still awake?

Me: Barely. It’s been a long day.
I rub my eyes with my hands, hardly able to

keep them open at this point.

Hudson: I’ll let you get some sleep. As long as

you promise to dream of me.

I smile, knowing there’s no way I won’t. He’s

consumed every dream I’ve had since last
weekend. No matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to
focus on anything but him.

Me: Now that’s a promise I can keep.
It’s only seconds before his reply comes

through.

Hudson: Dream sweet, Lennon.
Instead of typing out a response, I drop my

phone onto the nightstand and roll to my side,
pulling the covers up over my shoulder.

With nothing but Hudson swimming through my

head, I close my eyes and within seconds am sound
asleep.

Chapter Eleven

I haven’t finished rinsing the soap off my body
when I hear a hard knock on the front door. At first
I think it might be someone knocking on my
neighbor’s door

–

she’s known to have visitors at all

hours

–

but the sound comes again, louder this time,

confirming that it is my door being knocked on.

Not sure who it could be, given that it’s nearly

two in the morning, I rinse as quickly as I can
before turning off the water and stepping out into
the crisp air conditioned room.

Wrapping my hair in a towel, I’m slipping on

my floor length fluffy white robe when the knock
comes again.

Hurrying from the bathroom, I flip on the hall

light as I go, tripping over the heels I kicked off in

the middle of the floor after I got home from having
one too many cosmos with Emma.

Another knock, this one so hard I swear the

entire front wall of my condo vibrates against the
assault. Pushing up on my tip toes to look out the
peep hole, my stomach sinks the moment I catch
sight of Gage on the other side of the door.

“Come on, Lennon. I know you’re in there.

Open up.” Another knock.

Not wanting to answer but also not wanting him

to wake every neighbor in my building, I lean my
forehead against the door and loudly grumble,
“What do you want, Gage?”

The last time he showed up at my door was

three months ago. He was shitfaced drunk, crying
about how much he missed me, and even though it
was the last thing I wanted to do, I let him crash on
the couch. I may hate him for what he did to me
but I didn’t want him getting behind the wheel of
his car, knowing if he hurt someone I would carry
that guilt forever.

So, I sucked it up, threw a blanket at him and

locked myself in my bedroom, making sure I was
gone before he woke the next morning.

“Open the door, Lennon.” He knocks again, the

action causing my teeth to chatter slightly.

I step back, far too buzzed to be dealing with

my ex but also knowing he won’t go away until I
acknowledge whatever it is he wants. Letting out a

slow sigh, I reach for the dead bolt and, against my
better judgment, click it to the left before pulling
the door open.

“Are you trying to wake the whole building?” I

lean in the doorway, arms crossed over my chest
like I couldn’t be more annoyed right now.

“We need to talk,” he says, his eyes scanning

the room behind me. “Are you alone?”

He seems cleared eyed and even toned, which

leads me to believe this isn’t a repeat of last time.
Thank god.

“Um, last time I checked. Though I’m not sure

why that matters. Shouldn’t you be at home with
your very pregnant girlfriend?” I snip, tightening
my robe when Gage’s eyes trace over what I’m
currently wearing. Or rather not wearing for that
matter.

“That’s why I’m here. Seriously Len, can we

talk?” He slides past me in the doorway without
waiting for me to answer.

“By all means, come on in,” I grind out

sarcastically, closing the door.

“The baby isn’t mine,” Gage announces,

running a hand through his uncharacteristically
messy blonde hair. He’s pacing back in forth
through my living room, not looking at me.

“What?” I say, not hiding my surprise.
“She had the baby. And he isn’t mine.” He

stops mid stride and turns to face me.

“Wait. When did she have the baby? And how

do you know he isn’t yours?”

“Earlier tonight.” He blows out a hard breath

before continuing, “Dark complexion, dark hair,
dark eyes. Does that sound like a child I fathered?”
he asks, gesturing to himself.

Gage is tan but that’s from spending so much

time outside surfing and jet skiing. In the winter he
becomes almost as pale as me. Blonde hair. Light
green eyes. I struggle to remember what she looks
like, having only met her once when Gage played
her off as an old friend when she’d showed up to a
party at our house.

“Maybe the baby takes after her family,” I

offer, not really sure what he expects me to say.

“She’s got blonde hair and blue eyes, Len.

Practically her whole family does.”

“So, not all children come out looking like their

parents.”

“She admitted it,” he yells, his voice exploding

through the condo as he quickly resumes his
pacing. “Apparently she was still sleeping with her
ex-boyfriend when she got pregnant. I thought the
condom had failed. Turns out she wasn’t using
protection with him.”

“Well that’s an interesting turn of events.” I

don’t even try to hide the humor in my words. Why
should I? Serves the asshole right for what he put
me through. “Guess it’s true what they say.

Eventually everything comes back around.” I
almost snicker, knowing I shouldn’t find this so
funny, but the alcohol buzz swimming through my
veins does nothing to dull the one emotion I didn’t
expect to feel with this visit

–

humor.

I spent weeks crying over our breakup and even

longer trying to drink away the memory of it all.
This is the first time in a long time that I’ve looked
at him, or even thought of him for that matter, and
not felt the familiar pang in my chest from losing
him.

“Why are you smiling?” Gage stops dead in his

tracks, his eyes slicing through me like knives.
“This isn’t fucking funny, Len.”

“From where I’m standing it kind of is,” I

retort.

“Are you even listening to me?” he practically

growls. “She fucking ruined my life. She ruined me.
She ruined us. And it was all a lie.”

“Pretty sure you ruined us, Gage.” My smile

slips as the anger starts to seep in.

“I loved you, Lennon. I still fucking love you. I

was only with her for the baby. And the baby isn’t
even fucking mine!” he roars, both hands tugging
through his hair this time.

“Why are you here, Gage?” I lean against one

of the stools that line the breakfast bar, urging him
to make his point.

“As soon as I found out, as soon as she

admitted the truth, all I could think was I had to fix
this.” He gestures between him and I.

“Fix what exactly?”
“Us, Lennon. You and me. The baby isn’t mine.

There’s still a chance for us.”

Laughter rises in my throat and bubbles over,

despite my attempt to reel it in.

“After the hell you put me through you have

the audacity to show up here unannounced with the
news that the baby you thought you created when
you cheated on me isn’t yours and you thought
what? That I’d just take you back?”

“Len.” He steps toward me but I hold my hand

up to stop him.

“Get out.” I raise my eyes slowly to meet his as

I point toward the door.

“Lennon, I know it will take time but we can

work this out.”

“I said, get out,” I snip, my teeth clenching.
“No,” he refuses. “Not until you hear me out.”
“There is nothing to hear out. You said

everything you needed to say when you chose her
over me.”

“I didn’t choose her. I chose the baby I thought

was mine.”

“You chose her when you stuck your dick in

her while I was at home waiting for you. You chose

her when you lied to me over and over again. You
chose her, Gage. Every single time.”

“I love you, Lennon.”
“You love me?” I push away from the stool,

throwing my hands in the air. “News flash, you
don’t do shit like that to someone you love. Now I
will say this only one more time, get the fuck out of
my house.” I point violently toward the door.

“I’m not giving up on us.” His voice is low, full

of steely determination.

“There is no us, Gage. And you know what?

I’m happy you cheated on me. I’m happy. You
saved me from a lifetime of having settled for the
wrong man.” I can tell my words sting but I don’t
care. He deserves everything I throw at him and
then some.

“You don’t mean that,” he objects.
“Yes I do. Now please, do us both a favor and

go.”

“Lennon.”
“I said leave, Gage. Now!”
“This isn’t the end of this.”
“Yes it is.” I walk to the door and rip it open,

my entire body faltering when I see Hudson on the
other side, hand raised as if he was preparing to
knock.

“What are you doing here?” The question

comes out as barely a whisper, my eyes wide with
shock.

“Surprise.” His eyes take in my flushed face

and pissed demeanor before darting to the man
standing in my living room, his expression instantly
shifting.

“Who the fuck is this?” Gage bites as he

crosses the space toward us, stopping just inside the
foyer.

Turning toward Gage, I give him the best fuck

you smile I can muster. “The right man.”

Instantly, Gage looks like he’s been punched

square in the stomach. His eyes jump from me to
Hudson who’s now standing so close to my back I
can feel his heat radiating against my body.

“Lennon,” Hudson says from behind me,

warning in his voice.

“Gage was just leaving.” I turn sideways so I

can look at Hudson but still keep Gage in my
peripheral vision. “Isn’t that right, Gage?” I glare in
the direction of my ex who looks at Hudson again,
clearly thinking twice about starting something.

Gage is not little by any means, but his lean

frame has nothing on Hudson who towers him by at
least four inches and has a body that looks like it’s
carved from stone.

Without another word, Gage nods once, quickly

sliding past me through the doorway, glaring at
Hudson as he does.

“Sorry about that.” I pull Hudson’s attention

back to me, grabbing his hand to pull him inside.

Closing the door and sliding the lock in place, I

don’t give Hudson a chance to say anything before
I launch myself into his arms, my lips crashing
down on his.

He stumbles back slightly from the impact but

quickly rights himself, reaching underneath my
thighs to hoist me up and support my weight as his
tongue dips into my mouth.

Grabbing the towel on my head, I quickly pull it

off, allowing my long wet hair to topple down my
back.

The kiss goes from a four to a ten point five in

an instant and everything else melts away until
there is only us. Hudson, me, and the undeniable
chemistry that sparks between us.

All too soon Hudson pulls back, his chest

heaving rapidly against mine.

“Don’t stop,” I pant, pressing my lips to his

again.

“Lennon,” he whispers against my mouth,

arching back slightly to look into my eyes. “You
good?”

“What do you think?” I smile, looking down to

see my robe has fallen open.

Hudson groans deep in his throat, his dark eyes

meeting mine after doing a slow sweep of my bared
chest.

“I’m trying to be the good guy here since I

clearly walked in on some shit a minute ago, but

you are seriously testing my will power.” His arms
shift beneath me so that only one arm is supporting
my weight as the other climbs up the back of my
thigh until it reaches my bare ass cheek. “Fuck,” he
groans, realizing I don’t have panties on either.

“Fuck will power.” I smile wickedly before

taking his mouth once more.

Hudson turns, pinning me against the front

door. His mouth works down my neck and across
the base of my throat while his free hand slides the
robe from my shoulders, the thick material falling
to the floor.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” I point out,

reaching between us to gather as much of his shirt
as I can before tugging upward. It comes with no
resistance and the second it’s over Hudson’s head
his mouth is on mine again, growing less controlled
by the second.

“Put me down,” I whimper against his mouth,

dying to get my hands on him.

Hudson pulls back slightly, sliding me down his

body until my feet softly hit the floor before
pressing his weight back against me.

My hands explore his broad chest and the ripple

of his ab muscles before sliding lower. Popping the
button of his jeans, he blows out a heavy breath
when I drag the zipper down at a tortuously slow
pace.

Grabbing the material at his hips, I tug, taking

his boxer briefs and jeans down in one quick sweep
before I lower myself to my knees in front of him.

“Lennon.” A groan from deep in his chest falls

from his lips as I slide him into my mouth, taking
him all the way to the back of my throat.

His hands find my hair, his fingers tangling in

the wet strands as I work him up and down. My
hand moves along the base, my mouth taking as
much of him as I can.

I slide in slow, dragging him back out even

slower. His legs start to shake beneath his weight as
I work him up and down, making him chase his
release over and over again.

It’s the sweetest kind of torture, and not just for

him.

When he’s taken all he can, he leans down and

hooks me under the armpits, pulling me to my feet
so fast I’ve barely gained my balance before his
mouth is on mine, rough and full of need.

I barely register the rip of the condom packet,

not once questioning where it came from, before
Hudson hoists me back up, my back once again
flush with the front door.

“Now’s your chance, Lennon. If you don’t

want this say it now, tell me.” His voice is hoarse,
his mild country drawl more prominent under the
strain.

“I want this,” I confirm, pressing my weight

downward so I can feel him hard against me. “I
want you.” I slide my arms around his neck and
kiss him hard, crying into his mouth when he enters
me with one quick thrust.

Hudson doesn’t give me any time to recover

before pulling back and pounding into me again. He
sets a punishing pace, driving into me so hard my
back knocks into the door over and over as our
movements become almost animalistic. We’re
clawing, biting, tearing at each other so intense it’s
likely we will both have battle scars to show for it.

My orgasm hits me without warning, building so

quick that before I can vocalize what’s happening,
I’m already exploding around Hudson, his name on
my lips over and over as I ride out the almost
unbearable pleasure.

Hudson follows right behind me, slamming into

me two more times before spilling his release into
the condom, burying his face into my chest as he
does.

I don’t know how long we stay with my back

pressed to the door, Hudson still buried deep inside
of me, neither of us able to calm our rapid
breathing or hammering hearts.

Finally Hudson pulls back and hits me with a

dimpled smile. “Best damn welcome to Florida I’ve
ever had.” He pushes up and kisses the tip of my

nose before sliding out and slowly lowering me to
my feet.

I locate my robe on the floor beside me, sliding

it on while Hudson rights his pants, not bothering to
look for his t-shirt before pulling me back in his
arms.

“So, you wanna tell me what all that was about

when I got here?”

I should have known he wouldn’t let me off the

hook so easy.

“Not really,” I admit, pulling back to look up at

him. “Have you eaten?” I change the subject.

“I haven’t.” He grins, shaking his head.
“How about I make us something to eat and we

can talk about it later?” I offer.

“Now she’s going to feed me,” he says to

himself, smirking. “Keep it up, Lennon Claire. You
may never get rid of me.”

“Maybe that’s my plan.” I wink, turning before

taking off toward the kitchen.

Hudson slides into one of the stools at the

breakfast bar, his eyes never leaving me as I pull
ingredients from the pantry and refrigerator to
make us sandwiches.

“Do you like ham?” I ask, laughing when he

crinkles his nose. “No ham,” I answer my own
question. “Turkey?” He nods like an excited little
boy. “My man likes turkey,” I say without meaning

to and instantly wonder if I’m pushing this way too
fast.

I glance up at Hudson to find him still watching

me. “What I like is watching my woman prepare
my turkey.”

An instant wave of relief washes over me but it

doesn’t stop the word vomit.

“Am I your woman?” I ask.
“I just had my dick inside of you and now

you’re making me something to eat. If that doesn’t
make you my woman, I don’t know what does.” He
chuckles.

“That’s all it takes?” I gawk at him playfully.
“What can I say? I’m easy to please.”
“Clearly.” I laugh, holding up bottles of mayo

and mustard.

“Mustard, please.” He nods toward the yellow

bottle in my hand.

“Anything else you want?” I ask, squeezing

some mustard on top of his sandwich.

“I can think of a few things.” He wiggles his

eyebrows up and down at me suggestively.

“I meant on your sandwich, perv.” Before I

even think about what I’m doing, a piece of bread
goes flying in the air toward him.

“Did you just throw bread at me?” He laughs

when the dough lands on the bar a couple feet from
him.

“Damn it!” I cry with laughter. “Epic fail.”

“Good thing you’re cute.” He snickers,

reaching over to snag the bread off the breakfast
bar before dropping it on the other side of the
counter where I’m standing. “So, you gonna tell me
who that guy was?” He re-approaches the subject
casually, leaning forward on his elbows.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?” I

slide the knife through his sandwich, cutting it in
half before dropping the paper plate in front of him,
then doing the same to my own.

“Not a chance.” He lifts his sandwich and takes

a big bite, moaning around it. “Sorry, I was fucking
starving,” he says once he swallows.

“Guess I was a little excited to see you,” I say

in a way of apology.

“Does it seem like I’m objecting?” He cocks his

head and takes another large bite.

“You want something to drink?” I turn, opening

the refrigerator. “I’ve got milk, water, tea, or
tequila?” I say, popping my head up just in time to
see the smile that spreads across his face.

“Water’s good.” He chuckles before taking

another bite.

“I thought you weren’t coming until tomorrow.”

Dropping two bottles of water in front of him, I
climb on the counter so that I can sit directly across
from him, careful to make sure my robe doesn’t
come undone as I do. Although I really don’t think
he’d complain if it did.

“I couldn’t wait.” He smiles, completely

unashamed. “Although maybe I should have?” he
questions, quirking a brow at me. “You gonna tell
me about what I walked in on or are you gonna
dance around it all night?”

“I like dancing.” I crinkle my nose playfully

before taking a bite of my sandwich.

Shaking his head, he continues to eat without

pushing the subject further. We finish our
sandwiches in a matter of minutes. After slipping
on a tank and a pair of plaid pajama shorts, I find
Hudson on the balcony looking out over the water.

“Hey.” I slide up behind him, wrapping my

arms around his waist before pressing my cheek to
his back.

“Hey.” His hand slides across my arm seconds

before he turns, breaking my hold on him.

“He’s my ex,” I blurt, my eyes staring at his

chest rather than looking at his face. “It’s a long,
complicated story.” I blow out a breath.

“He come here often?” He tips my chin, forcing

my gaze upward.

“No. He’s only been here one other time since

we broke up six months ago.”

“And the reason for him coming here in the

middle of the night?”

“Apparently he decided he wants me back.” I

kneed my lower lip between my teeth.

“And how do you feel about that?” His

expression is completely relaxed but I swear I can
see uncertainty in his eyes.

“Well, he cheated on me for nearly a year of

our two year relationship and got the girl pregnant.
Or so he thought he had. Only then did he come
clean. What do you think?”

“I think your ex is certifiable.” He shakes his

head, his thumb skirting along my bottom lip,
replacing where my teeth had just been.

“I’m glad you think so.”
“Explain ‘or so he thought’.” It takes me a

moment to realize he’s referring to what I said
about getting Jenny pregnant.

“That’s why he was here. She had the baby

tonight and apparently he came out looking nothing
like either of them. When he questioned her about
it she admitted that it is her ex-boyfriend’s baby.
Probably thought Gage was the better father
candidate and didn’t factor in that the baby would
be darker complected like her ex.”

“Wow.” He shakes his head, his fingers going

into the wet messy bun piled on the top of my head.
“This is cute by the way.” He tugs playfully on it.

“You’re easily distracted,” I point out.
“Only when it comes to you.” He takes in a

deep breath, dropping his hand. “So he came here
to tell you the baby wasn’t his?”

“He had convinced himself in that twisted head

of his that since the baby wasn’t his I would forgive
him and things would go back to the way they
were.”

“Certifiable,” he repeats his earlier statement.
“I think I have to agree with you there.”
Stepping past me, Hudson takes a seat in one of

the lounge chairs on the balcony and reaches out,
tugging me into his lap. Turning to the side, I drape
my legs over his, smiling when he instantly picks up
one of my hands and entwines our fingers together.

“Were you two pretty serious?” he asks, staring

at our connected hands.

“We were.” I blow out a slow breath, hating

that we’re sitting here talking about this when
there’s a million other things I’d rather be doing.
Then again, if I walked into Hudson’s place and
found him in a heated exchange with a woman I
think I’d want to know what was going on.

“How serious?”
“About as serious as you can get.” I trace the

lines of the tattoo on his forearm with my finger tip.
“We met through mutual friends and hit it off pretty
quick. We moved in together after about a year. I
was pretty sure we were on our way to marriage
when I found out he was cheating. Guess I was
lucky. I got out before I was stupid enough to marry
him.”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” he says, his

gaze finally meeting mine again. “But I’m not sorry
it happened.” The corner of his mouth twitches.
“Does that make me a bad person?”

“I’m pretty sure I’d feel the same if roles were

reversed, so I’m gonna go ahead and say no, it
doesn’t make you a bad person.” I lean forward,
pressing my lips gently to his before pulling away.
“What about you? Any serious relationships to
speak of?”

“None that are worth discussing.” He shrugs.

“Takes a special kind of woman to tame all this.”
He gestures to himself seconds before his warm
laughter fills the space between us, not really giving
me a concrete answer either way.

“Is that so?” I cock my head.
“Guess it’s a good thing you’re a special kind of

woman.” He winks, releasing my hand to hook his
fingers around my neck, pulling my face back to
his.

“How special?” I whisper against his lips.
“How about I show you how special?” He slides

his tongue along my bottom lip, his fingers digging
into my thigh.

“I think I like the sound of that.”

Chapter Twelve

I blink against the early morning light, jumping
slightly when I register a heavy arm draped over
my middle.

Last night floods back to me in waves. Sex

against the door. Sandwiches and laughter. Our
conversation on the balcony where I told him about
Gage. How he made love to me for two solid hours
before finally falling asleep. Exhausted from his
strenuous schedule and the fact that he drove about
six hours to get here. He left Atlanta directly after
his show without even knowing if I’d be home or
awake for that matter. Just thinking that he wanted
to see me so badly that he didn’t care brings an
instant smile to my face.

Wanting to let him sleep but in serious need of

the bathroom, I gently attempt to slide out from

under his arm but am instantly hauled back, my
back colliding with his front.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he

grumbles against the back of my neck, his voice
thick with sleep.

“Bathroom.” I smile as he nuzzles his face into

my shoulder.

“I don’t want you to move. You feel too

fucking good like this.”

“Well, this is kinda non-negotiable,” I inform

him, humor etched into my voice.

“Fine.” He’s reluctant, but he releases me and I

quickly slide out of bed.

“How about when I’m done, I whip us up some

breakfast? I can make a pretty mean omelet.”

He rolls to his back, tucking an arm under his

head, smiling at me. My eyes are momentarily
distracted by the bulge of his bicep and how
incredible his chest looks on full display. When my
gaze finally makes its way back up to his face, it’s
clear he knows he’s being ogled.

“How about when you’re done you get your ass

back in this bed and let me show you what I’m
pretty good at whipping up.”

My insides tingle from the thought.
“And then breakfast,” I agree.
He chuckles when I turn and slip into my en

suite bathroom without another word.

——

“You weren’t lying about these omelets.” Hudson
groans appreciatively around his last bite, his throat
flexing as he swallows.

God, he makes everything look sexy. Even

though he took his time this morning, giving me
three incredible orgasms, I still feel the flutter in my
lower belly as I watch him.

“My mom is the queen of omelets,” I say,

needing to get my mind out of the gutter to focus
on something else. “You did not grow up in the
Claire household without learning how to make
Elise Claire approved omelets. The secret is in the
seasoning.” I semi-whisper the last part like
someone could be listening. “When Starr and I
were kids my mom would have us take turns
helping in the kitchen. Starr hated it but I always
enjoyed that time with my mom.” Standing, I grab
our plates before walking around the breakfast bar
to set them in the sink.

“Sounds a lot like me and my siblings. My mom

insisted that learning to cook was up there with
things like learning to turn on a washing machine or
even driving a car for that matter.”

“I didn’t know you had siblings.” I take this

opportunity to try to learn a little more about the
mysterious Hudson Demasi.

“Three sisters.”

“Oh lord, you poor man.” I giggle. “Older or

younger?”

“One older, two younger.”
“Tell me about them.” I slide back onto the bar

stool next to him and swivel in his direction. He
mirrors my action, settling one of my legs between
his so our knees don’t knock.

“Kelly turned thirty-three last month. She still

lives in Texas close to my parents. She’s married
and has two year old twin boys that keep her pretty
busy.”

“Do you see her often?”
“Not as often as I’d like. I go home and visit on

holidays and birthdays, but other than that the label
keeps me pretty busy.”

“And your other sisters?”
“Brittany is twenty-eight.” He shakes his head,

smiling. “She’s a complete and total pain in the ass.
Has been since the day she was born.” He
chuckles. “She lives in Alabama. Moved there a
couple years ago to be with her deadbeat
boyfriend.”

“I take it you’re not a fan of her choice in

men?”

“That’s putting it mildly.” He shakes his head.
“And your youngest sister?”
“Sara. She’s the baby. Twenty-five years old

and as wild as they come. She’s backpacking

through Europe this summer, much to my parents’
dismay.”

“That’s amazing. I’ve always wanted to visit

Europe. I bet it’s beautiful there.”

“I can show you pictures sometime. She sends

me stuff constantly.”

“I’d like that,” I say, momentarily distracted by

the way his hand brushes lazily against my leg.
“Tell me about your parents. Are they still
married?”

“They are. Though sometimes I wonder how.

My mom is great. Sweet as they fucking come.
When I was a kid, she stayed at home with us but
now she dedicates a lot of time working with the
church. My dad on the other hand, total opposite.
Retired defense attorney and as ruthless as they
come. A good man, just a little rough around the
edges and sometimes hard to live with.”

“I think everyone can be hard to live with from

time to time.” I take a sip of my orange juice before
setting the glass back onto the breakfast bar.

“I guess that’s true.” He smiles, the action

natural and easy. “What about you? Tell me about
your folks.”

“Not much to tell. They’ve been married thirty

years. My mom worked as a substitute teacher up
until last year and my dad has worked at the same
office for nearly thirty years. He’s looking to retire
next year. Typical life I guess.” I shrug.

