Текст книги "Remind Me "
Автор книги: Ann Marie Walker
Соавторы: Amy K. Rogers
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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
Chapter Eighteen
Allie followed Hudson to the second floor of his penthouse. When they reached the top of the stairs she felt as though she was peering into a gallery at an art museum. She was dying to get a closer look at the oversize canvases lining both sides of the darkened hallway, curious to see what type of artwork Hudson had chosen to decorate his home, but he stopped at the first door, opening it and gesturing for her to step inside.
As she did, a dozen Art Deco wall sconces flared to life, revealing five rows of oversize leather chairs. Large speakers were camouflaged in walls that were painted a deep burgundy, and heavy velvet curtains hung on both sides of a silver screen. It was so reminiscent of the golden age of cinema that Allie half expected to find gilded balcony seating behind her. Instead she found Hudson, standing in front of a wet bar that ran the length of the rear wall.
“Would you like popcorn?” he asked, motioning to a professional grade, state-of-the-art popcorn machine.
She raised a skeptical brow. “Do you know how to use that?”
Hudson frowned at the machine. “No, but I can make this.” Reaching up, he opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of microwave popcorn. The sight of him—so strong and powerful and yet so completely befuddled by another high-end, high-cost appliance—was so amusing that she had to press her lips together to stifle a giggle.
“Or perhaps I can interest you in something sweet?”
Her eyes grew wide as he opened the next cabinet. Sno-Caps, Twizzlers, Skittles, Junior Mints. The list went on and on. Hudson’s theater had a selection of candy to rival any Cineplex concession stand. Allie chewed her bottom lip as she considered her choice. “Can’t go wrong with Swedish Fish,” she finally said.
Hudson grinned and handed her one of the bright yellow bags. “One of Nick’s favorites.” He grabbed an iPad from its charger and took her by the hand, leading her down the carpeted aisle and into a row of chairs. Once they were settled, he swiped his finger across the touch screen, accessing an impressive library of films.
“What do you want to watch?”
“I don’t care,” she said, already tearing into her candy. “You pick.”
“Pirates of the Caribbean? If memory serves, that was the movie you wanted to see that summer.” He tapped the icon featuring Jack Sparrow and smirked. “Had a crush on Johnny Depp, if I recall.”
Allie’s mouth popped open. “I did not!”
He held her stare, teasing her with his you-are-so-busted smile until her cheeks heated. She tucked her chin down, muttering to herself while digging a candy fish out of the bag. “And anyway, it was Orlando Bloom.”
Hudson chuckled as he hit Play. With the push of another button he dimmed the lights. “No difference, still one hundred and forty-three minutes in the dark.” He set the iPad on the vacant seat next to him and leaned toward Allie. His voice was a low whisper. “You know, I would have made out with you the moment the lights went down.”
“You mean you would have tried to make out with me.”
“And succeeded.”
“Shh,” she hushed him. “It’s starting.”
About the time Elizabeth Swann yelled “parley,” Hudson gave an exaggerated yawn. He stretched his arms high above his head, and when he lowered them, one managed to land smoothly around Allie. She glanced down to see his hand resting on her shoulder and gave a small smile as she popped another piece of candy into her mouth.
After a few minutes Hudson’s hand moved toward her breast. Not taking her eyes off the screen, Allie reached for his hand and discreetly placed it back on her shoulder. But even with her eyes forward, she caught a glimpse of his amused grin. Clearly he was a man who enjoyed a challenge, and something told her he’d just declared “game on.”
Sure enough, after a few more minutes passed, his hand once again began to wander. But this time he stopped halfway and waited. He watched her out of the corner of his eye, and when she made no protest, he slowly extended one finger, leisurely drawing a circle around the taut peak of her breast. Allie remained impassive, merely covering her hand with his and sliding it back to her shoulder.
Hudson leaned closer and let his lips drift up the column of her throat. “I know what you’re doing,” he whispered against her ear, grazing the lobe with his teeth.
Still not taking her eyes off the screen, Allie inclined her head towards his. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
His tongue traced the shell of her ear. “Fine. If that’s how you want to play it.”
