Madly Yours (Nora Reed) novel Chapter 503

Hudson looked down, his gaze meeting her bright, clear eyes.

He pressed his lips into a tight line, his Adam's apple bobbing sharply. "I was distracted for a second. What did you just say?"

"It's nothing..."

Nora smiled softly, assuming the night's sheer panic had simply exhausted him. "I was just saying that when we hit the water, I used the survival tricks you taught me. I managed to pull Vincent up to the surface..."

The corners of Hudson's mouth curved upward. He reached out and gently tapped the tip of her nose. "My wife is incredible."

A blush crept across Nora's cheeks. She rested her head back against his chest and went quiet.

...

By the time the black Maybach glided into the hotel's underground garage, Nora was fast asleep in Hudson's arms.

Hudson stared down at her. Her damp hair stuck to her face in messy clumps, her breathing soft and rhythmic. One of her hands was still curled into a tight fist around the fabric of his shirt, as if she were terrified he might disappear.

He didn't move a muscle. He remained frozen in the backseat, holding her in the most comfortable position possible, his heart aching with an overwhelming wave of tenderness.

Arthur glanced in the rearview mirror and, catching the vibe, tactfully left the engine running.

Ten minutes later, Nora's breathing hitched slightly. She blinked her eyes open, disoriented for a few seconds before realizing she was still in the car.

"...Are we here?"

"Yeah."

Nora rubbed her eyes, finally noticing the deep wrinkles she had crushed into Hudson's shirt. She had completely skewed his collar, exposing a sharp collarbone.

Guiltily, she reached up to smooth the fabric. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked too peaceful."

Her ears burned. Without another word, she reached for the handle and pushed the door open to step out.

But the second her toes grazed the concrete, a sharp jolt of pain flared in her ankle. Her knees buckled, and she pitched forward, only to be caught firmly by Hudson's arm wrapping around her waist.

In the next breath, he scooped her right off her feet.

The freezing contact made her flinch.

"I've got it."

Hudson shot a glance at Arthur. "Give us the room."

"Yes, sir."

Once the door clicked shut behind them, Hudson wrapped a towel around the ice pack, lifted her leg onto his lap, and applied steady, gentle pressure to the swelling.

Nora leaned back into the sofa, pulling a thick hotel towel tighter around her shoulders. "I was terrified today. I've only ever seen shootouts in movies... You have no idea, the second Vincent drove through that guardrail and we plummeted toward the river, my mind just went completely blank."

She spoke slowly, caught in the residual adrenaline of surviving a near-death experience.

"All I kept thinking was, 'I can't die like this! That would be a complete waste...'"

Hudson didn't reply. His focus remained entirely on holding the ice pack against her ankle with careful precision.