The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection

by Alexis Winter

  Mine.

  Eight

  Deven

  Oh, Hudson Slade. I knew he’d be better than I could ever imagine, but I never thought he’d be this good. Everything about him is perfect. His smile, his eyes, his hard body, his skills in the bedroom, his protection, his love. I don’t know if he loves me, but every time he touches me, it feels like love. And with every touch, every kiss, every innocent caress, it makes me fall further and further over that line we’re not supposed to be crossing.

  We’ve spent the last six hours locked away in his bedroom now and, to be honest, it feels like no time has passed. I wish we could lay here forever. I wish our time would never end. I wish I could stay wrapped around him all night. I wonder what it would be like to wake up next to Hudson Slade. That will never be something I get to experience because we always have to part before either of us can fall asleep to ensure we don’t get caught.

  It’s going on three when I finally stand and pull my clothes on. He sits up, the sheet covering his naked lap, as he reaches for me, tugging me back to bed. He rolls us over so he’s hovering above me again.

  “Stay,” he whispers, a soft smile spreading across his sleepy face.

  I bite my lower lip, wishing he wouldn’t tease me. “I can’t. You know I can’t. We have these rules for reason.”

  “Screw the rules.” He lowers his magical mouth to mine and for a moment, I forget the rules myself.

  I push him away. “How is it we’ve switched places so easily and without either of us noticing?”

  His brows furrow together. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean me, the rule breaker, is trying to do this right, while you, goody-two-shoes, throws caution to the wind?”

  He laughs. “I have no idea, but suddenly, I like living on the edge.” His grin widens, and I push him away before he can kiss me again and distract me.

  I stand up and start pulling on my clothes. “We have to do this right, Hudson. I don’t know what I’d do if Brad found out about us. I don’t want to lose you…or him.”

  He pulls me closer and wraps his arms around me, hugging my waist. “I know, and I promise you won’t lose either of us. I won’t let it happen. You’ve lost enough. You won’t lose anything else because of me.”

  I run my fingers through his dark hair and he looks up at me, his striking blue eyes finding mine. “I hope not,” I say, pulling away and leaving his room with him watching after me.

  Walking out of there feels like I’m leaving half of myself behind. I feel lonely, cold, off in ways I can’t understand or explain. I feel a tear sting my eye just from thinking about losing him or my brother. I don’t know what I’d do without either of them. They’re both a huge part of my life, and losing either one would be like losing a part of my body. I may recover from it, but I’d never get over it. It would always be there, nagging me, creating an ache inside of me that will never be filled.

  I grab some clothes and head to the bathroom to shower off before bed. Just as I step behind the stream of water, Hudson walks in, sliding in behind me. I spin around to face him. “What are you doing?”

  He shrugs. “I need a shower too. The opportunity presented itself.” He smirks. That’s the smile I love.

  “What if Brad comes home?”

  “He won’t be home for hours. Come on. Let’s get cleaned up.” His hands tangle into my hair as he leans my head back to let the water rush over it. Once it’s thoroughly soaked, he applies shampoo and brings it to a lather before rinsing and adding conditioner. As my conditioner sets, I wash both of bodies while he washes his own hair. Finally, he rinses his hair and spins us around to rinse mine.

  When we’re both clean, he bends over and turns off the water, kissing my stomach as he does. It causes that fire in my belly to blaze, despite how many times it’s been fed. He grabs two towels and wraps one around me before drying off himself. He wraps it tight around his hips, then leans in, giving me one last kiss.

  “Good night, Deven.”

  “Night, Hudson,” I reply, watching him exit the bathroom, leaving me alone.

  I quickly pull on my pajamas and brush my hair before laying down on the couch. I turn on the TV to keep me company and drift off to sleep within minutes, dreaming only of him.

  I wake in the morning and find Brad and Hudson in the kitchen sharing a pot of coffee. Instead of hanging out, I go for my shower and to get ready for work. When I come out of the bathroom, Brad is already in bed, and Hudson is dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a baggy T-shirt that hangs from his strong frame perfectly. The gray T-shirt is loose around his toned, narrow waist, but it’s snug around his wide biceps. His dark hair has been gelled, giving it that messy, I-just-got out-of-bed look. His angular jaw is freshly shaven and begs me to place my hand on it so I can draw him closer for a kiss.

  I pour some coffee into my to-go cup and spin around to find him watching me.

  “What?” I ask, unable to hold back my smile.

  He leans back, glancing into the living room. “You look beautiful,” he says, stepping toward me. His hand lands on my jaw as he brushes his lips quickly against mine. His rich cologne hits me and it causes my head to swim. He pulls away before I’m ready and I almost want to pout, but I don’t. I know the rules, and they’ve already been broken.

  “Thank you,” I reply, moving my eyes up and down his hard body. “You’re looking pretty good yourself.”

  He glances down at himself before his blue eyes return to mine. “I figured if I’m just going to be sitting in front of a TV all day, I may as well be comfortable.” He gives me that grin that turns my body to mush.

  I shake my head as I grab my purse off the table, double checking for my keys. “You’re going to have to stop doing that.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Giving me that sexy little grin. Every time you do, I just want to rip your clothes off and have my way with you.” I pull my purse strap over my shoulder and turn to face him. “And unless you want to get caught, we can’t be doing shit like that.”

  He lets out a long breath as his hand moves up to the back of his head, rubbing it up and down. “I know. One of us needs to get our own place. Sooner rather than later.”

  I nod. “I’m working on it. I gotta get going.” I walk past him, but he catches my hand and jerks me back to his strong chest, his lips finding mine easily. My lips part, welcoming his kiss, not caring if we could be caught right now. His tongue moves with my own. He tastes of sweet mint. The only thing I can think of is holding him down and sucking all that sweetness off his tongue.

  My hand moves up to cup his jaw, never wanting this moment to end. I nip his lip playfully, and he reaches up and pinches my nipple lightly through my top. I squeal and giggle as I pull away.

  “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?”

&nb
sp; 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 m
y 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?”