“It’s nothing.” I snatch my hand away. “Just a scratch. A little work accident.”
“You should be careful if you got that from an animal.” He shrugs, placing his large, well-groomed hands back on the table. Even his damned hands are attractive. “It’s easy for scratches to get infected.”
“I’m fine,” I reiterate. But am I? I can’t ignore this dangerous energy sparking and fizzing between us.
Xander clears his throat and Hudson turns away. But he doesn’t budge his leg. If anything, he’s taking up more space, ceding no territory. And neither am I. I brace my foot against the pillar under the table, kicking Xander in the process.
“Ouch!” he exclaims, shooting me a what-the-fuck-is-up-with-you look.
“So Xander, my sister, Lilly, and her friends are all obsessed with your TikTok. I had a look and I can see why,” Hudson says. “Really creative. Your shelter pet transformations are so inspiring. I understand it’s made a huge difference when it comes to finding homes for the animals.”
What a kiss-ass.Xander practically glows, basking in this praise.
“I can’t take all the credit. A lot of the time, it’s all down to the outfits we choose. Georgia is the one who makes the pet clothing.” Xander puts mayo on his BLT. “Her designs are really special. She’s been getting a lot of press lately. In fact, Emily here was just in the shop to do a piece forPet Friendsmagazine.”
Emily nods, looking worriedly from me to Hudson, and back to me, before making room for Kenna to slide back into the booth. She’s the only other person here who knows about the knockoff situation, and she’s started to put two and two together. Emily meets my eye.
“The story just went to press,” she says. “Should hit the stands next week. I was thrilled to write about Georgia’s pet clothing. Other companies may try to copy her, but she’s the real deal.”
I could kiss her.
“I did know about the clothes.” Hudson smiles. “I was just in the store last week, remember? I picked up a few pet outfits. Didn’t know about the article though. Congrats on the press.”
“Wait, you were in the store last week?” Xander looks from me to Kenna, realization dawning across his face in the form of a smug smile. “Hold on. You’re the egg coffee dude?”
“Guilty.” Hudson grins. “My Swedish grandma taught me how to make it that way.”
“I couldn’t believe he came up with a coffee recipe I’d never heard of!” Kenna praises Hudson.
Et tu, Brute?
Hudson turns back to me with that blazing, blue gaze again. So knowing. Almost intimate. I hate how it instantly warms me.
“Did you like the coffee, Georgia?” His voice vibrates against me like a caress. Like he’s petting me. My body is betraying me and behaving ridiculously. Next thing I know, my leg will start kicking wildly like Cookie’s does when I get that spot behind her ear.
“Hated it.” I scowl.
Kenna snorts. “Really? Is that why you inhaled that entire cup I just made for you?”
“I was desperate,” I say. “I hadn’t had any coffee yet today. I didn’t want to get a no-coffee migraine.”
Hudson’s brow wrinkles in such a boyish manner when he frowns, I note.
“Sorry about that, then. I should probably let Kenna stick to the coffee prescriptions, right?” He shrugs at the group.
“Right.” I take a bite of my Reuben and a swig of my soda. “So how did your sister like the costumes you bought … for her?”
“She hasn’t seen them yet,” he answers, dipping a fry and raising it to his lips. I can’t take my eyes off that French fry. “But I’m sure she’ll love them. They are very clever.”
Hudson’s watch makes a clicking sound, and he glances at his wrist. “I’ve got to get back to the office for a meeting in forty-five minutes, so we should probably review the details quickly. You’re welcome to use the space, but there are a couple of things I’d like to ask in return.”
“Name it!” Xander beams.
“The first thing has to do with our efforts to market the property. We’d like to open the model lofts for tours during the event. It’s a pet-friendly property, and I think this fundraiser is a great match for the demographic we’re targeting.”
“Done!” Xander slaps the table enthusiastically. “Mac and I were just saying that we wanted to check out the lofts.”
“You definitely should! I’d love to hear what you think,” Hudson says enthusiastically. “The second thing is more of a personal favor. It has to do with my little sister. I mentioned she’s a big fan of yours, Xander. Georgia’s, too, apparently.”
