“What’s this?” I ask, picking it up and turning it around before she can answer. “Starr.” I look up at my sister, then back down at the photograph in front of me, not able to wipe the smile off my face.
It’s of Hudson and me at Starr and Mark’s wedding. We’re on the dance floor. My hands are wrapped around the back of his neck, his arms around my waist. Our foreheads are touching as we look into each other’s eyes. I’m wearing an ear to ear smile, while one side of his mouth is quirked up in a smirk. Total Hudson.
It’s one of those pictures you would swear was staged because it’s that perfect, only it’s completely candid because Hudson and I didn’t pose for any pictures together.
“I came across that when we were ordering our pictures. I knew you’d want to have a copy so I had it printed for you when we had our wedding album made.” My sister grins across the table at me.
“This is perfect, Starr. Seriously, thank you so much.”
“There’s two copies in there. One for you and one for him. I thought maybe he’d like to have something to keep with him.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Anyway, there’s a few others of you two but that was my favorite. I can send you the link to our portfolio and you can order more.”
“Please. I’d like to look at them.”
“No problem. I’ll forward you everything later. That one.” She points to the photo on the table. “Made it into the wedding album. No way I wasn’t going to put Hudson freaking James in there.” Mom chuckles at her unapologetic youngest daughter. “Seriously, I still can’t believe it. My sister dating Hudson James. My freaking sister. Still feels unreal.”
“For me too,” I agree simply because it’s the truth. Only my disbelief has nothing to do with the fact that he’s famous and everything to do with how he makes me feel.
“Where are the guys anyway?” Starr asks like she’s just realized they’re no longer sitting at the table.
“Garage,” Mom answers, pointing in the general vicinity of where the garage is located.
“You let Dad take him to the garage?” Starr gapes at me.
“I figured he’s safe as long as Mark is in there with him.” I shrug.
“Have you forgotten what Dad said to Mark the first time he took him to the garage? I’m pretty sure he pulled out his shot gun and threatened to hunt him down if he ever hurt me.”
“He wouldn’t...” I look at Mom.
“This is your father.” She shrugs, standing as she begins to clear the table.
“I think I’m gonna go peek in on them,” I say, snagging the bag with the pictures in it before taking off toward the garage.
Chapter Six
Emma: The beach house sold. Should be closing in thirty days.
I read Emma’s message as the elevator lifts me to my floor. Having just left Emma at the inland house not even thirty minutes ago, I’m assuming she must have just found out.
Me: Seriously. That’s amazing. How much did it sell for?
The elevator doors slide open as I hit send. Stepping out, I let out a small sigh, a little sad to know someone else will be living in the house I’ve fantasized about buying for months – knowing I could never ever afford it.
Emma: That’s the amazing part. It sold for one point six million.
Me: Holy shit.
Stopping in front of my door, I try to mentally calculate how much of that will be mine.
Unlocking the door and pushing my way inside, I drop my keys on the breakfast bar and freeze when I spot Hudson standing at the dining room table I rarely ever use. The round glass surface is set for two. A bottle of wine, bread, and what appears to be pasta sit in the middle, illuminated by two tall candlesticks burning in the center.
“What’s this?” I ask, looking from the table back to Hudson.
“Dinner.” He grins.
“You cooked?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I did.” He pulls out a chair and gestures for me to join him.
“You didn’t have to do this.” Kicking off my shoes, I take a seat as Hudson takes the seat next to me.
“I know. I wanted to.” He unfolds his napkin and sets it in his lap. “I hope you like chicken parmesan.”
“One of my favorites.”
“Confession. I knew that already. I may have texted your sister,” he admits, his dimple pulling my gaze to his cheek.
“Oh lord. You probably made her day.” I roll my eyes and laugh.
“I wanted to make you something I knew you’d enjoy. It just so happens my mother taught me how to make homemade pasta.”
“You made this yourself?” I look down at the perfectly round noodles.
“Well, I had to go to the store and buy a pasta maker, but yes, I did.”
“You bought a pasta maker?” I chuckle.
“It’s the easiest way to roll out pasta.” He shrugs, picking up his fork before spinning it into his noodles and shoveling a bite into his mouth seconds later.
I shake my head, not able to wipe the smile off my face as I twist noodles onto my fork before sliding them into my mouth.
“This is amazing,” I tell him around my mouthful, practically moaning around the bite. “Did you make the sauce too?” I ask after I’ve swallowed and washed it down with a drink of Moscato.
“From scratch.” He nods.
“My god. Remind me to let you cook from now on.”
“I don’t know. You’re pretty good in the kitchen too.”
“Not this good.” I point my fork down at my plate.
“I’m glad you like it.” He takes a drink of wine. “So how was work?”
“It was work.” I shrug. “I love the house we’re working on but I’m not as excited about it as I was the beach house. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited about any project as I was the beach house.”
“It’s a pretty fantastic house,” he agrees, giving me a knowing look.
