Secret Hudson (A Finding Nolan Novel Book 2) Read online

  Secret Hudson

  By

  K.S. Thomas

  Copyright © 2014 - by Karina Gioertz.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the consent of the author, except where permitted by law.

  Secret Hudson is a work of fiction. All characters and subject matter are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, alive of dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Final Proofing by Magic of Books ~ http://magicofbookspromo.blogspot.ca/

  COVER BY SOLOUD!MEDIA ~ www.soloudmedia.com

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Secret Hudson (A Finding Nolan Novel, #2)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  The End.

  First of all, I would love to thank all of the wonderful writers I have met through Rachelle Ayala’s Romance in a Month Class. Not only have I been writing up a romantic storm ever since I joined the group, but I have met some truly amazing and supportive women whom I hope to continue this journey with for a long time to come.

  While the Finding Nolan Series might never have come to be had it not been for participating in #RIAM, Secret Hudson in particular would be in really rough shape if it hadn’t been for the following individuals who took the time to read the first drafts and then offered their invaluable feedback. So, thank you – Lyssa, Tawnya, Stephanie and Michele.

  Of course, having said that, I realize the first draft would possibly never have been finished at all had it not been for my brilliant and creative friend, Dara, who in a late night moment of pure genius, led me directly to the source of inspiration I needed in order to find the perfect ending for Royce’s story.

  Lastly, before I tie this up and let you all get to the more entertaining part of this book, I would also like to take a moment to thank Tami – thank you for being my ‘author’ fairy godmother!

  As always, I owe an ocean of gratitude to those I love and am lucky to be loved by 

  Your support means more to me than you will ever know

  Chapter 1

  There was a knock on the door almost simultaneously to it opening.

  “Royce?” It was Ava.

  “What’s up, buttercup?”

  “The coffee here blows. I’m going to make a store run. Need anything?”

  I stared down at my legs, fully dressed in jeans, socks and shoes, then back over at the TV screen. I’d been awake, showered, clothed, and watching a Gilligan’s Island marathon since five a.m. What I needed, was to get out of this fucking hotel room.

  “I’m sure I’ll think of something once we’re there.” I pointed the remote straight at the captain’s head and pulled the trigger. Thank God that was finally over.

  She made a face at me. “You’re going to come?”

  “I’m sorry. Is that a problem?” Not twelve hours ago she’d asked me to follow her into the bathroom to keep her company while she showered. Now seemed like an odd time to suddenly require some privacy.

  Ava reached for the baseball cap hanging on the doorknob and strapped it over my head. “Not any more.” She pointed at the nightstand behind me. “Hey, grab those shades too, would ya? I really don’t feel like getting attacked by the paparazzi pre-shower and wearing my sweats.”

  “You showered. I know. I was there, remember?” I slid on the shades anyway. I wasn’t in the mood for a morning mob either. I was no Blaise Nolan, but in lieu of Finding Nolan’s front man, people seemed to be happy to settle for the lowly bass player in a heartbeat.

  “Um, that shower was ages ago. Do you know how much I’ve sweat in the meantime?” She led the way out the door, in spite of her apparent nastiness.

  “Gross. I know we’re close Ava, but I do not need to hear about your sweaty sex with Blaise.” I reached for my wallet and room key on the way out.

  “Ew! I went for a run this morning, you jackass! For the record, I don’t have unattractive, sweaty sex. I do it all nice and pretty like...you know, the way they do it in the movies. All sensual and magical.”

  I nodded, even though she had her back to me. “Yeah, I hear that all the time about hetero sex. How magical it is.” Ava turned her head briefly and acknowledged the sarcasm with a dramatic eye roll and her standard half-smirk, but didn’t bother to respond. We’d had the hetero sex talk plenty of times before in the past. She knew where I stood with it. Preferably at a safe distance where I could pretend it didn’t exist.

  Vaginas didn’t scare me exactly. I mean, they seemed innocent enough, and I could see the convenience of it all, one piece fitting into the other. But I’d taken sex ed. I’d seen that sweet little flower chicks claimed they were sitting on morph into monsters big enough to spit out a watermelon on a moment’s notice. Don’t tell me there isn’t something shady about that.

  If straight dudes want to stick their dicks in there, I say do so at your own risk. Someday that beast may decide to swallow instead of spit, and then what the fuck are you going to do? Be fucking dickless, that’s what.

  We were in the elevator going down to the lobby when I noticed Ava was still grinning.

  “What?”

  She chuckled before she answered, “You look nervous. Thinking about penis-eating vaginas again?”

  “The thing drools blood, Ava! It’s clearly carnivorous.”

  The mocking grin fell from her face. “Okay, now you’re just being disgusting. And you know I can’t keep up in below the belt verbal combat before I’ve had my coffee, so that was an entirely unfair attack.”

  I jerked my brow in feigned shock. “What attack? It was merely an act of self-defense. You started it. And it will count. And we’re calling it a truce.”

