Found in You(82)

“Thank you. It was purely unplanned, seeing as how I didn’t know you were coming until an hour before when Hudson called to tell me.” Sophia was teasing me, trying to rile me up by letting me know I hadn’t been on the guest list. It would have been a brilliant play if I hadn’t already known.

I played it smooth. “Oh, you did call, H? I thought you were leaving it as a surprise.”

“Yes, I called while you were dressing. I decided that Sophia might be better behaved if she was prepared.” Hudson fell right into my game. Though he preferred to keep me sheltered from his mother’s antics, he was generally amused by the way I handled her.

Her back straightened, a direct contradiction to the way she must have felt, her move having been countered so effortlessly. “Yes, it did work out well. I’ll remember the ignoring tactic for next time.”

My turn. “Then you’ve finally accepted there will be a next time?” Check.

Her smile widened as if I’d walked into a trap. “I’m nothing if not realistic, Alayna Withers. The question remains how many next times there will be. I’m in Hudson’s life permanently. Are you?”

My composure faltered, my shoulders tensing, my body preparing for a fight.

Hudson stepped in. “Mother, stop it. It’s your birthday. Happy day to you. If you’re miserable, it’s only because you won’t let yourself enjoy anything.” He let go of me and hugged Sophia awkwardly, giving her a dry peck on the cheek.

For the millionth time, I wondered at the relationship between mother and son. It had taken far less for me to cut off my brother. Of course, that had only been two days before. I couldn’t speak for what would happen next between us. And I could only guess at Hudson and Sophia’s past. The details were hidden from me, much like most everything in Hudson’s life.

Time, I reminded myself. I’d learn about him in time.

Hudson broke the embrace, his hands pushing gently on Sophia’s shoulders.

“You smell like sex,” she said when he stepped away.

I couldn’t help but take that as a compliment.

“I’m surprised you recognize the smell.” Without moving his eyes from his mother, Hudson reached for my hand again.

I slipped my palm against his and absorbed the electric spark that always shot through my body at his touch.

Sophia’s gaze drifted to our connected limbs and back to her son’s face. “I’m not a prude.”

Hudson shook his head once, bored with the conversation. “No, no one’s accusing you of that. I’m simply shocked you could smell anything over the aroma of bourbon.” And checkmate.

“Go home, Hudson. “

“Gladly.”

We rode the elevator in silence and the limo as well. There was too much to think about—Jack and Sophia, Celia then Mira. So many aspects of the evening to dwell on, reasons to be confused and muddled. The one thing I wasn’t confused about was Hudson. Not anymore. Not since the roof when he’d done some sort of magic sex trick that alleviated all my fears about him. He’d f*cked away my doubts, said the right words, and for the first time in, well, ever, I thought that maybe I could be a normal girl in a normal relationship with a normal guy.

Okay, I’d never be a normal girl and Hudson would never be a normal guy, but perhaps we’d found the closest thing to normal that we’d ever be capable of achieving. And it was pretty damn good.

As I absentmindedly watched the buildings passing through the limo window, it didn’t even cross my mind to wonder if we were going to The Bowery or if I was being taken home. Hudson hadn’t given any instruction to our driver. I simply took it for granted that I’d spend the night with my lover. Hudson must have taken it for granted too, because Jordan pulled up to the curb in front of his high-rise without a word to me.