A vision of me pressed up against the glass window while he pounded into me from behind flashes through my mind and instantly my face heats.
“It sold today,” I tell him, grabbing a piece of bread from the middle of the table and tearing off a bite before popping it into my mouth. “Emma texted me just a few minutes ago.”
“That’s a good thing, right?”
“For my bank account, yes. But I really loved that house. I’m sad to see it go.”
“I get that. Probably comes with the job.”
“It’s definitely not the first house I’ve wished I could buy for myself, but it’s the one I wanted the most. I’m sure it won’t be the last though.” I take another long drink of wine. “What about you? How was your day?” I change topics.
“Pretty good. I went to the store, ran a couple errands, caught up with Jerry, and did a Skype interview with an online music broadcast.”
“You did all that and still managed to make all this?” I question.
“This week has felt like a vacation in comparison to the last few months. I forgot how nice it is to just exist and not be stretched so thin I feel like I might snap in half.” He chuckles. “Speaking of, I’m going to have to head back to Nashville next week to take care of a few things.”
“Okay.” I try not to let the disappointment I feel show on my face.
It’s been a week since everything went down with Gage, and while things are almost back to normal, there’s still an uncertainty with us that wasn’t there before. Having him here the last few days has really helped to silence some of the doubts that continue to creep in. I’m worried how I’ll feel once he’s gone, but I know he can’t stay here forever.
“I shouldn’t be gone more than a few days. I was thinking I would head out Sunday after lunch and be back by Friday.”
“You’re planning on going to Sunday lunch again?” I ask.
“Of course I am. This is part of your life and they’re your family. I want to submerse myself into your world as much as I can.”
“Is that so?” I question, smiling at him like a damn idiot.
“You have a problem with that?”
“Not at all.”
“Besides, I think it’s about time I meet this Nana of yours.” His smile widens.
“Oh lord.” I laugh. “She’s likely to grope you under the table.”
“Noted. Don’t sit next to Nana.”
We spend the remainder of dinner talking about everything from our childhoods to some of the things we’d like to do before Hudson leaves on tour. By the end of our meal I feel more relaxed than I have in days and I have no idea why. Maybe it’s the wine or the amazing meal Hudson made, or maybe it’s that I’m finally letting go of everything that happened last week.
After some persuading on my part, Hudson took a glass of wine with him to the balcony while I cleaned up. He was adamant that he should be the one to do the dishes, but I explained to him that in the Claire household one cooks and one cleans. Since he cooked, it was my job to clean up. He wasn’t happy about it but he let me have my way.
Tearing off a piece of paper towel, I dry my hands before tossing it into the trash can. After refilling my third glass of wine, I make my way through the open balcony door. Hudson’s kicked back in one of the chairs, his feet propped up on the railing.
His gaze comes to me as I approach, a lazy smile pulling up the sides of his mouth.
“Hey.” I pull up a chair next to him before taking a seat.
“Hey.” He stretches, reaching behind him to retrieve his wine from the table. “You get everything squared away?”
“All clean.” I sip my wine, my gaze on the gulf as I relax back into my seat.
“I’m going to Nashville to clear out my apartment,” he says out of the blue.
“You are?” I question, having not heard him even mention anything of the sort before now.
“Makes sense. No reason for me to pay for an apartment when I’m going to be on the road for eight months and any time I have off I plan to spend here with you.”
“I see.” I nod, turning to face him as I do. “What will you do with all your stuff?”
“Probably stick most of it in storage.” He shrugs, tipping his wine glass to his lips.
“You could store it here,” I offer without thinking it through. Truth is, I like the thought of having parts of him here with me even when he’s not. “I don’t have room for furniture but there’s a spare room you could put whatever you have in.”
“The apartment I’m leasing is furnished so all I really have are odds and ends, clothes, a couple guitars.”
“Well there you go.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“Are you kidding?” I give him a look that says he should know better. “You already said so yourself. When you have time off you’ll be here. Makes sense that your stuff be here too.”
“Okay then.” He smiles and goose bumps erupt across my skin.
“Okay.” I return his smile.
“Did we just agree to live together?” he questions after a long moment of silence.
“I think we kind of did.” I chuckle, having not really looked at it that way. “Are you sure you want to give up Nashville? I know how much you love it there.”
“Nashville has nothing on this.” He gestures out to the beach. “Or on you.” He turns his gaze back to me. “I don’t care where I am as long as you’re there with me.”
“I feel the same.”
“So you and me...we’re doing this?” He reaches over and takes my hand, entwining his fingers with mine.
“Looks like it.” I nod, feeling overwhelmed by how quickly this all seems to be happening but having no desire to slow it down either.
Chapter Seven
“Best fucking view on the whole beach.” I open my eyes, shielding my face from the sun as I look up to see Hudson standing over me, a wide smile on his face.
“You’re back.” I jump up from my lounge chair, my arms going around his neck seconds later. “Why didn’t you call and tell me you were on your way?” I ask, squeezing him tightly.
