Chapter Ten
“Louisa, I’m fucking sorry,”Hudson grinds out. “I was a prick last night. After everything you said about your mum. The state I was in, I’m so fucking ashamed. I wanted to come to you just like Bryce and Max did. I wanted to come to you thismorning…”
“It’s okay,” I say, wincing alittle.
Hudson loosens his grip on me, standing back slightly. “He hurt you bad. I’ve never wanted to kill a man as much as this since Beth…” He is shaking with anger, and something else. Something that is killing him inside. “That’s why I came down here, to try and run off this fucking rage before I spoke toyou.”
“Hudson, I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” I place my hand on his arm. “Do you want to talk about it?” I ask gently. I want to know who Beth is, but I won’t forceit.
“I can’t, not right now. One day I will, Louisa, just notyet.”
He brings his hands up to my face, cupping my cheeks, and leans his forehead against mine. “I want to kiss you, but I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers, his thumb pressing gently against my bottomlip.
“So kiss me,” I say. I don’t care if it hurts. I don’t care if it bleeds. Right here, right now, I want his mouth onmine.
He moves close, his beautiful green eyes drinking me in, and slides his lips over mine. I feel a slight sting against my lip, but he is gentle, so very gentle as he slips his tongue inside my partedmouth.
My hands slide up the sleek skin of his chest, over his pecs and wrap around the back of his head. The short, buzzed hair is soft against my fingers. I want to deepen the kiss. I want him to devour me with his mouth, with his hands, but my lip is hurting, and I can taste the metal tang ofblood.
“Shit, Louisa I’m sorry,” he says, wiping his finger against my mouth. “The cut has opened. Kissing is probably not the best idea at themoment.”
“It should heal in a fewdays.”
Hudson groans. “I’m not sure I can wait thatlong.”
“Me neither,” Iagree.
“There are other places I can kiss,” hegrins.
“Is that so?” I smile, but instantly regret it when I taste moreblood.
“Fuck, come with me. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Hudson takes my hand and guides me out of the gym. He pushes open the door to the poolarea.
“Are you taking me for aswim?”
“Not unless you want to,” he says, pointing to a lounger. I sit down upon it. “I think there’s a first aid kit in the cabinet over here. Hold on asecond.”
He slides open a door to a hidden cabinet and pulls out a green box. “Here itis.”
Bringing it over, he places it on the lounger next to me and flips open the lid. Inside are plasters, antiseptic wipes, and bandages. He pulls an antiseptic wipe out of a sealed packet. “This will sting a bit,” he says, holding it near mylip.
“That’s what Bryce said to me yesterday. Just do it,” Iadd.
Hudson presses the wipe against my mouth. Iwince.
“I’m glad Bryce was there, and I am sorry I wasn’t.” He looks at me, a dozen emotions passing over hisface.
“Hudson, I’m sorry I left the way I did. Can we startagain?”
“Baby, we were never finished.” Hudson drops the wipe and draws me close. This time he avoids the sore spot on my back and moves between my parted legs. I draw his head against my chest and we hold onto each other, two broken people finding comfort in each other’s arms. I am aware of how erratic my heart is beating, of the warm flush of my skin, at the way Hudson’s fingers caress the base of my spine. Eventually he pulls away, the black of his pupils large withdesire.
“Will you come in the pool withme?”
“I don’t have a swimmingcostume.”
“When has that stopped you before?” He smiles a little, and the tense mood lightens with the spark in his eyes. Standing, he holds out his hand for me to take. “The warm water might do you somegood.”
“I’m no expert but I’m not sure swimming will help heal a crackedrib.”