Dare to Tease: A Dare Nation Novella Page 3

He smiled and brushed his knuckles over her cheek. “I’m glad I was here. Do me a favor?”

  She lifted her eyebrows. “What’s that?”

  “Text me when you get home so I know you’re safe.” And he didn’t mean he was checking up on her in a brotherly way, either.

  “Okay.” From the gleam in her eye, she obviously knew he was expressing interest.

  What kind? What could they have together? He had no idea. Not yet. But he intended to find out.

  * * * *

  Hudson waited for Bri to drive away before he strode back into the clinic and headed to find Braden, who had settled into their shared office. Ever since they’d started working, the original head doctor, Thomas Anderson, had begun shifting more work their way and doing less on his end, just one of the reasons they were working on a takeover plan.

  “Hey.” Hudson pulled out a chair and dropped into it, the long day catching up with him.

  Braden turned and glared.

  “Knock it off,” Hudson muttered. “It’s not like I’m some asshole who’s going to hurt your sister.”

  “You’re not someone with serious relationships in your background, either.” Braden’s point was well made.

  His romantic history was bland at best. He’d had women in his life but none who’d stuck or who he’d had any interest in pursuing a serious relationship with. Until Bri, but he wasn’t going to share his feelings about her with Braden. Whatever happened between them was private.

  “Trust me or not, but I’m not discussing her with you.” Hudson kicked his feet up on the desk. “Want to order in dinner?”

  After a long stare off, Braden nodded. He called in sandwiches from a nearby restaurant, and then talk turned to their plans to turn this run-down clinic into a state-of-the-art health center.

  “Are you going to New York this weekend?” Braden asked, leaning back in his seat.

  Hudson nodded. “My cousin is getting married, and we’re close. I wouldn’t miss it anyway, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone and talk to my father about releasing his hold on my trust fund.”

  “It’s for a damned good cause.” Braden gestured around them.

  Hudson didn’t need to look at the peeling beige walls, cracks on the ceiling, or old equipment to know his friend was right.

  “I’ve never asked him for a cent for anything frivolous. I hope Dad takes that into account.” But he knew his father didn’t care about good deeds and helping others. He shrugged because he’d never understood his father and never would. “He and Evan were alike. Dedicated to the trading business and caring about things like family legacy and heirs. It sounds like a nineteenth-century drama.”

  Evan had been married, he and his wife trying to get her pregnant when he’d passed. TMI as far as Hudson was concerned, but that’s how his family was. Trying to birth an heir to the fortune.

  “I’m really sorry you lost him,” Braden said.

  “I know you are, and I appreciate it.” It was different for his friend, Hudson thought. Braden was close with all of his siblings, whereas Hudson and Evan had been distant, not sharing things in common. “I miss the thought of him, but we rarely spoke, so I have some guilt tied up with it all.”

  Braden frowned. “You shouldn’t carry that burden because you were different and didn’t bond. Grieve? Of course. But don’t feel guilty.”

  “I’m working on it.” He swung his legs around and placed his feet on the floor and rose. “As far as our plan, we’ll know a lot more after I go home this weekend.” And he wasn’t looking forward to the trip or the groveling he’d have to do in order to get what he wanted.

  He worked a late shift at the clinic and finally locked up for the night. The warm Florida air hit him when he exited, but after two years in Brazil, he was used to humidity and heat. He climbed into his Ford SUV, turned on the ignition, and raised the AC, plugging in his phone and setting the music before pulling out of the lot.

  He drummed his fingers to a current song on the radio as he drove toward the apartment he rented in the same building as Braden, when his cell phone rang and his father’s name popped up on the screen.

  Son of a bitch. Although he was tempted to ignore the call, his father would only try again later. The man was persistent, and Hudson had been ducking him lately, if only to give himself some peace.

  He hit the button that accepted the call. “Hi, Dad.”

  “Hudson, I’ve been trying to get ahold of you,” his father said in his typical annoyed tone, which came through the car speakers.

