I blinked, having not expected that. “I don’t want to learn to ski.”
“Then let me buy you dinner tomorrow night so I can change your mind.”
I thought of the brunette and scowled. “I’ve seen how you treat your dinner companions, so no, thank you.”
Hudson’s eyebrows drew together in a much more effective scowl than mine. “She’s here on a bachelorette trip. She’s the bride.”
My lips parted in surprise at this information.
“Yeah.” His mouth twisted in disdain. “She’s the woman who was on the slopes with me today and she told me straight up she wanted one last fling before she got married. I didn’t say shit to that and obviously she was expecting me to jump on it. So when I didn’t give her what she wanted in private, she asked me to dinner in front of all her girls and I didn’t want to humiliate her. I saw no harm in dinner but had no intention of going beyond that. I didn’t know you’d walk in there tonight, so I had no way of knowing I’d spend the whole fucking thing distracted by aredhead who I’m not afraid to admit has knocked me on my ass. Let me take you to dinner.”
I wanted to believe him. I really, really wanted to believe him. And everything he said was good. More than good. I think I did believe him about the snow bunny but I wasn’t sure about the rest. And the timing… oh God, the timing was bad.
And why did he have to be standing so close? So close I could smell him, I could feel the heat of him, and I really, really wanted to slide my hand over his chest and see if his pecs were as hard as they looked.
Damn, damn, damn.
I yanked my gaze from his because I was drowning in it. “I’m not here to meet anyone. I’m sorry.”
“I’d maybe believe that if you’d look at me when you say it.”
Hearing the amusement in his voice I did look at him. I glowered. “When I look at you, you make me want to say yes!”
Hudson grinned. Huge. “That’s not a bad thing, angel.”
“It is to me.” I stepped back. “Now good night.”
He moved to block my escape. “Breakfast?”
I stifled a smile at his persistence and shook my head.
“Lunch?”
My traitorous lips twitched. “No, I’m sorry.”
He cocked his head to the side to study me. “You know even you telling me ‘no’ sounds like heaven to my ears. I could listen to you talk in that sexy as fuck accent for the rest of my life.”
I gave a huff of disbelieving laughter. “What a line.”
“It’s not a line.” He stepped back into my personal space. “Have dinner with me.”
My gaze dropped to his mouth and I whispered, “No.”
“You can’t stare at my mouth like that and expect me to believe that no.”
I wrenched my eyes back to his. “Hudson, we can’t do this. It’s a firm no.”
“Well, I’m just going to ask you again tomorrow.”
Exasperated, I stepped around him before he could stop me. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say harassing guests is against hotel policy.”
Hudson turned with me. “Oh, this isn’t harassment. This is seeing something I want more than I’ve ever wanted anything and doing what I can to get it.”
Shocked, I replied breathily, “That’s insane. You don’t even know me.”
He shrugged and said seriously (very seriously), “I took one look in those gorgeous brown eyes of yours and knew I’d do anything to get to know you. I need to take you out to do that so… are you going to help me out here and say yes?”
My heart was pounding like crazy and I had absolutely no idea why. What was it about this guy that affected me so much? And why did it feel dangerous and thrilling at the same bloody time?
