by Carly Fall
The door opened, and Hudson stepped in carrying a tray wearing his black silk
robe.
Speak of the sexy devil himself.
She smiled when he met her eyes.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, setting the tray down on the dresser and walking over to the bed. He sat down, his hand drawing lazy circles on her back. “Did you sleep well?”
She nodded and smiled. She loved the way he touched her.
“I brought you breakfast. One of my famous vegetable omelets, a fruit smoothie
with an extra kick of vitamins, and some bacon.”
She turned over and smiled. “That sounds wonderful, Hudson. I’m starved and
craving bacon.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “I’m sure you are. We burned a lot of calories
last night.”
She laughed, and he bent down to kiss her. The little peck quickly turned into
more, and before Beverly knew it, Hudson was naked and back in bed with her.
“You’re insatiable!” she said. Secretly, she was thrilled he found her so desirable.
She had never been wanted like this before.
“That’s your fault,” Hudson said, as he slowly kissed her neck. “If you weren’t so damn beautiful...” his mouth moved to her breast, “if these weren’t so damn perfect for me...” she felt his lips on her belly, “if your skin wasn’t so soft...” and finally, he came up to her earlobe. “If you weren’t so kind, sweet, and interesting, I wouldn’t have a problem keeping my hands off you.”
Beverly let her hands travel up his arms and over his shoulders. “Thank you,
Hudson,” she said quietly.
He stopped kissing her neck and propped himself up over her, obviously
confused. “For what?”
She let her fingers trace over his cheekbone, down to his jaw, and over his
collarbone. “For...for everything. For making me feel beautiful. For accepting me, flaws and all. For being so kind. For...I guess just for being you.”
He stared at her for a moment, then said, “Beverly, you are one very special lady.
Don’t let anyone ever make you believe otherwise.”
She felt tears stinging her eyes. “Don’t cry, honey,” he whispered, kissing her
cheek. “Don’t cry.”
Inhaling deeply, she pulled herself back together and smiled.
“Do you want to eat?” he asked.
She did, but she wanted him more. She reached up and brought his face to hers.
He groaned as she kissed him. Then he got up and took her in his arms, quickly
making his way to the bathroom. “What are we doing?” she laughed as she held on to his neck.
“Shower,” he said in a guttural voice. “I can’t fucking wait to get you all slick and soapy.”
Chapter 38
Hudson chopped green peppers for the dinner he was preparing for his fellow
Warriors, his hands moving in habit, his mind far away. After the two-hour shower this morning, he had watched as Beverly devoured the breakfast he had prepared, and he had called the hotel to make sure her car was still there.
It wasn’t.
They had towed it yesterday. He didn’t want Beverly driving at night, so he
decided she would stay one more night and leave bright and early in the morning. Rayner and Noah would be going out later, and they would get her car out of impound.
He sighed. Damn, that woman brought him peace that he hadn’t felt in over
twenty-seven years.
When he had woken this morning, the pain was nowhere to be found. He felt
lighter, as if the two tons of weight on his shoulders had been removed.
Instead of taking the elevator up to the kitchen that morning, he had run the stairs, stopping to do a little Fred Astaire at one of the landings. When he got to the kitchen, he wasn’t even winded.
While cooking lunch, he had chatted with Abby and Noah as they drank coffee.
He actually wanted to participate in the conversation. He laughed, he smiled, and it was all real, not the usual fake bullshit he pulled. Hudson noticed that Noah was studying him, looking at him as if something wasn’t quite right.
“All right,” Noah had finally said. “What the hell is going on here? I feel like I’m having a conversation with Mary-fucking-Poppins instead of Hudson.”
Abby smiled, giving Hudson a knowing look, but said nothing. Apparently,
Beverly had been dishing their dirt with Abby.
Hudson turned to Noah. “Can’t a male enjoy time with his daughter and friend
while cooking them lunch?”
Noah had rolled his eyes. “Bullshit. Total bullshit, Hudson. I don’t know what’s
going on, but something is.”
Hudson turned back to his pan and pushed around the vegetables he was carefully
sautéing for Beverly. They had to be perfect, so he was keeping a close eye on it. “You spend a lot of time thinking about that one, okay Noah? Like you don’t have anything better to do. Then you let me know when you’ve got it all figured out.”
Noah didn’t say anything.
“Are Rayner and Faith coming up? Do they want lunch?” Hudson had asked to
change the subject.
“I called a while ago,” Abby said. “They’re foregoing lunch and having ice cream
instead, but Rayner asked if you could cook him some bacon.”
Hudson laughed. “I don’t know how that guy can stomach ice cream and bacon at
the same time.”
He cursed as the knife missed the pepper and sliced his thumb. “Shit,” he hissed, reaching for a towel. As he waited for the bleeding to stop, he thought about Beverly. He would miss her, but she deserved more than he could give her. He could like her, but he could never love her the way he loved Iris.
