With a loan and a recommendation from her sister, she hired a private detective. Only Izzy knew. She didn’t deposit the check. It was in her fire-safe box in the bottom of her desk. Until she knew it came from the man who’d stolen from her, she wouldn’t use it.
When she began to dose, she closed her book.
Clicking off the light, she smiled at the crystal prism mobile hanging in the corner of the room. The room filled with sunlight made the piece stunning but most people wouldn’t notice how lovely it looked in the dark, with just the city lights outside her window to make it sparkle.
As her eyes closed, she thought about the picture of Hudson pouring concrete at a women and children’s shelter. He looked comfortable doing manual labor. Even more in his element than the expensive suits he regularly wore.
When she woke up nude from the waist down in the middle of the night, she didn’t remember the dream that caused her to strip and touch herself.
Even without the memory, she knew the two people who probably featured in it.
Saturdays in the city meant children, shoppers, and tourists. The flow was different from during the business week. It was the city that never slept but there was an ebb and flow Brie loved more every day she lived here.
She wore a pair of high heels styled after hiking boots that her sister purchased and hated. The jeans, two fresh bra tanks over her “bulletproof” bra, and a white button-down shirt gave her enough layers to feel confident.
Gabriella walked without a specific destination in mind. It was no surprise when she ended up at the coffee shop she visited most often on the days she worked.
She accepted her order, waved to the familiar barista, and stepped outside. Her favorite table was available and she settled in happily before opening her backpack. A notebook and pen allowed her to doodle while she soaked up the beautiful day and sipped her coffee.
In the dog park across the way, she watched dogs and kids run and roll around in the grass. A toddler in what was once a lovely pink top and leggings hauled her muddy dog into her arms. She didn’t notice the mud at all but it certainly got her mother’s attention. The woman’s shock was so funny that she laughed aloud.
Brie idly sketched the scene, blocked the cartoon, and flipped to a fresh page.
A man and woman laughed together on a bench down the block and she sketched the way their heads leaned together. Signing her name below it, she added a tiny heart above the “I” and grinned at her silliness.
For a long while she people-watched, soaking up the sounds and smells and movements going on all around her. She ordered a Chai tea and Greek yogurt cup with fresh strawberries.
The coffee shop was one of the best places to hang out and doodle. The direct sun never made it to the little fenced section but lit the scenes across the street. Too much glare would have made it impossible to draw for very long.
An elderly woman walking with a small child captured her attention and she sketched as fast as she could before they passed her. They came alongside her table behind the iron fence. They moved slowly because the child had very little legs and the woman was very old.
Careful not to startle the woman, Brie spoke softly, “Excuse me. Excuse me please. I don’t mean to bother you. You both looked so happy I had to sketch you. I’d like you to have it.”
The woman looked suspicious. “How much?”
“Oh no! I don’t want you to buy it! I thought you’d like the memory.” Brie held it out. “Here.” She handed the woman the sketch and the wariness faded away, replaced with a soft expression as she lowered it so her grandson could see.
His face broke into a gap-toothed grin. “That’s me, Savta!” he shouted.
“Yes, it is. Your mother will love it.” The woman gave her a careful smile.
“It was nice to meet you. I’m glad you like it.” She returned to her yogurt and watched as they continued on their way. With her other hand, she recreated the looks on their faces before turning to a fresh page.
“Do you do that a lot?” asked a gruff voice behind her.
Closing her eyes and gathering her composure, she turned her head to face the always-fierce gaze of Hudson Winters. He wore jeans and a dress shirt with stylish leather shoes on his feet. A large coffee sat empty beside him.
How long has he been here?
A light breeze blew a lock of her hair across her face and she nervously tucked it behind her ear. “Do…what? Doodle?”
His long legs were stretched out in front of him and his hands were clasped loosely over his firm stomach. “No. Do you often give away portraits you do of strangers?”
The man had her flustered.
“I…well, they’re in it.” She busily straightened the items on her table. “It’s just doodles anyway.”
“May I?”
Moving silently for a big man, he appeared at her side, and held his hand out for her notebook. She stared up, frozen with him so close. Her mind went blank.
“Brie?”
She wanted to melt into the sidewalk.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Hudson stared at her without speaking and she got the distinct feeling a mouse probably felt when faced with a snake. Not that he was a snake. She knew he wasn’t. More the predator/prey thing. The man wasn’t reptilian, for god’s sake.
Again…what the fuck is wrong with you?
Without a word, he sat at her table and stared at her across the short distance. She was happy for her natural tan since it kept people from realizing just how hotly she often blushed.
“May I see your sketches, Brie?”
She swallowed hard and pushed her notebook toward him. The moment he started flipping through the pages, she realized her mistake. She knew the instant he found the sketch of him and Natalia. He went completely still and lifted his eyes to hers.
“I sketch everyone. I always have.”
The excuse sounded weak even to her own ears. The difference between most of her sketches and the one featuring the best friends was the detail.
It was a sketch she frequently returned to and it showed.
His eyes shifted past her and a crinkle of annoyance appeared between his eyes.
