Cockney: A Stepbrother Romance (54 page)

“But Ray, the
Senate?
” Chelsea looks worried.

“
State
Senate, but yeah.” I shrug; “If you’re gonna dream, dream big right?”

Quinn grins; “You’re actually going to do this, aren’t you?” I nod and she rolls her eyes; “You’re fucking insane, you know that right?”

“Well, with endorsements like that!” Chelsea laughs and turns to look at me; “So when do we start?”

PRESENT

“So I told you about getting my amateur pilot’s license, right?” I raise my eyebrows towards Chet, nodding as I plaster a dopey, fake smile across my face. I’m not really listening to a word he says though, since I’m concentrating on
not
looking at the scowling  Hudson standing right there with us. Hudson who’s alternating between rolling his eyes at practically everything Chet says and glowering at me every time I very purposely laugh at it.

I might be laughing on the outside, but inside I’m scowling just as hard as he is now; I mean where the fuck does he
get off
being so possessively alpha about me talking with Chet when he’s the one that had Samantha and her tits hanging off of him barely hours after we’d slept together. It’s classic fucking Hudson, I grumble inside. But if anything, I’m more scared than pissed, as much as I don’t want to admit it. In fact, I’m doing my
damnedest
to ignore it, since I’m scared what me being jealous of Hudson with another girl
really
means, especially after what I talked about with Quinn and Chelsea.

“So what do you think, Hud?” Chet’s nodding his head and wagging his eyebrows at Hudson, who’s piercing scowl and pointed silence he seems to be oblivious of; “Pretty soon you and I can get up there together and do a little ace piloting, huh Iceman?”

“Why would I do that.” There’s almost a humor in the way Hudson does
nothing
to hide the disdain in his voice or the plaintive ‘I don’t fucking care’ look on his face when he speaks to Chet, but I bury that humor with a scowl instead.

Chet sighs dramatically; “Well hell man! I
thought
they taught you guys how to fly planes in the Air Force!”

Hudson’s eyes narrow at Chet; “I’m sure they
do
teach people to fly planes in the
Air Force
,” He says, his voice icy.

Chet snaps his fingers and shakes his head; “Right,
right
! Ranger, right?”

Hudson’s fist clenches at his side; “Marine.”

“Ahhh, well, I was close!”

Hudson’s eyes very plainly say “no, you weren’t” but he mercifully keeps his mouth shut. Unfortunately, Chet doesn’t; “Well you’ve still got planes with the Marines, right? Don’t they take you up in them to get pushed out or something?” He chuckles and I see Hudson’s jaw tighten; “I thought that was your guys’ thing!”

Hudson smiles broadly at Chet, his eyes like a shark’s; “Oh it is! I’d be happy to show you sometime if you wan-”

“
Don’t
you have some other place to
be
,” I hiss at him.

“Whatever you say, Princess,” he mutters sarcastically to me, and I jump as I feel his hand quickly swat at my butt behind me where Chet can’t see. He narrows his eyes like he’s about to say something to me, but he turns sharply on his heel and walks away instead, without another word to either of us.

“I’m, uh, I’m sorry about that.” I shrug and try to smile at Chet’s smirking face; “He gets-”
He gets, what, possessive? Dominant? My body hotter and my pussy wetter than anything I’ve ever felt before?
“He gets feisty sometimes.”
Feisty
, right. My mind is instantly flooded with thoughts of
just
how “feisty” he got the other night when his hands were on my ass, bouncing me up and down his cock. I swallow hastily, trying to force the flush from my face.

Chet just chuckles in this affected, eye-rolling way as he sips the martini in his hand; “Oh, he’s just looking out for you.” He arches a brow at me, giving me what I’m sure he believes is his most charming smile; “Can’t say I blame the guy; if I had my way, I’d be looking all over you too.” The thought of Chet looking at me
anywhere
close to the way Hudson does makes me nauseous, but I smile at him anyways as if I
totally
get what he’s saying. 

“Say, you know speaking of which, I’ve been thinking a lot, Reagan.”
Fuck
; I think I know
exactly
where this conversation is headed, and it’s not one I really ever need to have with him.

“Chet, I-”

“No, now hang on now, Ray,” He puts his arm around my shoulders, and if we weren't surrounded by people and press, I’d already be pushing him off me and telling him where to stick it. But I know I’m supposed to behave myself, and after the near miss disaster of being found with Hudson in my damn bedroom, I feel like playing by the rules might be a good thing.

“You know-” Chet looks around before he leans close, “Can we talk somewhere a bit more private?”

I don’t even know what to say as he’s suddenly leading me to the side of the large ballroom and down a darkened hallway away from the crowds and music.

“Chet where are we goin-”

“Ray, baby, I just wanted to tell you I’m sorry you had to find out about that; before I mean, about me and that staffer.”

I stare at him incredulously; “Wait,
that’s
your apology?” I almost want to laugh at how
insanely
cliche this guy is; “You’re sorry that I
found out
? Not that you were fucking one of your interns like some sort of politician cliche out of a movie-script?”

