Page 14 of When We Dare

Tiffany shrugged as she grinned. “Yes. I think I’d be good at that. I don’t want to be anybody’s therapist, but I love supporting people.”

Later that night as I drove home, I pondered Tiffany’s offer. I’d been putting this idea of a brother out of my mind because it felt like too much to deal with. I didn’t want to let somebody down. I was so accustomed to life just being me and my mom against the world.

As I turned onto the road that led to the duplex, I slowed down. The northern lights were putting on a little show tonight, shimmering in the darkness. No matter how many times I saw them, they always took my breath away. But then, Alaska had a habit of doing that with breath-stealing beauty and wildlife aplenty. It helped anchor me in a world where I often felt adrift.

When I pulled into the driveway and saw Hudson’s vehicle there, my heart began to gallop in my chest, kicking along faster and faster. I’d been trying so very hard not to think too much about that kiss. I turned off my car, took a deep breath, and had a little chat with my hormones.

Calm the fuck down. I know how it goes when I let you call the shots. I make stupid decisions.

I tried to be stern. My hormones were little chatterboxes, so excited at the possibility that I might see Hudson.

I hurried up the steps a moment later, slipping in quietly. After I closed the door, I peered around furtively. I hoped the next time I saw him, he would be an ass and my brain could be stronger than my hormones.

There was a pair of boots in the tray by the door and a jacket hung on the hooks above. I presumed that meant Hudson was home, but there was no sign of him on the central floor. The kitchen lights were out. I couldn’t help but walk through to look at the view from there. Green and blue were shimmering on thelake from the northern lights above. I stepped through the door onto the deck, inhaling the crisp, icy-cold air.

“Wow,” I breathed in as I rested my hand on the railing. Northern lights usually looked like a rippling translucent curtain in the sky. Tonight, the colors were mostly green with bright blue flickering here and there along with streaks of silver. It was so beautiful that I forgot to be anxious about Hudson.

After a few minutes, I went back inside and nearly came out of my skin when Hudson said, “Beautiful lights tonight, huh?”

“Oh, my God!” I yelped as I spun around. My palm flew to my chest where I could feel the pounding of my heart.

“Didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.

Still trying to catch my breath, I muttered, “Well, you did.”

He held both hands up. “I come in peace. I was just coming up to grab some water.”

He fetched a glass out of the cabinet and dropped some ice cubes in it before filling it with water. “The water is filtered here by the way, so no need to waste money on bottled water,” he offered before he took a swallow.

I was just standing there, stuck in place. I thought I needed some ice, anything, to quell the heat rising like a fire burning out of control inside. My mind, suddenly feeble, tried to beat back the force. I took a quick breath. I heard myself swallowing and the sound was loud in the quiet kitchen.

“Are you okay?” Hudson asked.

I tried to get some more air, but my lungs weren’t cooperating. All I could get was the tiniest sip of air.

His eyes narrowed in concern. “It’s the kiss, isn’t it?” he asked, setting his glass down on the counter as he took a few steps closer to me.

I was still rooted in place beside the kitchen island.

I shook my head quickly. “Oh, no!” I wanted to play it cool. As if I hadn’t been obsessing about that kiss every second thatmy mind wasn’t otherwise occupied. As if I hadn’t come in the darkness with his name on my lips.

“Maybe we should talk about that,” he added next.

I felt my eyes go wide as I shook my head wildly this time, so hard that my curls bounced against my cheeks.

“It’s no big deal. Maybe we should pretend like it never happened,” he offered.

This time, my mouth got ahead of my brain. “Well, itdidhappen.”

His lips quirked at the corners. “It did.”

I wanted to slip into his thoughts and see if he was as desperate for me as I was for him.

“I don’t do relationships!” I practically shouted.

For fuck’s sake, shut up.

Hudson cocked his head to the side, his eyes narrowing curiously. “Ok-aaaay,” he said slowly. “I don’t either. Why are you telling me this?”

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