She understood why when she heard, “Brie! I can’t believe you get up early enough to be clear across town. I think you’re possessed with the fearsome demon known as morning person.” Riya gave a mock shudder. “Hudson. What a surprise.”
Her friend came around to kiss her cheek as Micah held her hand. As the slightly bigger and definitely darker of Riya’s men, Micah’s eyes cut to Hudson and back to Brie in silent question.
“I was out walking. I like to walk without a place in mind. I…I like the park. To watch the people in the park. The coffee here is my favorite.”
You are a babbling idiot and should seek professional help.
Riya laughed. “You’re walking the city in Azzedines?”
“Walking in…what?”
“You’re wearing a twelve-hundred-dollar pair of shoes, Brie…to go for a walk.”
Brie knocked her coffee cup off the table, tried to grab it, and succeeded in knocking the yogurt cup over as well. Stopping her frantic movements, she calmly picked up the items then cleared her throat and turned to Riya.
“Are you telling me these shoes cost more than one thousand dollars? My sister paid more than a thousand dollars and gave them to me instead of returning them when she didn’t like them?”
“Girl, that is exactly what I’m telling you. I can’t imagine them being Izzy’s style. I bet she bought them for you and made up the story about hating them.” Riya let go of Micah’s hand and crouched, lifting Brie’s foot in her hand. “These are the real deal. Very hot on you, honey.”
“I cannot wear…I am going to kill her.”
Riya stood and recaptured Micah’s hand. “Yes, you can and don’t you dare kill a woman who buys Azzedines as gifts.” Hudson returned to flipping through the other sketches. When her friend noticed, her eyes got
enormous. “Oh my god, I love these! Baby, look!”
She tugged Micah closer and they stood looking over Hudson’s shoulder.
Thirty seconds. She made it for thirty seconds.
“I have to get back, Riya. Lots to do today. Errands and…stuff. I’m going to go.”
She stood and picked up her trash, moving around them to throw it away. On the way by, she grabbed Hudson’s empty cup as well. When she leaned over to pick up her backpack, she took the opportunity to tug her tank tops firmly into place.
“I’ll drive you.” Hudson’s offer resembled a command.
“No. I can walk. I like to walk. It’s alright, thank you.”
She touched cheeks with Riya and Micah, shoved the notebook in her bag, and grabbed a hair tie out while she was in there. She roughly gathered all her hair and somewhat secured it in a messy bun.
“So great to see you guys. Okay, bye…everyone.”
She pulled cheap shades from the strap and slid them on as she made her escape. She walked two blocks and remembered she was walking in shoes that cost more than the rest of her wardrobe combined.
A sharp whistle hailed a cab.
She gave him her address and pulled out her phone to call Izzy. It went to voicemail. Her message was succinct. “You are toast, sister.”
At her building, she paid the cabbie and got out. As she closed the door, her phone rang and she leaned against the banister.
“How could you give me shoes that are so expensive and not tell me? I wear them to get groceries and pick up my laundry. Yes, I realize they’re meant to be worn. That is not the point and you know it.”
Turning to face the street, Hudson stood less than ten feet away, leaning casually against the light post. She screamed and bobbled her phone, barely managing to hold on to it.
“Izzy, I’ll call you back.”
Chapter Eleven
Disconnecting, Brie stared at Hudson for a long moment. “Did you follow me?”
“I did. I’m not a stalker but if I were, I would rejoice in the fact that you don’t pay very close attention to your surroundings.” She blinked, completely unsure how to respond. “We were talking. We were interrupted. I want to finish our conversation.”
“I…I don’t…what?”
“For such an eloquent woman, you seem to be having trouble today.”
Pushing her sunglasses on top of her head, Brie waited a beat but couldn’t fight the smile that wanted out. “Did you just make a joke, Hudson?”
“You are extraordinarily pretty when you smile. You don’t usually do that around me.”
Tilting her head a bit, she heard an inner whisper of “save the stray” and wasn’t sure what to do about it. “You make me nervous,” she told him honestly.
“Why?”
“Mainly because of everything that happened to bring me here; we didn’t meet under the best circumstances. Then Christmas Eve confused me and I’m embarrassed about that.” She shrugged. “Also, you’re mean to people sometimes.”
“I know I am. I’d apologize but we would both know I don’t really mean it.” Once again, she was at a loss for words. “I am sorry for how you ended up here but not that you did and I didn’t mean to confuse you at Christmas. I was floored myself and needed time to process.”
She didn’t understand this man in any way. His brain ran on a wavelength hers didn’t have.
“Okay. Thank you.” Clearing her throat carefully, she asked, “Would you like tea?”
“I would.”
Brie nodded and walked up the steps, feeling awkward and clumsy as she pulled out her keys to unlock the entry door. As she glanced up, she saw him watching her in the door’s reflection. Hiding the shaking of her hand, she pushed it open and waited as he walked through.
It was disconcerting to have him behind her on the stairs because she was distinctly aware of the size of her ass. She was never so thankful to get to her door. Accomplishing another lock, Brie put her bag down on the little foyer table and headed into her kitchen.
“You’ve done beautiful things with the color and light in this space.”
