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Hudson. What the hell was she doing inviting him back here?
She yanked open the fridge door and immediately went for the chocolate ice cream. It was loaded with chunks of peanut butter, and she had a spoon in her hand before Hudson found his way to the kitchen.
Her heart jumped at the sight of him. It had always been like that. One look and her body reacted. It was chemical and organic, and she couldn’t seem to control it. She shoved ice cream into her mouth before she said something she’d regret. And regret was definitely on the table. But she didn’t want to think about that right now. Instead, she leaned against the counter, melting that little bit of heaven in her mouth, and watched him.
It came to her then. The things unsaid. I still want him. Even after everything. The things she felt. Unsure. Excited. Scared. Aroused.
Hudson had always been a big guy, tall with broad shoulders, and the room seemed to shrink with him in it. His black leather jacket and boots lent an air of danger to the man, but they had nothing on the dark glint in his eyes, or the sensual lift to his mouth.
Rebecca tried to remember the bad things…the painful things that had ripped them apart. She thought back to that last night—saw a picture in her mind of how she’d cried her heart out. But right now, with him standing a few feet from her, she couldn’t remember how it felt.
Couldn’t remember because she’d obviously lost her freaking mind.
She dropped her gaze. God, she must be crazy to be considering the things in her head. She shoved another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
“Let me guess.” His deep voice startled her, echoing in the silent kitchen, and she jerked her head up. “Chocolate ice cream with chunks of peanut butter.”
She nodded slowly, swallowing the melted treat. “I’m surprised you remember that.”
“I remember everything.”
Her heart suddenly in her throat, Rebecca put the carton of ice cream on the counter and tried to collect her thoughts. A million things swirled through her head, and she gripped the edge of the counter with her fingers, turning the knuckles white.
“Violet said you’re divorced.” Okay. That came from out of nowhere, but since it was out in the open, she found herself curious about the life he’d made without her.
Hudson was silent for a few moments and then moved toward her. Shit. Surely he could hear her heart or see the mad flutter of the pulse at the base of her neck? Mouth dry, she wanted to run, but found she couldn’t take her eyes from him.
What was he doing? Was he going to touch her? Kiss her? Was she going to let him?
He stood an inch or so away and then reached for her. Her eyes squeezed shut because she didn’t want him to see the raw, uncensored need inside her. Seriously. She’d given in before he’d even started.
Several seconds ticked by and then…
“This is good.”
What? Her eyes slowly opened, and she watched him lick ice cream from the spoon she’d abandoned and then go in for more. When he offered her a taste, she shook her head and waited. For what, she didn’t know…but the rules had been thrown out the window, and she had no idea what they were doing or where they were headed.
The bedroom. The thought slid through her mind like a secret.
Hudson leaned back against the counter, right beside her, his long legs crossed at the ankles. He dug in for more ice cream and, and waited a few seconds before he spoke.
“I was married for just over a year. Candace and I…”
Candace. The name conjured up a tall, cool, collected woman. A supermodel maybe. Or a brain surgeon.
He shrugged. “She worked at the White House.”
Of course she did.
“We hardly saw each other. Probably shouldn’t have gotten married in the first place.”
“Then why did you?” She glanced up at him.
Hudson frowned, and he kicked at some invisible piece of dirt on the floor. After a while, he shrugged. “I don’t know. We dated for a couple of years. She was easy to be with, and she wanted a ring. It seemed right at the time.”
Rebecca’s heart twisted. He’d given her a ring once. He’d taken her out in the boat over to the little island in the middle of the lake. He’d packed a picnic and stolen some of his dad’s beer. Not the cheap stuff kept in the boathouse, but the premium imported bottles from inside the house. They’d spent the afternoon drinking, eating, and making love on the beach. When it was time to pack up and leave, he’d given her a ring. A delicate, simple gold band with encrusted diamonds. Hudson had called it a promise ring and told her he loved her. Said they’d never be apart. A year later, he was gone.
