Page 3 of The Prey (The Hillers of Barratt County #6)

That demon woman had cast a spell on him. It was the only logical explanation. Once he’d gotten into her home, her clutches, she had woven some sort of seductive feminine magic over him and… changed him.

Hudson had turned into a drooling, slathering idiot in less than thirty-six hours’ time. That was it. She had changed everything .

Giavonna Annalise Hiller utterly fascinated him now. He couldn’t explain it at all.

This Gia, anyway. She’d been in and out of the ranch while he’d been there—and she’d been doing most of his work since his accident, too—but he had just watched her when he could. Tried to figure out just what it was about her that he had so missed before.

Now, he finally had her alone. Almost.

Now, it was just the two of them. Finally.

And…six kids. He wasn’t even certain how it had happened. The six kids part. He’d just come out of his guest room and found them all. Right there in the living room of the Hiller Ranch: Gia and six beautiful children around her.

Only one was his.

He did his best to help her wrangle her four nieces, her nephew, and Ryan.

He was starting to feel a bit better, at least. He was ready to get back to work.

He had a prosecutor’s office to run. He couldn’t take too much longer off—not only because it would drive him insane, but it wasn’t fair to the person who was taking up the slack for him while he was gone.

Not that Gia couldn’t manage to do his job just fine, though. She’d proven that this past week, hands down.

That had been made perfectly clear to him before. But she was here now—and apparently Mike was running the office today. Gia had been working seven days straight to make up for Hudson’s absence.

Now, apparently, was her day off. She’d made it very clear she was taking it—and leaving Mike in charge.

Hudson was good with that—it would give him time to figure out this creature more fully. It was just them and the kids today, after all. Four of those children had to go to school. And the youngest two—they probably took naps.

Hudson was waiting for those naps. Desperately waiting for those naps now.

Hours passed, days—weeks, even. He just kept watching.

The Gia in front of him now was nothing like the cold, aloof, snappy woman he worked with every day. She cuddled kids—including his, while still making sure teeth were brushed, hair was combed and braided, shoes were tied, and backpacks were by the door ready to go.

She had lunches packed for the four oldest kids—including Ryan—and had them lined up neatly on the counter. She somehow managed to dress the two younger nieces, and make breakfast for eight people, all without getting flustered at all.

He just…did what he was told, and…watched her. Fascinated. She flat-out fascinated him.

This was the real Giavonna Hiller, he realized half an hour after he’d made his way to the kitchen.

She was holding his son close on her hip, and cuddling him.

Telling him that preschool in his cast was going to be okay.

Reminding him that Aunt Hala was going to be in the kindergarten classroom just across the playground.

Hala had transferred in that very week, to replace a teacher who had retired early to deal with health issues.

Hala would be waiting at the school to get Ryan settled with the cast and would drive him back here to the ranch after.

The preschool was an all-day program if parents needed childcare, and was right across the street from the school.

Two blocks from where Hudson worked every day.

He had greatly appreciated that program once Ryan had gotten old enough to attend.

Hudson hadn’t even realized Ryan was that nervous about going back. Calvin promised to take care of him. That they were best buddies and that was what best buddies did. Just like their daddies were best buddies and took care of each other, too.

Well, that was one way to put it. Hudson was there with Gene, rather giving that idea more than enough proof.

Gia’s niece Marnie promised to make sure Ryan was in his building, no matter what. She and her best friend in the world would make sure he was just fine. They would take care of him and help him.

“Breakfast is ready. We have half an hour before Uncle Anthony will be here to take you all to school.” Gia scooped her youngest niece up and sat her in the booster seat, washing the girl’s hands next. Then the girl a year or so older.

Gia handled the kids like she did this chaos every day.

Her dark brown hair was loose. It hung almost to her waist. It was thick, with slight waves, and it looked damned soft at the moment. He wanted to bury his hands in that hair.

No. That wasn’t what he really wanted.

He wanted so much more than that.

Hudson wanted to sink his hands into that hair, and hold her still. While he kissed the hell out of her.

While he figured this Giavonna out.

She was made for jeans and soft T-shirts that showed off far more than those shapeless suits she wore every workday, and for cuddling kids—and for being kissed senseless by the lucky man who was allowed to touch her.

