Authors: Laurelin Paige
Mira beamed as if grateful for
conversation. “Adam and I want to hit the beach. Don’t we, sweetie?”
“Uh huh,” Adam mumbled without
looking up from his phone. What was with the men around here? Always sucked
into their electronics.
If Mira minded Adam’s
distraction, she didn’t show it. “It’s perfect weather for it. We can relax and
soak up some rays. Millie could pack us a lunch. Want to come with us?”
I’d been in the Pierce estate for
more than a day and still hadn’t ventured down to the ocean at the edge of the
Hampton property. The beach sounded wonderful. “I’m up for it. Hudson?”
Hudson grinned a little too wide,
but I was probably the only one who noticed. “Wherever you are, baby, I’m
there.”
I surprised myself by not
cringing at his choice of endearment.
“Hudson, you’ll get sand in your
computer,” Sophia said. “And we don’t get great Wi-Fi down there. Wouldn’t you
rather work up here?” Her assumption that Hudson would spend the day working
fit right into my scheme. Now, would he follow through with his part? He’d
never quite agreed.
He set his fork down and looked
directly at Sophia. “Actually, I’m not doing any work today, Mother.” He moved
his hand from under the table to my neck, stroking gently under my hair. “I
promised Laynie I’d give her my full attention for the rest of our trip.”
I would have preferred that he’d
played it like he couldn’t even concentrate on work because of me, but, besides
his version being much more believable, his use of my nickname was perfect.
Even Adam looked up long enough to exchange a surprised look with his wife.
Sophia’s reaction, though, was
priceless. She gaped.
As much as I would have liked to
take in every second of Sophia’s shock, I slid my focus to Hudson. “Thank you,
H.” My gratitude extended deeper than the superficial show we were performing.
I appreciated that he’d listened to my suggestions, that he heard me and then
acted on it.
Hudson’s deep gray eyes erased
our spectators from my view. “It’s nothing,” he murmured. “You’re worth it.”
Was his response as genuine as my thanks? Or was he just an excellent actor?
“Mom? Join us at the beach?” Mira
practically bounced in her seat, the idea of a family outing right up her
alley.
Sophia’s expression was
unchanging, her voice level. “Sure. Why not?”
Jack guffawed. “Sophia spending
the day in the sand? This I have to see.”
Again Sophia ignored her husband,
but Jack seemed pleased all the same.
“Adam,” Mira elbowed her husband
in the ribs. “Go wake up Chandler. We can take the Jet Ski out.”
“Uh, okay.” Adam stuffed his
phone into the pocket of his khaki carpenter pants, crumpled his napkin into a
ball, and stood, appearing grateful for the excuse to leave. It occurred to me
that I’d never seen him around Sophia. Perhaps he had buried himself in his
phone to avoid interacting with her. Smart.
Mira turned her attention to
Jack. “And Dad, if you wear a thong again, I swear to God…”
“Fine.” He leaned back in his
chair. “I’ll dress like an old man. But only for you, ladybug.”
While her family conversed around
her, Sophia sat solemnly, her eyes calculating. At least, that’s how I
interpreted her narrow gaze, fixed at nothing in particular on the table in
front of her, her hands laced together.
“Hudson,” she said finally. “The
Werners are arriving at their Hampton house this evening.”
“That’s nice.” He poked at what
was left of his ham with his fork, his features even. “Why are you telling me
this?”
I put my hand on Hudson’s knee,
bracing myself for where this conversation was going.
“Celia’s coming, too.” And there
it was—Sophia’s bombshell. “I know how long it’s been since you’ve gotten to
spend time together so I invited her for brunch tomorrow.”
Hudson’s face was steel, his jaw
tight as he set his fork down with a noisy clink.
I imagined my heart plummeting
through my chest, landing in my stomach with the same clink. Celia was a weak
spot for me. She fueled my jealousy in ways that were absurd and unreasonable
but real nonetheless. To keep from betraying my emotions, I bit my lip. Hard.
Mira’s face went red. “Mom! Why
would you do that?”
Jack, who had rolled his eyes at
Sophia’s announcement, now leaned toward his daughter, his arm resting on his
knee. “Honestly, Mira, does this type of behavior from your mother surprise
you?”