  Hudson rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. How are you?”

  “Your mother and I are fine as well, something you would know if you’d picked up or called me back.”

  “I have two jobs,” Hudson reminded his father. “My free time is minimal.”

  “You wouldn’t need to work those hours if you came home and took a job with Northfield International.” The family international trading business that Hudson wanted nothing to do with.

  He let out a low chuckle. “Are you forgetting you paid for medical school?”

  “Yes, well, as you know, I had your brother to ultimately run the company then.” Fate had disrupted Martin’s plan.

  To this day, Hudson didn’t know how his father felt about the death of his firstborn son beyond the fact that he no longer had an heir to take over. Martin and Lucille Northfield thought they were nobility and treated everyone as a commodity that was either useful to them or not. For years his parents’ attitude had suited Hudson fine because he’d been able to live life on his own terms. Now they needed him, and he wasn’t about to give in.

  “Are you coming home this weekend?” his father asked when Hudson didn’t take the bait and answer the jab about his brother’s death and Martin wanting Hudson to work with him.

  “I’ll be there,” Hudson muttered.

  “Good. I’m looking forward to talking about this further.”

  In other words, to harangue Hudson and try and change his mind. What he needed was a distraction, something or someone to shift his father’s focus. Someone to keep Hudson busy and away from his family. His mind drifted back to Bri and that stunning kiss. It was more potent than anything he’d ever experienced, and he could have drowned in her and died a happy man.

  “I’m bringing a date,” he heard himself say.

  And despite not knowing whether he could pull off the barely formed notion, he couldn’t deny he liked the idea of taking Bri with him to the city. She was everything he’d just thought about and then some. A beautiful distraction to keep Hudson too busy to get pulled into endless conversation with his father except for the one about his trust fund. Not to mention, it gave him the opportunity to get to know her better away from her overprotective brothers.

  His father began to cough, and Hudson waited for him to pull himself together. “You’re what?”

  Hudson frowned at the ridiculous question. His father had heard him just fine. “I’m bringing a date,” he enunciated just to be sure. Though it wouldn’t be easy, his cousin would add one to his table. Hell, she’d be thrilled he was bringing a date and had offered him a plus-one with his invitation.

  “But what about Corinne? Surely you know she’s excited to see you again after all this time,” Martin said.

  Hudson glanced up at the sky before shifting his gaze back to the road in front of him. “She’s not invited to the wedding, and we haven’t spoken in years,” he said of a family friend’s daughter his parents approved of as a match for Hudson.

  They’d never dated, not for Corinne’s lack of trying to corner him at events. His parents would like nothing more than a marriage within their social circle. It wasn’t happening.

  “Well, at least you’re coming,” his father said begrudgingly. “I’ll let your mother know.”

  The bride knew he was coming, had known for months, but he’d let his parents wonder because then they wouldn’t attempt to make plans for the weekend that included him and someone else �
�� like Corinne. And now that he was bringing a date, they wouldn’t even try. At least he didn’t have to worry about how his parents would treat his guest. They believed in good manners and appearances, and they’d treat Brianne with respect.

  “I’ll see you soon. Bye, Dad.” Hudson disconnected the call just as he turned onto the street leading to his apartment.

  Jesus, it had been a long day. He thought about what he’d just told his father and drew a deep breath, exhaling as he realized what he’d done.

  Now he just had to convince Bri to join him for a weekend in New York. With his family. After sharing just one kiss.

  Okay, so he had his work cut out for him, but he was up for the challenge.

  * * * *

  The next morning, Bri struggled to get dressed and ended up taking off the gauze on her hands since she’d all but ruined the wrapping anyway. The skin was raw and painful, and she gave up on a blouse with buttons and ended up in a pair of black slacks and a shirt she could pull over her head. Despite her love of high heels, she wasn’t feeling all sexy and powerful, so she slid on a pair of ballet slippers instead.

