Page 10 of The First Deal

Violet scoffed. “I don’t want to fuck a twenty-year-old.” Her gaze met mine, ice blue and filled with an intensity I hadn’t seen in them since she had told me she was pregnant with her first son over three decades ago. “I want to…” She bit her pink, glossed lip. “What I want, is to collect on our deal.”

“Our what?” I asked, cocking my head.

Her gaze turned deadly. “You’ve forgotten?”

“No,” I lied. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten. I’m just surprised.” Good cover.

Her eyes softened, and I was sure that if she could, she’d have frowned.Damn woman and her Botox addiction.“You’re surprised?”

“Yes, I didn’t think you’d still want to…” I trailed off, bringing my glass to my lips in hopes that she’d finish my sentence for me. When she didn’t, I rolled my hand in a flippant gesture. “You know…”

Violet looked me up and down. “You aged well, Hudson. Of course, I’d want to collect.”

Suddenly a memory crashed into me, and I stiffened as I finally realised what she was talking about.

“If we’re still single when we turn fifty, we get together,” a twenty-two-year-old, freshly single for the hundredth time Violet said as she sniffed and blinked back tears. “Deal?”

“Deal,” I said, grinning at her and shaking her outstretched hand. “Now get that down ya, I’ll call in a babysitter for Henry, and we’ll hit the town.”

It was a drunken deal made between two friends who had no idea what was coming next. She was a single mother, dating complete assholes, and I was too focused on my career to even think about women, for a night or more.

She had grown into a woman who, despite being on her second divorce, was thriving. Her two children were grown, she had a grandchild on the way, and the last time we spoke she had been dating some politician.

I had grown into a playboy billionaire.

We were not on the same page.

“What about…” I couldn’t remember the politician’s name.

“Steve. He was great, but he made this noise when he came, it was like a foghorn going off, it was distracting, and I just couldn’t deal with it,” Vi explained.

I laughed, loud enough to make Violet lean back. “That’s not a reason to call it quits with someone.”

“There were other reasons,” she argued, then swung her legs around and perched on the edge of the lounger. “Anyway, we had a deal, and I know I’m a day early…” She wet her lips, her gaze darkening as it dropped to my shorts. “But what’s a day?”

“What exactly are you expecting here?” I asked, leaning forward with my fist under my chin, lining it up in a way that blocked her view of my sizable bulge.

Vi’s eyes snapped up to meet mine. “I’m expecting you, and me, together.”

“For how long?”

“Forever,” she breathed.

“Vi, I…” I closed my eyes.

She spoke up before I could crush her spirit. “I know you’ve never committed to anyone before, but come on, Hudson. It’s me. Tell me you’ve never thought about it.”

Of course, I had thought about it. I had thought about bending her over plenty of bars when we were young. I had thought about taking her on her dining table when she had invited me for dinner, and I had thought about dragging her down a dark alley many times, many years ago. But that was all. Nothing more.

“I have thought about it, but not the same way that you have,” I admitted.

“That’s good enough for now,” she said, brushing her finger down my forearm, the gentle touch sending a shiver through my body.

I held her gaze. “Vi, it’s not enough. It’s not what you want.”

“Hudson,” her voice dropped, low and sultry. I’d heard her use it when she’d flirted with men in front of me before, she knew exactly what she was doing. “Do you really think that you’ll be able to walk away once we’ve started? Anyway, you’re a man of your word, you always have been.”

I didn’t answer her.

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