“Right?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “Is it crazy for me to feel that way? Do you want to run back to New York now that I’ve admitted it to you?”
I reached for her and pulled her close. “No, I don’t want to run anywhere. And if that makes you crazy, then I’m just as crazy. I feel the same way, Greer. I’ve never experienced being with someone like that before. I don’t want to let you leave this cabin.”
Her mouth rose at both corners in a half-smile, but I could see the sadness in her eyes.
“Don’t do that,” I said with a stern voice.
Drawing her brows down in confusion, she asked, “Don’t do what?”
“Wonder when it will end.”
She swallowed hard. “But it will end. We both know it will.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
Her eyes searched my face. “What are you saying?”
“I don’t have to go back to New York, Greer. I can write from anywhere. There’s literally nothing keeping me there. Truth be told, I was thinking of moving back to Boston anyway, to be near my folks. I haven’t been able to spend nearly enough time with them lately. I love this area, and it makes me feel happy. Being with you…I don’t know how to describe it, but I feel like a part of me was missing until the day I stepped foot in Turning Pages and you looked at me with that goddamn adorable smile of yours.”
“This is crazy, Hudson. We’ve only known each other for a week.”
I lifted her chin until our eyes met. “All I’m asking is for you to let me be a part of your life.”
Her eyes lit up, and she smiled so widely, I couldn’t help but do the same. “I would love that very much.”
“Then, why don’t we just take it week by week and see how things go? I’ll look into finding a place in town to rent, and you can promise me one thing.”
“To let you have your way with me anytime, anywhere?”
I raised a brow. “Okay, you can promise me two things. That, and that you’ll take more time off of work. Show me around this beautiful valley of yours.”
She chewed on her lip a bit before she nodded. “Okay, it’s a deal.”
“To both?” I asked.
“Yes,” she giggled. “To both.”
I picked her up and placed her on the counter as she let out a squeal. “That’s freezing cold!”
Pushing the T-shirt up, I let out a low growl when I saw she wasn’t wearing panties.
“You little tease,” I said, pulling her ass to the edge of the counter and dropping down.
She gasped when I spread her legs apart and licked my lips.
“Hudson! What in the world are you doing?”
Sliding my gaze up to hers, I smirked. “Having you as a pre-dinner snack.”
The sound of someone knocking on the cabin door caused me to roll away from Greer and look at the small clock on the side table. She stayed fast asleep, her hair spread across the pillow.
“Six in the morning? Who in the hell could that be?” I asked as I slipped out of the bed, grabbed a pair of sweats, and headed down the steps.
Another knock.
If it was Jean, I was going to lose my shit on her.
I opened the door and saw two men about my age standing there.
“May I help you?” I asked, glancing between the two of them.
“Hudson Higgins?” the one with light brown hair and dark green eyes asked. He looked vaguely familiar.
“That’s me.”
He reached his hand out for mine. “Kyle Larson. I’m Greer’s brother.”
Oh. Holy. Shit.
I took his hand in mine and gave it a firm shake. “Kyle, it’s nice to meet you.”
“This is Hunter Turner, a good friend of mine, and another police officer here in Boggy Creek Valley.”
I swung my gaze over to the other guy standing there. He was accompanied by a German shepherd-looking dog.
“That’s Jack, Hunter’s partner and very bestest friend,” Kyle said with a laugh he clearly didn’t mean to let out.
Hunter shot Kyle a dirty look. “Fuck off, Larson.” His blue eyes turned back to me.
“Nice looking German shepherd.”
Hunter smiled. “Thank you, but he’s a Belgian Malinois. He gave me a quick once-over. “Looks like we woke you up.”
“Um, yes, but that’s okay. What can I do for you gentlemen?” I asked, motioning for them to come in and praying that Kyle wouldn’t notice his sister’s backpack sitting on the living room floor.
Kyle shook his head. “No, thanks, we didn’t mean to show up unannounced. Hunter and I were coming up to check on a hunting cabin that we got a call on, and I thought I’d swing by to introduce myself and say thanks for fixing the front steps.”
Hunter turned and looked at the newly made steps. “Nice work. If you feel like doing more, my old hunting cabin could use some fixing up.”