Hudson (Anderson Billionaires #4) - Melody Anne Page 0,44

her smile turning up a few wattages.

“That happens,” he told her. “But I can usually charm people if I can keep them from running away in the middle of the night . . . or riding away into the forest.”

“Is that so?” Darla asked as she chuckled. “I take it you don’t get left behind too often.”

“Nope, not often at all because I’m a great guy.”

“Are you guys going to pretend I’m not sitting right here?” Daisy said with an incredulous look and a smirk as her head whipped back and forth between the two of them.

Hudson turned his full focus on Daisy, and took a lot of pleasure in the hitch in her breath and the reaction she was trying to hide. She most certainly found him attractive. That was a step in the right direction. She might try to pretend nothing had happened between them, but he could read in her eyes she’d forgotten nothing and their mutual attraction seemed to have intensified, not lessened.

“I know you’re not the forgettable type of woman,” Hudson told her. He then reached over and grabbed a couple of her potato chips, popping them into his mouth. “Yum. Doritos. My favorite.”

“You love taking what isn’t yours, don’t you?” Daisy asked as he grabbed another chip.

“I believe in sharing, and besides that, I’m starving,” he said as he eyed her sandwich. She picked it up and took a bite, chewing as she analyzed him. He sort of felt like a specimen on a slide.

“Delicious. Too bad you don’t have one,” she said after swallowing.

“I’m finished with mine,” Darla said as she pushed over her six-inch sub. “I finished off the other half like I was a linebacker after a big game.”

“I’ve done that a few times. Thanks,” he said as he accepted her Italian sub. He took a bite and groaned. “Perfection.”

Daisy set her own sandwich down, obviously done with it. She picked up her soda and took a sip while he finished his food and eyed the rest of her sandwich. It only took a few seconds before she rolled her eyes and scooted it his way. He gave her a huge grin as he picked it up and took a bite before she could change her mind.

“I should’ve thrown it away,” she mumbled as he enjoyed the food.

“My mom always taught my brothers and me that food was a privilege for those who’d never felt hunger. We learned quickly to never order more than we could finish and to never complain about food that was lovingly put on the table,” he told her.

“My gramps always said the same thing,” she said, her eyes softening. “Yet, I get hungry and think I can eat more than I can to this day.”

“We all do that. I make up for it by donating a lot to food banks and giving my time there so I can have a better appreciation of food and those who struggle with hunger,” he said.

“Really?” Darla leaned in as he spoke. “I wouldn’t expect that from an Anderson.”

“A name doesn’t define your character,” Hudson said. “I’ve been an Anderson all of my life, but it’s only been a couple of years since I found out I was one of those Andersons. My brothers and I grew up with our mother in a very humble lifestyle. We were taught about service and respect. But from everything I’ve learned about my family, even though they’ve always had money, they were taught the same lessons my brothers and I were. I’m not saying there aren’t wealthy people out there who are terrible, but having money doesn’t automatically make someone a monster.”

He was getting more used to the Anderson name and the power that went with it. But he’d been successful long before he’d been inducted into the famous Anderson family. He was grateful for that. His mother had taught him well. He’d had a good life. A much better life than his brother, Damien. It was still odd to realize he had another brother. He hadn’t quite figured out how he felt about that. He was curious about him, though, and that was a good first step. But Hudson liked to move forward, not live in the past, so he didn’t know how to categorize Damien. He was a ghost from the past living here in the present.

Damien was having a hard time accepting the new reality that had been thrust upon him. Hudson and his brothers had known their mutual father,