Page 39 of The New Guy
His expression drops, and now I’ve made another person sad.
Oops.
The elevator door opens, and I slide my foot carefully forward. If only the wall could accompany me, that would be cool.
Hudson clamps a strong hand under my elbow. “You got this, come on. Do you have your key handy?”
“Sure.” I pull it out of my pocket and walk toward my room’s door. But I stumble. Twice. Hudson prevents me from falling, though. “This rug is awful,” I complain. “Who chose this carpeting?”
Hudson laughs and I’m not sure why.
“Wait, all these doors look the same.”
“That tends to happen in a hotel,” he says gravely. “Do you have that handy sleeve the hotel gave you? With the room number on it?”
“No. But I’m sure it’s this one.” I wave the key card past the scanner, but it gives me a red light. “Wait, no. It’s this one.” I try the next door.
Rejected.
“This could go on all night. Do you have your ID? In case we need to ask the hotel which room you’re in?”
“No, it’s fine!” I lurch out of his grasp toward the door in the corner. “This is it. Trust me.”
“No, I don’t think…”
I swipe. Red light. “Damn it.”
“Okay, let’s cut this game short.” Hudson nudges my hand, and finally! Green light.
“See? I found it.” The door swings open. “Oh yay. A bed. I need that.” I stumble forward, lifting my T-shirt over my head. It’s surprisingly hard work. “Wow, I’m so drunk. I’ve completely lost my tolerance. My college buddies would be appalled.” Parking my ass on the bed, I slither out of my jeans. And then, fuck it, my boxers too.
“Whoa there.” Hudson covers his eyes. “Won’t you be cold?”
“Nah. Kid-free trip, baby! I get to sleep naked.”
He sighs.
I yank the covers up and slip between the sheets. “Oh, heavenly. I love hotels. I’m going to sleep so many hours.”
“Are you now?” Hudson is fussing with something on the other side of the room. I don’t care what. It was nice of him to put me to bed. “You want some Advil so you don’t wake up at three with a pounding headache?”
“Good idea,” I mutter. “It’s in the travel kit, in the bathroom.”
He returns a minute later and sits on the side of the bed. “Okay, sit up for me.”
“Kay.” I do that, but I keep my eyes shut.
He puts the pills in my hand, and after I toss them in my mouth, he puts a water glass in it next.
I take a gulp and hand it back.
“Good boy,” he says softly, and goose bumps rise up on my shoulders.
“God, can younot?” I complain. “Don’t use your sex voice. It’s hard enough being near you all the time.” I open my eyes to make my point, but that means I’m suddenly blinded by a lamp that Hudson must have turned on. I clamp my eyes shut again, but not before swaying precariously.
“Whoa!” He catches me with one iron-like arm, his palm on my bare shoulder. “Easy.”
The warmth of him is irresistible. I lean in. My chin finds his shoulder, and my bare skin meets the warmth of his chest. I’m basically hugging him, so I slide my arm around his torso to make it official. He stiffens, but I don’t know why. “This is nice. Nobody ever hugs me.”
