Found in You (10 page)

“You’re insatiable. You had me in the car.” But his suggestion caused my skin to tingle with want and anticipation.

“It wasn’t enough.” He pulled me off the path through a hole in the hedges—somewhere we certainly weren’t allowed to be—and pushed me up against a tall tree, his hip anchoring me in place. “I can never have enough of you.”

My breath caught in a moment of complete adoration for the man in front of me. This man who had worked through his own demons to let me in his life, had ignored every natural inclination to stay closed off and instead was trying his damndest to be with me in the way we both wanted.

I buried my gaze in his eyes. “I love you.”

He bent closer, his nose grazing the skin of my cheek. “Is that what you pulled me away to tell me? I’m not complaining if it is.”

I giggled. “You pulled me away, not the other way around, silly. And it’s not what I had to tell you. But I’m glad every time I get to say it.”

Hudson’s mouth curled into a slow smile, but movement on the path nearby caught my attention. I turned my head toward the small group walking up and spotted the salt-and-pepper man walking past. “Actually, you picked the perfect location. You see that man over there?”

Hudson followed my eyes. “The one in the tan?”

“The man next to him.” I gave him a minute to make sure he got a good look. “Do you know him?”

“Not that I recall. Should I?”

I shrugged. “Not necessarily. But I overheard him talking with another guy—” I swiveled my neck around, looking for the other man. “—that I can’t see right now. Anyway, not important. The salt-and-pepper man works for the company that purchased—wait for it—Plexis.”

Hudson relaxed his hold on me and studied the man one more time before he walked past. “How do you know this?”

“I heard him. When I was wandering earlier. He was boasting about how he was lucky to snatch such an amazing company from the likes of Hudson Pierce.”

Hudson’s posture stiffened. “Go on.”

I bit my lip. “You were right. They’re planning to dismantle the company.”

“Damn it.” It wasn’t often that Hudson showed any emotion where business was concerned—or showed any emotion period—yet I’d guessed he’d felt passionately about the company he’d lost. Now I knew for sure.

It made my next bit of news so much sweeter to deliver. “But he mentioned that they might be interested in selling if they got a good offer first.” I waited until I saw the wheels spinning behind his eyes. “You know what that means? It means all you need to do is get in there with a good offer.”

In a flash, he had me pinned again, pushing his body heavily against mine. “How about I get in you with a good offer?”

“Hudson!” I pushed lightly at his chest. “I’m serious.”

“So am I.” He nibbled along my jawline.

Unable to ever resist his advances, my body was already yielding, melting underneath him, throbbing with need to be closer. Still my brain continued to pursue answers. “I thought Plexis meant something to you.”

“It does.” He smiled as he bent in toward my lips.

I swerved my head to the side and met his eyes. “Then how come all you can think about is sexing me up? Is that all I am to you?” I knew that wasn’t all I was to him, and my words were more playful than anything, but I was disappointed that I’d been wrong about Hudson’s commitment to Plexis.

Adjusting his grip on me, he pressed tight to me again, and moved his lips near my ear. “No, it’s not. You know that your business mind turns me on to no end, especially when your business mind is looking out for my interests. And because I’m not skilled at expressing how I feel in words, I’m wishing I could show you exactly how into you I am at the moment.”

I melted. Completely.

Still my brain struggled for more validation, my voice sounding soft and full of need. “So you’re grateful for the information?”

“Very.” He thrust against me, his hard bulge showing me exactly how grateful.

I squirmed, trying to touch as much of him with as much of me as possible. “And you’re attracted to me beyond the physical?” My words were thick.

But I must have been coherent enough to be understood, because he responded between kissing and licking at my neck. “I’m attracted to everything about you—your body, your mind, your sass. Even your ‘crazy,’ as you call it.”

“You’re crazy, too, if you’re serious about that last one.”

His head jerked up so I could see the sincerity in his eyes. “I’ve never been more serious, Alayna. You’re the first person I’ve ever met who makes me believe I might
not
be crazy. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The world stood still around me, and all I could see and hear and feel was Hudson in front of me, on me, in my skin, in my bones. “You need to rethink that whole I’m-not-good-with-words angle, because those words were perfect.”