Sophia’s eyebrows raised in mock
innocence. “What did I do?”
Mira groaned in response. Hudson
remained silent, anger rolling off his body in waves.
Sophia either delighted in her
son’s rage or didn’t recognize it. “Anyway, we’ve been talking about
redecorating the main rooms. I figured this was a great opportunity for her to
show us some ideas while catching up with her dear friend.” She turned up her
sickening sweet smile. “Alayna, you’ve met Celia. Did you know that she did
all the decorating for Hudson’s offices and penthouse?”
I glanced at Hudson who was
barely containing his fury. “I did.”
I took a sip of coffee, preparing
my next words. The loft above his office wasn’t where Hudson lived. I’d never
been to his penthouse, but, of course, Sophia assumed I had. Anything I said
I’d have to phrase carefully. “Celia’s got excellent taste. I think she managed
to capture Hudson’s style quite well in both his living and working space.” It
was true of his office and the loft, anyway. Hopefully it held about his
penthouse.
“Which is your favorite room?”
“Sophia.” Jack’s tone was a
warning.
Hudson tensed beside me, and I shoveled
a mouthful of eggs into my mouth to stall. He’d hinted that he never took women
to his penthouse, which had seemed like a good safety net for me—I couldn’t
stalk a man’s house if I didn’t know where it was. But did Sophia know he
didn’t take women there? Was she trying to trap me or was I being paranoid?
And underneath the concern of
responding correctly was the punch of jealousy: Celia had been in Hudson’s
private home. She had to have been if she had done the interior design.
I swallowed the bitter sting with
my eggs and gave Sophia the only answer I could, lame as it was. “Oh, I love
all of it. I could never pick one room.”
Hudson took my hand that still
rested on his knee and laced it in his. “Didn’t you tell me you liked the
library the best?”
Thank god. He’d cooled himself
enough to throw me a line.
“Only because it has books.” Of
course I’d love the library, being an avid reader.
Sophia’s smile was smug. “He
barely has any books at all.”
Leave it to Hudson to have a
library with no books.
He cleared his throat. “Actually,
we’re working on improving that.” I exchanged a glance with him that I hoped
expressed my thanks. “Alayna loves books so I’ve purchased quite a few since
we’ve met. You haven’t been there in a while, Mother.”
“I haven’t been invited.”
“Since when has that stopped
you?” This time Jack’s comment earned a scowl from his wife. He answered it
with an innocent shrug.
Sophia turned her attention back
to me. “Are you officially living together then?”
“No,” I said as Hudson said, “Yes.”
I met his eyes, one brow raised.
Saying I lived with him was a pretty big lie not to discuss with me first. Talk
about bringing it on.
His eyes pierced into mine. “But
you practically are. Once your lease is up, next month. Or have you changed
your mind?”
A bubble of uncontrolled
excitement rose in my chest. For a moment, it felt real, like he was asking me
to be that in his life.
It wasn’t real, though. What it
was instead was an excellent move on Hudson’s part, one sure to rile up his
mother. I couldn’t wreck it.
I swallowed then smiled shyly.
“No, I haven’t changed my mind. I just didn’t realize we were telling your
family, yet.”
“Hell, I’m telling everyone.” He
practically beamed. God, he was good. “It’s the best thing to ever happen to
me.”
Jack nodded, a twinkle in his
eye. “I think it’s terrific.”
Sophia turned to her spouse and
frowned. “Why are you here anyway, Jack? You haven’t vacationed with us in
years.”
“Mira invited me.”
“Hudson was coming and it’s been
so long since we’ve had the whole family together.” Mira’s intentions were the
best. How had she lived in this family all her life without realizing it could
never be the Brady Bunch she longed for? I’d known them all for only a minute
and recognized dysfunction like a big neon sign.
Then, speaking of dysfunction,
Mira asked, “What’s your family like, Laynie? Are you close?”
I took a deep breath. “Actually,
no. My parents passed away in a drunk driving accident when I was sixteen. My
brother looked after me, but now we’re…” I hadn’t said the word aloud to anyone
yet, but it was honest and it needed to be said. “Estranged.”
“Oh, no!” Mira clasped her hand
to her mouth.