She was good at this kid stuff. Really good at it.

He wasn’t. He knew it. He still wasn’t certain what he was doing with Ryan sometimes.

Did it make him a sexist ass that he found her too damned attractive when she was taking care of a bunch of kids? He did not like what that said about him at all.

It took him a minute to figure out what it actually was.

It wasn’t that she was more attractive in a stereotypical female role at all. It was that she was far more comfortable here than she had ever been at the office.

More open. Even with him. Which…was saying a lot, as she was still eying him like he was a monster at times.

Here at the ranch, she was the real Giavonna Annalise Hiller.

The one he didn’t truly know. There was a wall of reserve around her that he didn’t remember being there three years ago when she’d first hired in.

At the office, it was there. But here, it was gone.

She was open and laughing and loving and just… captivating.

A man couldn’t look away.

Why? What had made her close this woman off when she was in the office? Had it been something he had done specifically?

He sure as hell hoped not.

They fought, yes. No denying that. And he had said some seriously idiotic and probably far too harsh things to her. Things he definitely regretted saying. But he didn’t like that she’d retreated.

Hell, she was almost acting like she was afraid of him.

“Hudson,” she said, her tone turning almost formal. He hated it. He wanted her to look at him with that open joy she’d been looking at his son with just a moment ago. He wanted to see her smile at him—and mean it. That was all he really wanted. “There is plenty for you, too.”

He nodded, fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her and steal a quick kiss of his own, even with half a dozen kids surrounding them just like this. “Who is Anthony?”

“Anthony Lake; he’s an emergency department physician in Finley Creek.

He lives a few miles from here. You’ve met him before.

He’s Ronnie’s brother—one of the ones that was there that day with Judge Felner.

He offered to get the kids for me today on his way to the hospital, so I didn’t have to get the younger two out. You don’t mind if he takes Ryan?”

“Big blond guy?” He remembered the man, all right. If it was the right guy, he had that pretty boy thing going on that women liked. Even Hala had mentioned the guy. Said how nice he was. And how beautiful.

“Yes, that’s him. Gene will vouch for him. He’s taken Calvin to school many times before.”

“I see. I’ll feel better speaking with him first.” He didn’t like the idea of just letting Ryan go off with anyone. But he wasn’t driving at the moment—he still needed to replace his damned truck, and hadn’t had time to arrange a rental—and that meant she’d have to take a car full of six kids.

He wouldn’t wish that on anyone, even his worst enemy.

Until this, he’d thought this woman was his worst enemy. He didn’t want to be her enemy at all. He wanted to send all the kids to preschool and elementary school and maybe have Uncle Anthony take the rest of the kids and leave Hudson alone with Aunt Gia. For hours.

So Hudson could figure out this woman instead of the one he’d thought he’d known all along.

He could think of far too many things they could do with each other now, in this empty house. Just the two of them. On that couch, right there.

Hudson pulled his mind out of the gutter fast. How in the hell had his mind even headed in that direction so quickly anyway? He didn’t feel that way about her. He just didn’t.

There must have been something seriously potent in the antibiotics he’d been prescribed at the hospital. It was the only real explanation.

But as he looked at her in those tight jeans and that soft cotton Mamaw’s Place T-shirt that clung in so many beautiful ways it became very, very clear. Diamond bright clear, actually.

Hudson wanted her. Bad. More than he had wanted a woman in a long, long time.

The woman fascinated him. And he wanted to figure her out. More than anything. He wanted to know this part of her so much. So he could figure out all of her.

“Of course. He usually comes in for a few minutes. Anthony is always early to everything.”

Well, didn’t Anthony sound like a pillar of the community?

“He does when Aunt Gia is watching us, mostly,” Marnie said, snickering like she knew everything about the universe at nine.

“He likes Aunt Gia a lot, you know. He’s divorced.

Mom really wants him to take Aunt Gia on a romantic date and stuff.

She thinks Gia would be just perfect for him, much better than our old aunt Olivia .

Olivia wasn’t very nice to Uncle Anthony at all.

