“With Plexis? Well, there’s a lot of money in it if we break it up and sell off the pieces.”

My stomach fell with the salt-and-pepper’s admission. It was exactly what Hudson had been afraid would happen. It would mean a lot of jobs lost.

“But we’re not discounting the idea of reselling it as a whole.” The older man turned toward the younger, eyebrow raised. “If we had a good offer.”

“Oh, are you expecting me to offer?” Navy suit guy took a step back. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to get my hands on Plexis, but I don’t have that sort of money right now.”

“Just thought I’d put the bug in your ear. In case.”

The men resumed walking the path, the older one smiling at me as he passed.

I waited until they were several feet away before I shot up from the bench and headed off in the opposite direction, back toward Hudson. This was his chance to get Plexis back, to turn it into the company he’d envisioned it could be. I’d even helped him work out some preliminary ideas on how to make it profitable. I was as excited as I hoped Hudson would be, knew he would be.

It took a bit of searching before I spotted Hudson in the Cherry Esplanade. He was conversing with a striking auburn-haired woman, maybe a little older than me. An unexpected knot of jealousy formed in my gut, and I had to keep myself from running to his side.

He saw me as I approached, his eyes beaming with a fondness that made the knot loosen. “Alayna.”

The way my name slid off his tongue—it never failed to make me dizzy.

Hudson turned to the woman who I could now see was definitely older than me, perhaps by ten years. “Please meet my girlfriend, Alayna Withers. She’s running the promotional division of one of my nightclubs.”

The woman introduced herself before Hudson had a chance. “Hi. Norma Anders.” Her focus went right back to Hudson. “I hadn’t realized you were seeing anyone, Hudson.”

“We’ve been private. Her wishes, not mine.” Hudson’s lie tickled me. “But I’ve finally convinced her we should tell everyone.”

Norma’s mouth tightened as her eyes swept me from head to toe. “Congratulations, then. Honestly, I’m glad you’re done with the Werner girl. She was entirely too bubbly for you, if you ask me. Plus, I never trusted her. She was up to something, Hudson.”

I tensed. Never mind that the woman obviously felt familiar enough with my man to give him dating advice, she had thought Celia and Hudson were together. I’d thought that had only been the perception of their parents. Was there something I was missing?

Hudson straightened at the mention of Celia as well, and I felt his eagerness to get away from Norma—to get me away from Norma.

“It was nice to see you here tonight, Norma. Those reports—”

She touched his arm as if it was second nature. “I’ll get them to you on Monday.”

“Thank you, Norma.”

It was a good thing Hudson pulled me into his side and led me away or I may have socked the woman in her hazel eye. Or punched him. “First name basis, huh? That’s…different.” Hudson rarely called anyone by first name unless they were important to him.

He was nonplussed by my aggravation. “We’ve known each other for years. First name basis becomes inevitable after so much time.”

“Why does she think you were seeing Celia?” It felt like the Celia/Hudson conversation was a dead horse, yet new information kept popping up, and there I went beating it again.

“Celia often accompanied me to charity events and functions where Norma saw me socially. You know that.”

A blush crept up the back of my neck. I’d never told him that I’d internet-stalked him. That’s where I’d seen the dozens of pictures of him with Celia. He knew me too well.

His hand loosened at my hip. “Norma must have assumed we were a couple. It never occurred to me to correct her.”

My mouth tasted bitter. “Because you liked that people thought you were with Celia.”

“Because I liked that Norma thought I was off-limits.”

“Oh.” Maybe I could let the Celia horse rest for a while. But now I had a whole other slew of questions about Norma.

But before I could ask, he offered. “Norma manages the financial division of one of my companies.”

“Then you’re co-workers.” I wondered how she’d gotten such an elite position. Had she slept her way to the top? The familiarity she had with him was unnerving.

His mouth twitched, fighting a smile. “Why, Alayna, this shade of jealousy is becoming on you.”

I clenched my jaw. “That’s not a comforting response.”

“Not co-workers. Boss and employee.”

Though I appreciated that he’d taken my mood seriously, his answer irked me. Hudson was technically my boss, after all. “That’s a familiar scenario.”

He stopped suddenly and turned to face me full on, his eyes blazing with determined insistence. “I’ve never been your boss, Alayna. If anything, you’re the one who owns me.”

Well, wow.

Whatever Norma had with Hudson, she didn’t have what I had. The realization was moving.

Unable to maintain the intense eye contact, I turned my gaze to the Esplanade that I hadn’t quite taken in as of yet. The lush grassy spread was lined with large cherry trees, full and green.

Hudson followed my stare. “Have you seen pictures of the cherry blossoms when they’re in bloom?”

“No.” I’d seen pictures of the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival and imagined the Esplanade must be nearly as beautiful.

“It’s breathtaking. All the trees filled with pink popcorn. The fragrance is absolutely incredible.” He swept his thumb across my cheek. “We’ll come here in the spring.”

“That sounds lovely.” I meant it. At the same time, my stomach twisted at both the prospect of still being with Hudson in the spring and the idea that I owned him. Both notions were so completely wonderful and also entirely too rushed. Could I maintain a relationship with him that long? Could I live up to the woman he obviously saw me as to him?

Rather than dwell on it, I refocused my mind on the bit of news that had set me searching for him in the first place. “Hey, I have something to tell you that you might be interested in.”

Placing his arm at the small of my back, Hudson directed me out of the Esplanade.

“It doesn’t have to be now,” I said, realizing his intention to take me up on my information at that very moment. “You can finish your mingling first.”