Love, Tussles, and Takedowns (Cactus Creek #3)(55)

Oh, it was no use, she was starting to get gushy about all of this. She’d never heard Hudson sound so excited, so alive. And of course, because he was a prince among men, his happiness over his own hand’s improvement was soon eclipsed by how much it was helping the other guys at the center.

“You just changed a lot of soldiers’ lives and futures now, you know that right, babe?”

“Then it’s a good thing we’ve already begun looking into doing a bigger production of this.”

“I heard. And we should celebrate. Invite me over,” he said abruptly, a hungry intensity in his voice unlike any she’d heard him use yet.

“Since when have you needed an invitation? You’re not a vampire,” she laughed. “Of course you can come over. When were you planning on—”

Her doorbell rang a second later and she glanced down at the phone.

What were the chances?

The deadbolt was barely all the way unlocked before Hudson came barreling through the door. “This missing you thing is just getting out of control, woman,” he muttered before his lips came crashing down onto hers.

She’d never known Hudson to be this ravenous. “Is this all because of the adrenaline from your new rehab?” she teased when she could sneak in a quick breath or two.

“No, that’s just my being happy to see you.” He winked before scoring his teeth over her jawline.

She’d have groaned over the bad joke if she weren’t busy being impressed at just how happy he was to see her.

“You just saw me a week and a half ago.”

“True,” he replied between nibbles across her collarbone. “But a week and a half ago, I didn’t have as much dexterity in my hand to do this.”

Lia gasped.

Clearly, Hudson’s rehab was going spectacularly well. Because she’d never felt his hand do that to her before.



*



LIA WRAPPED HER arms around Hudson’s waist as he finished making them some sandwiches for lunch. “I cleared my schedule for this weekend. So let’s head over to California to get started on moving your things over.”

Hudson looked up in surprise. “You don’t have to do that. I don’t have very much stuff. I can handle it.”

“No, I want to. I’ll see which of my brothers can meet us out there to help. Plus, we can hang out at your apartment for the first time ever before you return the keys.” She grinned. “And maybe take out that sweet bike of yours before you sell it?”

He chuckled. “Ah, that makes more sense.”

She gave him an innocent double-blink, silently cheering because he’d definitely taken the bait.

Now she just had to keep silent for two more days.

Pushing the sandwiches to the side for now, she slid her arms around him to claim a kiss.

If she was going to need to stay silent for a whole two more days, she’d definitely be needing some help keeping her lips sealed.

Exactly forty seven hours later, Lia was staring intently at the front door of Hudson’s L.A. apartment, willing it to open by the sheer force of her mind alone.

Where the heck was everyone?

“Honey, I told you helping me move wasn’t a requirement for riding my bike,” teased Hudson, noticing that she was being absolutely no help with his packing. “Just take my keys.”

“What are you talking about? I told you I want to help.” She turned to put a pillow in a box.

With a lot of bubble wrap.

“Okay, sweetie. Seriously, what’s going on? You’ve been acting weird all day—”

The buzzing of the doorbell cut him off.

“I’ll get it!” She took off like the bionic woman before he had a chance to object. “It’s probably the guys to help us move.”





HUDSON SHOOK HIS head and unpacked the bubble-wrapped pillow Lia had just taped into a box and wondered what she had going on in that busy little head of hers.

“Dang, our boy’s gone Hollywood on us!” taunted a familiar voice.

“Bubble wrapping your pillow? Really, dude? Next you’re going to tell us you use the delicate cycle for your boxers,” goaded a second voice he’d know anywhere.

No frickin’ way.

Hudson turned and burst out laughing when he saw two of his buddies from his old unit checking out his living room. “Holy shit. They let you two back in the country?”

The guys laughed and dropped their bags, grabbing some quick hugs before heading straight to the fridge for a beer.

Roman had the TV on and the bottle half empty before his ass hit the couch.

Some things just never change.

Meanwhile, Johnnie was busy hitting on Lia and asking if she was sure she didn’t want to trade Hudson in for a younger, better model.

Some things really didn’t change.

Hudson kicked out the foot of the barstool to send Johnnie falling on his ass before stepping over him and heading over to kiss Lia silly.

“You and your surprises.”

“I like surprising you.” Lia broke out into a grin so radiant, Roman dropped the remote.

The woman never ceased to amaze him. “How did you even know which guys were the ugliest ones in the bunch to call?”

The two well-known Casanovas in his living room just chuckled over the insult.