Page 30 of Caged

I lift my oversized Crucible t-shirt to show him the plaid boxers hiding underneath. “I’m wearing shorts, you moron. And my socks go up to my freaking knees. What’s the big deal?”

He swallows and looks away before answering, “Not a big deal.” Then he walks into my house like he owns the place, looks around for a minute, and stops at the bottom of the steps, where Cinder winds her way through his legs and flicks her tail at him. “Come on.”

“Come where?” I’m so confused.

“Lock the door, Madison. Set the alarm, and let’s go to bed.”

I blink at him a few times, wondering if I hit my head at some point between ending my call with Daphne and answering the door. “You don’t live here, Hudson.” Despite that, I lock the door and set the alarm, just like he ordered me to, then pad over to him. “Why are you here?”

“I’ve got to meet Coop for a run before the sun even comes up tomorrow, but I need to know what happens in the nextHarry Pottermovie. I turned it off last night after you fell asleep. So, I figured we could watch it in your room... at least until you pass out. Because let’s face it, these may be your favorite movies, but they put you to sleep.” Hudson says this so matter-of-factly, I stare at him, stunned, for another minute before it dawns on me that I’m relieved he’s here.

So instead of overthinking it, I turn off the downstairs light, take the man’s hand, and lead him upstairs. When we step into my room, I look at my bed, then back at Hudson, whose huge presence manages to suck all the oxygen from the room. “It’s only a queen. Are you even going to fit?”

He kicks off his sneakers and pulls his hoodie over his head. It brings his white undershirt up his chest, and my eyes take the opportunity to soak in those gloriously defined abs before he yanks it back down. “Yup.” He moves to the opposite side of my bed and pulls back my comforter. “I’d have figured you for a pink girl, Mads.”

My blanket is a pale blue with beautiful golden thread woven through it. I found it at a farmers’ market a few years ago and splurged on it immediately. “Well, you’d have figured wrong then, King. I don’t like pink.” I pick up my phone to plug it into the charger, then look across the bed. “Is your phone charged?”

“Yeah. It’s good. I’ll just set my alarm. I’ve gotta get out of here early.”

I grab a piece of paper and jot down the alarm code so he can get out in the morning, completely ignoring how strange this is and just going with how happy I am to see him.

Yeah... I’m going to have to examine that fact a little harder tomorrow.

For now, I grab the remote and turn off the light as I crawl into bed, not even bothering to act like I’m trying to stay on my side of the bed. I’m proud of myself when I embrace the urge to sit next to him and don’t revert to needing space.

Hudson lifts his arm like it’s the most natural thing in the world, and I look at him, wondering what it is that makes me trust him not to hurt me. What’s different about him from every other man I’ve ever met in my life?

“You gonna leave me hanging, Mads?” His smile lights up his entire face, and my heart skips a beat.

I slide into him and turn the TV on as I yawn.

Pretty sure I’ll never make it to the battle at the end of the movie.

But that’s okay. I feel like I might actually be winning my own battle tonight.

HUDSON

I’ve never been this guy before.

The one who gets clingy.

Not ever. Not even in high school.

I’ve never had a girlfriend. Never wanted one. Not that, that’s what Maddie is, but it’s what she’s beginning to feel like. And what shocks the shit out of me at that recognition is that I don’t hate that idea. It doesn’t scare me. It feels...right.

I didn’t dwell on that realization while I drove over here last night. I just did what I’m good at and followed my gut instinct. It hasn’t steered me wrong yet.

She didn’t throw me out, like I thought she might.

She didn’t give me too hard of a time, like I was sure she would.

She didn’t even really hesitate to lay her head against me, which made me feel a little like the grinch whose heart expanded three sizes. It may sound like a ridiculously low bar to set, but for Maddie, I’m willing to take baby steps. Fuck...Ineed to take baby steps for myself.

Christ. Cade is gonna kick my ass all over the ring if he finds out I was even thinking this way, with a fight less than a week away. But compared to the other thoughts I was having while Maddie’s warm body spent the night wrapped in my arms—with her sweet scent invading my senses and her face tucked against my chest—it was a marathon of self-restraint, having her that close and wanting her that badly but not acting on it.

Not burying myself inside her and showing her how good it’ll be between us.

Because what’s hitting me like a roundhouse kick is the fact that there will be anus.

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