The hell if he was going to be the other man in her life. He wanted to be the man in her life.
Fighting the impulse to go back in there, he yanked the glass door of the shower open and cranked the faucets on full blast. Not bothering to wait for the water to reach steaming, he stepped under the spray. The frigid water hit his chest and sluiced down his abs to his aching erection. He hoped the cold water would shock it into some flaccid state.
No such luck.
He braced his palms against the granite and allowed his head to drop forward, shoving whatever thoughts he had to the side and focusing on the hot water hitting the back of his neck and shoulders. A moment later he heard the shower door open and felt Allie’s arms slip around his waist.
“Please,” she said, pressing a trail of tender kisses along his back. “Don’t ruin this.”
Despite his temper and the strain of keeping his mouth shut doing a number on his brain, he wanted her.
Hudson dropped his arms and turned around. Their eyes met and suddenly he didn’t care anymore about the thoughts poisoning his psyche. His hand slid up the side of her throat and into her hair. As his fingers fisted into the silky blond curls, he slanted his mouth over hers. His tongue parted her lips, going deep and taking over.
Allie arched into him and he groaned into her mouth at the feel of her nipples brushing against his chest. His hands roamed all over her tight body, from the gentle slope of her breasts to the curve of her waist and the top of her hips.
Maneuvering Allie against the glass, his fingers dug possessively into the flesh of her thigh and he curled her leg around his hip. His erection brushed between her legs as he positioned himself. He sucked in a sharp breath. She was so fucking hot and wet.
Primitive instinct taking over, he curled the end of his spine, joining their bodies. A breathless cry escaped her mouth and her core tightened, taking him deeper. She gripped his shoulders and her eyes fluttered closed as she gave herself up to him.
“Open your eyes,” he demanded. “See what you do to me.” His hips flexed forward and pulled back, sending a vicious ache up his cock to be back inside her. “You’ve stripped me raw.”
Allie met his stare as she rocked into each of his thrusts. In that moment he knew she needed this as much as he did. It wasn’t going to help them get through the words that needed to be said, but for now this skin-to-skin contact was what they had. He pushed into her again, staking his claim, and he knew with every fiber of his being that he wanted to be with her.
Forever.
Chapter Twenty-one
Allie’s stomach plummeted as the elevator whisked her to the top of the Palmolive building, but not from the force of gravity. She had a wicked case of nerves. Hudson had been in such a foul mood that morning, and even though their physical connection had been every bit as mind blowing, he’d still seemed somewhat distant when she’d left for work.
The image of him in the shower, his head down as the water pulsed over his tense shoulders, had haunted her all day. She knew what he wanted, and if she was honest with herself, she’d admit she was starting to want the same thing.
If only it were that simple.
And it wasn’t just the fact that invitations had already been sent out. Yes, her mother would be humiliated to cancel “the event of the holidays,” as she’d taken to calling it; but the ramifications of Allie’s actions would run much deeper than that. There was Ingram Media to consider as well. Accepting Julian’s proposal not only meant the joining of two people, but the merger of two empires as well. Her father had worked hard to ensure a seamless transition when Julian took the helm after their wedding. The two of them had met with nearly every subsidiary over the past month. Deals had been made, contracts had been signed. Wheels were in motion that had far greater implications than simply canceling a caterer.
But the ultimatum was coming. It was only a matter of time. And if that morning was any indication, it would be soon, possibly even tonight. She knew it was selfish of her to want to hold on to him as long as possible, but she couldn’t help it. She was an addict and Hudson Chase was her drug.
Allie closed her eyes and tried to calm her erratic breathing, but it was no use. Not knowing what to expect when the doors slid open had her heart accelerating with each passing floor.
The musky scent of flowers washed over her the moment she stepped off the elevator. At least two dozen long-stem roses filled a vase on the round, dark wood table that sat in the center of the foyer. She paused in front of them, her fingers gently cupping the velvety petals of one of the deep red blooms.
“Good evening, Miss Sinclair,” Hudson said. He was in the dining room, lighting the last of the crystal votives that lined the center of the table.
As she drew closer, she realized there were candles adorning nearly every surface. Their flickering light reflected off the wall of glass and lit the entire room in a soft glow. Her eyes drifted back to the table set with white linen, fine china, and crystal goblets.
“This is beautiful, Hudson. What’s the occasion?”
His gaze met hers and his mouth curved into a shy smile. “My way of apologizing for being an ass.”
“You cooked dinner for me?” she asked, unable to hide her surprise.
He chuckled. “Don’t give me too much credit. I’m not much of a cook, and since I extended my housekeeper’s impromptu vacation, you’ll have to settle for something out of a delivery box.”
“It smells amazing.” Allie set her purse on the back of the couch. “Where’s it from?”
“Spiaggia.”
She frowned, glancing at him over her shoulder as he helped her out of her coat. “Spiaggia doesn’t deliver.”
He looked down at her with a smug grin stretched across his face. “For the right price, anyone will deliver, Alessandra.”
“You know I would have been happy just ordering a pizza.”
“I know, but I’m trying here.” Hudson draped her coat over the couch and placed his hand on the small of her back. The gesture, so simple and yet so intimate, sent a shiver up the length of her spine. “Come, sit.”
He guided her to the table and pulled out her chair. She sat, unfolding the linen napkin and placing it in her lap. Her mouth watered as one by one he removed sterling silver domes from a half dozen plates of food. It was far too much for just the two of them. As she watched him she realized the table was also set with at least eight different glasses of wine.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I went ahead and ordered the tasting menu.” He leaned down and his voice deepened as his lips grazed her ear. “I want to learn what pleases you.”
Allie felt her face heat as all manner of erotic images filled her mind. “I believe we’ve already covered that.”
“While I do know your taste,” he smirked, “I want to know what you like.” Hudson took a seat in the chair next to hers and picked up his knife and fork. “First we have Mediterranean sea bass with marinated Nantucket scallops.” He sliced into the tender fish and then paused with a perfect bite suspended in midair. “Allow me?”
“I can feed myself,” she began to protest.
“That’s not the point. Open.”
Feeling slightly foolish, she obliged, opening her mouth and allowing him to feed her. “Mmm . . .” Was that caviar with a hint of lemon? Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the mouthwatering bite. “That’s delicious.”
Hudson lifted a crystal goblet of a white wine and held it to her lips. “The restaurant pairs it with the 2010 Gavi.”
“It’s wonderful,” she said after sampling the white wine. As Hudson moved the sea bass aside, she was suddenly aware of the soft strains of classical music wafting from the speakers mounted flush with the ceiling. “I didn’t know you liked Tchaikovsky.”