The Fixed Trilogy: Fixed on You, Found in You, Forever With You (12 page)

“Alayna’s nine years your senior,” Hudson said, a stern look on his face.

“I’ll be eighteen next month.” Chandler’s eyes remained pinned on me.

I’d never told Hudson I was twenty-six. I shouldn’t have been shocked that he knew—the man who had uncovered my restraining order had obviously done his research on me, too. Well, we were on equal ground now. As if there was equal ground with Hudson.

Hudson facilitated a half-hearted introduction. “Alayna, this is our brother, Chandler.” Hudson smacked his brother on the shoulder in a gesture that almost appeared playful. “Chandler, stop undressing Alayna with your eyes. That’s inappropriate.”

Chandler crossed his arms with a look of challenge and superiority that could only be delivered by a teenager. “Because we’re in public or because she came with you?”

“Because that’s not how you treat women.” Hudson’s tone was clipped but even.

“And you’re who’s going to teach me how to treat women?” He stared at his elder brother, an unspoken conversation passing between them in those few seconds. And then Chandler dropped it. “Mom sent me to summon you. She wants to meet your arm candy.” He turned on his heels, peeking once nonchalantly to see if we were following him.

Mira followed, grabbing him at the elbow to whisper in his ear. Correcting his impudence, I suspected.

Hudson sighed. “Ignore him. He’s a horny teenager.”

“He takes after his horny older brother,” I whispered.

“Behave.” He took my hand in his. I shuddered at his commanding tone and the feel of his skin against mine.

We followed the younger Pierce siblings across the ballroom, weaving around tables and the increasing crowd of people until we approached one of the tables closest to the stage.

“This is our table,” Chandler said. He gestured with his chin to a group of people talking a few feet away. “Mom’s over there.”

I stared at the back of the woman I knew to be Sophia Walden Pierce from Internet pictures. Her dark blonde hair was swept up in a tight bun showing off her long graceful neck. Even from behind, it was evident that Hudson’s mother was a beautiful, commanding woman.

As if she sensed our presence, she peered over her shoulder at us, offering a smile to her acquaintances as she did so.

A wave of unexplainable nervous energy rolled through me. What if she didn’t buy our act? What if I screwed it all up?

Hudson must have sensed my anxiety because he tightened his grip on my hand and leaned in to whisper, “You’re going to be great. I have no doubt.” He kissed my hair.

His distraction worked. I was no longer worrying about impressing his mother, focused now on wondering whether his tender kiss had been for me or for anyone who might be watching us.

And why did it even matter? We weren’t a couple, this was pretend. Tender kisses were romantic and we were not involved romantically. Sexually, yes. Romantically, no. I visualized another snap of the elastic band. Obviously I hadn’t counted on holding Hudson’s hand all day when I’d put the dang thing around my wrist.

By the time I’d thoroughly reminded myself that everything Hudson did was pretend, Sophia had wrapped up her conversation and approached us. As I had suspected, she was quite beautiful. Her body was lean and trim, and her complexion perfect. She’d had Botox, her forehead smooth and unexpressive. Or else she wasn’t an expressive person, which was highly possible considering she was related to Mr. Show-No-Real-Emotion at my side.

“Hudson.” The slight nod of her head matched the stiffness of her greeting.

Hudson responded in kind. “Mother.” Her eyes flickered to me briefly. “I’d like you to meet Alayna Withers. Alayna, this is my mother, Sophia Pierce.”

“Glad to meet you, uh…” I suddenly didn’t know what to call her—Sophia? Mrs. Pierce? If I had inflected my voice differently, I could have ended at “Glad to meet you” but I’d left the sentence hanging and I had to finish. I settled on the safe bet. “Mrs. Pierce.” I let go of Hudson’s hand and thrust mine out to shake hers, hoping my palm wasn’t noticeably sweaty.

My worry was unfounded. Sophia Pierce made no effort to take my hand. Instead she scrutinized me with narrowed eyes, circling around me like a hawk. “She’s pretty enough.”

I lowered my hand to my side and made a conscious effort to close my jaw.

Before I could decide if I was supposed to say thank you, she’d moved on. “Where did you find her again?”

I was flabbergasted. She spoke about me like I wasn’t there—like I was a puppy Hudson had found on the side of the road.

