Page 26 of Waiting for Forever
Paige giggled. “That’s the first time you’ve called me that and I haven’t wanted to kick you in the nuts for it.”
Hudson laughed.
After that, they swayed to the music, letting their hands speak instead. Hudson’s slid around her back, then lower, just glancing the top of her ass. Paige was wearing painted-on blue jeans and a low-cut silky blouse that showcased her figure to perfection.
Paige pressed her breasts more tightly against his chest, and for the first time, he realized this attraction wasn’t one-sided. He had to hand it to the woman; she knew how to play it cool. Or perhaps, like him, she’d been giving herself the same lectures…about them being opposites, about them working together, about that damned past of theirs casting shadows on the present.
Maybe not the last one for her, since Paige just reiterated the fact she’d forgiven him.
It appeared he was the only one holding on to that excuse, because the more time he spent with her, the better he got to know her and discover just how incredible she was, the worse his guilt became.
One of Paige’s hands drifted from the nape of his neck to his jawline, cupping it. He’d been clean shaven when he first arrived in Maris, but since then, he’d been growing a beard, liking the look of it. The way Paige’s fingers toyed with it told him she did too.
“The beard is hot,” she whispered.
“Then I’m keeping it.”
Her eyes widened briefly, then she bit her lower lip. “Am I misreading…” she started, then stopped, shaking her head as if aware she was about to say more than she wanted.
“No. You’re not.”
“This is crazy,” she said, her words more breath than sound, her comment more to herself than him. “You and me…”
Hudson was just about to kiss her when two things happened simultaneously. The song ended and someone cleared their throat behind them.
“Paige?”
Hudson and Paige released each other, both turning to face her date, who’d returned to the bar. Now he was facing them.
“Sorry about the phone call,” her date said to her, though his gaze was locked on Hudson.
Paige was visibly uncomfortable—and when she offered the introductions, Hudson understood why.
“Beck, this is Hudson Ryan. Hudson, this is Beck Reed.”
Jesus. Her date was Beck Reed.
Hudson had only been in town a month, and not once during that time had his path crossed Beck’s. Probably because the only places Hudson went were to Paige’s house, the construction jobs, and Sparks Barbeque. He kept his social circle fairly small, not venturing beyond those parameters until tonight with Ronnie.
A fast song began, a rush of people stepping onto the floor, jostling the three of them back toward Paige and Beck’s table.
Hudson was taken aback when Beck crossed his arms, anger radiating from him. “So you’re not just content to steal my jobs, now you think it’s okay to steal my girl?”
A light went on as Hudson recalled Paige’s remark about Beck’s trouble at work. No doubt he’d gotten the call this afternoon that he hadn’t landed the courthouse project.
And while Hudson was offended by Beck’s accusation that he stole it, he was more pissed about the second part of his comment.
As was Paige. Because Hudson didn’t have two seconds to form a reply before she lit into the guy.
“Yourgirl?” she seethed. “I’m not your anything, Beck.”
Beck had been so focused on Hudson, Paige’s fury caught him off guard. “Don’t overreact. You know what I mean, Paige,” he started, trying to placate her with a tone Hudson knew was only going to set her off more. She was an independent, strong-minded woman, and Beck’s tone was the verbal equivalent to a pat on the head.
“Overreact?!” she whisper-screamed.
“If anyone should be upset, it’s me,” Beck continued, digging himself deeper and deeper into his own grave, as he waved a finger between Paige and Hudson. “You’re out with me tonight, remember?”
“I remember,” Paige said, through gritted teeth. “Doyou? Because so far, you’ve taken three phone calls and stared at your text messages like they were the second coming of Christ.”
