Page 87 of Georgia-Blue & Hudson

I love him touching me, but it only makes matters worse when we’re going to part ways in a matter of minutes.

“Cool?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Like what we said back in Florida.”

“Of course we’re gonna be cool,” he says. And I don’t know if I like his assurance or not because I want him to pull the truck over and yank me into his lap and show me. I want him to tell me it’s ridiculous trying to deny what we have and we should just throw caution to the wind. “I don’t want you worrying about it, or how we act around each other. We just do what we always do.”

I side-eye him.Is he serious?“Bicker and tease one another?”

“You’re the one who named me GP.”

“That’s because until this weekend, I thought you were eternally grumpy.”

“And now you don’t?”

I shrug. “I’ve just seen a different side to you.”

He stares at me for a long moment. I’ve no idea what he’s going to say. Am I supposed to be the world’s greatest actress and pretend this has had no effect on me? I can’t do that.

“I’ve seen a different side to you, too.”

This sucks!

The first thing I’m going to be doing is calling Celeste for an emergency meeting. I need her advice.

I look out of the side window as we pass the farmland and the acres of greenery that stretch out before us. It feels good being home, but bittersweet in a way because I never wanted my time with him to end. I bite my lip, afraid when we part ways that I won’t see him for ages, and I also don’t want to appear needy. I’m not a needy person, but this is going to take everything I have.

We’re home in no time and Hudson is in no hurry to leave. That gives me some comfort as he hauls my luggage out onto the gravel driveway.

“Thanks for everything this weekend.” I can’t even look him in the eye. He picks up my two suitcases and walks them to my casita door as I grab my duffel bag.

When he drops the cases, he licks his lips and hesitates, running a hand over his head.

Again, it’s like he wants to say something, but then changes his mind. Instead, he presses his lips together. He doesn’t touch me again, which leaves a notable emptiness all the way down to my toes. It’s a sinking feeling, and I realize now how naive I’ve been in thinking that we could just bang and that’s it. I’m an idiot.

I bite back the sting I’m already feeling behind my eyes and the lump in my throat.

Finally, he says, “You don’t have to thank me. I had a great time.” He swallows hard. “I hope you did, too.”

Is it not obvious?

It’s not like I’m not going to see him again, but it’s different now.

I already feel it. He doesn’t want to continue and that stabs at my heart.

How the hell did I think this was going to be a good idea?I had my Hudson Nash blinkers on and now I’m paying the price.

“I never had the time of my life until this weekend,” I whisper to save me from tears.

He watches me intently. “It was a great weekend. I had the time of my life, too.”

I don’t know what else to say so I keep quiet in case I crack.

“I’ll see you around, okay?”he says.

“Sure.”

He steps by my suitcases and makes his way back to his truck as I watch him. My eyes flicking down to his taut backside. He turns, as if on cue, and walks backwards. “You know it’s gonna take you a century to put all that shopping away,shortie.”

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