Page 12 of SEAL's Secret

Hudson tipped back a beer, laughing with his buddies on the beach that Saturday as Sawyer told them about a date gone wrong the other night. Apparently, the woman had just broken up with her boyfriend, and the guy was pissed when he saw her out a few nights later with Sawyer. While his friend’s antics were amusing to listen to, and Sawyer seemed to never have a dull story, Hudson hadn’t been feeling it lately. He found himself no longer into the bar scene that had been his game for so long, and even if a pretty woman approached him, he just wasn’t interested in bringing her home.

His gaze briefly scanned over his group of friends. Aaron had arranged for the team to get together, and Hudson had a feeling that Emersyn would be staying here in Oahu permanently. While she hadn’t made any such announcement to the group yet, she was all smiles, beaming at his teammate as they stood slightly apart from everyone, talking and seemingly lost in their own little world.

Hell.

Half of his teammates were in a relationship now. His team leader Wyatt was cozied up with his fiancée Callie, and Austin was here with Alexa. Hudson, Sawyer, and Ryan were the only single guys left. Emersyn’s laughter trailed across the sand, and his gaze briefly swept her way. She looked a damn lot like her sister, but he wasn’t attracted to her the way he’d been with Layton. And there he went again, thinking about the beautiful, sexy blonde he’d slept with a month ago. He’d kept his questions about her casual ever sense, not wanting to ask Emersyn too many details, but he also sensed Aaron was onto him.

Hudson couldn’t help it. The idea of her going back to her old life, dating some other guy—kissing him, letting him strip her bare—made Hudson see red. He had no hold over her, no right to feel that way, but the mere thought of Layton with another man was like a punch to the gut. And wasn’t that a fucking reality check. He’d almost texted her a handful of times, wanting to tell her something funny or see how she was doing. Ask if she’d nearly dropped any other huge boxes. She sold homes, however, and didn’t typically help her clients move.

Shit. He should’ve looked her up online. Hudson wasn’t on social media, but didn’t all realtors have a website these days? Maybe seeing her photo would’ve been the kick in the ass he needed. He’d take one last look at those pretty blue eyes and just—move on.

“You should give up, Sawyer,” Ryan said as he chuckled. “You have the damn worst luck with the ladies. Did that guy actually try to throw a punch?”

“Nah,” Sawyer countered. “She told him off, and I ended up taking her home. The pancakes she made me the next morning were almost as good as the sex.”

Ryan nearly choked on his beer.

Callie eyed Sawyer thoughtfully, not seeming to believe the playboy attitude he had. “I don’t know, Sawyer. You play a good game, but when you fall, you’re going to fall hard.”

“And I can’t wait to see it,” Alexa said with a peal of laughter. “You act like you don’t give a shit, but it’s all for show. I think you’re secretly a big softie inside.”

“Nothing about me is soft,” Sawyer countered with a wicked grin. “If you ladies weren’t already dating my buddies, I’d let you take a ride and see for yourself.”

Alexa burst into laughter. “You wish,” she said.

“Can it,” Wyatt told Sawyer, shooting him an irritated look.

Aaron walked over to the group. “Guess the party has already started over here,” he joked. “I figure you’ll be happy with the newest arrival,” he added, looking smug as he glanced at Hudson.

“How’s that?” Hudson asked, taking a pull of his beer.

Aaron nodded toward where Emersyn was standing with another woman, and Hudson did a double-take. “Holy shit. Layton’s here?”

At that moment, she looked directly at him, and he felt a strange tug in his chest at seeing her for the first time since they’d slept together. She looked so pretty it almost hurt. Her blonde hair blew in the breeze, and she had on another little sundress, hugging those curves he loved. Her cheeks pinkened slightly as their eyes met, and he recalled how gruff his voice had been as he’d growled in her ear, telling her to come for him. He’d given her sweet little clit a pinch, and then she’d gone wild, climaxing in his arms and crying out his name like he was the only thing holding her together.

Was she remembering that night as well? No doubt. It had been a private moment between the two of them, something only they shared. Yet right now, Hudson felt like the entire beach could see right through him, know exactly how he felt about this woman.

He was moving without thought, walking toward the sisters without waiting for an explanation from Aaron. His teammate had clearly known she was coming, and there’d been no reason for Aaron to tell him. Not any reason Aaron knew about, at any rate. Layton paled slightly as Hudson approached, and he felt a surge of protectiveness wash over him. Did she think he was going to be a dick to her? No doubt she probably had trust issuesgiven her prick of an ex, but hell. Hudson might’ve claimed her without a single regret, enjoying an illicit night together as they’d made wild love on the beach, but he wasn’t an asshole.

“Layton,” he said as he got closer, his voice rough. “I didn’t know you were in town again.”

“Surprise,” she said weakly. He searched her gaze, wondering why she seemed so worried. Hudson quickly surveyed the area around her. There wasn’t another man standing around, so she hadn’t brought a boyfriend. His gut clenched. Layton wasn’t his. But the idea of her flying with a man to Hawaii was enough to make him want to punch the imaginary guy in the face. A torrent of emotions churned through him.

Hudson didn’t date. He didn’t have relationships. So why the fuck was the idea of Layton in one twisting up his insides? He didn’t know the first thing about what she’d been doing for the past month, and inexplicably, regret churned through him.

She was probably upset he’d never reached out. They hadn’t promised one another a thing, but her sister was dating one of his best friends. He could’ve at least shot off a quick text to see how she was doing back in D.C.

A little blonde girl ran up and handed him a seashell, her hands and dress covered with sand. Hudson awkwardly took it from her, wondering if the child’s mom would be upset with her talking to strangers. “Uh—thanks,” he finally said as she stared up at him with big blue eyes. “Where’d she come from?” he asked in confusion as the child ran back down the beach once more, grabbing some more shells from by the water.

“You don’t like kids?” Emersyn asked after the girl had run off, clearly picking up on his discomfort.

“I don’t think I ever want kids,” Hudson admitted. “I was raised in foster care and—” He shrugged. No sense in bringing upthose shitty memories. The women wouldn’t want to hear about getting sent from home to home as a child and teenager, having nothing but a garbage bag to carry around his few belongings. If people treated you and your stuff like shit, you began to feel like that’s all you were worth. Emersyn and Layton didn’t need to know any of that. This was supposed to be a party, not a psychoanalysis of his childhood.

His gaze swung back to Layton, who was beginning to look visibly upset. Hudson frowned. They might not have spoken since their night together, but that didn’t mean he wanted to see her in distress either.

“I need to get going. I shouldn’t have come tonight,” Layton said in a clipped tone.

“Layton—” he started, feeling his heart pound as she was already pulling back. She’d just gotten here. It wasn’t right for her to rush off because of him.

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