“You close to them?”
“Very. I mean, they drive me absolutely nuts

most days, but I can’t imagine not having them
close by. Even though I usually only go over for
Sunday lunch, it’s nice knowing they’re just a few
minutes away if I need them.”

“Sunday lunch?”
“My mom hosts lunch every Sunday. She

throws a fit if I miss it, so I do my best not to. It’s
usually just my parents, Nana, me, Starr, and more
recently, Mark. Starr’s soon to be husband,” I add,
not sure if he remembers who Starr’s soon to be
husband is. “My Uncle Scott used to come, but he
passed away a couple years ago,” I ramble, not
really sure why I feel the need to throw that bit of
information into the mix.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Hudson’s hand settles

just above my knee, giving my leg a gentle squeeze.

“Anyway.” I shake my head. “So yeah, I

usually see them every Sunday. If I don’t, my
mother has a habit of showing up here and giving
me a what for.”

“Sounds like our mothers would probably get

along.” He chuckles, draining the rest of his orange
juice in one large gulp. “So, what do you want to do
today?” he asks, setting the empty glass down.

“Well, since this is one of your only breaks for

the next few weeks, why don’t we pack a cooler

and head down to the beach for a while? Just take it
easy,” I suggest.

“Getting to spend the day with you in next to

no clothing? Sounds like a pretty good first date to
me.” He smiles, leaning forward to gently swipe his
lips against mine.

“Good.” I return his smile, pulling back slightly.

“Do you have a pair of shorts you can swim in by
chance?” I scrunch my nose.

“I do. I wasn’t sure if I would need them but I

brought a pair just in case. I have to run down to
the rental and get my bag.” He slides off the stool,
laying a soft kiss to my forehead before
announcing, “I’ll be right back.”

—-

It’s nearly eleven by the time we make it to the
beach. Not surprisingly, it’s packed with people.
After all, it is a Saturday in the middle of July. I
lead Hudson to the two lounge chairs, complete
with a large umbrella, that come with my unit. One
of the many perks of leasing from my boss/best
friend’s father. He makes sure his tenants are well
taken care of.

Dropping our towels across the back of the

chairs, Hudson tucks the cooler we packed full of
drinks in the small space between them.

“Do all the condos come with these?” He

gestures to the long line of chairs that stretch down
the sandy beach.

“Not all. Some of them come with the

properties, others you can rent.” I shrug out of my
white wrap and drop it on top of my towel,
instantly feeling Hudson’s eyes on me.

“I know I said I was all for spending the day

with you half naked, but what the fuck is that?” he
asks, his voice thick.

“It’s a bikini.” I look down at the navy and

white polka dot bikini that is far less revealing than
some of the others I own. “You don’t like it?” I ask,
sliding my sunglasses down onto my face.

“Oh, I like it all right. I’m just not sure I can be

out here with you dressed in that strappy thing and
not strip you bare and fuck you in front of all these
people.”

I choke back a laugh, heat instantly flooding

through my body at his words. If he keeps looking
at me like that I just might let him do exactly what
he’s threatening.

“Come on, Country Star. Let’s get you cooled

off.” I nod my head toward the water.

“Good call. That way no one can see us.” He

gives me the biggest shit eating smile before sliding
his shirt over his head and dropping it on the chair.

“And you’re talking about my bikini.” I gesture

to his chiseled abs, sculpted chest, and broad

shoulders.

“Baby, if you want to strip me bare and fuck

me for all these people to watch, I sure as hell am
not going to stop you.” He winks before holding his
hand out to me. “Shall we?”

“You’re too much, you know that?” I tell him as

he leads me down to the edge of the water.

“You remember the first time we came down to

this beach?” he asks, turning his sunglass covered
eyes my way. “Pretty sure you stripped out of your
bra somewhere in this general vicinity.” He points
toward the water.

“Pretty sure you tossed me in the water first.

All’s fair in war, baby,” I say mockingly, taking off
into the water.

I make it almost to my knees before Hudson’s

arm snags me around the waist, hauling me back
against his hard body.

“And just where do you think you’re going?”

He nips at my earlobe.

“I’m going swimming,” I remind him, trying to

keep my voice unaffected by his actions even
though my mind is pleading for him to slide his
hand lower.

God, what does this man do to me? I’ve never

wanted someone the way I want Hudson. Never
craved a man’s touch the way I do his. Never knew
what true desire felt like until him. No matter how
close I am, it’s never close enough.

“Well then.” I hear the smile in his voice

seconds before I’m spun around and hoisted over
his shoulder.

“Hudson,” I squeal as he takes off through the

water. “Don’t you dare,” I warn as I laugh.

“Don’t worry. I’m not gonna throw you in...

Again. I just like the way your ass looks inches
from my face,” he says seconds before his hand
connects with my bare cheek on a firm slap.

“Hudson!” I squeal again, lifting my head to

look around, certain that tons of people are
probably enjoying the show right about now.

He walks several more feet, not stopping until

the waves hit him right below his chest. Shifting me
from his shoulder, he holds my body firm against
his as he slides me down into the water, making
sure I feel every ripple of his muscles against me as
he does.

“See, I said I wouldn’t throw you.” When my

face is level with his, he stops lowering me. I wrap
my legs around his waist as his grip on me tightens.
“But I sure as hell am gonna kiss you.”

And boy does he ever. He kisses me so deep I

swear I can feel it all the way to my toes. It’s a
mind blowing kiss. No, correction, it’s a life
altering kiss. Because that’s exactly how I feel
when Hudson pulls back, that sexy smirk of his
firmly in place. I feel like my life has just been
completely altered.

—-

“Do you want another one?” Hudson reaches into
the cooler and pulls out a beer, sliding it into his
koozie.

“Yes, please.” I hand him my cup, watching

through the dark lenses of my sunglasses as he
drops a few ice cubes into it from the bottom of the
cooler before pouring a can of Mango-Rita over the
top.

We’ve been out here for hours. Thank goodness

for the umbrella

–

otherwise my fair skin would be

burnt to a crisp by now. Even then, I’m not sure I’d
care.

It’s been a perfect day. We swam for a while,

played in the sand, and then swam a little more.
We’ve talked, we’ve laughed, and we’ve laid here
staring at the water, enjoying the peaceful silence
that easily exists between us.

Hudson is everything I expected him to be and

yet so completely different at the same time.

“Thank you.” I smile, taking the cup he extends

to me.

About two hours ago we decided we wanted

something more than water, so Hudson ran out and
picked up beverages, which we’ve been laying here
sipping since.

Needless to say I’m rocking a pretty nice buzz,

which is intensified by the hot sun, the sound of the

waves, and of course, the incredible man sitting
next to me.

“What are you doing next Saturday?” I ask,

taking a long drink before setting it on the small
table that connects the two chairs.

“Saturday.” He thinks for a long moment. “I’m

pretty sure we’ll be in Vegas. Why?”

“Oh nothing much.” I lay back, turning my

head in his direction. “That’s the day Starr is
getting married. Thought maybe I could steal her
thunder by bringing a hot country star as my date.”
I wink, even though I’m not entirely sure he can
see the action through my sunglasses.

“I thought the goal was to not steal attention

away from the bride on her wedding day.” He gives
me an adorable smirk.

“Where’s the fun in that?” I tease. “But, alas,

you’re busy.” I sigh dramatically, turning my gaze
back out to the water.

“I would come if I could. You know that,

right?” he says after a long moment of silence.

“Probably better that you can’t. The Claire clan

is a lot to handle sometimes.” I smile despite the
disappointment I feel in my chest.

It’s not like I actually expected he’d be able to

come. Hell, we’re just having a little fun and some
really, really great sex. Now’s not the time to over
complicate things, especially if I don’t want to
scare him off.

Then again, the thought of him being there with

me, holding me close as we dance. It’s something I
can’t deny that I want. I want so many things and
yet I fear maybe I’m getting a little ahead of
myself.

I mean, seriously. How well do I really know

this man? We’ve spent so little time together. We
know so little about each other.

So then why does it feel like I’ve known him

for years?

Everything with Hudson feels so right when

we’re together. But then I remember our situation.
He’s touring with one of country music’s hottest
acts. Hell, he’s well on his way to being right up
there with him. Different cities, different women. I
don’t know that there’s a way for me to compete
with that lifestyle.

So yeah, while everything is great right now,

I’m starting to realize that maybe I’m in a little over
my head. I already feel so much for him in such a
short amount of time. If I keep letting him in, if I
keep letting myself hope for more, I have a feeling
I’m going to end up devastated in the end.

Unfortunately, I think it might be too late to

prevent that from happening.

“What’s going on in that gorgeous head of

yours?” I turn and look at Hudson. His sunglasses
are pushed back onto his head and his eyes are
locked on me.

“Nothing. Just thinking is all.”
“Thinking about what?” He sits up, throwing his

legs over the side of his lounge chair.

“Nothing important,” I lie.
“Sure looked important,” he points out.
“It wasn’t.” I force a smile.
“Lennon,” he pushes, not willing to give up so

easily.

“I was just wondering,” I pause, not sure if I

should finish what I was about to say.

“You were wondering what?”
“What are we doing here?” I blurt, snagging my

bottom lip between my teeth.

“As in you and me?” he asks, waiting for my

nod before answering. “Well, that’s a hard
question. We’re having fun. I like you, probably
more than I should,” he pauses, taking in the smile
his admission brings to my face.

“But what happens next? I mean, you’re going

to be on tour. Is this... I mean, are we...” I can’t
seem to get anything out.

“I’m not planning on sleeping with other

women if that’s what you’re asking. As long as you
don’t plan on having any other men in your bed.”

“No,” I answer without hesitation.
“Then it’s settled. We only sleep with each

other and the rest we will figure out along the way.
Deal?”

“Deal.” The tension leaves my body. It’s not a

marriage proposal but it’s a start, and right now I’ll
take whatever I can get.

My stomach chooses that very moment to let

out the loudest grumble I think it’s ever made.

Hudson laughs, sliding his sunglasses back in

place. “You okay over there?”

“I think you’re going to need to feed me soon.

These Mango things you got me are really hitting
me hard and my belly needs food,” I say, holding
my glass up as I take another long drink.

“You want to go out or order in?”
“Hmm.” I think for a moment. “Out.”
“You have anything specific in mind?”
“Have you ever been to Beach Side?”
“I don’t believe I have.”
“It’s only about a half a mile down the

shoreline. They have a deck that overlooks the gulf,
some of the best seafood in the area, and we can
walk there. I mean, as long as you don’t think
we’re gonna be mobbed by any crazy fans.” I
giggle.

“I’m not well known enough for that just yet.”
“The waitress recognized you in Nashville,” I

remind him.

“Yes, but that was Nashville. I’ve played there

so many times over the years that if you’ve been to
a bar downtown you’ve probably seen me at least

once. Outside of Nashville most don’t know who I
am until I tell them.”

“Give it time. I doubt that will be the case for

long. Especially with how hot you are,” I say, not
really meaning to.

“Keep going.” He smirks, dropping his elbows

to his knees and leaning forward.

“Shut up.” I swipe playfully at him. “If we’re

gonna go to the restaurant then we need to head up
and take showers to get there before the evening
rush hits. Otherwise we’ll never get a table.”

“I’m in. On one condition,” he pauses, his grin

turning wicked. “I get to be the one to wash you in
the shower.”

My skin instantly prickles. Need pools deep in

my belly as I take in his hooded gaze and sexy
smirk.

Pushing up, I turn and drop my legs over the

side of my chair so that I’m facing Hudson.
Without a word I lean into him, trailing my tongue
up the base of his throat before peppering kisses all
the way to his lips.

“Deal,” I purr against his mouth before kissing

him long and deep.

Chapter Thirteen

HUDSON

I feel myself starting to drift. My eyelids heavy.

It’s been the longest day, in the best fucking way
possible.

After spending the afternoon on the beach, we

headed over to Beach Side where Lennon thought
she would be funny and order us shots of tequila.

One shot turned into four. Coupled with the

fact that we had been drinking nearly all day, we
were both stumbling a bit by the time we left the
restaurant.

We did manage to sweat most of the alcohol out

of our systems shortly after we arrived home.

Forcing my eyes open, I glance at the clock on

the bedside table. It’s just after one in the morning.
I’d thought about sleeping for a couple hours, but

I knew it would make leaving near impossible if I
did.

Knowing I need to get going soon, I look down

to where Lennon is curled into me. Her legs
tangled with mine, arm draped over my middle,
her head lying on my chest.

I push her blonde hair to the side, giving me a

better view of the side of her face. She really is the
most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. And what
makes her even more so is that she has no clue just
how beautiful she is.

She stirs against me and I reluctantly take that

as my opportunity to lift her head from my chest
and slide out from beneath her. Trying to be as
careful as I can not to wake her, I use the pillow
that was propped behind me and place it
underneath her head before removing her arm
from my middle and managing to untangle our
legs.

She adjusts a couple of times, then rolls the

other way. Her back’s now facing me, but she
doesn’t wake.

I don’t know how long I stand there in the dark,

watching her shoulders rise and fall with each
breath she takes. Remembering the last time I did
this exact same thing in this very same room.

It feels like a lifetime ago. Yet as I look down at

her it’s almost as if no time has passed at all. She’s

still the same smart mouthed, beautiful, confident
woman she was five years ago.

I wish I could say I knew her well enough back

then to be able to note all the ways she’s changed
over the years but I didn’t. Despite how well I felt
like I knew her at the end of that night, the truth is
I didn’t. Hell, I still don’t. But that doesn’t change
the fact that she’s already changing me. I can feel
the pull to be with her. I barely know her, yet here I
am, thinking I’d rather chop off my arm then walk
out of this room right now.

I glance at the clock again. I have eight hours

to get back to Atlanta. If I don’t leave soon I’ll
never get there in time.

Letting out a slow breath, I place one knee on

the bed and lean down, laying a soft kiss to the
side of her head.

“Dream sweet, Lennon,” I whisper, breathing

in her sweet scent one last time before forcing
myself back up.

As I make my way through her condo, snagging

my things along the way, I can’t shake the feeling
of dread that has rooted itself into the pit of my
stomach. Maybe it’s because the last time I left
while she was sleeping, I didn’t see her again for
five years. Or maybe it’s because I’m quickly
becoming very attached to this woman and I don’t
want to leave her right as things are getting good.

Last time was supposed to be a one-time thing.

I wasn’t in a position to give her more. I went in
knowing I’d likely never see her again. This time
around it couldn’t be more opposite. I’m here
because this girl is under my skin in a big way and
I need to explore this thing between us.

It’s hard to explain, but in some way I’ve

carried Lennon with me since that first night.
Thought about her more times than was probably
acceptable. Saw her face in countless women. Hell,
the first song on my debut album is about this girl
for fucks sake. All that after one night together
five years ago.

If she can have that effect on me in such a

short period of time, I can only imagine how I’m
going to feel tomorrow and or in a week or even a
month from now. I’m already too attached and I’m
not sure if that’s a good thing.

After double checking that I have everything I

came with, I quietly slip out the front door, locking
the knob before closing it.

All I can hope is that I’ve shown her I’m not

the same man she came after all those years ago.
Only problem is, I’m really not sure that’s true. If I
really was so different I would have told her the
truth about what happened five years ago.

Shaking off the thought, I climb into the red

Lexus I rented for the trip. Tossing my bag into the
passenger seat, I quickly fire the engine to life.

With any luck I’ll hit Atlanta before sunrise

and be able to get a few hours of sleep on the bus
before someone disturbs me. Even still, all I can
think as I pull away, watching Lennon’s building
disappear in the rearview mirror, is that it was
totally fucking worth it. I’d go a week without a
minute of sleep if it meant every day could be like
it was these few days I’ve had with Lennon. And
that is how I know I’m already in deep. I just hope
I’m not there alone.

Chapter Fourteen

I woke to an empty bed this morning but my heart
couldn’t have felt fuller. With the scent of Hudson
still lingering on the sheets, I took my time getting
up, wanting to bask in the memory of yesterday for
as long as possible.

Now here I am, sitting at the table set up on my

parent’s outdoor patio, so far from the conversation
flowing around me I couldn’t tell you what
everyone has been talking about if I wanted to.

All I can think about is the last two days and

the text message I woke to this morning.

Hudson: On the tour bus. Wishing you were

here. Thinking that you should join me for a
couple shows soon if you have time in your
schedule. Until then I’ll be over here working on a

new song. You’re proving to be quite the
inspiration, Lennon Claire.

“Earth to Lennon.” I jump slightly when Starr

leans in from the chair next to me, knocking her
elbow against mine.

“What?” I glance at my sister to see her

watching me funny.

“What’s with you?” she whispers, as to not

disrupt my father and Mark talking about whatever
business they seem to be discussing, or my
mother’s clear attempt to pay attention even though
she couldn’t look more bored.

Like my father, Mark has an office job. I

couldn’t tell you what he actually does but I know
he and my father’s jobs are similar, so I’m guessing
it’s something in insurance. All I know for sure is
that Mark is pretty high up in management and
makes enough money to keep my very particular
sister happy. I don’t know that I really need more
information than that.

“What do you mean?” I whisper back.
She arches a brow and gives me a look that says

she knows me better than I’m giving her credit for.

“You’ve been wearing this goofy grin since you

got here and you’re clearly a million miles away,”
she points out. “Is it Hudson?” she takes a wild
guess, hitting the nail right on the head. “He
contacted you?”

“You could say that.” I try to keep my smile

from splitting my face in half.

“He was here?” she guesses right again.
I nod slowly, biting my bottom lip as her eyes

go wide.

“When?”
“We’ll talk later,” I say, realizing our private

conversation has drawn an audience.

“What are you two over there whispering

about?” Nana interrupts, eyeballing us from across
the table.

Nana is coming up on eighty and is as blunt and

straight forward as they come. She’s a tiny thing
too. Not even five feet tall or a hundred pounds
soaking wet. She has short stark white hair that she
has styled weekly at the salon and always wears
button down cardigans, no matter the temperature.

Growing up I could always fool my parents but

not Nana. Nana has always been able to see right
through me.

“Nothing, Nana,” I grumble, shoving a bite of

pasta salad into my mouth to keep from having to
say more.

“Just tell them, Len,” Starr chimes in. The look

she’s giving me is the same one she used to give me
right before she’d tattle on me when we were kids.

I shake my head slowly, my eyes wide.

“Don’t,” I mouth, lifting my glass of iced tea to my
lips before taking a long drink.

“Lennon has a new man in her life,” Starr

announces, causing me to suck the liquid down the
wrong pipe. I start sputtering and coughing
uncontrollably.

“You alright there, sis?” Starr knocks me on the

back a couple times, laughter in her voice.

It takes me several moments to recover and

once I do I feel every set of eyes at the table on me.

“A new man?” My mom is the first to speak,

her gaze going back and forth between me and my
sister.

“Well, he’s not new, new. She met him a few

years ago, but reconnected with him in Nashville
over my bachelorette weekend,” Starr keeps
talking, despite the fact that I’m stomping on her
foot in attempt to shut her up. “And you’ll never
guess who it is.” She bubbles excitedly.

“Starr,” I warn, considering dunking her face

into her plate of food to shut her up.

“Hudson James! The country singer,” she

squeals excitedly.

“You really have no idea how to keep your

mouth shut about anything, do you?” I glare at my
sister. If looks could kill...

“Oh lighten up. If you can’t tell your family

about your new beau, who can you tell?”

“He’s not my new beau,” I grind out.
“Then why did he come visit you when he’s out

on tour with Travis Travers?” Starr narrows her

gaze at me.

“Travis Travers?” my mom questions.
“Only the biggest name in country music,

mom.” Starr rolls her eyes dramatically. “The
concert tickets Mark got us,” she says which seems
to trigger my mom’s memory.

“Wait, so you’re dating...” My mom looks even

more confused as she tries to catch up.

“I’m not dating anyone,” I interject, but Starr

talks over me.

“Hudson James. He’s not as popular as Travis

but he’s just as hot. Strike that. He’s hotter. And he
totally has a thing for Lennon. They had lunch in
Nashville on Saturday and later that night he
showed up while we were out.” I can tell by the
way Mark is looking at me that he’s heard all of this
already. He gives me an apologetic smile and again
I remember why I like him so much.

“Honey.” He clears his throat, trying to draw

Starr’s attention to him.

“And then he came to visit her. That’s what she

was just telling me. Right, Len?”

“He was here?” my mom questions, still

seeming quite lost. God I love her. She never was
good with keeping up with the two of us.

“They are so freaking cute together. Wait til

you meet him. Oh my god, you’ll die,” Starr gushes
and I swear every single ounce of blood in my body
rushes to my face.

“Sweetheart,” Mark tries again.
“Wait, who are you dating?” My dad takes this

opportunity to join the conversation.

“Hudson James, daddy. Keep up,” Starr informs

him.

“Musicians are bad news,” Dad says, his voice

stern.

“Oh phooey. You named the poor girl after a

musician.” Nana swipes her hand through the air in
his direction. “Besides, all men are bad news. Not
just ones who play music.” She winks in my
direction. “I say, if he makes Lenny happy then
who cares what he does for a living.”

“Nana’s right. The fact that he’s a hot country

star only helps matters,” Starr continues.

“Honey,” Mark calls to her again, this time a

little more stern. She opens her mouth to keep
going. “Starr,” he snaps, getting her attention.

She glances up at him, her eyebrows drawn

together as he shakes his head slowly back and
forth.

“What?” she snips. “I’m just saying what she

should be saying.” She hitches her finger at me.

“Sweetheart, perhaps it isn’t your place.”
“I’m her sister.”
“Would everyone please stop talking about me

like I’m not sitting right here?” I interrupt,
smacking my hand down on the table causing Starr
to jump.

“Lennon,” my father scolds, stopping my soon

to be tantrum before it takes flight. “That’s enough.
Both of you.” His gaze darts to my sister.

“I’m so never telling you anything again,” I

mutter out of the corner of my mouth to Starr.

“Oh relax.” She sighs.
“Girls,” my father warns again.
“Honestly, daddy, we aren’t teenagers

anymore,” Starr whines, crossing her arms in front
of her chest as she leans back in her chair.

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t act like it.” He

turns his gaze to me. “Lennon, you can tell us
about this new man,” he clears his throat, clearly
not comfortable with this conversation. “Or you
cannot. That choice is yours.”

“There’s really nothing to tell.” I go with the

easiest response I can think of. “That’s not to say it
won’t turn into something but as of right now we’re
just getting to know each other.”

“Good enough for me.” My father offers a soft

smile.

“Well it’s not good enough for me,” Nana

chimes in. “I want details. Especially if he’s as hot
as Starr says he is.”

“Mom,” my mother objects, shaking her head.
“What? I’m old, not dead.” Nana chuckles and

my father groans.

“On that note.” Mark scoots his chair back and

stands. “Starr and I should be going. We have an

appointment with Joy to finalize some last minute
wedding details.” He holds his hand out to Starr
who takes it without hesitation, allowing him to pull
her to her feet. “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer.”

Mark and Starr decided on a small ceremony on

the beach with only immediate family and the
wedding party. After, there will be a large outdoor
reception for all of the family and their friends.

“No worries at all.” My mother stands as Starr

and Mark say their goodbyes; hugging Nana first
and then my dad, both coming to me last.

“I officially hate you today,” I mutter when

Starr hugs me tight.

“I love you too, sis,” she sings in my ear before

releasing me.

I swear to god if my parents weren’t watching I

would tit punch her so hard right now.

“Sorry about her.” Mark smiles, wrapping his

arm around my shoulder in a quick hug.

“Thanks for trying.” I wink at him.
“Just remember that when I need saving.” He

chuckles, dropping his arm.

“Deal.” I offer a small wave as my mother

ushers the two of them toward the house.

“So... Now that they’re all gone.” Nana pats her

hand on the table, pulling my attention back to her.
“Tell me about this hot piece of man everyone is so
up in arms about.” She gives me a toothy grin and
leans forward, elbows on the tables.

“Oh for goodness sakes.” My father groans,

quickly standing. “I’m declaring Sunday lunch
over,” he mutters, standing and heading toward the
house.

“Well?” Nana looks at me expectantly.
“You wanna see a picture?” I ask, knowing I

can’t deny Nana.

“Do frogs eat flies?” she quips, reaching for my

phone before I even have it off the table.

Laughing, I pull up my picture feed and scroll

to the last two pictures I took. One is of Hudson,
laying in the lounge chair, hands tucked behind his
head, sunglasses covering his eyes. He didn’t know
I was taking it until he heard the snap, which leads
me to the second picture. He’d just realized I took
the first one, a wide smile on his handsome face as
he reaches for the phone. He looks incredible in
both so it really doesn’t matter which one I show
her.

“Here.” I pass her the phone, the picture where

he’s smiling on the screen.

“Well hot damn.” Nana smacks the table and

lets out a whistle. “Look at that stomach. If I were
fifty years younger the things I could do with a man
like that.”

