You Make Me Weak (The Blackwells of Crystal Lake 1)

With a sigh, Hudson headed outside, taking note that the shutters needed painting and the railing needed to be secured. The porch floorboards, however, looked as if they’d been attended to and prettied up with a fresh coat of off-white.

He sat in hi truck, glaring at the house. He sure as hell hadn’t seen this coming. Not Rebecca. Not the sex. Not waking up alone. Not any of it. Hudson turned the key, and the engine roared to life. With one final look at her place, he backed out of Rebecca’s driveway and headed out to the lake.

She might have thought getting the hell out of Dodge before he got his ass up was a good way to get rid of Hudson.

“Not a chance,” he murmured. She should know better. Seemed as if time and distance had made Rebecca Draper forget a few things. Like the fact it was going to take a hell of a lot more than a damn note to keep him away.

The sun glinted off the top of the hood as he sped down River Road, the town disappearing from his rear view mirror. He had some things he needed to take care of, but he’d be back. Now that he knew where she was bunkered down, Rebecca couldn’t hide from him.

Hudson turned up the radio, and for the first time since he’d been home, found himself looking forward to what was coming next.

Chapter 8

The door opened before Rebecca had a chance to knock.

“Hey.” She barely got the word out before Violet reached out and yanked her inside, quickly hustling her over to the kitchen and plopping her onto a seat at the island. The open space was full of light, thanks to the bank of windows, and several vases of fresh flowers drank it in.

Rebecca watched Violet warily, noting the spiky hair, flushed cheeks, and…geez, love bites on her neck. The Grinch Christmas nighty was a little much and barely covered her shocking pink undies, but then, this was Violet. Her crazy-ass best friend. Her go-to person. The one woman on the planet who never judged.

And she’d at least made the effort to pull them on.

Rebecca cleared her throat and started to speak, but Violet shook her head and held her hand up for added emphasis.

“Nope. Not yet. We need to get this right.”

Violet poured two large mugs of coffee and then grabbed cream from the fridge. She slid onto the chair across from Rebecca and then swore, jumping to her feet again.

“What the—”

“I said not yet.” Violet reached into the cupboard beside the fridge and grabbed the bowl of sugar. She sat back down, fixed their coffees, and then, after taking a sip from her mug, nodded at Rebecca. Her face was eager. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Good to know,” Rebecca replied, holding the mug between her hands for warmth. She’d been cold since she got up. Since she’d wriggled out from Hudson’s arms and left him in her bed.

Naked. In her bed.

“Spill. I’ve been waiting since you called me an hour ago.”

Rebecca swallowed some of the hot brew and set her cup back down. The words burned at the back of her throat where they’d been since the early hours of the morning. She had to clear her throat again and take a mental step back.

Violet’s eyes widened, and she leaned closer. “I knew it. This is gonna be good.”

“Where’s Adam?”

Okay. Those weren’t the words she’d been dying to share, but considering the fog Rebecca had been in since she woke up, it was a start.

Her friend gave her a look that said, are you kidding me? “He went to get the twins at his mother’s. I told you that already. Shit, I had to make up the lamest excuse ever so that I could stay home and get the goods from you.”

“What was the excuse?”

Violet snorted. “Becs, really? We need to do this?”

Rebecca nodded, the tension easing a bit. “We do.”

“Well,” Violet began dramatically. “I told Adam that the sex was so good and so hard, and so damn long last night that my girlie parts—”

“Okay,” Rebecca cut in with a laugh. “I get it.”

“Did you?”