He frowned and a deep furrow creased his brow. “It’s the adrenaline. Let me get this bandaged and then I’ll find you some warmer clothes.” Lowering the cloth, he quickly folded it in half, but not before she saw the blood. So much blood.
“How bad is it?” She was half afraid to ask. Her perch on the side of the tub faced away from the mirror, a position she was beginning to think wasn’t entirely coincidental.
“Looks like the bleeding finally stopped. But you’re going to have one hell of a shiner.” Hudson reached into the first-aid kit for a brown bottle. A moment later he held up a cotton ball soaked in antiseptic. “Close your eyes.”
Gently, he dabbed the cold liquid on the gash above her eye. Ouch! The sharp sting made her wince, and she heard Hudson suck in a sharp, sympathetic breath.
“God, Allie, I wanted to kill him.” His voice was menacingly calm.
Allie opened her eyes. Hudson was staring at her, his lips pressed together in a thin line as he cleaned her wounds. She held perfectly still, letting him tend to her, knowing he needed to do this for her as much as she needed it done. When he finished, he pitched the cotton in the trash and rummaged through the kit for a large bandage, which he coated with antibiotic ointment.
“I’ve never seen Julian like that,” she whispered. “It was like he was possessed or something. He just snapped.”
A muscle in Hudson’s jaw twitched but he kept his eyes focused on the business at hand. He brushed her hair off her forehead, then lightly pressed the bandage into place. “What set him off?”
“I told him it was over.”
He stilled. “You did?
Allie nodded. “What you said last night, about two weeks not being enough? I feel the same way.” She paused, trying to gauge his reaction, but he gave nothing away. Her heart raced as a thought she hadn’t considered rushed unbidden through her mind. What if he’d been pushed too far? A cold chill ran down her spine. There was nothing she could do but lay it all on the line and hope he still felt the same way. She drew a shaky breath and continued. “I can’t walk away from us, Hudson. Not this time. I need you in my life.”
His expression softened with an unexpected vulnerability and he gently cupped her face between his hands. “I need you, too,” he murmured.
Allie curled her fingers over his, wanting to hold tight to not only the moment, but the man before her on his knees. He leaned closer and his lips pressed against hers in a warm, lingering kiss. Her entire body shuddered in a rush of pure joy that was quickly followed by a wave of physical pain. It was too much, the intensity of her feelings for him and the sobering reality of what had almost happened in her apartment. Overcome with emotion, she began to sob.
“Don’t,” he whispered. His thumbs swept over her cheeks, catching her tears. “It shreds me to see you cry.”
“If you hadn’t gotten there when you did . . .”
“Hush, I’m here.” His strong arms wrapped around her and he carefully pulled her into his lap, cradling her as if she were the most delicate glass. “You’re safe with me, Allie. Always will be.” He held her close, soothing her with tender words and gentle touches, until her breath no longer came in trembling gasps. When she finally calmed, he lifted her to her feet. “Come, let me get you into bed.”
Hudson undressed her with the utmost of care, slowly unwrapping her bloodstained dress. As he slid it off her shoulders, his eyes flared. Allie followed his gaze to her ribs, where dark bruises had already begun to form.
“It looks worse than it feels,” she tried to reassure him.
He gave a tight nod and reached for a stack of neatly folded clothes that were piled on the end of the bed. “Can you raise your arms?” he asked. His tone was grim.
She complied and he slipped a T-shirt over her head, careful not to disrupt the bandage on her forehead. Allie inhaled deeply as the soft cotton brushed over her face. It smelled like fresh laundry and Hudson Chase. The combination made her feel warm and safe, and for the first time all night, her body began to relax.
“Lift your foot.” He crouched down in front of her with a pair of his boxer briefs in his hands. The sight of him blurred the fine line that often existed between emotions, and in spite of everything a small laugh escaped her lips. He looked up at her, confused. “Something funny?”
Allie smiled and ran her fingers through his unruly hair. “You, offering me your underwear.”
He smirked. “While I do prefer stripping them off, now is hardly the time. You need to rest.”
For once he’d get no argument. She did as he asked, placing her hand on his shoulder for balance as she stepped first with one foot and then the other.
“I have a pair of sweats here if you want them. We can roll the ends.”
“I’m fine like this.”
He pulled back the duvet and she climbed in. The cool, crisp sheets felt like heaven against her aching muscles. He arranged the blankets over her then bent and touched his lips to her forehead just above the bandage. When he turned to leave, she reached out and caught his hand.
“Aren’t you coming to bed?” Even she could hear the panic in her voice.
Hudson gave her fingers a comforting squeeze. “I’m just getting you some Advil. I’ll be right back.”
He returned a few minutes later with two capsules and a tall glass of water.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He studied her face as she swallowed the medicine. “That should help with the pain.”
“I’m feeling better already.”
His answering smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. She knew Hudson wasn’t buying her act for a minute, but he let it go and made quick work of the buttons on his shirt instead. Allie leaned back against the pillows, drinking in every detail. The hard planes of his chest flexing as he peeled off his shirt and tossed it onto a nearby chair; the rippling muscles of his abs curling as he lowered his pants and boxers in one fell sweep; and the firm curves of his very fine ass clenching as he pulled his pajama pants up over his thighs. It was quite a show.
When he was ready for bed, he slid in beside her, tugging her carefully across his chest and kissing the top of her head. Allie sighed as she melted into the warmth of his body. She lay like that for long moments, her breaths in perfect harmony with the steady rise and fall of his chest, until something occurred to her.
“Why did you come to my apartment tonight?” she asked, tilting her face up to see his.
He stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “I wasn’t going to let you go without a fight. I know I said I’d accept whatever you decided, but then I got your message that Julian was back in town . . .” Hudson flexed his arm over his head and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Goddamnit, Allie, you wouldn’t answer your phone.”
“I’m sorry you were worried,” she said quietly.
His eyebrows shot up as he lifted his head to look at her. A fistful of hair was still clenched in his hand. “Worried? I was going fucking crazy just thinking about you in the same room with that asshole.” His head fell back against the pillow and he made an exasperated sound. “Honestly, what did you ever see in him?”
“I was asking myself that same question earlier tonight.” Allie tucked her head back down against Hudson’s chest. In hindsight, she felt like a fool for ever getting involved with Julian in the first place. But hindsight is 20/20, and although Hudson’s question was probably rhetorical, Allie still felt the need to somehow justify her decisions. “Julian can be very charming when he wants to be. In the beginning he was very attentive; thoughtful, even.”
Hudson let out a short, harsh laugh.
“I know it’s hard to picture, but he was. He’d surprise me with flowers for no reason, stop by for lunch just because he missed me, or even leave little notes on my pillow.” The offhanded reference to sharing a bed with Julian slipped out without much thought and she instantly regretted it. Feeling the muscles in Hudson’s arm tense against her back, she quickly steered the conversation in a different direction. “Of course now I know he had an agenda.”