Chet smiles and nods his head patronizingly at me; “Now, let’s not be crude, Reagan. You know these sort of relationships sometimes just
happen
in politics.”

I roll my eyes; “No, Chet, I don’t know that.” But I’m also done having this conversation, and I just shake my head; “You know what, fine; apology accepted.” I turn to leave, when I feel his hand grab my arm, tightly.

“Oh I’m
so
glad, Reagan.” He’s grinning that smarmy smile at me again, and I’m suddenly on edge; “I think we’re going to have a lot more luck the second time, I can feel it.” And then before I know what’s happening, he’s yanking me towards him and trying to kiss me.

I sputter and push away from him; “Chet!” I can feel my pulse racing, roaring in my ears like an engine as the adrenaline spikes; “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

He’s still holding my arm, and he chuckles; “Oh, com’on babe, don’t tell me you haven’t missed a little of the ole’ Chet magic.” I open my mouth to say something but he just keeps going; “You remember, Reagan, just like the old times huh?” He’s pressing me back against the wall behind me, and I’m feeling every inch of my skin crawl as my throat freezes up. He leans close, running his hand up the front of my dress and making me cringe in revulsion; “You look so
tense
, bab-”

In the blink of an eye, his arm is suddenly getting
wrenched
away from me and behind his back. There’s a snapping sound, and he’s screaming. Hudson -
Hudson
- snarls like fucking wild animal as he brings his fist crashing down across Chet’s face, sending blood splattering from his nose as he cries out and drops to his knees on the ground. He’s holding his face and staring up at the utterly
ferocious
looking Hudson, and he’s screeching as Hudson’s fist crashes into his face again.

And then I’m yelling - screaming even - and suddenly there’s the sounds of running footsteps as security comes thundering around the corner. Hudson snarls as two of them grab his arms; "Not
me
, you fucking idiots," He spits out, nodding towards the sniveling Congressmen on the ground cradling his limp arm as the blood pours down his face. I can barely nod as they look at me for verification, feeling as though I’m moving in slow motion as Hudson shakes them free and jerks his head around to stare at me.

“Are you ok?”

“I- I-” I’m stammering, my mouth opening and closing without words.

“
Reagan.
” 

Hudson’s voice is sharp, and I jerk my head to stare at him; “
What?
”

“Are you
hurt
.”

I shake my head quietly; “No.”

“Then lets go,
now
.”

It’s not until we’re outside that the shock really hits me, and suddenly I find myself
angry
, and I’m angry at Hudson for some reason. I’m angry that I needed
rescuing
; that somehow I
need
him at all. We’re right by his car when I shake my hand out of his and stop suddenly in my tracks. Hudson turns to me and I suddenly snap; “I don’t need
rescuing
you know.”

He frowns; “Could’ve fooled me, Princess.”

I narrow my eyes at him; “I mean
in general
, I don’t need you
saving
me or anything. I mean
I’m
the normal one here, Hudson;
you’re
the one with all the baggage that needs rescuing.”

He looks at me coolly as he steps closer to me; “Is that a fact? You think
I
need rescuing?”

I purse my lips and frown, crossing my arms over my chest; “Mhmm.” And then he’s right in front of me, and I can feel my own body betray me at his proximity; my pulse starting to race and my breath coming quicker. 

“You know,” he growls, smirking that smug smile as he leans so close to my face that our lips are almost touching; “We’d probably get along better if you’d just stop pretending you don’t want me.”

“You’re fucking delusional, I don’t
want you
at all,” I sneer at him, knowing how totally unconvincing that sounds and feeling more like I’m trying to convince myself than him.

“Oh, so it’s
Chet
you want in there? Is that it?” 

“Shut up, you don’t know what I want, Hudson.” His eyes flash at me, and he’s so close to me that I could just
breath
and kiss him.

“Yes, I do.” He growls lowly, his eyes flashing at me, and I gasp as he takes my hand and places it against the front of his pants. He’s rock hard inside, and I can feel my own body throb with desire as I feel how aroused he is for me. And I know he’s right, too; I know he sees right through my bullshit and little bratty outburst and sees
exactly
what I want.

The side door to the museum slams open and Donald comes huffing out, looking furious and red in the face as he starts to scream something at Hudson.

“Get in the fucking car, Archer.” He whispers into my ear, sending a shiver right through me and making me tingle somewhere deep inside.

“
Fine
” I spit out, as if I’m
letting
him take me away, even though its the only thing in the world I want in that moment.

P A S T

I duck and weave, dancing back to try and avoid Logan's hook, but I of course catch it in the side anyways. I can feel the sweat stinging my eyes, and my shoulder’s throbbing in that way that I know I should give it a rest, but I know I won’t. I also know that Logan's going to beat me like he does
every
time we box like this, but that doesn’t stop me from putting up a fight anyways. That’s pretty much the first thing he taught after showing me how to lace up the gloves;
always
put up a fight.