by Melody Anne
“I can’t wear this dress,” she told Darla, afraid to step from the room.
“Not only are you going to wear this dress, but it’ll make you feel like a million bucks. Let’s go do a runway show for Hudson.”
Darla didn’t let her protest further. She opened the bedroom door and pushed Daisy through. It was with reluctance she walked to the living room.
When they stepped from the hallway she felt her cheeks heat as Hudson’s eyes widened and he stood up, his lips slowly tipping upward as his gaze looked at her from head to toe.
“Daisy, you are always beautiful. From the first moment I saw you, I couldn’t take my eyes off of you, and right now you’re so stunning I wish we weren’t going to the party,” he said, making the heat in her cheeks turn scorching hot.
Daisy always tried to downplay her looks. Partly because she didn’t want to be judged, and partly because she was afraid if she tried too hard she’d come up wanting and the rejection would hurt. Hudson’s reaction boosted her confidence.
She was wearing a blue form-fitting dress that rested a couple of inches above her knees and hugged every single one of her curves, pinching in at her waist. She didn’t know what to say to him, so she looked at Darla with a help me expression.
Darla laughed. “When two women walk in the room you’re supposed to tell them both they look nice,” she said.
Hudson finally tore his gaze from Daisy, allowing her to take in a deep breath. “You look very beautiful,” Hudson said before his gaze zeroed back in on Daisy. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, I guess so,” Daisy said as she pushed back her blonde curls and shifted on her feet.
Hudson approached her and held out an arm, and she placed hers in his. He held out his other arm for Darla who giggled and placed hers in his. They side-stepped through the front doorway, then made their way to his truck.
Daisy took in his scent, wondering why she was fighting her attraction to the man. He was a gentleman and she loved how she felt in his presence. Maybe it was time to quit running.
Hudson opened the back door for Darla, keeping Daisy’s arm wrapped in his. When he shut the door, he pulled Daisy to him. “Seriously, you’re stunning,” he said, and then he leaned down and kissed her, taking what little breath she had right out of her. By the time he let her go and opened her door, her knees were shaking.
“I’d seriously tell you guys to just run home together if I wasn’t so excited to go to this barbeque,” Darla said from the backseat.
“We’ll have a great time. I think you’ll both enjoy my family,” Hudson said as he put the truck into drive. He reached over and took Daisy’s hand with his, and she felt those tingles only he seemed able to produce.
Daisy smiled as they drove down the road. Was Hudson really this great of a guy? He hadn’t seemed like a nice guy on the plane, which made it easier to look at him like the enemy. But in all reality, she’d been a grownup on the plane and had made her decisions. As for the property, it wasn’t his fault her grandfather had sold it to him. It wasn’t his fault he wanted to build something she thought was wrong to build. He hadn’t been anything other than respectful with her. Well, he’d been some other things with her, but nothing mean or rude.
“So what date are you guys up to?” Darla asked with a giggle.
“We aren’t dating,” Daisy automatically said.
Hudson laughed as he squeezed her fingers. “You keep saying we’re not dating, but we go out together, have a spectacular time, and then make out until were both hurting so badly we’re ready to explode,” he said. Darla laughed hard as Daisy turned and glared at him. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds and Darla jumped in.
“I think he’s your match, Daisy,” she told her.
“No, we’re simply doing activities together,” she told both Darla and Hudson . . . and possibly herself.
“And our time in SF and since?” he pushed. She looked him in the eyes again, seeing fire in his expression that most likely matched her own as she remembered their lovemaking.
“I don’t have an answer for that,” she admitted. He smiled as he glanced at her, sweeping his gaze over her face and body, his eyes hiding nothing of what he was feeling. She responded instantly, heat flooding her. Dang, the man was dangerous.
“I’d just about risk anything at this point to have both of our pants down,” he whispered too low for Darla to hear. She was going to cave to this man. She knew it. She could try to stop it all she wanted, but she knew she was going to end up in his arms again with zero clothes on. It was inevitable — and the bottom line was that she wanted it just as much as him.
“You need to concentrate on driving,” she said, her voice shaky. He seemed as if he wanted to argue, but then he sighed and faced forward. It was a good thing they were on backroads.
And it was a good thing Darla was there to keep the conversation going, because Daisy was unsure what to say as they drew nearer to Crew’s house. When they arrived and Daisy saw the sheer quantity of vehicles parked before it, she had to fight a panic attack.
“Is this a party or a primetime sporting event?” Daisy asked. “There have to be fifty cars parked here.”
“Oh, this is going to be great,” Darla said, jumping from the truck. Before Hudson could come around, Darla was opening Daisy’s door. “Get your butt on the ground. We’re going in.”
Hudson laughed as he held out a hand to Daisy, who ignored it, using the handle and jumping down. She was more nervous than she’d been earlier, and that was saying something.
As they moved to the front of the house they could hear music, laughter, and so many conversations there was no way to pick out what was being said.
“Is this a typical family event for you?” Daisy asked.
