Hudson (Anderson Billionaires #4) - Melody Anne Page 0,19

fullest. If I sit around and don’t use what strengths I have, I’m dishonoring those who can’t do what I can, but would if they could,” he said.

“What? Now I’m confused,” she said.

They were interrupted as the attendant took their order. They converted their beds back into chairs, a lot more comfortable than using the wall for a backrest. Their coffee and a cinnamon rolls were delivered.

Hudson continued as if they hadn’t been interrupted. “There are people who get wounded in battle, lose limbs, or have brain injuries. There are men and woman born with illnesses that lock them inside their broken bodies. There are those all over the world who don’t have access to healthy vital things like we have. If I don’t appreciate and respect what I have, maybe I don’t deserve to have it.”

Holy hell, Daisy was liking this man more and more the longer she spoke to him. She never should’ve started a conversation. It was dangerous. He wasn’t just a hot face, he had depth and character as well.

“You’re making me feel guilty for wasting so much of my life,” she said.

He shrugged. “I don’t believe in waste or regret. Just look forward instead of looking back, and make changes. If you keep repeating the pattern, then it’s not something you’re passionate about, it’s just a fad that will blow away faster than a leaf in a tornado.”

“Are you sure you aren’t a motivational speaker?” she asked with a giggle.

“Maybe a bit of one,” he said with a grin.

The attendant came back, took their pastry dishes away, and gave them the rest of their breakfast. After their talk, Daisy felt guilty about her carb-loaded breakfast of biscuits and gravy with a side of hash browns, eggs, and sausage. It smelled too good to waste though, so she decided she’d eat healthier the next day.

“I want this to continue,” he said before taking a bite of his own breakfast of pancakes and eggs with a side of ham.

She swallowed. “You want what to continue?” she asked. She was afraid of what he was going to say.

“This. Us. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m not ready to blow it off when the plane lands.” He didn’t look at her as he said that, and she wasn’t sure how to reply. He was supposed to simply walk away from her when the plane landed, never to be seen again. He was nothing more than a fantasy, and fantasies ended when you woke up.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she finally said.

She was impressed with herself for being strong. She was sure Hudson wasn’t often turned down. But she was also sure he’d be bored with her within twenty-four hours. Maybe they’d last seventy-two hours if they had a nice bed to keep them occupied. But after some initial conversation, they’d find they really didn’t have anything in common. This had been bound for disaster from the second they’d ended up sitting together in that terminal halfway across the world.

Daisy completely lost her appetite and began pushing her food around on her plate. She didn’t want him to know she was feeling blue about telling him no. She wanted him to think she simply wasn’t interested.

When she was brave enough to look at Hudson, his plate was pushed away and he was looking at something on his phone. He didn’t seem at all upset about her answer. He also didn’t appear as if he wanted to speak any longer. That was probably good. She was sure the man had the power to change her mind if he wanted to.

Maybe it had just been a spontaneous reaction on his part, and he was grateful she’d turned him down. Besides a quick roll in the hay, he couldn’t want anything more from her.

After a minute he got up, grabbed his bag, and moved down the aisle away from her. She let out a relieved breath. It gave her a chance to compose herself. By the time he returned, she had it together pretty well. She wasn’t going to be the one to break their awkward silence. Maybe it was best if they ended on that note, both of them irritated with the other. Maybe it would make parting a little bit easier . . .

As their time together kept ticking down, though, she felt sadness creep in. When she felt her ears plug as they began their descent into San Francisco, she tried to convince herself to say