He was sitting in a dimly lit corner of the stylish bar, under repurposed wooden shelves that held antique liquor bottles. A chandelier hung in the center of the bar, throwing pinpoints of light all over him. He wore dark jeans and a wrinkled button-down rolled up to his elbows, and he had a day’s worth of stubble he was rubbing. He wasn’t on his phone, wasn’t reading a book, wasn’t doing anything except gazing off into the distance. What was he thinking? Had he been so busy since the pitch that he hadn’t had time to shave or dress as impeccably as he usually did?

Annika’s heart hurt. She wanted to rush up to him, curl up into his lap, nuzzle her face into his neck, and breathe deeply. She wanted him to rub her back, smooth back her hair, take her lips between his teeth, and tease her. But the time for all of that was over.

Clearing her throat, she let go of the door and stepped all the way inside, making way for the young couple coming up behind her. Pull yourself together, Annika. She glanced at her reflection in the distressed wooden mirror on the wall; her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she was wearing mascara, lip gloss, and a simple cotton dress. Not the best she’d ever looked, but not horrible. Not that it mattered to Hudson anymore.

She made her way to his table, her heart beating furiously. He looked up, met her eye, and stood to greet her. No smile.

“Hi.” His green eyes held her with the fiery intensity she already missed.

She leaned forward to kiss his cheek, her pulse jumping at the contact. His stubble scratched her skin and she made a valiant effort not to inhale. She didn’t want to smell him—she couldn’t. “Hi.” When she pulled back, she noticed he had his eyes closed, but he opened them again immediately. Annika took a seat across from him. “Thanks for meeting with me.”

He nodded and took a sip of his water. There were lines around his mouth and slight bags under his eyes, like he hadn’t been sleeping.

“You look … like you’ve been busy.”

Hudson smiled, but it was mirthless and didn’t reach his eyes. “You mean I look rough.”

She didn’t say anything. That was what she’d meant, but she was curious what he’d been up to. The waitress came by and Annika ordered a Coke. She wanted to keep a clear head. Hudson ordered a whiskey sour, apparently having no such concerns. Guess he’s able to keep a clear head around me no matter what.

After the waitress left, Hudson rubbed a hand along his jaw and looked at Annika. “Congratulations on your win. I’m really happy for you.” Though he didn’t smile, she could tell he meant it.