“Nana.” I laugh, taking my phone back.
“I’ll repeat. I’m old, not dead.” She smirks.

“Just you wait. One day you’ll be old like me and

you’ll know I was right. You’re never too old to
appreciate something that fine.”

“I guess I’ll have to wait and see.” I laugh,

shaking my head.

“So, you think it’s serious?”
“I hope it will be.” Complete honesty. There’s

no point in lying to Nana. Not only will she see
right through it, but she’ll call me out on it as well.
Best to save my breath on the truth.

“You really like him.”
“I really do.” I smile, unable to fight it as it

stretches across my face.

“I wonder if he has any clue,” she says more to

herself than to me.

“Any clue about what?”
“That you’re already falling in love with him.”
“Nana.”
“Don’t bother telling me it’s not true. Maybe

you don’t see it yet yourself. Or maybe you do and
you’re scared to acknowledge it. Either way, I
know the look of love when I see it and Lenny, it’s
written all over your face.”

“I barely know him.” I let out a slow breath.
“Doesn’t matter. When you know, you know. I

went on one date with your grandfather and knew
before he even walked me to the door that he
would be the man I’d marry.”

“But how could you have been so sure?”

“I could just feel it. He was my person. I knew

it almost instantly. No one made me feel the way he
did. No one made me laugh or smile like he did.
And most importantly, no one made my heart beat
like he did. All fast and wonky like it forgot how to
work right whenever he was around.”

“You must miss him a lot.”
“Every single day. But I’ll see him again.” She

smiles, so sure of the words she speaks. “Don’t
listen to the fear, Lenny. Listen to your heart. Trust
it. Trust yourself. If it’s right, you’ll know.”

“Thanks, Nana.” I smile at my larger than life

grandmother, hoping one day I can be even half the
woman she is.

Chapter Fifteen

“It doesn’t look right,” Starr whines, pulling on the
top of her strapless, white lace wedding gown that’s
fitted at the top and flows outward like a ball gown.
The bottom just brushing the floor.

“It looks perfect.” I smack her hand away.

“Stop messing with it. You’re just nervous. And you
have no reason to be. Mark is amazing and you two
are going to do incredible things together.”

“You really think so?” She kneads her bottom

lip between her teeth the same way I do when I’m
nervous.

“I know so.” I smile, slipping the large white

bouquet of flowers into her hand. “Now come on.
You don’t have much sunlight left.” My sister will
melt down if she misses the sunset photo op she’s
had her heart set on for as long as I can remember.

Her plan has always been to marry on the same

beach where our parent’s wed. To say “I do” with
the sun dipping beneath the horizon, casting an
orange glow in the sky. Starr always has been the
dreamer. And I gotta hand it to her, when she sets
her mind to something she sees it through.

“Thank you for everything, Lennon.”
“You don’t ever have to thank me for anything.

I’m your sister and I love you. There isn’t a thing I
wouldn’t do for you. Always know that.” I give her
a reassuring smile before reaching behind her to
pull open the door to the deck that leads out onto
the beach.

“That goes both ways you know,” she says, her

attention shifting to our father who’s waiting for us
on the deck.

“I’m pretty sure I have the two most beautiful

girls in the world right here.” He smiles proudly,
leaning down to kiss my cheek before stepping past
me to Starr. “You ready for this, princess?”

“As I’ll ever be.” She smiles up at him with

tears in her eyes.

This whole day has tested my emotions beyond

their limit. The ceremony hasn’t even started, yet
I’m already seconds away from resolving to a
puddle of tears.

“I’ll go tell them we’re ready.” I smile at my

dad and little sister before taking the stairs down to

the beach where the rest of the wedding party is
waiting.

“Is she ready to run?” Chelsea jokes the

moment she sees me.

“Run?” Julie shakes her head. “No way in hell.

She got a good one. She’s not running anywhere.”

“But this is Starr,” Jaime reminds everyone.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I cut in, reaching

over to fix the strap of Sandy’s dress that is twisted.
“We’re ready to start. Jaime, you’re up first. You
meet Todd at the end of the aisle. The violinist
should start playing as soon as she sees you. Julie,
you go next. Josh will meet you at the same place.
Then Chelsea, then Sandy. Everybody clear?”

“Aye aye, capitano.” Jaime does a little salute

before walking barefoot through the sand to meet
Mark’s friend, Todd. The other girls follow behind
in a straight line, each one barefoot wearing knee
length pale yellow dresses, hair down with a single
white flower tucked behind one ear.

That’s how Starr wanted it. Everyone natural

and beautiful. For someone who is all about fashion
and looks, she really impressed me with her choices
for her wedding.

My dress matches the others, except it’s a pale

blue. The dress is simple, yet very beautiful. With
thin straps that crisscross in the back, it’s fitted at
the top but opens up just below the bust line, hitting
me right about the middle of my knees. The

material is thin and airy, and I know for a fact that
it twirls all the way out when you spin. I may or
may not have tested it out earlier in front of the
mirror.

I manage to get everyone down the aisle and in

their places just as the music shifts. The minute I
see my dad and sister coming down the sand, I
almost lose it again.

She looks so happy, her hair blowing freely

behind her, eyes locked on her future husband. I
glance in his direction right as my first tear falls.
He’s looking at my sister like she is the beginning,
middle, and end to his everything and to top it off,
he’s crying.

A grown, successful business man is weeping at

the sight of his bride coming down the aisle toward
him. A weird knot forms in my stomach and I do
my best to push it down but I can’t stop the image
of Hudson that floods in front of my eyes.

I imagine it’s me walking down that aisle. That

he’s the one crying at the sight of me because not
only am I the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen
but because I am his beginning, his middle, and his
end.

I’m snapped out of my daydream when Aunt

Brenda begins to speak. My mother’s only sister
and Sandy’s mom, Brenda is a special bird. And
when I say special I mean as in one of those free
spirited people who tries their hand at a new

profession or hobby every other week. Last year
she decided she wanted to become an ordained
minister. It lasted about three weeks, but hey, at
least it worked out for my sister and Mark who
didn’t want to go the traditional marriage route in a
church.

The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur. It

feels like I blink my eyes and my aunt is
announcing Mark and Starr as Mr. and Mrs.
Phillips. My sister gets her photo op right as the sun
dips below the horizon and the small group in
attendance breaks into applause.

We snap a few more pictures; Starr with me and

our parents. Mark with his parents. The two of
them with both sets of parents. The wedding party.
I swear the photographer doesn’t know when to
quit until my mother announces we have to go.

Everyone remaining piles into the limo Mark

rented and we head to the reception hall down the
road. It’s an outdoor venue that Starr knew she had
to have the minute she saw it.

While the wedding was small, the reception is

anything but. The place is already hopping with
people as we climb out of the limo one by one. It’s
clear to see that Starr invited every single person
she’s ever met and probably some she hasn’t.

I wait until we are all out of the limo before

giving everyone the run down on our entrance.

Starr really should have hired a wedding planner to
do this, but alas, I got roped into it doing all of it.

The venue honestly looks like a humongous

deck you might see on the back of someone’s
house, but way bigger than that. There’s a tiki bar
along one side and a make shift stage along another.
Circular tables are strategically placed around the
space for this specific event. They also have a
wedding party table on risers set up not far from the
stage where the band we hired has already set up.

Since all the girls went barefoot at the

ceremony, Starr conceded into letting us all wear
white flip flops for the reception instead of
squeezing into uncomfortable heels. I quickly slip
mine on and cross the floor toward the band,
waving at a few relatives and family friends I pass
along the way.

I’ve only met the band once, the day I booked

them. They are a local group of four guys in their
early twenties. They specialize in hit music in
almost every music genre which is why Starr loved
them so much.

The singer, Chad, hops off the stage when he

sees me approaching.

“Wedding party all here?” he asks before I say

anything at all.

“Here and ready to go.” I hold out a piece of

paper to him. “These are the names in order of how
they should be announced. And here’s the list of

activities and the times you need to start them.” I
hand him another paper. “If you have any
questions, I’ll be around.”

“I think we can handle it.” He chuckles,

offering me a warm smile.

“Thank you.” I wave to the other guys on stage

before quickly turning and making my way back to
the limo where the rest of the party is waiting.

Once I have everyone rounded up, Chad starts

making introductions and side by side the couples
file in, taking their assigned seats at the wedding
table. When it’s my turn to go, I snag my arm
through Tony’s and plaster a smile on my face, so
happy that my maid of honor duties are almost
over.

The band will take over with the schedule from

here, announcing when it’s time to do each activity.
This way I can sit back, get drunk, and dance my
ass off because why the hell not? It is a wedding
after all.

Chapter Sixteen

“Thank you for everything you did today and
leading up to today, Lennon. I don’t think Starr
would have been able to handle all this without
you.” Mark smiles at me as he guides me
effortlessly across the dance floor.

“It was nothing. I’d do it all again to see her as

happy as she is right now.” Both of our gazes go to
my sister who is currently dancing with Mark’s dad.

“It’s been a perfect day. I know I owe a lot of

that to you.”

“You can thank me by making my sister happy

for the rest of her life.”

“I can handle that.” He chuckles, giving me a

twirl before pulling me back toward him.

It’s about two hours into the reception. Dinner

has been eaten, the cake has been cut and served,

and the first dances are out of the way. There’s
really nothing left to do but enjoy the rest of the
evening. And since Emma, my wing woman for the
night, dipped out early to go home with her hubby,
I’ve been bouncing around mingling for the last
several minutes. That is until Mark tagged me for a
dance.

“You’re really good for her,” I tell him, noticing

for the first time the blue that lines his hazel eyes.

Mark is quite attractive. Clean shaved. Light

brown hair, styled short. Nice broad shoulders.
Tall. He’s not Hudson hot (but then again who is)
but it’s clear how he managed to catch my sister’s
eye. Especially when he smiles. There’s something
so genuine and easy about the action that you can’t
help but immediately like the guy once he smiles at
you.

“She’s really good for me.”
“I’m glad you two have each other.”
“So why don’t you tell me about this Hudson

guy Starr can’t seem to shut up about?” He looks
down at me with humor in his eyes.

“There’s really nothing to tell. At least not yet.

We’re kind of feeling each other out.”

“Are you hoping it will become serious?”
I shrug, not offering an actual response.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He laughs, his gaze

looking over my head for a brief moment.

“It’s strange. I’ve never felt so strongly about

someone in such a short period of time,” I admit,
not sure why I’m telling my brand new brother-in-
law this.

I blame the tequila. Stupid open bar.
“Starr said you invited him tonight.”
“I did.” I sigh. “He couldn’t make it. He’s in

Vegas this weekend for a show.”

“You sure about that?”
I don’t have time to even process his statement

before my thoughts are interrupted. That deep rasp
resonating to the deepest parts of me.

“May I cut in?”
I turn toward the voice, sucking in a sharp

breath when my eyes land on Hudson’s dark ones.

“Be my guest,” Mark says seconds before I’m

transferred into Hudson’s arms.

“What are you doing here?” I blink up at him in

complete and total shock.

“Surprised?” He grins, sliding my arms around

his neck as the band starts playing another slow
song.

“Very.” I smile when he wraps his arms around

my middle and pulls me flush with his body. “But
how? I thought you had a show.”

“The show was last night. I wasn’t sure if I was

going to be able to make it because we had a few
radio appearances early this morning, but I
managed to make it happen. Caught the earliest

flight I could. Thank god it wasn’t delayed or I may
not have made it in time.”

“I can’t believe you came all this way.”

Emotion stings the back of my throat but I swallow
it down, refusing to be that girl.

“I would have come a hell of a lot further to see

you like this.” He pushes my hair over my shoulder
and leans forward. “You look beautiful,” he
whispers, his lips connecting with the soft flesh
below my ear.

“You don’t look half bad yourself,” I return,

loving the dark jeans, button down, and tie he’s
rocking.

It’s very Hudson. Simple and yet somehow he

makes it look extravagant.

“I missed you.” His admission sends a flutter

through my chest.

“I missed you,” I admit, smiling when he pulls

back to meet my gaze. “Now shut up and kiss me
already.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He purrs seconds before his lips

are on mine. It’s soft and very PG, but it still does
wonders to my body. Lighting me up from the
inside out.

When our lips part, Hudson pulls me closer, my

head resting against his chest as he starts to sway
slowly with me in his arms.

I don’t realize what song is playing until

Hudson’s deep and smooth voice begins singing

softly next to my ear. “I don’t dance, but here I am,
spinning you round and round in circles.”

It’s one of those moments...one of those perfect

moments that you wish you could bottle up and
keep with you forever because you’re convinced
that nothing will ever be that good again.

“How long can you stay?” Pulling back, my

hands run into Hudson’s hair as our feet continue to
move in a slow, lazy rhythm.

“My flight for California leaves at six in the

morning.”

I don’t even attempt to hide the disappointment

that crosses my face.

“If I could stay longer I would.”
“I know.”
“But we have tonight.”
“I still can’t believe you’re here,” I say, shaking

my head slightly. “How did you even know where
we’d be?”

“You told me last weekend,” he reminds me.
“I did?” I question, not remembering that.
“At the restaurant. After you insisted we do

shots of tequila.” He smirks.

“Damn tequila.” My smile widens. “Speaking

of which, I think I’m due for a drink. You
interested?”

“After the day I’ve had, hell yes.” He lets out a

breath like it’s the first real one he’s taken today.

“Come on.” I drop my hold on him and grab his

hand, dragging him toward the bar as the band
starts to play a more upbeat tune.

“Two shots of tequila,” I tell the bartender.
“And a bud light, please,” Hudson adds, giving

me a shrug. “Gonna need something other than
tequila tonight, babe.”

“But you love tequila,” I remind him.
“I love the way it tastes on your lips.” He leans

forward and sucks my bottom lip into his mouth.

I’m seconds away from tackling him right here

when a throat clears behind us. Turning, my entire
body freezes when I see my father. I had nearly
forgotten where we were or that my entire family is
here.

Oh god... I rewind the last few minutes on the

dance floor, trying to remember if I had done
anything too inappropriate.

“Daddy.” I smile as if everything is perfectly

normal.

I feel Hudson straighten next to me but when I

glance his way he seems completely at ease.

“You the country star I can’t get these women

to shut up about?”

“That depends if what they’re saying is good or

bad.” Hudson smiles and my dad chuckles.

“John Claire.” He shoves his hand toward

Hudson.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr. Claire. Hudson

Demasi.”

“Please, call me John.”
“Alright, John.” Hudson turns his attention

toward the bar when our drinks arrive, picking up
his beer and taking a long pull like it’s any other
day and he’s not standing here meeting my father
for the first time.

How is he so freaking calm?
“I understand you’re on tour right now,” my

father continues, seeming to relax almost instantly.
It’s Hudson. He has this way of making people feel
comfortable.

“Yes, sir.”
“Hard being out on the road?” My dad holds up

his empty scotch glass when he catches the
bartender’s attention.

“It never used to be. But now I’m finding it

near impossible to enjoy.” Hudson’s gaze falls to
me.

“Women will do that to you.” My father laughs,

reaching across me to retrieve the scotch the
bartender set on the bar. “Well, I’ll leave you two
be. Thank goodness Nana left already,” he mutters
to me, but not quietly enough for Hudson to not
hear. “It was nice to meet you, Hudson.”

“You too, John.” They each nod and my father

disappears about as abruptly as he appeared.

“Well that was interesting.” I smile, reaching

for my shot of tequila still sitting on the bar.

“He seems like a good man.” Hudson turns,

picking up his shot as well.

“He is. I just wasn’t planning on introducing

you to my family so soon.”

“Is that an issue?” he questions, studying me

curiously.

“No. Not at all. Thanks to Starr’s loud mouth

they all know about you anyway. I mean, not that
we’re...you know.”

“Having sex?” He chuckles at my inability to

say it outright.

I choose that moment to tip the glass and pour

the liquid into my mouth, swallowing hard as it
burns a trail down my throat. Hudson mirrors my
actions. Only when he swallows he doesn’t flinch.

“Right. That,” I say, depositing my glass back

onto the bar. “They know we’ve hung out a few
times and that I really like you. I guess I’m just not
sure how to introduce you.”

As if on cue, Starr appears with my mother at

her side. Both women are smiling like damn fools.

“Hudson. It’s so great to see you again.” Starr

reaches in and wraps her arms around his middle
like they’re old friends.

I take this opportunity to snag his beer bottle

out of his hand and take a long healthy drink.

“Starr.” He chuckles, not seeming the least bit

annoyed by her unwarranted affection.

Of course I know that she just wants her guest

to see her hugging a country music star. And while
most of them probably have no idea who he is, I’m
sure they will by the end of the night. My sister will
be blabbing it all over the place, if she hasn’t
already.

“Congrats on the wedding. Everything looks

amazing,” Hudson offers politely.

“Thank you.” She pulls back and smiles up at

him. “Lennon did it all.” Before he has time to
respond, Starr turns and nudges my mother
forward. “This is our mom, Elise.”

The woman who looks like the older version of

myself blushes slightly and I have to bite back a
laugh. My mom seems as flustered as I do in his
presence. It’s good to see Hudson’s charm doesn’t
have an age limit.

“Mrs. Claire. It’s so nice to meet you.” Hudson

takes the hand she stretches toward him. “I’m
Hudson Demasi, Lennon’s boyfriend,” he says,
right as I take another gulp of his beer. I instantly
suck it back too fast, ending up having a mini
coughing fit.

“You okay, babe?” He turns, dropping an arm

over my shoulder.

“Yeah. Wrong hole.” I clear my throat.

“Well I won’t keep you. I just wanted to come

say hello. Lennon honey, pace yourself, yes?” my
mom says almost scolding.

Clearly she thinks my reaction is because I’ve

been drinking. And not because every inch of my
body is buzzing with the knowledge that Hudson
James Demasi just introduced himself as my
boyfriend.

“Yes, mom.” I nod, choosing not to correct her.

While yes, I’ve been drinking, I’m nowhere near
intoxicated. Maybe more like slightly buzzed.
Though I’m not sure if that’s from the alcohol
either.

“It was good meeting you, Hudson,” she says,

linking her arm through my sister’s.

“You as well.” He smiles nodding at Starr who

throws up a little girly wave before allowing my
mother to pull her away. “Who are we expecting
next?” he asks, seeming quite amused that we’ve
been at the bar a total of three minutes and already
he’s met both my parents and been mauled by my
sister.

“God, no one I hope.” I take another drink of

his beer before handing it back to him. “So,
boyfriend, huh?”

“You said you didn’t know what to call me. I

fixed that. You’re welcome.” He grins, his dimple
popping before he drains the remainder of his beer
in one long gulp.

“So... I’m supposed to tell people you’re my

boyfriend?” I hate how juvenile I sound right now.
I’m twenty-seven acting like I’m seventeen.

“Well I am, aren’t I?” He signals the bartender

for another beer.

“If you want to be,” I say, trying to play it

completely cool while my insides are doing
backflips.

“I do.”
“Okay.”
“Then it’s settled.” He wraps his arm around

my waist and pulls me flush against him. “Should
we make it official with a kiss?”

“Oh why not?” I roll my eyes playfully before

looping my arms around his neck and pulling his
face down to mine.

Like before, the kiss is pretty PG. I get the

feeling Hudson is keeping it that way for my
parent’s benefit. Which I appreciate. It still doesn’t
mean I don’t want to straddle him right here and
say fuck whoever chooses to watch.

“Come on.” He smiles at me, snagging my

hand. Before I can object he’s pulling me back onto
the dance floor.

The band has been playing a string of upbeat

tunes but it seems like the second our feet hit the
floor they switch to a slow song.

“I thought you didn’t like to dance,” I

comment, remembering our first night at the club.

“I didn’t say I don’t like it. I’m just not very

good at it.” He smiles, pulling me close before
kissing the side of my head.

“You better be careful, Mr. Demasi. You’re

attempts at wooing me might be working,” I warn,
feeling like I could float away from the high he puts
me in.

“Might be?” He chuckles in my ear. “Well I

guess I’ll have to work a little harder.” He twists me
out, spinning me before pulling me back into his
arms.

“Are you trying to make me fall in love with

you?” I ask teasingly, even though deep down I
know it’s already happening.

“That depends.” He dips his face so he’s eye

level with me. “Is it working?”

I’m seconds away from admitting just how well

it is working, but fearing I’m getting ahead of
myself, I choose to divert from this conversation
altogether.

“Shut up and kiss me already.” His eyes light

with humor as a hint of a smile plays on his lips.

“With pleasure.”

Chapter Seventeen

It’s nearing midnight and I’ve loved every second
of dancing with Hudson. Laughing with him.
Drinking with him. Introducing him to family and
friends. I’m even more eager to have some alone
time with him before he leaves

“Let’s get out of here,” I suggest as the band

starts their final set.

“Is it okay for you to leave?”
“I could have left an hour ago. I just wanted to

be the envy of everyone in the room for a little
longer.” I smirk, hooking my hand around his tie
and pulling him down to me.

“Is that so?” he murmurs against my mouth.
“Absolutely.”
His smile widens and so does mine.

“I need to go say goodbye to Starr. I’m sure her

and Mark will be leaving soon.” I push up and kiss
his jaw. “I’ll meet you on the beach in five
minutes.”

With that, I spin on my heel and head toward

my sister who’s standing next to the bar tucked
against Mark’s side, looking happier than I’ve ever
seen her.

“Hey, I’m taking off,” I tell her the moment I

reach her. “Do you need anything else from me?”

“Are you kidding?” She bats at me. “You’ve

done more than enough. Get out of here. Go show
that hottie just how talented us Claire women can
be.” She winks, knocking her hip against Mark
who’s listening with a wide smile on his face.

“Good luck with this one,” I tell him, giving

them both a quick hug before slipping out around
the bar as to not be stopped by anyone.

While the venue is technically outdoors, there’s

this curtain that walls off three sides, leaving only
the side facing the beach open.

Making my way around the side, I spot Hudson

instantly. He’s standing close to the water, his hands
shoved into the front pockets of his jeans as he
looks out over the gulf.

Kicking off my flip flops, I tread through the

sand, sliding up next to him the moment I reach
him.

“It’s beautiful out here,” he murmurs, his arm

going around my shoulder. Fingers trace slowly up
my bare arm causing prickles to pepper my skin.

“It is. Come on, there’s something I want to

show you.” I entwine my fingers with his and tug
him in the direction I want to go.

We walk in silence for several moments,

enjoying the feel of the sand beneath our feet and
the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore. It
almost feels like we’re the only two people in the
world right now.

“So where are we going exactly?” Hudson asks

after we’ve walked quite a ways from the reception
venue.

“You’ll see.” I knock my shoulder against his.

“It’s just a little further. Patience, grasshopper.”

“Yeah, I don’t have much of that at the

moment. I’ve been holding you pressed up against
me all night imagining stripping you out of that little
dress the entire time.” His words send a rush
straight between my legs and I have to physically
restrain myself from jumping him right here in the
sand.

“Delayed gratification.” I release his hand to

skip ahead.

I don’t get but a few feet before Hudson grabs

my shoulders and hauls me back against him.

“Or how about I strip you bare and fuck you

right here?” he growls into my neck before laying

open mouthed kisses down the side and across the
top of my shoulder.

“Hudson,” I plead, though I’m not sure what

I’m pleading for.

“Say the word, Lennon, and I’m all yours.” His

hand slides slowly down the front of my dress and I
feel myself starting to waiver.

“We’re out in the open. Anyone could see us.”

A feeble attempt to stall him, not that I’m really
sure I want him to stop.

“Then let’s get somewhere and get there now or

I won’t care who’s watching,” he says, releasing
me.

The knowledge that he wants me so badly he’s

willing to take me right here, out in the open, does
something strange to me. There’s something to be
said about being desired by a man like Hudson. So
powerful and intoxicating about the whole thing.

“Well then you better keep up.” I smile over my

shoulder before I take off running through the sand.
Hudson laughs, quickly catching up to me,
matching me stride for stride.

It takes less than two minutes to reach where

we’re going, but I’m still panting by the time I stop
in front of the enormous beach house set back a
few feet from the edge of the sand.

Hudson doesn’t hesitate following me up the

wooden pathway to the back deck. Lifting the key

code on the door, I punch in the security code and
the lock clicks.

“What is this place?” Hudson asks, following

me inside.

“I’ll explain later. First,” I turn, kicking the

door closed behind him as my hand moves to
remove his tie and shirt.

We both work in a frenzy, peeling back layers

and discarding them on the floor without a single
care where they end up. We can’t get out of our
clothes fast enough.

Hudson spins me around, his front to my back

as he presses me against the wall of windows that
overlook the beach.

“I’m gonna fuck you right here like this,

Lennon,” he groans, sliding his hand down my belly
before dipping in between my legs.

