Page 5 of The Prey
Well, that was one way to put it. Hudson was there with Gene, rather giving that idea more than enough proof.
Gia’s niece Marnie promised to make sure Ryan was in his building, no matter what. She and her best friend in the world would make sure he was just fine. They would take care of him and help him.
“Breakfast is ready. We have half an hour before Uncle Anthony will be here to take you all to school.” Gia scooped her youngest niece up and sat her in the booster seat, washing the girl’s hands next. Then the girl a year or so older.
Gia handled the kids like she did this chaos every day.
Her dark brown hair was loose. It hung almost to her waist. It was thick, with slight waves, and it looked damned soft at the moment. He wanted to bury his hands in that hair.
No. That wasn’t what he really wanted.
He wanted so muchmorethan that.
Hudson wanted to sink his hands into that hair, and hold her still. While he kissed the hell out of her.
While he figuredthisGiavonna out.
She was made for jeans and soft T-shirts that showed off far more than those shapeless suits she wore every workday, and for cuddling kids—and for being kissed senseless by the lucky man who was allowed to touch her.
She wasgoodat this kid stuff.Reallygood at it.
He wasn’t. He knew it. He still wasn’t certain what he was doing with Ryan sometimes.
Did it make him a sexist ass that he found her too damned attractive when she was taking care of a bunch of kids? He did not like what that said about him at all.
It took him a minute to figure out what it actually was.
It wasn’t that she was more attractive in a stereotypicalfemalerole at all. It was that she was far morecomfortablehere than she had ever been at the office.
More open. Even with him. Which…was saying a lot, as she was still eying him like he was a monster at times.
Here at the ranch, she was therealGiavonna Annalise Hiller. The one he didn’t truly know. There was a wall of reserve around her that he didn’t remember being there three years ago when she’d first hired in. At the office, it was there. But here, it was gone. She was open and laughing and loving and just…captivating.
A man couldn’t look away.
Why? What had made her closethiswoman off when she was in the office? Had it been something he had done specifically?
He sure as hell hoped not.
They fought, yes. No denying that. And he had said some seriously idiotic and probably far too harsh things to her. Thingshe definitely regretted saying. But he didn’t like that she’d retreated.
Hell, she was almost acting like she was afraid of him.
“Hudson,” she said, her tone turning almost formal. He hated it. He wanted her to look at him with that open joy she’d been looking at his son with just a moment ago. He wanted to see hersmileat him—and mean it. That was all he really wanted. “There is plenty for you, too.”
He nodded, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her and steal a quick kiss of his own, even with half a dozen kids surrounding them just like this. “Who is Anthony?”
“Anthony Lake; he’s an emergency department physician in Finley Creek. He lives a few miles from here. You’ve met him before. He’s Ronnie’s brother—one of the ones that was there that day with Judge Felner. He offered to get the kids for me today on his way to the hospital, so I didn’t have to get the younger two out. You don’t mind if he takes Ryan?”
“Big blond guy?” He remembered the man, all right. If it was the right guy, he had that pretty boy thing going on that women liked. Even Hala had mentioned the guy. Said hownicehe was. And how beautiful.
“Yes, that’s him. Gene will vouch for him. He’s taken Calvin to school many times before.”
“I see. I’ll feel better speaking with him first.” He didn’t like the idea of just letting Ryan go off with anyone. But he wasn’t driving at the moment—he still needed to replace his damned truck, and hadn’t had time to arrange a rental—and that meant she’d have to take a car full of six kids.
He wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even his worst enemy.
Until this, he’d thought this woman was his worst enemy. He didn’t want to be her enemy at all. He wanted to send all the kids to preschool and elementary school and maybe have UncleAnthony take the rest of the kids and leave Hudson alone with Aunt Gia. For hours.
