Uniting the Souls Read online

  Then Hudson had made the comment about wanting both Isaac and me to know that he was single and I’d seen the same look of interest in his eyes that I saw when we first met. I watched as he and Isaac exchanged a look and the heat between them was palpable. My cock began to stir as I envisioned the two of them kissing, which then switched to an image of me sandwiched between the two of them as they kissed their way down the length of my neck, hands and mouths everywhere, all at once.

  Startled by the direction my thoughts had taken, I jumped to my feet and thrust my hand out for Hudson to shake, welcoming him to the staff. I knew my words and actions had been abrupt, but I needed to end the meeting and get them out of my office. Hudson had slid his large hand around my own and I’d felt the same sharp surge of electricity that I’d felt the last time we’d touched and I pulled back, cursing my body and my thoughts for betraying me. How could I be feeling these things and why were my reactions the same for both of the men standing in front of me?

  I’d tried my best to dive back into my work and had been somewhat successful until the sound of the kids had distracted me. After that, it had been a lost cause. No matter how hard I tried to shut them out, my thoughts always returned to Isaac and Hudson and those damn images of the three of us together that refused to give me peace.

  I rubbed at my tired eyes and glanced at my watch, surprised to see how late it had gotten. As I’d been sitting there, lost in my thoughts, the hours had slowly drifted away. With a sigh, I shut off my computer and pushed my chair from my desk. My back ached from sitting hunched over my desk for too long and I decided that a run was what I needed to ease the tension in my body and to clear my head.

  Grabbing my car keys and the beat-up leather briefcase that went everywhere with me, I made my way down the hallway, relieved when I saw the light off in Isaac’s office which told me that he’d already left for the evening. I found myself wondering where he lived, what his home looked like and if it was as warm and cheerful as the man who lived there.

  I drove to my house quickly and changed into my running gear then set off out the door, trying to ignore the empty look of the place with its stark white walls and minimal furniture and noting the difference between my place and what I had envisioned Isaac’s home to look like.

  I ran for nearly an hour, letting everything else go as I concentrated on the steady thumping of my feet as they hit the pavement. I’d always loved running and found it very therapeutic when my mind got too full of stuff. Feeling more centered, I returned home and took a quick shower, scrubbing the sweat from my body and letting the hot water relax my tired muscles.

  I finished my shower and began toweling off as I tried to remember if I had anything in my kitchen to eat, but then a yawn hit me and I decided I didn’t have the energy to mess with cooking. I brushed my teeth then walked to my room and pulled the covers back from the bed. I climbed between the sheets without bothering to put anything on and reached for my phone, putting it on the charger and setting the alarm for six a.m.

  Then, I reached for the framed photo I kept next to my bed and pulled it towards me. I settled against the pillows as my finger traced the figure in the picture. I said a few words, as I did every night, and then laid the photo next to me on the pillow and turned on my side to face it as I drifted off to sleep.

  I stared out the window, my favorite song playing through my earbuds, as I rode the train to work. My mind began to wander and I wasn’t surprised at all with where it ended up. It was the same place my thoughts always went these days—Matt and Hudson.

  My mind had been swirling ever since Hudson had shown up at the center, looking to volunteer. I was confident that his working there would be a good thing for the kids, but I’d wondered what it would mean for Matt and me. Hudson had boldly stated that he wanted us both to know he was single, but what did that mean? He’d shown interest in both of us, but did he want to date each of us before choosing which one he liked best?

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. On one hand, I was very flattered that he would show any interest in me at all. After all, Hudson was a gorgeous, intelligent, and successful doctor; what could someone like me possibly have to offer him? On the other hand, I didn’t particularly like the idea of him and Matt going off together. The question was, was it because I wanted Hudson for myself or because of my feelings for Matt? The whole thing was very confusing and I never seemed to be able to come up with an answer.

  Hudson had been working at the center for a couple of weeks and already he was having a positive impact on those around him. The kids were wary of him when we first introduced him to the group and told them that he was there to offer counseling. Most of them shied away from adults in general, but particularly those who wanted to pry into their pasts. I understood their reluctance to talk about it. Sometimes it was just easier to push the painful things that had happened out of your mind and try to move on.

  I’d found myself observing Hudson as he interacted with the kids and I’d been amazed at his gentle, laid-back attitude. Instead of scheduling times to meet with each teen, he’d simply hung a dry-erase calendar on his office door, giving them the choice of when or if they wanted to talk with him.

  Hudson seemed happy enough just hanging out with them, offering to help with their homework and playing basketball with them in the center’s gymnasium. He joked around with them and I found myself smiling when I’d hear his boisterous laugh ringing out. It didn’t take long before the kids were teasing him back and I noticed as names slowly began to appear on his calendar.

  The kids weren’t the only ones being affected by Hudson’s presence though. I’d caught Matt staring at the handsome man on several occasions when he didn’t know I was watching. At first his looks were as wary as the kids’ and I knew that he was watching how things unfolded, making sure he’d made the right decision for the teens in his care. As he saw them opening up to Hudson, the look in Matt’s eyes began to change to one of appreciation.