A soft moan leaves my lips and I lift my head,

meeting his gaze in the reflection of the window.
My god, if it isn’t the most erotic thing I’ve ever
seen. Able to watch the look on his face as he slides
his fingers inside of me. First one, then another. I
bite my lip and drop my head back onto his
shoulder, my hand reaching up to grab his neck and
hold him to me.

“Lennon.” Hudson slows his movements and

shifts slightly.

“What? What is it?” I move against his hand,

not wanting him to stop.

“I don’t have a condom,” he says like he

couldn’t be more pissed at himself.

“It’s okay. I’m good.”
“Are you sure?” He dips his head, speaking

against the side of my neck.

“I’m sure. Now, fuck me,” I plead, not at all

ashamed by how desperate I am for him right now.

“Yes, ma’am.” Lifting his fingers to his lips, he

sucks them at the same time he uses his knee to
spread my legs further. While I’m lost in his
reflection, he lines himself up at my entrance.

Our gaze meets in the window right as he enters

me on one hard thrust. I cry out, pressing my palms
to the glass in front of me to steady myself. He fills
me so full that I swear I can feel him everywhere.
He starts to move in long, deep thrusts. Watching
the pure pleasure that contorts his face has me
nearly coming undone.

Gripping my shoulder with one hand, the other

pressed against my stomach holding me in place,
Hudson pounds into me from behind. His pace
quick and rough. I love it. I love that he knows he
doesn’t need to be gentle with me. I love that he
knows I want everything he can give me. And as
my release starts building its way deep in my core, I
love that he knows how to move to send me right
over the edge.

I scream his name as I explode around him,

Hudson’s grip on me tightening to keep me upright

as my legs go weak.

“I’m going to come inside of you, Lennon,” he

warns.

“Do it.” It’s a plea, the waves of my pleasure

still coursing through me. My body aches to feel his
release.

My chest is pressed to the glass, my lower body

angled at my hips, giving Hudson the perfect angle
to drive into me over and over. His hands hold with
a bruising grip at my sides as he guides me up and
down to match his thrusts.

I pull my head back just in time to watch him

come apart behind me, my name a whisper on his
lips as he does. I swear I’ve never felt more
powerful than I do in this moment. Watching a man
like Hudson come undone as he spills himself inside
of me, knowing I did that to him, it’s a feeling I
can’t describe.

“Fuck.” Hudson goes slack behind me,

dropping his head against my shoulder as he tries to
catch his breath.

“I guess I should have let you have your way

with me on the beach.” I laugh, whimpering slightly
when he pulls out, hating the loss of him.

“This was better. All the adventure without the

sand.” He drops a kiss to the back of my neck
before taking a step back.

He’s already sliding on his pants when I turn

from the window, noting immediately that I will

need to clean it before we leave. Otherwise
Emma’s dad might want to know where two
perfectly shaped breast smudges came from.

“Here.” Hudson snags my dress off the floor

before holding it out to me.

“Where are my panties?” I look around the

dark room. Even though the only light is from the
moon, the room is completely empty so it should be
relatively easy to spot them, and yet I can’t see
them anywhere.

“Hmm. Guess they must have disappeared.”

Hudson shrugs innocently.

“Whatever. You totally have them, don’t you?”

I accuse.

He chuckles, sliding his shirt over his shoulders,

not bothering to button it once it’s on.

“So are you going to tell me where the hell we

are or should I expect to hear sirens soon?”

“You’re not going to hear sirens.” I adjust the

straps on my dress. “This is the house Emma and I
are working on,” I say, flipping on the light switch
next to the door. “ Isn’t it beautiful?” I say,
gesturing around the open area before Hudson’s
eyes have a chance to adjust.

He spins, looking around the space. A large

family room opens to the kitchen, top of the line
appliances, quartz countertops, white cabinets, all
the best fixtures and details. He turns back and
takes in the wall of windows he had me pressed

against moments earlier. They span the entire back
wall of the house. There’s a set of French doors
directly in the center, where we entered. They open
up to a large deck complete with a wood pathway
that leads all the way to the sand.

“It’s incredible.”
“I’m gonna run to the bathroom. I’ll be right

back,” I say, disappearing into the hall bathroom to
quickly clean myself up.

When I re-enter the room, Hudson is standing

exactly where I left him, staring out of the wall of
windows to the beach.

“This is a million dollar view,” he says when I

approach.

“This is my dream house.” I turn, trailing my

hand along the sparkling quartz countertop as I
head into the kitchen. “If I could pick one house
I’d live in over all other houses, this would be it.”

“You and Emma designed this?” he asks, still

looking around.

“It still needs paint and furniture and some

other finishing touches, but it’s really coming
together. You should’ve seen it when we started.” I
smile.

I step up next to him and take his hand. “Come

on, let me show you the rest.”

I pull him through the wide hallway that opens

up to bonus space and then to the right where three
of the bedrooms are located. After peeking into

each room including two full baths, I lead him back
out into the family room and around the kitchen to
the other side of the house where the enormous
master suite is.

Flipping on the overhead light, Hudson’s gaze

instantly goes to the massive sliding door that leads
out to the deck. It takes up well over half the back
wall, offering the same view in the master that you
get in the family room.

“It just keeps getting better.” He shakes his

head as he crosses the room, stopping in front of
the doors.

“Can you imagine waking up every morning to

that view?”

“I can.”
I look up to see his eyes locked on me in the

reflection of the glass. The intensity makes me
squirm slightly.

“Just wait until you see the bathroom.” I

gesture to the other side of the room and walk
through a large walkway into what looks like a
bathroom made for royalty.

Marble floors, tiled walls, a shower big enough

to hold ten people, and a jetted tub the size of a
small swimming pool are just some of the amazing
features that make up the incredible space.

“We carried the quartz into the bathrooms as

well.” I point to the vanity complete with two sinks

before opening the door in the corner that leads to a
private toilet room.

“This place is incredible, Lennon. When you

said you designed houses, I wasn’t sure what that
entailed. Now I’m getting it. You start with a blank
space and literally design it from the ground up.”

“I do.” I smile, looking around the bathroom. “I

decide what goes where and how much space to
allot to each area. Where walls get built and which
ones get torn down. I mean, Emma and I do it
together. It’s definitely a two person show, but I
think we balance each other well. She gets my
vision and builds upon it and I do the same for her.
Until we end up here.”

“Couldn’t you buy it if you wanted to? I mean,

Emma’s dad is the one that owns it, right?” he asks,
following me back out into the family room.

“If I could afford it.” I laugh, shaking my head.
“How much does a place like this go for?” he

asks, seeming genuinely curious.

“Well, considering he’s selling it furnished, a

million five. Maybe more. I think Jeff paid close to
eight hundred thousand for it, and that was before
he completely gutted it and paid to have it
remodeled from the ground up. He’s probably got
at least one point two invested in the property.
Speaking of which...” I hold up my finger before
slipping into the kitchen, ducking under the sink to
grab some cleaning supplies.

Finding a pack of Windex wipes, I pull two

sheets out before resealing the package and
dropping it back under the sink.

“What are you doing?” Hudson crosses his

arms over his chest, hip leaning against the large
island.

“Cleaning this window.” I point to the obvious

boob imprints as I stop in front of it.

“Why? I think that really gives the room

character.” He chuckles.

“Not sure my boss would agree with you.” I

press the wipe against the glass, rubbing it back and
forth until the evidence of what happened here
tonight is completely wiped away.

Passing by Hudson, I drop the wipes in a trash

bag the workers left by the stove, before turning
and almost running head first into his broad chest.

Looking up, I smile. “Excuse you,” I fake

annoyance.

“I’m thinking we should break in the counter

next.” His smile is wicked as his hands grip my hips
and lift, depositing my ass onto the shiny quartz
seconds later.

“I’m thinking you have to shut the lights off

first.” I wrap my hands around the back of his neck
as he settles between my legs.

“And why would I want to do that?” he asks,

dropping hot kisses down the side of my neck.

“Because anyone can see in.”

“Let them watch.” Those are the last words I

hear before Hudson pulls me roughly to the edge of
the counter and spreads me wide. Tracing his
tongue along his bottom lip, his face dips and he
disappears between my thighs.

—-

It’s just after four in the morning when we arrive at
the airport. As sad as I am that Hudson’s leaving so
soon, I also can’t deny what this night has meant to
me. With each day that passes, Hudson is showing
me that despite everything going on in our lives, he
wants to make this work. And god, so do I.

“You good?” Hudson squeezes my hand that’s

currently tucked into his as we make our way
toward security.

“Yeah.” I force a smile, trying my damndest not

to be a total girl and lose myself to the emotion
threatening to dissolve me into a puddle of tears.

How quickly my feelings for this man have

grown. I can say with complete certainty that I’ve
never felt so overwhelmingly consumed by another
person before. It’s scary. Yet so damn exciting at
the same time.

“You sure?” He pulls me off to the side a few

feet from the security gate.

“Today has been incredible.” I lean into his

hand when he reaches out and cups my cheek.

“Thank you for coming. I’m not sure I conveyed
just how much it meant to me that you did.”

“Oh you conveyed it perfectly clear.” He

smirks, tracing my bottom lip with his thumb.
“Over and over again.” His smile blossoms and his
lone dimple makes an appearance.

God, this man is so good looking it physically

hurts to look directly at him. All I want to do is
climb up his body and get lost in him the same way
I have done for the last few hours. I’m not ready
for this to be over. Especially since I have no idea
how long it will be before I see him again.

“Is that a blush I see?” he teases, leaning

forward to lay a kiss to each of my flushed cheeks
before finding my lips on a soft peck.

“Shut up,” I murmur against his mouth before

deepening the kiss.

The airport isn’t crowded but there are still

people coming and going. While this fact might
have normally bothered me, I’m completely
oblivious to anyone but Hudson.

“Less than a month,” he says, pulling back.
“Less than a month?” I question, not sure what

he’s referring to.

“We’ll be wrapping the tour.”
“And what will you do then? Go back on tour?”
“What I’ll be doing is flying my ass back out

here and losing myself in you for days,” he says
matter of fact, his smile soft.

“Is that so?” I question coyly.
“It is.” He nods. “You got a problem with that?”
“Not a single one.” I grin.
“Good.” He leans in and kisses me again before

dropping his forehead to mine. “I know I have to
get on that plane but it’s taking everything for me
to leave you here.” His statement causes my breath
to catch. “I don’t know what’s happening here,
Lennon, but I want it to continue. I want to explore
this with you. You make me feel some sort of way,
Miss Claire.” He grins, letting out a slow breath.

“You make me feel some sort of way too, Mr.

Demasi,” I practically whisper, my words sticking
in my throat.

“Less than a month. Promise you’ll wait for

me.” I pull back from his hold, sensing for the first
time ever that Hudson seems unsure of himself.

“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything but.” I

twist my hand around the back of his neck and pull
him to me, kissing him for anyone to see. “Just
make sure you come back to me,” I say when I
break our kiss several moments later.

“Just try and keep me away.” He grins,

repositioning the bag on his shoulder before
dropping a quick kiss to my forehead. “Gonna be
the longest four weeks of my life,” he grumbles.

“I know the feeling.”
“I gotta go,” he says taking a full step back.

“Text me when you’re home safe, yeah?”

“Yeah.” I nod.
He opens his mouth like he wants to say more

but snaps it closed, clearly changing his mind. It
takes everything in me not to call him back when
he turns. To beg him to tell me what feels like
something important, but I don’t. Instead I stand
where he last stood with me and watch him walk
away.

Chapter Eighteen

“Wait, so you’re telling me you two,” Emma does
some weird sexual hand gesture before continuing,
“right there.” She points toward the window that
less than forty-eight hours ago Hudson had me
pressed against.

“And other places.” I try to contain my smile

but it’s a useless attempt. I haven’t been able to
keep it a bay since Hudson showed up at my
sister’s wedding Saturday.

“I’m so proud.” Emma fans her face like she’s

drying tears that aren’t there.

“Only you.” I laugh.
“I’m still super bummed I missed him at the

wedding.” She pouts out her bottom lip
dramatically.

“Well maybe you shouldn’t have bolted for the

door the second the formalities were out of the
way.”

“Whatever. I wasn’t feeling that well.” She

huffs, leaning back against the edge of the island.

My eyes go to where she’s leaning and a quick

smile darts across my lips.

“Oh my god! Here too.” She jumps away from

the counter.

“What?” I ask innocently from my place on the

floor. I’m sorting through a few décor pieces that
were delivered today.

“Please tell me you cleaned up after yourself.”

She swipes her finger across the counter and holds
it up in front of her face like she’s inspecting for
dust.

“What are you doing?” I can’t help but laugh at

my crazy friend.

“Making sure there’s no man business on the

countertop.”

“And if there were and you got it on your

hand?” I gasp out through laughter.

“I think I’d be okay with that.” She shrugs,

wiping her hand on the side of her shorts.

“God, I love you.”
Emma smiles wide. “I know.”
Our conversation is interrupted by one of the

electricians who’s working on wiring a chandelier
in the master bathroom.

He’s worried about the size of the fixture and

wants to make sure we think it fits the space before
finishing the install.

Emma excuses herself to help him, leaving me

alone to sort through the chaos in front of me.
When I ordered pieces I had room ideas in mind
but things change when you have everything in
front of you. It’s up to me to figure out what should
go where, which will be much easier once the
furniture arrives next week.

My mind wonders back to Hudson, as it does

most times when I’m left to my own devices. I
think of his smile, his laugh, the way his voice
sounds muffled against my skin. Never in a million
years did I dream I’d find myself falling so hard and
fast for a man. I wish I could say it was in my
control, that I have a handle on the way I feel about
him, but the truth is I don’t. Not even a little.

I also wish I could say I’m not completely

terrified by the whole thing, but I am. Getting
involved with a man like Hudson is a risk. There’s
going to be people out there challenging my claim
to him. It’s the way of the world and when you’re
as good looking as Hudson, it’s to be expected. But
add on the fact that he’s touring and surrounded by
thousands of fans several nights a week. It adds a
whole other level of insecurity that most
relationships don’t have to deal with.

I love that Hudson is a musician. I love that the

man I met five years ago stayed true to his passion
and has found success in doing what he loves. I just
wish it didn’t make our relationship so much more
difficult.

When I sit down and think about it, our timing

really is shit. I’m in the middle of two major
remodeling projects and he’s on the road for his
very first tour. We’re both extremely busy, not to
mention that this is all so new and exciting to him.
I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before I bleed
into the background.

“Len, did you hear me?”
“Huh?” I look up to find Emma standing over

me.

“Dad called. I have to run over to Mitchell’s

and work out some issue with the tile for the
second bathroom. The warehouse sent the wrong
pattern and he wants me to see if it will still work
because we can’t really afford to wait the two week
window for them to send the right tile.”

“Again?” I question, this being an issue we deal

with too often.

“Dad says he’s done with Mitchell’s after this.

Finally he listened to us.” She huffs.

“Only took him two years.” I snort.
“You good here?”
“Yeah, I’ve got this covered. There’s not a ton I

can do right now anyway. Once I go through and

check all this to make sure we got the right items
and everything is in good shape, I think I’m gonna
head over to Manor house and check in with the
crew. I want to see how they’re getting along with
that load bearing beam.” Manor house is the other
project we have going on the other side of town.

“Okay, sounds good. We’ll make plans to meet

for dinner in the next few days, yeah? I’m dying for
some girl time.”

“I’m in. You name the time and place.”
“Maybe we can wait until Hudson’s back in

town and go on a double,” she suggests.

“I thought you wanted girl time.”
“I do, but I’d be willing to trade it for some

sexy eye candy. Besides, I’m pretty curious to see
how he’s changed. I mean I Googled him but that
doesn’t count.”

“You Googled him?” I gawk at her.
“What? He’s a country artist who’s album is

picking up major steam. Did you know it jumped to
number eight overall on iTunes this week?”

“It did?” I say, kind of shocked.
I mean, I know Hudson is very talented and his

album is amazing

–

it’s just weird to think of him

that way. I guess I don’t see him as Hudson James
the Country Star. To me he is and will always be
Hudson Demasi: the quick witted, sexy man I met
at a bar five years ago.

“Your man’s a big deal, Len.”

“I’m starting to gather that.” I blow out a

breath.

“Hey.” She crouches down next to me, her

hand coming to my shoulder. “Country star or not,
he’s lucky to call you his girl. Don’t get caught up
in the hype of it all. He’s just a boy and you’re just
a girl.”

“Thanks, Em.” I smile when she drops a kiss to

the top of my head before standing.

“Alright, chicka. I’m out. Call me if you need

me.”

“Will do. Love you,” I call after her.
“Love you too.”

——

Hudson: Tell me you miss me as much as
I miss you.

I reread Hudson’s message at least ten times over,
the swarm of butterflies in my belly seeming to
catch me a little off guard.

I’m in bed at my condo. It’s just after midnight.

Normally I would be sound asleep but for whatever
reason I’ve been restless for the last couple of
hours, tossing and turning, not able to get
comfortable.

Me: I miss you more.
I type out after a full minute has passed.

Hudson: Not possible.
Me: Totally possible.
Hudson: Don’t argue with me, woman.
Me: Don’t you argue with me, country star.
I wait about thirty seconds before sending

another text.

Me: Where are you right now?
Hudson: Phoenix. It’s hot as hell here.
Me: Well it is August.
Hudson: My girl is trying to be cute. I’m

aware it’s August, smartass.

Me: Screw you. I am cute.
I giggle out loud, reading over the part where he

called me his girl. My heart does something weird
in my chest before I read the new message that
came through.

Hudson: You’re more than just cute, Miss

Claire. You’re downright sinful.

Me: Sinful?
Hudson: Sinful.
I knead my bottom lip between my teeth,

wishing so badly that he was here right now. That I
could look at him, touch him, see his handsome
face.

Hudson: What are you doing right now?
Me: Lying in bed.
Hudson: Really??? And what is it that you’re

doing in that bed?

Me: Wouldn’t you like to know.

Hudson: I repeat. Sinful.
The smile that stretches across my lips is wide

enough to split my face in half.

Me: What about you? What are you up to right

now?

Hudson: Just finished my set a few minutes

ago. It’s just after ten here. Travis just took the
stage about ten minutes ago. Once he’s finished
and the crew breaks everything down, we will be
on our way to Colorado for three different shows.

Me: I miss your voice.
I’m not sure why I typed that or why I didn’t

stop myself from hitting send. I mean, it’s true. I
miss everything about him, but that doesn’t mean I
have to vocalize every single thought I have.
Before I can overthink it too much, my phone starts
ringing in my hand, Hudson’s face popping up on
the screen. It’s a picture I took of him at my sister’s
wedding. Hudson was standing at the bar getting us
drinks and I couldn’t resist the urge to capture him
in that moment. So laid back and carefree, not to
mention unbelievably sexy.

“Hello.” I try to keep the nervousness from my

voice as I answer.

I don’t know why I’m nervous all of a sudden.

Scratch that. Yes I do. It’s because he’s Hudson and
he always makes me nervous.

“Hey.” His voice is a little hoarse but damn

does he sound good.

“Hey.” I smile around the word, closing my

eyes before reopening them slowly. “You didn’t
have to call.”

“I missed your voice too,” he cuts me off

before I can reply. “Fuck, I miss every single thing
about you. What are you doing to me, Miss
Claire?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” I giggle.

“How was the show?”

“It was good. Hot as hell. I’m pretty sure I lost

ten pounds in sweat.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek, the thought

of Hudson’s incredible body dripping with sweat as
he dominates the stage is a vision too sweet not to
take a minute to imagine.

“But you loved every second of it.”
“You know I did.” He chuckles low. “There’s

still days I wake up and feel the need to pinch
myself. It all still seems so surreal.”

“You deserve it, Hudson. Seriously, you are so

unbelievably talented.” I pause. “Congrats on the
album sales by the way. I saw this morning that
you’re now at number four overall on iTunes.
That’s incredible, Hudson.”

“Thanks. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it.

We’re dropping the next single in a couple days.
I’m eager to see how that will affect the overall
album sales.”

“I give it a week and you’ll be sitting at number

one.”

“I don’t know that I would go that far. But

number four? For a debut album? Never in a million
years did I see that coming.”

“Do you find that you’re getting more

recognition since the album has been doing so
well?”

“I’ve noticed a difference at shows. There’s

more buzz surrounding me than there had been. Not
to mention I went from having one song that people
knew, to now most of the audience is singing nearly
every song right along with me.”

“I can’t imagine how that feels.”
“Pretty fucking incredible.” His happiness is

portrayed in his tone and it makes me ecstatic. “I
wish you could come to a show.”

“I have been to a show,” I remind him.
“I know. But this would be different. You could

watch the show from the side of the stage, meet the
guys, get a feel for how everything works. It really
is quite the experience.”

“Where are you after Colorado?”
“We have two shows in Texas after that. One in

Houston and one in Dallas.”

“Are you going to visit family while you’re

there?” I ask, knowing that Austin isn’t that far
from Houston.

“I have a day off after Houston but I’m not sure

what the game plan is. The last I heard my parents
and Kelly are coming to the show. Colton arranged
to have tickets held for them so I’ll probably catch
dinner with them or something afterward.” He
pauses for a long moment. “You should come.”

“To Texas?” I squeak.
“Why not? You could fly here. We could get a

room together. We don’t head to Dallas until
Sunday morning so we’d have Friday night and the
whole day Saturday together. Then you could meet
my family. It’s only fair considering I’ve met
yours.”

“Um, I’m not sure I’m ready to meet your

parents,” I admit.

“Why not?”
“Because. What if they don’t like me?”
He laughs, the deep vibration sending chills

straight through me.

“There’s no way they won’t like you. Besides,

it wouldn’t matter one damn bit if they didn’t.
Wouldn’t change how I feel about you.”

“You say that now,” I tease.
“Come to Houston.”
“When’s the show?” I ask, not able to deny

how amazing it would be to get to see him.

“Next Friday.”
“I don’t know if I could get off work. We have

so much going on right now and the beach house is

so close to being done.”

“All I hear are a bunch of excuses,” he teases.

“Come to Texas.”

“I’ll think about it,” I promise, not really sure if

there’s anything to think over. When Country Star
Hudson James asks you to come to Texas to stay
the night with him and meet his family, you go to
Texas.

“I’ll have Colton pick you up at the airport and

keep you company if you get here early. It’s usually
difficult for me to slip away right before a show.”

“I said I’d think about it, not that I’d come,” I

repeat, a smile on my lips.

“Let me know when you find a flight that

works. I’ll buy your ticket.”

“I can afford a ticket if I choose to come and

that’s a big if,” I cut in.

He chuckles. “You’ll be there.”
“You sound awfully sure of yourself,” I tell him.
“If you think about me even a fraction of how

often I think about you, there’s no way you won’t
make it happen.”

“I see, so you’re testing me then.” I laugh.
“Maybe.” The humor in his voice is undeniable.

“Alright, babe. I’m gonna let you get some sleep.
I’ve got a few things to wrap up before I have to be
back on the bus.”

“Okay,” I say, trying my best to mask my

disappointment but not sure how successful I am.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Dream sweet, Lennon.” And the call ends.
Letting out a loud sigh, I stare up at the dark

ceiling for about sixty seconds before I peel myself
out of bed and cross the room to where my laptop
is charging on my dresser.

Disconnecting the power cord, I’m back in bed

seconds later, the computer powering up in my lap.
It takes me all of five minutes to find a flight to
Houston that’s scheduled to arrive at four p.m. next
Friday which will give me plenty of time to make it
to Hudson’s show.

Shooting off a quick email to Mr. Barrett and

Emma explaining I’m going to take next Friday off
work, I purchase the plane ticket before I really
give myself time to think about it.

Chapter Nineteen

“You made it.” Colton smiles when he sees me
approaching.

“I did. Though given the amount of turbulence

we experienced, I wasn’t sure I was going to,” I
admit, my nerves shot after what was probably one
of the worst flights of my life.

I’m not a huge flier to begin with. It’s

something I don’t do often and today was proof of
why. If the turbulence and the fact that I had
convinced myself we were going to crash wasn’t
enough, I also happened to be sandwiched in the
middle seat between a man who did not believe in
deodorant and a woman who talked to herself
almost the entire time.

“Welcome to Texas,” he announces and only

then do I remember that this is his and Hudson’s

home state.

“Thank you.”
“Here, let me get that for you.” Colton slides

my duffel bag off my shoulder and slings it over his
own. “Come on, I parked in temporary parking. We
should probably get our asses outside before they
tow me.” He chuckles, leading me through the
airport to the double doors that exit to the outside.

“So, is personal chauffeur in your job

description now too?” I tease when he opens the
door to a shiny blue pickup truck and gestures for
me to climb in.

“Hudson’s bitch,” he announces, climbing into

the driver’s seat next to me. “Gonna have that shit
tattooed on my forehead I think.” He laughs, firing
the engine to life before shifting into gear.

“Thanks for picking me up, Colton,” I say as he

speeds out onto the street.

