“Oh, my God. Getting kidnapped was horrible enough, but this is going to be so hard for Harlow,” I said, my voice already scratchy since I wasn’t used to talking. “Does she know?”
I wasn’t convinced that Harlow had been head over heels in love with Mark, but she’d really cared about him. She’d been hoping this trip would bring them closer together since Mark was traveling most of the time.
Hudson let out a long breath and planted his ass on the other side of the bed. He reclined against the headboard. “By now, I’m sure she does know. The director of Last Hope was waiting for her mother to get to the hospital before he broke the news when I talked to him earlier. Did you know him well?”
“No,” I said quietly. “I only met him twice, and those encounters were very brief, and via video chat when he and Harlow were talking remotely, but he seemed really nice. I’m glad Harlow’s mom is going to be there. They’re pretty close. She’s going to need her mother right now.”
I laid back down, and put the water I’d been slowly consuming on the bedside table.
“Don’t think about all of that right now,” Hudson said in a soothing voice. “You need to rest.”
I turned my head and studied him.
Hudson was probably one of the most gorgeous men I’d ever seen, but he was looking pretty rough. Closer up, I could see that his jaw was covered in dark scruff, but I wasn’t sure whether that was his usual beard, or if he just hadn’t shaved for a while.
I could see the weariness in his beautiful gray eyes, and the tension in his strong features.
“No offense,” I said. “But I’m not so sure that you don’t need the sleep worse than I do right now.”
He put a hand to his jaw, and rubbed the dark hair on his face. “Do I look that bad?” he asked, sounding slightly amused.
“Yes. I suppose it’s not the best thing for an intern to tell the big boss, but you look like you hiked for miles carrying a half dead woman through the woods of hostile territory,” I said drily. “Get into the bed, Hudson, and get some sleep.”
His eyes finally met mine, and my heart skittered as he gave me a long, slow smile.
God, the man was wickedly handsome, even if he did look dog-tired.
“You don’t mind?” he asked as his eyebrow lifted. “Sleeping here was the best way to keep an eye on you.”
“It doesn’t bother me as long as you’re aware that I could end up injuring you if I wake up in a fighting mood again,” I joked weakly.
He chuckled as he moved his body until his head hit the pillow. “You’re so weak right now that I doubt you could even get in one decent punch.”
Hudson might be surprised. I actually had some pretty good moves, although he was probably right. I was doubtful I could do him much harm since I was so debilitated.
“I kind of want you to stay, anyway,” I confessed. “I-I don’t really want to be alone right now.”
It was strange for me to say that because I was more than accustomed to being by myself.
“I’ll be right here, Taylor,” he said in a husky, reassuring voice.
I let out a sigh. “Just tell me one thing. How did I manage to get so clean, and what in the hell am I wearing?”
“I took you into the shower with me, and you’re wearing one of my clean T-shirts.”
If I was capable of letting out a long groan, I would have. “That must have been disgusting,” I observed. Not only had I stunk from not showering for so long, and being held in a sweatbox, but I could tell I’d lost a lot of weight. Not to mention the fact that I was bruised up everywhere.
He laughed as he reached out and turned off the light. “I wasn’t looking. I promise. Okay, maybe I had to look to get you clean, but that was it.”
I’d felt an instant surge of panic the moment he’d plunged the room into darkness, and I tried desperately to fight it.
Suddenly, I was back in Lania, and all of the bad stuff was like video clips playing on a loop over and over again in my head.
Worse yet, I couldn’t stop the accompanying emotions from rising to the surface.
The fear.
The pain.
The endless thirst.
The incessant thoughts of dying.
I reached my hand out, and it landed on Hudson’s rock-hard abdomen.
Fight it, dammit! I can’t panic every time it’s dark outside!
Hudson’s big hand enveloped my smaller one, and he threaded our fingers together. “What’s wrong, Taylor?” he asked, sounding worried.
There was something about that simple human touch that made me feel more grounded, more connected.
Now that I knew what Hudson looked like, his image had replaced the horrific memories the moment he’d taken my hand, and his presence assured me that I wasn’t going back there again.
“I’m sorry. I think I’ve developed some sort of…fear of the dark,” I answered, trying not to sound as apprehensive as I’d felt a few moments ago. “I’m better now.”
“Fuck! I really should have thought about that. I’ll turn the light back on.”
“Don’t,” I requested as I squeezed his hand. “I really am okay now.”
Hudson started to circle my palm with his thumb, and I deescalated a little bit more.
“You sure?” he questioned skeptically.
“I’m positive,” I insisted. “Just…don’t leave.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Taylor. I promise.”
My breathing slowed, and for some reason, I wasn’t really embarrassed because Hudson saw my fear. Probably because I sensed that he completely understood it. “Thank you,” I mumbled as I closed my eyes.
I fell asleep just like that, clinging to Hudson’s hand like he was my lifeline to sanity.
Honestly, right now, maybe he was…
Taylor
When I woke again, it wasn’t pitch black anymore .
Not that the bedroom on the aircraft was exactly flooded with light. There was some kind of blackout glass on the window, but I could actually see the room without any lights on.
“You’re awake,” Hudson said huskily from the door.
I sat up slowly, and sighed.
Seriously, the guy looked the main character in some kind of sexy female wet dream, and I couldn’t force myself to look away.
If I’m still hallucinating, or dreaming, I’m going to get every second of pleasure I can get before I wake up again.
Hudson had one shoulder resting on the doorjamb, and a very large mug of coffee in his hand. There was a small smile on his lips, and God, those eyes! He was surveying me like he wanted to know everything about me with a single glance.
He’d shaved, and I couldn’t decide if I was thrilled or disappointed about that. On one hand, the short beard and the scruffy wild look had suited him, but on the other, he looked equally amazing without it. He had a strong, perfectly sculpted jawline and face.
My eyes quickly scanned his body. He was dressed in a pair of well-worn jeans, and a navy-blue T-shirt that hugged all of those glorious muscles in his upper body.
Well, good morning to you, too, handsome!
He swept those gorgeous eyes over my body, like he was trying to make sure I was all in one piece. His smile broadened a little in approval. “You look better,” he observed.