Dare to Tease (Dare Nation 4.5)

He did, but even he knew they needed more time to cement their relationship. And he’d never take something as important as knowing she was loved away from her. Which meant she could never know that his father had offered him the money with these strings attached. All he could tell Bri was that his parent had turned him down, and after meeting Martin Northfield, she’d have no trouble believing he could do something that cruel.

Son of a bitch, he thought, pissed at his father for fucking up the best thing in his life and putting him in a position of having to give up the clinic, leaving it to Braden to handle alone. Of course, he could go to the bank and attempt to take out a loan, and he would, but he didn’t have enough credit to fund what he needed. Only his trust fund had that kind of money, and it was within his father’s discretion to turn him down. Unless he got married and knocked up his wife.

Fucking perfect, he thought in disgust. If and when he had children, he swore he’d never use them, treat them like a commodity, blackmail them, or give them anything less than unconditional love and support.

And the same with the woman he loved.

Chapter Seven

For the next few weeks, Bri lived in a state of bliss in her relationship with Hudson. They saw each other at work, sneaking moments alone in her office when they could, and began alternating sleeping over at his apartment and her house, though recently they’d just begun using her house as their base. He brought things over and left them there. Her bathroom now had his razor and shaving cream, toothbrush, and shampoo. Who knew a man could be fussy about his hair care, she mused, enjoying having him in her personal space.

She grinned as she dressed for her mother’s birthday party they were attending this afternoon. All had been quiet in her work world, no player crises to handle, but Hudson had gone to the stadium to treat some of the players.

He was doing his best to push forward with clinic plans despite having been turned down by his father, who’d refused to release the principal of the trust fund money. So Hudson was busy making appointments with a bank to apply for a loan, and he and Braden were discussing bringing on investors to make their dream a reality.

She had a plan of her own to help him, but she’d wanted the money she hoped to raise to be a surprise, and she intended to fill him in after they returned from the party at her mother’s house.

Hudson walked into the house just as she’d entered the kitchen. He dropped his keys in the dish she left for that purpose near the front door and strode up to her, planting a long, deep kiss on her mouth.

“Mmm,” she said as he lifted his head. “Do that again.”

“My pleasure.” He snaked his arm around her, pulling her close and closing his lips over hers.

The kiss sent tremors of awareness sizzling up her spine. She could get used to this, Hudson coming home to her every day, them living in a real home that they made together. In fact, she wanted a future with him with every fiber of her being.

“I love you,” she said, shocked when the words came out of her mouth.

He blinked, his eyes opening wide.

“I… You don’t have to say it back. I just… It slipped,” she said, her face hot with embarrassment.

He cupped her face in his strong hands. “Did you mean it?” he asked, his voice gruff, his expression vulnerable. Unless she was misreading him, which she didn’t think she was.

Swallowing hard, she decided to go with the truth. No pain, no gain, as the athletes who surrounded her liked to say. And Hudson had given her no reason not to have hope.

“I do.” Her heart pounded so fast in her chest it hurt.

His features softened, those sexy lips turning up in a smile. “Good because I love you, too.” His lips came down hard on hers again, his tongue slipping into her willing mouth as he backed her against the nearest cabinet.

They devoured each other, their kisses hot, their bodies grinding against each other to the point where her panties grew damp enough that she knew either they stopped or they’d end up in bed. Which she wanted desperately, but they didn’t have the time.

With regret, she pulled away. “If we keep this up, we’ll miss the party.”

He frowned but released her, taking a few steps back and catching his breath. “I need to shower and then I’ll be ready.” His gaze skimmed over her outfit, a pair of fitted black pants and a pink scoop-neck top that tucked into the thick waistband.