  Her hands throbbed, and she slathered on some Neosporin, but she didn’t have Band-Aids large enough to cover the road rash, and by the time she was ready to leave for work, she was near tears in frustration. She’d really done a number on herself, and it wasn’t going to be easy for a couple of days.

  Her doorbell rang. She couldn’t imagine who’d be here at this hour, but she went to the front door of her house and looked through the side window to see Hudson with a white plastic bag in his hand.

  Looking sexy in his black Miami Thunder polo shirt and tan khakis, his beard well trimmed, she was reminded of what it felt like to have the soft hair rubbing against her skin as they’d kissed. She shivered, her nipples tightening beneath her bra.

  “Shake it off, Brianne,” she muttered as she unlocked the door and pulled it open. “Hudson! What are you doing here?”

  “Making a house call.”

  Warmth spread through her at his thoughtfulness. “I guess that makes me special.”

  His answering grin seduced her right down to her toes, but when his gaze went to her hands, his smile turned to a frown. “From the looks of things, you could use my help.”

  She glanced at her greasy palms and winced. “Yes, I could.”

  He nodded. “The skin was pretty chafed last night, and I figured you’d need help with a fresh wrap so it doesn’t get infected.” He lifted the bag that obviously held medical supplies.

  “Come on in.” She stepped back, making room for him to enter.

  He brushed past her, the warm, masculine smell of his cologne putting her into a sensual haze.

  “Let’s go into the kitchen,” she said, her voice a shade deeper than normal.

  As he walked ahead of her, he looked around, taking in her beloved home.

  “From the day I saw this place, I loved it,” he said. He’d visited recently for a family get-together.

  “Me, too.” Wanting a home of her own, Bri had bought the patio house last year.

  She followed him to the kitchen, seeing the house through his eyes. Light blue walls with chair rails and molding painted in white, dark hardwood floors, and area rugs in strategic places with pops of color in various shades of blue. Her favorite color. A sense of pride filled her at knowing he liked her sanctuary as much as she did, which was odd that she cared what Hudson thought.

  At thirty-two years old, she’d pretty much decided she might be on her own and not part of a couple, and she’d created the life she wanted without waiting for a guy to make her feel complete. She’d hired a decorator because she didn’t have the time to pick things out for herself, described her taste, and ended up with everything she would have chosen anyway.

  Hudson placed the bag on the counter near her barstools and began to take out gauze, tape, and Neosporin, which she already had. His thoughtfulness touched her.

  Though Braden had texted to check in, it was Hudson who was here. “Thanks for coming over. I was struggling a bit.” She wasn’t one to ask for help and more the type to find solutions; still, she was glad he was here.

  She settled herself on a barstool, and Hudson walked around the counter and came up beside her. “Since it looks like you did the cleanup and ointment, I’ll just wrap it for you.”

  “I appreciate it.” Holding out her hands, she waited as he began to wrap the gauze just as he’d done last night, finishing one hand with adept precision.

  “So anything that you’ll have to cancel thanks to the injury? Tennis? A workout? A date this weekend?” he asked, his gaze focused on his task as he casually tossed out possibilities.

  Her heart stuttered on the last one. “A date?”

  He lifted his head, his coffee-colored eyes focused on hers. “Yeah. Do you have a date this weekend?”

  She blinked, her brain processing his question. “Are you saying I can’t go out with someone because my hands are hurt?” Because that made no sense. Unless he was hinting at something more.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Unless you go with someone capable of taking care of you.” His fingers linked with hers, careful not to rub his bigger hand against her palms.

  She tipped her head to the side. “Someone like you?” she prodded.

  “Someone exactly like me.”

  That damned smile showed itself again, and her insides turned to mush. No man had ever had such a potent impact. “Are you asking me out, Dr. Northfield?”

  Chapter Three

  “I’m not only asking you out, I’m asking you to come to New York with me,” he said.

  Bri’s eyes opened wide at the out-of-the-blue question.

