“And I love human blood. Doesn’t mean I want it as a present.” Hudson comes close now, bracing his hands on the back of my chair and leaning down so that he’s all but whispering in my ear when he continues. “But it’s good that you have such low expectations. You’re going to need them with Jaxy-Waxy.”
“Will you stop calling him that?” It takes every ounce of willpower I have not to whirl around and shout at him—but apparently that’s exactly what he wants, so I refuse to bite. Instead, I swallow back the string of sharp retorts I want to throw at him and focus as much attention as I can muster on Jaxon instead.
He finally settles on Savage Garden’s “I Knew I Loved You,” and my heart stutters in my chest, even before he turns and gives me a look that makes me feel all kinds of delicious things.
The look in his eyes tells me he knows exactly what I’m feeling…and he likes it. A lot.
“You’re going to have to tell me where you got these,” I say to Jaxon when he makes it back to the table. I take another bite of the taco Hudson is working overtime trying to ruin for me. After I’ve swallowed, I continue. “I’m going to need them again, like, tomorrow.”
“I could probably arrange that.”
“Oh, really?” I lift my brows questioningly.
He shakes his head in response, obviously amused. “Grace, there isn’t much I wouldn’t do to make you happy. I can’t give you Tahiti for a few more months, but I can absolutely get you tacos every day, if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t need tacos.” I reach for his hand and squeeze it tightly. “I just need you.”
“I need you, too,” he answers before nodding at me to keep eating.
It’s as I pick up my second taco that he switches the subject. “Tell me about the art project you’re working on. I’m dying to get a look at it.”
“Yeah, me too,” I tell him with a little snort.
He looks intrigued. “What does that mean?”
“It means I have no idea what I’m working on. Usually I know exactly what I’m going to paint, but this time I’m just painting like my life depends on it, but I don’t know what it is I’m painting. Weird, right?”
“Genius is weird,” Jaxon answers with a shrug. “Everyone knows that. I say keep embracing it, see what happens.”
“That’s what I figure, too. The worst thing that can happen is it’s trash, so where’s the harm?”
“It’s not trash,” he tells me.
“How do you know?”
“Because I know you.”
It’s such a simple answer, but it has me swooning a little anyway, because it’s just what I need to hear right now.
“You’re entirely too charming,” I tell him with a soft smile. “You know that, right?”
Jaxon just grins and leans in for a kiss before sitting back down, and Hudson gags. Again. And I can’t stop myself from turning to glare at him.
“Hey, is Hudson still talking to you?” Jaxon asks, and he doesn’t sound happy.
“He’s always talking to me,” I look at Jaxon and complain with a roll of my eyes. “I swear, he never shuts up.”
“You know, that mean streak of yours is getting a lot wider recently,” Hudson grumps.
“It’s because you’re rubbing off on me,” I shoot back. But the second the words are out, I can feel myself blush scarlet. “I didn’t mean—”
“I know what you meant,” Hudson interjects, but the grumpiness is gone, replaced by a slyness in his dark-blue eyes that makes me distinctly nervous, though I’m not sure why.
“My brother sure knows how to ruin a mood,” Jaxon mutters as he gets up to clear my dinner away.
“Thank you,” Hudson answers. “I do what I can.”
“Could you please just shut up for five minutes?” I demand as I stand to follow Jaxon.
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” Hudson walks across the library and climbs on top of one of the shorter bookshelves, dangling his feet down the side as he picks up the mini gargoyle Amka has sitting on top of it and loosely wraps his arms around the statue. “Besides, if I’m quiet, who’s going to point out the error of your ways?”
“Wow, condescending much?” I stick my tongue out at Hudson, who pretends to catch it like I blew him a kiss and dramatically holds it up to his heart before I can turn away.
“I’m sorry,” I say as I catch up to Jaxon and wrap my arms