Caged (The Defiant Kings Book 1)

“Good morning, sunshine.” The bed dips down under Hudson’s weight, letting me know he’s next to me before his fingers run over my messy hair.

I force my tired eyes open and drag them up his bare chest.

I will never get tired of this view.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Hud chuckles, and my face flames with mortification.

Clutching the sheet to my chest, I sit up and hide my face. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did.” He presses his lips to the top of my head, and I melt into him, desperate for his touch and not sure how we got here.

“Good morning.” My scratchy voice feels forced in the quiet room. “What time is it?”

“Time to get up.” He stands and pulls me to my feet, then cups my naked butt, lifting me until I wind my legs around his waist.

“Hudson . . .” I laugh. “What are you doing?”

“Conserving water.” He walks us into the bathroom, turns on the shower, shoves his shorts off, and steps under the spray while I cling to him. “I could get used to this, Maddie.”

He runs his nose up the side of my neck, and I arch into him. “Mmm . . . Get used to what?”

“You touching me.”

Pulling my head back, I stare into the depths of his eyes and feel like this man is giving me a piece of his soul. And suddenly, I’m desperate for more.

As if he can read my mind, Hudson leans his forehead against mine, groaning, “Three more nights, Maddie.”

I kiss the corner of his mouth and squeal when he squeezes my butt, setting me on my feet in front of him. It’s the first time I’ve seen him completely naked, and oh my . . .

“Madison . . . My eyes are up here.” He gives me a cocky grin, then squeezes a minty shampoo into his palm and lathers it into my hair.

I can’t hold back my contented moan at the sensations and turn around so I can lean my back against him.

Maybe not the best move because now I’m backed up against what feels like a massive, rock-hard, pierced dick. I don’t exactly have anything to compare it to, but wow . . . I rock my hips back, and Hudson tugs on my hair, warning me, “Madison.” This time his voice is clipped, not playful. Strained and sexy. And I find it hard to believe I’ve done that to him.

I tilt my head back to look at him and get a face full of water. “Do you realize you full-name me when you want me to pay attention?”

“What?” His strong fingers massage my scalp, and I almost forget my point.

Almost . . . “You only call me Madison when you want me to get serious.”

He turns my head back around and rinses my hair, leaving me practically purring in his arms. “You’re letting me touch you, baby. I’m not sure I take anything more seriously than that.”

I shift against him again and smile when his fingers dig into my hips, stopping me. His face dips down, and his voice vibrates along my ear. “The first time I fuck you isn’t going to be in a shower, Maddie.”

Once we’re done in the shower, we dress quickly and head to the hospital to pick up my car before Hudson makes his way to the gym, which also means we see Daphne and the baby. Hudson holds the hospital door open for me, then laces his fingers through mine as we walk in.

“Let me take you out tonight, sunshine.” The words flow so easily from him, but I stop in my tracks.

“What?” I ask, confused. “Like on a date?”

One hand cups my cheek tenderly while he smiles down at me with hungry eyes. “Yeah. Like on a date. I want to take you out, Madison.”

“No.” I pull my hand out of his and shove it against his hard chest. “The fight is in three days. Take me out on day four.”

His smile stretches while his fingers wrap around my wrist. “We’re not leaving my bed on day four, sunshine.”

Heat pools between my legs at the unspoken promise in those words, and I happily start my own little countdown.

“You’re coming to the fight on Saturday, right?” He dips his face lower, crowding me, and a flush rushes to my cheeks.

“Yeah. Chloe and I are going with Cooper and Carys.” A swarm of butterflies take flight in my stomach when he presses his lips against my forehead, and I melt into his touch.

“Good. I want to see you there. Coop’s tickets are right behind my family’s seats.” He’s nonchalant about it, like it’s the most natural thing for him to say, even though I’ve never seen Hudson have a date at one of his fights. And I’ve seen most of them since I started teaching at Crucible.

That thought makes me uneasy as we walk into Daphne’s private room to find her sleeping and Max swaying back and forth with Serena in his arms. He takes one look at me, dressed in Hudson’s sweats and shakes his head. I’m the epitome of the walk of shame . . . without the sex. I borrowed a pair of gray sweatpants and one of Hudson’s Crucible hoodies to wear today, not wanting to put my black suit back on from yesterday. I have the sweats rolled at my hips, and the hoodie hangs down to mid-thigh, but I don’t care. I’m enveloped in the scents of warm cotton and Hudson. It’s incredible.

Even if Max Kingston’s judgy eyes don’t seem thrilled with Hudson.

It’s been easy to ignore the reputation I’ve reminded myself of for years while he’s been so different with me. I have a pretty good radar too. And everything inside me screams that there’s more to this man than I’ve given him credit for. But the look in his older brother’s eyes tells me exactly how stupid he thinks I am. And that pisses me off.

Hudson ignores the glare Max shoots his way and holds his arms out. “She’s perfect, Maximus. Can I hold her?”

Max transfers the tiny little bundle into Hudson’s massive arms, and if it’s physically possible for my ovaries to spontaneously combust, they would. His big fingers, which had just been all over my body, trace the lines of her perfect little face with such a delicate touch, it makes me ache. Physically ache.

“She’s incredible, brother.” Hudson never looks up to see Max’s eyes water, but I don’t miss it. This strong man, who owns his world and everything in it, is in awe of his daughter, and I suddenly feel like I don’t belong in this room.

