One Tiny Lie – Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,19

of her words would get through to him. “I’m sorry.” Hudson’s expression registered surprise and a half dozen other emotions Luna couldn’t pinpoint. He gave her a slight nod. She lifted her chin, her voice gathering courage. “However, that’s not who I am now. I care about you, more than you can imagine. I want our engagement to move forward.” Her voice cracked. “I just hope you’ll give me a chance to show you that I’ve changed.” She swallowed. “I want you to know who I am.”

It seemed to take forever for him to answer. “I do know you.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Why would you say that?”

Heat crawled up her neck. Had she said too much and unwittingly exposed herself? “I just want you to understand where I’m coming from.” It was hard enough trying to explain herself to Hudson so she could undo the damage Margot had caused. Even tougher trying to do it cryptically so she wouldn’t give away her secret on a moving boat, amidst the wind, with Margot and Dustin looking on like she was a monkey on display at the zoo. “I want the two of us to work.” There, she couldn’t put it any plainer than that.

The boyish grin that stole over Hudson’s lips seemed infused with golden sunlight that splashed a glow over his handsome face. “I want that too.”

The moment slowed as a swift understanding passed between them. She felt like Hudson was seeing her—not Ava—for the first time. Luna felt like she’d scored a huge victory.

Margot chuckled lightly. “Okay, now that we’ve got that settled, how far out are we going before stopping for lunch?”

“Not too much farther,” Hudson answered. His face lit with adventure. “Hey, Ava. You wanna take the helm?”

“Me?” she squeaked. A tremulous smile slipped over her lips. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” The mischievous glint in his eyes clued her in on what Hudson was doing—needling Dustin. Yep, it was working. She could almost see smoke coming out of Dustin’s ears. Margot put a hand on his arm as if to calm him down.

Luna rose to her feet. She tried to walk towards Hudson, but the sway of the boat caught her off balance, throwing her right back into her seat.

Margot chuckled. “Maybe you should let me try instead.”

“I’ve got it,” Luna fired back as she got back on her feet and walked quickly to Hudson’s side to avoid falling.

He caught hold of her waist with a laugh. “Hold up. I’ve got ya.”

Warmth rushed through her as he slid his arms around hers. “Place your hands on the wheel.” He positioned her hands where he wanted them to be. All she could think about was his nearness, the feel of his hard muscles against her back, how he smelled of spearmint gum and a faint citrus scent—a light cologne, maybe—that was as fresh as it was enticing. He rested his hands over hers, rippling both awareness and longing through her. “Don’t make any sudden movements,” he cautioned. “Easy does it.” He lifted his hands from hers, giving her full control.

Her heart sped up its beat as she tried to keep the wheel steady. A blip of fear shot through her when she felt the force of the waves fighting against her. Hudson must’ve sensed her uneasiness because he leaned in and murmured in her ear. “You’re doing great.”

Her breath caught as she felt the warm tickle of his breath on her ear. She sensed that Hudson knew how affected by him she was, and that he was pleased by it. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the daggers that Margot was shooting her, so she simply kept her eyes focused straight ahead. With the wind in her hair, the endless blue water straight ahead, Hudson so close, Luna felt a surge of euphoria. A few months ago, she couldn’t have even dreamed that anything like this could happen to her. Now, here she was! Hudson let her drive the boat for a good ten minutes or more before announcing that they should stop and have lunch. He placed his hands on Luna’s arms in a protective gesture that she rather liked. “Okay, better go back and sit down. Be sure to hold on,” Hudson directed, not only to Luna but also to Margot and Dustin.

Luna went back to her seat and did as he said. In a swift movement that caused her stomach to lurch like she was on the downward part of