“See ya.”
“Bye,” he says around his wide smile.
I make it to the store and open at eight o’clock on the dot. Ten minutes later, Destiny comes walking in, talking on the phone. She waves and smiles as she passes me by, heading straight for her office.
“I think it would be a good idea to tell him, Wyatt,” I overhear her say. “I mean, you just told me a couple weeks ago. I think it will be better for everyone involved if the truth was out, and Hudson isn’t a child. He can put in his two cents and help you guys make a decision.”
I wonder what she’s talking about. What his family is keeping from him?
“Okay, I love you too. Bye.” She hangs up the phone and walks out. I try to act busy, not wanting her to know that I was listening in.
“Good morning,” I say as she steps up to the counter and starts looking over the mail I brought in this morning.
“Morning,” she replies, not looking up.
“Everything okay?” I ask, not wanting to pry but also not wanting to leave her hanging if she has something she needs to get off her chest.
“Men are so stupid sometimes, you know?”
I laugh. “Oh, I know. What’s going on?”
She shakes her head and drops the mail back to the counter. “It’s just that…” She stops, taking a breath and thinking over whatever it is she wants to say. “So, you know the Slades own the brewery, right?”
I nod. “Of course.”
“Well, that also means that they’re all pretty wealthy. I mean, they each have their own share of the business and family land and family money.”
I nod again, understanding.
“You can’t tell anyone this.” Her eyes are wide.
“I swear. What’s going on?” I feel my brows furrow together. Not only am I concerned for her since she’s married to a Slade, but I’m also worried for Hudson.
“They may have a long-lost half-brother out there,” she confesses.
“What?” How that could possibly be true?
She nods. “Turns out, back in the day, the boys’ dad had an affair around the time their mom was passing. Nothing ever came of it, but there’s proof that this woman moved and had a baby soon after.”
“Wow,” is all I can say.
She nods. “Well, that baby is now all grown-up. He’d be younger than Hudson is now, considering that Hudson was just a baby when his mom passed. But this guy’s apparently found out who his real father was. He did some digging and saw nothing but dollar signs. Now, he wants what he thinks belongs to him: his piece of the family business. But if he gets it, then everyone has to give up a small piece of their own share. All the guys have their own thoughts on all of this, but Hudson has been gone so he knows nothing about it. My lovely husband just thought to fill me in on the whole subject just a couple of weeks ago.”
“Is there proof that this guy really is who he says he is?” I ask, getting into the whole mess like it’s an episode of CSI.
“Drake’s wife, Celeste, she’s a lawyer. She filed for a court-ordered paternity test. I mean, nobody would willingly hand over a chunk of their business without proof, right?”
I nod.
“Anyway, the test came back positive. This guy is a Slade. But now it’s time for them to make their decision: give him a piece of the business, legally fight him, or maybe even pay him off, like, buy him out.”
“Damn, that’s so crazy. I wonder what they’re going to do.”
“Drake wants to meet him, get to know him like family and then welcome him into the business. He’s all about wanting to keep his family close. But the rest of them don’t agree with him. They don’t trust the new guy. I mean, who’s to say that this guy won’t take his share of the company, then up and sell it? That would give a stranger an in and then it’s no longer family-owned and ran. Not only that, but if the guys give up a piece of their share, it’s less they’ll have and less they’ll leave behind for their children.”
We’re both quiet as we think things over for a moment, but the silence begins getting to her and she shakes it free of her head. “So, tell me about you and mystery guy.” She smiles and leans down on the counter, watching me as I blush.
“We’re kind of having a secret relationship right now,” I admit.
“Ohhhh, sexy!”
I nod and laugh. “I know, it is! But it’s also nerve-wracking. I’m always worried about getting caught by my brother.”
“Well, maybe you should just tell him. Get everything out in the open. What’s the worst he could do?”
I shrug. “Throw him out and disown me?” I laugh. I haven’t even thought of the worst yet. “The thing is, my brother is my only family. He practically raised me. My dad died when I was young and my mom, we don’t get along anymore. She’s too busy with her new boyfriend. So Brad’s all I have. I don’t know what I’d do without him in my life.”
She places her hand on mine and gently rubs it back and forth. “He may get mad about it all, Dev, but I highly doubt he would leave you…for too long anyway. I mean, if you don’t tell him, what can you do? You’ll be stuck living like this forever. It’s not a real relationship if you can’t be honest. You’ll never get the excitement of moving into your own place together. You’ll never get married or have kids. You’ll always just be sneaking around and meeting in the middle.”
I nod. “I know you’re right. It’s just…scary, you know?”
She agrees. “Just think about it. Talk about it with him. When you’re both ready to take things further, tell your brother and move on. Let him deal how he needs to deal.”
I let out a long, drawn out breath. I guess it’s the only way to go about it, really. What are my options at this point? Right now, Hudson and I are so new that neither of us are ready to break my brother’s heart over something we’re not sure of ourselves yet. I mean, I’m pretty sure, but it’s still too fresh to know for sure. One day at a time.
When the workday ends, I go back home to find Hudson shuffling about in the kitchen. I drop my purse onto the table. “What are you doing in here?” I ask, leaning against the table and crossing my arms over my chest to watch him work.