Hudson stayed silent, but he
raised a brow as he unlaced his hand from mine and rubbed it soothingly across
my back. He knew Brian had been trying to contact me, probably realized the
estrangement was a recent thing.
Jack shook his head slowly and
tsk
ed.
“I hope that drunk was held accountable, at least.” I swear he looked at Sophia
when he said the word “drunk.”
It was an opportunity to lie. I
had before when people had asked, but I wanted to say it now, whether to shock
or gain sympathy, I didn’t know. “You could say so. The drunk was my father. He
was a full-time alcoholic, actually.”
“I’m sorry,” Jack said softly. “I
didn’t realize.”
My eyes glistened. “It was years
ago. I’ve learned to accept it.”
I couldn’t look at Hudson. I
hadn’t told him anything about my parents, but if he had looked hard enough to
find my restraining orders, he likely already knew. I couldn’t bear to see him
look at me with pity.
“Less than ideal pasts,” Hudson
said, loud enough for everyone to hear, but gentle all the same, his fingers
continuing their sweeping pattern across my back. “It’s something Alayna and I
have in common.”
I turned to him and found his
gaze absent of pity. Instead it held understanding. More and more I realized
that I was special to him because of this unique recognition he saw in me. Were
we really that alike?
“I don’t like what you’re
implying,” Sophia snarled.
“I’m not implying anything,
Mother. I’m stating an unattractive fact.”
“Keep your unattractive facts to
yourself for the rest of the day, will you?” The fury in her tone was unmasked.
She scooted her chair out and stood from the table. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,
I’m going to prepare for our beach outing.”
With every card we’d played
throughout the meal, Hudson had wounded her with one brief comment, the
evidence plain in her expression.
I snuck a victory smile at Hudson,
which he returned with equal delight shining in his eyes. This round had gone
to us.
Round two began almost two hours
later on the sands of the private beach below Mabel Shores. It took over an
hour to change and load up the beach chairs and Jet Skis from the storage shed
into the back of the Ford Raptor the family used to drive the half mile down
the hill to the beach. Millie also made a lunch for later and packed a cooler
with beverages.
Sophia was mellow when we arrived
at the beach, choosing to doze while the rest of us finished setting up our
chairs and other items. By the time I was lounging next to Hudson under a big
rainbow colored umbrella, I’d convinced myself that I could relax and enjoy the
warm breeze and rhythmic sound of the waves rolling on the sand.
The idea of quiet serenity
disappeared when Adam and Chandler suggested a game of beach volleyball.
“Alayna?” Hudson looked up from
his Kindle. “We could be a team.”
“You play?” I’d been about ready
to move my lounge chair into the sun and try to get a cancer-causing tan, but I
could be talked into some friendly competition.
He scowled at me, a challenge
glinting in his eyes. “Don’t act so surprised. I’m very skilled.”
I could tell from his tone that
he was, and as competitive as I knew a man of his success had to be, I imagined
he was quite good.
“He rarely loses,” Jack
confirmed, returning from an ocean swim. He shook his long wet hair before
taking a seat. “He takes after his old man.”
Hudson shook his head almost
imperceptibly, not seeming to want to credit his father with any of his
ability.
“Fantastic.” Sophia shifted in
her seat, reminding everyone of her presence. “I’m trying to relax and you all
are going to be noisy and wild and disturb the peace.”
“That’s what beaches are for,”
Jack said over his shoulder, not bothering to look directly at his wife. “You
could go back to the house if you don’t like it.”
Sophia’s opposition made my
decision. “I’m in.” I pulled off my cover-up and began slathering sunscreen on
the newly exposed areas of my body while Adam and Chandler attached the net to
the permanent poles anchored in the sand.
“That’s your swimsuit?” Hudson
grumbled beside me. “You’re practically naked. It’s going to distract the men
playing.”
“Think of it as your secret
weapon.”
“Except one of those men will be
me.” He casually adjusted himself in his long navy swim shorts.
I shot him a smile, my insides melting
at his obvious arousal. “Later, big boy.” And that was a promise. “Meanwhile,
would you mind getting my back?”
I leaned forward and hugged my
knees. Hudson took the lotion and sat in the space behind me, straddling me. I
suppressed a moan as his hands applied the lotion, his fingers kneading longer
and deeper into my skin than necessary.