Page 23 of Playing With Fire
“Be my guest.” I wave him toward the chair.
I take a seat on the blanket next to him and Serafina, but angle myself so I can see Hudson instead of the lake. The view’s better this direction anyway.
“Were you just out for a walk?” I ask, quietly making conversation while trying like hell to stop noticing the way his hair is wet and single droplets are trailing a path down his neck and shoulder. Serafina is completely unbothered by the minuscule amount of water, whereas I’m about to pay homage to it.
“A run and a swim,” he corrects.
“A triathlete, huh?” I ask, impressed.
His laugh vibrates low in my stomach. “Hell no,” he whispers. “I hate cardio. I love the health benefits, but not enough to subject myself to that kind of training every day. Tell me,” he says, flexing his free arm and my mouth goes dry when his biceps pops. “Do I really look like I have the physique of a triathlete?”
I take the opportunity to really look him over. His pecs alone make his argument. Not that bulky, muscular guys can’t be triathletes, it’s just really hard to maintain that kind of mass while you’re burning four thousand calories or more in a day.
“No, I suppose you don’t,” I manage to croak out before following it up with, “do you come here often?”
“Every chance I can. I love the water. I grew up on Florida’s coast and my family used to joke that I was born with lungs, but should have been born with gills. Never thought I’d end up in a landlocked city…especially in a state that has a coastline.”
My heart stutters as I huff out a humorless laugh, turning my head to look out at the lake. “I feel that more than you know. I grew up on the North Carolina coast and I miss it every day. Hence the reason I’m out here all the time. It’s my place of peace amidst the concrete jungle.”
Conversation happens easily from there. We talk aboutgrowing up, my medical training, his time in the military, and briefly touch on his work as a firefighter until he brings the conversation back around to me.
“You know, a lot of moms,most, I would venture to say, work full time and are still great mothers. If you want to go back to work, you should pursue that,” he says vehemently. “We only get one chance at life, Shannon. If it’s not everything you want it to be, you should make changes before it’s too late.”
The sincerity and concern in his voice gut me.
“If only it were that easy.” The corners of my mouth lift in what I think is a smile, but is probably more of a grimace.
“It’s not easy. In fact, it’s hard as fu—” he looks down at Serafina who’s still sound asleep, “—crap. But what’s harder is doing nothing and being in the same spot a year from now with overflowing resentment and a distaste for the only life you get to live.”
“I’m already there.” The words fly from my mouth as if they were prisoners hellbent on escape. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Why?” he asks, pinning me with a stare.
With my head a chaotic mess of guilt, desire, anger, lust, and admiration, I sigh, but stay quiet as I shake my head, meaningI don’t have an answer, just let it go.
A few minutes go by without conversation, both of us entranced by the ripples in the lake, but then Hudson starts speaking more truth.
“You deserve to be happy, Shannon. Serafina deserves to see her mom happy,” he whispers, nearly shattering my heart into pieces on this blanket.
Choking back tears, I admit, “I’d settle for fulfilled at this point.” Needing to change the conversation yet again before I lose it out here and embarrass myself even further with thisman, I ask, “How’d you know it was me?” Hudson had approached Serafina and I from behind.
“I was on my way back to my truck when I recognized your profile. I think it was the hair that caught my attention, though. I think it was up like that the last time I saw you.”
My hair was down the last time he saw me, remembering that day because Greg had been home for lunch and Serafina cried when he tried to put her down for her nap so I came in to do it instead. She pulled half of it out when I laid her down in her crib as if I were Rapunzel so I just took the ponytail holder out and let it fall around my shoulders.
And then I realize Hudson’s talking about the day I took those pictures for Gregor.
Chapter 10
Hudson
Well, shit.I see the moment she registers which time I’m referring to. Might as well address the elephant on the beach.
“Just stuck my foot in my mouth and choked on it, didn’t I? And here I thought I was being smart by not blurting out a line as cliché asI‘d recognize you anywhere.”
She looks away from me again, her cheeks turning a rosy pink despite her tan. “I’m pretty sure I’m the one that should be embarrassed.” She huffs a small laugh, dropping her head into her hands.
Taking advantage of the ability to touch her, I cradle Serafina with one hand and lean forward to pull Shannon’s hands away from her face. As soon as my skin makes contact with hers, I know I’m done for. “Trust me when I say you have absolutelynothingto be embarrassed about.”In fact, with that ass, you should roam around naked all day. In the sun…on a beach…or laying spread out on…
