Hudson.
Without a second thought, Allie dropped the bag and hurried to the master bedroom. She found him in the throes of a nightmare, writhing on the bed. His neck was arched and his face contorted.
Bile rose in her throat. She couldn’t bear to see him hurting, and whatever haunted his sleep was causing him pain as real as any physical blow. “Hudson,” was all she managed to choke out.
He moaned and shifted restlessly, his legs tangling with the sheet.
“Don’t leave,” he groaned. For a moment she thought he was talking to her but then she realized he was pleading with someone in his sleep. His head thrashed back and forth.
This had to stop. She had to bring him back from whatever dark place he was in. She climbed onto the bed and knelt beside him. “Hudson,” she said, louder this time. Her hand went to his shoulders and she gave him a gentle shake. “It’s Allie. Wake up.”
Hudson jerked and his eyes opened. “Allie?” The sound of his voice, hoarse as if he’d been screaming, gripped her heart, and a hot tear slid down her cheek. He blinked up at her, confused, but after a minute it seemed as though a fog lifted. “What’s the matter, what’s wrong?”
“You were having a nightmare.”
He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees and dropping his face into his hands. The muscles in his arms and legs corded with the tension that gripped his entire frame.
Allie waited until she heard his erratic breathing begin to slow. “If you want to talk about it . . .”
“I don’t.”
She knew he wanted her to let it go, but the image of him writhing in pain was too fresh. If there was any way to reach him, to help him through this, she had to try. “It’s not the first time this has happened. Maybe if you talk to someone . . .”
“I said drop it,” he barked. His harsh tone made her flinch. Immediately, Hudson’s features softened. “I’m sorry, Allie. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”
“It’s okay.” She reached out to touch him but, unsure if she should, dropped her hand. “I love you, Hudson. Whatever is doing this to you, I want to help.”
“I know you do.” He shoved both hands through his hair. “Just let me handle this my way.”
Allie nodded even though she didn’t agree. Clearly Hudson’s way of dealing with the issue wasn’t working. But Allie had only been back in his life a little over twenty-four hours. It would take time to get him to open up to her, time she was more than willing to give him. And when he was ready, she’d be waiting. Whatever haunted his dreams, they would deal with it together.
Slowly the last remnants of the nightmare left him and Hudson began to visibly relax. After several long, quiet moments, something else occurred to him. His head shot up and his alarmed gaze met hers. “How did you get here?”
“Max drove me.”
“Good. I’m assigning him to you full time until this situation is resolved.”
“Don’t you think that’s a little extreme?”
“No, not when it comes to your safety, Alessandra.” She opened her mouth to speak but he gently cupped her chin and closed it. “This isn’t up for debate,” he said. The decisiveness in his tone was impossible to miss.
On any other day, under any other circumstances, Allie would have had plenty to say about his need for control running dangerously into the Neanderthal zone. But he was obviously worried about her safety. It was etched in the lines that marred his beautiful face. And after what she’d just witnessed, the last thing she wanted to do was add to the stress he was already feeling.
“Fine, but just until the police close the case.”
He eyed her speculatively for a moment, no doubt finding it hard to believe she’d agreed without a fight, before flinging back the sheet and climbing out of bed. “Well, if that’s settled,” he said, standing up and stretching his arms high above his head. “Feed me, woman. If I’m to be subjected to elf duties, I can’t do it on an empty stomach.” It wasn’t until Allie stood that he noticed her attire. He cocked his head to one side. “Why are you still wearing your coat?”
She felt her face turn bright red, although for the life of her she had no idea why she was suddenly so embarrassed “Oh, um . . .”
Realization dawned and Hudson grinned from ear to ear. “Why Miss Sinclair, you didn’t come to my penthouse wearing nothing but your birthday suit and a cashmere coat, did you?”
Her hands went instinctively to the lapels, pulling them more tightly closed. “Well . . . I . . . you . . .”
His blue eyes glowed with mixture of amusement and astonishment, but that wasn’t what drew her stare. It was the hard ridge of his arousal straining against the front of his drawstring pants that commanded her full attention. “Why the hell didn’t you say something sooner?”
Before she could form an answer he pounced, tackling her to the bed.
Allie laughed as he rolled her beneath him. “I take it you approve?”
The buttons of her coat opened one by one under his dexterous fingers, and within seconds she lay exposed to his hungry gaze. “Damn right I approve.” He dipped his head and fluttered his tongue across her nipple.
Her breath caught as the sensation echoed throughout her core. “I thought you were hungry?”
His eyes flicked up to hers. The look he gave her could have scorched timber. “Starved,” he said, before sucking the taut peak into his mouth.
***
Allie sat on the floor amid rolls of foil paper, ribbons, and tape. She’d just added the finishing touches to the box that held Harper’s gift and was taking a moment to admire her handiwork.
“You know I had an entirely different idea for that ribbon when I bought it.”
Allie looked across the living room to where Hudson stood, hanging the last of the ornaments on the tree. They’d spent the first half of the day trimming the tree together, but after lunch she’d left him to his own devices and set up an impromptu wrapping station in the middle of the floor.
“Behave. We are seriously behind schedule thanks to this morning’s delay.”
He paused with his hand in midair and lifted a brow. “Delay?”
“Granted it was an amazingly mind-blowing delay, but still.”
He chuckled. “Are you familiar with the television show Friends, Alessandra?”
“I’d think long and hard about making a Monica joke if I were you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. Especially not after that obvious innuendo.” His back was to her as he hung the last ornament, but she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling. She loved this side of him, so relaxed and playful. And for the hundredth time that day she vowed to do anything to ease the suffering she’d witnessed that morning.
“Would you like to put the star on top?” he asked.
“It’s your home, Hudson. You should do the honors.”
“Yes, but it’s our tree.”
Our tree. She liked the sound of that. So much so she couldn’t hide the ridiculous grin that spread across her face as she clamored to her feet and made her way to where he stood, holding the gold star.
“What are you smiling about?”
“You. Us. This.”
“How very specific.”
“I’m happy. An emotion I didn’t think was possible this holiday.”
He handed her the star and went to fetch one of the dining room chairs. “Speaking of the holidays,” he began. His tone was meant to be light but it sounded almost nervous. “I was wondering . . .”