“For this very reason. God you smell good.” He buries his face into the crook of my neck and inhales deeply.
“I smell like sunscreen and the ocean,” I say, pulling back to look up at him.
“You smell like fucking heaven.” He tips my chin before dropping a light kiss to my mouth.
I instantly melt into him, feeling like it’s been an eternity since I’ve felt his lips on mine even though he’s only been gone four days. I can only imagine how I will feel when he’s gone for weeks at a time.
I ignore the way my stomach twists at the thought. We still have one month – even though I know that month is going to fly by.
“Did you just get back?” I ask, stepping out of his embrace.
“A few minutes ago. Figured I’d find you out here.”
“You know me too well.”
“And yet I want to know so much more.” He grins, smacking my bikini covered backside as I turn to grab my beach bag that’s sitting in the sand next to my chair.
“Hudson.” I whack at his chest playfully.
“What? You’re gonna have that ass on display then I’m going to touch it.” He shrugs, fighting back a laugh.
“Men.” I roll my eyes, allowing Hudson to take my bag so I can slide my bathing suit cover on. “So how was your trip? Did you get everything squared away?” I ask.
“Yep. All set. I have a few small boxes I brought with me. I went ahead and dropped them in the spare room. I don’t think there’s anything in there I’m going to need while I’m on the road. I’ll pile them in the closet out of the way or something.”
“Yeah. Whatever works.” I take his hand when he offers it, allowing him to lead me up the beach toward the condo. “So did Colton decide what he’s going to do?” I question, considering up until a couple days ago he was renting the second bedroom at Hudson’s place.
“Yeah, he’s going to camp out at his parent’s until we leave for tour.”
“He probably doesn’t know what to do with himself since you’re not around every second of the day like you used to be.”
“Honestly I think he’s enjoying being rid of my ass.” He chuckles, his hand falling to the small of my back as he guides me inside the elevator. “He’ll get more time with me than he will be able to handle once we hit the road.”
“It’s awesome that you have him there with you. Sometimes you don’t know who you can trust. But with Colton you know he’s got your back no matter what.”
“Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He isn’t just my lifelong friend. He’s my brother.”
“I happen to know he feels exactly the same about you,” I say, stepping off the elevator the moment the doors open in front of me.
“Been talking about me, have ya?” His slight southern drawl comes out thicker than normal and lord if it doesn’t make every inch of my skin prickle.
“Maybe a little.” I shrug, unlocking the front door and pushing my way inside.
I spot an old acoustic guitar leaning against the side of the couch and it instantly brings a smile to my face.
“So what do you think your parents are gonna say when they find out I’m technically living here?” He snags my wrist before I can make it to the living room, hauling me backward until my back is flush with his front. He drops an open mouth kiss against my rapid pulse, his breath hot on the side of my neck.
“Nothing, because they aren’t going to find out.”
“You’re not going to tell them?” He pulls back, spinning me around to face him.
“Not yet. I mean, yes your stuff is here but in a few weeks you won’t be,” I say, sadness hitting me like a cinder block to the face.
“Lennon.” He tips my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze.
“I know. I know. It will be fine. We’ll find every opportunity to see each other. Blah. Blah. Blah.”
“Are you being smart with me, Miss Claire?”
He cocks a brow, humor etched in his features.
“Maybe.” I can’t fight my smile with the way he’s looking at me.
“Come here.” He pulls me flush with his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head as his fingers work along the exposed skin across my shoulders. “Let’s just enjoy our time together and worry about the rest when it gets here.”
“I’m trying,” I whine dramatically into his shirt causing him to chuckle against me.
“So you’re really not going to tell your parents?”
“Why would I?” I pull out of his embrace seconds before turning and plopping down on the couch with a loud humph. “I’m twenty-seven years old. I don’t need their permission.”
“I know. But don’t you feel like they have a right to know?”
“Not really, no.” I shake my head, not sure why he’s pushing this.
“Well, I told mine.” He smiles, crossing around the coffee table to take the seat next to me.
“You did?” I ask, climbing into his lap and facing him the instant he’s settled.
“Yep.” He nods, his hands sliding up my bathing suit cover and along my back. “I wanted them to know how serious I am about you.”
“And how serious is that exactly?” I question, locking my hands around the back of his neck.
“Serious enough to move in with you after only three months.”
“And what did they have to say about you moving to the good ole sunshine state?”
“My mom is over the moon.” He grins at the shocked expression that crosses my face.
“Why?”
“Because she thinks you’re amazing. She can see how much I love you. I meant it when I told you that I’ve never been this tied up over a woman before. You’ve got me, Lennon Claire. As long as you want me I’m yours.”
“I’m always going to want you.” Leaning forward, I trail my tongue gently across his bottom lip.
“Then I’m always going to be yours.” He groans when I press down onto his growing erection and slide my hips back and forth.
“I’m going to hold you to that.” I give him a wicked smile before pulling off my bathing suit cover and tossing it behind me.
Tequila Burn (The Tequila Duet Book 2) Page 4