“Sure you can. I own the club.”
“Funny how you pretend you don’t until it’s convenient for you to remind me.”
He grinned but didn’t dispute.
“And don’t think we’re done talking about the club management.” I wiped, flushed and washed my hands, flinging droplets of water on him as I pushed past him back to the bedroom.
He followed me as I went to my closet. “I didn’t think that for a minute. But right now we’re talking about Japan.”
“I have a meeting set up with Aaron Trent tomorrow. I can’t miss that.”
“Reschedule. He’ll make time for you.”
“That’s so tacky.” I pulled out a pair of plain cotton underwear. I hadn’t showered yet and didn’t feel like wasting a pair of nice ones. “He already thinks I rescheduled once.”
“Why? I thought it had been he who canceled?”
“Long story.” Hudson’s eyes stayed glued to me as I pulled on a sports bra. “And you’re distracting me from my point.”
“I think you’re the one distracting me.”
“They’re put away, you sex fiend. You can surely find my eyes now.”
He laughed. Yes, he definitely was in a good mood. “Tell Trent something came up and reschedule.” He handed me a pair of running shorts. “He’ll understand. I’ll make him if I have to.”
“You know I want to handle him myself.” I stepped into the shorts and found a tank to pair with them.
I grabbed some socks and turned to face him. He was staring at me—not my body—at my face, waiting for me to continue. I sighed. He was serious about the trip. And I was not. I gave it sincere thought for about for fifteen seconds.
The idea still seemed ludicrous. “It’s not only him, Hudson. I have other things I’m working on. And I don’t even have a passport.”
“I already have that arranged.”
“I don’t even want to know how you pulled that off.” I pushed past him again and headed for the bed. I sat on the edge and put on my socks.
Hudson appeared from my closet carrying my running shoes.
“Thank you.” He was always so considerate, but I knew his attentiveness this morning had motive. It occurred to me that I could just give in. But I could be stubborn too.
I picked up right where I’d left off with a new excuse. “Also, my brother’s coming out from Boston sometime this week. I need to get him the key to my apartment and let him harass me for some reason.”
Hudson bent to put on my left shoe while I worked on the other. “I can arrange for someone to meet him, you know. It doesn’t have to be you.”
Now that sounded like a good plan, even if I didn’t go to Japan. Even if I didn’t go to Japan? Dammit, he had me considering it.
I shook my head. “You seriously have a solution for any protest I make, don’t you?”
“I guarantee that I do. So why are you still protesting?”
“Because I have a life that involves more than you.”
“I hate that.”
I looked up from my tied shoe to see him giving me a pretty effective pout. “Don’t be cute.”
“I want you with me. I’ll use any tactic I can to make that happen.”
He held out his hand to help me up. I took it and was immediately pulled into his arms.
Yeah, that felt good. How had I gone all that time since waking without touching him? He’d become so necessary to my life, to my routine. Was it even possible to spend time away from him? And how much time were we talking about?
Always in tune with me, he spoke directly to my unvoiced thoughts, nuzzling his cheek against mine. “I may be gone for several days. I can’t bear to be apart from you that long. It kills me that you think you can.”
They were the kinds of words I’d always dreamed of being told. I was the clingy one. I was the get-too-fucking-attached chick. What was it about Hudson that kept my obsessiveness at bay? Did it mean I didn’t feel as deeply about him as I thought I did? That I didn’t truly love him?
No, I did love him. Truly. There was no doubt. It was because I felt secure about his feelings for me, god only knew why, that I was able to remain sensible.
But I also understood that look in his eyes, that yearning to be with someone who didn’t necessarily reciprocate. I’d been passed up and thrown away so many times. It hurt.
Even though Hudson was only going for a short trip and not forever, I got his need and I couldn’t stand the idea of making him feel that misery.
I also couldn’t imagine putting everything on hold and flying off to Japan at the drop of a hat. “I don’t want to be apart from you either, Hudson. I…can I think about it?” I bit my lower lip, waiting for his response, hoping he wasn’t too disappointed with my maybe.