“I’m cooking us dinner,” he replies.
“Really?” I step up to him with my hands out, ready to wrap them around his waist, but he stops me with a finger in the air.
“Brad hasn’t left yet.”
I sink back into my place, feeling letdown. I just got home from work. I haven’t seen him all day. All I want to do is hug him and feel his lips against mine, breathe him in, and let that high settle over me, but I can’t even do that.
I take a seat at the table, watching him. Brad walks in and goes to start packing his lunch.
“Man, whatever your cooking sure does smell good,” he says over his shoulder toward Hudson.
“You sure you can’t stick around and eat, man? There’s plenty.”
“Nah, I can’t be late. Save me some leftovers though.” He looks at me. “Don’t eat it all.”
I want to say something sarcastic, but I don’t have it in me. I’m too lost in thought, thoughts about what Destiny said today about Hudson and I never being able to move forward if we don’t come out with the truth. It puts a damper on my mood.
“Hey, I was just joking. No sense in getting all upset,” he adds when I don’t smart-mouth back to him.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s been a long day. I’m going to eat whatever it is Hudson is cooking, shower, and crash. That couch sucks and I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.” I arch my back in my seat and it pops and cracks.
Brad smiles. “All the motivation you need to get your own place,” he teases. Usually, we’re always teasing one another, but today, I don’t have it in me.
Instead, I just offer up a smile.
Brad puts the rest of his things into his lunch box and heads for the door, pausing by Hudson to whisper, “Women, huh?”
I roll my eyes.
When we hear the door close with his departure, Hudson turns to face me. He leans against the counter with his arms crossed. “What’s going on, Dev?”
I take a long breath. “I’ve just been thinking,” I mumble.
“About?”
“Us,” I confess.
“What have you been thinking about us that has you this upset?”
“It’s just that if we’re going to do this, we’re going to have to tell my brother at some point, you know? I mean, if we can’t be a normal couple now, how will know if it’ll ever work? We can’t kiss one another goodbye, we can’t hug or go on dates, or sleep together. If we don’t tell him, we’ll never get our firsts, like getting our own place together, getting married, having kids. We’ll always be hiding.”
He nods as he pulls his bottom lip into his mouth and bites down on it. “We can go out on dates; he can’t stop that. And everything else will come with time. I mean, we’re here alone now, aren’t we? Stop worrying about the future and live in this moment with me.” He steps forward, holding out his hands.
I begrudgingly place my hands into his, and he jerks me to my feet. I let out a squeak as he presses me to his chest. One of his hands stays on my lower back while the other cups my jaw, holding me to him as he kisses me, soft and slow. The way he is with me causes a shiver to run up my spine. He’s so soft but also forceful. It tells me that he’ll never hurt me, but he would kill for me. I have a feeling he’s just as addicted to me as I am him. I’m glad I’m not alone in this.
I kiss him back with everything I have. My breathing picks up and my heart races. Suddenly, I can’t think about anything other than getting him to his room where we can lock ourselves away and pretend the outside world doesn’t exist. I moan into his mouth, and my hand latches onto the waistband of his jeans, jerking his hips my way.
He breaks the kiss and looks into my eyes. His are full of hunger. His jaw is cocked, making it appear ever sharper. I swear you could cut glass with that thing.
“First, dinner,” he whispers, pulling way completely and rushing back to the stove.
“Should I change into something a little more fancy for our date?” I ask, sending him a smile.
He chuckles. “This place is casual. No black tie needed.” He gestures down at his T-shirt and basketball shorts. “Clearly.”
While he finishes up dinner, I set the table and open a bottle of wine. It doesn’t seem like any time has passed before he’s placing my plate down in front of me. There’s pasta with tomatoes, freshly grated parmesan cheese, spinach, and grilled chicken. The sauce on top looks to be some kind of wine reduction sauce made from scratch.
I cut into my grilled chicken and run it through the sauce before taking the first bite. When it hits my mouth, my eyes close and a moan escapes. “This is amazing,” I say around my chewing.
“Glad you like it.”
“How’d you learn to cook like this?”
He shrugs as he brings his glass of wine to his lips. “I took a cooking class back when I was in high school. I had already taken every other elective available. We had to create our own specialty dish. This was my midterm final.”
“You totally got an A, didn’t you?”
“I don’t want to brag,” he says, looking down at his plate.
I roll my eyes. “I never got an A in my life. I really fucked up my teenage years. I wish every day that I could go back and live them over, so I can make the right choices this time.”
“Everything you did back then made you who you are today. You never know. Changing one little thing could change your whole future. We may not be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for every single one of your mistakes.”
I wind some pasta around my fork. “I guess you’re right,” I agree. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Where do you see us going? I mean, I know this is all still new, and it’s impossible to know the future, but if things continue to move forward the way they’ve been going, where do you see us?”