His nose brushed mine as he nodded once. “Now stop talking and let me occupy your mouth in other ways.”

“What happened to that good offer you had?” I bucked my hips forward, searching for something to rub against, to ease the ache growing between my legs.

“Patience, precious. Patience.” His lips took mine, caressing against them lightly at first then crushing forcefully, as his tongue lapped hungrily inside my mouth. Cupping his hands on each side of my face, he controlled our movements, pulling sweet sighs from my throat that he swallowed with his deep kiss. My own hands pressed into the tree, the bark stinging against my skin in stark contrast to the sweet ecstasy of Hudson’s mouth on mine.

I was lost to everything but him and his all-consuming kiss.

“Excuse me. Excuse me.” I vaguely heard the woman speaking, barely registered her clearing her throat. “Excuse me!”

We broke apart as it finally clicked that someone was speaking to us.

“Excuse me, but the lawn is off limits except for in—” The woman’s voice broke off. “Oh, Mr. Pierce. I didn’t realize that…Alayna?”

Still half-dazed, I turned toward the voice. “Julia? What are you—” Julia had said that she had an event later in the day. “Is your company in charge tonight?”

“Yeah.”

The good feelings that had spread from head to toe during Hudson’s dominating kiss vanished with a whoosh. This was Julia’s event. Julia was standing right here. And if Julia was here, Paul had to be here as well.

With effort, I swallowed. “Ha, wow. What a coincidence.” Did I sound flakey? Nervous? Scared out of my mind?

I gestured toward Julia. “Hudson, this is Julia Swaggert. She’s the owner of Party Planners Plus. I met with her today.”
And my ex-subject of stalking, Paul Kresh, who better not be anywhere nearby or I’m going to shit a brick.
“Julia, this is Hudson Pierce.”

The normally confident and assured Julia seemed flustered. “I’m…Mr. Pierce, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m really excited about the potential our companies have working together.” Her face was lit with delight, and I realized just how much this deal meant to her. Understood why Paul was so willing to risk having me around.

As he had done earlier with Aaron, Hudson deferred the attention to me. “You’re in good hands with Alayna. She takes care of all business with the club. I’m merely a name on the deed.” He touched my arm lightly. “If you’ll both pardon me, I see someone I need to speak with.”

There was no one anywhere near our hideout, and I recognized Hudson’s words as a line to leave me to my work. I’d never been more grateful. Not only for letting me own my business deals in full, but because with him gone, the chance of Paul coming up in conversation—or in real life—wasn’t as threatening.

Julia stared after Hudson as he walked away. I didn’t blame her. He was hot coming and going.

“So you and Hudson Pierce?” She waggled her eyebrows. “Is it simply a getting frisky in the moonlight thing or the whole enchilada?”

“It’s, well, both. We’re together, if that’s what the whole enchilada means.” But I didn’t want to talk about my boyfriend. I wanted to know about hers. “Speaking of ‘together,’ where’s Paul?”

She pursed her lips. “He’s about somewhere. He usually stays behind the scenes at these things.”

“Ah, of course.” He was there, though. Which meant I needed to not be. “Well, I think Hudson was about ready to call it a night—”

“Yeah, it certainly appeared as such. Lucky you.”

Her sigh made me wonder how long it had been since she and Paul got frisky. I didn’t wonder too hard. Thinking about Paul and his relationships was the last thing I wanted to do. A polar opposite to the way I’d been when I’d known him before.

“Well, I should get back as well,” she said, sounding reluctant.

But I’d already slipped through the space in the hedge. I spun around to give her a final wave. “Nice to see you at work! You’re good.”

“Thanks.”

I was teeming with anxiety as I searched for Hudson. Paul Kresh was nearby. We had to leave. We had to leave before Hudson discovered my worst mistake had reentered my life.

I’d only made it a few feet along the pathway when Hudson stepped out from a nearby bush and took my hand, pulling me back toward the garden entrance.

“We need to leave. Now.” His tone was forceful, urgent.

Fuck.
He knew. Had he overheard us talking? Would he assume that any Paul mentioned would be Paul Kresh?

I played innocent, in case I was wrong—hoping I was wrong. “Why? What’s the problem?” My heart stopped while I waited for his response.