“One of the better parts of my job.” He throws

me a lopsided smile before turning his gaze back to
the road.

“What is it you do exactly? I mean, besides

being the bitch.” I giggle.

“Well, back in the day I considered myself

more management material. But when Hudson got
signed the label insisted on assigning him a manager
of their choosing.”

“Jerry,” I confirm.

“Jerry.” He nods. “Hudson wanted to keep me

around. I think he liked knowing there would be
someone on his team that would always look out
for his best interests. I mean, he’s been my best
friend since birth. Someone’s gotta be around to
take care of his ass. So when he signed, part of his
deal was that I was given an official position on his
team. Hence, Hudson’s bitch. Though the label
refers to me as something a little more dignified.”

“He’s lucky to have you.” I settle back into my

seat, finally starting to relax a little.

“Damn straight he is.” He looks my way briefly,

humor tugging at the features of his handsome face.

I don’t know why I never noticed, or maybe I

did and was just too blinded by Hudson to really
see, but Colton is really quite good looking. Strong
jaw, soulful gray eyes, the smallest amount of scruff
running down his neck. He really is pretty easy on
the eyes. Especially wearing ripped jeans,
Converse, and an old vintage Johnny Cash shirt. If
there wasn’t a Hudson I could totally see myself
being interested in someone like Colton. Though I
didn’t feel that way the first time I met him.

I know he and Emma hit it off instantly that

night, though she seemed convinced he was a
player. I wasn’t so sure back then, but now, sitting
here looking at him, it’s clear he definitely has that
vibe. There’s just something about him that screams
playboy.

“So what’s the game plan?” I ask after several

bouts of silence stretch between us.

“Hudson has a radio appearance and two

magazine interviews that will likely back him up
pretty close to show time.” He glances to the clock
on the dash that reads just after five.

“And what time does the show start?” I ask.
“Opening band goes on at seven. Hudson will

be on right around eight-thirty. His set will last
about an hour.”

“And his parents?” I question, a nervous knot

forming in the pit of my stomach.

“They are going to be in the stands so you

probably won’t meet them until after the show.”

“And where will I be?” I question.
“Backstage with me.” He grins. “Hudson

wanted to look over and see you there, not spend
the whole night searching for you in the crowd.”

“That’s kind of sweet,” I say more to myself

than to Colton, trying to hide the ridiculous smile
that threatens to take over my whole face.

“Jesus, you two...” Colton seems to pick up on

my reaction despite my attempt to play it cool.

“Pardon?” I turn in his direction.
“Y’all are fucking nauseating.” He shakes his

head, biting back a smile.

“How so?” I shift in my seat so I can see him

better, adjusting my seat belt as I do.

“It’s nothing.” He shakes his head.

“Well you said something so clearly it’s not

nothing.”

“I never thought I’d see the day when my

lifelong best friend would have his balls completely
twisted by a girl. And I sure as shit didn’t expect to
be sitting next to said girl watching her go all starry
eyed over something he said.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”
“Not a bad thing. Hudson’s family. My brother.

Blood or not. The only thing I want is for him to be
happy. I just didn’t think he’d be such a pussy when
the right girl finally came along.”

“You think I’m the right girl?” I blurt out.
“Hudson does. That’s what matters.”
“But what do you think?” I ask, getting the

feeling he’s holding back on me.

“Look, I don’t know you that well, so it’s hard

for me to say one way or another. What I do know
is that Hudson’s got it bad over you. I just hope you
know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“What do you mean?”
“Hudson doesn’t live the average lifestyle. He

travels a lot, is around countless women all vying
for his attention. He doesn’t have room in his life
for someone who can’t handle that. And he’s really
into you, Lennon. I worry that once you see what
life with him will really be like, you’re going to bolt
and I don’t want to see him get hurt because you
can’t stand being under the spotlight with him.”

“I’m not going to hurt him, Colton. If anything,

he’ll hurt me. I’m in this. One hundred and ten
percent. The only way I won’t be is if he doesn’t
want me here.”

“That’s good to hear.” He visibly relaxes. “You

hungry? We’ve got a little time to kill before the
show.”

“I could eat.” I straighten in my seat as Colton

turns into the busy parking lot of what appears to
be a bar and grill.

“Come on. Now that we’ve got the heavy out

of the way, let’s go grab a drink and a burger as big
as your head.” He parks, killing the engine.

“Big as my head?” I question, laughter in my

voice.

“You think I’m joking.” He winks, hopping out

of the truck.

—-

It’s nearly eight o’clock by the time Colton and I
arrive at the stadium where the concert is taking
place. As anxious as I was to get here, I knew
Hudson was busy and I wouldn’t get to see him
until later, so I enjoyed my time with Colton.

After our little talk in the truck things seemed to

shift and he was much more relaxed with me. As
we ate our burgers, which quite literally were
nearly the size of my head, and had a couple drinks,

the conversation was easy and I found myself
laughing through most of it.

I understand now why Colton and Hudson are

so close. They really are similar in a lot of ways. It
almost makes me sad that he and Emma didn’t
work out. Not that I don’t love Robert, I do, but
growing up we always dreamed we’d end up
marrying brothers, or at the very least best friends.
We’d all be super close and our children would
grow up to be best friends as well.

It’s silly when you think about it. Things have a

way of working out the way they’re supposed to in
the end. I doubt Emma could have found what she
found with Robert with anyone else. Those two are
a match made in heaven.

“Here, you’ll need this,” Colton says after

parking the truck in the private back lot of the
arena.

I look up to see his hand extended, a laminated

pass hanging from the lanyard dangling from his
finger.

“Thanks,” I say, quickly sliding it over my head,

looking down at the way the bright lettering stands
out against my dark shirt.

After we ate, Colton took me to the hotel where

I’ll be staying with Hudson for the next two nights.
I was able to drop my bag off and freshen up before
changing into a swoop neck, sleeveless black top,
dark skinny jeans, and casual black heels.

After the way I was sweating on the plane it

was a relief to have some time to put myself
together. Though Colton only gave me ten minutes
to change, brush my teeth, and apply a quick, light
layer of mascara and gloss before he was dragging
me back out of the room.

“We’ll go through two rounds of security before

they let us into the back. Hudson should be there so
you might get to see lover boy before he hits the
stage.” He follows it up with a dramatic kissing
noise.

“You are too much.” I laugh, not waiting for

him as I open the door and quickly slide out of the
vehicle.

Colton leads me to a locked back door guarded

by two large individuals who inspect our passes
quite thoroughly before letting us inside. We go
down a long hall, to the right, and down another
hall before we reach another security area. The two
guards working this station must be with the tour
because they take one look at Colton and wave us
through.

Hudson’s dressing room is the last one on the

left, sitting directly across from the door that reads
Travis Travers, printed on a large white piece of
paper.

“What do you think would happen if I knocked

on his door right now?” I ask Colton in a way of a
joke, pointing to Travis’ room.

“He’s a cool enough dude. Though I think if

Hud found out you knocked on Travis’ door before
his, he might be a little salty.”

“You think so?” I scrunch my nose, having a

hard time envisioning Hudson jealous.

“Oh I know so.” He shakes his head before

reaching up and wrapping on Hudson’s door.

“Yeah?” comes from the other side of the door.

Listening to Hudson over the phone is nice, but in
person is the absolute best.

“It’s me,” Colton says seconds before pushing

the door open and ushering me inside.

My eyes connect with Hudson who’s lounging

on a couch along the back wall, his phone in his
hand like he was in the middle of texting or calling
someone.

He drops the device the instant he sees me and

springs to his feet.

“About fucking time,” he grumbles, wrapping

his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. “I was
just about to message you.”

“We didn’t know how long your interview

would run so I took Lennon for a bite to eat and to
the hotel to change,” Colton explains.

“Trying to move in on my girl?” Hudson says

over my head, looking at his best friend.

“Just seeing that she’s taken care of.” He

chuckles. “I’ll be outside waiting when you’re
ready for me to take her to the stage.” Seconds

later the door latches closed. Hudson’s hands move
to my shoulders, guiding me a few inches backward
so he can look down at me.

“My god. I’m gonna be absolute shit tonight.”

His eyes scan my face before taking me in all the
way to my toes. “No way am I gonna be able to
focus knowing you’re just feet from me, looking
like this, and it will be hours before I can touch
you.”

“You could touch me now if you’d stop talking

already.” I smile, wrapping my arms around the
back of his neck.

“I’m so happy you’re here.” He brushes my

hair over my shoulder before his hand finds my jaw.

“I’m so happy to be here.” I smile. “Now shut

up and kiss me.”

“As you wish.” He smirks, his lips meeting mine

in an instant.

The kiss is gentle, slow and sweet. And while I

love every second of it, I need more.

Tightening my grip on his neck, I press against

him, wanting to feel his hard body touching mine all
over. It doesn’t take much convincing either. As
soon as Hudson realizes I want more, he gives me
more.

Backing me into the dressing room door, he

kisses me harder, deeper, more urgent, and it’s not
long before we’re clawing at each other like two
wild animals in heat.

Hudson’s hand skirts up the front of my shirt

and right as he starts to toy with the waist band of
my jeans, a knock vibrates against my back.

“Fuck.” Hudson freezes, dropping his forehead

against mine.

“Five minutes,” a man’s voice calls from the

hallway.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” Hudson chants under his

breath, grinding his hard length into my stomach.
“Think we could make five minutes work?” He
pulls back and smiles down at me.

“Unlikely.” I sigh, shaking my head. “But don’t

worry, I’m all yours later,” I promise, pushing up on
my tip toes to kiss the side of his mouth.

“Later can’t come soon enough,” he groans,

kissing me again. His tongue does one long
seductive sweep against mine before he pulls away.

Reaching into his jeans, I’m practically

salivating at the mouth as he adjusts his erection,
his dark eyes locked on mine as he does.

My god, this man drips SEX.
“I guess I should go,” I say, swallowing hard. If

I don’t leave now I’m likely to jump him. “Have a
good show. I’ll be the crazy person screaming from
the side of the stage.” I laugh, backing my way
toward the door.

“I’ll be the one on stage dreaming about kissing

the crazy girl screaming from the side of the stage.”
He closes the distance between us in record time,

his hand sliding to the side of my head as he dips
down to kiss me.

“Just kissing me?” I purr against his lips.
“Oh, I’ll be thinking about a whole hell of a lot

more than that. All of which are things I will show
you when I have you alone later.”

“I can’t wait.” I peck another kiss to his lips

before reaching for the door handle behind me.

I have just gotten the door open and am turning

to leave when Hudson’s voice pulls my attention
back to him. It’s a muttered phrase, something
under his breath that I don’t quite catch.

“Huh?” I question, letting my eyes fully take

him in for the first time since arriving. His messy
hair, dark eyes, and crooked smile are enough to
make any girl weak in the knees.

“I said...” he pauses for a long moment, his gaze

holding mine. “I’m lost in you, Lennon Claire.”

My heart instantly takes flight in my chest and I

grip the edge of the door, afraid that if I let go I will
topple to the ground.

Taking a deep calming breath, I let it out slowly.

The look in his eyes is so intense I’m not sure if I
want to run to him or away from him. The way this
man makes me feel is terrifying.

Realizing he’s waiting for me to respond, I do

the only thing I know to do. I speak from my heart.

“I’m lost in you, Hudson Demasi,” I repeat his

statement, enjoying the brilliant smile that takes

over his entire face for a brief moment before
turning and quickly exiting the room.

Chapter Twenty

Watching Hudson on stage is even more incredible
the second time around. The way he moves about
the stage and commands the audience is magical.

He’s nearly finished his set but I’ve been so

enamored the entire time it feels like I’ve only
blinked once since he went on.

He was right when he said the audience has

changed. They’ve sang along to nearly every word
of every song and watching the sheer joy that
brings Hudson does something crazy to my insides.

Such a short period of time and already I feel so

strongly for him. His happiness is my happiness. His
success is my success. To see him out there, doing
his thing, makes me feel like I’m on top of the
world. And it’s not even me out there.

“You must be Lennon.” I jump at the voice, my

eyes widening when I look up and lock gazes with
none other than Travis Travers.

I’ve seen him a billion times on television,

magazines, and even once in concert, but nothing
could have ever prepared me for standing face to
face with him.

He’s very good looking. Not Hudson good

looking

–

then again in my mind no one is

–

but he’s

still a solid nine point five on a ten point scale.
Brown hair that hangs just past his ears and curls up
around his backward baseball cap, green eyes, and
a body that rivals Hudson’s and yet doesn’t hold
the same appeal to me.

It’s easy to see why the ladies all go crazy over

him. He’s rocking this bad boy country vibe that
immediately makes you notice. Yet he’s got this
sweet smile that crinkles the skin around his eyes a
little.

“I...” I stutter, more than a little caught off

guard. “You know my name?” I finally manage to
pull myself together.

“Hudson hasn’t shut up about you since

Nashville.” He smiles, looking out onto the stage.
“When I saw you standing here and the way he
kept looking over at you, I just assumed.” He leans
in, talking over the music.

“And what would you have done if I wasn’t

Lennon?” I cock a brow and cross my arms over

my chest.

“Felt like a total douche.” He chuckles, his

country drawl much thicker than Hudson’s.

“Glad I could save you.” I smile, flipping my

gaze back out to Hudson.

“I’m Travis, by the way,” he says, drawing my

attention back to him and the hand he’s extended
my way.

“I know who you are.” I laugh nervously, giving

his hand a quick shake. “My sister’s a major fan
girl. If she were here I would bet money she’d be
on her knees weeping at the sight of you.”

“But not you?” he says in a playfully cocky

way that’s quite sexy.

“I’ve got my own hot country star. No need to

fawn over anyone else.” I shrug nonchalantly.

“Damn shame too.” His smile widens and even

though I’m not the least bit interested, my pulse
quickens at his words. “Well, it was nice meeting
you, Lennon,” he says, turning to walk back to his
dressing room.

“Wait,” I holler. “Can I get a picture with you?

My sister will never believe this if I don’t.”

“It would be my pleasure.” He snags my phone

I just pulled from my pocket and clicks the camera
icon.

Holding it up over us, he drops an arm over my

shoulder and pulls me so close I can smell the mint
gum he’s chewing. He snaps two pictures of us

smiling and then turns, snapping one just as he
drops a kiss to my cheek.

“That should really get her going.” He speaks

low in my ear, sliding the device back into my
hand.

“She’s going to die,” I practically squeal.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He winks and spins on his heel,

disappearing around the back of the stage.

I turn my attention back out to Hudson just as

he finishes his final song. He says a few words to
the crowd, throws up a fist, and quickly runs off
stage toward me.

He slides off his guitar and hands it to one of

the sound guys and then I’m in his arms, my feet
leaving the ground as I’m secured tightly against his
chest.

“You were incredible.” Pulling back far enough

to cup his face with my hands, I lay a hard kiss to
his mouth.

The scent of sweat, soap, and Hudson’s cologne

invade my senses and I swear it’s the best smell in
the world. He smiles against my lips before turning
to say something in my ear.

“I see you made a friend,” he rasps, his hold on

me tightening.

“I did?” I question, my brain taking a moment

to catch up. “You mean Travis?” I pull back just in
time to see him nod slowly.

“You two were getting pretty cozy in front of

the camera.”

“I asked him to take a picture with me to send

to Starr. You know she’s obsessed with him.”

He seems completely at ease but I can’t help

but feel he’s not happy with me. That feeling only
increases as he lowers me to my feet and takes a
full step back.

“She the only one?” He cocks his head to the

side and I swear my stomach bottoms out at the
look he’s giving me.

“Oh my god,” I say in disbelief. “You’re

jealous.”

“Travis Travers just had his lips on my girl. I’m

not jealous, babe. I’m pissed.” His nostrils flare
slightly and I have to physically bite back the laugh
that works its way into my throat.

“Hey.” I grab his hand and pull him back to me.

“Travis Travers has nothing on you. But more
importantly, he doesn’t have me. You do. Now stop
being pissed and kiss me, you handsome, sweaty
man.”

He smiles and seconds later his lips are on mine,

kissing me the way he should have kissed me when
he ran off stage.

“You’re killing me woman,” he groans against

my lips.

“I know the feeling,” I breathe, tangling my

fingers into the back of his hair.

“Come on.” He drops his hold on me and snags

my hand, pulling me down the stairs and around the
corner, ducking us into a dark hallway.

His body is pressed firmly against mine,

sandwiching me between him and the wall, his
mouth working desperately against my lips when
we hear a throat clear behind us a couple minutes
later.

Hudson, completely unphased that someone has

caught us, makes no attempt to detach his body
from mine as he turns his head toward our
audience, my view completely blocked by his tall
frame.

“Uh, sorry dude,” Colton says and within a

second Hudson’s hold on me drops.

“Kelly.” Hudson grabs my hand and tugs me to

his side, his arm going around my shoulder right as
my eyes land on a very pretty brunette.

I know instantly that she’s Hudson sister. Even

if he hadn’t said her name, there’s no denying the
resemblance between them. Same dark hair, same
dark eyes. It’s like looking at a petite female
version of the man next to me.

“You’re lucky it’s just me. You’d give our damn

mother a heart attack if she caught you like this.”
Even as she lectures him, the smile on her face
spreads, revealing she too has a dimple on her right
cheek. “Come here you.” She drapes her arms
around his neck and gives him a quick hug. Hudson

does not release me, hugging her with the opposite
arm than the one that’s around me.

“It’s good to see you, Kel,” Hudson says as his

sister steps back, her gaze falling to me.

“And you must be Lennon. My brother did

always have good taste,” she says, making no
qualms about checking me out in one thorough
sweep of her eyes. “You are gorgeous.”

“Um, thank you,” I sputter, completely caught

off guard.

“Ignore my sister. She doesn’t get out much.”

Hudson chuckles.

“It’s true. I have mommy brain.” She shakes

her head. “Lord, where are my manners. I’m
Kelly.” She holds her hand out.

“Lennon.” I smile, sliding my hand into hers

and shaking lightly.

“It’s nice to finally meet the woman who has

my brother so twisted.” She eyes Hudson with a
wide smile on her face as she releases my hand.
“Colton tells me everything.” She elbows Colton
who’s standing next to her.

“Why you gotta go getting me into trouble,

Kel?” he asks dramatically.

“Boy never could keep his mouth shut.” She

laughs, poking her finger playfully into his side.

“So, what did you think of the show?” Hudson

sweeps in and saves his friend, drawing his sister’s
attention back to him.

“It was amazing, Hud. So amazing. Of course,

we knew it would be. Mom cried the whole time.
Dad seemed a little star struck. And me, well you
know me, I screamed like a crazy person the whole
time.”

“Speaking of mom and dad, where are they?”
“You know dad. He’s always gotta be the first

one out. He and mom are waiting in the car while I
figure out where you guys wanna go for dinner.”

“Lennon?” Hudson looks down at me.
“I’m good with anything.” I tighten my arm

around his waist, loving that his first instinct is to
take care of me.

“Let’s do that hibachi grill over on 2

,” he

suggests to his sister.

“Maguro?”
“Yeah, that’s it. You remember how to get

there?”

“Not really. I haven’t been there in years but

I’m sure I can GPS my way there.”

“Colton can ride with you guys. I’m gonna go

change. Lennon and I will meet you there shortly.”
Hudson’s fingers trace lightly up and down my
forearm as he speaks. “Cool if we take the truck?”
he asks Colton.

“Now you ask.” Colton rolls his eyes and digs

the keys out of his pocket, tossing them at Hudson
who snags them mid-air with no effort.

“Give us about a half an hour,” Hudson tells

Kelly who arches a brow at him.

“It takes five minutes to get there,” she reminds

him.

“And I need a shower,” he informs her dryly.
“Yeah, I bet that’s all you need.” Her gaze

jumps to me and then back to her brother before
she snags Colton’s arm. “Come on, be a gentleman
and walk me to my car. Thirty minutes, Hudson.
Not a minute more,” she hollers over her shoulder
as they walk away.

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters under his breath

before meeting my gaze. “See, that wasn’t so bad,
right?” He chuckles, taking off toward his dressing
room with me still tucked into his side.

Chapter Twenty-one

HUDSON

“What do you mean you haven’t told her?”

Kelly looks at me across the table like I’ve lost my
fucking mind.

“Just what I said. I haven’t told her,” I grind

out, trying to keep my voice down.

This was a conversation I wanted to have with

my family before we had dinner together, but
unfortunately that didn’t happen. So when Lennon
excused herself to go to the bathroom shortly after
we arrived, I decided it was now or never.

“Hudson.” My mom gives me the look that says

she’s seconds away from breaking into a full on
lecture.

“I didn’t want to open up right out of the gate

and spill my shit on her. I had no idea it would turn

into anything.”

“Well it has,” Kelly interjects. “How do you

think she’s going to feel when she finds out you’ve
been keeping secrets from her? Hudson, you can’t
build a relationship on a foundation of lies.”

“Spare me your bullshit, Kel. I’m not building

a relationship on lies. I have omitted some things,
sure, but at the end of the day it doesn’t change
how I feel about her.”

“No, but when she learns the truth it might

change how she feels about you.” She pauses,
shaking her head.

“I’m aware.” I drag a hand through my hair. “I

just need her to hear it from me.”

“We won’t mention it, sweetheart.” My mom

reaches over and pats my hand. “I understand
your hesitance, but honey, you’re going to have to
tell her eventually.” She gives me a soft smile.

“I know. And I will. When the time is right.”
“I don’t know that the timing will ever be

right,” Kelly interjects. “You’re going to have to
bite the bullet and get it over with. If she cares
about you the way I think she does, she’ll be okay
with it. I mean, I think she’ll be pissed that you
weren’t upfront with her, but ultimately, I think it’s
something you can get past. But not if you wait too
long.”

“I agree with your sister, dude,” Colton adds

in. “Lennon is crazy about you. Tell her the truth

and see where it lands.” The words have barely left
his lips when his eyes dart behind me and he does
a little motion with his head.

Seconds later Lennon reclaims the seat next to

me, her hand instantly reaching for mine under the
table. I blow out a soft breath and meet her gaze,
not able to shake my sister’s words. When she
learns the truth it might change how she feels about
you.

It’s probably the one thing I’m the most

worried about. That when it’s all said and done
and everything is out in the open, Lennon won’t
look at me the same.

I can’t escape the mistakes of my past but I

damn sure can try to move beyond them. It’s about
time I bury the past to make way for my future. A
future that is currently looking at me like I’m the
only thing in the world she sees.

And that’s when I know I’m not just falling

anymore. I’ve fallen. And there’s not one damn
thing I can do about it.

Chapter Twenty-two

“So Lennon, Hudson tells us you’re a designer.”
Hudson’s mom takes a drink of her sweet tea, her
eyes on me. We’ve been at the restaurant for about
thirty minutes and I swear Mary Demasi knows my
life story. Sitting caddy corner from me at the
hibachi grill, she hasn’t stopped asking questions
since the moment we arrived.

“I am.” I nod, lifting my wine glass to my lips

and taking a small sip.

I’m usually not much for wine but there was no

way I wasn’t going to have a drink. Desperately
needing to calm my nerves. For some reason wine
seemed more acceptable for dinner with Hudson’s
parents.

“Tell us more about that.” She leans forward

slightly.

“Dear lord, Mary,” Hudson’s father, Thomas,

grumbles next to her. “Give the poor girl a break.
You’ve been grilling her since they arrived.”

Hudson looks a great deal like his father, as

does his sister. As a matter of fact, if you erase the
salt colored hair that peppers his temples and a few
years’ worth of wrinkles, Hudson and his father
would look like twins. Well, Thomas would need to
gain a few pounds in muscle too. Though he’s got a
pretty good build, it’s not as full and defined as
Hudson’s.

“That’s okay.” I smile, taking another sip of

wine as Hudson’s hand settles just above my knee
and squeezes.

“Lennon’s boss buys run down houses in

desirable areas and rehabs them. Lennon goes in
with a blank slate and gets to design the house from
the ground up. There’s this incredible beach house
she’s working on right now.” He smiles at me and I
swear I fall a little harder.

“That’s really cool,” Kelly chimes in. “It’s like

one of those shows you see on HGTV. You’re like
the chick from fixer upper.”

“Joanna,” Mary interjects.
“Yeah. Joanna Gaines.” Kelly laughs.
“I mean, yeah, it’s kind of like that. Though we

have very different design styles, my job doesn’t
look much different than what you see her doing on
television.”

This spins the conversation into an entirely

different direction and we spend the next several
minutes listening to Kelly and Mary discuss some
of their favorite shows to watch, Hudson and I only
chiming in when called for.

Thomas remains pretty silent throughout,

sipping on his scotch and talking quietly to Colton
who’s sitting next to him. Hudson had said his
father was a little rough around the edges, which is
definitely true, but there’s also something soft
about him too. Especially when he looks at his
wife. It’s like he can’t decide if he wants to slap
duct tape over her mouth or kiss her to shut her up.
It’s really quite cute

–

the way the two interact.

