Page 89 of Critical Mass
But he was glad she was here—no matter how painful it might be. And he was thankful he’d already checked out the place for any listening devices.
It was clear.
He watched as she picked up the ice pack and turned around.
She examined him with a frown.
He knew the bedroom light was unforgiving. He’d seen himself earlier. His left eye was swelling, the bruise already darkening to purple. His bottom lip was split, a thin line of dried blood trailing to his chin. His knuckles were raw and torn, and his ribs were worse than he was letting on.
She stopped in front of him, the ice pack cold against her palm. “Lift your shirt.”
Hudson’s jaw tightened. “It’s not that bad.”
“Hudson.” A tremor caught her voice. “Please.”
Something in her tone made him comply.
He peeled the shirt up slowly, wincing, revealing a torso mapped with forming bruises. Dark blooms spread across his ribs on the left side. The muscles of his abdomen were taut with pain he tried to hide.
Natalie pressed the ice pack gently against the worst of the bruising.
He hissed through his teeth.
“Sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be.” He caught her wrist—not to move her hand away, just to touch her. His thumb brushed against her pulse point. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “Neither do you, right? You were just doing your job.”
Hudson’s hand dropped. He deserved that.
The silence stretched between them, filled with everything they hadn’t said.
Natalie reached for the antiseptic and a clean cloth. It was almost like she needed something to do with her hands. Something that wasn’t hitting him or holding him or both.
“Look up,” she said quietly.
He tilted his face toward her, and she began cleaning the cut on his lip. This close, he could see everything—the exhaustion inher eyes, the tension in her jaw, the way she watched him like she was trying to memorize his face.
She carefully dabbed at the split skin. “Tell me something about yourself. Something real. Do you really even like hockey?”
“I love hockey.”
“Tell me more.” She continued to treat him. “Have you ever been in love?”
He swallowed hard as he tried to figure out how to answer that question.
CHAPTER
FIFTY
Natalie waited,curious as to what he might say.
Finally, Hudson answered, “Twice.”
She pressed the cloth against his lip harder than necessary. He didn’t flinch.
“Tell me about it,” she murmured.