Mira tried to save me. “Mom—”

Sophia waved her away, and I caught Mira’s unspoken apology in her eyes.

I looked to Hudson, but his gaze was locked on his mother’s. “I told you. We met at a function at Stern.”

Sophia chortled. “What the hell were you doing at NYU? Slumming?”

I flushed with anger, my hands balled into fists at my side.

Hudson stiffened as well. “Mother, don’t be a bitch.”

Chandler smirked openly at his brother’s choice of words.

Sophia, on the other hand, made no indication that she even heard. “Tell me, Alayna—were you first attracted to my son because of his money or his name?”

Pissed didn’t even begin to describe how I felt. I was seething, but still in control. Without skipping a beat, I wrapped my arm around Hudson’s and answered. “Neither. I was attracted to him because he’s hot. Though, I stayed with him because he’s fucking awesome in bed.”

Sophia’s mouth fell open. I had a feeling she was a woman that was rarely thrown off guard and seeing her taken aback gave me a thrill.

Hudson raised a brow, but he didn’t appear displeased. In fact, the gleam in his eyes seemed amused. It empowered me to continue. “Look, Sophia Pierce. I may not have graduated from Harvard like your son and your husband—” Admittedly, I paused to note Hudson’s reaction to the fact that I knew details about his family even though he hadn’t told me a single thing. Again, I saw the gleam. “But I’m proud of my NYU degree. And I didn’t come here today to have my education insulted by a woman who dropped out of law school.”

Sophia took a threatening step toward me. I was taller than her by a couple of inches in my heels, but she carried her stature with authority. “Why
did
you come here today?”

It occurred to me that as bitchy as Sophia Pierce was being to me, she wasn’t my mother. And though my parents were dead, they had been kind and loving and would never have treated anyone—let alone someone I supposedly cared about—with the judgmental malice that Hudson’s mother had imparted on me.

And now I understood why Hudson didn’t have any qualms about lying to his mother about a relationship. If I had to deal with her, I’d do anything to get her out of my life.

So instead of backing away, I straightened, my arm still wrapped around the man at my side. “I came here because Hudson wanted me to meet his mother. He seems to care about your opinion, for some reason. And since I care about him—a great deal, I might add—I agreed to come.”

Hudson wrapped his arm around my waist, drawing me in closer. I felt his grin as he kissed my temple.

Sophia’s lip raised into a slight smile.

“Oh,” Mira gasped. Chandler appeared to be equally shocked.

As before, Sophia ignored the reactions of her family. “We’re going to our Hampton house later this week. I expect you and Hudson will join us.”

I opened my mouth to say,
thanks, but no thanks
. Okay, maybe I really meant to say,
fuck off, bitch
.

But Hudson spoke before I could. “We can manage a long weekend.”

Sophia appeared to want to interject, which was nothing compared to what I wanted to do.

“That’s all I can promise, Mother. Some of us work for a living.”

She sighed. “Fine. Now I have important people I need to speak with. Excuse me, please.” She waved her hand in greeting. “Richard! Annette!”

I watched her saunter away, amazed by her suddenly pleasant and friendly tone of voice. I guessed pretending ran in the family. When I turned my attention back on the Pierce offspring, I saw they were all looking at me. “What?”

Mira and Chandler exchanged a glance and then burst out laughing.

I furrowed my brow, still confused.

Hudson pulled me into his arms, a grin playing on his lips. “Alayna. You’re amazing.”

I started to melt into him, but remembered he’d told his mother we’d join her in the Hamptons. I punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m working this weekend.”

“Get out of it.” It wasn’t a request, it was a command.

I couldn’t tell him that “getting out of work” was impossible, because, well, he owned the place. It would be awkward though. I had a meeting scheduled with David for the next day—hopefully to officially give me a promotion. What was I supposed to say?
Thanks for the raise, now I need Friday and Saturday off?
I’d have to tell him I was seeing Hudson, though the thought made me cringe.

Beyond that, I didn’t want to go to the Hamptons with Sophia Pierce. I pulled back from Hudson’s embrace. “H, I’m sorry to say this since she’s your mother and all, but I can’t handle spending time with her. She’s not nice.”

He laughed. Then he locked eyes with mine, sweeping his thumb down my cheek so softly it made me shudder. “We won’t spend every minute with her. And, anyway, you seemed to handle her just fine.”

