Charm (Crave #5)

by Tracy Wolff

If I wasn’t so worried about him, it would be one hell of a view. If I’m being honest, it’s still one hell of a view. Especially all up close and personal like this. And

Another time, I might have been offended that he didn’t trust me, but I’m the first one to admit that in the dark, vampire vision is definitely superior to human. And since I want no creepy-crawly—or any other—surprises in the middle of the night, I feel much better now that he’s checked it out, too.

“The dent.” “I have a dent on the side of my face?” Now he sounds alarmed, because of course he does. You can take the boy out of the Versace underwear, but you can’t take the Versace out of the boy.

Grace you are so bad! 🤣🤣🤣

“Grace.” It’s a very stern, serious-sounding “Grace,” so I reply in kind. “Yes, Hudson?” “Why are you picking a fight with me about my dimple?” “Honestly?” I shrug. “I have no idea.” “That’s what I figured.” He sighs again. “Can I go to bed now, then?” “I suppose,” I answer airily. “As long as you’re not concerned about the dent in your face.” “Grace.” “Yes, Hudson?” This time I use my most angelic voice. “Nothing.” He shakes his head in resignation. “Good night.” “Good night.” Then, because I can’t help myself, I add, “You should probably sleep on the side that doesn’t have the dent.”

“Don’t act like you don’t want to be here.” “Just for that, I should move.” He lifts his arm from around my waist. “Go ahead.” “I would,” I tell him. “But then I’d have to look at that dent again.” “God forbid.” If his voice got any drier, we’d be able to use it as kindling.

“I can’t understand her, either, you know. But my best guess is she followed my scent and then lost it when she got to the cave.” “Which is why she freaked out,” I finish. “Because she thought she’d lost her precious.” “Hey, it’s not my fault I’m lovable.” He gives me his most charming grin—one that showcases that damn dimple perfectly.

“Smokey’s here,” Hudson shoots back. “And she likes my dent. I mean, my dimple.” “I win.”

Her words aren’t unexpected, but they still hit me with a force that makes me want to pull up my shirt and look for bruises.

“I still love him.” “Do you? Really?” I ask, rolling over to face her. “You knew him for two weeks. Two weeks. We’ve been together more than a year. Just you and me. Do those two weeks really stand up to everything we’ve been through?”

Hot stuff basically declared how he feels for her! And Grace youre not taking it!?!😠

Never has the three feet between us felt more like a hundred. And in between lays the remnants of a fantasy and a future that never stood a chance.

Hudson!😭😭😭

His tone is completely polite, but it still feels like a slap. I don’t think that’s what he intended, but like he just asked me, does that actually matter when I feel like I’m reeling?

What did you expect Grace? You rejected him! Think he is going to be all buddy buddy!?😡

“Well, then, I say we keep going.” Hudson looks from me to the map and back again. “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? Or would you prefer to rest more and head out in the morning?” I shoot him an exasperated look. “I thought continuing is what you wanted to do.” “It is,” he agrees. “But I need to make sure it’s what you want to do, too.”

See! this man is husband material! He values your opinion! Unlike SOMEONE else... *cough* Jaxon *cough*

“You really mean that, don’t you?” “Of course I mean it.” Now he just looks insulted. “It’s no use having a partnership if one person makes all the decisions and the other person just has to follow along. We’re either in this together or we’re not.” “We are,” I hasten to reassure him. “Then tell me what you want to do.”

This is literally your and Jaxons relationship! You just follow! You dont work together! As one!

This was my plan, so I’ve got to find a way to get us out—one that won’t end up with her or Smokey getting hurt.

Gotta protect Smokey!

I can feel the umbra trembling in my hand, unsure if she can trust Grace, unsure if she wants to trust Grace. She gives another low, keening whine that makes my chest tighten painfully. But when Smokey jumps into Grace’s arms and lets her carry them off to hide, I can’t stop the grin stretching between my cheeks, wider than ever before.

The wife and the daughter!

“Can I see your teeth later?” Caoimhe asks me, right before she runs her tongue along her own teeth. “You can see my teeth,” Grace tells her sweetly, and it takes all my self-control not to burst out laughing.

Yes Grace! Fight for your man!

Because even though I didn’t plan to do this, now that I’m here, I know exactly what song I want to play. Grace’s favorite.

*SWOON* 😍😍😍

“Um, hey.” Hudson’s voice is hesitant as he leans into the mic. He gives a little cough to the side, then continues. “My name’s Hudson, and I’m part of this amazing troubadour group called The Horizons.”

Uh this man is adorable!!😍😍😄😁

He takes a deep breath and says softly, “This is for Grace.”

Awwwww😍😍😍

Then his strong fingers pluck the guitar’s strings, and I recognize the song in the first three notes. And I melt. I just fucking melt. Hudson is playing a One Direction song. For me. Because he knew I was freaking out. Because he knows how much I love them.

There is nothing sexy than a man that can play and sing! 😍😍😍🎵🎵🎵🎶🎶

So here he is, the guy who does everything in his power to stay in the shadows, taking center stage. For me.

He hesitates, then slowly, so very, very slowly, pulls his hands from his pockets and hugs me back. “Did I do Harry justice?” he asks, his warm breath brushing across the top of my head. I smile. “Harry who?”

Awwww

“What about you?” If nothing else, the last year I’ve spent with Hudson has taught me one thing: always keep this boy on his toes. Which is why I shake my head in a poor-little-Hudson manner and murmur, “Who says I’m wearing any?”

Going hot Grace!🔥🔥🔥

I know nothing about pastries except that I like eating them,

Hehehe same! 😁

And he did. He reported for duty at the hardware store for his second day, and the owner mentioned how sad she was that her daughter’s teacher had retired that week. Hudson went straight to the school on his lunch break and filled out an application. I would never have pegged the big bad vampire as a third-grade teacher—but he absolutely loved it. And he was good at it, too. Really good.