And…yep, there it was. The pain made him grit his teeth. He was an SR44 male
without his mate, and no matter who was around, there was no changing that fact.
Beverly had given him a short period of happiness, and for that, he would be eternally grateful. His moha had been right. The road to happiness was peace in your soul, and Beverly had provided him with a glimpse of it.
How he would continue it, he had no idea, but he was certain that Beverly needed
to move on. She needed to find her own path in life, not get stuck in the ruts and bumps of his. He couldn’t keep her around to sleep with her every now and then to keep his marbles in a row—it simply wasn’t fair to her.
Rayner and Noah came in, interrupting his thoughts. He noticed that they each
had a gun tucked into their pants pocket. “Is that a gun or are you just happy to see me?”
“Looks like we’ve got our own Jerry Seinfeld in the house, Rayner,” Noah said,
lacking a witty comeback. “Abby and Faith want to get out of here for a while,” Noah continued. “We’re going to take them to the mall so they can do some shopping, then go get Beverly’s car. We bribed Cohen to come as well.”
“And we’re sure as shit not going unarmed,” Rayner said. “But if we’re there too
long, I may just start shooting out of boredom.”
Hudson laughed. He imagined a trip to the mall was something short of watching
grass grow for Noah, Rayner, and Cohen.
“What did you bribe Cohen with?”
Cohen came in the kitchen. “They told me I could be on Abby’s team for pool,
and they also promised me a bottle of Jack.”
“Jovan’s not going to be happy about that,” Hudson said.
A satisfied smile came over Cohen’s face. “Don’t I know it, man.”
Hudson laughed. “Okay, you guys have fun. I’m leaving dinner in the fridge for
you fuckers. Beverly and I are going out tonight. Keep an eye on my little girl, Noah,” he said sternly.
He turned to run water over his cut. Faith
and Abby came in, obviously excited
about their trip, trailed by Talin.
“Be careful out there, guys,” Talin said. “Looks like there’s a nasty dust storm
brewing. The conditions are perfect.”
Noah and Rayner nodded, and the five of them left.
Hudson put a bandage on his finger and resumed his chopping. Looking at the
clock, he saw that he would have to get moving to make that five-thirty reservation with Beverly.
Chapter 39
Hudson sipped a scotch, waiting patiently at the bar in the Great Room for
Beverly.
He was excited about their outing tonight.
He had made reservations at the Wigwam Resorts fine restaurant, Litchfield’s
where the food was delicious, and a small jazz band was going to be playing in the bar.
He wondered if Beverly danced and decided that even if she didn’t, he would take her for a quick spin on the floor.
It felt good to be doing something so normal. For a few hours, he would be a
somewhat human civilian and enjoy a delicious dinner with a pretty woman in a beautiful restaurant. He didn’t need to think about Beverly leaving, Colonists chewing up humans or anything else negative. All he needed to do was have a fun night.
Yeah, he was definitely excited about it.
Turning as the elevators opened, he felt his heart skip a beat and his breath caught in his throat. Beverly stood before him in a bright blue sundress, her blonde hair swirling around her shoulders. She smiled demurely at him, blushing, and he couldn’t help but smile back.
She was a contradiction. She had such a shy way about herself, yet she stood with the grace and elegance of royalty. It was as if she didn’t fully recognize her own beauty or the power within her own soul that screamed of how strong and capable she was, but instead she held on to her own self-doubts and the negative labels she had put upon herself of ex-doctor and ex-junkie. He hoped that someday in her near future she would be able to erase the preconceived bullshit she had assigned to herself and realize what a stellar and magnificent woman she was.
“Hi,” she said.
He stared at her a beat longer. “You look lovely, Beverly,” he said in a low tone.
She blushed and stepped out of the elevator. “You look pretty amazing as well,
Hudson.”
He glanced down at his brown linen slacks and black short-sleeved silk shirt. He
would have liked to have worn an nice Armani suit for the evening, but summer in
Arizona didn’t make that possible. The cooler the material, the happier his sweat glands would be.
“Thank you.” He liked the fact that she approved of the way he looked. “Ready to
get out of here?”
She nodded, and they headed for the door.
***
The Wigwam Resort was located in a little gem of the Arizona desert called
Litchfield Park where the streets were lined with fragrant orange trees and lush green grass. Rows of palm trees towered over everything, like lines of soldiers placed
throughout the small city to guard against breaches of the city walls.
“Hudson, this is so pretty,” Beverly said, as they turned into the main city area of Litchfield Park.
The Wigwam Resort dated back to 1929 where it started out as a guest ranch for
the executives and their families of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company who would
come to Arizona during the winter months to enjoy the beautiful weather.
Hudson pulled the Range Rover up to the valet and hurried out of the car to get
Beverly’s door, only to see the valet attendant had beat him to it. Hudson felt a ripple of anger tear through him as the valet took Beverly’s elbow to help her from the car. Closing his eyes, he reminded himself that they were just friends, and she would be gone
tomorrow. It was perfectly normal for a human male to touch a female while helping her from the car, and he had no claim on her.