  “My cousin Serena is getting married, and I’d like you to go with me.” He picked up the roll of gauze and started to wrap her other hand. “Serena and I are close. She’s the one relative who completely gets that I want to do my own thing outside family expectations because she’s the same way. She met her soon-to-be husband at the gym she works out at. He’s a trainer. Suffice to say, her parents are paying for this wedding with gritted teeth.”

  Bri glanced at him in understanding. “Braden mentioned your family is…” She trailed off in search of words that sounded nicer than upper-class snobs and couldn’t find any.

  “Stuffy? Full of themselves? High and mighty with ridiculous expectations? Yes, that’s them.” He shook his head and laughed, but she heard the pain he hid beneath that forced sound and the wounded expression he couldn’t completely conceal. “That’s the drawback to attending, but there are perks, too.” He finished bandaging her hand and put the gauze and tape on the counter.

  “Oh, yeah? Name one,” she said because she was seriously considering saying yes.

  “Me. I’ll be by your side.”

  Arrogant man, she thought with amusement. “Your cousin can add someone so close to the event?”

  He nodded. “I spoke to her this morning, and it’s no problem. Because she loves me.” He raised his eyebrows and studied her. “Well?”

  Bri wasn’t impulsive. She thought things through and went over the pros and cons in her mind. She just did it faster than most people, because in her business, she had to make split-second decisions to protect a player, fix a problem, or cover up a mistake. Where the press, paparazzi, and reputations were concerned, she often had to act quickly.

  In this case, Hudson wasn’t a stranger. She liked him, was seriously attracted, knew he kissed better than any man she’d met, and he wasn’t using her for anything. The only cons were her annoying brothers, but driving them crazy was also sort of a plus in her mind. She and Hudson could have fun in the city, she’d learn about him without Braden interrupting, and she’d get to meet his enigmatic family and learn what made him tick.

  “We’ll be staying in a hotel and can get separate rooms if that’s what’s holding you back,” he said in the wake of her silence.

  She clasped his face between h
er hands – more like between her fingers, sparing her palms — and asked, “What if I don’t want separate rooms?”

  A sparkle lit his eyes. “Then I’ll book one room,” he said in a husky voice. “You’re sure?”

  “Are you trying to make me second-guess myself?” she asked with a teasing grin. She was already certain.

  If just a kiss generated the kind of heat that kept her tossing and turning, what would a joining of their bodies do to her? She wanted this weekend for herself. She deserved it.

  She hadn’t been with a man in over a year, someone she’d chosen to scratch an itch, so to speak, and had learned her vibrator was a better choice. No one got too close. Not since the last relationship she’d had. Bri thought she’d been dating a salesman with no ties to the sports industry. In reality he’d wanted Damon to endorse a new energy drink his company was producing, and Austin, as Damon’s agent, had already turned him down.

  At that point, she’d shut down the idea of relationships and focused on herself. She had a feeling Hudson could decimate that self-made promise, but running the pros and cons, she didn’t see a downside.

  And when his lips met hers, she was even more sure. Just like last time, the kiss spiraled fast, their tongues intertwining, his hand coming up to grip the back of her neck and hold on tight.

  She moaned and leaned into him, tasting a hint of mint and coffee, his hard chest pressing against hers, her breasts and hardened nipples rubbing against the fabric of her shirt. He lifted her shirt and slid his hands beneath the material, his calloused fingers sliding along her skin. Goose bumps prickled over her flesh, and arousal spread through her, thick and heavy.

  Her head swirled, a buzzing noise sounding in her ears.

  “Shit,” he muttered, lifting his head. “My phone.”

  “Answer it,” she said, knowing, as a doctor, any call for him could be important.

  A regret-filled expression on his face, he pulled his phone from his pocket, drawing her attention to the hard erection tenting his pants.

  “What?” Hudson’s bark into the phone stunned her, and she glanced up, startled by the tone she’d never heard from him before.