Page 74 of Seductive Architect
“Wow.”
His apartment was nothing like I imagined. Where I expected ultra-modern, slick design, he chose mid-century modern. The living room wall couldn’t be a more vibrant blue if he tried. Hudson had excellent taste in furniture, to where he could be featured in a?—
“Where did you get the idea for your furniture?”
“I uh…”
The throw pillows on the couch had been karate chopped, each one with a perfect crease in the middle. Even the unused candles on the coffee table had a photo-ready layout. His bookcase featured carefully placed books, all facing the wrong way, as if he wanted to obscure the titles.
“Did you see this in a magazine?”
“Is that bad?”
“No,” I chuckled. “I’m mad I didn’t think of it first.”
“There is something I did on my own.”
Off the living room, a short hallway had two doors, I assumed, leading to the bedrooms. He opened the one on the left and gestured for me to enter. I had hoped for cuddling and him rambling to keep me from thinking about Connie, but if he wanted to hop into bed, I wouldn’t say no.
It was more glorious than a king-sized mattress.
He had pushed the furniture to the side to accommodate a whiteboard. I recognized the red string and printouts. Heck, several of the photos were nearly identical to my own. Hudson had entered the world of truth seeking, and it appeared as if he belonged here.
“It’s not as thorough as yours.”
As I walked in, I recognized the mystical symbol used by the Illuminati. I scanned his notes, following his connection to… “How did you link their cabal to the clones in the government?”
He stood behind me, hands on my waist. I found it difficult to concentrate as his groin pressed against my backside. His chin rested on my shoulder when I took his hands, wrapping them around my chest.
“Senator McAfee.” I didn’t quite follow. “He had been spotted at the High Tower club. Then I cross-checked their entry logs and found a pattern with sign-in times of threesuspected members. One of them, Representative Hallows, just so happens to have a stake in a research facility. Guess what they’re researching?”
The number of laws he broke in pursuit of the truth left me swooning. “How did you get access to their logs? They don’t keep digital files.” I should know. I had been trying to get access to them for months.
“Grant works the front desk. Just so happens, he stops by the bagel place around the corner every day on his way to work. We struck a deal.”
I wasn’t impressed. I was in love.
When I turned around, I couldn’t help but let my jaw hang open. I thought he had read a book in an effort to understand my madness. I didn’t realize he’d dive in and take the initiative to find the truth. If he confessed to playing video games, I’d say… well, that he had been built in a lab just for me. At least half of that was true.
My lips pressed against his, forcing his mouth open so our tongues could dance. Running my hands along the back of his head, I leaned into him until my lips ached. When I pulled away, I held his bottom lip between my teeth, giving it a soft bite before letting go.
“We’re going to have sex, aren’t we?”
“Any objections?” I asked.
Instead of answering, he lifted me off my feet. Carrying me as if I weighed nothing, we left the spare bedroom and moved into his room. With a slight toss, I landed on theking-sized bed. As much as I wanted to study his body and tease, right now I wanted a rough tumble with this gorgeous bear.
Hudson avoided eye contact as he fiddled with his thumbs. I knew the expression well. He wanted to try something new. “Can we, uhm… Can I try something?”
Another first for his book. I’d always say yes.
“We can try whatever you want.”
I sat up, pulling my shirt over my head. As I fought with the sleeves, I thought I heard the whispers of Vanguard traffic. A moment later, I swore the scent of fragrant flowers filled the room. When I pulled off my shirt, I found the bed sitting amidst a rooftop overgrown with plants. Overhead, the moon occupied enough of the sky that I’d think it was hurtling toward Earth.
“What the…”
Underneath the howl of the wind, I could sense the code. As I followed it to the source, I found Hudson with a devilish grin. I could still feel the bed underneath my fingers, but I knew we existed somewhere between reality and the same construct I used to stop Apex.