“Yes, it is now,” Hudson said with a laugh. “It took me a while to get used to it. I grew up with four brothers, and I thought that was a big family. When Joseph showed up out of the blue, we discovered what a large family really was.”
“Oh, I could sit with you for hours and talk about what that was like,” Darla said as they made their way into the house.
“I have the perfect person for you to talk to about it,” Hudson said with a sly grin Daisy didn’t quite trust.
“Yes, please,” Darla said clapping her hands eagerly.
They walked through the front door, straight through the house, and out the open back doors where the yard had been transformed. Daisy was literally stopped in her tracks as she looked out at the crowd of what had to be at least a hundred people, maybe more. There were tents set up, lights strewn throughout, barbeques smoking, music playing, and drinks flowing. Adults were in conversations while children were laughing and running around. It looked like total chaos, and like nothing she’d seen before.
“This . . . is . . . amazing,” Darla gasped. “I want to talk to everyone . . . every single person here.”
Hudson laughed, then made eye contact with someone and waved his hand. The man walked forward.
“Darla, this is my brother Crew. Crew, this is Darla, and she’d love to talk to you,” Hudson said.
“Oh yes I would,” Darla said with a big grin as she wrapped her arm in Crew’s. “Let’s find some quiet little corner. I have a million questions, but first I definitely want a margarita.”
Crew looked with panic at his brother and Daisy couldn’t contain her laughter. She totally felt for the man. Darla was a force to be reckoned with, and when she wanted something nothing could stop her or get in her way. She’d roll over anyone or anything without looking back. Darla was asking about a million questions a minute as she dragged Crew away.
“We might not see my brother or your best friend for the rest of the night,” Hudson said as he pulled Daisy forward toward one of the three bars that were set up.
“I think you might be right,” Daisy said. People said hello, smiling as they passed by, and Daisy felt herself clinging a little tighter to Hudson. She’d been afraid to get too clos
e to him, but as his family surrounded them on all sides, she was afraid to lose him.
They got a couple of drinks each, and Hudson found open seats at a picnic table draped with a large red and white tablecloth. She downed the first of her two drinks in about three guzzles, making Hudson laugh.
“Don’t let these guys intimidate you. I can’t say they won’t grill you, but I will say it’s done with the best of intentions,” he told her as he sipped his beer.
“This is so much more Darla’s scene than mine,” she confided. “She loves talking to people, always telling me everyone has a story. When I’m fighting for something, I can talk to people all day and night. But when it comes to social events I don’t know how to interact.”
“I disagree. I was with you at the school and you were a warrior,” Hudson told her, making her beam.
“Did I hear school?” Joseph suddenly asked, making both Hudson and Daisy jump. He moved around the table and sat across from them. “How’s that project going, Daisy?”
Daisy hadn’t seen Joseph since he’d rescued her and Darla from being taken down by a wrecking ball. She smiled at him, feeling a little better as she sipped on her second drink, grateful for the liquid courage.
“We’re in a holding pattern on the school, but I’m far from ready to give up. I think it’s going to work out,” she told Joseph.
“Would you like me to work some magic?” Joseph asked.
“I appreciate it, but I want to see what I can do,” Daisy told him. He looked at her with what felt like pride in his eyes, making her feel like she was Superwoman.
“I think that’s wonderful,” Joseph said. “But honestly, I like that school, and if you need any help at all, you just let me know.”
“My grandfather has told me what a wonderful man you are, and I have to agree with him,” Daisy said.
“I’m just a man who believes in family and community, and there’s not much I won’t do to support both,” he said as he waved his hand in the air.
“Those are some pretty great things to believe in,” Daisy told him.
“Uncle Joseph, come here,” a woman called.
“Ah, when you’re a popular man you can’t sit around for too long,” Joseph said with a chuckle as he climbed to his feet. He was gone as suddenly as he’d popped up.
For the next two hours Daisy was overwhelmed with the amount of people she met, knowing there was no possible way she’d remember all of their names. But she was enjoying the stories, the banter, and the love between the Anderson family members.
She lost Darla, never to be found again, and she wondered how Crew was handling her best friend. She was looking forward to hearing all about it later. But she was also enjoying her time with Hudson. Even if they were surrounded, he had a way of making her feel as if she was his soul focus the entire night.
The icing on the cake was the chicken coop set up in a private wooded area, filled with chickens, and crafted with loving detail. This man she thought she’d known from the moment she’d met him in the airport wasn’t at all who she’d thought he was. But did that mean she could open up her life to him? Did that mean she could open up her heart?
Maybe. It was a definite maybe.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Daisy had a white flag up. How could she not? It was much more difficult to hate a person when you knew them, and knew how good their character was. Hudson was a business owner, entrepreneur, and a millionaire. She’d always looked down upon those things, but he was about so much more than money.
He was a brother, a son, an uncle, a nephew, and a friend. His family had a bond unlike anything she’d seen before. She was sure there was some of the usual family bickering, but it wasn’t obvious. She was impressed — to say the least.
On top of getting to know this man, she couldn’t deny how he made her feel. She wanted him in a way she’d never wanted another. Her body had been awakened, and no matter how foolish she told herself she was being, she couldn’t deny what she was feeling.
