Page 70 of Best Kept Secret

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

“Um-hmm,” she mumbled without opening her eyes.

He smiled, though she wasn’t looking, and climbed out of bed—again. He went across the hall and cleaned up—again—but this time, he avoided his reflection in the mirror.

Physically he’d never felt so good, but mentally he was a mess. If she hadn’t been sprawled out on his bed, touching herself, he would have told her, but it wasn’t her fault. He should have been strong enough to hold off until after he’d come clean. It would have been the right thing to do, even if it meant they’d never have sex again.

How was it possible to feel so good and so rotten at the same time? He blew out an exasperated breath and then went across the hall, wondering what he’d encounter this time.

He reentered the bedroom and stopped in his tracks—again. She was lying on her back, one arm flung over her eyes and the sheet pulled up to her neck. She’d fallen asleep, and her chest rose and fell rhythmically to prove it.

Peaceful, satisfied, and beautiful, he thought as he studied her. And to think, he might have ruined it. Instead, he gently lifted the covers and crawled in beside her.

I’ll just rest for a while and tell her when she wakes up. He closed his eyes, and before long, he was sound asleep.

Twenty-One

Kelsey awoke with a start, and it took her a moment to remember where she was. The room was pitch black, except for the bright white numbers on the alarm clock, which read two thirty a.m. She shifted in bed and realized she was still naked underneath the sheet.

She peered at Hudson, who was lying on his side with his back to her. The sheet covered his lower half, but not enough to disguise the fact that he was still naked too. She couldn’t recall much after they’d had sex the second time, and she must have fallen asleep while he’d been cleaning up.

She was somewhat tempted to wake him, but he was breathing so evenly that she decided not to. Then her stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten dinner. They’d been too busy doing other, much more satisfying things than eating.

When her stomach growled again, she realized she wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep without eating something. She pushed off the sheet and climbed out of bed. The floor creaked, and she froze, waiting to see if he moved. He mumbled something unintelligible and went back to sleep.

She padded around the bed until she stumbled upon their discarded clothes. Feeling around, she picked up the first item of clothing she touched, his shirt. She quickly pulled it on, enjoying the softness of it and his scent, which was still trapped inside. She decided not to bother with anything else, since the shirt covered her to mid-thigh. Besides, the only one who might see her was him, and she didn’t think he’d mind.

She took one last look at him before she left the room. Luckily, she was familiar with the layout of the apartment, and she easily made it to the kitchen without bumping into anything.

When she opened the refrigerator, the first thing she saw was one of Annie’s bottles. An image of the infant’s sweet face sprang to mind, and she smiled. She wondered if he’d talked to Emily and if they’d get to see the little girl this weekend. She’d meant to ask him, but then they’d gotten naked, and she’d completely forgotten.

Spotting a full gallon of milk, she decided to have cereal, her favorite late-night snack. It was Jared’s too, so she opened the pantry to see what they had on hand. She pulled out a box of Honey Nut Cheerios, a bowl, and a spoon. After she’d poured the cereal and milk, she padded into the living room with it.

When she went to sit down, she realized somebody was already sitting there—the teddy bear she’d given Annie. She stared at it for a moment, wondering if Emily had forgotten to take it home or had purposely left it there.

Then she sat down, tucked her legs to the side, and dug into her cereal. While she was eating, her mind wandered. Stacy and Nick would be in Florida by now, and she recalled how happy her friend had sounded when she’d told her that Nick wanted her to meet his parents.

She wondered when she’d get to meet Hudson’s parents. It was still early days, but she wanted to meet them, and of course, Emily too. He’d seemed reluctant whenever she’d brought it up, though, and she questioned why. Was he anti-relationship, like Jared claimed? Maybe he never intended to introduce her to his family at all. Maybe she was just another conquest to him.

She shook her head vehemently, refusing to believe it, especially after tonight. They hadn’t just had sex; they’d made love. There was a difference—she’d felt it, and she knew he had too. The way he’d gazed at her, touched her, held her. The tenderness in his voice when he’d said her name.

She didn’t care what Jared said. She and Hudson had something meaningful and real, and over time, Jared would come to see that too.

She pushed herself off the couch and took her empty cereal bowl back to the kitchen. She probably could have eaten more, but it was enough to get her through until breakfast.

Mmm…breakfast in bed with Hudson, she thought as she rinsed out the bowl.

Then, like an apparition, his arms wrapped around her from behind, and she almost dropped the bowl. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was real, and he smiled at her.

“What are you doing up?” she asked.

“I woke up and reached for you, but you weren’t there.”

He’d pinned her to the sink, and she felt his erection pressing against her bottom. She could tell through the thin material of his shirt that he was still naked.

“I was hungry.”

“So was I,” he said and nuzzled his face in her neck.