Page 26 of Make Me Swoon

“You need to be here for her bridal shower, bachelorette party, and wedding. Is that clear?”

“I’ll try, Mom.”

“You need to do better than that. If you’re going to bring a date, then I need to know now.”

“This is only our second date and I’m not even sure that I can make it, so no, I don’t need a plus one.”

“When are you going to settle down?” she demands and I roll my eyes.

“I don’t know, Mom.”

There is a moment of silence and I shift uneasily. I never know how these phone calls with my mom are going to go and they make me uneasy.

“I’ll see you soon,” she says before she ends the call and I sigh as I head back to the table.

Hudson has paid by now and the waiter waves at me as I grab my purse and take Hudson’s hand as we head out.

He holds my hand the whole way back to Destiny Falls and I stare out over the water, wondering what I should do with my mom.

I’m looking for family, and she’s the last bit that I have left. Maybe I should be trying harder with her. Maybe I should go visit. I could help with the wedding planning and try to bond with my stepfather and stepsiblings.

It sounds awful, but maybe I’m just not trying hard enough.

“I’ll walk you up,” Hudson says as he parks in the spot next to my Jeep.

I nod, letting him help me out of his car and up the stairs to my apartment. I stick my key into the lock, but before I can open it, Hudson’s fingers are on my chin and he’s tilting my face up toward his.

His lips are warm and firm as they claim mine and I wrap my arms around his neck, wanting to get lost in him.

Everything else in the world fades and for a moment, I forget that we’re still technically in public. I can’t bring myself to care though. In this moment, it is just Hudson and me.

He pushes me back against my door and I moan as he leans into me, the hard planes of his body molding against mine. His fingers caress my jaw as his tongue licks along the seam of my lips and I open for him greedily.

His teeth nip my bottom lip and I gasp, my fingers running through his hair and pulling him closer to me. He moans, his tongue pushing into my mouth and twisting with mine.

I gasp, swearing the world shifts on its axis under my feet. I moan into his mouth as one of his hands tangles in my hair to hold me to him while the other wraps around my waist to steady me.

I want to wrap my legs around him. I want to climb him like a tree, but his phone starts to ring and I remember that we’re not even in my apartment.

I expect him to answer his phone, but it’s like he can’t even hear it and I’m not going to tell him to stop. His phone stops ringing and I’m trying to wrap one of my legs around his hips when it starts to ring again, and he pulls back with a groan.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispers as he rests his forehead against mine and I smile.

“I get it.”

“Let me cook for you tomorrow night,” he says and I grin.

“Alright––wait! I can’t tomorrow. It’s girl’s night.”

He frowns, stealing another kiss as his phone continues to ring.

“The night after then.”

“Friday? Isn’t that a busy night for Prim + Proper?”

“Yeah, but my staff can handle it for one night.”

“Alright then. Friday.”

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