  Sometimes though, I would catch a glimpse of something more, something that looked a lot like longing. I’d caught Matt staring at me a few times as well and I would feel a strange stirring in my chest when that happened. He always turned away quickly though, leaving me to wonder what he’d been thinking.

  I found myself acting differently too on the days when I knew Hudson would be working at the center. I always enjoyed my job, but those particular days, I felt myself smiling more and anxiously watching the clock. I liked the fact that Hudson always took the time to stop by my office and say hello and ask how my day was. He flirted with me occasionally, but I never managed more than a few mumbled words as I felt my face heat up. I’d never had anyone show an interest in me before and I was quickly becoming addicted to the way he would look at me as if I were the only person in the room.

  The train came to a stop and I looked out the window, my forehead wrinkling when I saw it had begun to rain. The forecast hadn’t shown any rain and I blamed our local meteorologist for my lack of an umbrella. I stood, pulling my earbuds out and tucked them and my phone into my pocket then lifted the hood of my jacket over my head trying to protect myself as much as possible. I walked as quickly as I could to the center, but the rain came down in thick sheets and I was soaking wet by the time I reached the front door.

  “Rough morning?” Allison asked, giving me a sympathetic look.

  “It was fine until I got off the train. I didn’t know it was supposed to rain,” I explained as water dripped from my hair. I was sure I looked like a drowned rat.

  “Why don’t you go get a change of clothes from the free store? Get into something dry and I’ll bring you your coffee and the breakfast Gladys left for you.” I managed to thank her as a shiver wracked my body, then walked down the hallway to where the free store was located.

  The store had been Kathy Greene’s idea. She’d contacted many of the local churches and schools, asking them to set up boxes at their locations where people could donate new or gently used clo
thing and various toiletries. The response had been tremendous and donations continued to pour in more quickly than we could give them away. Many of the kids at the center arrived with only the clothes on their backs and so they’d been thrilled when the store opened and they could pick out clothing for themselves.

  I sorted through the piles of clothes and finally found a pair of socks, jeans, and a shirt I thought would fit me then grabbed a small bath towel and headed back to my office. I was thankful to have dry clothes to put on, but I wouldn’t take anything away from the kids so I made a mental note to wash and return the clothes to the store the next day.

  I shut my office door behind me and pulled my wet clothes off. Standing in just my boxer briefs, my teeth began to chatter and I quickly toweled the worst of the water from my hair then rubbed the towel vigorously over my body, hoping the friction would warm it. I’d just picked up the shirt when I heard the door open behind me and I cursed when I realized I’d forgotten to lock it. I turned around, ready to apologize to Allison for putting her in an embarrassing situation, but the words died on my lips as I saw it wasn’t her in the doorway.

  Matt’s mouth hung open as he stood there, staring at me and he reached out and gripped the frame of the door with his hand. I felt frozen in place as his eyes traveled over my body, and I swear, I felt it as surely as if he’d reached out and touched me with his hands. I shivered again, but that time it had nothing to do with my being cold. In fact, I suddenly felt warm all over and I lowered the shirt in front of my groin when my cock began to stir. Matt’s eyes narrowed as they caught the movement and I was mortified that he’d noticed the physical reaction I was having to him.

  “I got…I got caught in the rain. I was just changing,” I stammered.

  “I’ll, uh, leave you to it,” Matt mumbled. His eyes swept over me once more and his tongue darted out, wetting his lips before he finally stepped back, shutting the door behind him.

  I sagged against my desk and laid my palm against my chest, feeling my heart beat wildly beneath my rib cage. What the hell just happened? I recognized the look of desire on his face, but I never thought Matt would direct that kind of heated look my way.

  I tamped down my excitement as much as possible, reminding myself that Matt had always seen me as a friend and nothing more. There was no point in getting my hopes up. The more my heart rate slowed the more I was able to convince myself that I’d imagined the whole thing. I quickly got dressed, sighing when I slipped the dry pair of socks on over my cold toes and placed my shoes next to the heater to dry.

  Allison brought me my coffee and breakfast and I thanked her, although I knew I wouldn’t touch it. My stomach was too tied up in knots to handle food at the moment. I was tempted to go find Matt and ask him why he’d stopped by my office to begin with, but I was afraid he’d be able to see my desire too clearly on my face. I didn’t want to make things any more awkward between us, so I sat at my desk and dove into my work instead.

  Sometime later, there was a knock on my door which made me jump and I glanced up as it swung open. Hudson stood there, his large frame taking up most of the doorway and I glanced at the time on my computer, surprised to see how late it was. I’d worked straight through the entire day, not even stopping for lunch or dinner and my stomach let out an embarrassing rumble in protest. Hudson’s deep laugh had me glancing back at him.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. His question was simple enough, but the way he was looking at me had me thinking he was talking about more than just food. I felt my skin heat up under his watchful gaze, but I didn’t look away and I saw his lips turn up, obviously pleased.

  “Uh, yeah, I guess so. I was so busy, I must’ve lost track of time,” I told him.

