Page 26 of Playing With Fire
“She’s fucking gorgeous. And she just has this energy about her. Like she’s a caged bird waiting for someone to free her. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“You’ve always been just as good at reading people as I am, Hud. We get it from Mom.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
“But?” my sister prompts.
“I can’t stop thinking about her. I ran into her at the lake a few days ago and we couldn’t take our eyes off each other. The air was laced with so much tension you could’ve cut it with a knife.”
“I’ve never known you to shy away from a woman, Hudson Goddorah. What’s the hold up?”
I down half my wine and blow out a breath, staring at a spot on the floor of the front porch. “She’s married.”
“Oh shit, Hud. That’s an obvious no-go.”
“Hell, Mon, I know. But her husband’s a prick. And she’s so unhappy.”
“How do you know her husband?”
“He answered the door once. Made some snarky comment about me being poor because I drive a delivery truck for a living.”
“What a pretentious asshole!” my sister yells, coming to my defense.
“Yeah. Real tool. The packages I deliver always require a signature because they’re from Cartier and other expensive ass places. The crazy thing is, though, Shannon doesn’t strike me as wanting any of it. Every time I see her, she’s in casual clothes, her hair in a messy bun, or just down but not curled or anything, no makeup. Hell, she doesn’t even paint her nails.”
“Been paying attention, have you?” my sister asks, quirking a brow as she raises her glass to her lips.
“It’s impossible not to.” I divulge the details about catching Shannon on the couch and how she told me she was trying to put the spark back in her marriage.
“You need to stay away from them, Hud. Whatever they have going on, they need to figure it out without you interfering.”
“How am I supposed to stay away when it’s literally my job to show up at her house damn near every week?” I ask, getting frustrated that my sister isn’t immediately jumping on this train. I already feel shitty enough as it is.
Monica looks at me, taken aback.
“Sorry.” I sigh. “I just don’t know what to do.”
“You stay the hell away from her is what you do. She’s letting you get close even though she’smarried,Hudson. And it sounds like this guy has money, so you could end up in serious trouble.”
I hang my head and fiddle with my wine glass. “For the record, it was me that pursued her at the lake. She’s done nothing inappropriate. I can just tell she’s unhappy, and yeah, there’s definitely an attraction, but it’s not like she’s acted on it.”
Monica leans over and pats my knee. “You know I love you, Hud, and I’ll support you no matter what, but please be smart. If this woman or her husband hurt you in any way, I hope you’re prepared to raise Cam and Ally alone, because I’ll be in prison for manslaughter.”
I chuckle. “You mean getting this job at the D.A.’s office wouldn’t help you any?”
“Not if I get caught with her blood under my nails and a shovel in my hands,” Monica says nonchalantly.
“You’re a scary woman.”
“Never forget it.”
Chapter 11
Shannon
Iwatch the tracking app on my phone to see when my delivery is close. It’s not necessary, of course. By now, I know the window of time in which Hudson will be by, but I’m nervous. I’d ordered this stuff before our rendezvous at the lake and it feels like things changed then. Hudson almost opened the door to the closet currently hiding every last one of my skeletons.Including the one marked by my desire for him.
If he gets it open, I fear I’ll never get it shut again and I’ll have to face all the decaying hopes, dreams, and desires that are laying inside right next to my shame, guilt, and lust.