Allie felt the knuckles of his free hand brush the bare skin just above her knee. She glanced down to see the fabric of her borrowed shirt inching higher as his broad palm glided slowly up the inside of her thigh. Her breath hitched and yet, like any good girl would, she pressed her legs together to halt his progress.
Hudson groaned in protest as he sucked on the sensitive skin below her ear. He was driving her positively mad—licking, sucking, nipping—but she was determined not to give in to his advances. This movie was about enjoying something they’d never had the chance to experience in the past. Seventeen-year-old Allie would have never let nineteen-year-old Hudson feel her up in a movie theater.
But he was damn well going to try.
His hand was back on her knee in minutes, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake as his fingers traced the hem of the linen shirt. Featherlight touches moving back and forth. Back and forth.
“Hudson.” His name came out on a breathy whisper.
“Yes, Allie?”
“I want . . .”
She felt his rough stubble on her skin as he smiled against her neck. “Want what?
“Popcorn.”
Hudson’s hands and lips stilled. He lifted his head and the expression on his face had her biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. After a few shell-shocked beats he got up, cursing under his breath as he adjusted the erection so obviously straining against the fly of his jeans. Allie waited until she heard the opening of cabinets before peeking over her shoulder to spy on him through the space between the seats. In the flickering light she saw him rip open the plastic wrapper on the popcorn before tossing it in the microwave and jabbing at the buttons. He waited impatiently, running his hand through his hair before leaning down to watch the carousel through the glass. He popped the door open the minute the microwave chimed.
“Fuck!” He dropped the steaming bag on the counter and shook his fingers. “Shit!”
Allie clasped her hand over her mouth to contain her giggle. She watched Hudson pick up the offending bag with a napkin and then straightened in her seat so as not to be discovered. He’d just made it to their row when he halted midstride and made a quick U-turn back to the concession area. She heard the sound of a refrigerator door open and then close, and a moment later he was back at her side.
“Had a feeling you’d ask for this next,” he said, holding out a can of Diet Coke.
She took the can from him, genuinely concerned but unable to hide her smile. “Are you okay?”
“Nothing a skin graft won’t fix,” he grumbled, tearing open the bag and offering her some of the popcorn.
Allie helped herself to a handful, then turned her attention back to the movie in time to catch one of her favorite shots of the handsome Will Turner.
“I don’t see the appeal,” Hudson said.
She rolled her eyes and reached back into the bag of popcorn. “You’re a guy, you wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me. It’s the leather pants, isn’t it?”
She whipped her head around to look at him. “Why, do you have a pair?”
He grinned. “No, but consider it my first order of business.”
His arm draped across Allie’s shoulders once again, only this time she snuggled against him. For the next two hours Allie watched sword fights between pirates and skeletons while Hudson continued his amorous assault. One step forward, two steps backs. He was relentless and she loved every minute of it.
The moment the credits rolled she was tugged across his lap. His mouth found hers and he kissed her fiercely. As if he had to. As if the past one hundred and forty-three minutes had been the longest of his life. And despite her game, she kissed him back.
Her fingers wound into his hair, holding him close as he deepened the kiss. His hand slid over her bare thigh and she felt the prod of his erection digging into her behind. He gripped her waist, shifting her so she straddled him, and with a flex of his hips pressed himself against her. Oh yes, just like that.
His lips moved lower, nibbling her neck, and she let her head fall back on a soft moan as he flexed up once more. She closed her eyes, reveling in the delicious friction as he slowly rubbed her through the worn denim of his jeans. If he kept it up, she’d be reaching for his fly in no time. It would be so easy. A few popped buttons, a subtle shift of her hips . . .
“Hudson?”
“Hmm?” he answered against her skin.
“What’s for dinner?”
He lifted his head. “Dinner? Now?”
“Yes.” She tried her hardest to keep a straight face. “Movie dates usually include dinner.”
“Christ, woman, you’re making my balls bluer than you did ten years ago.” He flashed her a hopeful grin that made him look every bit the horny teen she remembered. “Can we eat in bed?”
