Page 34 of Seductive Architect (Grunts of Vanguard #2)

I felt lost.

My toes lined up with the edge of the steel girder. We had won. The bad guy had been defeated, and we walked away… most of us. Connie had sacrificed herself to save us all. I loved machines for their simplicity, and yet what she did had been the most human thing I had ever seen.

The wind on top of Vanguard bridge whipped about, strong enough that it could throw me from the edge.

Janet had stayed to fill out reports with the local authorities.

Free of Apex’s influence, Drew secured Senator McAfee while Wyatt returned Arthur and Ricardo to their homes.

I wasn’t ready to go back to my apartment, not yet.

I knew the moment I walked in the door, the memories would come flooding in and the breakdown would begin.

Hudson said nothing as his hand wrapped around mine.

Through all of this, he had proven he was more than Apex had ever imagined.

While I tried to shut down my emotions, he embraced his.

From the corner of my eye, I could see the city lights reflecting in the tears streaming down his face.

This would be a lot for anybody to digest.

“Are you okay?”

It took a moment before he nodded. “It’s like I’m seeing the world for the first time. I know who I am.” The barrier that separated Hudson from his programming had crumbled. “It’s beautiful… and scary.”

“Does it feel different?”

I avoided the question that caused my heart to quake. Did it change who he was? Would this be Hudson 2.0? I let out a long sigh. That wasn’t the question. I couldn’t bring myself to ask, not after losing one person.

He raised my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “I’m still me.”

I bit my lip, choking back a sob.

He wiped away the tears. “We’re still us.”

Hudson punched my fears in the gut and vanquished them.

The tightness in my chest eased as the tears rolled down my cheek.

This thing between us might be fresh, but I had grown attached.

Hudson unintentionally brought out the best in me, and I’d spend my days finding ways to say thank you.

I squeezed his hand, refusing to let go.

I’m not going anywhere .

He closed his eyes, and for a moment, his code slowed, and I could hear his thoughts. Our awkward introduction in my office. The laughing while eating burritos. The kiss in the hallway leading to the slime room. The… I blushed as he gave a slight growl over what followed.

Because of Connie, I wouldn’t waste another chance to tell someone how I felt.

“This is—” I squeezed his hand. “—it’s new for me. I’m not used to admitting how much somebody means to me.” Kiki would lean forward, waiting for me to take the next step and be honest with myself. “ You mean a lot to me.”

Kiki would have a field day during our next meeting. She wanted me to express my emotions more, and here I was, unable to suppress them. With Hudson, I didn’t want to. I wiped away the tears with a chuckle.

“There is so much irony in this situation.”

Hudson took a step back from the ledge, pulling me with him. He wrapped his arms around my waist until our bodies pressed together. The wind forced us to sway as if we were slow dancing to the sound of cars passing below.

“You’ll have to explain.”

“I’ve never met somebody so?—”

“Human?”

“Full of life.”

I ran my hands along the sides of his face, reveling in the softness of his beard.

Hudson might not be human in the traditional sense of the word, but neither was Wyatt.

Heck, for a time, I thought I might not be human.

Those of us born with gifts could be a subset of the species.

No matter how much my mom called me a typical boy with gifts, I didn’t quite believe it.

How did I tell Hudson he shifted my views? I’d never be a socialite making small talk at parties. But if he asked, I might attend. If Hudson could change my views about people, what else might I discover with him at my side?

I wanted to embrace my humanity with him.

Cupping his cheeks, I studied his face. When my thumb grazed his lip, he chased it with a kiss. He didn’t erase the pain, but he provided a distraction. Hudson might be the only person in the world who understood my grief. I wanted— No, needed to concentrate on the wonderful man holding me.

“We should go.”

“You can stay at my place until you’re ready to go home.”

He leaned in, kissing my forehead. His ability to read the situation remained astounding.

I wonder how much of that was hearing my thoughts?

Either way, I wasn’t ready to go home, not yet.

Right now, I wanted to take my grief and set it aside and focus on the good in front of me. Yeah… that surprised even me.

“Thank you.”

“That’s what boyfriends are for.”

The b-word. I never thought I’d want to explore this option again. With Hudson? I’d risk putting my heart on the line.

I wrapped my arms around his chest. Leaning back, we teetered over the edge of the bridge.