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  I was pretty sure Ava muttered something else after, but the elevator doors opened, muffling the sound of her voice, so I had no problem claiming the last word for myself. At least for the moment. Things would pick up again sooner or later. Not necessarily on the same topic, but ridiculous banter between Ava and I was the foundation on which we had built our friendship. Maybe it didn’t sound like much, but what we had was solid, and time and troubles had proven it more than once. Ava wasn’t going anywhere and neither was I. And it wasn’t just because of the legally binding contract I had with her as my manager. She was my friend. My best friend.

  “So, how are we getting there? I’m guessing you didn’t call for a limo, since you’re trying to avoid the extra attention.” Although, part of me kind of wanted to see what it would be like to roll up in front of Wal-Mart in one.

  Ava gave me a half-assed version of her ‘you’re stupid’ glare. “The store’s like two blocks from here. We’re walking.”

  Hold on one fucking minute. “What? I don’t want to walk. What if someone does recognize us, sorry, me? Then what? We’ll have no mode of escape.”

  “Well aren’t we feeling a little big for our ego britches today? It’ll be fine, Royce. If it comes down to it, I’ll shield you with
my very body. And I’m stinky and gross, so it will actually be effective in blocking any horny bitches tempted to throw themselves at you.” She grabbed my hand and dragged me through the lobby, out the front doors.

  It was gorgeous outside. Perfect weather for walking actually. Wasn’t about to say that out loud though.

  “So, how come you were up so early?” She was strolling right along, like she knew exactly where she was headed. Which was funny, because the store was in the opposite direction. But we were relaxed and I was enjoying my moment of total normalcy, so I kept my mouth shut about it and kept walking.

  “Couldn’t sleep. Kept thinking about Garrett.” We’d broken up three months ago, but then I’d seen his face pop up on TMZ last night, standing next to some grey haired George Clooney type, minus the womanizing obviously, and all I could think about was why every one of my exes always seemed to move on to happy ever after within months, sometimes only weeks, of dumping me. What was I? The lucky gay boy? Kiss me once and find your soul mate? It was fucking bullshit. Even if it was a completely irrational line of thinking.

  “Garrett’s a dick and you’re better off without him. Plus, if he’s into fucking grandpa, you should take being rejected as a compliment. Just saying.” Ava’s version of glass half full always came complete with sexual jokes and the f-bomb. It was one of my favorite things about her.

  “Hey, wait a minute. I think we went the wrong way.” She was standing at the intersection looking really confused. “I swear, last night there was a store here. We passed it on the way back from the stadium.”

  I pointed back to where we’d just come from. “Stadium’s that way. So is the store.”

  She pressed her lips together tightly, a clear sign she was holding back a slew of insults. “Why the fuck didn’t you say anything?”

  “I dunno. Was kinda getting into your little morning walk idea.”

  She pulled at my hand and started marching. This time in the right direction. “Come on.”

  We barely made it past the hotel again when, in spite of our pre-emptive measures, we collided with the friendly neighborhood paparazzi and our peaceful stroll turned into a manic race.

  “What happened to shielding me with your sweaty, stinky body, Ava?” I was already out of breath from running less than a block. Apparently, I seriously needed to add some cardio to my workouts. An undeniable flaw in my gym routine since Ava, the runner, had left me in her dust the second the papz started shouting nonsense about her and I hooking up, and whether or not Blaise knew about it. There were so many ridiculous things wrong with their theories, I was tempted to turn around and set them straight. Plus, it would have given me a solid out on why I’d never caught up to Ava.

  “That was against women! When it comes to the life sucking photogs, you’re on your own!” she screamed back. Or at least I assumed it was a scream. I was so far behind her, it was more like a faint whisper in my ear.

  Next thing I knew, I briefly looked down at my own feet to avoid a near stumble only to find she was completely out of sight when I brought my eyes back up. Wasn’t until I saw the stand holding the ‘we are open – caffeine awaits’ sign still shaking from her zooming by, that I realized where she’d gone. Even in a crisis, that girl never passed up a cup of joe.

  With the camera wielding vamps still hot on my trail, I knew there was no way they’d miss seeing me follow her inside, but since there was nowhere else for me to go, I really didn’t have much of a choice. So, I made a mad dash for the door and took solace in knowing that at least they wouldn’t be able to get in. Even if that meant we’d never be able to get back out.

  There was a jingle of wind chimes and the heavy door slamming shut behind me, announcing my arrival. No big surprise, Ava was already sipping something from an oversized mug while chatting up whoever was behind the counter. I couldn’t make out who it was because the place was so fucking cluttered you couldn’t see much of anything beyond the tip of your nose. The only reason I even knew I was looking at Ava was because I recognized her hot pink tank top. It had Introverts Unite written on the front of it in some funky, swirly font. The one other thing I could make out, was the giant purple and green cup she had in front of her face.

  “I see your coffee instincts are in top form as usual.”

  “Oh my GOD, best coffee EVER!”

  I walked around a huge display of papier-mâché masks I hoped were more for viewing than wearing, and was finally able to see Ava’s face. She looked like she was in coffee heaven.

