Page 73 of Roughing It

“They must’ve taken screenshots, and now they’re tagging me in their posts, so it’s flooding my feed.”

“I understand all those words, but not in this context,” he grumbles. Running his hand through his hair, he frowns at me. “Explain it like I’m five.”

“Um, people took pictures of the video, then added my name so more people will see them, including me.”

Hudson scowls as I close the app and take his hands in mine. “Hey, talk to me.”

“I told you I had worries about being on camera and this,” he gestures between us. “And now, this moment—a fucking private moment that should’ve been only ours—is online for strangers. I don’t like all those people talking about us.” He rises from the bed, pacing back and forth in the tight space between the mattress and the couch.

“You’re the one who said I’m too concerned with what people think of me. What are you really upset about?”

“There’s a difference between someone critiquing my business based on merit and people widely speculating about andhaving access to my private life. And how is this good for my business? Wasn’t that the arrangement? How is someone having video of me kissing you helping?” His voice is hard. “It makes me look unprofessional and could hurt my reputation. I warned you about that before—” He trails off.

Ice grips my heart at the implications of his words. Does he already regret what we did last night? Is he done with this?

Rather than let the ice spread, I fight back with fire. “Before what? Beforeyoukissedmeafter saying no more? Before you looked me in the eye and said we would happen?” I blink back tears. “It was an accident. I didn’t do this on purpose. What? You think I threw myself overboard in a bid for attention?”

When he doesn’t immediately tell me no, I slump over as if struck. Then I sit up, lifting my chin. I put on my most professional voice and will all the ice in my chest to my eyes. “As far as how this helps you? Are you fucking serious? Guess what, Bear? Half a million people know who you are and are looking you up right now. And do you know what they’ll find?”

He doesn’t answer me.

I rise from the bed, striding toward him, the sheet hanging behind me like a bedraggled toga. “They’ll find a brave man who jumped in the water to save a woman. A sensitive man comforting a scared woman and a considerate man wrapping a cold, wet woman in a dry blanket. And all these things lead them to Peak Adventures, boosting your reputation, not hurting it.”

I cross my arms and glare at him. “So the only thing left for you to be upset or ashamed of is kissing me or thinking I did this on purpose.”

“Are you done?” His snarled question catches me off guard, and I give him a slight nod. The next thing I know, powerful arms are around me, and I’m being picked up. My legs automatically wrap around his waist, fastening myself to him.

“That’s not what I said or meant, and you damn well know it. It’s not about being ashamed of you. It’s about all those strangers seeing us kissing on the job.” Hudson runs his nose down my face, and his voice softens. “Hear me. Understand me. I don’t regret this. You. Us. I want you.” He punctuates his words by rolling his hips so his hard cock presses into the growing heat between my legs. “I would just fucking prefer that whatever is happening between the two of us be without all the bullshit that’s a part of the Blakely Bradshaw show.” He waves one hand in the air toward my now discarded phone.

I unhook my legs and slide down his body until my feet touch the ground. Then I put space between us. “That’s not fair, Hudson. It’s not like I came here expecting to find someone I could see myself—” I stop and take a breath. “Someone like you. But you’re right. What’s out there now isn’t what you signed up for. It was an accident, but that doesn’t change anything.” I drop my head, staring at his chest as I mumble, “Wedon’t even know about us, not really. This is brand new.”

Stifling a small, unexpected sob, I turn my back on him. “I’m sorry you got caught up in all this, and I understand if you want to end it.”

The room blurs as Hudson grips me, spinning me to face him. He uses his thumb and index finger to guide my chin upward, forcing our eyes to meet. “No. This isn’t ending. I told you to hear me, you stubborn thing. I don’t regret us.” He brushes his fingers against my jaw and down my neck, gently squeezing it. “How could I? I wasn’t expecting last night, but I’m not done. Not by a long shot.”

My eyes flutter as he strokes my skin. He presses his lips against mine and hugs me close.

“What now?”

Sighing, I hide my face in his chest. “Now, I need to callKirk back. He’ll have advice.” I stand on my tippy toes and give Hudson a quick kiss. “Could you make me a coffee? It’s my turn to apologize, but I need to put on some clothes before I call him.”

“Yeah.” Hudson kisses the top of my head and pads to the kitchen. I drink in the expanse of his back and how it tapers at his waist, and the way his sleep pants cling to his ass. Then, with a sigh, I layer on the armor I brought with me from the city.

Hair tamed, face fixed, clothes on, I straighten from where I sit on the couch as Kirk’s face fills the video screen.

“It’s massive, huh? There are clips all over. You two are trending on multiple platforms. And no wonder. A dramatic accident, that was you falling into the water, a big heroic rescue—Hudson dragging you back into the boat. The caretaking, him embracing you and wrapping you in a blanket. And, of course, the peak moment when you kissed. People are losing their minds over it.”

At my silence, the smile falls off Kirk’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Hudson has some… concerns about how this looks from a professional side.”

“Tell him not to worry. All the comments about him are positive.”

“And what about me?” I ask, quirking a single eyebrow at my manager.

Kirk shrugs. “You know how it is, Blakely. There’s some bitterness out there. But you can’t take it personally.”

“I didn’t go comment diving. What are you seeing?”

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