I couldn’t help it. His boyish grin and gray eyes had a power over me. And, he’d said we wouldn’t spend every minute with Sophia, sending my imagination into overdrive with images of what we’d be doing instead. My nipples tightened at the thought. How could I resist him? “Okay, but I can’t be responsible for my actions if she’s like that again.”

He leaned in to kiss me, whispering as he did. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

Chapter Twelve

Lunch passed quickly. Sophia was too busy greeting high-paying donors and socializing to eat with us, thank god. Adam, Mira’s husband, joined us after our salads had been served. He was a surgeon and had an emergency case that morning. He looked good with her despite their differences in height—Adam tall and lanky, Mira petite and small. For half a second I tried to picture them having sex before I realized that once I thought it, I wouldn’t be able to unthink it.

Though nothing eventful happened during the course of the meal, I enjoyed myself. I watched the friendly banter between the siblings, joining in the laughter when one had a particular good burn on another. The conversation directed toward me was easy and unencumbered. I often feared it wouldn’t be with new people who wanted to know all about me and my family. When something got too private, I noticed that Hudson deflected for me. Was it because he knew the sadness of my past? Or was he politely keeping my job light and carefree? Either way, the luncheon was more intimate than anything I had experienced in a long time.

When I sent a casual look toward him midway through the meal, his smile made my chest tighten. It may have been for show, but my reaction was genuine. I realized that no amount of elastic band snapping would stop whatever I was beginning to feel for him.

After dessert and coffee, the ballroom became a bustle again with people visiting with other tables and more guests arriving who’d only purchased tickets to the fashion show. Chandler found a group of younger girls to hit on, and Mira roped Adam into assisting with her backstage where she was managing the models and designers.

Though I’d liked getting to know Mira and Adam, and while Chandler never failed to entertain, I was glad to have a minute alone with my date. I trailed my hand across his shoulders and down his back, drawing his gaze to me. I saw longing, the few flecks of copper blazing in his eyes. He grabbed my thigh and leaned in, but the anticipated kiss never came.

“Oh, you don’t need to be all PDA on my account,” a silky voice purred behind us. “Remember, I know.”

Hudson stiffened under my hand and my eyes followed his, landing on the leggy blonde taking a seat next to me. She was intimidating, not because of her attitude, but because she was drop-dead gorgeous. I tucked my hands into my lap, though Hudson’s hand remained secure on my leg under the table.

“I’m Celia.” She smiled, showing white perfect teeth. “I thought we should probably meet. Though, it doesn’t look like Hudson’s too keen on it.”

I glanced at Hudson who indeed appeared uncomfortable.

“No, you’re right. You should meet,” he said, his hand stroking my thigh. I felt purpose behind his touching me, but wasn’t sure if he meant it to claim me, calm me, or calm himself. “Now you’ve met.”

“You aren’t getting rid of me that easily, you oaf.” She smirked at Hudson then delivered another smile to me. “Believe it or not, we’re actually friends.”

I believed it. She felt comfortable around him, and he didn’t even flinch when she’d called him an oaf. It made my stomach wrench unexplainably. Then, when I wondered if they’d had sex, a sharp stabbing began in my chest. I didn’t need to flick the elastic band, already associating the thought with pain, but I did anyway since my hands were finally free under the table to do so.

Hudson sighed. “What do you want, Ceeley?”

Someone Hudson actually called by a nickname? The stabbing deepened.

“I wanted to personally thank Alayna for this whole charade.”

So, she really did know.
Which really put me at a disadvantage since I knew almost nothing about her.

Celia leaned into me as if confiding a secret, but loud enough that Hudson could still hear her. “You can’t know how dreadful the idea of marrying that pain in the ass has been.” A teasing grin appeared on her lips.

“Um, I can imagine.” The stabby pains in my chest made me want to stab Hudson, too. “He’s not the settling down type.”

Hudson removed his hand from my leg, and I instantly regretted my words, even though they hadn’t been
that
mean, had they?

Celia giggled. “Wow. You already know him so well.” She giggled again.

Ugh, she was a giggler. I wanted to puke. Or hate her. But something about her also drew me in. “It’s nice to talk to someone else who knows.”

“But isn’t Hudson amazingly good at pretending?” She narrowed her eyes at him, and I caught the daggers he shot her in return.