What did all of that mean?
It meant she was at his house.
He’d made the comment that he rarely got home-cooked meals living the bachelor life, and somehow she’d agreed to make him dinner. She was blaming the alcohol from the night before on her impulsive act.
But she was of sound mind now, and she’d still come to his place with a bag full of groceries, she was still standing in his beautiful kitchen, and she still had no clue why or what to do.
He was running a quick errand, apologizing for the last-minute phone call that had taken him from the place, and she was in a bit of a panic as she looked around his kitchen that was obviously stocked by a bachelor.
He had a few dull knives, pans that had seen much better days, and pots that she wouldn’t want to donate to a secondhand store. She’d assumed everyone had the basic necessities in their kitchen — she’d been wrong.
She’d just have to do the best she could.
After going through every single cupboard in the small kitchen, she managed to find a casserole dish she eyed with suspicion. She wouldn’t bet her small paycheck it wouldn’t explode in the oven. She’d have to make do though. She was glad she’d decided on a fairly simple meal, knowing it was one of gramps’ favorites and didn’t take a lot of time or concentration.
She cooked hamburger on the stove, not daring to step away from the pan, afraid she’d start the house on fire. Then she boiled noodles, created a cheese sauce, and mixed it all together before pouring it in the bakeware and placing it in the oven.
She heard Hudson pull up as she set the timer, and she wasn’t sure where she should stand, or what she should say when he walked in. It was his house, after all. She was simply there because this way she wasn’t having the dinner with her grandfather who seemed to be in love with Hudson.
She was leaning against the counter as he stepped in through the garage door and turned the corner, a smile on his lips, a bag in his hands. He looked sexy as hell in his crisp blue polo, dark blue jeans, and work boots. His smell wafted over to her, more intoxicating than ever. She couldn’t look away from his deep blue eyes. She didn’t even mind how much trouble she was in.
“It smells amazing in here,” he said as he set the bag down and moved to her, making her stomach clench with need and anticipation. “I could get used to this.” The low rumble of his voice did things to her she’d never thought possible.
“I’m not sure how it’ll turn out. You don’t have a lot of kitchen gadgets,” she told him, shocked at how husky her voice was.
“It’ll be great,” he said as he reached up, cupping her cheek with one hand, and gripping her hip with the other. The kiss was exactly what she needed. His lips took hers with hunger and a promise of so much more to come. When he let go of her, she was wobbly on her shaking knees.
But he stepped back, definitely leaving her wanting more. Was that his plan? Was he going to torture her all night until she had no choice but to attack him? Is that what she’d do? She wondered if that’s why she’d wanted to come to his house. Was she hoping for more than dinner? She couldn’t admit that to herself.
“I asked my sister-in-law for the best wine to buy, and she was more than happy to help me,” Hudson told her as he moved back over to the bag and pulled out a few bottles of white.
“I don’t know a lot about wine,” she admitted.
“Neither do I, so I guess we’ll find out if Sarah knows what she’s talking about,” he said with a laugh as he began opening the bottle. He poured two generous glasses, then handed her one. Before she could take a sip, he held up his glass.
“Here’s to a beautiful evening with a stunning woman,” he said, clinking his glass against hers. “Thank you for giving me some of your time and preparing this meal. It’s greatly appreciated. I’ll certainly have to be creative to try to be as accommodating.”
“I don’t expect paybacks,” she told him.
“I think we all need to give and take. I like to do th
ings for people I care about.”
Her stomach jumped again at his words. How could he care about her? They hadn’t known each other that long, and they hadn’t exactly begun as friends. This was all so complicated.
“I like to do things for people too,” she said.
The smile he gave her sent shivers up and down her spine. “That’s well known. You’re a fighter for those people and things you care about. It’s an admirable quality that many don’t have.”
“I wanted to make my parents proud. In doing that, I found I truly love being a fighter,” she said.
“It shows,” he told her. “Many people stick with jobs they don’t love because they get stuck in a rut. The happiest people in this world are those who follow their passion in life. If we love what we do, we’re much more fulfilled. I can’t imagine not creating. It’s my passion and it pays my bills.”
“I love that you knew from a young age you’d be a builder,” she told him.
“It helps to figure it out young because you then have a lifetime to perfect your craft,” he said.
“That’s true,” she said as she moved to the sink and began rinsing her salad vegetables.
“Can I help?” he asked.
“Yes. Pull out a cutting board if you have one,” she said with a chuckle. He gave her a sheepish look. “Okay, then pull out one of your plates. We’re going to have to improvise.”
He pulled down a plate and she handed him the cucumber and carrots. “Peel the skin off of these and cut them into small cubes.”
He began preparing the vegetables while she tore up the lettuce and cut the tomatoes as best she could with dull knives. Their conversation continued sporadically, the entire scene more domestic than she’d thought about when she’d offered to make him dinner.
They stood side by side, and though he didn’t kiss her again, his body kept brushing against hers, making her more and more needy as their night continued. She wasn’t sure if he was doing it on purpose or if it was happening because the kitchen was so small.