Mary is so soft and sweet. A true Texas woman

who loves to cook and works closely with the
church. She’s exactly what I pictured Hudson’s
mom would be like. And while you can tell she
drives Thomas nuts, it’s also clear to see how much
he loves her.

As nervous as I was to meet part of Hudson’s

family, I have to say it’s actually gone quite well.
Both of his parents have been very nice to me and I
decided almost instantly that I love Kelly. She’s
sassy and so quick witted; it’s hard not to laugh at
nearly everything she says. I can’t help but wonder
what Hudson’s other two sisters are like.

It’s well after eleven by the time we exit the

restaurant. After the long day of travel, over

stuffing myself on stir fry, and indulging in three
glasses of wine, I feel dead on my feet.

We say goodbye to Hudson’s parents and sister

outside of the restaurant and part ways with Colton
shortly after in the parking lot.

Given that our hotel is only a couple blocks

away, we opted to walk rather than have Colton
give us a lift. The night air feels amazing and even
though I’m exhausted, I also feel wide awake.

“My mom loves you,” Hudson says as we make

our way down the sidewalk, hand in hand.

“How do you know?” I ask, grinning up at him.
“Because I know my mother.” He smiles,

keeping his gaze forward.

“And your father?” I ask curiously, wondering

if he can read him so easily as well.

“My father trusts my mother. If she loves you

then he does too.”

“Just like that?”
“Just like that. If you ask him he’ll tell you it’s

the secret to making their marriage last.”

“What is exactly?” I question.
“Him following my mother’s lead.” He

chuckles, knocking his shoulder gently against mine
as we round the corner

–

the main entrance to our

hotel coming into view.

“It meant a lot to me to meet your family,” I say

after a long bout of silence.

“It meant a lot to me that you met them.”

“Hudson,” I start to say but lose my train of

thought as two girls approaching from the opposite
direction stop dead in their tracks when they get a
look at the man next to me.

I watch the recognition cross over their faces

followed by a look that can only be described as
shock mixed with a little dash of disbelief.

“Oh my god. That’s Hudson James,” one of the

girls says.

“Holy shit. It totally is.” Her friend squeals next

to her, grabbing her by the arm and cutting into our
path so that we’re forced to stop.

Hudson slows next to me, his gaze jumping

between the two women as an easy smile falls into
place.

“Oh my god it is you,” the first girl says,

fanning her face like she’s not sure if she’s going to
cry or faint.

She’s probably no older than eighteen or

nineteen, dressed in a cut off jean skirt, cowgirl
boots, and a crop top, wearing way more makeup
than she actually needs considering she’s quite
pretty. All I can think is that my father would kill
me if I ever left the house in that. Even now at
twenty-seven I think he’d make me go home and
put more clothes on.

“We love you so much. We just saw you at the

show a few hours ago,” the other girl chimes in.
“You were incredible.”

She’s dressed similarly to her friend only she

has her hair pulled through the back of a black hat
with Travis Travers etched across the front and is
not wearing nearly as much makeup. She too is
very pretty. I would be lying if I said seeing them
fawn over Hudson doesn’t make me a little
uncomfortable.

“Thanks, ladies.” Hudson’s slight drawl makes

an appearance and I see the two women visibly
tremble at the sound of his deep, rich voice. “I
hope you enjoyed yourselves.”

“Oh god, we so did. We love you so much. Can

we get a picture with you?” the first girl asks,
seeming to find her bearings.

“Of course.” Hudson smiles, his dimple popping

as he does.

This is totally his element. He’s so natural, so

unbelievably sexy and charming without even
trying. It’s clear to see from the girls’ reaction that
they see it too.

“Here.” I take the phone the girl wearing the

hat pulls out of her purse. “I’ll take it for you,” I
say, fully aware that both girls are sizing me up.

Hudson slides in between them and drops an

arm over each of their shoulders. All three smile at
the camera as I snap several pictures so the girls
can choose their favorite.

“Thank you so much.” The girl in the hat takes

the phone I extend her way.

“You ladies have a good night.” Hudson gives

each of them a brief hug before coming back to my
side, his arm instantly going around my shoulder as
he steers me around the two women.

“Sorry about that.” He kisses my temple as he

guides us toward the entrance of the hotel.

“Don’t apologize. I think it’s amazing,” I say

truthfully, leaving out how out of my element the
whole thing left me feeling.

My mind jumps back to the conversation with

Colton when he picked me up from the airport. He
asked me if I could handle being with someone like
Hudson and I assured him I could, but I’m starting
to see that I still don’t fully understand what that
entails.

All I know is that when Hudson looks at me,

none of the other stuff matters. I don’t care that
he’s on his way to fame, or perhaps already found
it. I don’t care that random women have no qualms
about fawning over him right in front of me, not to
mention what they might do when I’m not around. I
don’t care that everyone who meets him probably
wants him the same way I do. All I care about is
that he wants me and none of them. As long as I
believe that to be true, there’s nothing I can’t
overcome to be with him.

My phone signals in my pocket as we make our

way through the lobby. Pulling it out, I click on the
message from my sister as we stop in front of the

elevator, a wide smile crossing my face when I see
her response to the picture of Travis kissing my
cheek.

Starr: Are you kidding me right now? I

officially hate you! First Hudson James and now
you’re posing with Travis Travers like you’re old
chums. Some girls have all the luck.

I chuckle at the array of sad faces that follow

her message, not realizing that Hudson is looking
over my shoulder until I lock the screen and glance
up at him.

“You sent your sister the picture of him kissing

you?” he asks, his lips turned down in a slight
frown.

“Only because she’s totally obsessed with him

and I knew she’d freak,” I explain, not sure why I
feel the need to. I’m sure he’s posed similarly more
times than I would ever care to know about.

“And what about you?” he asks, his hand

falling to the small of my back to guide me inside
the elevator when the doors slide open in front of
us.

“What about me?” I ask once we are inside and

the car has started to climb.

“You seemed quite smitten yourself.”
“Are we doing this again?” I smile, crossing my

arms in front of my chest.

“Doing what?” He leans against the wall,

tucking his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

“I never pegged you for the jealous type,” I

tease, crossing toward him.

“Are you making fun of me right now?” He

cocks a brow. His brown gaze holds mine as I step
directly in front of him and place my hands on his
chest.

“I just had to bear witness to two very pretty,

half-dressed girls fucking you with their eyes. If
we’re gonna play who has the right to be more
insecure, I’m gonna win.”

“Are you saying you’re jealous?” He fights the

smile I can see threatening to appear.

“Would it make you feel better if I said yes?” I

ask.

“Perhaps.”
I shake my head and turn as the doors slide

open, quickly exiting the car without comment.

Because Colton brought me here earlier, I

already know where our room is, but since he
didn’t give me a key, I have to wait for Hudson.

Sliding up next to me, he waves the card in

front of the scanner before we push our way inside.

I’m kicking off my shoes when his warm heat

settles behind me.

“I feel crazy when it comes to you,” he says

into my hair before inhaling deeply.

“I know the feeling.” I smile, turning into his

embrace, my cheek resting against his hard chest.

“It’s weird for me. I’ve never been like this

over a woman before. Hell, I was jealous over you
spending the day with a man I consider family. All
day all I could think about was what was
happening, what you two were talking about, what
you were doing. I envisioned some pretty horrific
stuff for a man that never gets jealous.”

“Does it make me a bad person if I say I’m glad

you felt that way?” I ask, pulling my face back to
peer up at him.

“Considering I felt half sick all day, maybe.” He

grimaces playfully.

“I’m not glad you felt sick or that you worried.

But I am glad that you feel enough for me to worry.
It means I’m not in this alone,” I admit, allowing
him to see how truly vulnerable he makes me feel.
“Imagine how I feel every single day knowing you
are who you are and that you’re out on the road
where thousands of people have access to you on a
daily basis. I worry that one day you’re going to
look around and realize that you’re wasting this
opportunity and being with me is holding you
back.”

“You don’t hold me back, Lennon. You propel

me forward. Since the first night I met you I knew
there was something different about you.
Something special. I won’t lie and say that I
haven’t been with my fair share of women over the
years, because I have. But not one of them has

stuck with me the way you did. In Nashville, when
I saw you standing out in the crowd, I swear I’ve
never felt that kind of rush before. Performing on a
stage for thousands of screaming fans doesn’t hold
a candle to the thrill I get every time I look at you.”
He sweeps his thumb across my bottom lip and I
swear if not for his arm around my waist I’d likely
not be standing.

“You have a way with words. You know that?”

I get out breathlessly when his lips take the place of
where his thumb was just moments ago.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, Lennon

Claire,” he promises, his tongue sweeping through
my mouth as he guides me back toward the bed.

Chapter Twenty-three

“Are you sure it’s okay that I’m here?” I hesitate at
the entrance of the tour bus, looking up to where
Hudson stops in the middle of the stairs and turns
toward me.

“Technically this is my tour bus. Yes, it’s okay

that you’re here.” He holds his hand out to me.

“Right,” I say, more nervous than I should be as

I take his hand and allow him to pull me on board.

I hear at least three different male voices

talking before we make it to the landing, followed
by a rumble of laughter as one yells playfully at the
other just as we step onto the bus.

“I was wondering where the hell your ass

disappeared to,” one of the men says, stopping
when he sees me half hiding behind Hudson’s large
frame.

“I told Zeke I was getting a room. I take it he

didn’t tell you?” Hudson asks, slightly annoyed.

“That’s what you get for telling Zeke.” The man

laughs, our eyes meeting as Hudson pulls me up
beside him.

At first glance I would guess the man is maybe

in his early forties. With dirty blonde hair and a
goatee in serious need of a trim, he’s not what I
would classify as good looking but I wouldn’t say
he’s not good looking either, if that makes sense.

“I guess that’s true.” Hudson shakes his head.
“Hello, I’m sitting right here,” says the man

sitting across the small table from the other, a deck
of cards sitting between them.

This man looks to be about Hudson’s age. With

a completely bald head and tattoos on every
surface of skin I can see other than his face, he
reminds me more of a rocker than someone who
would travel with a country artist.

“Don’t worry, we all know you’re shit at

remembering to do anything,” another man chimes
in from the small built in couch along the back wall.

My eyes move to him, noticing that he’s much

younger than the others and reminds me of Colton
from the first night we met. He’s wearing faded
jeans, a red flannel

–

despite the fact that it’s the

hottest month of the summer in Texas, and his hair
is pulled back in a thick man bun. He’s cute enough
but way too young for me to really take notice. If I

had to guess I’d say he’s probably not even old
enough to drink yet.

“Fuck you, kid,” the bald man throws his way

before Hudson clears his throat, demanding the
room. “Guys, this is Lennon. Lennon, this is my
touring band.” He sweeps his arm to gesture to the
room.

“Hey, Lennon,” they all kind of say in unison.
I do a small wave to no one in particular, feeling

every set of eyes in the room on me.

“This is Hank. He plays bass.”
I swallow my nerves and nod a hello to the man

with the goatee, not attempting to move out of
Hudson’s protective hold.

“This here is Zeke.” He gestures to the bald guy

sitting across from Hank. “Best drummer I’ve ever
had the pleasure of playing with. Shit at relaying
messages,” Hudson jokes causing Zeke to smile.

“Sup, girl.” He gives me a chin lift.
“And back there is Oliver. He plays guitar.” He

gestures to the younger guy with the bun.

“Hi, guys,” I squeak out without sounding as

nervous as I feel.

It’s weird. I’ve always been a very outgoing,

confident person but when it comes to meeting the
people in Hudson’s life, I clam up in a way that is
so not like me. I think it’s the pressure I put on
myself. I’m so desperate for everyone to like me
that I’m forgetting to be myself.

“Well hello to you, Lennon,” Zeke says, turning

his gaze to Hudson. “You said she was pretty, but
you didn’t tell us she was this pretty.”

I relax at his comment.
“I like him,” I offer, a smile playing on my lips.
“Somehow I knew you would.” Hudson

chuckles, tightening his arm around my shoulders
as he turns his attention back to the guys. “Why are
you guys hanging out here? You have the day off.
Don’t you spend enough time on this bus?”

“We’re gonna head out in a bit. Just waiting on

some of Travis’ guys,” Hank answers.

“Okay, well I’m gonna show Lennon around

the bus. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

“Sounds good.” Hank nods, collecting the cards

between him and Zeke as he prepares to deal out
another game.

Hudson bumps fists with Oliver as we pass,

heading into a long hallway that houses bunk beds
on each side. I follow him to the very back of the
bus that opens to a small bedroom, dipping inside
when he holds the door open for me.

“Is this your room?” I ask, looking around the

small but very nice space.

“This is my home away from home.” He drops

down onto the bed before patting the space beside
him.

“This is not at all what I pictured,” I admit,

taking in the dark tinted windows on either side of

the room and the small private bathroom tucked in
the corner.

“No?” he questions when I slide down next to

him, tucking one leg under myself so that I’m
facing him.

“The bunks out there is more of what I

envisioned but everything else.” I shake my head.
“It’s like a small house in here. You’ve got a living
room and kitchen combo.” I gesture to the vicinity
of where the guys are. “Guest rooms.” I point
toward the door where the bunks are located. “And
you even have your own private master.” I run my
hand along the deep red comforter beneath me.

“You think this is something, you should see

Travis’ bus. If mine’s a house then his is a
mansion.” He laughs, looking around the space.

“Perhaps I’ll go ask if I can see it,” I tease, not

missing the way Hudson’s jaw twitches when I do.

“Careful,” he warns, squeezing my thigh.
“You know I’m only kidding. There’s only one

tour bus I want to see and this is it.” I smile,
pushing up on my knees before crawling into
Hudson’s lap, my legs wrapping around his back
and my arms going around the back of his neck.

“Yeah, you better say that,” he murmurs,

running his lips across my jaw.

“If you had told me when we met that I’d be

here with you now, on your tour bus, I never would
have believed it.”

“Funny how life works.” Hudson runs his nose

up the side of my neck, inhaling me. “God you
smell good.” He groans, thrusting his hips upward
slightly so I can feel him hard beneath me.

“I probably smell like you,” I counter, pushing

down to grind myself on him.

“Why would you smell like me?” He smiles,

pulling back to look up at me.

“Because you haven’t stopped rubbing yourself

all over me since last night,” I inform him,
scratching my nails along his scruff.

“Is that a bad thing?” he asks, cocking his head

to the side.

“Quite the opposite actually.” I shift my hips,

pressing into him again. “I’m thinking I’d like you
to be rubbing on me right now,” I purr, sliding my
hands into the back of his hair as my mouth settles
over his.

“You want to christen my tour bus, do you?”

He groans when I slide my tongue into his mouth.

“That depends...” I pause, my face hovering so

close to his that all I can see are his dark eyes.

“You would be the first,” he cuts in like he

knows exactly where my mind is going. “The first
and the only.” He shifts, lifting us both up as he
turns and deposits me on the bed beneath him.

“Well in that case.” I lift my arms so he can

peel my shirt off. “Christen away, Mr. Demasi.”

—-

“So will you have the same bus the next time you
go on tour?” I ask, my body curled into Hudson’s
under the blankets.

“Doubtful. Usually the label leases the buses. I

think it depends on what’s available. Obviously
their higher end stock is reserved for the bigger
artists.”

“Which you are quickly becoming,” I interject.
“Maybe.” He shrugs like he’s unsure, which is

completely out of character for him. “I don’t know.
Some days I think I’m just waiting for the rug to get
ripped out from underneath me.”

I sit up, doing a ninety degree turn so that I’m

facing where he’s lying, propped up on pillows with
his hands tucked underneath his head. “What do
you mean?” I question, criss-crossing my legs in
front of myself as I tug the blanket up to my chin.

“It just seems too good to be true.” He shrugs.

“Everything is going too right.”

“There’s such a thing as too right?” I ask,

reaching out to trail my hand along the swirls of the
tattoo on his forearm.

“I think so.” He looks down to where my

fingers are drifting gently over his ink.

“Explain,” I coax.
“It’s hard to explain.” He lets out a slow sigh,

his gaze going to the ceiling. “I just feel like one

day everyone is going to wake up and realize I’m
not who they think I am. That my music isn’t good
enough. That I’m not good enough.”

“Are you serious right now?” I snip almost

angrily. “You have no idea how talented you are, do
you? My god, Hudson, you are pure magic on that
stage. If you could see what I see when I watch
you, I promise you would never, ever wonder if
you’re good enough.”

“I wasn’t just talking about music, Lennon,” he

pauses, his gaze drifting back to me.

“You think you’re not good enough for me?” I

ask like the question couldn’t be more absurd.

“I worry that maybe I’m not. That I’m fooling

myself into believing I can be what you need.”

“You don’t have to fool yourself into anything.

You are what I need.”

“Right now maybe,” he grumbles, sitting up

before throwing his legs over the bed. He’s pulling
on his jeans before my feet have even hit the floor.

“Hey.” I pull the blanket off the bed and wrap it

around my shoulders before stepping in front of
him. “What’s with you?” I ask, having never seen
this side of Hudson.

“You scare the fuck out of me, Lennon Claire.”

His gaze softens as his hand slides into my hair.

“And you think you don’t scare me?” I ask.

Leaning into his touch, I close my eyes for a brief
moment.

“I’m in love with you,” he blurts and my entire

body freezes.

I’m not sure how long it takes for my wide gaze

to find his, but when it does I feel like my heart is
seconds away from crashing out from behind my
rib cage.

“Did you hear me?” he asks when moments

pass and I haven’t been able to form one single
word.

“I heard you,” I manage, not able to contain the

smile the spreads across my face. “Now say it
again.”

Relief floods his expression as he leans forward,

his lips a breath away from mine.

“I’m. In. Love. With. You.”
“You have no idea, do you?” I question,

shaking my head, my smile still firmly intact.

“What don’t I have any idea about?” he

questions, his eyebrows knitting together.

“How crazy I am about you,” I say, taking his

face in my hands. “Or how incredibly happy you
just made me.” Emotion swells in my throat and I
choke it back. “I’m in love with you too.”

I press up on the balls of my feet and kiss him,

not even flinching when the blanket slips from my
body and Hudson’s warm arms close around my
back.

“I’m in this with you,” I reassure him, wrapping

my legs around his waist when he lifts me into his

arms. “And I’m not going anywhere. As long as
you want me, I’m yours.”

“I’m never going to stop wanting you,” he

murmurs against my neck, nipping at the sensitive
flesh just below my ear.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” I warn

as Hudson dips and presses me back onto the
mattress.

“I’m never going to stop wanting you,” he

reiterates as he shimmies out of his jeans and settles
in between my thighs.

He pauses at my entrance, looking down at me

with so much adoration on his face it nearly steals
the air from my lungs.

“I love you,” he whispers, slowly sliding inside

of me.

“I love you,” I whisper back, wrapping my legs

around his back and arching my hips upward as he
starts to move, showing me with his body what his
words have already expressed.

I know he meant what he said. I feel it in the

way he touches me. See it in the way he looks at
me. Hear it in the way that he says my name over
and over again as our bodies slide against one
another.

This man loves me.
I love him.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever felt so

happy. So full that I could burst into a million

pieces. But with that happiness the fear creeps in.

The more you love someone the more power

they have to hurt you. For my sake I hope it never
comes to that. Because losing Hudson wouldn’t just
hurt me. It would completely destroy me.

Chapter Twenty-four

Thought you’d like to know we’re official. That’s
the message I read seconds before I click on an
image attached to Hudson’s text, my hand coming
up to cover my mouth as I take in the picture.

It’s a side image caught from someone who

must have been standing behind me as Hudson ran
off stage and lifted me into his arms. I’m looking
down at him with a wide smile on my face and he’s
looking up at me, beaming. Given the lighting, the
image isn’t the clearest, but you can see it’s us.

I’m getting ready to respond and ask him where

he got the picture when another text comes
through, linking me to an online news article.

What’s next for Hudson James? We talk to the

rising country star about his debut album, his

current tour with country royalty, Travis Travers,
and even dive into his love life.

Following the headline is a couple pictures of

Hudson performing on stage and then a question
and answers section between the reporter who did
the article and Hudson.

I read through the whole thing, learning I know

most of the answers before reading his responses.
But I pause when I come across what I’ve been
looking for since he sent me the link.

Q: So your fans are dying to know. Hudson, is

there a special lady in your life? Someone who’s
inspired some of your incredible songs?

A: She’s more than just special.
My heart hammers in my chest and I can’t read

the words fast enough.

Q: Well don’t keep us in suspense. Do tell. Who

is she? How did you two meet? Is it serious?

A: I’d prefer to keep her to myself for a little

while longer. But yes, it’s serious.

Q: Serious as is in she might be the one?
A: Serious as in she is the one.
Everything blurs on the screen and I swear if I

wasn’t sitting on my couch I would most definitely
be on the floor.

My hands begin to shake when I spot the

picture Hudson sent me right below the last answer.

Hudson James may not have been ready to

share the identity of his mystery woman, but

someone backstage sure was. Snapping this very
intimate photo of James right after his
performance in Houston this past weekend. The
woman has since been identified as twenty-seven
year old interior designer, Lennon Claire.

My stomach rolls and I’m not sure if I want to

scream in joy because the world knows he belongs
to me or if I want to puke because, well, the world
now knows he belongs to me.

My phone beeps in my hand and I look down to

see another message from Hudson.

Hudson: Lennon?
It takes me a moment to realize that he can see

I’ve read his messages and he’s probably worried
that I haven’t responded.

Me: Just read the article.
Hudson: And?
Me: You said I was the one.
Hudson: You are the one.
Me: I think that might be a little premature.
I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to accept

that he would think that way about me when I
thought he was the one five years ago after one
night together.

Hudson: When you know, you know.
I smile, able to envision the relaxed smile on his

face followed by a slight shrug of his shoulders.

Hudson: I was worried you might be upset that

they named you.

Me: Why would that upset me? I’m more than

happy to scream it from the rooftops.

Hudson: It can get a little tricky in my line of

work.

Me: Meaning what?
Hudson: Meaning people might come looking

for you.

Me: As in fans?
Hudson: As in fans, reporters, photographers,

or anyone else who might be curious.

Me: Should I be worried?
Hudson: No, of course not. But you should be

prepared if someone were to approach you. Might
be a good idea to have some answers in mind for
questions people might throw at you. Or at least
that’s what J said. She’s not too happy about the
photo being leaked, but like I told her, it’s not like
I’m trying to hide you.

I think back to the one time I met Hudson’s PR

manager, Jane. She didn’t seem too thrilled about
me then. I can only imagine how she feels about me
now.

Me: What are you doing right now? Can we

talk on the phone instead of texting?

Hudson: I’m at sound check. Promise I’ll call

you later. I just wanted you to be aware.

Me: Okay.
Hudson: You sure you’re okay with this?

Me: Not much we can do about it now. But yes,

I love you, Hudson. I don’t care if the whole world
knows it.

Hudson: Good. I love you too. Talk soon.
I sigh, dropping my phone on the couch next to

me before letting out what sounds like a laugh and
groan all balled into one.

On one hand, I really don’t care that they

named me as the woman in Hudson’s life. Hell, I’m
glad they did. On the other, it makes me nervous to
think that people might seek me out.

Shaking it off, I snag my phone from where I

dropped it seconds ago and quickly pull up my
recent calls, clicking on Emma’s name.

If there’s anyone that can calm the sudden

nervousness inside of me, it’s my best friend. The
second I hear her voice on the other end I relax.

I pace the floor of my living room as I go over

everything with Emma. I haven’t spoken to her
since I got back from Texas five days ago. She
hasn’t been at work because she’s had some
stomach bug and I’ve been pretty distracted so I
use this opportunity to fill her in on not only the
article but also on my weekend with Hudson.

Nearly an hour later I’m lounging on my

balcony, sipping a margarita, feeling a lot more
calm about how quickly my life is changing.

Emma reminded me of what’s really important

–

which I knew she would

–

and that’s Hudson and

how I feel about him. The rest is just a bunch of
noise. I just have to learn how to tune it out and
focus on him.

Chapter Twenty-five

“Can you believe it’s done?” Emma steps back and
looks over the living room of the beach house.

We’ve been working on decorating for nearly

two full days and now that it’s complete, it looks a
million times better than I ever dreamed it could.

“It turned out so good.” She knocks her

shoulder against mine.

“I can’t believe how well all the décor worked

in the space. Usually there are a handful of pieces I
can’t place but there wasn’t one thing that didn’t fit
perfectly.”

“Because you’re just that good.” She smiles,

her green eyes bright against her light brown skin.

“I don’t think it had anything to do with me. I

think it’s just that amazing of a house.” I look over
the light gray furniture with pops of teal and yellow

brought out in the pillows and area rugs. It has the
perfect beach feel without being too beachy.