Turning, she looked out over her apartment and smiled. “Thank you. I love this apartment. The owner maintains the building so well and they preserved a lot of the old detail.”
Moving to a small door set in the wall, she opened it to show him a shallow spice rack. “Behind this is the original dumbwaiter. Instead of taking it out, the space was repurposed.”
She ran her fingers over the carved shelves. “The detail is amazing. It’s just a cabinet, you know? You wouldn’t think the edging would have mattered.” Closing the door with a shrug, she went to the sink to fill the kettle. “Most people would slap a piece of plywood in there and call it done.”
“You have a good eye for detail.”
From the corner of her eye, she watched as he roamed her living room, touching fabrics she’d decorated with, leafing through books on the shelves.
Hudson was a big man but moved gracefully through her space without overwhelming it. He glanced through the door to her bedroom but didn’t go inside.
At her desk, he stopped and stared at something. She walked around and saw he was looking at the pamphlet the clinic sent her to prepare for surgery.
Mortified, her entire body hot, she felt insanely on the verge of tears. Reaching past him, she grabbed the stack of information and shoved it in the top drawer.
“It’s why you wear so many clothes,” he said softly.
“I…I…” She couldn’t look at his face and had no idea what to say.
“Turn around, Brie.”
She did, thankful for an excuse to avoid his face.
When he put his hands on her shoulders, she jumped. “I won’t hurt you.”
He began to massage the muscles of her neck, shoulders, and upper back with his thumbs and it felt incredible. The weight of her breasts put constant stress on her upper torso.
“You must hurt here all the time.”
She nodded but couldn’t speak. His forearm moved across her upper chest and gripped the opposite shoulder. She panicked.
“It’s alright. Don’t be afraid.” With his other palm, he pressed at the center of her back between her shoulder blades and it relieved a burning pressure she lived with almost constantly.
“My mother is built like you. When I sold my first company, I found the best doctor in the country and she had the surgery done. She was in her late forties and it changed her life.”
Hudson didn’t rush, working the muscles that ached as if he had all the time in the world.
“When are you going?”
Her voice was low. “Monday, I get my final lab work done. If everything is good, they’ll put me on the schedule within a couple of days. I took time off work.”
“Do you have help? Someone who can stay with you?”
“The girl across the hall. Her name is Sita. I helped her with some schoolwork so she’s happy to be able to return the favor.”
The teakettle whistled and his hands stilled after one final stroke over her back through her clothing.
“Thank you, Hudson.”
She walked into the kitchen and tried to get her breathing under control as she made a tray. A few minutes later, she found Hudson sitting in the large chair she sat in to read.
He looked…perfect there.
Shaking herself, Brie put the tray down between them on the side table. He picked up a triangle of baklava and bit into it, his eyes drifting closed. She watched as he chewed slowly. Only when he swallowed did he open them.
“Where do you get this? It’s the best baklava I’ve ever tasted.”
Her eyes went wide and she laughed. “The wife who owns the bodega, Mrs. Sodderham, gave me the recipe. I’ll tell her it was a hit.”
The man glanced at the dessert and back at her. “You made this?” She nodded with a grin. “Do you like to cook?”
“I do but I only cook on the weekends. I make my meals for the weekd
ays. It’s silly to cook for one person after work.” Brie sipped her tea and watched him finish the pastry with a look of pure pleasure on his face.
“What are you making this weekend?”
“I’m beginning to stockpile finished meals for…for after my procedure so I just have to heat things up. It will make it easier.” She looked through the sheer curtains, focused on the bright white sun. “Tonight I’m making a pot roast. It’s been marinating all morning.”
The silence dragged out.
“Brie.” She met his gaze. “Ask me.”
The man gave orders in a way that affected her stomach. After a long pause, she swallowed hard. His black eyes never looked away from her face. He didn’t even blink.
“Would you…like to stay for dinner?”
“Yes.”
“It needs to cook for several hours. I’ll start it.” Standing, she moved to her bedroom and took off the heels. She’d finish yelling at Izzy about them later.
For now, she stepped into sneakers and went to the kitchen. All the ingredients were already prepped and waiting in the refrigerator. Hudson stood there as she closed the door, and she almost dropped everything. His hands steadied her and he set each item on the counter.
“Thank you. You move silently for a big man.”
“I’ve watched you interact with people, Brie. You’re rarely unsure of yourself. As a matter of fact, you’re extremely confident and happy.” He reached out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “I know I can be an asshole but I would never hurt you.”
“I know you wouldn’t, Hudson. Never on purpose.”
She stayed busy and avoided his eyes as she prepared the meat to go into the oven. It gave her time to collect her thoughts. When she’d set the timer to slow-cook the roast and vegetables, she washed her hands and turned to him.
“You fascinate me, Hudson. I don’t know why but I know I’m susceptible to it.”
“Is that a bad thing?” he asked her quietly. His eyes stared at her so fixedly that she almost couldn’t find the courage to say what she needed to say.
“Hudson, sex isn’t just sex to someone like me. I’m not okay with having you get me off then walking away and seeing your best friend show up to finish the job for you.”
Hudson Page 12