Allie worked her way down the wall of bookshelves lining Hudson’s living room wall. Most were about politics and banking, but there were a few fiction titles mixed in here and there. “Have you read all these?”
Hudson looked up from behind the breakfast bar. “Most. I deal with enough mindless chatter at the office. Last thing I need when I have a chance to get away is the godforsaken TV blaring at me.”
A quick glance around the room confirmed there wasn’t a television in sight. Come to think of it, Allie couldn’t remember seeing one anywhere on the tour he’d given her. Of course she’d been a bit distracted by the sight of his bed. Not to mention the naughty intentions he’d whispered in her ear.
“Up here I like it quiet, just books and my bike.” He turned and opened one of the cabinets. “The larger collection is in the library at my apartment.”
Allie’s thoughts drifted to the extraordinary library on the top floor of his penthouse. She imagined spending a lazy Sunday afternoon with him there, lounging in front of the fireplace, devouring books before devouring each other. Mmm. A feast for the body and the mind.
“Wine?” he asked, pulling her out of her daydream.
“I’d love some.” A thought occurred to her as she reached for one of the books. “Oh! Open the bottle we bought today.”
“I had every intention to. Looking forward to seeing if it’s as good as it tasted.” Hudson’s gaze darkened with sensual promise and her nipples hardened under his stare. His eyes flared ever so slightly and she knew her reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed. A warm flush spread across her face. Jeez, what was with her tonight? Maybe she’d had enough wine after all.
Allie quickly turned back to the bookcase, making a mental note to merely sample the next time she visited a winery, not chug. A knowing smile spread across her face. Then again, maybe her mood had nothing to do with wine and everything to do with the outrageously insatiable man in the kitchen.
She could feel his gaze follow her as she slowly moved down the bookcases. Heat swept through her body like a slow-burning fire. Stopping in front of the sound system, she pulled his iPod from its dock, stealing a glance at him while feigning interest in his playlists. Sure enough, he was watching her, never once taking his smoldering eyes off her as he twisted the opener into the cork. Her mouth went dry. Oh yes, she was definitely going to need that wine.
Grabbing the glasses, he strolled barefoot around the kitchen island. “Let me know when you get hungry and I’ll show you my impressive collection of takeout menus.” He handed her a glass and clinked it with his. “Cheers.”
“Cheers.” She studied him as she swirled the wine in her glass and then lifted it to her lips. Something was different. And it wasn’t just his still-wet hair from the shower or his casual attire. She’d seen him like that before. He seemed relaxed, carefree almost. More like the Hudson Chase she remembered.
“Ah, very good,” he said, lowering his glass. “You made an excellent choice.” He dipped his head and his tongue traced the contours of her lower lip. “Although I do believe it tastes better on you.”
“Better try a bit more, just to be sure.” She lifted to her tiptoes and felt a vibration against her hip. Hudson frowned, digging in his pocket for his phone and glancing at the screen.
“If you need to get that . . .”
He held the power button down with his thumb, turning the phone off before shoving it back into his pocket. “It can wait.”
“What if Nick calls or there’s a problem at work?”
“He’s not going to. And he won’t until the next time he needs something. As for the office, they can manage without me for twenty-four hours.” His gaze drifted to the iPod in Allie’s hands. “See anything you like?”
“Quite a few, actually.” She scrolled through the list of artists. “You have very eclectic taste, Mr. Chase.”
“I have varied interests, Miss Sinclair.” He smirked at her over the rim of his glass before taking a sip of his wine.
Hmm, like kinky darts.
Allie turned her attention to the iPod before her shameless nipples decided to put on another show. A bat-winged skeleton stared up at her from the screen. “Avenged Sevenfold?”
“When I’m pissed off. My salvation on those challenging days.”
“I guess the skull on the cover should have been my first clue.” Her finger slid across the screen. “Mumford & Sons?”
“Dig a righteous group of banjo players.”
“And Journey?”
“Oh come on,” he feigned insult, flattening a palm over his heart. “A classic.”
“Fair enough.” Allie glanced down and a smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. “What about Madonna, another classic?”
He held up his hands in innocence. “Oh no, that’s all Nick.”
She laughed. “I suppose Nick likes Carly Simon, too?”
Hudson grew quiet, focusing his attention on his glass of wine. “My mom’s favorite,” he murmured. Some dark emotion clouded his face. It went far beyond sadness. It was something more, something deeper. Allie tried her best to decipher what it was, but then he took a sip of wine; when he lowered the glass it was gone.
Lifting the iPod out of her hands, he quickly shuffled through the artists. “Then there’s Frank.” He placed it back on the dock and “Summer Wind,” the song they danced to at the Field Museum, filled the room. “Timeless.”
Hudson took her wineglass and placed it alongside his on the table. “Dance with me?”
He held out his hand and smiled. It was that same shy smile from long ago. The one that never failed to melt her heart. Even now, after all this time, it still had the same effect. With damp hair and not a trace of makeup on, Allie knew she was looking far from glamorous. But the way he looked at her made her feel like she’d spent the day at the salon getting ready for a black-tie affair.
She placed her hand in his. “My pleasure.”
“Good thing,” he said, snaking his arm around her waist, “because I didn’t bring my checkbook.”
She pulled back to look at him. “Checkbook?”
“A million dollars, the going rate for a dance with you. You drive a hard sell, Miss Sinclair.” He grinned down at Allie, then swept her into his arms, whirling her around his living room. She was breathless when he finally brought them to a stop.
Caught up in his playful mood, she smiled coyly at him through her lashes. “You knew I was high maintenance when you met me.”
Hudson’s head fell back and he laughed. “Alessandra, you bring new meaning to high maintenance.”
Allie’s mouth dropped open. “Is that so?”
“And I wouldn’t change a thing.” His eyes were lit with warm amusement. “I love the way it takes you an hour to order a cup of coffee.”
She pursed her lips, but it was no use. His you-can’t-stay-mad-at-me grin was impossible to resist. And even though she was pretty sure she should have been offended by his comment, Allie couldn’t help but be won over by the obvious affection in his voice. She smiled and shook her head. “Glad I amuse you, Mr. Chase.”
“Always, Miss Sinclair. Always.” He brought their bodies closer together and his hand flexed against the small of her back.
“Thank you again, by the way. We never would have met our goal without your donation.”
“I was glad to help. You should be feeling some sort of triumph with your obvious success. And you managed to break the monotony of old fogies with a herd mentality clustered around tables.”
His words of praise touched her. Allie had put a lot of work into making her event different from the typical fare served in a run-of-the-mill ballroom. The fact that Hudson had noticed meant the world to her.
“Do you plan these types of events frequently?”