Page 19 of Forbidden Billionaire Next Door

With my back to him, I drop the towel, standing for a moment, letting the night air run over my body.

Then I turn to face the pool. The soft glow from the water illuminates my skin. I look up, directly at him. I can see him now at the edge of his balcony leaning on the railing watching.

He does not look away. Our eyes lock over the distance.

I tilt my head to the side, pulling my hair over my shoulder, then brushing it away again. Without a word or another glance, I dive into the pool enjoying the sudden cold rush. Clearing away the alcohol fog and whatever it was that had just almost happened at Hudson's place.

I can still feel his gaze on me like electricity flowing through the water when I relax at the edge of the pool and watch the night sky.

CHAPTER8

HUDSON

"Are you fucking kidding me!" I know I am shouting at the wrong person. My lawyer is just calling me to give me an update on the situation, but I am furious. Who the fuck does she think she is? I want to kill her.

Karla has taken it too far.

Using our son as a tool for negotiation. How sick and twisted is she? "How is this allowed?" I shout at the lawyer.

"Hudson, please, understand that she can try this tactic, but it doesn't mean she will get away with it. However, we still have to go to court with a valid response." I am out of valid, rational responses to her lunacy.

"But she is clearly just using Taylor to try and extort money from me. Isn't it obvious that she isn't interested in actually being a mother but rather just interested in a higher monthly payout? She never spent time with him. She doesn't even call him. Now she wants full custody and is insisting on a ridiculous amount of child support." I would rather he live with wolves in the wild; they'd do a better job raising him than she would.

"It is our job to show the court that her request is ridiculous. But we still have to take it seriously. If we don't respond with valid, solid facts and an argument of our own the court could very well grant her some of what she wants if not all of it. Let me put together a response and I will call you tomorrow to run through everything." I want to respond with anger, and not logic or reason. That's why I pay him to respond first.

"I don't care what it takes, do you hear me, I don't care the cost or the time it takes. She will not get my child."

The call ends but the boiling rage in me does not.

I pace up and down in my large office. How can she do this? He is just a baby. Does she honestly have no heart at all?

"Frank!" I shout. My assistant walks into my office. "Yes, Sir." He looks nervous. He always looks nervous. I guess it is just the effect I have on everyone in the office. Better to be feared than walked over. That is how business works.

"Call Taylor's nanny and have him fetch Taylor from his school. I will need him to stay late tonight."

"Yes, Sir." Good. No questioning or arguing. Just do as you are told.

I collect my things and march out of the office without another word. I need air. I need space. I need to get away from everything. I am overwhelmed and allowing emotions to rule over logic.

I don't quite know how it happens, but I find myself standing at Gianna's door, knocking. Waiting for her to open.

I just cannot face Taylor feeling how I feel. I cannot let him see me this angry.

I had not seen Gianna since dinner at my place a few days before. I have managed to avoid her completely by not leaving the house all weekend. It feels stupid, but fuck, after watching her swim in the nude right after almost losing myself to her in my house. I'd already had numerous solo moments to try and clear my head and all the sexual frustration she was causing me. It has not been helping though. I want her. It is getting too easy to close my eyes and think about her. Every time I close my eyes, she is almost all I can think about and even now, through the anger, I can feel my dick reacting in my pants.

For fuck’s sake get a grip, there are more important issues right now.

Gianna answers the door in pink tracksuit pants and a white crop top with no bra on. She looks incredible.

Her hair is pulled into a messy bun, and she looks surprised to see me.

"Hudson?"

"Hi."

I don't know if it is how I look or the angry energy pouring off me, but for some reason, she just pulls me into a hug. It is so unexpected I almost push her away. But with her arms around me, I feel some of the tension easing away and I just wrap my arms around her in return and take a really deep breath.

We stand there for a moment before she pulls back, stepping aside to let me in.

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