Caged (Defiant Kings, #1)

by Bella Matthews

Hudson has four bedrooms upstairs, besides the master. I walked by each one on my way to the shower, so I knew they were there before I got comfortable on the couch last night. I also knew I should have excused myself and gone to bed in one of them when my eyes got heavy after the first half of Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. Apparently, Hudson gets every channel except the Hallmark channel. But Harry Potter is my favorite movie franchise, so I ignored my body begging me for a bed and my brain telling me I should probably have sat on the opposite end of the sectional, far away from the ridiculously sexy man I was here to help. Luckily, even I knew that was ridiculous, and I convinced myself to stay right where I was. I could go to bed after Harry, Hermione, and Ron saved the day. Only I never made it to that scene. The last thing I remember was Hudson tugging a big cream blanket from the back of the couch and forcing me to share the softest blanket I’d ever snuggled under with him. I thought about saying no. I considered going to bed, like a coward with her tail between her legs. Then Cinder curled up between the two of us and surprised me when she rubbed up against the man who causes butterflies to take flight in my belly. He ran his hand down her back, and to my complete surprise, she let him. Traitor. I was jealous of the cat. Friend, Madison. He’s a friend. That mantra played over and over in my mind while I overanalyzed the space between us. It wasn’t like I wa...