Page 38 of Off the Record

Am I? It’s what I want, and it feels right. The idea of letting the pain go and moving forward with him takes a burden of weight from my shoulders, making me feel lighter already. I let out a heavy sigh. “Yes.”

He steps forward, pulling me against him so quickly I’m not sure what’s happening until his arms are around me and our bodies are pressed tightly together. “I’m so sorry, Paisley,” he says, burying his face in my neck, his body curving around me like he can absorb me into his hug.

It feels good, so I sink into him. “Please don’t keep things from me again.”

“It’s not lost on me that we succeeded because we worked together,” he says, his voice muffled by my frizzy hair. He leans away to look in my eyes, his hands roving my back and waist. “Trying to save it alone got me nowhere. We make a good team.”

“We’re unstoppable. I have a good feeling about the fate of this paper.”

“I have a good feeling aboutus,” he counters, drawing my chin up and holding my gaze.

Fire flashes in his eyes while he waits a moment, giving me a chance to pull away before lowering his lips to mine. He kisses me tenderly, savoring each moment, his hands sliding over my waist while his lips explore. I push aside my reservations and fears and let myself have this moment. We only have two months to plan and one full quarter to succeed, but I think we can do it.

Hudson tips my head, deepening the kiss, his chest rising against mine while his hands cradle my face. My body and heart both react, reaching for him, needing more of him. When he leans back, his blue eyes sparkle down at me. “I want to do that every day for the rest of my life.”

I laugh at the absurdity of it, but my stomach jolts, because I want it too.

“One day at a time,” I tell him, before leaning in to kiss him again.

epilogue

Six Months Later

“The numbers are in,”Hudson says, taking my hand and pulling me into his office. He closes the door and gently pushes me against the wall where no one in the office will see us. If someone opens the door, we’ll get smacked.

“If this is you trying to tell me that Mr. Prescott wants a meeting to decide the fate of our paper, then stop right now and explain yourself.”

He puts his hands on the wall, blocking me in, then lowers his face until his lips are on mine. “He already did,” he says between kisses.

“So are we celebrating?” I kiss him back. “Or mourning?”

His hands go around my waist, pulling me close. “Celebrating.”

I squeal, my arms going around his neck. “We did it!”

“We did. I’m staying on as managing editor. If we can keep up the revenue increase, we can hire more staff at the end of the next quarter.”

“I have ideas for that.”

“I’m sure you do, but I want to hear them later.” He kisses me again.

I let him for another minute before pulling away. “We talked about this. No cavorting on company time.”

“This is off the record.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Sure it does,” he says, trying to pull me back. “I’ll clock out for the next fifteen minutes.”

“You’re salary.”

“You’re ruining this.”

I laugh loudly, then stifle it. “You’re going to get me in trouble,” I hiss.

“I’myour boss,” he reminds me.

But I already know. Kyla was fired two months ago for being caught doing this very thing with a guy fromThe Tennessee Outdoors, so it’s important we set an example. Leo moved to theTribunewhen we had to cut a third of the office back in November, thanks to the consultant’s recommendations, but I think Hudson was as happy to see the back of him as I was. Leo and Kyla broke up shortly after that—greener pastures of women in theTribuneoffice, I’m guessing. Simone, Stan, and Andrea stuck with us, and we’ve been working more as a team to save the paper than ever before.

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