The Invitation by Vi Keeland(55)

“I have plans.” Hudson looked at his watch. “I actually need to be going. I was coming over to say goodbye.”

“Oh.” Disappointment gripped me, along with maybe a tiny bit of jealousy. I forced a smile. “Well, have fun.”

Hudson’s eyes narrowed before he eventually grinned.

“Are you jealous because I have a date?”

“No,” I said—waaay too quickly.

He tucked his hands into his pockets and flaunted a smug smile. “You are.”

“Am not.”

He leaned forward, his nose almost touching mine, and whispered, “Jealous.”

“You’re so full of yourself. You can’t even tell the difference between happy for you and jealous.”

He pulled his head back. “Oh yeah? You’re happy I have a date?”

I plastered on a smile and pointed to my mouth. “Yes. See?”

The look on Hudson’s face told me my attempt at a smile came out more like one reflected in a fun house.

He chuckled. “I’m picking up Charlie from some playdate. My ex went to a doctor’s appointment with her sister who’s pregnant and might not make it on time, so I told her I’d take her home.”

“Oh. Okay.”

“Happy it’s not a real date?”

Yes. I shrugged. “Whatever. It’s your business.”

He rubbed his chin. “I was thinking of coming back after. Think you’ll still be here?”

“Maybe I have a date tonight. Would that bother you?”

Hudson’s jaw flexed. “I’m not the one who pretends I’m not interested, so I don’t think you’ll be surprised to know it would.”

I’d been teasing, and it backfired. His face was too serious to screw around. I sighed. “I don’t have a date. I’ll probably be here.”

Hudson shook his head. “You’re a pain in my ass.”

I sipped my champagne. “Well, apparently you like pains in the asses.”

His eyes dropped to my lips. “You know I’m counting all the times you torture me. Eventually I’ll get even.”

“And how will you do that?”

He leaned in and kissed my cheek, then moved his lips to my ear. “With my mouth.”

I blinked a few times, taking in Hudson’s smirk as he walked away.

He spoke over his shoulder. “Hold that thought, Stella. Your whisper is getting almost loud enough that I can hear it.”

Oh boy. I’m in trouble.





CHAPTER 18


Stella



I’d started to think Hudson wasn’t coming back. It had been hours since he left, though with the stress of the show over, I’d relaxed a lot and was able to have a good time. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t watching the door constantly. Half the guests had gone, and a few more were getting ready to leave. I went to the bathroom and figured I’d soon call it a night, too. But when I came out, Hudson was sitting at the island drinking a beer.

“You’re back. I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”

His eyes flickered to my legs before returning to meet mine. “Definitely not.”

I felt that flutter low in my belly—lately it had turned into part of the man’s greeting.

“Since I was picking up Charlie, my ex-wife figured she’d go get a massage too. Must’ve been a tough week of doing nothing.”

I smiled. “I take it she doesn’t work?”

He shook his head.

“Screw asking you out. Maybe I should propose. You sound like a good ex-husband.”

He chuckled. “Welcome back.” My forehead wrinkled, so he explained. “You’ve been stressed. Apparently that caused your inner wiseass to take a hiatus.”

“Oh.” I laughed. “Yeah, I have been stressed.”

“Feel better now that today’s over?”

“I do.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Though I could actually use a massage, too.”

He wiggled his fingers. “I could help you out. I’m pretty good with my hands.”

I smiled. “I bet.”

“You up to continue the celebration?”

I was wired and nowhere near ready to go home. “What did you have in mind?”

“Let’s go get a drink. There’s a bar down the block.”

I nibbled my lip. “Hmmm... Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Nope. Taking a colleague out to celebrate.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Hudson frowned. “You’ll think about it?”

“Yes.”

He looked a little disgruntled, but shrugged. When he reached for his beer, I tapped him on the shoulder.

“I thought about it.”

“And?”

“Let’s go celebrate some more.”

***

“I still can’t get over that we sold fifty-thousand boxes of Signature Scent in under an hour today.” I shook my head. “A month ago I was thinking I might never see the day one box was ordered.”

“We got lucky,” Hudson said.

“No. We didn’t get lucky. Luck means something falls into your lap. You went out and made this happen.”