Bella and Hudson didn’t talk after that, and she wondered if they were both thinking about what he’d said. She couldn’t remember much about her own parents’ marriage, but she believed they’d been in love. She remembered them holding hands. She remembered them kissing when they thought their children weren’t looking. But she’d never know that kind of love. Men wanted children, and she couldn’t have them.
Back at the ranch, she’d thought she’d just hop out of Hudson’s truck and that would be it. But no, he was being chivalrous again. He came around to her side and opened the door for her. He even took her hand to help her out. That was the first they’d touched all evening. His fingers seemed to burn hers. And when she was on the ground, she looked up at him, confused by all of it. They walked side by side to the front door, then just stood there gazing at each other.
“It was nice,” he finally said, “sitting there with Jazzy and Brooks, talking like we’re friends.”
“Yes. Most of my friends are single women.”
“They really liked your photos. This could be just the first of many assignments. Word gets around, you know.”
“It would be fun to take photos to pay bills. I can also save some money for college.”
“No splurging?”
She could hardly think straight looking into Hudson’s eyes. “No splurging,” she said softly.
He took a step closer to her, and Bella knew she should back away. But she didn’t.
Hudson reached out and touched her cheek. Her face was cold from the winter night air, and his hand was large and warm. She could feel calluses on his fingers, and that was exciting. Everything about Hudson was exciting. When his hand went to the nape of her neck and he slid his fingers into her hair, she should have protested. She didn’t. And when he bent his head, she knew exactly what he was going to do.
Chapter Four
If he’d thought this kiss was going to be something easy or quiet, Hudson had been dead wrong. Bella had a sweetness about her that revved up his male instincts and all his male needs. The hunger that welled inside him wasn’t going to be satisfied with just a quick tasting.
Some essence of her made him want to get closer and know her in an intimate way. He wrapped his arm around her, maybe to steady them both.
He’d kissed a lot of women, and he’d wanted to demonstrate finesse with this kiss. But finesse floated out the window when his tongue breached Bella’s lips. He swept her mouth with an intensity that disconcerted him. No, one brief kiss wasn’t going to be enough. He felt intoxicated by their passion and confident in her response. She was tasting him, too, giving back passion as well as receiving it.
But then suddenly she wasn’t. It was as if a switch had been flicked off. He felt her stiffen, and he knew exactly what was going to come between them. Rational thought. It had invaded her head before it had found its way to his.
Suddenly she was breaking away, her arms stiff at her sides. She was shaking her head, and he knew whatever she said wasn’t going to be good.
Still, he was old enough and experienced enough and respectful of females enough, not to take what a woman didn’t want to give. He tried to shut down the heavy beating of his pulse. With a deep breath, he willed his body to calm down, letting her escape his arms. He kept his hands by his sides even though he wanted to still touch her, even though he wanted to wrap her in another embrace.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, surprised his voice had come out as even as it had. After all, that kiss had practically knocked his boots off.
“I can’t do this,” she said, shaking her head again. “I need my job. I can’t get involved with you.”
As if a bolt of lightning had made him see more clearly, Hudson suddenly realized that everything about Bella’s life was so much more precarious than his. Although his parents had been distant emotionally, he’d had four brothers. Someone was always there. And besides his family, his father’s wealth had been a life raft. His own trust fund had given him opportunities and saved him from embarrassing situations. When something didn’t work out, he moved on to the next endeavor because he didn’t have to count on a paycheck. Bella didn’t have that luxury. She worried about her brother and her niece and nephews and about Jamie’s financial situation. She worried about her own. She was trying to save enough money to finish college, and Hudson knew how expensive that was these days.
The porch lamp softly glowed across her face. He saw her expression that said she already might have done something that would put her job in jeopardy. That was because she didn’t know him. She didn’t know what kind of man he was, and that he’d never punish a woman for backing away from him.
“Bella, it’s all right. I understand.”
“You’re not mad because I wouldn’t—” She stopped, seemingly embarrassed to go on.
“Nothing’s going to interfere with your job, whether we kiss or whether we don’t.”
“It’s too dangerous for me to even think about getting involved with you,” she responded. “I can’t risk one of the few jobs in Rust Creek Falls that pays decently. It isn’t just you. It’s Walker, too. He owns Just Us Kids. If anything happened between you and me, he could blame me.”
This time Hudson took hold of her shoulders. He couldn’t help touching her. “Stop, Bella. I do understand. No repercussions. I read the signals wrong.”
At that she blinked, and then she sighed. “I can’t let you think that. You didn’t read the signals wrong. But I remembered my responsibilities. I remembered who I am and who you are. We come from different worlds, Hudson.”
“It was just a kiss, Bella.”
After she studied him for a few seconds, she nodded. “Okay, it was just a kiss. I have to go inside. I’m sure Jamie heard the truck, and he’ll wonder why I’m still out here.”