He chews his food and swallows before taking a drink. “To be honest, I don’t even know where I see myself yet. For the longest time, I’ve had goals set for me. You know, graduate high school, join the army, retire from the army. I never thought past that because I didn’t realize that I’d be retiring so soon. After my last eye injury it was clear that my time in the military would be cut short. I expected to spend my life there. So now, here I am, and I’m completely lost and confused about where to go from here. I mean, I have a piece of property and enough money to build a rather nice house, but I’m living here for the simple fact that I don’t know where life will take me.”
I nod. “Say life takes you to L.A. or New York or Florida. Where do I fit in?”
He reaches across the table, taking my hand in his. “I don’t ever want to be without you, Deven. I would like to think that if I leave, you’ll come with me. We can still do what we’re doing now.”
“And if I can’t or don’t want to go, will you stay?”
He tears his eyes from mine, looking at his plate as he thinks it over. After a moment, he looks back up, but I can see it written on his face. He shrugs. “I don’t know,” he admits, shaking his head slightly.
Pain strikes me in my chest and starts swirling around inside of me, turning to anger. “So, I’m important enough to drag around with you but not important enough to stick around for?”
His mouth drops open as his eyes widen. “I didn’t say that.”
“That’s what you implied though, isn’t it?”
“Deven, I—”
“What?” I ask, cutting him off as my anger boils beneath the surface. Destiny was right. This could never work between us if we’re not allowed to be who we are, and we can’t be who we are if we’re always hiding. I want to know what it’s like to fall asleep beside him, to wake up being held to his chest. I want to be able to plan our future, not wonder whether or not we’re going to be allowed to kiss in our own apartment or walk outside holding hands. I want to know that everything will be okay and that things will work out with the two of us. If he can’t give me that, what are we even doing here?
He takes a deep calming breath and trains his eyes on mine. “I wish I had all the answers right now, I do. But you have to understand that things like this take time. Why the sudden rush to figure everything out right now?”
I toss my napkin down on the table and shake my head, no longer hungry. I push my chair back, needing to be able to move, to think, to put some distance between us because lately, that line has become really blurred.
“I…I don’t know, Hudson. All I know is that I need to know where we’re going, that everything will work out, that I won’t lose you or Brad. I need a little bit of security here. Is that too much to ask?”
He stands up and takes a step toward me. I step back, placing my back against the counter. “It’s not too much to ask, Deven. Not from a normal relationship,” he says, shaking his head.
“But we’re not normal, are we?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest and tilting my head as I watch him.
“What do you want form me, Deven?” He holds his arms out at his side.
“I want you to tell Brad what’s going on between us. I mean, yeah, he’ll probably be mad, but he’ll get over it. If you don’t want to tell him, I can.” I point at my chest.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for that. We’re not ready for that.”
“What will make us ready, huh?”
He takes a deep breath and pinches the bridge of his nose. “We need to know that things will work out between us. There’s no sense in ruining my friendship and your relationship with Brad over something that may not work.”
“And how do we know if it’ll work?” I look at him. “Oh, that’s right. We have to be a normal couple!”
I turn to leave, tired of the conversation already. He needs to know that we can be normal, so we can see wher
e we’re going. Right now, all we’re doing is stumbling around in the dark. We’ll never find our way out, not without the light of day.
He catches my hand and pulls me to his chest, his lips finding mine. He kisses me hard, full of passion and love. I can feel it. Why can’t he?
His hands start on my hips, holding and squeezing so tight that I’m sure I’ll have bruises. He’s holding me like he’s afraid to let go, like he’ll lose me. Shouldn’t all this tell him something? If he’s scared to lose me, then we need to be together, not hiding.
He picks me up against him and I don’t fight it. I can’t. I’m not strong enough. A part of me knows that this is our last time together. I want to enjoy it. But I also wonder if he’s using this as a way to distract me. Is he hoping that we can just screw our brains out some more and I’ll forget every thought in my head, every worry? If he thinks that, then he doesn’t know me very well at all. But maybe that’s because we haven’t been together long enough. He knows the part of me that I’ve allowed him to know. If he doesn’t even know me, why am I fighting so hard for this, for something that probably won’t work out, for something that will wreck me? If it hurts this much now, I can’t even imagine what a year or more of stolen kisses and hushed promises will feel like later.
The next thing I know, he’s pushing everything off of the table, including our plates and drinks. Food and wine spills across the floor, the glass clattering from the impact, but it doesn’t pull him from his thoughts or actions. He lays me down on the table. With his eyes locked on mine, he pushes my jeans down my legs. I wrap my fingers across the edge of the table as he makes quick work of stripping me of my clothes. I memorize the way his jaw ticks, the heat in his eyes, the way his tongue darts out and wets his thick lips, the way his biceps flex, and the way his abs and chest look between my parted legs.
I’m so caught up in memorizing every little detail that I don’t notice him freeing himself from his jeans. When he pushes into me, I suck in a loud breath of surprise and pleasure. My eyes flutter closed as he pushes deeper, harder. I let out a moan. My hands cover his hands as they clutch my hips, pulling me into his every thrust. A slow burn begins building in my lower belly. With each thrust, with each grunt, with each roll of his hips, I come a little more undone until I’m spiraling out of control.
Best Friend's Sister (Slade Brothers Book 5) Page 10