Teacher Hudson? Mr. Vega? YES PLEASE!!!😍😍😍

“Hudson, look!” she breathes as she gazes out at the sky. “Isn’t it beautiful?” “So beautiful,” I agree. She glances up at me and her breath catches in her throat. But her voice is casual when she teases, “You aren’t even looking at the sky.” I start to tell her I’m looking at something even more beautiful, but the line is so fucking cheesy, I just let it die. I need to hold on to some small shred of pride, after all.

You could have just said it man! So flirtatious!!!

“You and your Versace underpants.” “Um, I believe the correct term is ‘boxer briefs.’ And for someone who claims she doesn’t like me, you certainly are obsessed with my underwear.” Grace turns to face me. “That’s not true.” “Sure it is.” I lift a brow. “I’m pretty sure you spend more time thinking about my former underwear than I do.”

Hehehe! 😁

Hudson isn’t taking the choice from me. He isn’t trying to talk me into leaving or wrestling control out of my hands at all. Instead, he’s going out of his way to make the situation as comfortable as he can for me while still giving me ownership of what we do. No one has ever done that for me, not even Jaxon, who constantly wants to protect me by making sure I change how I behave. Hudson just makes sure that I have the space and security to do what I want when I want to do it. It makes me like him even more.

Finally you understand that Hudson is husband material! 🙌🏾🙌🏾😄🎉🎉

“You know what? Pretend you’re Nike and Just Do It, Vega,”

I tell him, right before I hit Play on the song I picked out and the first notes of Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance” come through my phone’s speaker.

No wonder Hudson picked this song to dance with Grace with in the laundry room! 😭😭😭

For a second, he grins like he doesn’t have a care in the world, and all I can see is his irresistible dimple. It’s so adorable—he’s so adorable and pleased with himself—that it takes every ounce of self-control I have not to reach out and touch it.

If you arent going to make a move I sure as hell am!_🤣🤣😍😍😁

“It’s okay, Grace,” he whispers back. “I’ve got you.” And that’s the thing. He does. I’m beginning to think he always has. Maybe that’s why I’m the one who makes the first move. The one who closes the small distance between us so that I can press my lips to his.

Yes Grace!🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾😭😭😭

Instead, it builds like a song. Slow, sweet, beautiful, but no less powerful for that. And definitely no less important.

Awww 😍😍😍😭🤧

I just melt and open like a secret.

It doesn’t bother me that he asks, because I like that he’s checking in. Like even more that he wants to make sure that I’m all right with anything—and everything—that happens between us.

Cause this is how you know that a man respects you

“Wow. Ten seconds ago, you wanted me to hide up here. Now you think I can just pull a King Kong on the Empire State Building? Your faith is touching.”

🤣🤣🤣

Grace is stone. And not stone as in a statue, either. This Grace, who is somehow—incomprehensibly—made of stone, is also somehow—incomprehensibly—alive.

GARGOYLE GRACE!!!

Horns. Stone. Wings. Fireproof. And, oh yeah, did I mention I have HORNS?????

How did they fly? I think Iron Man had his hands by his sides, but I’ve been doing that since I got up here and it hasn’t worked at all. But Superman flies with his arms out in front of him, right? It’s not a look I’m confident I can pull off, but he doesn’t die, so maybe I should try that.

🤣🤣🤣

Before I can take off, though, the innkeeper—without looking up from his book—says, “Any woman who saves me from dying in a fiery dragon explosion gets the shower first for life.” “I wasn’t going to—” I break off when he harrumphs. And then he turns the page, making it very clear he knew exactly what I’d been about to do.

Hahaha

Since that’s probably why she looks so awkward. Because we’re stuck here, with no hope of going home, we just took a huge step in what I hope is our relationship, and she probably doesn’t know where we stand anymore.

They thought they had forever!😭😭😭😭

The big spoon to his little spoon. And judging from the way he’s curled into me so that every part of my body is touching a part of his, he’s enjoying every second of being that little spoon. Which is fine with me, considering I’m enjoying the hell out of being the big one.

I’m a gargoyle now. A freaking gargoyle. I fight dragons. Not well, mind you, but I fight them, and I win. Sometimes.

We change and grow and some people follow that journey with us, become an integral part of it, and others go on their own paths.

Besides, I liked that shirt, and now it’s ruined forever.” “More than you like me, apparently.” I roll my eyes at her. “At the time, maybe.” She reaches over, slips her hand into mine. And nearly makes my bloody heart explode, even before she adds, “Not anymore.”

I’ve spent the majority of my life wearing designer clothes I’ve got no interest in—mainly to play my part as a vampire prince for dear old Dad. This looks like the perfect change from that. Though I would give a small ransom to have my Versace underwear back.

“Careful, Grace. You keep trying to cover me up, and I’m going to start thinking my half-naked physique makes you uncomfortable,” I tease. “It does,” she answers, deadpan. “It makes me want to climb you like a tree, wrap my legs around your hips, and persuade you to have your way with me.” “Um.” For the second time today—and pretty much the second time ever—I’ve got absolutely no comeback for Grace. Except, “The inn is just around the corner.”

Hehehe!😁😁😁

“My stack’s bigger than yours.” Hudson’s voice, low and teasing, floats down a library aisle to me. I don’t bother to look up from the back cover of the book in my hand. “I’m not a guy. That statement doesn’t freak me out—or make me want to fight.”

Dam, Grace!🤣🤣🤣

“Sadly, Saturday night is laundry night for me.”

I must reference back to Crush to see when Grace is washing!