Page 66 of Baking With A Rockstar

Caffeinated Charlie, and non-caffeinated Charlie.

One of those is a lot easier to handle in the morning than the other.

She gives me a small push. “Go get your butt ready then. I’ll hop back downstairs and stare at those two hunks all by myself.”

I look at the crutches that lean on one side of the couch. “Are you gonna be okay getting back down by yourself? I can help you.”

She waves me off. “Nope, I’m all good. Promise.”

“Please call me or one of the guys if you need help, all right?” I’m still not sure how much I trust her, since Monica likes to downplay her injuries whenever possible. But short of throwing her over my shoulder, there isn’t much else I can do.

“Will do. Now, let’s get going. I’m ready to eat some more breakfast too. Good thing you tend to bake so much more than you need. There are always leftovers in your kitchen.”

I grimace before grabbing my things from the nightstand. “If both Gabe and Hudson are down there, you better hurry up. You’re actually lucky if they haven’t eaten everything by now. Those twolivefor breakfast.”

“They better not.”

* * *

A tingle runs down my spine when Hudson waits for me at the bottom of the stairs. “There you are.”

The smile on his face has my face breaking out in one too. He stares at me as if it’s been days or months since he’s seen me, rather than hours. The look in his eyes makes me excited and a little shy at the same time, but it’s a look I’ll never tire of because it’s just for me.

It’smylook.

By now, I’d also recognize his voice pretty much anywhere—it’s warm and genuine, with a rasp that gives it a sexy edge—and it’s actually become one of my favorite things about him that never fails to get some sort of reaction from my body.

“Sorry I took so long. I just needed a long, hot shower. I probably shouldn’t have left you alone with Mo for that long.”

He’s standing at the foot of the staircase, gazing up at me with an adorable smile on his face. “No need to apologize, we’re all good. I just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

Leaning my head to the side, I study him. “You didn’t run away from Mo, did you? She can be a bit overwhelming sometimes when you don’t know her, but I promise she’s harmless.”

“What? No, I like her. She’s a bit grumpy because of her leg but that’s understandable. I can tell she’s funny though.” Coming a little closer, he lowers his voice to a whisper. “But I also quickly realized how happy I am after all that she’s not staying with us. That means I don’t have to share you with her, at least not all the time.”

“I was just thinking about that too.” I feel a little bad at my admission but also glad I’m not the only one. “I love her, and I’m thrilled she’s here, but I also want to spend time with you.”

Since I’m just a step above him, that puts us at almost the same height. We’re close, really close, and I watch him while he studies me intently. Looking at him is one of my new favorite things to do. I mean, this man is simply gorgeous.

“How are you feeling?” His voice is low as his gaze flickers down to my mouth every few seconds.

Even though he didn’t say anything inappropriate, my breathing quickens. “I’m feeling good. Very good, actually. You’ve done an excellent job taking care of me. Thank you.”

Without consciously thinking about it, I lean in marginally, and he closes the last bit of the distance between us.

When his lips meet mine, my body relaxes instantaneously.

The kiss is light and sweet, and I want to stay like this for the whole day. What a perfect day that would be.

But reality crashes down on us pretty quickly when the noise from the kitchen filters out into the foyer.

Our lips part, and Hudson presses his forehead to mine. “You made it easy. You both did, actually. You just needed a lot of sleep and some food and liquids to get better. Mira did a lot better than I expected too. She barely woke up at night, and whenever she did, it wasn’t anything that a few cuddles or a bottle couldn’t make better.”

Nurse Hudson.Swoon.

My hands stretch out, trying to find his without looking away from his face. “You are an incredible person, Hudson. Seriously. There aren’t a lot of people that are as selfless and kind as you are, and I truly appreciate it.” I could go on and on with my praise—he’s such a polar opposite of Sebastian—but I don’t want to overwhelm him.

Instead of responding, he pulls me into his chest, his lips finding mine once more. This kiss isn’t anything like the one we shared before.

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