Page 26 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson (A Sawyer Brothers Story #1)

Hudson’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Are you for real?”

The full extent of the meaning behind my confession caused his jaw to drop. A second later, he was swearing savagely under his breath.

A chunk of hair had fallen across his brow, and I itched to brush it back with my fingers.

Hudson must have seen where I was looking, as he raked a hand roughly through the black strands.

I found it fascinating as I watched it bounce right back.

It proved that he wasn’t in control of everything he touched.

Dark, amber eyes drilled into me, and he bared his teeth. “You can’t swim? What the hell were you doing in this lesson in the first place, then? I can’t imagine a non-swimmer qualifying for the fucking swim team.”

Gosh, he was cross.

My voice cracked as I responded nervously, “I thought I could stay in the shallow end.”

Hudson’s jaw then started to flex, “You should have let the coach know you were at risk, before the lesson, you silly little bitch .”

His words hit me like daggers. “I know,” I admitted weakly. How embarrassing; I had almost drowned in front of the whole class, and it was only my second week there. I felt like such a loser.

Hudson was still raging. “Fuck. It’s a good job I went with my gut and realised you were in trouble.”

My brow crunched. “Surely, my screaming for help made that clear. What did you think I was doing?”

“I thought you were doing it to get my attention,” he hissed, rubbing the back of his neck. His shoulders were pulled taut, aggressive waves bouncing off him.

God, he was big-headed.

My nose scrunched at his inflated level of self-esteem. “You think I’d try to drown myself to get your attention? Conceited much?”

Hudson nodded smugly. “Much,” he confirmed with an arrogant tilt of his chin .

Lowering my body in and out of the water to take off the chill, I snapped, “You’re unbelievable. I can’t believe how wrong my first impression of you was.” Moodiness swam through me. Oh, the irony.

Hudson copied my movements, splashing water over his shoulders. He didn’t ask me what that was; he just stated, “That’s why I don’t believe in first impressions.”

“You don’t?” I questioned, wringing my hair out and pulling it down one side of my neck. It was almost like we were in the bath together.

“Nope. They’re highly overrated, English.” Even though he was antagonised, his voice rippled over my skin like silk.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I shot him the deadeye. “Please, can’t you just call me Molly?”

His eyebrows rose to his hairline at my tone. “Believe me, there are a ton of names I should be calling you right now: reckless, stupid.... Should I go on?”

Uncrossing my arms, I smacked my hand against the water in annoyance. “I get it. But I didn’t throw myself into the swimming pool, did I?”

“You shouldn’t have been here in the first place!” he yelled.

There was a brief silence before his eyes narrowed, and he asked, “Were you looking for me?”

I almost laughed out loud at that one. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, I didn’t come in here looking for the mighty king of Harbor Heights. This lesson was on my schedule.” I paused for breath before adding. “And I wasn’t coming here to ‘service’ the swim team either.”

My dig caused him to snort angrily. “You may not have been looking for me, but that didn’t stop you eye-fucking me across the water. Shit. You were standing so close to the edge that even a saint would have been tempted to push you in.”

“So, it’s my fault that I got dunked in the pool? It wouldn’t surprise me if you put her up to it.”

“And by her , you mean?”

“You know who I mean Hudson, Storm Summers,” I said, giving him a shitty look. I wasn’t sure, but it had to be one of them, and I didn’t know Tate’s surname. “Did you put her up to it so you could swoop in as the caped hero?”

Hudson scoffed, clearly amused. “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart, but I don’t do capes.”

“Hmm. ”

There was a lull, the only sound to be heard was the lapping of the water before Hudson cleared his throat and promised. “Look, if that’s true. Storm will pay for her actions.” His tone of voice was calm but threaded with certainty.

“Whatever,” I said moodily. I couldn’t imagine anyone coming forward about what had happened. That would mean going against the mean girls and for whom? Pathetic Molly Miller, the principal's kid.

Hudson released a breath of frustration as he stretched his arms over his head.

I couldn’t believe how beautiful he was when he had so many tattoos and looked so unhinged. His reaction to what happened suggested he was pissed that his minions had gone behind his back. Hudson had not given the order, and that gave me a satisfying feeling of relief.

I ignored the ‘I get what I want when I want’ vibe radiating from him. Taking a small step towards him, I asked, “So, you’re going to deal with someone who tried to hurt me? But you don’t like me. Shouldn’t you be patting them on the back?”