“He is.” I thought about our time together, the touches, the kisses in public. Some of them had been confusing, and I had blamed that on my own tendencies to create more when there wasn’t more. But maybe it hadn’t been my overactive imagination. “Quite good.”

“I’d love to continue this wonderfully entertaining conversation, but I see someone I need to talk some business with.” Hudson stood and reached his hand out for me. “Alayna?”

I had the strange feeling he didn’t want to leave me alone with his almost-but-not-really-fiancé. The last time I’d felt that way, I’d received rather interesting tidbits of info from his little sis. “Go ahead, H. I’ll hang with Celia.”

“We’ll be fine,” Celia assured him. “And we’ll end our conversation with a pretend catfight if you want to up the charade.”

Hudson’s jaw tightened. “No catfight. In my script, you’re friendly toward each other.”

“Then she and I should sit and chat, since we’re supposed to be friends.” Celia winked at me. “Right, Alayna?”

“Right.” I winked back. I couldn’t help it. She was sort of adorable. “And since we’re friends, you should call me Laynie.”

“Friendly, not friends.” He took a deep breath, but his voice was still tight when he spoke again. “Fine. I’ll be back shortly.”

I watched him stroll off, the tight muscles of his butt hidden by his jacket, but his backside attractive all the same. Suddenly, I remembered I had a witness to my ogling, and I turned my attention back to Celia only to find she was ogling as well. Plus she had the adoration look that I’d spotted in the pics of her with him.

“You like him,” I said before I could help it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

She shrugged then cocked a brow. “Seriously? I’m probably your one opportunity to get any real information about Hudson and his life and that’s what you want to know?”

I laughed. “You’re right, I’d like some info.” The list of questions I could attack Celia with was so long I didn’t know where to begin. Since I wasn’t sure how much time we had, I needed to make it good. “Okay, Mira seemed to think I should be jealous of you. Should I be? I mean, should I be pretending I am?”

Celia pursed her perfectly plump lips. “Well, isn’t that a clever way to ask the same question? No. Hudson and I have never been anything but friends. If he were a boyfriend who spilled his guts to his girlfriend, he’d tell you that I liked him, but that he’s never felt anything for me but friendship. So unless you’re the shallow type who’s jealous of all girls her guy’s friends with, then don’t play jealous.”

I was a bit shallow like that, and definitely the jealous type when in the throes of obsession. But I was playing a part, so why not make my character void of my own imperfections? “No jealousy then. What about his family? Is he close to them or is he as withdrawn with them as with everyone? I can’t quite tell.”

“He loves them all, deeply. As deeply as Hudson can love anyone, I mean. But it takes quite a lot of perception to get that.” She leaned back in her chair and eyed me. “I think someone he was in love with would know that.”

I nodded, taking it in. Then I dove into the question that had plagued me since I’d first heard about his predicament. “Why doesn’t Hudson’s mother believe that he’d be in love? Other than that she’s a cold-hearted bitch herself.” This elicited a grin from Celia. “Has he never dated anyone before?”

“Sort of. I mean, he’s dated women. Not women he ever brought to meet his mother, but, yeah he dated.”

The stabbing pain returned. Simultaneously, I noted a flash of agony darken Celia’s bright face. It occurred to me that this conversation must be even more difficult for her, considering she actually had feelings for the guy and I had…well, not feelings, but something.

“You know, date is not the right word. He’d sleep with them. And then he’d mess with them. It got him in all sorts of trouble. More than once.”

I stilled. “What do you mean messed with them?”

“I shouldn’t tell you. He doesn’t want you to know. But I really think you should. Otherwise you might be caught off guard if Sophia says something.”

My voice was a whisper. “How did he mess with them?”

She sighed. “It’s hard to explain. Like, he’d say he only wanted to be friends or friends with benefits, but then he’d manipulate them in that way of his, you know, how he always gets what he wants?”

Boy, did I.
I could only manage to nod.

“He’d manipulate these women into falling in love with him. Which isn’t really hard, I mean, he is Hudson. But he’d really play them. Lead them on, get them really hooked on him. It was like a game for him—one of the crappy things spoiled rich kids do just because they can.” She paused. “I can say that because I love Hudson dearly. Also, I’m a spoiled rich kid, too.”

The world felt like it had fallen out from underneath me. Was that what Hudson was doing with me? My throat felt tight. “Does he, um, still do that?”