She laughed. “In bed? On a first date?”
The noise he made was somewhere between animal and human. “Way past first dates, Allie.” Moving her off his lap, he reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out his cell phone.
“Who are you calling?”
“Any place that will deliver in thirty minutes or less.”
Chapter Nineteen
Allie couldn’t remember the last time she had pizza for dinner. She lifted a second slice out of the cardboard box and took a bite. Mmm, delicious. Her eyes drifted shut for a moment, and when she opened them Hudson was staring at her, one brow slightly raised.
“No placemats, plates, or fine silver? When did you become the type to eat straight out of the box?”
“Are you forgetting the picnics we used to have when your shift was over?” Eating greasy food out of takeout cartons was something Allie had never done before she met Hudson. In fact, she’d done a lot of things with him that were outside her norm. And yet, they always felt so right.
“That was a long time ago.”
A beat of silence passed between them.
“And what about you? When did you become the type to wear a suit and tie every day?”
Hudson reached for the nearly empty bottle of merlot and split the remainder between their two glasses. “I’m still not, but Wall Street continues to equate success with the ability to strangle oneself with a five-hundred-dollar tie.” He leaned against the back of the barstool and took a sip of his wine. “All part of a strategic and well-crafted game.”
“One you obviously play quite well. This place is amazing. I can’t believe you have a movie theater upstairs.” She narrowed her eyes at him as she reached for her glass. “What else do you have hidden behind closed doors?”
Hudson leaned closer, a wicked gleam in his eyes, and dropped a kiss to her lips. “Eat up and I’ll show you.”
When they finished eating, Allie followed him to the foyer. “The study you’ve already seen, as with my bedroom.” He smirked at her before gesturing to a split staircase. “Downstairs are guest rooms, a gym, and staff quarters. But the rooms upstairs are my favorite.”
She took his offered hand as he led her up the same staircase they’d taken on their way to the theater. Only this time they continued farther down the wide hallway, affording her a full view of the artwork she’d been so curious to see. The paintings she passed were bold, brightly colored abstracts with heavy textured strokes, a few of which she was sure she’d seen hanging in the Art Institute at one time.
Halfway down the hall Hudson paused in front of a set of carved wood doors standing at least ten feet tall. “This,” he said, pushing them open, “was Hefner’s office.”
The room took Allie’s breath away. A ceiling that soared upwards of fifteen feet with elaborate plaster designs; walls that were covered in recessed mahogany panels; a herringbone wood floor polished to a glossy shine; a limestone fireplace flanked by leather wingback chairs; and velvet drapes framing French doors that led to a stone terrace with potted palms. The entire room looked to be in its original 1920s condition. It was as if she’d stepped out of the Palmolive building and straight into the pages of The Great Gatsby. She was so enthralled by her surroundings that it took a few moments for Hudson’s words to register.
“Wait, did you say Hefner’s office?”
He nodded. “Fully restored.”
“What . . . how?”
“This was his office when he launched his magazine in the fifties. A few years later he opened his first club here as well.”
Allie gaped at him. “You live in the Playboy Club?”
“Yes. Interested in wearing a bunny outfit, Miss Sinclair?”
She smiled coyly. “Particular fantasy of yours, Mr. Chase?”
“Second only to Princess Leia’s gold bikini.” He flashed her a heart-stopping, panty-dropping grin, and in that moment she was quite sure he could talk her into wearing either if it meant his hands and mouth touching her. “Come,” he said as if reading her mind. “There’s more.”
He led her to the very end of the hallway and yet another set of double doors. “This is my favorite room of all.” Allie didn’t think anything could top the room she’d just seen. But then Hudson swung the door open and she realized she’d been wrong. “The game room,” he said.
Allie whistled through her teeth. “Quite the man cave you have here.”
Like the previous room, this one was decorated in warm, rich colors. Dark hammer beams spanned the vaulted ceiling, spaced every six feet or so with trusses that came down to meet the walls where they divided the arched, floor-to-ceiling windows. Travertine tiles were covered with thick oriental rugs, and a large pool table sat front and center. Allie’s hand trailed along the table’s red baize as she admired the intricate bevels on the amber light fixture hanging above it.
