Page 105 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson
“What from all five feet of you? Scary.”
“I mean it,” I panted.
He glanced at the screen and then at me. “Who’s Cassius?”
“Give me that,” I snarled.
“Cassius? Really, like the friendly ghost?” Hudson mocked.
My brow furrowed as I corrected him. “That’s Casper.”
“Whatever, it’s still a pussy’s name.”
“Hudson,” I gasped as he placed a firm hand on my shoulder and answered my phone. His fingers were wrapped partway across my neck, and I couldn’t move. I glanced around. Everyone had moved further into the centre of the field.
“I mean it.”
“Cool it,” he warned before he held the phone to his ear. “Hello? Oh, hi. Yeah. No, she can’t come to the phone right now. She, err, she has her hands full.”
“You are such a tosser,” I snarled under my breath.
Hudson held the phone away from his head and mouthed. “Tosser? Language.” With a cheeky wink, he then continued the conversation. “Yeah. I’ll tell her you called— when she’s dressed.”
The little shit. Although, strike that. Not so little.
I watched with my hands fisted as he ended the call looking very pleased with himself. As Hudson started to go through my phone, I lunged forward. He moved away again, and I stood there, cooling my heels with my arms folded.
Eventually, he swiped the screen and handed it back.
Snatching the handset, I snapped. “Has anyone ever said you’re unhinged?”
I thought about calling Cassius back immediately, but didn’t want to do that in front of Hudson.
“Regularly. Getting on people’s nerves is my speciality.”
I watched through narrowed eyes as Hudson crossed his arms over his chest. His body protection made it look awkward.
Sniffing, he explained. “Your boy said he’d speak to you later. Didn’t sound very impressed.”
With a sigh, I shoved the phone into the waistband of my skort. “I can’t believe you just did that.”
“Oh, believe it, baby. So, who is he? Your boyfriend, I take it? Turns out he wasn’t so friendly.”
“As I said, that’s Casper. You’re impossible. I suggest you get back to practice before I punch you.”
He held his hands up. “Wow, I imagine this must be what it feels like to be threatened by a toddler.”
“Very funny.”
“Why am I saved in your phone as Dick?”
Ah, so he’d seen that. “If the cap fits.”
“Fine. I can give you a picture to go with that if you want,” Hudson offered with a cheeky smile.
Even though I knew he was joking, I wasn’t feeling it. “That’s not happening.”
His expression turned hawkish. “Why not? I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”