He didn’t flinch as we fell from the top of the bridge’s tower.

The nanites sped along my skin, forming the jetpack.

As we approached the streets below, he tightened his grip and, with a burst of fire, we sped along the street.

My boyfriend and I. I didn’t hate the idea.

“Wow.”

His apartment was nothing like I imagined. Where I expected ultra-modern, slick design, he chose mid-century modern. The living room wall couldn’t be a more vibrant blue if he tried. Hudson had excellent taste in furniture, to where he could be featured in a?—

“Where did you get the idea for your furniture?”

“I uh…”

The throw pillows on the couch had been karate chopped, each one with a perfect crease in the middle. Even the unused candles on the coffee table had a photo-ready layout. His bookcase featured carefully placed books, all facing the wrong way, as if he wanted to obscure the titles.

“Did you see this in a magazine? ”

“Is that bad?”

“No,” I chuckled. “I’m mad I didn’t think of it first.”

“There is something I did on my own.”

Off the living room, a short hallway had two doors, I assumed, leading to the bedrooms. He opened the one on the left and gestured for me to enter. I had hoped for cuddling and him rambling to keep me from thinking about Connie, but if he wanted to hop into bed, I wouldn’t say no.

It was more glorious than a king-sized mattress.

He had pushed the furniture to the side to accommodate a whiteboard. I recognized the red string and printouts. Heck, several of the photos were nearly identical to my own. Hudson had entered the world of truth seeking, and it appeared as if he belonged here.

“It’s not as thorough as yours.”

As I walked in, I recognized the mystical symbol used by the Illuminati. I scanned his notes, following his connection to… “How did you link their cabal to the clones in the government?”

He stood behind me, hands on my waist. I found it difficult to concentrate as his groin pressed against my backside. His chin rested on my shoulder when I took his hands, wrapping them around my chest.

“Senator McAfee.” I didn’t quite follow.

“He had been spotted at the High Tower club. Then I cross-checked their entry logs and found a pattern with sign-in times of three suspected members. One of them, Representative Hallows, just so happens to have a stake in a research facility. Guess what they’re researching? ”

The number of laws he broke in pursuit of the truth left me swooning. “How did you get access to their logs? They don’t keep digital files.” I should know. I had been trying to get access to them for months.

“Grant works the front desk. Just so happens, he stops by the bagel place around the corner every day on his way to work. We struck a deal.”

I wasn’t impressed. I was in love.

When I turned around, I couldn’t help but let my jaw hang open.

I thought he had read a book in an effort to understand my madness.

I didn’t realize he’d dive in and take the initiative to find the truth.

If he confessed to playing video games, I’d say…

well, that he had been built in a lab just for me. At least half of that was true.

My lips pressed against his, forcing his mouth open so our tongues could dance. Running my hands along the back of his head, I leaned into him until my lips ached. When I pulled away, I held his bottom lip between my teeth, giving it a soft bite before letting go.

“We’re going to have sex, aren’t we?”

“Any objections?” I asked.

Instead of answering, he lifted me off my feet. Carrying me as if I weighed nothing, we left the spare bedroom and moved into his room. With a slight toss, I landed on the king-sized bed. As much as I wanted to study his body and tease, right now I wanted a rough tumble with this gorgeous bear.

Hudson avoided eye contact as he fiddled with his thumbs. I knew the expression well. He wanted to try something new. “Can we, uhm… Can I try something?”

Another first for his book. I’d always say yes.

“We can try whatever you want.”

I sat up, pulling my shirt over my head.

As I fought with the sleeves, I thought I heard the whispers of Vanguard traffic.

A moment later, I swore the scent of fragrant flowers filled the room.

When I pulled off my shirt, I found the bed sitting amidst a rooftop overgrown with plants.

Overhead, the moon occupied enough of the sky that I’d think it was hurtling toward Earth.

“What the…”

Underneath the howl of the wind, I could sense the code. As I followed it to the source, I found Hudson with a devilish grin. I could still feel the bed underneath my fingers, but I knew we existed somewhere between reality and the same construct I used to stop Apex.

“If you don’t like it?—”

“No.” I held my hand, stopping him. “It’s amazing.” Hudson looked to the moon, and for a moment, I could see the very code making up this alternate reality. I could do this for myself, but I had never shared it with another person .