Hudson dropped his hands away from her because he knew she was going to run. He couldn’t blame her, for all the reasons she’d mentioned. Yet when she turned the knob on the door, when she glanced at him over her shoulder, he got the feeling she didn’t want to go inside at all.
She said good-night, and so did he. But as he went to his truck, he remembered everything about their kiss, and he wondered if she was doing the same.
* * *
Hudson understood Bella’s avoidance of him—he really did. That didn’t mean he was less attracted to her. Nor did that change the electricity that zapped between them whenever they had to deal with each other. First, when he stole glances at her and saw the dark circles under her eyes, he wondered if the tension between them was causing it. But as the week passed, he didn’t think that was it at all. Bella worked all day, and he’d heard her tell one of the teachers that two of the triplets had kept her and Jamie up for the past few nights teething. He might not understand what that was all about, but he did understand sleep deprivation. She wasn’t smiling at everyone the way she usually did. The next day at lunchtime, he walked into the break room and found her arms crossed on the table with her head down on them. She was asleep.
She didn’t stir as he approached her and stood at the table looking down at her. Her eyes were closed, the lashes fanning her cheeks. Her hair wisped along her face, looking as silky and soft as always. He couldn’t let her try to function like this.
Placing his hand on her shoulder, he said gently, “Bella?”
Her eyes fluttered open immediately. She turned her head, spotted him and sat up straight. “Sorry,” she murmured. “I was just—”
“You were catching forty winks.”
“It’s my lunch break,” she said, almost defensively, as if he’d caught her doing something terribly wrong.
“I understand that, and if we had a cot in here where you could take a nap like the kids do, you’d be fine. But you’re not getting enough sleep, are you?”
“Katie and Henry have new
teeth coming in. They’re miserable. At first Jamie and I took turns, but it’s hard to handle two at once. So we’ve both been up rocking and walking them.”
“You have to get some sleep. Take the afternoon off, go home and go to bed.”
“I can’t do that.”
He suddenly realized she meant can’t in a couple of different ways. “You mean because you’re needed here?”
“Yes, I am.”
“I can take over for the afternoon. It’s Friday. Things have slowed down for the week.”
But Bella wasn’t convinced, and then he realized what the other problem might be. “You won’t be able to rest if you go back to Jamie’s, will you? I should have realized that. Let me take you to my house so you can get a few hours of sleep without disruption.”
Bella’s eyes went wide, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. “I’ll let you in, turn off the alarm and then I’ll come back here. You can sleep on the sofa or a bed or wherever you want. The place will be yours for a few hours.”
“Hudson, it’s your home. I can’t just barge in and take over.”
“Sure you can. Tell me, how much time have you had absolutely alone since you moved in with Jamie?”
The question obviously didn’t need much thinking about. She answered immediately. “I’m alone in my drives to and from work, and if I manage to go for a ride to exercise the horses.”
“And how often do you do that?”
“I haven’t for a couple of weeks,” she admitted.
“Exactly. You have noise and kids around you almost twenty-four hours a day. Give yourself a break, Bella. Just take a few hours for yourself. Come on, get your coat. I’ll let Sarah know I’ll be gone for about twenty minutes.”
“I can just drive myself,” Bella said.
“In your condition, you might fall asleep at the wheel. This is no big deal. Grab your coat and let’s go.”
As if she didn’t have the energy to resist, she nodded, went to the closet and pulled out her coat.
* * *
Bella opened her eyes when Hudson switched off the ignition of his truck. They were in the driveway of the ranch-style house. She must have dozed a little on the way here even though it hadn’t been that long a drive. She was really that exhausted. It was the only reason she’d taken Hudson’s offer seriously.
Was he really going to just drop her here and leave? That’s exactly what she wanted, right?
“We’re here,” he said cheerily. “And a good thing, too. I don’t think that seat belt could have held you upright any longer.”
“You’re exaggerating.”
“Not by much. Let’s get you inside.”
The stone-and-timber home was one story and sprawling, and it sat before her like a quiet haven. Hudson came around and opened her door. He offered his hand, and she took it to step down from the high running board. The cold air felt damp, as if snow was on its way. ’Twas the season.
As she walked beside Hudson, she felt...small. His height and broad shoulders made him tower above her. He was a substantial man, especially in his boots and suede coat with its Sherpa lining and trim. At the door, he dug into his pocket and pulled out a key. There was an overhang above the door, and as she stepped up beside Hudson, she felt as if the two of them were the only people in the world. She figured it was sleep deprivation muddling her thoughts.
He turned the key in the lock, opened another dead bolt, then pushed open the door. As soon as they stepped inside, he was pressing buttons on the security system on a panel on the wall.
The floor of the foyer was some kind of black stone. With just one look, she could tell this house was built with quality materials.
To the right, Bella caught sight of a dining room with a hand-carved oak table and chairs, and a beautiful hutch that showcased stoneware plates. Looking ahead into the center of the house, she saw an open-concept family room and kitchen.
Hudson motioned through the family room. “There are two bedrooms over that way.”