Hudson looked horrified, and he washed a hand down his face. “You could have been seriously hurt. What type of guy do you think I am?”

My shoulders slumped, and I stepped away, my back touching the side of the pool.

“I don’t know, Hudson. We’ve barely even spoken.

” It was the truth, even though it felt like I’d known him longer.

I knew there were two sides to this boy, and my feelings towards both captivated and terrified me simultaneously.

We were standing so close. Yet we were miles apart.

Don’t think for one second that you know this boy.

“I’m many things, Molly, but I would never put someone else's safety at risk. Even yours.”

It annoyed me that we were at an ‘even yours’ stage so quickly.

There was a shift in the atmosphere.

“Well, I suppose I should be glad about that,” I muttered.

“Yes, you should be. You should also be glad about something else,” Hudson pointed out indignantly.

My stomach tightened. “What?”

“Me saving your ass for a start. I haven’t even heard a hint of a thank you.”

“Sorry, I’m still in shock,” I said, exhaling a shaky breath.

“Or you take things for granted like most of your sex,” he rasped with a glimmer in his gaze .

I reared back. “No, I don’t. I’m not like most girls.”

Hudson’s features twisted, and I saw a glimpse of the boy I’d met in the library. Before I could read into that, it was gone.

Taking a deep breath, I forced the words from my mouth, “Thank you for saving me, Hudson. I suppose it means I’m in your debt again now.”

His dark eyes flashed. “Abso-fucking-lutely, and I always collect what I’m owed, just Molly.”

The way he said my name made my tummy flutter. “I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I batted back on a swallow.

Hudson then unashamedly undressed me with his eyes and I felt a burst of awareness of how little I was wearing. Half my body was submerged, but that made no difference. Everything was on show if he peeked down.

My eyes dipped to Hudson’s mouth as he moved forward in the water, his thumb stroking his bottom lip as he contemplated his next words. “Now, let me see. What could I possibly want from the half-drowned little Molly Miller?”

I recrossed my arms over my chest defensively and quirked him a look, “Well, I’m not going to sleep with you if that’s what you’re suggesting.”

He grinned. “What makes you think I’d ask for anything sexual?”

Shooting him an ‘are you kidding’ expression, I said with a flick of my hand, “You’re a guy.”

His smile widened. “I’m glad you noticed,” he said with a wicked smirk. We both knew how much I’d noticed.

“And,” he prompted, mirroring my stance by folding his own arms. His biceps were huge, and his forearms were full of pumped-up veins.

Chewing my lip, I took my time to respond. “That means you have a one-track mind.”

Hudson’s eyes burned into mine, the promise there making me feel hot all over, “Indeed. And by the way—I never suggest. It’s too mild a word to come from my lips.”

The way he said come was sheer smut, and I knew he was trying to unnerve me.

I glanced around the space. The water appeared so calm now. “Well, I won’t allow you to pimp me to the team either.”

His face clouded over as if he had no idea what that meant.

“What the hell are you talking about?” The way he jumped from one emotional state to the next was making my head spin.

It made me acknowledge that there was a good chance Hudson Gage was having an identity crisis.

Was he the mule-headed, arrogant bully or the caring saviour who would ensure justice prevailed?

I realised he was still waiting for an answer, and I had no problem reminding him. “I’m talking about our little chat in the boys’ locker room. Remember Sasha? Isn’t that what you were doing with her?”

The silence stretched before realisation dawned.

It was blatantly written across his face.

Hudson briefly closed his eyes, and his lips curled.

It wasn’t a full smile, almost like he’d kept something from me.

The heat from his eyes blasted into me as he opened them, “You’ll have to wait and see, Just Molly,” he taunted.

“Well, neither of those scenarios works for me.” My words came out with a wobble.

“You’re a shit liar. I’ve seen you checking me out,” Hudson husked, his expression one of pure sin. “I’ve also heard what they’re saying about you.”

“Yes. Stuff that you made up, no doubt?”

Oh my God. If he didn’t stop looking at me like that—I would burst into flames. The intensity in his eyes was overwhelming.

“What do you want from me?” I snapped.

“Enough with the leading questions,” he sniggered.

“Hudson, be serious.”

He shrugged. “Would it be so bad? Us getting it on?”

Finding my resolve, I added, “No happening. Not in a million years.”

His hooded gaze slid down my body again. Hudson was amused now, and I felt like the schoolgirl I was. “That’s a long time.” He chuckled as if my words were borderline ridiculous.

“Maybe I’m not attracted to you?” I huffed.