Found in You(56)

I took a deep breath and turned to him once again. “Can I just have a little time to think about it? When I’m away from you?”

He stiffened. “Are you suggesting that I’m pressuring you?”

“I’m suggesting that you’re distracting. And yes, it’s pressure, whether you mean for it to be or not. And honestly, a tiny bit manipulative. And with your past, it does cross my mind that maybe you want to control me, and that this is the easiest way for you to do so.”

His expression hardened and I ran to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “Now, don’t, don’t be upset, H. I’m not saying you are manipulating me or that you want to control me, I’m saying I need time to think. To be sure. Give it to me. Please?”

“If that’s what you need.” His tone was chilly, his arms remaining at his sides, even as I held him.

I curled my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck. “Hudson!”

“What?”

“Don’t be like this.”

He remained stiff. “I’m not being like anything.”

“Then are we okay?” I pressed kisses underneath his jaw, wanting—no, needing—him to yield to me, to give in to my embrace.

He exhaled, finally wrapping his arms around me. “Of course we are.” He kissed the top of my head. “Always.”

***

Hudson’s driver picked him up at the same time Jordan arrived for me. The minute I was alone in the backseat of the Maybach, I pulled out my phone to call Liesl. I had to talk to someone about Hudson’s move-in proposition, and she was the person I turned to when things got rough. I stopped before I dialed, however. Liesl had worked for me the night before. She’d likely still be sleeping. Besides, even though she knew me, she didn’t know Hudson. Not truly. Knowing Hudson was a vital part of helping me make a sound decision.

But there was someone who did know Hudson—knew Hudson very well. And I had her number.

When Celia didn’t answer, I hung up and redialed as she’d instructed. It took until the third call before I got through to her. I considered telling her my news on the phone but decided we might need something more personal. At least, I needed something more personal, so we arranged to meet for lunch at one.

Celia was already seated when I arrived at A Voce. I waited until after the waitress had taken my order for an iced tea and chicken and watercress salad before diving into conversation.

Though I’d planned to lead with Hudson’s invitation to move in, it was something else entirely that came out of my mouth. “What do you know about Norma Anders?” She’d invaded my thoughts several times since she’d put her hand on Hudson’s and he’d called her by her first name.

Celia’s brows rose. “Ah, you heard about the slut.”

“You mean, Hudson and—” My stomach churned. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.

“Honestly, I don’t know for sure. It’s not like Hudson discusses his conquests with me. And if I had to guess, I’d say no because if he had f*cked her—sorry, that was a bit coarse, but you know what I mean—if he had, then he’d be done with her and she certainly wouldn’t still be working with him.”

I wanted to grab on to Celia’s words like a lifeline and believe there was no way Hudson had been…intimate…with Norma Anders. But there were holes in her theory. “That’s if he slept with her when he was still, you know, messing with women. He hasn’t done any of that for a while, right? Like not in the last two years.”