“Daddy is going to make so much money on

this house. And you know what that means.” She
bounces next to me.

Our salaries are based on the profit Jeff makes

on each house. The higher the profit, the more
money Emma and I make. I know with complete
certainty that Emma is right. There’s no way this
house won’t sell for asking price. If not over. My
bet is that it goes well over asking.

“Now, I think we should celebrate. What do

you say? Cosmos on me?”

“I say I think I like where your head is at.” I

smirk, linking my arm through Emma’s.

—-

“So when does lover boy finish with his tour?”
Emma asks, well into her fourth Cosmo.

“Their last show was Wednesday. He had some

things to take care of in Nashville but he should be
here this weekend,” I say, not able to contain the
excitement I have knowing in a couple of days he
will be here.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been three weeks

since our time together in Texas. We’ve talked
nearly every night since, and even though it’s not

enough and I want him here with me, I’ve learned
to cherish whatever I can get.

Our relationship has only progressed

emotionally with our inability to see each other.
When we’re together we can barely keep our hands
off each other so it’s nice to have this time to
connect with him beyond sex.

I swear I fall for him a little more every day.

The more I learn, the more I want. The more I
know, the more I love.

“Uh oh,” Emma slurs, knocking back the

remainder of her drink. “You are in so deep,
Lennon Claire. Look at you.” She giggles. “One
mention of his name and you’re off in La La Land.”
She twirls her finger.

“What can I say? I’m dating country star,

Hudson James,” I say cockily, a wide smile on my
face.

“Such a gloaty bitch.” She sticks her tongue out

at me and curls her nose. “Someone needs to cut
you off,” she says loudly in the direction of the
bartender.

“Shhh. Keep it up and they’re going to cut you

off.” I push playfully at her shoulder.

“I love you, you know that.” She smiles at me

and it’s very clear that she’s crossed the point of no
return.

I’m not sure when Emma became such a light

weight, but I’ve noticed more and more recently

that it doesn’t take much to get her drunk. Then
again it could have to do with the fact that she
doesn’t drink every other day like we did in
college.

Regardless, one thing has not changed. When

Emma starts saying she loves everyone, you know
she’s had enough.

“I love you too,” I humor her, the buzz running

through my veins pretty strong as well. Though to
be fair I haven’t eaten a lick of food since seven
o’clock this morning and decided to drink anyway.
Probably not the smartest move in the world.

“I was pregnant,” Emma blurts out of nowhere,

the smile falling from her lips.

“What?” I shake my head, trying to follow.

“What do you mean was?”

“I found out a week before Starr’s wedding.

That’s why we left early. I was having horrible
cramps. Robert and I decided not to tell anyone
until we were sure everything was okay. They did
an ultrasound a few days later and said it appeared
as though the fetus wasn’t progressing the way it
should be. I had to do a series of blood tests. They
confirmed it a couple weeks ago. I was losing the
baby.”

“That’s why you were out sick,” I say, piecing it

all together.

She nods, signaling the bartender for another

round before her green eyes are on me again.

“Emma. Why didn’t you tell me?” I take her

hand that’s resting on the bar and give it a gentle
squeeze.

“I wanted to. But I thought it would be easier if

I handled it alone. I didn’t want to have to talk
about it or answer questions. I just wanted it over
with and to move on.”

“You know me better than that, Emma Barrett

Mills,” I say, nodding to the bartender as he slides
two more cosmos in front of us.

“I see now how stupid that was.” She lifts her

drink and takes a sip. “I just wasn’t ready for
anyone to know.”

“Are you okay?” I ask the only question I need

answered.

“I’m still a little sad. But yeah, I’m okay.

Robert has been amazing and we’ve decided we’re
gonna wait a couple months before trying again. I
honestly don’t know what I did to deserve that
man.” She smiles through the tears that have welled
behind her eyes.

“More like what he did to deserve you,” I tell

her matter of fact. “You know I’m here, right?
Anything you need.”

“I know.” She leans into me, her head coming

to rest on my shoulder. “Have I told you how much
I love you?” she asks, looking up at my profile.

“Less than five minutes ago,” I remind her with

a smile.

“Well fuck.” Her head shoots up and she looks

around. “I’m really drunk,” she announces.

“No?” I question sarcastically, laughing when

she shoots me an evil glare. “Perhaps I should call
Robert.”

“I think that might be wise,” she advises before

snagging her still full Cosmo off the bar and
draining half the contents in one large gulp.

“Perhaps I should call him sooner rather than

later.” I laugh, immediately going for my phone, but
freezing when a familiar voice washes over me
from behind.

“Lennon.”
I slowly turn, locking eyes with Gage who

seems just as surprised to see me as I do him.

“Gage.” I force a smile, trying to be polite.
“What are you two doing here?” he asks, his

eyes bouncing between me and Emma. She’s biting
her tongue to keep herself from telling him where
he can go stick himself. “Up to no good I see.” He
eyes the Cosmos in front of us on the bar.

“We just finished a project. Decided to have a

celebratory drink.” I shrug.

“Or five,” Emma grinds out, throwing me what

can only be described as a what the fuck look.

I shrug, hoping Emma isn’t about to cause a

scene. Yeah, Gage is an ass and what he did to me
hurt like hell at the time, but things have changed a

lot since we broke up and I’m not the same person
as I was then.

Honestly, in a way I’m grateful to Gage. If he

hadn’t royally screwed me over, I never would
have reconnected with Hudson and therefore would
not be with the person I truly feel like I belong
with.

“Mind if I join you?” he asks, beer already in

hand.

“Aren’t you here with some bimbo or

something?” Emma slurs, typing away on her
phone.

“I deserve that.” He sighs. “I’m actually here

with a couple co-workers. May I?” He gestures to
the stool next to me.

“I can’t stop you,” I say in a way that I hope

conveys that I don’t want him to but somehow
know he will anyway.

As predicted, he slides up on the stool and leans

back, swiveling it so he’s staring at my profile.

“So how are you?” he asks.
“Good.” I sip my Cosmo, ignoring the way his

eyes on the side of my face make me feel like I’m
about to crawl out of my skin.

How I ever thought I could marry this man is

completely beyond me.

“So you said you guys just finished a project,”

he prompts, clearly trying to make conversation
though I’m not entirely sure why.

“Yep.” I nod, feeling Emma move beside me.
I slide my eyes to see her on her feet, her phone

to her ear. She holds up a finger indicating she’ll be
right back, turning and walking toward the front
door, swaying a little as she steps outside.

“I should make sure she’s okay.” I start to move

but Gage’s hand lands on my shoulder, halting my
movement.

“She said she’d be right back, Lennon.” He

removes his hand when I glare daggers at where
he’s touching me.

“She’s drunk,” I point out.
“She’s also a big girl,” he counters.
“What do you really want, Gage? And don’t

pretend it’s to see how I’m doing because we both
know you never cared about my well-being. So, do
us both a favor and cut the bullshit already.”

“I don’t remember you like this.” He shakes his

head, taking a long gulp of beer.

“You don’t remember me like what?”
“So... Angry.”
“Angry?” I bite back a laugh. “I’m not angry,

Gage. I just don’t like you.” I take a long pull of my
Cosmo, needing it now more than ever.

“And you say you’re not angry,” he counters,

his tone disbelieving.

“To be angry would imply that I care, Gage,

and truthfully I don’t. Not anymore. But that
doesn’t mean I want to sit here and play your

games either. I know you want something so get to
it already.”

“What if I miss you and just wanted to come

say hi. Is that so unbelievable?”

“Maybe to a normal person, no. For you, yes.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because I know you, Gage,” I remind him.

“You’re a self-serving piece of shit who only cares
about himself. So no, I don’t believe you just came
over to say hello.”

“Fuck, I miss you,” he breathes out, his gaze

drifting to somewhere behind the bar before his
eyes drift back to the side of my face again. “Look
at me, Lennon.”

For reasons I don’t fully understand I find

myself turning my face toward him. I guess deep
down I don’t have it in me to be cruel to someone
even when they more than deserve it.

“Did you hear what I said? I miss you.” He

repeats himself when our eyes lock.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Gage. Maybe this

should be a lesson to you in the future. Maybe the
next girl you’ll appreciate a little more while you
have her.”

“I don’t want another girl, Len. I want you.”
“Not gonna happen, Gage. We’ve been over

this. Multiple times actually.”

“If you could just give me a chance to show

you how sorry I am. I think about you every day. I

find myself driving by your house. I walk on your
beach. I can’t let you go, Lennon. Not without a
fight.”

“You should have fought for me when it

mattered,” I say, choosing to not touch the other
shit he just dropped on me.

He drives by my house? Walks on my beach?

The thought makes my stomach twist in a sick knot.

“Besides, I’m with someone and I’m really

happy. I hope you can find happiness with someone
else too.”

“The guy at your apartment?” His voice strains

for the first time since he sat down.

Hell, I had forgotten he’d met Hudson.

Truthfully I can’t even tell you the last time I
thought about Gage. Probably the night Hudson
showed up and he was at my house.

“That would be the one.” I sip my drink,

turning my gaze forward again.

“He’s not right for you,” he spits, leaning into

my space.

“How would you know? Because he doesn’t

cheat on me? Because he doesn’t leave me for
another girl? Is that what classifies someone as
being right for me?” I’m seconds away from losing
my temper.

“Hey.” Emma appears out of nowhere, sliding

back into the stool next to me and I instantly relax.

“Sorry. Robert’s on his way,” she informs me,
assessing the situation between me and Gage.

“Can we go somewhere? Just to talk?” Gage

presses, ignoring Emma altogether.

“I don’t think Lennon’s hot as fuck country star

would think too kindly of that idea.” Emma turns
her gaze on Gage, an almost taunting look in her
eye.

“Country star?” Gage laughs, taking a pull from

his beer.

“Oh you didn’t know. Lennon is dating Hudson

James,” she practically sings, knowing that Gage
loves country music and has likely heard the name.

“You’re really funny, Emma.”
“You’ve met him, have you not? Why don’t

you look him up. See if you recognize him? You
know what, better yet, why don’t I save you the
trouble.”

The next thing I know she’s shoving her phone

across the bar, the picture of me in Hudson’s arms
backstage in Houston briefly catching my eye
before he picks it up and studies it for a long
moment.

“Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Emma stands, leans

across me, and yanks her phone out of Gage’s
hand. “Lennon?” She waits for me to stand before
the two of us take off toward the door, leaving a
shell shocked Gage sitting there looking like a
wounded pup.

“Oh my god.” I look at Emma who laughs like a

hyena the moment we’re outside. “I cannot believe
you did that.”

“Motherfucker had it coming,” she says,

swiping her hand through her hair.

“How drunk are you?” I laugh.
“Pretty toasted actually,” she quips. “Damn it,

that felt good. I wanna go back in there and do it
again.” She bends over like she might puke but
shoots back up again.

“I think we should get you home.” I chuckle at

my friend, thanking god I have her in my life.

As if on cue, Robert’s black Lexus pulls up to

the curb and the passenger window slides down.

“You two pretty ladies need a ride?” He smiles

at his inebriated wife who returns his smile tenfold.

“Hey, baby.” She climbs into the front seat in a

very ungraceful fashion but still manages to make it
inside.

“How much did she have?” Robert asks when I

climb into the backseat.

“Five cosmos. I remember when that girl could

drink three times that and still walk a straight line.”

“Still can.” She throws her hands up and lets

out a loud whoop.

“Sure you can, babe.” Robert chuckles as he

pulls away from the curb.

Less than ten minutes later, Robert pulls into

the parking garage of my condo building, parking

the car one spot over from the elevator.

I climb from the backseat but instead of

heading to the elevator, I stop next to the driver’s
side door. Sensing I want to say something, Robert
checks on his sleeping wife before quickly stepping
out of the car and shutting the door quietly behind
him as to not disturb Emma.

“Is she okay?” I ask, not able to shake how

quickly she brushed away the news she told me
earlier about the baby.

It’s not like Emma to keep things from me but I

understand why she did. That doesn’t mean I can’t
see how deeply my friend is still hurting.

Part of me feels like maybe if I had been paying

more attention I would have seen it. Maybe if I
wasn’t so preoccupied with Hudson and my own
life I would have noticed that something was off
with my best friend.

“Not completely. But she’s getting there.” He

offers me a warm smile.

“I’m sorry about the baby,” I say, feeling

emotional all of a sudden.

Stupid Cosmos.
“Me too.” He nods, pulling me into his arms.

“I’m taking care of her. I promise you I will always
take care of her.”

“I know.” I step back, so thankful that Emma

found someone like Robert. “Thank you, Robert.
For everything.”

“You never have to thank me for loving Emma,

Lennon. That comes as naturally to me as breathing
does.”

“God, do you always say exactly the right

thing?” I laugh when he shrugs.

“It’s a gift.”
“Good night, Robert. Get our girl home safely.”
“Will do. Night, Lennon.” He climbs back into

the car, waiting until I’m inside the elevator before
he pulls away.

Chapter Twenty-six

“Please tell me you’ll be here soon,” I whine into
the phone the second I answer it.

“I’d already be there if I could be,” Hudson

says, neither of us bothering with hellos.

He wrapped the tour with Travis Travers last

Wednesday. It’s now Sunday and he still isn’t here.
He thought he’d only have to be in Nashville for a
couple of days but apparently an opportunity came
up for him to work on a song with Annabelle, a
pretty big name in country music. He couldn’t pass
it up.

He found out yesterday that the label wants

them to record a song together for an upcoming
movie which means he’ll be in Nashville for at least
a few more days.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to drive

up there to see him but I know he’s really busy and
I don’t want him to have the added pressure of
worrying about me.

It hasn’t helped matters that I can’t stop

thinking about him spending so much time with
another woman. One who happens to be very
talented and even more beautiful.

As soon as I found out he was recording with

Annabelle, an uneasy feeling settled in the pit of
my stomach and it has only magnified as the days
have passed.

I trust Hudson. Truly I do, but I don’t think

there’s a woman alive who wouldn’t be at least a
little worried in my current situation.

“That doesn’t really make me feel much

better,” I respond, shaking off the doubts that once
again boil to the surface.

“I know, babe. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. I get it. Really I do. I just miss

you.”

“I miss you too.” He lets out a slow sigh. “I

can’t talk long. We’re in the studio this afternoon
trying to hammer out the last two verses on this
song. I just needed to hear your voice.”

“Oh yeah?” I can’t help but smile.
“You inspire me, Lennon Claire.”
My heart flutters at his words.
“I do?”

“More than you know. Hang on, babe.”
I hear a female voice in the background

moments before he muffles the phone. I can’t make
out what they’re saying but if I had to guess I’d say
it’s Annabelle. The thought somewhat dampers the
happiness I felt moments ago.

“Sorry about that.” He comes back on the line

after a few seconds. “I gotta get back inside. I’ll
call you later?”

“Okay.” I try not to let him hear the

disappointment in my voice though I’m pretty sure
he does anyway.

“Lennon?” he pauses.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”

—-

I’m getting ready to leave for work the next
morning when a knock sounds against my door.
Setting my travel mug of coffee on the breakfast
bar, I quickly make my way to the door, pressing up
on my toes to look out the peep hole.

The second I realize what I’m seeing, I rip open

the front door. Hudson’s bright smile is the first
thing that hits me.

“You’re here.” A wave of heat rises up my neck

and spreads across my cheeks.

“We finished last night. I told you, Lennon

Claire. You inspire me.” He steps inside and within
seconds his mouth is on mine.

I feel like I haven’t seen him in so long. His

taste, his touch, the way his tongue slides against
mine overwhelms my senses.

Using his foot to kick the door shut behind him,

he doesn’t dislodge from my mouth as he backs us
into the room.

“I’ve thought about nothing but this mouth for

weeks,” he growls, snagging my bottom lip between
his teeth and biting gently.

“Just my mouth?” I pant, my skin prickling

when he reaches down and snags the hem of my
maxi dress, pulling the material up and over my
head in one fluent movement.

“Well, among many other things.” He steps

back enough to remove his own shirt. His eyes scan
my body in one slow sweep all the way to my feet
and then back up again causing me to tremble
slightly. “Come here.” He lifts me into his arms,
gently depositing me on the couch moments later.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I say as he peppers

kisses down my neck and across my chest. Pulling
my bra down, he cups one breast while his tongue
swirls around the other before sucking my nipple
into his mouth.

I arch my back and moan, able to feel the

sensation of his mouth on me everywhere.

“I wanted to take my time with you, Lennon.

But seeing you, feeling you, I need to be inside of
you. Now.” He pulls back and works my panties
down my legs.

“Yes.” He spreads me wide and slides two

fingers inside of me, my body already so ready for
him he glides in easily.

“Fuck.” He pumps his fingers through my folds

a couple of times before pulling them out.

I whimper at the loss of him, but before I can

fully voice my objection, he settles between my
thighs, arching one of my legs around his hip while
the other drapes over the back of the couch.

“This is gonna be hard and fast, Lennon,” he

warns, unzipping his jeans just enough to free his
erection from the confines of his clothing.

Not even bothering to take off his pants, he

lines himself at my entrance and enters me in one
hard thrust. We both cry out in unison. Hudson
stills for a brief moment before pulling out and
slamming back into me.

He establishes a fast, unforgiving pace. Our

bodies slap together so violently the sound echoes
off the walls around us.

I’m desperate for him. Clawing at his back,

biting his shoulder, arching so he can give me all of
him. He’s so deep.

My orgasm comes on hard and fast. It explodes

inside of me and I cling to Hudson, afraid that

without him tethering me to the earth I might
simply float away.

It’s not long before Hudson also finds his

release, spilling himself inside of me as my body
still quakes around him.

Even though the entire ordeal lasted less than

five minutes, we’re both spent, sweating and
panting like we’ve been at it for hours.

Hudson drops his face to my neck, his heart

pounding rapidly against my chest.

“Fuck I missed you.” He presses his lips against

my pulse.

“Me too.” My hands find their way to his messy

brown locks, tugging gently at the length.

Hudson pulls back and looks down at me, a

slow smile forming on his mouth.

“You were going somewhere.”
“I’m not anymore.” You couldn’t drag me from

this condo if you tried. Not when I’ve been waiting
weeks to see this man.

“Work?” he guesses.
“I’ll text Emma.” I wait for him to move so I

can get my phone but he makes no attempt to let
me up. “I need up to do that.” I smile.

“Hold on. I want to feel you for a moment

longer,” he says, still planted firmly inside of me.

“By all means,” I say, honestly in no hurry to

lose the fullness of him.

“Better yet, you’d better call Emma. Because

I’m taking your ass to bed and that’s where we’re
gonna stay for the rest of the day.” He slowly slides
out of me, tucking himself back in his pants as he
stands.

“I think I like the way you think.”

—-

“How long before you have to leave again?” I ask
the question I’ve been avoiding since this morning
when Hudson showed up unannounced.

True to his word, after I called Emma, he threw

me over his shoulder, locked me in my bedroom,
and we have not come out since then.

Well except for a few minutes ago when I

decided if I didn’t eat I might die. Even then I made
us peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and brought
them back to my bedroom where we’re now sitting
across from each other eating. I’ve been nibbling
on the same sandwich for five minutes whereas
Hudson is on his third.

“Seven weeks.” He drops his half eaten

sandwich on the plate in front of him before his
gaze slowly slides to mine.

“Seven weeks?” I question when he makes no

attempt to explain.

“I’ll have to return to Nashville for a few days

here and there but yes, you have me for seven

weeks.”

“And what happens after seven weeks?” I ask,

feeling like I can’t be happy about the time I’m
going to get with him until I know what comes
after.

“I go back on tour. This time it’s a co-

headlining tour.”

“Wow. Your own tour.” I smile despite the

growing dread in my belly, knowing how huge this
is for him.

Hudson’s career has continued to skyrocket

over the last few weeks. His fourth single debuted
at number one on iTunes and his album has been
sitting in the top ten for weeks. As thrilled as I am
for him, it’s pretty intimidating for someone who is
standing on the sidelines looking in.

“You said your co-headlining. With who?” I ask

when he doesn’t offer the information up.

I have a gut feeling I already know the answer

before he says it, as if the universe is somehow
mocking me.

“Annabelle.” He studies me for a long moment,

gauging my reaction.

“I see.” I nod, hating that this news bothers me

as much as it does.

It’s one thing to deal with the fans and the

thousands of women that would gladly step in and
fill my shoes. It’s quite another to compete with
someone like Annabelle.

Not only is she a tall, lengthy blonde with a set

of pipes to rival the best singers out there, she’s
also close to Hudson’s age and likely shares a lot of
the same common interests as him.

They’ll be on the road together, spending

countless hours together a day. They’ll be able to
connect through their music and their shared
struggles of being on the road. And while deep
down I know I’m being irrational, I can’t help that
this whole thing upsets me.

“And you leave in seven weeks? That seems

like short notice for a tour. Don’t they need time to
sell tickets? Book venues? They can’t just throw
that all together in seven weeks.”

“They didn’t.” He picks up the plate between

us and slides it onto the nightstand.

“I don’t understand. I mean, I know you said

you would likely go back out on tour after Travis’s
tour wrapped but you haven’t mentioned anything
else until now. How long have you known about
this?” I question.

“I didn’t know about the full tour. Only that

we’d been booked for ten shows this fall.”

“So that’s the reason for the song you two

recorded together.”

“Good publicity.” Hudson nods.
“So you said you knew about ten shows. How

long is the full tour?”

“Eight months.” The second it leaves his mouth

my chest starts to cave in on itself.

“Eight months?” I question, my voice breathy.
“It’s a ninety-two show tour.”
“Eight months?” My voice rises and emotion

clogs my throat.

“Lennon, you knew this was coming.” He slides

his hand along my bare knee in a soothing gesture.
Only it doesn’t soothe me at all. In fact, it only
serves to piss me off more.

“I did but I didn’t know you would be on the

road for eight months with another woman.” I hate
how childish and jealous I sound, but I can’t help it.

Fear chooses to present itself in many forms.

Unwarranted jealousy being one of them.

“Lennon.” Hudson starts but stops when he

meets my gaze.

“I thought you were going to start working on

your new album?” I object, not really sure what I
hope to accomplish by doing so. It’s not like he can
just choose to cancel the tour because I’m having a
hard time dealing with who he’ll be touring with.

“I’ll write on the bus and be back in the studio

as soon as the tour wraps.”

“Will it always be like this?” I question,

uncertainty coiling deep in my belly. Tears prick the
back of my eyes. I quickly look down at my hands
knotted in my lap, hoping to keep them at bay.

I’ve never been so emotional over a man

before. It’s completely irrational and yet I can’t
help but feel what I feel.

“This is what it means to be in the music

business,” he gently explains, leaning forward to
push my hair over my shoulder in an attempt to get
me to look at him. “We started in a very weird
place, Lennon. The first few years of a musician’s
career are always the craziest. But that doesn’t
mean we can’t make this work. We can. We just
have to get more creative.”

“More creative?” I snort. “Meaning I give up

my life to chase you around the country until one
day you realize you don’t want me there anymore.
And then what? I come back to nothing because I
gave up everything for you?”

“I would never ask you to give up anything for

me,” he insists, tipping my chin so I’m forced to
meet his gaze.

“Well someone has to if this is going to work,

Hudson,” I bite.

“That’s not true. We’ve been making it work

for weeks now.”

“Have we?” I cock my head to the side.

“Because all I feel like we’ve managed to make
work is making each other miserable.”

“I make you miserable?” He draws back like I

physically slapped him across the face.

“No, of course not. That didn’t come out right.

But when I’m not with you I am miserable. And
since we spend way more time apart than
together...” I trail off.

“I know this isn’t easy for you. I know how I

would feel if the roles were reversed. But I love
you, Lennon. I’m so in love with you that some
days it’s almost hard to breathe. I will not give up
on us so easily. We will make this work because
living without you is not something I’m willing to
do.”

I let his statement sink in. Let it wash over me

and drown out some of the fears and insecurities
that have fueled this conversation. He’s right. I
knew this was going to be difficult and yet I
decided being with him was worth it.

Being with him is worth it.
“Why does it have to be with her?” I crinkle my

nose and pout out my bottom lip dramatically,
causing a low rumble of laughter in Hudson’s
throat.

“Annabelle doesn’t hold a candle to you.” He

snags my chin between his thumb and index finger
as he leans in a lays a soft kiss to my mouth.

“You say that but you forget, I’ve seen her.

She’s beautiful and talented and you wouldn’t have
to worry about her not understanding or throwing a
silly fit because you have a job to do.”

“I rather like watching you throw silly fits.” He

smirks. “It means you care. I’d rather you throw a
million fits than accept that we’ll be apart and be
okay with it. Because I’m not okay with it. I know
this is my career and I’m the one doing this, but I
promise you, I don’t want to be away from you any
more than you want me to be.”