Then he motioned to the left. “I’ve set up an office over there, and there’s a master suite behind that. Where would you like to settle?”
The lone couch in the family room was upholstered in blue and rust in a chevron design and looked cushy with its back pillows for support and comfort. She didn’t pay much attention to the accompanying leather recliner and wing chair with side tables and lamps. That sofa was exactly what she needed.
“That’ll be fine.” As soon as she reached the sofa, she took off her coat and laid it over the back. She sank down onto the couch, and it was like sitting on a cloud.
Hudson laid the key on the immense rough-hewn coffee table. “I’m going to leave you that key. I have a spare. Do you want me to set the alarm or not?”
“I don’t want to set something off by mistake.”
Hudson pointed to the hangings on the walls. “Clive owns some expensive art. That’s why there’s a security system.”
“Not to mention this beautiful furniture and that huge flat-screen TV,” she said, motioning to it.
Hudson chuckled. “Yeah, not to mention that.” He took out a card and a pen and jotted down the alarm code. He slid it under the key ring. “I’ll set the alarm. There’s the code in case you need to turn it off.”
“I’m not going to move,” she assured him, settling back against the cushions.
A Pendleton blanket was folded over one of the side chairs. Hudson picked it up and brought it to her, spreading it out on the lower end of the couch. “Just in case you get a chill. This will warm you up.”
Just looking at Hudson Jones warmed her up, but she wasn’t exhausted enough to say that. She did have a few faculties about her.
“I’ll come back here after the last kid’s gone from the day care center and drive you back there to get your car. You have my cell number, just in case you need me for some reason.”
When her gaze caught Hudson’s, their kiss became a vivid memory once more. She had the feeling he was remembering it, too.
His eyes darkened. He took a step closer but then said, “The refrigerator’s stocked if you get hungry. Greta takes care of that for me.”
“Greta?”
“Her husband, Edmond, is the foreman on the ranch. They live in the log cabin just around the bend from the house.”
After a last look at her, he turned and headed toward the door. She had the feeling if he stayed longer he could sit on that sofa beside her, and then who knew what could happen?
“See you in a few hours,” he said.
She heard the beep of the alarm as he set it and the click of the door when it closed. She heard his truck revving up in the driveway and backing out. Taking one of the throw pillows from a corner of the sofa, she positioned it, curled up with her head on it and pulled up the blanket.
She saw Hudson’s face in her mind’s eye, right before she succumbed to her fatigue.
* * *
When Hudson returned to the Lazy B that evening, he let himself in and switched off the alarm. He’d stopped at Wings to Go, hungry himself and sure Bella was, too. Greta had left salads in the refrigerator, and they’d go great with the wings. He knew Bella would want to get home, but sleep and food and quiet had seemed to be a necessity for her today.
When he switched on the small side light in the family room, she didn’t stir. He watched her from a few feet away. She was curled on her side facing the sofa, the blanket pulled up to her shoulders. He wanted nothing more than to go over to that sofa and finger her hair, touch her cheek, kiss her. Even sleeping, she awakened his appetite for more than barbecued wings.
Still, he let her sleep while he went to the kitchen and set the table for dinner. By the time he put out the salads and the wings, he heard the rustle of movement from the sofa.
�
�Hey, sleepyhead,” he said with a smile. “Are you hungry?”
Pushing off the blanket, she sat up and tried to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“You got a good nap.”
She yawned. “I did. I feel like I got more sleep than I have all week.” She checked her watch. “Oh my gosh. I’ve got to get home. Jamie will wonder what happened to me.”
“Text him. You can take another fifteen or twenty minutes to eat supper. You’ve got to take care of yourself, Bella. You won’t be much help to him if you get run-down or sick.”
She looked torn, but then she nodded. “I know you’re right.” She’d left her purse on the coffee table, and now she took her phone from it and quickly texted. Afterward she said, “Something smells great.”
“I picked up wings. The rest of the meal was in the fridge. I’m a lucky guy.”
He saw her look around as if she hadn’t really done it before. He spent a lot of time in the family room. A flannel jacket lay over the top of one chair. His laptop sat on the coffee table beside an unfinished cup of coffee. Another pair of boots sat near the gas fireplace.
Standing, she started toward him. “It looks as if you’ve settled in.”
“For now,” he said, meaning it. After all, he didn’t know how long his wandering spirit would keep him here. He motioned to one of the ladder-back chairs at the table. “Have a seat.”
She washed up at the sink and then sat across from him, studying him rather than the food.
“What?” he asked.
“You went to an awful lot of trouble for me today. I guess I have to wonder why.”
“I didn’t want you dropping from exhaustion at the day care center,” he said wryly, skirting the question.
Still, she kept her gaze on him. “So you’d do this for any of your employees?” She motioned to the meal and the house, and he knew what she meant.
“No, I wouldn’t. You’re special, Bella.”
Her pretty brows arched. “Usually when a man does something like this, he wants something in return.”
The Maverick's Holiday Surprise Page 5