“Anxious to see me?” he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Says the man who answered his phone on the first ring.”
“I’ve never claimed to be anything but when it came to you.” A warmth spread through her at the gentle caress of his voice, dampened only by the realization he was speaking over a Bluetooth system.
“You’re driving?”
“The Range Rover, yes. Why do you ask?
“No reason.”
“Alessandra?” She could tell by his tone he was expecting an answer.
“I just had a different picture in mind, that’s all.”
“Did you now?”
“Mmmhmm. You, me, the back of the limo.” She cut her eyes to the front seat of the taxi. The driver seemed far too busy maneuvering into traffic to pay her much attention, but she still turned her head and lowered her voice. “Something about your face and my thighs.”
“Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to start the trip by spreading you out on that bench and fucking you with my tongue until we reach the state line.”
A jolt of pleasure arrowed straight to her core, and she let out a frustrated groan. “You’re an evil bastard, do you know that?”
He chuckled softly. “Yes, but I’m your evil bastard. And I’ll make it up to you when you get here.” His voice dropped to a sexy rasp. “Thoroughly and repeatedly.”
“That’s not helping,” she said, echoing his words from earlier.
This time he didn’t even bother to temper his laugh. “It wasn’t meant to.”
“Wait,” she said, his words registering, “When I get there? Where are you?”
“At the moment I’m at a red light in front of that little candy shop you were so fond of last time.”
Allie remembered it well. She could picture the charming pink and white building clearly, right down to the woman spreading velvety chocolate across a cool marble slab. And while her mouth watered at the thought of the creamy fudge, her heart sank at the thought that Hudson was already in Lake Geneva.
“I would have preferred we drive up together,” he said as if reading her mind. “But the risk was too great.”
And there it was, the harsh reality that shadowed them. No matter how hard they tried, it was always there, threatening to end their happiness once and for all. Allie stared out the window at the pedestrians clogging the intersection, people rushing home to start their weekends without threats of blackmail or bodily harm. “I know,” she whispered. It was impossible to mask her disappointment, though she knew he was right.
“And I need the time to prepare,” he added in what was obviously an effort to steer them away from the dark turn the conversation had taken. It was also clear that he was taunting her, but she couldn’t stop herself from asking. “What are you up to?”
“Anticipation, Alessandra.”
She knew from experience there would be no further explanation. Resigned to her two-hour torture, she sighed. “So what’s the plan?”
“You’re about to turn onto lower Wacker,” Hudson began. She almost asked how he knew that, but then she remembered the spy gadget that allowed him to see across the river and into her office. Tracking her location was child’s play.
The taxi grew dark as the driver veered onto a ramp that took them beneath the city. The winding tunnels were a much quicker option than the congested streets of the Loop as the fast-paced traffic and unmarked alleyways were far too daunting to the inexperienced driver. Only those well acquainted with the bowels of the city took the shortcut known as the Chicago Autobahn.
“From there you will be taken to a parking garage, where you will transfer to another car.” The cab took a sharp right. After circling one level they pulled alongside a black limousine. A blonde stepped out of the back wearing the exact same coat, hat, scarf, and sunglasses as Allie.
“Both the limo driver and the woman are members of Max’s team,” Hudson said. “Jessica will be taking the taxi you’re in to your brownstown, where she will remain for the duration of the weekend. Take whatever you need out of your purse, then give it to her along with your keys and cell phone. Keep the burner with you.”
Three days off the grid with Hudson was exactly what Allie wanted, but still, the thought of being completely out of touch with the rest of the world gave her pause. “What if there’s an emergency. Or a break in the case?”
“She will be monitoring the incoming call log and voice mails and, if necessary, has instructions on how to reach us. We don’t know if Julian is using your cell phone to track your movements, but in the event that he is, having it in her possession not only protects you, it aids our ruse.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?
His voice dropped to a seductive purr. “You have no idea.”
The promise held in those four words not only made her toes curl, it made the two hour drive to Lake Geneva seem more like eight.
Allie peered through the tinted window when the limo finally rolled to a stop in the center of the quaint town. With the exception of the dusting of powdery snow, it was exactly as she remembered. Rows of pastel-colored shops lined both sides of the street—everything from high-end art galleries to extreme sports rentals—all catering to the affluent crowd who used the lakeside community as their chance to get away from the stress of the city. The streets were crowded with those taking advantage of the three-day weekend. But unlike the couples who strolled hand in hand down the cobblestone sidewalks, pausing to window shop or duck into a café for a latte or a scoop of hand-churned ice cream, she and Hudson had no desire to venture into town. The only destination on their agenda was his cabin, and knowing he was already there, waiting for her, sent waves of adrenaline coursing through her veins.
She could hardly sit still as the limo crawled along the narrow road that hugged the shoreline. And she was already unbuckling her seat belt as the driver turned through the stone walls flanking both sides of the winding driveway. At the top of the hill the peaks of Hudson’s wood and stone house soared high above the pine trees, the windows aglow like a beacon, calling her home.
When they pulled into the clearing she saw him, watching from the balcony that wrapped the length of the house, the wood plank door standing open behind him. He was down the stairs in no time, and had the limo door open before the car had even rolled to a complete stop.
“I thought you’d never fucking get here,” he growled, reaching for Allie’s hand. With a sharp tug he pulled her body flush against his, crushing his lips against hers in a ravenous kiss. His raw hunger ignited a flame that rushed like wildfire across her skin. Spending the week apart was a torture that had clearly taken its toll on both of them.
Allie melted into the kiss, carried away by the combination of lust and love she felt for the man who owned her, body and soul. Her hands clutched his dark, unruly hair, holding him to her as if he might slip through her fingers; a dream that might vanish into the night. He groaned in response and his hand cupped her ass, obliterating whatever distance remained between them with a seductive roll of the hips. But it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough. Not until his skin was pressed against hers and he was buried deep inside her.
When he finally broke their kiss, she was a panting, quivering mess.
“I want you naked all weekend,” he said, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers.
She grinned. “Is that so?”
“Hmm, I plan on taking you in every way imaginable in each and every room.”
“Deal.” Pulling back, she reached for his belt, grasping the buckle and tugging him toward the open car door. “We can start with the limo.”
“While I welcome your initiative,” he said as his fingers curled around hers, “I have plans for you. Inside.” He dropped a swift kiss on her pouting lips.
“Come.”
Allie let out a small whimper as he stepped away. “That was the plan.”