Whats that over there? he asked, pointing to another small, fenced-in area that sported a very different look from the carefully cultivated and pruned roses. Flowering shrubs, trees and vines grew in untamed profusion. A small brass plaque on the gate read Hummingbird Garden.
Hudson quickly realized why. The moment they entered the space, small winged creatures could be spied zooming all about the place, sampling nectar from both flowers and the feeders. There must have been at least fifty of them. Some had bright red throats, the color visible only when they turned a certain direction.
Good golly. Liz barely breathed the words, she was in such awe. With that one decidedly unsophisticated expletive, the polish of wealth and privilege dropped away, revealing something of the little girl she must have been.
Tearing his eyes away from the sight of the tiny birds, Hudson chose to look at her instead. Lizs mouth was open slightly, her eyes bright as her gaze darted around the secluded garden.
One of the little critters stopped midair about six inches from Lizs face, seeming to look into her eyes in a curious way, then abruptly zoomed off.
She laughed in surprise and delight. Ive never seen so many at once. She kept her voice low, so as not to disturb the hummers. And Ive never seen them this close. Its like we stepped into a magic storybook. She turned then to look at him, and she must have seen something of what he was thinkingthat hed never been so close to such a beautiful woman, and that her naked sense of wonder was surprisingly erotic.
Hudson felt privilegedas if hed seen a side of her few ever saw.
Whatever shed seen in his face, she must have liked it, because when he leaned in to steal a kiss, she didnt object. She sipped a quick breath before their lips met.
She tasted of the martini shed recently drunk, and he wondered idly how many shed had. Only one or two drinks could lower inhibitions. He suspected Liz wasnt the type who picked up strange men at weddings; then again, he didnt know her at all.
Her lips also tasted of strawberry lip gloss, and when he ruffled her hair, he caught another whiff of that fruity scentapple, maybe.
Unable to resist, he placed a series of light kisses along her jawline, then dipped his head to nuzzle her neck, pressing his nose against her soft skin.
Mangos. Her skin smelled like a ripe mango right off the tree, like the ones hed had in Mexico. The woman was a veritable fruit basket of sensations. Even her breasts reminded him of ripe fruit, and he suddenly realized he had one of them in his hand. Her nipple peaked, pressing against his palm through the silky-thin material of her dress.
Liz moaned, soft and low.
Boisterous laughter drifted from the pool area, reminding Hudson that they were still in a public area, that anyone could happen upon them. He wouldnt really care, but she might.
I want to take you someplace more private, he said, his lips close to her ear.
Do you live alone? she asked, not bothering to play coy.
Yes. But my house is at Lake Conroe. He didnt want to drive all the way out there. An amorous mood sometimes had a way of evaporating during an hour on the road. How about we find an empty room around here somewhere? Surely some place in this monstrous house they could find a room with a lock and a bed or a sofa.
Too many people around. Lets go. Without waiting for agreement, she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the hummingbird garden, the magical little creatures forgotten. Hudson hadnt paid his respects to the bride and groom, but he doubted he would be missed.
He and Liz entered the house through a side door, making their way through a mudroom, then the huge granite-and-stainless-steel kitchen, which was bustling with activity. A champagne cork popped. A tray of hors doeuvres came out of the oven. No one paid two interlopers any attention.
Under other circumstances, Hudson would have wanted to gawk at the opulence of Daniel Logans home. But his attention was too firmly fixed on the siren who had, for some questionable reason, culled him out of the herd of men in attendance at the society wedding.
Maybe his luck was turning.
CHAPTER TWO
ELIZABETH DOWNEY HADNT meant for this to happen. As she sat in the passenger seat of Hudson Vales classic 280Z, her gaze fixed on his firm profile as he deftly wove the sports car through traffic on I-45, she considered speaking up, changing the course of her actions. She could tell him shed changed her mind. She had no doubt he would promptly turn around and take her back to the wedding or to her own apartment.
Shed never met Hudson until today, but she knew a lot about him. When shed seen the headline about a Montgomery County sheriffs detective allegedly beating Franklin Mandalay during a bogus arrest, shed been consumed with curiosityabout the incident and about the cop whod stood up to a powerful and wealthy attorney. She had learned everything she could about Hudson, even paying a private investigator to suss him out, find out his story.
There wasnt much. Other than one incident during his rookie year when hed been reprimanded for punching a wife-beater, Hudson Vale had an exemplary record. Prior to becoming a cop, hed led a completely normal life. Two parents, a brother, middle-class suburbia. His dad had been a Houston cop, retired now. The Vale boys had gone to public school, then community college. The younger brother, Parker, was also a cop.
Hudson had never been arrested. Hed never been married. His only debt was a sizable mortgage on his house.
Elizabeths eyes had nearly popped out of her head when shed spotted Hudson at the reception. She had stared at him rudely, she knew, but shed had to be sure it was him. His photos certainly hadnt done him justice. In two dimensions, he was uncommonly good-looking. In three, he made her skin tingle and her mouth water. He made her think of sinful things.
Shed just wanted to meet him, that was all. Share one harmless dance. Size him up. But within five minutes of meeting him, she knew one or two dances wouldnt be enough. She sensed a lot going on behind those hazel eyes and the easy smile that faded when he thought no one was looking.
While his attention was on his driving, she took a leisurely inventory of his features. He had a strong jaw and a slightly hawkish nosethose were her first observations. His hair, worn a little long for cop standards, was wavy and streaked by the sun. It would probably curl if he let it get much longer.
His eyelashes were way longer than any mans ought to be. His lips were full, and whenever a car slowed in front of them, he teased his lower lip with his teeth, a gesture that did strange, squiggly things to her insides.
She cracked the window, drawing a rush of fresh air onto her face.
Want me to turn on the AC? Hudson asked.
No, this is fine. She focused on his hand, which rested casually on the gearshift knob. He had a couple of healing scrapes on his knuckles. Souvenirs from his violent encounter?
They lapsed into silence, but it wasnt uncomfortable or awkward.
Again, she thought about telling him shed been hasty. She could stop this now. End the encounter. But the little shed learned about Hudson only made her want to know more.
What made you become a cop? That was a legitimate thing for her to ask. Any new acquaintance might pose a similar question.
My dad was a cop. I admired himstill do. My brothers a cop. My uncles a cop. Guess its in the blood. What made you become a social worker?
I knew it would drive my father crazy. Long story.
Were not on a tight schedule.
Like a lot of people, I didnt know what I wanted, so I just gravitated toward classes that interested me. Ended up with a bachelors in sociology and a masters in psychology. Social work was a good fit, and I like helping people.
How do you help people? I mean, what sort of social work do you do?
I work at a free clinic. People who come to us arent just physically sick, theyre often in very bad situationsbad relationships, substance abuse, prostitution. I counsel them on how to escape those situations and create better lives for themselves.
Hudson nodded. Hmm.
She couldnt be sure, but she sensed a slight note of disapproval. He could join the crowd. A lot of people thought she could have done better, and didnt hesitate to tell her so. Others thought social work coddled criminals and the lazy.
Maybe she could have been a doctor or a lawyer. Certainly her father thought so. But she liked her career just fine.
Dont you get frustrated? Hudson finally asked.
How so?
Dealing with the dregs of society. Seeing the same people making the same mistakes over and over.
First off, I dont think of them as dregs. More like, people who started life at a disadvantage, maybe made some bad choices. It was true some people never learned. But she firmly believed she helped others.
You must have a kind heart. Seems whenever I try to help people, I get the shit kicked out of me one way or another.
But you keep trying, right?
Sometimes I dont know why. Have you ever tried to rescue a cat from a tree?
No, actually.
Damn thing will scratch you to shreds every time.
She wanted to argue that people werent cats. They were basically good, if you gave them half a chance to be. But Hudson was clenching his jaw. Shed accidentally hit a nerve. Maybe shed better back off. She wanted to know more about him, and antagonizing him probably wasnt the best tactic.
Suddenly he looked at her and smiled. Sorry. You have no idea what a rough couple of weeks its been.
Actually, she did. And she should tell him. Honestly, shed thought he would recognize her, or that someone would tell him who she was. But he couldnt know, or hed have never let her into his car.
