“Hey Brandon. Thank you, again for this.”
“No skin off my nose. Whatever makes Sandra happy means she’ll stay and keep putting up with my crap. I’m not the most… let’s say…”
“Organized,” Sandra filled in happily.
“Disciplined,” Hudson followed.
He wagged his finger at both in a mock glare. “Don’t tell her all my dirty secrets quite yet, you two.” His finger settled on Hudson. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be? A whole different floor to be on? Counting millions? Laying down the law?”
“I have no idea why I’m even friends with you,” Hudson muttered.
“I’m irresistible. Impossible not to love.”
“Incorrigible.” Sandra laughed. “Since we’re now on the ‘I’ words.”
“Who signs your paychecks?” he asked Sandra.
She shoved her thumb at Hudson. “He does.” She stuck out her tongue at Brandon while both guys laughed.
“Someday, the answer to that question will be me,” he harrumphed, feigning a pout.
“I have no doubt,” Hudson said. “And I do need to get going, but I wanted to make sure Lilly got in and found you easily today. Have a good one, okay?” he asked, looking down at me. He was so close, I wanted to reach out and hug him. Maybe kiss him.
Probably not appropriate but with the way he licked his lips as I looked at him, I figured he felt the same way.
“I will. Thank you.”
“I’ll see you soon. You’ll do great. And you—” he said to Brandon. “Be nice or you’re fired.”
“Fired my ass. I could burn the place down and David would still give me a job.”
“Let’s not try to figure out if that’s true.”
Brandon rolled his eyes and turned to me. “I’m going to let Sandra get you settled, but if you have any questions, don’t hesitate, okay?”
“Sure. Thank you.”
“No problem. Anything for family.”
He winked at Hudson before heading back to his office, plopping an earpiece back in his ear, leaving me swaying in surprise.
Family. That’s exactly how he was treating me. What did I do with that?
Once he was gone, Sandra gestured to the empty desk. My desk.
“I have files set out for you in the top left drawer. Basic paperwork and whatnot. Why don’t you get started on that, and then I’ll take you to HR for your employee photo and badge. I have a few quick things about Brandon’s schedule I have to go over with him, okay?”
“Yes. Thank you. Again.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m glad you’re here.”
She followed Brandon into his office, leaving Hudson and me alone.
“You okay?”
“I’m feeling a little bit overwhelmed in a happy way, so yeah. I’m good.”
“Good. I need to get upstairs, but let me know if you need anything?”
“Okay.”
He gave me a look I couldn’t decipher, gave me a quick scan of my clothes, my body, and when he met my eyes again, his were heated. Dark and stormy and so darn handsome.
“Have a good day.”
He spun on his heels and I stared at him until he disappeared around the corner toward the elevators.
I went to my desk, fingertips tingling with nerves and excitement.
I was on page three of paperwork when my phone buzzed in my purse. There were so few people who had my number, I figured it was Angie, wishing me luck.
Instead, it was Hudson.
Hope you have an excellent first day.
Can’t wait to hear about it.
By the way—you look beautiful.
All the remaining nerves I had about the kiss evaporated into thin air with the text. It was so simple. So needed. I grinned at the text for who knows how long but by the time Sandra returned, I hadn’t done a darn thing.
He thinks I’m beautiful.
27
Hudson
I barely concentrated all day. More than once Stephanie gave me awkward looks. Possibly because as she spoke, I nodded and mumbled and gave out commands and requests I had no memory of. Hell, I could have told her to go ahead and buy a company car, on me, for all I knew.
Lilly was two floors away and I couldn’t go see her. I couldn’t go talk to her. I couldn’t annoy her to death her very first day but all day long I was obsessed with her.
After lunch, Brandon finally responded to the many texts I’d sent him all morning asking how she was doing, demanding an update, asking him if she’d been to HR, if she knew where the cafeteria was for lunch.
His text was simple: Simmer down, asshole. She’s fine.
It told me everything. It told me nothing.
She was so close.
Living so close to me.
Working so close to me.
And here, in the office especially, I had to take my time and give her space.
Now, the workday was done and like I’d done this morning and waited in the condo lobby for her, I was doing the same thing at Valor Holdings. My dress shoes clicked a frantic pattern on the floor.
It was five. She should be done. Any minute she’d step off the elevators and then climb into my truck with me—that was currently sitting out front and warm because I’d already taken an Uber home and brought it back.
I had no desire to freeze over a walk home.
She finally stepped off the elevator. Her hair, perfectly curled this morning, now fell limply over her shoulders. Her eyes were tired but shone with a wearied excitement. She took my breath away in her outfit. Wide-leg pants that hid the thinness and shape of her legs but cupped her ass perfectly. A shirt that fell over her breasts elegantly and hid her curves perfectly. I’d barely resisted slamming my mouth to hers as soon as I saw her this morning and even tired at the end of the day she was still just as beautiful. I fisted my hands so I wouldn’t reach out and devour her in the lobby where every Valor Holdings employee could see. I’d promised her we’d go slow. It took everything in me to follow through on the promise.
“Hey,” she said, voice surprised when she saw me. “What are you doing here?”
I’d stopped my pacing when I first saw her, but I was still tightly wound. “Waiting for you to give you a ride home? How was your day?”
“Busy. But good. Sandra is really sweet.”
“She is. And she has the patience of a saint for working with Brandon so well.”
“I’m sure no one’s ever said the same about you and Stephanie.”
“Never. I’m a peach.”
“Sure you are.”
“So… the ride home?”
She ran her hands together, already prepping to warm them before heading outside. “I would really like to get in the habit of walking but since I’m not dressed for this, yes. I’d love a ride home.”
“Good. Truck’s out front and already warm.”
She grinned up at me. “You went and got it?”
“Close. Took an Uber home and brought it back a while ago. Figured there was no point in us freezing on the walk home.”
She grinned up at me with a soft, awed expression. “That was sweet of you.”