Chapter 18

"Did you have a good time?" Myles asked once they were settled into the SUV. They drove down the neighborhood street, now shrouded in nighttime shadows. "I told you Frank wasn't so bad."

Hudson turned away from the window and smiled. "He wasn't bad at all. In fact, they were all very nice. Ebony's amazing. So sweet and kind-hearted. And the kids ..." She let out a little giggle. "They're adorable."

"I knew you'd like them. They're the perfect family. Like something you'd see on TV."

"Yes, they are."

Hudson grew quiet. The perfect parents, the perfect children. She'd known what that felt like once upon a time. Now it seemed more like a dream or a fairy tale than reality. Memories of her own family had faded over the years, and in their place hovered a strong sense of longing. Like needing to satisfy an itch she couldn't quite reach.

"Hey, are you okay?" Myles reached over and placed his hand over hers. It felt warm and soothing against her skin. Immediately, she relaxed.

"I'm fine. Just thinking, is all."

"About your family?" he asked.

How did he do that? She hadn't known Myles Young for very long, but he could read her so easily.

"Watching Eli and Mia together reminded me of Jonathon. And how Frank and Ebony looked at one another ..." She paused to gather her thoughts. "It's how it should be. You know? Their love for each other was evident, even when they didn't say a word. They didn't need to. All they had to do was look into each other's eyes and they knew. They could feel it. I could feel it." She turned away. "Someday, I want what they have."

"Hudson ..." he said, his voice suddenly thick. Myles gripped her hand and gave it a squeeze. "You'll have that one day. Any man would be lucky to have you. And if they don't realize that, then you're with the wrong guy."

As they drove home on the darkened city streets, Myles continued to hold her hand, his thumb tracing lightly over her skin. He pulled into a space in front of her apartment and put the SUV in park.

"I had a great time tonight," he murmured into the quiet of the car. "I'd love to see you again."

Hudson's eyes fell briefly before meeting his. "Would you like to come up for awhile? Annie won't be back until late."

Myles stared at her for a moment, his eyes alive with surprise. "If you're sure."

The corner of her mouth lifted. "I'm positive."

Hand in hand they entered the building and climbed the stairs, finally letting go so she could open the front door. The apartment sat still, the only movement coming from the curtains blowing in the breeze alongside the open window. She glanced at Myles, hoping he wouldn't be upset. After all, she had promised to keep her windows locked at night. But in her defense, there had still been daylight when they'd left.

Hudson turned on a lamp, casting a dim glow over the living room. She wobbled slightly on her feet.

Myles laughed and reached out to steady her. "Two glasses of wine and you're already tipsy? I'd say you're a cheap date."

She laughed, too. "I don't typically drink. Two glasses of wine are two glasses more than I'd normally have. But I ..." she shrugged, "I wanted to let loose for a change."

"You don't have to drink to let loose." Myles continued to hold onto her, his gaze boring into hers.

Hudson opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Finally, she stepped back. "I know that. I'm just in the mood. Annie has some beer in the fridge. Would you like a can? I think I'm going to have one."

"You don't have to drink because of me."

Hudson shook her head. "I'm not. Really. It just sounds good tonight, that's all. Just because I don't usually drink doesn't mean I never have." She gave him a small smile. "Why don't you sit down and I'll grab us both one."

"Are you sure Annie won't mind?"

Her smile widened. "Believe me, if Annie were here right now, she'd insist."

Hudson went to the fridge and grabbed two cans. Holding one in each hand, she sunk onto the couch next to him. "Would you mind opening mine? I'm not very good with the tab," she asked sheepishly.

Myles opened both cans then took a long swallow from his. Leaning back against the cushions, he visibly relaxed. "Tell me something."

She hesitated, but only for a moment. "Okay."

"How is it that you're single?" At first, she thought he was joking, only his face was dead serious. "I mean it. You're perfect."

Hudson's eyes fell to the beer gripped in her hand. "I promise you, Myles—I'm not perfect."

"I think you may be." He leaned forward, closer now. "You're beautiful, you're smart, you're talented. You have a great sense of humor. I'm just wondering how someone hasn't snatched you up."

"I've never dated much," she admitted.

"Not even in college?"

She didn't answer at first, not quite sure where to start. Taking a long sip of beer, she organized her thoughts. "I've always been quiet. And meeting men never came easy. I'm too—guarded, I guess. Actually ..." Now seemed like the perfect time to bring it up. To let Myles know what happened the other day. "There was one guy in art school who was sort of infatuated with me. It started out innocent enough, I was even a little flattered at first, But eventually, his attention began to interfere with my life. I stopped going out for fear I'd run into him."

Myles' eyebrows crinkled together. "He was that bad?"

Hudson took another drink, the alcohol buzzing through her veins. "He made me nervous."

Myles set his beer down on the table next to him. "Did he ever hurt you?"

She shook her head. "No, but he gave me the creeps all the same. He was married, and—" She swallowed hard. "He was one of my professors."

His eyes narrowed. "He was a professor? Was he ever inappropriate with you?"