Instead of answering, he took my hand and placed it over his still hard cock.

“Oh, my.” I hoped my exhalation sounded like awe rather than relief. Especially since some of it was awe. I was always impressed by Hudson’s penis. Even in the middle of a personal crisis.

I turned my flirt on full force, knowing that it was my easy ticket out of there. “Or you could take me here in the gardens.”

“Don’t tempt me. I’m near throwing you on that bench over there, but that might not be in the best of taste. And I wouldn’t want to tarnish your reputation.” His eyes darted toward me. “Besides, what I have in store for you will take most of the night and I’m sure the Brooklyn Botanic Society would prefer to close before I’m anywhere near finished.”

Instantly, I needed a change of panties. “Um, okay.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.”

We were almost at the park entrance when Hudson cursed.

“What is it?”

“I see someone I should talk to. Do you mind?”

I was hot and needy and desperate to be jumped, so yes, I minded. But a glance at Hudson said he minded more. “Considering how you’re walking, I think you’ll be the miserable one.”

He gave me a pained glare and began leading me toward a group of gentleman talking nearby.

Then I saw him, out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to be sure it was him. It was. Paul Kresh in the flesh. Twice in one day, what were the chances? He wasn’t with the men that Hudson needed to speak to, thank god, but standing near the Visitor Center talking to a server balancing a tray of empty champagne glasses.

I started to look away but not in time. Our eyes met across the sidewalk. “Hudson, I’ll let you talk with your peeps. I’m going to look for the girl’s room.”

He pulled me closer. “Maybe I’ll have to come find you there when I’m done here,” he whispered before kissing me on the forehead.

I felt the blush spread down my neck, even though his words were rather innocent compared to how he usually talked. But I was so aroused already that anything he did or said was a trigger. It was also inconvenient. I didn’t want to be flustered and horny when I spoke to Paul. He’d surely assume it was for him.

I took deep breaths as I walked toward Paul, calming myself. He waited until I was only a couple of feet away before he spoke. “Should I be worried that you’re stalking me? Again?”

I rolled my eyes.

“Don’t bother explaining.” He nodded toward the man I’d left. “That was Hudson Pierce, wasn’t it? If you’re with him, I get why you’re here.”

I tried not to let it bother me that he knew so much personal info about me. Julia would have told him eventually anyway. “Yes, that’s Hudson. We’re seeing each other.”

“Huh.”

I watched the gears spin behind his eyes. I didn’t spend months memorizing every detail about him to not realize what he was thinking. “Hey, there’s nothing to gain from this information, Paul. He knows about you and my past, knows about the restraining order, and if you have any intention—”

“What the fuck intention would I have? You’re acting like I’d blackmail you or something. Which is pretty ballsy coming from someone who handcuffed herself to my desk naked.”

“I’d say it’s a damn fair assumption since you pretty much blackmailed me just this afternoon.”

“That…wasn’t blackmail. Exactly.” He rubbed at his nose, like Pinocchio disguising his lie. “It was heavy-handed persuasion.”

“Whatever it was, it was pressure, and I didn’t like it.”

“Look, Laynie—”

“I know, I know.” I didn’t need him to try to persuade or pressure or whatever the hell he wanted to call it. I got it already. “You want this deal for Julia, and because I really want to work with her, I’m agreeing to it. But I don’t want any interaction with you. Zip. Nada. I don’t want to bump into you at events or have you showing up at my club or calling me—none of it. I want the restraining order restrictions to be adhered to. This can’t come back to bite me in the ass, okay?”

“Fine. Whatever.” But the victory gleamed in his eyes. “It won’t come back to bite you. It’s only me and you this affects.”

“Tell that to Hudson. He would not like it if he found out that I signed a deal that even remotely involved you.” And suddenly I realized that if I didn’t want Hudson to find out about Paul, I couldn’t tell him about meeting with Celia either. It would open the door for him to find out the things she and I had talked about. Like Paul. And there was no way Hudson would take that lying down.

“Why would he care? As long as we keep it professional and at a distance like you said, this doesn’t have anything to do with him.”

“Because, while you and I both know that most everything that happened between us was my fault—”