Page 138 of Force a Date

With bated breath, I open the door and am immediately yanked forward, crashing into Hudson’s broad chest before his mouth crashes into mine.

I have no idea what color his shirt is, his pants, if his hair is disheveled or clean cut, but the urgency in Hudson’s kiss only indicates how much he missed me. His tongue expertly knows how to taste me and I’m so buzzed by his scent and presence that my eyes are still closed when he ends the kiss abruptly and pulls me into the present.

“Hey, baby.”

Fuck me, that voice.

I crack my eyelids and find Hudson with a smirk on his face, obviously pleased with himself, as always, with how he can get me to forget what the hell we were about to do in the first place.

“You’re a tease, Hudson Stoll.”

“The moment I walk through this door, Opie…I’ll have to behave myself.”

My eyes roll but a ghost of a smile plasters on my face. “Leave it to you to find a way around things.”

“I have a surprise for you.” He brings his hand from around his back and displays a bouquet of white daisies and pink carnations. “They reminded me of you.”

Yeah, so I’m not entirely huge on flowers, but this man just made me swoon so hard from the thought that I think I’m going to become a fan.

Especially when it gives me the opportunity to thank him properly for them.

“They’re beautiful,” I reply, plucking them from his grasp. “Thank you. I love them.”

“And I love you, Op,” he reminds me before his thumb reaches up to graze my cheek. “You ready?”

“I am,” I profess as lightly as I can. “Are you?”

“She’s going to love me,” Hudson replies confidently. “What’s not to love?”

Facts.

However, I can’t help but mess with him a bit. “The fact that you hate chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.”

Hudson scoffs. “They’re not real chicken. And why the hell would I eat small-ass nuggets when I can eat a whole damn?—”

“I eat them.”

He snorts, then sighs. “And I eat you, so…maybe I like them, after all.”

I smile and step back to walk inside, feeling slightly better about the situation because Rory has a good sense of judgment on her. Once when we were in Target, a middle-aged woman said hello to her and she didn’t respond back. Minutes later, said woman was pulling a full-blown Karen moment at the return counter. I have no doubt Rory will see Hudson for who he truly is and not the intimidating wall of a man loaded in black ink.

“Hey, Rory,” I call out, closing the door and focusing on my breathing. “The new guy is here.”

Hudson glimpses over his shoulder at me with a scowl. “The new guy?”

A bubble of laughter escapes my lips when Rory comes flying away from all her Barbies to scoop Hudson out. I’ve already spoken to her about having a visitor so she wasn’t thrown off. And I answered all of her questions honestly and seriously.

Does he have money for toys?

Does he eat macaroni and cheese?

Does he play Barbies?

Are there any kids he’s going to bring over?

Do I love him?

The kid never ceases to amaze me on a daily basis and I’m not sure where the question came from but I’m thinking maybe it’s because Marshall has already broken some of the ice for me. He’s been dating a doctor for over six months now and Rory seems to really like her.

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