Or anybody really. Aunt Gia is much nicer.

Mom says they’d make really pretty babies, too.

Olivia didn’t want babies, but Mom says Aunt Gia probably does.

She can have babies with Uncle Anthony, if she wants. Lots of them.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Gia said, dryly.

“Then when they have babies we’d get to be double cousins with them,” Marlie, the next girl, said. “But they have to get married and stuff first. Before they do the babies stuff. That’s how it works.”

“That’s not how it really works,” Marnie told her. “They’d have to get married first, and then do that kissing stuff in the bedroom to make the babies. Just ask Mom about how babies happen later. She’ll tell you.”

Hudson looked at Gia. Her cheeks were bright red. He definitely wanted to see this guy in action. “I see. Does Aunt Gia want to date Uncle Anthony?”

Hazel eyes stared into his. “I’m…thinking about it, actually. Not that that is anyone’s business but my own. Eat your eggs, girls. You can figure out my love life for me later. Again.”

Like the girls had summoned him out of thin air, someone knocked on the door.

Hudson bit back the instinct to answer it himself.

To protect the ones inside this castle that most certainly wasn’t his.

He just stayed where he was and watched the woman who now fascinated him answer the door and step outside for a moment.

To talk to Uncle Anthony who she should date and have lots of babies with.

The man who was so beautiful and nice, as his own little sister had said before.

Hudson really wanted to meet Uncle Anthony again.

Gia laughed when the knocker said something. Hudson’s hackles immediately rose. Damn it.

Hudson bit back a growl when a big blond linebacker who was vaguely familiar came inside—and kissed Gia on the cheek. “Good morning. Gia, you look gorgeous with your hair down like that. I just can’t resist stealing a kiss.”

The guy played with a lock of her hair teasingly.

Her cheeks flamed even more. Seriously? Over this blond jock? She was attracted to this guy?

Hell, no.

Dr. Anthony Lake wasn’t going to get her. That just wasn’t going to happen.

Then she was hurrying the kids along, and the guy was making small talk with Hudson. Their paths had crossed a few times before, he was sure of it. And not just the day Judge Felner’s crimes had been revealed—and Gia had been shot. Hudson thanked him for taking Ryan with the rest of the kids.

He knew how to keep his uncivilized side hidden from the masses when necessary. The guy was doing him a favor—he’d be appreciative.

“No problem. I’ve taken Calvin several times.” The guy scooped his third niece up and cuddled the little girl, a year or so younger than Ryan, for a moment. Then her younger sister. Both small girls looked a good deal like Uncle Anthony, but the youngest one…had Aunt Gia’s smile.

“He’s a good driver, Mr. Huds. He goes lots slower than Aunt Gia does.

Daddy says Aunt Gia gives him gray hair when she drives, but I can’t find gray hair on his head.

I looked,” Calvin added, shoveling in the last of his toast. His aunt was there with a washcloth to clean the jelly off.

She nabbed Ryan next and cleaned him right up.

His son grinned at her, looking just like Hudson’s sister for a moment.

Giavonna leaned down and kissed Ryan right on his nose, making his son giggle. “You’re going to have an awesome day today, because you are an awesome kid, Mr. Hanan. Remember that.”

Ryan threw his arms around her and hugged her. The demon woman hugged his son just as close, and kissed him on the dark brown curls. Like she’d done it a thousand times before.

He had to admit to himself, even when they’d been arguing like cats and dogs she had fascinated him. Even when she’d driven him crazy with irritation. He’d be more energized and charged after dealing with her every day. He hadn’t realized that right away, though.

Now she just fascinated him in a different way.

Ryan clung to her.

She looked so damned beautiful, so right . So…fascinating.

She laid her head against his son’s and held him. Then…she looked up…and her eyes met Hudson’s.

He couldn’t look away.

That was Hudson’s defining moment. When he knew exactly what he wanted and was going to get next. He’d always been a ruthless strategist, planning out every part of his life with very limited detours.

And now…he knew exactly who he wanted.

Her.

He wanted this woman in his own cave.

The Giavonna she was here.

That was the woman he wanted now. He was going to make it happen. His bed was the first place to start.

He just needed a plan.