Page 31 of SEAL's Secret

Hudson shook his head. “She’s a cute kid. How could anyone resist?”

Layton stopped beside him on the front porch of his small home, her purse swinging from where it hung on her shoulder. She’d worn a sundress, which wasn’t exactly going to deter Hudson from checking her out. Not that she minded. Layton found she enjoyed his eyes on her a little too much.

Hudson towered above her, and he shifted the suitcases to give her more space at his side. “It kind of feels like we’ve done this before,” he quipped, his voice low and husky.

“Yeah. I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Never thought you’d be my moving partner-in-crime, princess. Should I offer our services to some of the guys from base next time they need to move?”

“Only if you do all the heavy lifting.”

He chuckled. “You don’t seem to mind watching me,” he teased. “I noticed that day we moved Emersyn in that you were checking me out.”

“That’s what got us into trouble in the first place,” she said lightly, gesturing toward her stomach. “We’ll have to be good this time around.”

“Dunno. You can’t get pregnant again. Maybe we should give it a go,” he teased, those dark eyes sparkling with mischief.

“Hudson.”

“Just so you know, I’d never turn you down. I can, however, be a gentleman and keep my hands to myself if that’s what you prefer.”

“It’s safer that way,” she said, her voice wavering.

Hudson’s gaze softened. “You’re safe with me. Maybe you don’t believe that yet, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a shot. We are, after all, having a baby together.” He slid the key into the lock, turning the knob. “I’ll give you a spare key. Unless you want lockbox access,” he joked.

“Very funny. I’m actually starting at my new office tomorrow.”

“I know. Aaron mentioned it to me earlier. I’m impressed you moved to Hawaii and are already off and running.”

She shrugged, walking into his home as he gestured for her to go first. “It’s not like I had a choice, right? Someone’s gotta pay the bills, and Caroline’s a bit young to work.” Hudson frowned, and she shot him another exasperated look. “I’m joking! I love my job in real estate. Usually, homeowners are so excited to buy a new home, and I get to be there for that.”

“Usually?” he asked, setting both suitcases down.

“Well, sometimes when I’m the selling agent, the person is sad to be moving. They might have a lot of memories there or else be leaving because they need to downsize. Moving by choice is different than being forced to leave.”

Hudson was silent, and a feeling of alarm washed over her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up how you had to move a lot. It’s just, I deal with all sorts of people and—”

“It’s fine.”

“It’s not,” she said, and Hudson’s eyes grew warm. He looked concerned that she was upset and rambling on.

“Hey.” He moved closer to her, getting into her personal space and brushing back a strand of her hair. “People move all the time. Plenty of military families PCS every couple of years without having a choice in the matter. I get it.”

“You won’t have to PCS though, right?”

“Why? Would you miss me?” She grew flustered, and Hudson suddenly caught her in his arms, those big hands landing on her hips. Her body warmed, loving the feel of his hands on her. “I’m just teasing you, princess. It’s unlikely they’d ship me somewhere else. Deploy? Yes. But move? Nah. Now, I won’t be a SEAL forever, so that could change things. I wouldn’t just abandon my kid though. Or you,” he added, playfully touching one finger to the tip of her nose.

“Hudson.”

He smiled as he released her. That such a big guy could be so playful sometimes caught her off guard. He had a gruff looking demeanor, but Layton knew he also had a heart of gold. Most people probably wouldn’t see that, because Layton didn’t think he let a lot of people in. Somehow, they got one another, different as though they may be. “Bedrooms are down the hall,” Hudson said. “Living room. Kitchen. Little patio out back. The house is small but private. I got tired of apartment life.”

“Can’t say I blame you.” She looked around. It was a typical bachelor pad, but with large windows so you could see the palm trees and landscaping outside. It suited him somehow. It just felt…cozy. Safe.

“What time are they bringing Caroline by?”

“In another hour or so. I figured it was best to settle in and…talk.”

He sucked in a breath. “Yeah. Probably so. You basically just landed, but we’ve got a lot going on. Do we need to buy baby stuff? Make doctor appointments? I should figure out benefits and everything with work.”

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