Not when my friend is sleeping, and I’m suddenly an intruder on this very personal family moment.

I take a step back toward the door, ready to give them their space.

“Sunshine?” Both men turn toward me.

I point toward my escape just a few feet away. “I thought you might need a few minutes of family time.”

“We do,” A cocky smile slides onto Hudson’s face when he tugs me into him and lowers Serena so I can peek down at her tiny sleeping form tucked into his arms. Max moves behind me, removing my chance at escape, and my emotions war with each other.

I’m intruding on this moment.

This should have been between two brothers.

I don’t belong here, even if it’s what I wanted.

To be loved. To find someone to love. To be part of something bigger.

Thirty minutes later, Serena is sleeping in my arms while Max walks Hudson to his car, so he can get to training on time. And Daphne stares at me, her mouth gaping open.

“I’m sorry . . . what?” She groans as she tries to sit up, her mouth gaping open like a fish trying to breathe.

“We kind of hooked up,” I repeat sheepishly, eyeing the door to make sure Max doesn’t walk back in while we’re having this conversation.

“Mads, what exactly does kind of hooked up mean? I don’t know if it’s exhaustion or just the emotional overload from the past twelve hours, but I’m going to need you to explain this to me in detail.” She grimaces when she moves, and my vagina aches in a moment of solidarity with hers.

The door creaks open, and Max walks back in. “I’m begging you, Maddie. Please. No details.” He reaches down and takes Serena from me, then sits down on the bed next to Daphne.

I refuse to laugh at the look of disgust on his face. “I don’t kiss and tell, Max.”

“That’s because you don’t kiss, Mads,” Daphne snaps. “I want the deets.”

I stand up, then kiss Serena’s tiny head. “Love you, D. Call me if you need anything.”

“Where are you going?” she asks with an indignant pout.

“I’m stopping at Le Désir to see Chloe and Carys, and then I’m going home. I’ve got work to do.” In more ways than one.

Carys and Chloe opened their lingerie company a few years ago while they were both still in college. It’s grown since then, and their shop on Main Street is now the original flagship of five shops across the country. Chloe likes to say she has a plan for world domination, and I have no doubt those five shops are just the beginning. They’ve expanded their line over the years, but lingerie is their first love. And their pieces show it.

When I get to their shop, both women are busy with customers, so I peruse the merchandise and start filling my hands with everything I want. I’ve been addicted to their luxurious confections since they started designing and making them themselves from Chloe’s guest room. I love the feel of the lace and silk against my skin. Their lingerie never fails to infuse strength and confidence in me when I get dressed in the mornings. But today, I’m shopping with a different purpose in mind—something more sinful.

Once the last customer leaves, Chloe flips the sign on the door to closed. “You hungry, fashion-disaster?” She’s eyeing my clothes with a knowing eye. At least, I had a spare pair of sneakers in my car, so I’m not still wearing last night’s heels.

“Busy Bee?” I ask them both, and they nod.

The three of us walk across the street to the Busy Bee Café and take our usual booth, with the two of them on one side and me—minus Daphne, my partner in crime—on the other.

I pull my phone from my purse, ready to take notes. “Okay, are you ready to talk about the social media for the fashion show?”

Carys and Chloe look at each other and laugh. Chloe reaches across the table and swipes the phone from my hands. “That’s a fuck no, Mads.”

“Spill it, sister,” Carys agrees before our waitress places glasses of water in front of us and takes our order.

Once she leaves, all eyes are back on me. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything.”

By the time I’ve filled my friends in on most of what happened last night—most, but not everything, because there are some things I shared with Hudson that I’ve never shared with anyone else—they’re completely stunned.

“Holy shit, Mads.” Chloe sits back against the booth with a french fry frozen midway to her mouth, while Carys sits next to her with a self-satisfied grin.

I kick Carys under the table. “What are you thinking?” I ask her.

“I think I’ve been telling Cooper for years that I thought there was something between you and Hudson Kingston, and he always told me I was crazy.” She grabs Chloe’s fry and pops it into her mouth. “Look who’s crazy now.”

Chloe elbows Carys for stealing the greasy fry. “Wait . . . Are you saying Mads is crazy, or is Cooper the crazy one? Because he did marry you, after all.”

“Hello?” I pluck a tomato from my salad and throw it between them. “Do you think this is nuts? Because I feel like the idea of it should have me so much more scared than I actually am. I’m not sure if I’m being naive or just plain stupid.”

“You’re not either of those things, Maddie. If your gut is telling you to go for it, then go for it. Just be careful and keep your eyes open.” Carys steals another fry from Chloe’s plate and dips it into her chocolate shake.

“That is so gross.” Chloe pushes her plate in front of Carys, her face pinching tight in disgust at the mixing of food before she turns back to me. “Don’t listen to her. Have fun. See where it goes. If nothing else, I bet Hudson Kingston will make it so good for you, Mads.”

I realize quickly I don’t like either of them talking about him like this, especially when they snicker. “What?”

“Oh, Mads. You should see your face,” Carys points at me. “Don’t listen to either one of us. Do what feels right to you. Only you get to decide that. But I’d make sure you’ve got some killer lingerie for Saturday night.”

“The white with blue lace?” Chloe asks Carys before they both smile. “Let’s get the check. We need to get you fitted.”

When I leave the shop a little later, it’s with the most gorgeous lingerie I’ve ever seen in my life and a little extra pep in my step. I love my friends.