Page 59 of The Sweetest Cruelty: Hudson (A Sawyer Brothers Story #1)

“Yeah. Never. Not before, during or after. He’s got it bad,” she said with a grin, still waving her hands in the air. Storm was clearly better at multitasking than me.

“Shut up,” I said with an eye roll and turned back to the field.

I couldn’t get my hopes up. Hudson was so up and down all the time that it would be stupid to get too comfortable.

Yes, we’d spent the night together, but that didn’t mean it meant anything.

To him anyway. To me, it was everything .

And if nothing came out of my relationship with Hudson, I was glad he was my first. I would remember and cherish it always.

The boys were getting into position as I looked for Hudson. I found him easily from the white number twenty-seven and GAGE printed on his grey jersey.

And then, everything seemed to quieten, just like someone had twisted a dimmer switch. I held my breath as we all anticipated the snap.

The whistle went off, and so did the crowd. A huge whoop, and it was game on.

I still wasn’t a pro, but since becoming a temporary squad member, I had learned more about the game.

It was a fraught first quarter. Around five minutes into the first down, Reed, after a strong pass from Hudson, took the ball to the end zone and scored our first touchdown. The noise of the crowd soared into the air, as did the sound of feet drumming their elation against the bleachers.

I watched Reed doing his victory run thing, acknowledging the cheers from his fans, and bumping chests with his teammates. It was a sight to see.

At one point, I couldn’t take my eyes off Hudson; he was fast and had guys all over him, but he easily avoided each attempted interception. The way his muscles flexed as he threw the ball highlighted how strong he was, and I remembered how those arms had felt wrapped around my body .

We had dominated the first half of the game—the referee's whistle went, and the players jogged off the field at halftime.

I had been watching some of the game on the large screen in the centre of the field. I found each play so fast that I couldn’t always follow who had the ball and so watching the stream was easier.

“OK, let’s take a break, girls,” Tate shouted. “Ten minutes.” The crowd were still rowdy, showing their support of a strong first half. I lowered my pom poms as the players started to jog towards the benches. Apart from one, large solitary player.

He was jogging towards me. I saw his broad back on the large screen as the camera followed his movements. GAGE sat just above his number.

I dropped my pom poms as the girls surrounding me parted, clearing a perfect path towards me.

It felt like everything went into slow motion as Hudson’s strong thighs flexed as he jogged closer. All eyes were on us, excited faces, cheers echoing in my ears.

And then he was there, standing before me, his fingers fiddling with the catch to remove his helmet.

He spat his mouth guard out, and I smiled as Hudson yanked off his helmet and shook his head, sweat matting his hair, his face red from exertion.

He was breathing heavily, it reminded me of tangled limbs as his body had thrust against mine.

And at that split second, there was only us. His nearness and the look on his face swept away everything else. All the bullshit that came with high school vanished and we were just two people.

My mouth opened as he stepped closer, his gloved hands lifting to cup my face. My hands automatically slid up his arms. And then, he angled my head, and his mouth crashed down against mine.

Like a tinder match, I went up in flames. And so did everyone else.

Wolf whistles, yells of encouragement, and screams filled the space. I saw a flicker of both Hudson and me on the large screen before my eyes fluttered closed as I sank into the moment.

Hudson kissed me like his life depended on it, his tongue sweeping boldly into my mouth.

I pushed myself onto my tiptoes, my arms encircling his neck, anything to get closer to that sinful heat he was creating.

Kissing him back, our mouths moved in unison like two hungry people devouring each other.

His grip tightened on my jaw as he deepened the kiss further, and I moaned into his mouth.

My breasts were pushed against his chest, and my nipples had hardened in my sports bra. God, I was turned on.

After pulling back slightly, Hudson feathered several kisses across my face before stroking my cheeks with his thumbs and dropping his hands to sit gently against my throat.

“You taste so sweet,” he whispered against my lips.

“So do you,” I panted, giving him a dreamy look.

I dropped my arms, and he ran his fingertips across my collarbone. “Molly?”

“Yes?” I husked, peering up at his perfect face.

Hudson’s eyes scanned mine with an intense longing look. “Will you be my girl?”

And. I. Almost. Died.

It was a good death, though.