How much should she tell him? She didn't want to make a mountain out of a molehill, but what if it was him she saw the other day? Would it matter whether or not she told Myles everything?

Hudson looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. "There was this one time ..." Her thoughts raced back two years when it had happened. The fear she'd felt, the roughness of his hands as he held her in place. Heat swamped her cheeks as she raised her eyes to his. "He asked me to stay after class to discuss a paper I'd turned in. I don't even remember what lame excuse he'd used, all I remember is when it came time for me to leave, he wouldn't let me go. He pushed me against the wall and tried to kiss me."

The muscle in Myles' jaw clenched, as did his fists that were resting at his sides. "Did you ever tell anyone about it?"

Hudson shook her head. "No, I was too embarrassed. I mean—he was my teacher. Plus, he was married. I didn't want to create problems for his wife and children. Instead, I dropped the class."

Myles' face grew red as her words sunk in. She didn't want to continue, but something told her she should.

"There's more," she said. "The other day I went to drop some bills off at the mail box and I think I saw him. He was just sort of meandering around, watching me the same way as he used to. I recognized his hair, the way he dressed, the way he walked. That silver cross he'd always worn around his neck. It gleamed in the sun like a flash of light. And his eyes ..." She cringed. "It was Nick Lockhart, I know it was," she said more to herself than to Myles.

"Did he approach you?"

"No, but—what if it's him?" Her voice sounded faraway in her ears. "What if it was him who broke into my apartment?"

Myles stared off into the distance. Hudson took another sip from her drink to calm her nerves, the liquid pooling warm in her stomach. He looked upset sitting there next to her that for a moment she wondered if she'd done the right thing by confiding in him. But if there was any correlation between seeing her former professor and the attack, then Myles needed to know.

"You said he wore a cross around his neck?" Myles asked, his voice strained.

Hudson nodded.

"Was he a religious man?"

She swallowed again, her heart racing in her chest. "I don't know," she whispered. Setting her drink on the table, Hudson could no longer hold back her fear. Tears spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them.

Myles reached for her and she sunk into his embrace. With her head buried in his chest, she let out quiet sobs that had been building inside of her all night. He held her to him, his scent creating an ache deep in her chest.

Myles cared about her. He cared about her the way Frank cared about Ebony. Maybe not quite the same, but the emotion was there. And despite the chaos that had been surrounding her, her stomach tightened with need. She wanted him. She wanted him in a way she'd never wanted anyone else.

Raising her head, Hudson brushed the tears from her face. "Myles ..?" she murmured, looking into his eyes. "Would you like to fuck me?"

Myles sucked in a breath. Her question sent waves of excitement and uncertainty through his entire body. Being there with Hudson, alone in her apartment, wasn't how he'd expected the night to end, and the swift turn of events made his head suddenly light.

Did he want her? Of course, he did! She'd been on his mind since the first day they met. But something felt off. Hudson was typically mild-mannered, not suggestive like this. He couldn't imagine her ever asking such a question, even though the words had just come from her mouth. The truth was, he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd told him she were a virgin.

"Hudson, I—"

She kissed his fingertips, then slowly slid her tongue along each one before taking his index into her mouth. The warmth of her touch made his heart race. She shifted over top of him until she straddled his lap, her mouth moving from his fingers to the sensitive spot behind his ear. A groaned rumbled in her chest as she ground her hips against his. Her hands grazed the skin beneath his shirt, sliding first over his abs until he a rush of cool air washed over him as the shirt lifted over his head. A burst of breath pushed out of his lungs when her lips covered his.

"Do you want me?" she whispered against his mouth.

Myles released an involuntary moan. He felt sensitive to her touch, her breath on his skin, her lips driving him crazy, making him want more. Yes, he did want her. All of her. More than he'd ever wanted anyone. But not like this. Not after she'd had a few drinks. And not after everything she'd just confessed. She was vulnerable right now, and he didn't want her to regret anything in the morning. This needed to stop.

His hands gripped her hips, trying to still her movements, but Hudson continued to push against the hardness between his legs. Her hands moved over his shoulders and around to his back, her nails raking across fevered flesh. A flash of pain met his skin and he knew she'd drawn blood.

When his name rushed from her lips, he'd almost came undone. Still ... he couldn't do it. He didn't want to take advantage of her in this state. He needed to control himself. "Hudson, I think we need to slow down—"

Her body quieted on top of his and she turned away. Shit. Had he offended her? That was the last thing he'd wanted to do. He was trying to be a gentleman; trying to protect her virtue. Hudson wasn't the type of girl who acted this way, and he didn't want her to hate him after everything was said and done.

Air surged from her mouth and her chest began to rise and fall with a quickness that hadn't been there before. Something had changed. Was she upset? Myles looked at her face and discovered she wasn't mad. She was afraid. Panic brimmed in her eyes. He swallowed a breath and followed her gaze.

Sitting in the shadows across the living room were the words "dirty whore" scrawled across her artwork of lilies. Red paint dribbled down the canvas like fresh drops of blood.

And before he knew what was happening, Hudson let out a loud scream.