Page 17 of Hunted and Kept
Me. I do.
With the bright light of my room, the light from outside fades, and I no longer see the truck. Maybe I imagined the whole thing.
I let out a sigh, close the window, and flick off the light. My sister offered to watch Koda tonight so I could sleep, not so I could hang out the window and wave at phantom stalkers I wish were real. I made my decision. Hudson’s gone. He’s here to do a job, so he’s doing it.
The cold air that came in with the night lingers in the room as I slide under the covers and close my eyes trying to think of anything and everything but the warmth of Hudson’s giant frame. I had my chance to love him. Now, I need to move on.
*******
Two Weeks Later
“Is it weird that I never heard from Dave?” I nurse the baby while I eat a bowl of cereal and talk to my sister who’s packing up to leave.
“I think it’s stranger you never heard from your stalker again.”
I sigh. “Please don’t talk about him.”
“Why? You clearly miss him.”
“I don’t.” I swallow hard as though I’m literally choking on the lies I’m telling.
She tilts a brow toward me as though she sees through my bullshit. “I’ve known you my whole life, Ruby. You most definitely miss that man.”
“Well, he doesn’t miss me. He hasn’t called or texted. He’s just gone.”
She sets a suitcase down by the door and steps toward me as the kids put on their jackets. “Is there a chance that you, my beautiful, well-meaning sister, pushed him away? And that maybe, you need to make the first move?”
“No!” I bundle Koda tighter in his blanket as he drinks. “That man knows what he wants. He wasn’t afraid to come after me before. If he wanted me, he would be here.”
Peyton holds up her hands and kisses the top of my head. “I love you. I’m a phone call away if you need anything. Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone else to help?”
I appreciate all that my sister has helped me with lately. I couldn’t have done this without her. But right now, I need to be alone to process through everything. “Thank you, but I’ll be okay. I need to get used to this. We’ll be fine.”
She nods and slides on her boots before opening the door to leave. In my fantasy, Hudson is there, hand up, ready to knock. Instead, there’s just snow and more snow. So much snow that the tire tracks he’d left are covered. That forces an ache into my chest, but I ignore it and settle the baby in for a nap. He’llsleep at least a couple of hours, which gives me time to take a shower and maybe paint my nails. I haven’t done that in forever.
I lay the baby gently in his crib and make my way to the shower. The water runs until the room is filled with steam and I climb in. I’ve always liked the temperature extra hot, almost scalding. There’s so much comfort in the warmth. Peyton left behind some herbal shampoo that I lather into my hair while breathing in what I’m guessing is eucalyptus and maybe pine. Definitely pine. It’s woodsy and immediately I think of Hudson.
The door creaks and my eyes flash open to see the wall of a man standing outside the shower door.
I scream at first and nearly slip, but his hands reach in and steady me before I fall. He’s wearing flannel and jeans, and he’s soaked to the bone, but that doesn’t stop him from climbing into the shower and leaning his lips into mine like he never left.
He takes off his hat and lands it backward on my soapy head, kissing me hard and slow before pulling back to look at me. “I know I shouldn’t be here.”
I can’t speak.
“I…” He swallows hard and massages the shampoo out of my hair. “When you waved me off a couple of weeks ago, I should’ve left you alone. I know that. I know I shouldn’t be in here right now. I know that waiting for your sister to leave was a bad idea. I know I’ve probably scared the hell out of you… but I need you, Ruby.”
I tip up onto the highest point of my toes and kiss his face under the rain of the showerhead. “I wasn’t waving you off. I wanted you to come in. All I think about is you, Hudson. All day and all night, I wonder what life would be like with you. What we could’ve been if I—”
He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me from the shower and tosses me down on the bed. Water drips from his gargantuan frame as he strips his clothesoff in a puddle on the floor. The flannel, his tight jeans, his underwear. Every inch of clothing that disappears from his body exposes more of him, and I map every inch. The dark ink on his arms, shoulders, back, and chest. The hair that covers his stomach and trails down between his legs. The massive cock that sits erect and waiting with need.
“I’m going to say something, and I need you to be honest with me,” he says low with a growl. This is a side of him I haven’t seen before. A wilder, untamed side.
I nod.
“I’m here because I need you in my life. Now, tomorrow, always… but I need you to say it to.”
“I need you, Hudson.”