Page 51 of Too Broken to Love

She bit her lip. Why was the thought of him enjoying her cooking for breakfast so hot? “Did you like it?”

“Spicy and sweet.” He glanced down at the V of her blouse. “Tasty and addictive.”

“You could have had chili for lunch yesterday if you’d come out of the study.”

She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice. Despite her denial that Lia hadn’t bought for a minute, she’d made the chili to entice him into the kitchen. While they’d eaten and listened to Ralphie tell a story about the time he and Sam capsized a rowboat, Vivian and Shayla—who were growing on Tessa in a love to hate kind of way—exchanged glances every time she looked down the hall. Even Lia joined their conspiratorial looks.

Hudson rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. The General’s been keeping me busy getting Pop’s business affairs in order, and I’ve been at Malcolm’s office in the afternoon working on the legal end. And Pop’s acquaintances keep inviting me to dinner to express their condolences. I guess I haven’t done a very good job of helping you acclimate to your new home.”

“It’s okay.” He had responsibilities that didn’t include her. “Any new information to share with me?”

“The reports came back from the authorities just like the General said they would, but no new leads on anything.”

“I’ve been doing some searching about Passage and haven’t found anything other than dream vacations I’d like to take. Thanks for the laptop.”

“You’re welcome. And you know you can afford to go anywhere you want now, right?”

She held up a finger. “I can’t go anywhere. I’m in danger. Remember?”

He reached out and touched the neckline of her blouse. “You look like you’re going somewhere now.”

She couldn’t stop the low hum that originated in her belly as he dipped his fingertips inside the material and brushed the top of her breast. “I’m on my way to work.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Because it’s my job. And my staff is eager to see me and make sure I’m okay since my house blew up and all.”

“Just tell me what you need to work from here, and I’ll get it.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I need normalcy.” She nudged his fingers from her blouse and waved her hand around the kitchen. “This doesn’t feel real.”

He smiled a different kind of appreciation she couldn’t put her finger on.

“What doesn’t feel real, Tessa?”

“All of it. Every time I go to do something normal, like empty the dishwasher, Josie steps in and does it. And Ralphie keeps knocking on my door with board games. It’s not that I don’t love them both, I really, truly do, and I appreciate how much they care about me, but…”

She stared at the sunlight glinting off the ruby. “I can’t believe how ungrateful I sound.”

“Look at me, Tessa.”

She lifted her gaze. God, why did her breathing, her pulse, her heartbeat accelerate every time he got bossy?

“You’ve been programmed to look out for yourself and the people around you. It’s natural for it to feel weird when someone else takes over. When are you leaving for work?”

“Now.”

He pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ll have a car here in fifteen minutes.”

“Thanks, but I can drive myself. Josie said my car was delivered the other day.”

“You can, but you won’t. I figured you’d want to go back to work soon so I put a security detail on standby.”

“What? No. Did you not hear me when I said I needed normalcy? A security detail driving me to work isn’t normal.”

“Was nearly getting abducted at gunpoint on the boardwalk a normal Sunday for you? If so, be my guest and enjoy an average Thursday carjacking.”

She couldn’t disagree with his wiseass assessment of not just the danger, but the root of why it made her uncomfortable. “Fine. I see your point.”