She pushed the whole mess out of her mind. She was riding down the freeway in a cool car with a hot guy. She had nowhere to be, nothing else to do. For once in her life, she would stop worrying about all the consequences. Shed never indulged in a one-night stand before. Maybe it was time. She listened to a lot of the women she counseled talking about getting carried away, unable to control themselves enough to make sensible decisions. Shed always assumed she was above such behavior.
Maybe not.
Hudsons house was at the end of a cul-de-sac on a double-sized wooded lot. Like many waterfront homes, it stood on stilts, with only the garage on the ground floor.
He pulled his car into the garage and parked it; they got out, but they had to go back outside and climb a set of wooden stairs to a wraparound porch.
She fell in love at first sight. The house was small, probably only two bedrooms, but a wall of windows looked out on the lake, making the living room seem huge. He flipped on some lights. The place was furnished simply with a couple of low sofas and two chairs, rattan, clean lines. The wood floors were covered with slightly threadbare rugs.
What she really loved about it was, it wasnt a man cave. No huge TV or stereo system. No cast-off shoes littering the floor or spent pizza boxes stacked on the coffee table.
Have a seat, he said as he headed into the kitchen. Im going to get myself a Mountain Dew. He stuck his head in the fridge. I have other soft drinks, beer and, um, orange juice.
Im good, thanks.
He popped the top on his own soft drink and took several swallows as he joined her in the living room. Shed chosen one end of a sofa, inviting him to make his move.
He sat across from her, set his can on a coaster on the coffee table and propped his elbows on his knees, leaning forward. You can relax, you know. Im not going to jump you.
She realized she was sitting stiffly, her back straight as a fence post. Leaning back against the cushion, she crossed her legs. Really? I thought thats what we came here for.
Thought wed talk first.
Uh-oh. She didnt like the sound of that. And he suddenly looked a lot more like a cop conducting an interrogation than a potential boyfriend eager to make a conquest.
She tucked one foot under her leg. She could brazen this out.
Why were you staring at me? At the wedding? he asked.
Cause youre cute.
A woman like you must have cute guys lining up to have sex with you. You dont need to pick up a strange one at a wedding.
You must think Im pretty shallow, that Id just settle for any cute guy to satisfy my raging libido.
You dont seem shallow, he admitted.
Maybe she ought to be afraid. He was accused of police brutality. Some really violent guys became cops so they could have a socially acceptable outlet for their...urges. Hed been accused of beating suspects twice...enough to form a pattern.
Maybe the P.I. shed hired hadnt done a thorough enough job. Maybe Hudson Vale wasnt as nice a guy as he appeared on paper.
Then she had to laugh at herself, silently at least. The Logans valet had witnessed them together. Even if Hudson had violent urges, she doubted he was stupid enough to assault her when theyd been seen leaving the wedding arm in arm.
Anyway, how could a man who was charmed by a bunch of hummingbirds be anything but a good guy?
Something just seems a little bit off, thats all, he said almost apologetically. Ive learned over the years not to ignore my instincts. I thought at first you were trying to make someone jealous.
Im not, trust me. My date was just a date. In fact, it was a fix-up, she admitted. When he went after one of the bridesmaids I was totally relieved.
Now I know youre fibbing. You can get your own dates.
I guess I can. I got you. Of course he was suspicious of her. He was a cop, one whod faced off against a powerful, ruthless man who would stoop to any means to prove Hudson had assaulted him for no reason. But is it so hard to believe I saw something I liked and went for it? Im sure Im not the first woman to make a play for you.
No. But definitely the only one who looks like a supermodel.
Now whos full of bull? But she smiled. She liked it that he thought she was pretty. She knew she was reasonably attractive. And she was tall. But supermodel was a real stretch.
Its like I won the lottery or something.
The lottery? How much did you have to drink at that wedding?
I only had half a beer, or I wouldnt have gotten behind the wheel. You were the one guzzling a martini when I first saw you.
I do not guzzle. And if youre implying I was drunk, youre wrong. No false courage needed. She matched his steamy look with one of her own.