“The room doesn’t get much use unless Nick’s here.”
She looked up at him, surprised.
“If I’m home, I’m working.” His mouth curved into a knowing smile. “With the exception of this weekend.”
Hudson leaned his hip against the side of the pool table, casually crossing his arms as he watched her move farther into the room. She smiled back at him before turning her attention to the mahogany bar. A flat screen television was mounted to a stone-covered wall behind the bar, flanked on either side by glass shelving with enough high-end liquor to stock Tavern for the weekend. In front of the bar two leather chesterfield sofas sat facing each other, and on the wall across from them hung a dartboard worthy of any Irish pub. A giggle escaped her lips as she pictured the boy who’d tried to impress her by besting a game of carnival darts on his brother’s behalf.
“Something funny, Alessandra?”
“I was just remembering that carnival dart game. The look on your face every time you had to hand over another dollar.” She giggled again. He must have gone through a week’s worth of tips that night.
“You think you could have done better?” he asked, pushing away from the pool table and sauntering toward her.
She shot him a teasing grin. “Well, I think I could have popped three green balloons in less than an hour, that’s for sure.”
Hudson cocked his head to one side. “Less than an hour, eh?” It was a rhetorical question, one he considered for a moment before strolling over to the board and lifting the six darts from their holes. “A game of Five-O-One?” He smirked as he approached, offering her three of the darts, feather tip forward. “You don’t even have to beat me in less than an hour.”
She tilted her chin up, holding his stare as she took the darts from his hand. “Challenge accepted.”
He smiled down at her, his eyes shining with amusement, before tucking his darts into the back pocket of his jeans and heading for the bar. “Would you like another glass of wine? I can open a bottle.”
“Trying to get me drunk? Compromise my abilities, perhaps?”
“Simply being a good host.” He feigned politeness, but she knew it was an act. If there was one thing she’d learned about the modern-day version of Hudson Chase it was that he would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. But he was about to find out that he wasn’t the only one who played to win.
“I’ll take a bottle of whatever you’re having.”
Hudson’s brow shot up. “Well, you’re full of surprises today, aren’t you?” He yanked open the glass door of a fridge displaying rows of every beer imaginable and grabbed two Heinekens. “Would you like a glass?” he asked, popping the tops off the green bottles.
“Nope, bottle’s fine. Maybe some music?”
“Won’t break your concentration, will it?”
She could see he was fighting a smile. We’ll just see who’s laughing when this is over. “Appreciate the concern, but I think I can manage.”
“U2 okay?”
“Perfect.”
He reached for a remote control and a moment later “Mysterious Ways” filled the room. She watched him move toward her, Allie’s senses bombarded by the seductive beat of the music and the mesmerizing swagger of his walk. By the time he was standing in front of her, she’d completely lost her train of thought. He offered her one of the bottles and she took a long sip.
Hudson gestured toward the dartboard. “Ladies first.”
Allie nearly choked on her drink as she recalled Harper’s oh-so-tactful mention of that same phrase. After wiping her mouth, she set her beer on the bar and took her place in front of the board. She planted her feet solidly on the floor and raised her elbow to take aim, only to have Hudson walk up behind her and snake his arm around her waist.
“Oh no, baby, from back here,” he said, tugging her farther.
She couldn’t say for sure, but she suspected he’d pulled her far beyond the regulated distance. A devious smile formed on her lips. Perhaps she’d give him something to think about during his first toss, even the playing field a bit. Her hips swayed in his grasp as she shimmied against him to the beat of the music.
Hudson groaned. “Keep doing that and this is going to be a very short game.” He gave her ass a quick smack before strolling over to the bar and sliding onto one of the padded leather stools.
Once again, she positioned her feet. Raising her right arm, she released the dart in a smooth motion, breaking out in a wide grin when it landed in the inner ring of the ten. She tossed the next two in quick succession. One landed on the outer ring of the eight and the other squarely in the nine. “I believe that’s fifty-five points for me, Mr. