Page 62 of The Art of You

“We talk to your brothers, and I think I need a word with Kit about her source.”

Not what I’d meant, but I supposed that was my fault for not being specific. I went ahead and rolled with it.Kit.A thorn in our sides. “Oh.”

“As for what happens between us, though . . .” He let his physical guard down, his arms dropping to his sides. “I don’t know.”

That was better than avoidance or rejection. “This just happened. It wasn’t planned, so we, um?—”

“Wasn’t planned, hmm?” A smile tugged at the edges of his lips. “Little Miss No Panties.”

“Right, well.” I fidgeted with the hem of my Metallica tee. I probably needed to change before heading to the kitchen, also put on some underwear and wash the smell of sex from between my legs.

He stepped forward and swept the pad of his thumb along the curve of my cheek. “We’ll talk about this at some point, okay?” His voice had switched from playful to serious.

I did my best to fasten my lips with some imaginary tape so I wouldn’t stumble into word-vomit territory like I was so good at.

“Are you okay?” His gaze worried its way up and down my body as if calculating whether or not he fucked up and did hurt me.

“I don’t regret what happened, if that’s what you’re asking.” I kept my tone as steady as possible once he met my eyes. “I only regret not doing more.”

Chapter 24

Hudson

There were onlya few things in life I truly feared anymore. As I stood there outside the kitchen door, bracing against the frame, mentally preparing myself to go in, I realized facing off with Bella’s brothers was one of them. Notwalking before a firing squad to my own executionkind of fear. The much uglier kind.Rejection.

By now, all three Costas surely knew I’d been alone with their sister in my bedroom. And no doubt Constantine would assume I’d broken my word to him.

That five seconds of airport time with Bella had blurred into five minutes ofI’d lost my damn mind.I didn’t know what to think, or how to feel about what happened. Not yet, at least. But I did know not even my fear of her brothers rejecting the possibility of us would actually stop me if I made up my mind about what I wanted.

The question was, could I change? Was it even possible for me to start over at forty-two?

I lifted my chin, searching the ceiling as if Bianca might bewatching over us and could tell me what to do. Preferably in the form of orders. Those were easier to follow than my heart.

When the door abruptly swung inward, my forward lean nearly sent me colliding with Constantine.

“I was just coming to find you. We were getting worried.” He scrutinized me like a human lie detector, waiting for me to trip up. Nothing got by this man.

Constantine may have been overprotective with his sister, like a dad to her, but the man had also stepped in as one for me. Despite being the same age, he’d always been there for me, recognizing my old man was severely lacking in the fatherly department and picked up the slack when I needed it most.

I’d never forget my first year in New York. My father, a senator-hopeful at the time, had landed me a scholarship at a too-rich-for-my-blood private school. At sixteen, I’d been a classic nerd, more interested in video games,Star Wars, and reading than sports. Without money to buy myself protection, you could say I was getting my ass kicked on a regular basis.

Then one day, Constantine stepped in. He’d seen enough, and he’d laid the ground rules for the whole school with one simple statement:“You have a problem with Hudson, you have a problem with me.”

No one ever bothered me again. He’d taken me under his wing, and while my inner nerd was still very much part of me, I’d changed from that point on. Became stronger and more resilient. Toughened up both mentally and physically. Joined the Navy and became a frogman.

And now I’ve made out with your little sister.

Guilt clutched me by the throat, closing off my oxygen. After everything he’d done for me, always having my six no matter what, I’d let him down. Crossed the line with Bella I promised I’d never go over.

“Hudson?” Constantine slapped a hand over my shoulder,careful to avoid the bad one where the seat belt had dug in during the accident. “You with me or somewhere else?”

Keeping the door open with his shoulder, he waited for me to answer, but I continued to quietly stand there, my mind going numb.

“Why don’t you come in and sit?” he offered, recognizing I was lost to my thoughts.

“I’ll stand.” I pushed away from the doorframe, and he dropped his hand.

“Then do the standing thing in the kitchen?” A smile ghosted his lips.

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