Blindsided - Chapter 3
Seven months later…
“I think Hudson is going to ask me to marry him,” Erica James said when she set a bottle of water in front of her sister and reclaimed her seat.
“Wait. What?” Connie screeched. The comical expression on her face almost made Erica laugh. “How do you know? What did he say?”
“Shush.” Erica waved her hand and then pointed at her closed office door. She didn’t want everyone knowing her business. Most employees had left for the day, but there were a few still working, even though it was well after nine.
Since Hudson had to work, Erica had decided to stay late and was glad her sister had stopped by with dinner. They tried to get together a few times a month, but lately, with them both having fallen in love, it was getting harder to find the time.
“Hudson has been talking about his future, and including me and Nakia in that conversation,” Erica said, referring to her eight-year-old daughter.
“And you have a problem with that? He’s the best thing that’s happened to you and Nakia in a long time. You guys love him, and he loves you both. What’s there to think about?”
Hudson was everything that romantic fantasies were made of. Everything from being good-looking to attentive, he had all the qualities she wanted in a mate. Though it wasn’t a criterion, he was also wealthy, thanks to his former NFL career and good investments.
Everything considered, Erica still had concerns. Mainly with his dangerous job as a personal security specialist, a job he enjoyed. But she couldn’t lose another man to violence, and each time he went on an assignment, there was always a chance he could get hurt, or worse.
They also hadn’t known each other long—a little more than six months. Yet she felt as if she’d known him all of her life. She had never experienced anything like the passion that pulsed between them, not even with her late husband.
She and Hudson had first met when Connie, who happened to be Hudson’s direct supervisor at LEPA, Layton’s Executive Protection Agency, had assigned him as Erica and Nakia’s security detail. LEPA provided personal security mostly to a high-end clientele, but months ago, Connie had been concerned for the safety of her family after she’d witnessed a bank and become a target. It all worked out and Erica and Hudson had been together ever since. She never imagined that her hulk of a man would be one of the gentlest people she’d ever met.
Erica brought her water bottle to her lips and glanced at her sister, who was staring at her. She took a sip and sighed. “Don’t look at me like that.”