“I honestly don’t know. He’s had a ton of therapy so I’d like to say he’s ‘better’ now, but who knows? Of course, because of it, his mother got the idea that if he married someone like me, I could keep him in line. And my parents want me married to the Pierce name and bank account—they’re disgustingly greedy. But I could never deal with those head trips—even though I am very fond of him. And I’d love to get in that beautiful man’s pants. Can you imagine how gorgeous our children would be? Sigh.”

She said the word sigh instead of actually sighing. That was what I clung to from her monologue because I didn’t want to think about the rest. Therapy helped people—it did, I couldn’t deny it—but I had doubts that it had fixed me. And knowing what I knew about patterns of past behavior, I recognized that Hudson should not be having just sex with anyone if he were seriously “better.”

Exactly like I shouldn’t be in an emotionless relationship if I were “better” since a lack of affection from a person I desired was one of my triggers.

I put a hand on my knees under the table to stop their knocking. I had to get out of there.

Celia continued, unaware of my torment. “But this plan of Hudson’s is brilliant. As soon as Sophia relaxes enough to believe he’s fallen for you, she’s going to be ecstatic. She wants him to be normal. She wants him to be happy and in love. I want him to be happy and in love. Too bad it’s not real.”

Yeah, too bad.

She frowned, concern etched in her brow. “Are you okay? You seem really pale.”

No, I wasn’t fucking okay! I’d just been informed that the man I shouldn’t have been fucking in the first place was probably trying to fuck with my head as well as my body. “I’m not feeling well all of a sudden.” Not a lie. I seriously thought I might throw up. “Excuse me, I have to…” I couldn’t think of any excuse to leave. I only knew I had to…“Go.”

I snaked quickly through the crowd toward the doors, pushing my way into the packed lobby. The show was starting in fifteen minutes and I was going against traffic. I ducked and headed for a different door when I saw Sophia by the bar, hoping she didn’t see me. Not because I cared anymore about Hudson’s stupid scam but because I didn’t want to deal with her.

Focusing on avoiding Sophia, however, made me completely miss that I was walking right past Hudson.

“Where are you going?” He reached a gentle arm out to stop me, and familiar tingles shot straight to my womb.

Accompanying the tingles, my stomach churned in disgust. I threw his arm off mine. “Don’t touch me!”

Hudson’s brow knit in confusion. “Whoa.” He put his hands out in front of him, showing he wouldn’t touch me but blocking my route of escape. “What’s wrong with you?”

I scanned the lobby for a way to sneak past. “What’s wrong with you would be the more appropriate question.”

“Alayna.” He stepped toward me, his voice low and stern. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you’re making a scene. You need to calm down and save whatever this is for later.”

He moved to grip my elbow, but I pulled away before he could. “There isn’t going to be a later—I quit.” I darted past him and out the main doors to the sidewalk.

“Alayna!” He followed me.

Anger surged through me, tears forming in my eyes. I was vulnerable and floundering and he had taken advantage. I turned on him, hot tears streaking my cheeks. “Tell me, Hudson, did you pick me because you thought my obsession issues would make your game more fun? Because really, where’s the challenge in that?”

Hudson’s jaw tightened, realization setting in. “Fuck Celia and her big mouth.” He took a step toward me, his hand reaching for me. I stepped away. He softened, but his glare was insistent. “Let’s talk about this in the limo.”

“I don’t want—“

He cut me off. “Alayna. It’s not fair of you to listen to a stranger tell her story and not give me a chance to explain.” His eye twitched, but, other than that, his features and composure were controlled. “I’m telling you we will talk about this in the limo which is parked in the lot next door. First, because my mother is watching, I’m going to bend down and kiss your forehead. Then I’m going to walk over and tell her that you aren’t feeling well. I will meet you in the car.”

I peeked over his shoulder and saw Sophia inside the doors, a smug grin on her face. I’d already told him I was quitting. I’d get a job at whatever loser place Brian wanted me to work at, because I obviously couldn’t work anywhere that Hudson Pierce would be. But I knew he wouldn’t let me walk away unless I agreed to his plan. Then, when I got to the limo, I’d tell Jordan to take off before Hudson joined us.

I gave him a tight nod. He approached cautiously and kissed me softly on the forehead. I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my nipples that had pebbled traitorously.