Friends.
Period.
With benefits.
But he wasn’t going to think about those benefits. What he was going to think
about was having a great, normal evening with Beverly and maybe later they would
explore the benefits.
Well, if had any say in it, they would definitely be exploring those benefits over and over throughout the night.
“Hot enough for you?” the valet said.
Hudson smiled, then handed the guy a couple of bucks. Of course it was hot
enough, unless you were Satan himself. He had never heard of anyone saying one
hundred and fifteen degrees was sweater weather. Hudson also didn’t understand why people complained about it either; you lived in Phoenix. It got really fucking hot during the summer months, and that was the way it had always been and the way it would
always be.
So the best course of action was simply to shut up and deal with it.
“You could probably cook a steak on the hood of the car,” Hudson answered,
trying to hide his sarcasm.
The valet laughed. “Will you be staying the night with us?”
“Nah. We’re just here for dinner, man. We’ll be out in a couple of hours. And
there’s an extra couple bucks in it for you if you can park the car in a shady spot.”
Hudson took Beverly’s hand and led her inside.
The chilly air hit his warm skin, causing a shiver, but it felt good to be out of the heat. The hardwood floors of the lobby gleamed, and their footsteps echoed against the white walls. Old, worn leather couches sat in front of a fireplace that roared during the winter months. As they made their way down the hallway to Litchfield’s, they stopped and looked at pictures of the resort from years passed, and marveled at the way it had changed over time. They passed the indoor/outdoor bar, and stopped for a moment at the windows to admire the green grass, fully bloomed rose bushes of yellow, pink, and purple, and the elegant, yet comfortable, very busy pool area.
The waiter sat them at a window table that overlooked the roses and pool, the
silverware gleaming against the rays of the setting sun.
“Can I start you off with something to drink?” the waiter asked.
Hudson looked at Beverly. “Some wine sounds nice,” she said, so Hudson ordered
a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc figuring a cool, light wine would be best.
After ordering, they sipped the wine and talked in low tones.
“Are you still thinking of heading up the coast?” Hudson asked.
Beverly nodded. “I’ve never seen that part of the country, so I thought I’d check it out. If I like it, I’ll find somewhere to settle down. I still don’t know what to do for work though, but I supposed that will come eventually.”
Hudson nodded, and his stomach knotted as he imagined Beverly out in the world
alone. No, he didn’t like that thought one bit. He actually felt a little sick at the thought, and he tried to push it aside so he could enjoy his Organic Scottish Salmon and wild mushrooms.
The conversation flowed throughout dinner, and when there was silence, it wasn’t
the awkward kind. It was the type of silence of two people who were comfortable with each other and didn’t feel the need to fill the quiet with unnecessary words.
After dessert, they moved to the bar where the band played. Hudson didn’t let
Beverly sit down, but instead took her in his arms and began spinning them around the dance floor to sultry jazz music.
As he stared down at her, she smiled.
“So you cook and you can dance,” she said.
“Yep. I have many talents,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. He watched a blush
cross Beverly’s face.
“You most certainly do,” she said in a low voice.
Hudson continued to spin them around the dance floor, holding Beverly close. He
<
br /> studied her face, wanting to remember every detail he could.
One thing that was certain: he was going to miss this woman.
Chapter 40
Beverly sat in the booth watching the band play and the couples sway to the
music. Hudson had gone to the rest room, and she felt tears well in her eyes.
She didn’t want to go.
In the deepest recesses of her heart, she knew she had fallen in love with Hudson, but she also knew that he would never love her back. Her first time in love and it was with someone who couldn’t, or wouldn’t, return the feelings.
She was so pathetic.
Wiping her eyes, she chastised herself for the pity party she had going on. What
she should be doing was enjoying her last night with Hudson and remembering every detail of it so that when she was out on her own, she would have something to look back on and smile about.
Or cry.
She guessed that would depend on how she would be feeling at that moment.
What she did want to remember was how special she felt being with Hudson. It
was very apparent that the women at the bar and at dinner found Hudson very attractive.
Beverly heard the whispers and watched the woman blatantly ogle Hudson from behind their wine glasses, but he seemed oblivious to it all, his full concentration on her. She felt like a fairytale princess.
Fate and Destiny—two words she really hadn’t given much thought to. She had
always believed that people made their own choices, and their decisions led to the circumstances and outcomes that were the end result. For instance, she chose to not get help for her addiction, and the outcome was her losing a job she loved, her whole career gone.
But was it possible that Fate and Destiny really did have a plan for everyone?
Her mother had always said that there wasn’t anything in life that didn’t happen
for a reason, and that God gave you exactly what you needed at that point in your life.
That didn’t always mean it was what you wanted.
If that were true, then what was she doing here with Hudson? What was the grand
master plan? How could this heartbreak be exactly what she needed? She certainly didn’t want it. How would this brief interlude impact her life?