Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 154(@200wpm)___ 123(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
“Yes,” I answered honestly, even though I suspected he was asking if I was waiting on a man.
His gaze fell to my left hand and I knew he was looking for a ring. When he found none our eyes locked again. His expression was altogether too soft and too hot. “What’s your name, angel?”
I didn’t know why I gave it to him. I shouldn’t have. “Autumn.”
His lips parted as he studied my face and hair. Voice hoarse, he said, “Fuck, that’s perfect.”
There was something almost reverent in his tone that made my spine straighten. “And you’re Hudson?”
“That I am.”
The bartender returned. “Wine. Beer.”
“My tab,” Hudson replied as he gently pushed the wine toward me and took his beer.
“Oh no, I’ll pay for my own drink.”
“No way.” Hudson shook his head at the bartender and the guy walked off to serve someone else.
I stared at my wine, uncertain if it came with a whole bunch of strings attached to it.
“It’s just a drink, Autumn.”
“I’m not…” I looked him directly in the eyes. “I’m not here to hook up or get involved with anyone.”
“You got a man?”
“No. And I’m not looking for one.”
Hudson leaned into me and I got a whiff of delicious, spicy, musky, masculine cologne that made me want to press my face into his throat.
Fuck.
“Take the drink.”
“No strings attached to it, right?” I curled my fingers around the stem of the wineglass.
Those blue eyes held me utterly captive as he replied, “Woman, you’re the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Take the drink or leave the drink, I’m not going anywhere until you say you’ll have dinner with me.”
My breath caught at the epic compliment. He sounded so sincere I wanted to believe him. Yet, he wasn’t the first man to tell me I was beautiful (although admittedly he was the first to say it like that!) and I somehow always ended up getting hurt after it got them what they wanted.
“I can’t.” Even I heard how unsure I sounded.
“You have to.” He gave me a teasing smile. “Or I’m going to pine. I’m going to pine hard.”
God, what a charmer. I shook my head, smiling despite myself. “You’re good with a line.”
Suddenly I felt the rough calluses on his palm as he circled my wrist with his hand and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Not feeding you a line here, angel.” He let go but trailed his fingers across the top of my arm before doing so. Goosebumps rose up all over my skin as I imagined him touching me elsewhere. My breath stuttered and, as if he knew the lustful territory my thoughts had wandered into, his eyes darkened.
“Fuck,” he huffed, seeming just as stunned by the attraction between us as I was.
“There you are!”
At the sound of Catie’s voice, I sagged with relief.
Relief because holding this attraction back was not easy. And we’d just freaking met!
Suddenly Catie and Kyle were there. Kyle stared at Hudson with an assessing expression. Catie stared at him like he was a movie star.
And I rudely got up without introducing them. “Our table is ready?”
“Uh...” Catie tore her gaze from Hudson. “Aye.”
“Then let’s eat. I’m hungry.” I gently pushed her away from the bar, and Kyle, who seemed to read my expression, helped me out by physically turning her around. I looked back at Hudson as Kyle guided Catie to our table. “It was nice to meet you. Apologies again for today on the slopes.”
He shook his head at me. “Going to need a different kind of apology.”
I gave him a regretful smile because he was charming and for some bizarre reason I didn’t want him to think I was an aloof cow immune to that charm. “I’m afraid it’s the only kind I have in me to give.”
Before he could say anything else that might make me wish things were different I hurried across the restaurant to my friends.
Part of me was really pissed off I’d met Hudson Ward. But a bigger part of me was pissed off that I’d met him now. Pre-Darren I might have let Hudson buy me a drink. I might have even let him come back to my room for a fling in the snowy mountains of Colorado. Although I wasn’t anti-men, I was just anti-men for now until I got my shit together. After what I’d been through in my previous relationship no one would blame me for giving up on men entirely, but I wasn’t the type to give up hope so easily. I was an optimist. I still believed the love of my life was out there somewhere. Someone who would treat me the way Killian treated Skylar.
However, now was definitely not the time in my life to be looking for that. Especially not with some guy who lived an ocean away. Plus it was crazy to even consider that the feeling between me and Hudson Ward was more than just animal attraction.