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Max followed me inside. When I entered, a loud banging sound caught me off guard. Was Hudson using a hammer or some other equipment? The constant thuds made me believe so. Max barked and ran up the stairs in the direction of the noise.
Curious, I followed the dog. When I got to the room beside mine, the door was open, and the banging intensified. My jaw dropped when I spotted Hudson drilling a large wooden board into the wall without a shirt. My body heated. I’d never seen the man without a shirt. There was so much muscle to stare at. Oh,oh.How was someone so masculine yet absolutely beautiful?My tongue darted out as my gaze trailed over the sparse hair on his chest. I pictured running my hands over his dark nipples and placing a kiss on his neck. My thought was so inappropriate that I looked away and breathed deeply. I lasted a few seconds before staring again.
Shit, shit. I was so attracted to Hudson.Please, Genie, don’t make it awkward.
He turned and did a double take when he saw me in the hall. His eyes darkened as they roved over me.
“What are you doing?” My voice sounded hoarse to me.
The room used to have a bed, nightstand, and dresser. At that moment, only boards of wood filled the space.
“I decided this room would make a good little library.” He placed the drill on the floor, then stood up, hooking his thumb in his pants.
My breath quickened.
“What do you think?” He must be talking about the room, but I couldn’t look away from that thumb and the way it pulled at his jeans, revealing more flesh.
Clearing my throat, I glanced around the room and saw the shelves he was attaching to the walls. Having a room dedicated to nothing but books was a booklover’s dream. Smiling, I asked, “So, you’re turning all the walls into bookshelves?”
“In the future, if you ever need more room, more bookshelves could be installed in the center.” He laughed, but something about it was husky and thrilling. “I think it will take a while for you to fill these shelves, though, but it will be all yours.”
As I processed his words, my heart stopped. He included me again. My throat burned, my eyes tingled, and my chest felt like it was swollen. I walked away before my emotions got out of control.
Stepping into my room, I quickly undressed and slipped on the black pair of pajama shorts and spaghetti strap shirt. There was a knock on my door a second before Hudson opened it.
Thankfully, I had just finished tugging on the shirt. “Did you get an eyeful barging in like that?”
“What’s wrong?” he asked. Hudson looked around and then inhaled sharply. “Damn. It smells like you in here.”
“What?” Did I have a weird body odor?
“You smell like strawberries.”
“Oh.” I sighed in relief. “I use strawberry-scented lotion.”
He stepped in, shutting the door behind him. “What’s wrong, Red?” he asked again.
“Nothing,” I blurted. “Why would anything be wrong?”
Hudson took one step, then stopped. “You looked like you saw something you liked at first. Your eyes were glassy, and your lips were parted. And you were looking atme.” His voice deepened as he told me.
Holy shit. He was actually calling me out.
“Then the heat faded from your gaze, and you got this sadness in your eyes the second you walked away,” he finished.
Hudson in my room made me flustered. The fact that he was pointing out my reactions to him made it worse. Fuck. It was taking all my focus not to fidget, but I couldn’t help rubbing my hands down my bare thighs. I couldn’t take another second in that room with him. The hot pulse sparking through my veins would give me away. There was no hiding it. Not when he said he was making me a library. No, I believed he already knew what I felt for him from my gaze.
“I didn’t look sad,” I lied as I hurried toward the door. That was a mistake.
He blocked me. “Where are you going, beautiful?”
My heart raced as I met his gaze. It was like a fire was lit within his eyes as he placed his palm at my back, letting his fingers tease my skin at the bottom of my spaghetti strap. The same desire trapped inside me might be leaking out of Hudson, too. Did I dare hope? Or was I too afraid to act on what I felt?
“Beautiful?” I whispered.
“Yes, you are,” he murmured before dipping his head near my neck, placing a single kiss there. “Put your hands around my neck. I’m taking us to bed.”
My clit thrummed like it had its own heartbeat. I did as he said, inhaling his woodsy scent as I buried my face against his shoulder.
