Page 25 of Waiting for Forever
Paige looked over her shoulder toward the entrance to Cruisers. “There’s some issue with his job. Truthfully, it’s my fault for going out with him again. I told myself after the last date, we were through. But then he called and apologized and?—”
Hudson growled. “Apologized for what?”
Paige studied his scowl, but rather than shy away, she looked amused. “Down, tiger. I’m good to fight my own battles.”
“That doesn’t answer my question, Princess,” he said, his arms crossed.
“He made some insulting, misogynistic comment about the wisdom of a single woman buying a house on her own.”
Hudson was now torn between chasing down Ronnie or her date. Sounded like they both needed to be taught a lesson.
“He called a few days later, said he realized how bad his words sounded, and he swore to me that wasn’t his intent. He apologized and I accepted it. I kind of thought that would be it, but…” Paige sighed.
“But?”
“He kept calling, then he sent flowers to the restaurant. He golfs with my dad, and apparently, he confessed to Dad what he said. Dad called me and suggested I give him another chance.”
“So this guy has the Daddy seal of approval,” he muttered darkly.
Paige narrowed her eyes, just like she always did whenever the subject of Judge Sparks came up. Probably because he was still using that damn tone. Paige straightened her back and stared him down. “Yeah, he does.” Then she sighed. “He’s the first guy my dad’severapproved of.”
“So that’s it? You only plan to go out with guys your dad green-lights?”
Paige frowned. “Of course not.”
“Good. Dance with me.”
If she’d resisted or said no, he would have relented, but Paige’s hand was in his before he finished his request. They’d just reached the dance floor when the deejay slowed things down, Jason Mraz’s “I Won’t Give Up” playing.
Hudson pulled her into his arms, not bothering to keep a polite distance. Now that he was holding her, he felt the need to keep her close and never, ever let her go. Those were foreign desires to him—completely foreign.
Yet, he took comfort from them because he’d lived his entire life, certain there was something broken inside him. He’d never been in love. Not once. Hudson chalked it up to his Ryan genes, telling himself that the men in his family weren’t made to fall in love or be loved in return.
He realized most guys felt first love along with puberty, but he’d been one angry, miserable bastard during the teen years, too blinded by fury to feel anything soft or sweet.
Paige had broken through whatever hard shell had been surrounding his heart like she was wielding a jackhammer.
Hudson’s hands grasped her waist, and it took everything he had not to slip them beneath her silky blouse, desperate to touch her bare skin.
Paige’s arms slid upwards, her fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck, and she looked up as he gazed down. Neither of them spoke, just shared that long glance that seemed to say volumes.
“You look pretty tonight,” he murmured.
Paige smiled. “Thanks. I didn’t realize you would be here.”
“Didn’t intend to be. Like I said, Ronnie called and I stupidly answered. I won’t make that mistake again.”
“The two of you used to be good friends.”
Hudson shook his head. “Not sure I’d describe us as friends. We fed off the other’s bad attitude. We were both really terrible to you.”
“You do remember I was a nerd in high school, right? I got picked on by a lot of kids, more than just you and Ronnie. Besides, I don’t want to talk about that anymore,” she said. “You apologized and I forgave you. It’s ancient history.”
God, she was sweet.
Hudson wanted her, even though he sure as shit didn’t deserve her. Not that that mattered. Because from this dayforward, he was going to do everything in his power to be the man whodiddeserve her.
“Thank you, Princess,” he said, touched by her kindness.