“I’m scared,” I admit.
“I am too.” He gives me a soft smile. “But I

have to believe that we can figure this out. I lost
you once, Lennon Claire. I’ll be damned if I’m
gonna lose you again.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” I reassure him.

“Well, as long as I don’t walk in and find some girl
in your lap, swallowing your face.” I poke fun at
him.

“You know you’re the only girl I want

swallowing my face,” he teases, leaning forward to
wrap his hand around the back of my neck.

“My famous country star.” I smile, scratching

my nails through his scruff.

“My inspiration.” He closes the distance

between us, kissing me softly before dropping his
forehead to mine. “I wanna play you something.”
He releases me and quickly slides from the bed.

“Okay.” He grabs his guitar from the corner of

the room where he dropped it before ravishing me.

Pulling it from the case, he slides the strap over

his bare chest before climbing back into bed. He

props up against the headboard and settles the
guitar in his lap.

“I’ve been working on this for a while and I

think I’ve finally got it right.”

“Is this something for the new album?” I ask,

pulling the blanket into my lap.

“Maybe.” He shrugs. “I didn’t write it for

anything specific. Like I said, you inspire me.” He
slides his fingers gently across the strings, making
sure the guitar is in tune before he starts.

“I’m still working out a few things so don’t

judge me too harshly.” He grins, strumming out a
few chords on the guitar.

It’s only a few seconds before I’m completely

transfixed. The way his fingers move across the
instrument so effortlessly, it’s like he was born to
play it.

But then he starts to sing and I swear the whole

world shifts beneath me.

I’ve seen him on stage, witnessed his power to

enchant an entire audience, felt the goose bumps
prick my skin at his incredible voice. But even
through all that, nothing compares to this very
moment.

His voice is a soft rasp, his eyes close as he

loses himself to the song. I hold on to each word as
it comes, my heart beating faster and faster until I
feel like I can’t pull in a breath.

“I knew I loved you from that moment. From

the first time your smile slid across your face. You
were all I ever wanted. And I didn’t even know
your name.”

Tears prick the back of my eyes and as hard as I

try to fight them back, I can’t stop them from
sliding down my cheeks in quick succession as
Hudson continues to sing, his voice making my
entire body stand to attention.

“You were the girl I never knew I needed. The

one I hadn’t even realized I was looking for. And
when your hand reached out and slid across my
face, I knew that I’d never be able to walk away.”

He sings about loving someone so completely

that he fears losing himself. About needing
someone so much it terrifies him. And I realize in
that moment he’s telling me he feels exactly the
same way I do.

Scared. Vulnerable. Without control.
“Say you’ll stay. Say you’ll stay. Say you’ll

stay.” He repeats the last chorus, growing softer
and softer each time until his fingers go still against
the guitar and his eyes slowly open.

“You’re crying.” It’s the first thing he says

when our gazes lock. His voice a combination of
concern and confusion.

“It was incredible,” I choke out in explanation.
“It’s about you.” He confirms what I already

knew. “I’ve been adding to it little by little over the

past few weeks. Anytime I think of you I sit down
with my guitar and I swear the music just pours out
of me. I’ve written a few different songs recently,
but this one means the most. It’s the one I worked
on at night while everyone else slept and I couldn’t
think of anything but you. What you were doing.
What you were thinking about. If you were
sleeping or if like me, you were lying awake
thinking of me.”

“If you’re trying to get me to cry harder, it’s

working,” I tell him, emotion so thick in my chest
it’s a wonder I can still speak.

“I need you to understand what you mean to

me, Lennon. This isn’t just some passing thing.
You’re it. You’re the one I want. I need you to
know that and trust in me. Trust in us. I will always
put you first, no matter what that means.”

“Stop talking.” I push up on my knees and

crawl toward him, straddling his legs as I remove
his guitar and gently set it on the floor.

“Lennon,” he starts but I press my fingers over

his mouth.

“I said, stop talking.” I shake my head, scooting

further up his lap until my face is hovering inches
from his. “I can’t tell you how I feel in the form of
a song. I can’t create something that wraps all my
feelings into one and makes you feel every word of
what I say. What I can do is tell you that I love you.
I love you in a way I didn’t know was possible. In a

way that scares the hell out of me. Yet fills me so
full I feel like I might burst. I won’t lie and say I’m
not scared of what the future holds. Because I am
scared. But I’m also willing to fight for you with
everything that I have. Because you, Hudson
Demasi, are someone worth fighting for.” I move
my hand from his lips and replace it with my
mouth, showing him with my body what I hope I
already convinced him with my words.

Chapter Twenty-seven

Hudson stayed with me for six days before he had
to return to Nashville. Six of the best days of my
life. It’s the longest period of time we’ve been
together in one stint and it did wonders to calm
some of the doubts I had about him leaving on tour.

As much as I didn’t want him to leave, he flew

out yesterday, having to meet Colton who had
worked with the label to line up a few promotional
things to help get Hudson’s name out there even
more.

Yesterday he made a stop at the local children’s

hospital. Colton sent me video of him playing for
some of the sick kids and I swear it was the
sweetest, most heartbreaking thing I’ve ever
witnessed.

Today he did a two song performance on a

nationally televised morning news program. I

watched with nervous butterflies flapping around in
my belly like full grown birds. He did amazing, just
like I knew he would.

He’s supposed to be flying back in tomorrow

morning, though he has yet to send me his flight
details so I don’t know when I’m picking him up.

I do know that once he’s back, he’s staying for

three solid weeks before he has to be anywhere.
His manager worked out a small break for him
which we are both extremely grateful for.

Pulling into my assigned parking spot in the

garage below my building, I kill the engine and use
the key fob to pop the trunk.

It’s late and even though I had a long day at

work, I need to be stocked up on groceries for
when Hudson returns. Considering I fed him mainly
peanut butter and jelly and boxed macaroni and
cheese the last few days he was here, I figured it
may be a good idea to expand my options a little.

I climb from the driver’s seat and have just

rounded the back of the car when I hear footsteps
behind me.

Turning, I jump slightly when I come face to

face with Gage who has clearly been waiting on me
to come home.

“Gage.” I grip my chest, my heart beating a

million miles a minute. “You scared the shit out of
me,” I say, shaking my head at him. “What the hell
are you doing here?”

“I needed to see you.” His words slur slightly.
Not this again...
“Now’s not a good time, Gage. It’s late.”

Turning, I reach into the trunk to grab the bags
when his hand closes down on my shoulder.

“Well make it a good time, Lennon,” he bites.
“Seriously.” I throw my hands up, abandoning

my groceries for a moment as I turn back toward
him. “Why do you keep doing this? Why are you
here?”

“I told you, I needed to see you.”
“Well now you have. You go now.”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Lennon.” He takes a

step toward me. “I’ve been thinking a lot over the
last few days. Seeing you a couple weeks ago made
me realize how miserable I am without you. I need
you back, Lennon.”

I bite back a laugh, not even trying to hide how

hilarious I find his statement.

“I’m seeing someone. You already know this,” I

say, not sure if this will play as a deterrent or simply
fuel his fire.

“Ah, yes. The country star.” He rolls his eyes.

“Do you really think that’s going to last? How long
until he’s bored? How long until the draw of fame
and women pull him away? You can’t seriously be
stupid enough to believe this has any chance of
lasting.”

“You have no idea what Hudson and I share.

You know nothing.”

“I know the type, Lennon.”
“Yeah, so do I.” I glare daggers at him. “And

Hudson is not like you.”

“Like me?” He sways a little and I can’t help

but wonder how much he’s had to drink tonight.

“Let’s not forget who the cheater is here,

Gage.”

“I get it. I hurt you. But that doesn’t mean he

won’t hurt you too. How much do you really know
about this guy?”

“I know enough. And I trust him. So you can

take your bullshit somewhere else because I’m
done listening to it.”

“Lennon, please. We can be happy together.

You and me. I can keep you safe.”

“We have been over this so many times I

honestly don’t know what else I can say to make
you see that I will never, ever get back together
with you. You cheated on me. You humiliated me.
If you ever cared for me you will turn around,
leave, and never come back.”

“It’s because I care about you that I can’t do

that.”

“This isn’t caring about someone, Gage. What

you did to me. What you continue to do to me. It
isn’t love. It’s obsession.”

“I’m not obsessed.” He draws back like I’ve

just slapped him.

“What would you call it then, huh?” I cross my

arms over my chest. “You’ve shown up at my
house uninvited several times over the last few
months. You admitted to driving by my house,
walking on the beach next to my house. You
showed up at a bar where I was with Emma and
proceeded to push yourself at me even though I’ve
told you repeatedly that I’m not interested.”

“You’re making me sound like a stalker.”
“I’m starting to wonder if you are one.”
“I’m not stalking you, Lennon. I just need you

to hear me out.”

“I’ve heard you out, Gage. Over and over again

and my answer does not change. This.” I gesture
between the two of us. “This will never, ever
happen.”

“Because of him?” He growls, nostrils flaring.
“Because of you.” I point right in his face. “You

are the one that did this. He is the one that showed
me I’m glad that you did.”

“This isn’t over, Lennon. It can’t be.” He takes

another step toward me, forcing me to take a step
back, the frame of the bumper cool against the
back of my legs.

“It is over, Gage. It’s been over for months.

Now either you leave me alone or I will call the

police and make it where you don’t have a choice
in the matter.”

“You wouldn’t,” he spits, leaning into my

personal space.

“Why don’t you try me, Gage,” I challenge, not

backing down as I pull out my phone and type in
911, holding the screen up for him to see.

“You loved me once.”
“I thought I did,” I say, softening my approach

when I see the hurt that flashes through his eyes.
“Listen, you’re drunk. Just go home. Go home,
Gage.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Before I have a

chance to react, Gage’s mouth is on mine. His hand
tugs on the back of my hair. Pain shooting through
my scalp.

I push at his chest but it doesn’t do me a lot of

good. He’s solid against me, his lips pressed so hard
to mine I swear my bottom lip splits open under his
attack.

I try to shake him loose but he’s too strong.

Pulling my leg back as far as I can, I kick, my foot
connecting with his shin so hard it sends pain
shooting up my leg.

He stumbles back, seemingly shocked. But

before either of us has recovered, his body goes
airborne, hitting the concrete so hard I hear the air
wheeze from his body.

All I can see are fists flying. I’m fairly certain it

takes me a full thirty seconds to realize what is
happening and even then I’m not sure I’ve grasped
it.

“Hudson?” I question, watching his arm draw

back as he lays another hard punch to Gage’s face,
the bridge of his nose splitting open.

“Hudson!” I scream, my body on autopilot as I

attempt to pull him off Gage. “Hudson stop!” I
scream, my mind not able to process a single
second of the scene unfolding in front of me.

Gage takes a swing at Hudson, missing his chin

by the smallest margin before Hudson’s fist
connects with his nose again. Blood splatters all
over Gage’s face and Hudson’s shirt.

“Hudson, stop! Stop hitting him,” I plead,

grabbing his right arm mid-air when he swings
downward again.

I may slow the speed of his punch, but I don’t

stop it.

Hudson shakes off my hold and leans down in

Gage’s face.

“If you ever come near her again, I will fucking

kill you,” he warns, his voice low.

“She doesn’t fucking belong to you.” Blood

flows freely from his mouth and nose.

“Like hell she doesn’t.” Hudson pulls back and

lands another hard punch to Gage’s face. “Do not

ever.” Another punch. “Fucking touch her.”
Another punch. “Ever again.”

Gage groans, his head rolling to the side as

blood pours to the concrete.

I’m frozen in place, not sure what to do. My

heart is beating so fast I’m afraid I might be having
a heart attack.

I don’t know how this went so bad so quick. I

didn’t even know Hudson was here. He wasn’t
supposed to be back until tomorrow.

Before I have a chance to say anything, blue

and red lights appear to the right, speeding through
the parking garage toward us.

I don’t remember calling 911, but when I look

to the ground my phone is lit up, connected to the
emergency number. Realizing my finger must have
slipped when Gage kissed me, I look up at Hudson
with sheer and utter panic.

Hudson is still on top of Gage when the first

officer advances, managing to wrestle Hudson to
the ground. He puts up no resistance what so ever
when the officer pins his arms behind his back and
slaps a set of cuffs over his wrists.

“Ma’am,” a female officer says next to me but I

can’t tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding
in front of me.

Hudson handcuffed on the ground. Gage

unconscious, his face bloody and swollen as a male
officer assesses his condition.

“Ma’am,” she says again moments before her

hand touches my shoulder.

I jump at the contact, finally turning my

attention to her. She’s not what I would expect a
cop to look like. Middle aged, petite, shoulder
length red hair pinned back from her face. It’s like
I’m seeing her, studying the lines and dips of her
face but not actually seeing her at the same time.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” she asks, her hand

tightening on my shoulder.

“I don’t know,” I answer, my voice shaking

uncontrollably. “I don’t know what happened,” I
say, pretty sure I might be going into shock.

“Dispatch was requested to this location after

two people were heard arguing over an emergency
call line. Was that you? Did you call?” she asks,
looking at me expectantly. “Is that the man you
were arguing with?” She points to Hudson as he’s
being placed in the back of the police car.

“No.” I shake my head, pointing to Gage who’s

being placed on a stretcher and rolled toward an
ambulance I never saw arrive. “He’s my ex-
boyfriend. He was drinking.” My lip quivers
seconds before tears start pouring down my face. “I
didn’t mean to call. My finger must have hit the
button,” I stumble out.

“And him?” She points toward the car Hudson

is sitting in the back of.

“He’s my boyfriend.” My vision blurs as I try to

get a visual on Hudson.

“Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?”
“I’m okay.” I shake my head, knowing

physically I’m fine. Mentally however is a
completely different story. “Wait? Where are you
taking him?” I make a move toward the police car
as it starts to move.

“He’s going to be taken to the station, ma’am.”

The female officer holds her arm out in an effort to
stop me.

“Why?” I practically scream in her face. “He

was just trying to protect me,” I say, even though I
have no idea if that’s the truth. For all I know
Hudson saw the kiss and assumed I was a willing
participant.

The thought makes my stomach heave and for a

moment I think I might be sick.

“We’ll work all this out at the station,” she

reiterates, gesturing to the second cop car, a male
officer in the driver’s seat.

“Are you arresting me?” I ask, confused.
“No, ma’am. But we need to get your

statement. Figure out exactly what happened here.”

“I already told you. He was trying to protect

me.” I scream toward the car holding Hudson right
as it passes.

I catch a brief glimpse of him in the backseat,

his face turned down toward his lap.

“Hudson!” I scream so loud there’s no way he

doesn’t hear me, yet he doesn’t flinch.

“Ma’am.” The female officer steps in front of

my line of sight as the car disappears around the
corner. “The best thing you can do for him is to
come down and give a statement,” she informs me,
gesturing toward her car.

Knowing I don’t have a choice, I nod once,

allowing the officer to lead me toward the cruiser.
Within a minute I’m tucked in the backseat and
we’re speeding down the road toward the station, a
million thoughts running through my mind.

Is Hudson okay?
Why was he here?
Does he think I was kissing Gage back?
All I can think is that this is my fault. All of it.

If I had just ignored Gage when he showed up at
my house. If I had gotten up to leave the moment
he approached me at the bar. If I hadn’t let him
corner me in the parking garage tonight. In a way I
feel like maybe I encouraged his behavior. Maybe
if I had done things differently none of this would
have happened.

Instead, I’m in the back of a police car scared

to death that my bad choices may have created a
shit storm that won’t be swept under the rug.

My mind drifts to Gage. The way his head

rolled. The way his eyes kept fluttering open and
closed like he didn’t have the strength to keep them

open. The blood that poured from his face. His nose
and mouth both swollen and split open. He looked
like he had been beaten with a baseball bat. I’ve
never seen anything like that in my entire life.

Every worse-case scenario jumps through my

mind.

What if he’s not okay?
What if Hudson did damage that can’t be

undid?

What if. What if. What if.
Honestly, I didn’t know Hudson had it in him to

hurt someone like that. The way he kept hitting him
over and over again. The look on his face as he did
it. It was like he wasn’t himself. I don’t think I’ve
ever been so scared in my entire life. And in that
moment I don’t know if I was more scared for
Hudson or of him. I think that’s the most unsettling
thing of all. The knowledge that maybe I don’t
really know the man I’m in love with as well as I
thought I did. I think that terrifies me more than
anything else.

Chapter Twenty-eight

I’m startled awake by a gentle nudge to my
shoulder. Straightening, I look around confused and
disoriented, before meeting Colton’s soft gaze.

“Hey.” He settles into the chair next to me.
“Hey.” I rub my eyes, trying to pinpoint exactly

where I am. “What time is it?”

“Just after four in the morning.”
“I must of dozed off.”
The events of the night before seem to catch up

to me in a flash and I look around again, taking in
the drab interior of the local police department.

“Hudson?” I ask, my stomach instantly

knotting.

“He’s okay.” He reassures with a soft hand to

the back of my neck.

“The label sent over an attorney. He should

have a hearing sometime in the morning. I’m sure
they’ll take care of everything.”

“I don’t know what happened,” I admit. “I’ve

never seen Hudson like that. Makes me wonder if I
really know him,” I admit, staring down at my
hands that are knotted in my lap.

“You do, Lennon.” Colton takes my hand in a

way that feels almost protective. “Don’t judge him
based on this one incident. I’m sure it wasn’t a
pretty thing to witness and based on how you look,
I’m guessing that it scared the shit out of you, and I
get that. But Hudson is still the same guy. He saw
someone he thought was hurting you and he
reacted.”

“I tried telling them that. I tried telling them he

was just protecting me.”

“I know. You did what you could and I’m sure

in the long run your statement will help him.”

“This is my fault.”
“It isn’t. Hudson made his own choice and he’s

going to have to deal with that. This isn’t on you,
Lennon.” He pauses. “Why don’t we get out of
here?” He stands, looking down at me when I make
no attempt to move.

“I’m not going anywhere until I see him.”
“Lennon.” He holds his hand out to me.
“No, Colton. I have to see him,” I insist,

crossing my arms over my chest.

He gives me a sad smile before crouching down

so he’s eye level with me.

“Babe, he’s going to be here all night. You’re

not doing either of you a bit of good sitting in this
station. I promised Hudson I’d make sure you got
home safe and I plan to do just that. Now get up.
I’m taking you home.”

I open my mouth to argue but snap it closed,

noticing how exhausted Colton looks.

Only then do I realize that he’s likely been up

all night to get here. I know that because it’s
exactly what Emma would do for me if I were in
the same position.

“Okay,” I concede, allowing Colton to pull me

to my feet and guide me out of the police station.

—-

I don’t sleep well. Completely unable to shut my
mind off or block out the vision of Gage’s face
every time Hudson’s fist connected with it.

No matter how much I wish Gage would go

away, I never wanted to see him hurt like that. It
makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it
and even sicker that I’m more worried about
Hudson when he was the one that did it to him.

By nine a.m., I’m up, showered, and ready to

head to the courthouse. I was able to confirm that
Hudson’s hearing is set for ten and I have every

intention of being there when he walks in so I want
to get there early.

When I make my way into the living room,

Colton is awake, and like me he doesn’t appear to
have gotten much sleep.

“Hudson’s hearing is at ten,” I tell him, stepping

into the kitchen and heading straight for the coffee
pot that I set to brew before getting into the shower.

“Yeah. Jerry called a little bit ago,” he says,

standing and making his way toward the kitchen. “I
think maybe you should stay here, Lennon.” He
leans his hip against the kitchen counter.

“Why would I do that?” I ask, turning my

attention back to my coffee as I drop a couple
packets of sweetener inside and pop on the lid.

“It should go pretty smoothly and there’s really

nothing you can do for him. Why don’t you wait
here? I’ll go. The minute I know anything I’ll call
you.”

“You think it will go smoothly?” I ask, turning

to face him.

“Gage isn’t pressing charges so I can’t see them

holding him any longer.”

“What do you mean Gage isn’t pressing

charges?” I don’t try to hide my shock.

“I take it you expected him to.”
“There’s no way Gage would roll over and take

what Hudson did to him. I know him. He’s vengeful
and selfish. What could he possibly gain from

letting Hudson walk?” I pause when I see the look
Colton gives me. The one that says I should already
know the answer to my own question. “They paid
him off.” I shake my head in disbelief.

“That’s my guess.” Colton shrugs.
“Wow.” I don’t even know what to say. A part

of me feels immense relief, the other part of me
feels angry, though I’m not entirely sure why. “I’m
still going,” I announce, knowing there’s no way I
won’t.

“Lennon, honey, Hudson doesn’t want you

there.” His words feel like a physical slap to the
face and I pull back from their impact.

“What?” I shake my head, confused.
“He doesn’t want you there,” he repeats. “Jerry

called me specifically to tell me that you are not to
be there per Hudson’s request.”

“I...I don’t understand.” The reality of his

words sink in and tears instantly well behind my
eyes. “He thinks this was my fault, doesn’t he?”
My voice gets louder as my emotion threatens to
take over.

“No, Lennon. He doesn’t. I don’t know why he

doesn’t want you there but if I had to guess it
probably has everything to do with him and nothing
to do with you.”

“I watched him beat my ex-boyfriend to the

point he was almost unrecognizable. I sat in a
police station lobby half the night waiting,

worrying, just needing to make sure he’s okay. And
now he doesn’t want to see me?” I think on that for
a long moment, anger bubbling in my gut. “Well
fuck that.” I snag my keys from the counter and run
out the door before Colton can even think to stop
me.

He yells after me, but by the time he makes it

out of my condo, the elevator doors are already
sliding closed behind me.

I ignore my phone that rings in my pocket and

quickly step off the elevator into the parking
garage, my feet stuttering the moment I see the
stain right behind my car.

The blood that painted the concrete has been

haphazardly washed away but the remnants of what
happened here still remains.

Trying to shake off the image, I quickly climb

into my car. The faint spoiled smell reminds me of
the groceries that were left abandoned in the trunk
last night.

Not having it in me to worry about that right

now, I quickly fire the engine and back out of my
parking spot. My one and only focus right now is
getting to Hudson. Everything else can wait.

—-

“Lennon, stop,” Colton hisses behind me as I
march through the courthouse.

Not sure how he got here so quickly, I pick up

the pace, heading to the courtroom the lady at the
front desk referred me to.

“Lennon,” he says seconds before wrapping his

hand around my forearm, pulling me to an abrupt
halt.

“What the hell are you doing?” I bite, not

caring that my voice echoes through the quiet
hallway.

“I need you to trust me here, Lennon.”
“Why are you pushing this so hard? Why is it

so important to you that I not be here? What aren’t
you telling me, Colton?”

“I’ll explain in the car. Please, just come with

me.”

“Not until I see Hudson,” I insist, refusing to

budge.

“Seems like he’s a popular one this morning,” a

female voice says from behind me, causing me to
swing my gaze to the left. I lock eyes with a
brunette woman just as she steps up beside us.

“Fuck,” Colton mutters under his breath.
I have no idea who this woman is but given

Colton’s reaction she isn’t someone he’s very
thrilled to see.

I look from him back to her, not able to ignore

how beautiful the woman is. And not in the overly
done up way either. She’s naturally beautiful. High
cheek bones, full lips, thick brown hair. She’s

wearing simple skinny jeans and a red top, but she
manages to make it look so much sexier than it
would on a normal person. Oddly enough, I feel
like I’ve seen her before but for the life of me I
can’t pinpoint where.

“Steph.” Colton gives her a stiff nod.
“You’re pissed he called me.” She crosses her

arms in front of her chest.

“I knew he did. And I know why too.” Colton

seems uncharacteristically angry, while I’m just
trying to figure out who the hell this woman is.

“I think it’s pretty obvious why he called me,”

she responds, narrowing her pretty eyes at him.

Nothing is confirmed but I get the feeling these

two go way back. There’s a familiarity between
them. Something I can’t quite put my finger on.

“Lennon, we should go,” Colton says, turning

toward me with what can only be described as
panic hiding behind his light eyes.

“Lennon?” she questions. “This is her?” She

looks from me, to Colton, and then back to me.
“You’re the flavor of the week that landed Hudson
in jail.” She sneers at me.

“Don’t do this here, Steph,” Colton pleads. A

sick feeling forms in the pit of my stomach,
knotting tighter by the second. Something is not
right.

“I’m not doing anything. I have a right to be

here. She doesn’t.”

“Can someone please tell me what the hell is

going on right now?” I demand, my patience
waning.

“I’m sorry, how rude of me.” She smiles,

extending her hand. “Stephanie Demasi.”

Like a bolt of lightning it hits me. I know where

I’ve seen her before. Thrive. She was the brunette
in Hudson’s lap that night. I don’t know how I
know that. How I could possibly remember
someone I only saw once for a brief moment over
five years ago, but I swear it’s her. I can feel it to
my bones.

“Demasi?” I question, a sort of fog settling over

me.

“As in Mrs. Hudson Demasi,” she clips.
Her words hit me like a sledgehammer to the

chest.