Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 284

She collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling while clutching the duvet.

The faint scent of his cologne still lingered on the fabric, barely noticeable.

But to her, it was overwhelming.

Nora closed her eyes, and his face instantly materialized in her mind.

His piercing dark eyes, his sharp jawline, his perfect, arrogant smirk.

She rolled over, pulling the covers completely over her head and curling into a tight ball.

It was hopeless.

She was severely touch-starved.

When Hudson was around, she hadn't realized just how heavily she relied on his presence.

Every night, he would pull her into his arms, wrapping his arm securely around her waist and resting his chin on top of her head. Buried against his chest, listening to the steady, powerful rhythm of his heartbeat, she would drift off effortlessly.

But without him here, she didn't even know how to fall asleep anymore.

Right then, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

She threw the covers off, her hand shooting out to grab it.

The screen lit up with Hudson's name.

Her heart skipped a beat as she swiped to answer. His face filled the screen.

"You're still awake?"

He was leaning against the floor-to-ceiling windows of his hotel suite. The glittering night skyline of Port Victoria stretched out behind him, with the Meridian Spires illuminated in the distance.

The top buttons of his dress shirt were undone, exposing the strong lines of his collarbone. He looked incredibly dangerous and unfairly handsome.

Nora rolled onto her stomach, burying half her face in the pillow. "Yeah. I just got out of the shower," she mumbled.

"Missing me?"

Biting her lip, she pressed her face deeper into the pillow, her voice barely a whisper. "...Yeah."

The honest admission caught Hudson completely off guard. The line went silent for a moment.

He had only been teasing her. He hadn't expected her to actually admit it.

A low, rough chuckle rumbled from his chest. "I miss you too, honey. I'll finish up here as fast as I can and come straight home, alright?"

Nora nodded, her cheeks burning brightly. She turned onto her side, pulling the covers up high to hide everything but the pink tips of her ears.

Nora blinked in confusion. "Are you okay? Is your throat hurting?"

Hudson said nothing.

He stood motionless against the window, the neon city lights casting shifting shadows across his face.

He closed his eyes and inhaled a sharp, ragged breath, fighting a losing battle for control.

His mind was completely consumed by her innocent words.

His throat worked in a heavy swallow.

"Nora."

"Yeah?"

"Let me see you."

Still entirely oblivious, Nora stretched lazily in the bed. "You are seeing me. We're on a video call."

"Honey..."

His voice dropped to a lethally soft purr, dripping with a dark, hypnotic persuasion that pulled at her like an ocean undertow. "Pull the covers back. I want to see you."