My heart somersaulted in my chest as I threw my arms around his neck again. “Yes. A million times, yes!”

I felt his strong arms slide around my waist as Hudson lifted me against his chest, so I was airborne and swung me around. Again, the crowd roared their approval.

Hudson Gage had just asked me out in front of the entire school!

As my feet hit the grass again, Hudson leaned down and kissed my nose. He then walked backwards with a cheeky wink and spun around, retrieving his helmet.

I watched as he jogged away, his strong buttocks flexing in those white grass-strained pants. Sweet.

Hudson waved to the crowds as he was met by his brothers and some of his other teammates.

The cheer girls swamped me, all jumping up and down, their faces giddy from what they had just witnessed.

I could see Hudson walking down the sidelines. His teammates were banging him on the back and fist-bumping each other. They were all congratulating him and doing that typical guy thing. They were happy for us, and I loved their over-the-top behaviour.

From the looks of the screen, they were playing the event back as I watched mine and Hudson’s kiss. I didn’t even feel embarrassed as I squinted at that huge version of myself on TV. I didn’t dare look over to my father.

It was romance personified, and I had never felt so happy. I had a boyfriend, and his name was Hudson Gage. I couldn’t wait to tell Lisa .

And then, across the field, in the middle of the chaos of halftime, I saw my father’s face, and it was anything but happy.

It appeared damage control was needed with my father and his bad opinion of Hudson, and I would do everything in my power to change that.

The cue before the hike came from the centre of the field, dragging my thoughts back. “Blue 22. Blue 22. Hut!” Reed called. And they were off again.

The second half was solid, even more so than the first, and we won, 21-17.

Having removed his helmet, gloves, jersey and padding, Hudson, wearing only his football pants, jogged over and threw his jersey at me. I caught it with a grin, and he blew me a kiss before heading off the field towards the locker rooms. God his abs were fucking divine.

I held it to my chest as the girls made a semi-circle around me, their faces pea green with envy, and I loved it.

I knew the rule. Girlfriends wore their boyfriend’s jerseys; it represented a special connection between a player and his woman. A stamp of ownership, maybe?

It was borderline possessive, but I was only too happy to fall in line with that tradition.

*****

The after-game victory party was in full swing.

It was hot and humid, and the sun had started to set, casting a warm hue across the sea as it gently lapped the shore.

As we made our way towards the centre of the action, the soft, powdery sand felt cool beneath my bare feet.

I clutched my sandals in one hand and Hudson in the other, our fingers tightly entwined.

Clusters of students were scattered across the golden coastline. From the looks of it, they were all at different stages of inebriation, some laughing and drinking, others dancing or making out. There were even a handful of people in the water.

A large roaring bonfire had been built partway down the beach, lighting the sky with an orange glow, the flames licking the air like snakes’ tongues.

The music was pumping for a Bluetooth speaker set by the camping tables with beer kegs and numerous other tasty beverages.

My skin prickled as the breeze blew across my legs. I had chosen to wear the gold bikini I purchased on my shopping trip with Harper beneath Hudson’s jersey and denim cut-offs .

“Are you OK?” Hudson said, tugging me against his side. I knew he asked due to the number of people staring. Harper had messaged me as soon as she’d heard about the scene her brother caused during the game.

I heard Hudson asked you out. It’s gone viral, so prepare yourself. The first message had made me smile, the second not so much.

I hope you know what you’re doing.

Swallowing the feeling of doubt that message incited, I smiled at my boyfriend. “Yeah. Never better.”

Hudson Gage. My boyfriend.

“About time. We got the beers in, but Reed drank them,” Micah said with a grin. He wore a white wife-beater top and black boardshorts and looked his usual smug self.

“It’s fine. I’ve got a stash in the chiller,” Phoenix said, twisting towards a blue plastic cooler sitting on the sand behind where his towel was laid. Courtney from the cheer squad was half draped over his lap in a stunning black bikini. I wondered where Harper was.

The Sawyer brothers had set up base by placing several blankets and camping chairs around a section of beach close to the sea. It was less crowded and set against some rocks.

“So, Molly. How does it feel to have attained the unattainable?” Reed asked with one perfectly arched eyebrow. He looked summery in a patterned shirt and denim cut-offs.

“You don’t have to answer that,” Hudson responded.