  “You’re only saying that because you just had a near death experience. I’m sure it’s no better than say...the coffee I make you.”

  Her eyes went wide as she shook her head back and forth, very dramatically, I might add.

  “No, Royce. You don’t understand. He put Nutella in it.” She whispered Nutella, like it was a secret spell or something. Like you weren’t allowed to say it out loud or else mountains of the chocolate hazel spread would sprout up all over town. Although, if that were actually the case, Ava’d be shouting, not whispering. Anyway...

  “Gimme. I wanna have a sip and see what this coffee crush of yours is all about.”

  She snatched her cup away before I could touch it.

  “No fucking way, dude. Get your own.” For one brief moment, I caught a glimpse of Gollum from the Lord of the Rings as she hunched herself over her own version of ‘my precious’.

  “Alrighty then. Dial back the crazy, Ava. I’m sure it’s not the last cup you’ll ever have.” I turned around and finally found myself standing face to face with the java magician. And he was fucking hot.

  ***

  Helllllllooooo Royce Lemmi. I’d been fairly certain the chick had been Ava Jennison, famous for the musician she was banging, but seeing Royce Lemmi wander in after her, there was no denying I was in the company of Finding Nolan fine-ness.

  “Nutella latte for you as well?” I had to force myself to stop wiping the counter. I’d been re-wiping the same spot for at least three minutes. Whatever dirt had been there, was either gone for good or there to stay, and continuing to swish my towel back and forth would only make me look like an idiot. I didn’t want to look like an idiot. I wanted to look good.

  Maybe I would never be more than the random guy who made Royce Lemmi his coffee once, but I was going to do everything within my power to be sexiest damn barista he’d ever encountered.

  “Hm?” he stared at me like maybe he hadn’t understood the question. Then, Miss Jennison giggled and slugged him in the arm. “He asked if you wanted coffee, asshole. Why don’t you pay a little less attention to his mouth and a little more to what’s coming out of it?”

  Holy shit. Was she implying what I thought she was implying? Was Royce Lemmi gay? I watched as he shot her a dirty look and I gathered she’d been onto something. I tried to smirk, but my attempt at cocky backfired and I wound up grinning from ear to ear like a jackass, unable to stop the corners of my mouth once they began moving.

  To keep Royce from seeing it, I quickly turned around and got to work on that latte, even though he hadn’t actually ordered it.

  “Sorry about that,” his deep voice rumbled behind me.

  I glanced back at him over my shoulder. My lips finally more manageable, I ventured a small smile. “Nothing to be sorry about.”

  Chapter 2

  Ava was fucking unbelievable. If I had thought there was a chance in hell I’d ever be able to make it back to this coffee shop on my own, or otherwise, I would have paid for my coffee and then ran back outside to face the paparazzi rather than deal with the humiliation she was bound to inflict on both myself and the innocent, albeit beautiful, man standing behind the counter.

  “Here, see if you start crushing on my coffee as well.” He handed me a large teal and brown cup. I nodded. Unable to say anything else. For a moment I’d thought he’d meant me crushing on the coffee, as well as on him. Then I’d remembered using that term in reference to Ava’s feelings for her Nutella latte and i
t all made more sense.

  Nevertheless, I wound up holding my breath for a good forty seconds or so, wondering if she’d call me out on that one as well.

  “Isn’t it, like, the best thing you’ve ever tasted?” She was back to gushing over her beverage. I’d sipped mine several times and still hadn’t gotten a taste for it. I was busy thinking about tasting other things. Namely the guy behind the counter.

  “Yeah. It’s great.”

  She frowned. “I don’t think you’re fully appreciating what’s happening in that cup. I mean, I’ve added Nutella to coffee before, but this, this is some sort of coffee Nutella magic. It’s creamy and sweet, and there’s no little brown specs of un-melted Nutella floating around. It’s perfectly blended.”

  “It’s coffee, Ava.”

  “Bite your tongue, Royce! We never use that tone with coffee.” She took her ‘precious’ and stalked off.

  “Sounds like your friend is really serious about her caffeine,” cute coffee guy joked.

  “You have no idea.”

  And, enter awkward silence.

  Then, bring back Ava.

  “Hudson - that’s the name of this store, right?” I could hear her, but I couldn’t see her.

  “It’s Hudson House. Why?” Cute coffee guy was coming out from behind the counter to find her.

  “That mean the owner did these? Because they’re phenomenal!” I followed cute coffee guy until we were both standing in front of her. She was pointing up at some photographs hanging all along the side wall of the shop.

  “Actually, no. She’s an artist too, but mostly sculpting. Maxine Hudson. Her work is over there in the corner. She’s on a big vase kick right now.”

  Ava looked disappointed. “Bummer. I don’t suppose you know how I could get in touch with this Hudson, do you? I’d love to schedule a shoot with the boys. I bet it would be incredible.”

  Cute coffee guy seemed surprised. “Are you serious?” He turned to me. “Is she serious?”

  “Probably. I mean, it’s part of her job, so....”