Free Web NovelChapter 75: Chapter 75 Morning After Awkwardness
Christina’s POV
I woke up before sunrise, feeling like a guilty teenager who’d been caught sneaking out past curfew. The memory of Hudson staring at my barely covered backside last night made me groan into my pillow.
"Maybe he didn’t notice," Akira suggested, though her tone made it clear even she didn’t believe that.
"Right. And maybe I’m secretly the Luna Queen of all werewolves," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed.
There was no way Hudson hadn’t noticed my entire embarrassing performance last night, and I absolutely refused to sit across from him at breakfast pretending to be a functional adult with dignity intact.
Escape was the only option.
I tiptoed downstairs, shoes in hand, purse swinging at my side like a getaway bag. The mansion was quiet except for the distant hum of the news playing somewhere.
Wait. News?
I peeked around the corner and my stomach dropped.
Hudson was already there.Sitting on the sofa like the goddamn king of The Sabreridge pack.Watching the morning financial report. Calm and collected, with his shirt sleeves rolled up revealing those forearms that should be illegal before 9 AM.
"You’ve got to be kidding me," I whispered.
I nearly threw my handbag at his face in frustration.
"You’re up early," I said, trying not to sound accusatory and failing miserably.
Hudson glanced over, his expression giving away nothing. "Where are you going at this hour?"
Busted.
I bit my lip, summoning my best innocent look. "Ysolde wanted to do breakfast. I’m just gonna... head out..."
I edged toward the front door. Freedom was just inches away. My fingers brushed the handle when—
"Aren’t you forgetting something?"
My heart plummeted straight into my shoes. Great. Of course Mr. Perfect-Timing had to catch me. What was he, some kind of scheduled humiliation service? Miss last night’s embarrassment? Don’t worry, we’ll catch you at dawn!
"He’s such a planner," Akira snarked. "No rehearsal yesterday means double duty today, I guess. You can run but you can’t hide forever."
I froze.Turned. Marched right back across the room like I hadn’t just been sneaking around.
And then I climbed into his lap.
Straddled him, arms wrapped around his neck. ƒreewebɳovel.com
No hesitation. Well, maybe a little hesitation, but mostly I went for confident flair.
Kissing might’ve been off-limits in our original agreement, but hugging? I could do that blindfolded and drunk. Actually, I’d already done that drunk, hadn’t I?
I leaned in, brushing my cheek against his neck, my lips whisper-close to his ear.
"This is as far as I can go for now. As for the other thing... maybe give me some time? I need to mentally prepare. You’re a man of action, but I’m a woman with nerves. I need a heads-up before we go full lip-lock."
I needed time to brush my teeth, drown myself in breath spray, and eat a hundred mints. More importantly, I needed to warn myself not to shove my tongue down his throat or do something wildly inappropriate and irreversible.
Hudson froze. He literally stopped breathing. His body stiffened like someone had swapped his spine for an ironing board.
He just sat there. Silent.
Was he angry? Disappointed?Or mentally reviewing our contract for a clause that said, "If fake wife misbehaves, fake husband gets to unleash legal hellfire"?
"Let’s leave it at this for today, yeah?" I offered.
He exhaled. His voice came out low and rough. "We’ll talk tonight."
"Cool, cool." I bounced off his lap.
Then I noticed him looking at me strangely.
I squinted back. Was his neck... red? Like, sunburn-at-midnight red?
For a split second, I wondered if I’d somehow given him a love bite without realizing it, but unless I’d started sucking necks in my sleep, that wasn’t it.
"Are you—?" I was about to ask if he was allergic to my lip gloss when Geoffrey appeared in the doorway.
"Alpha Hudson, Luna Christina, breakfast is ready." He gave me a warm smile. "Luna Christina, I prepared that spicy chorizo scramble you enjoy so much."
"Thanks, Geoffrey."
I glanced longingly at the dining room. Then at the door. Then at Hudson.
His lips curved slightly. "Thought you had a breakfast date with Ysolde?"
"It could also be lunch," I said. "Or afternoon tea. Ysolde’s very flexible."
He stood. "Let’s eat."
I backed into the dining room, suddenly aware of how hungry I was. Last night I’d been starving but stayed in bed like a good little fake-drunk idiot to avoid blowing my cover.
I sat down as Hudson tore a freshly toasted baguette in half and handed me one piece. I slathered mine with strawberry jam and pushed the jar of paté toward him without thinking.
And then it hit me.
Not the food. The domesticity.
The fact that this whole stupid, cozy, married-for-show breakfast ritual was starting to feel normal. Like I knew exactly how he liked his coffee. Like he knew I put jam on everything.
Like we were just another boring couple having breakfast—not two liars trapped in a high-stakes fake marriage.
And that freaked me out way more than kissing him ever could.
"He’s growing on you," Akira said smugly.
"Like a fungus," I thought back.
After breakfast, I locked myself in the study to work on my jewelry designs. Geoffrey had cleared out the room just for me, and I’d never been this productive in my life. Even at Nyx Collective, with every professional tool and software available, I hadn’t worked this efficiently.
Sometime in the evening, Hudson texted to say he wouldn’t be home for dinner. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
Then he walked through the front door twenty minutes later.
Apparently, ’not home for dinner’ didn’t mean ’not home at all.’ Thanks for the clarity, CEO of Misleading Messages.
I was in the kitchen sipping water when I heard the door click open. My fight-or-flight response kicked in, and I picked flight. Slipping past the island, I tiptoed toward the stairs like a cartoon burglar.
And then I saw him.
Hudson was sprawled across the sofa like a GQ centerfold—legs crossed, shirt slightly undone. His eyes locked on me instantly.
I scratched my chin and forced a grin. "Uh... long day? You should go to bed early. Beauty sleep and all that."
His right hand dangled lazily over the armrest. Then his index finger lifted, curling at me like he was beckoning a pet. "Come here."
I should have said no. Should have kept walking.
I didn’t.
My feet moved. One step. Two.
This morning I’d noticed how soft his lips looked. Thin, precise, probably very kissable.
A kiss wouldn’t kill me. After all, I was getting paid. Two million sat in my bank account,that was enough motivation to treat him like a hot check with abs.
I picked up the pace and dropped myself onto his lap, like I did this every Tuesday.
Hudson blinked. Clearly, this was not what he expected.
"I said come here. I didn’t say do anything."
I wrapped my arms around his neck anyway.
"Come on. We both know what ’come here’ means with you. Let’s just get the rehearsal over with. I’ve got sketches to finish."