  “Well, I’m finished for the day and was going to grab a bite to eat somewhere. Would you care to join me?” Hudson must have seen the surprise on my face. “It’s just food, Isaac. I’d like to get to know you better,” he said sincerely.

  “You would? I mean…sure,” I squeaked out. My face felt like it was on fire and I half expected him to change his mind, but he just smiled at me. I was thrilled to spend more time with him and looked forward to getting to know him better as well.

  He waited while I shut my computer down and straightened my desk and then I stood and made my way over to him. My pulse began to race when instead of backing out into the hallway as I’d expected, he took a step into my office. He moved close enough that I could feel the heat of his body emanating through the thin material of his dress shirt and the scent of his cologne, something woodsy with a hint of spice, filled my senses and made my head spin. He stared down at me and I had to tilt my head back to look at him, losing myself in his soulful brown eyes. The rich timber of his voice resonated through me when he spoke.

  “You might want to get some shoes on, seeing as most restaurants require them.” It took me a moment for his words to catch up, but then my eyes grew wide and I felt a puff of minty air hit my lips as he laughed.

  “Oh yeah, I suppose so,” I said with a nervous laugh of my own. Something about Hudson always seemed to leave me feeling off balance, but surprisingly, it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling at all.

  I grabbed my shoes, which luckily had dried from the rain that morning and slipped them on before hitting the light switch on my way out the door. Hudson was waiting for me in the hallway and he looked at me curiously.

  “What do you think about inviting Matt to come with us?” he asked.

  “Sure! The more the merrier,” I answered. Hudson laughed at that and I smiled back at him, not quite understanding what was so funny.

  We walked to the end of the hall where Matt’s door was standing open. His head was bent as he signed some papers. He looked up when Hudson knocked on his door, but he didn’t say a word as his eyes darted back and forth between the two of us, curiously.

  “We decided to go out and get something to eat and we wondered if you’d care to join us,” Hudson explained.

  “You two are going out together?” Matt asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

  “Yes, but we’d like it if you came too,” I assured him. His eyes met mine and I struggled to read the various emotions I saw there before he hid them once again. He was way too good at that and it was starting to frustrate me.

  “Thank you for asking, but I still have a lot of work to do before I can get out of here,” Matt replied.

  “Is there anything I can help with so you can get done sooner?” I offered.

  “No, thank you, Isaac. You guys go and have a good time.” I wanted to argue, but I could hear the finality in his words and I saw the rigid set to his jaw. Hudson watched Matt quietly for a few seconds, a curious expression on his face, but then he nodded.

  “Maybe next time, then,” he said.

  Matt didn’t answer, but he continued to watch us as we turned to leave. I glanced one last time over my shoulder and felt my heart squeeze in my chest when I saw Matt looking at us with a mixture of sadness and resignation. I almost turned back, but he looked down, directing his attention back on his work.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll keep working on him,” Hudson whispered as we made our way down the quiet hallway. I looked up at him questioningly, but he just smiled and placed his hand on the small of my back as he led me out the front door and across the parking lot to his car.

  I felt a little unsure when I saw the large black SUV, but I climbed in when he opened the door for me. I glanced around, taking in the creamy leather seats and the sleek interior as I waited for Hudson to make his way around to the driver’s side. I suddenly felt completely out of my league and I wondered what in the world I was doing there.

  “You ready?” Hudson asked as he slid into his seat and I wanted to ask him what exactly I should be ready for. His warm eyes met mine and when he smiled, I suddenly realized that I didn’t care.

  “Yeah, I’m ready,” I whispered. I didn’t know what Hudson wanted with me or why, but I was going to enjoy finding out.


  I smiled over at Isaac sitting in the passenger seat. The lights of the dash showed off the soft curve of his jaw and the full bottom lip that lifted when he smiled back at me. His wide blue eyes were framed with long lashes that brushed his cheeks whenever he blinked. God, he is spectacular.

  I felt my cock twitch in my pants and I had to fight the urge to reach for him and drag him to me so I could feel his lips pressed to mine. I’d spent many nights dreaming of that mouth and all the things I wanted to do to it, but I would have to be careful. The last thing I wanted to do was push him too far or scare him off.

  “How does a big, juicy burger sound?” I asked as I pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.

  “That sounds perfect,” he answered happily.

  It didn’t take long to get to the restaurant and I pulled into an open spot and parked my SUV. Isaac’s brows furrowed as he peered out the window at the building and his shoulders suddenly looked tense.

  “Is something wrong? Do you not like this place?” I asked him.

  “No, it’s not that. I’ve never been here before, but I’m sure it’s good,” he said. He turned his head to face me and I hated the nervous look in his eyes. I didn’t even stop to think before I reached over and covered his hands which were folded in his lap. Both of his hands fit neatly in one of mine and I was surprised at how protective of him that made me feel. Isaac’s eyes shot down to our joined hands and stayed there as he continued.

  “I just wasn’t expecting a place like this and I’m not sure that I can afford it,” he admitted shyly. I squeezed his hands gently and he looked up at me.

  “It was my idea to ask you to dinner so I fully intended on it being my treat, but we can go somewhere else if it makes you uncomfortable,” I assured him.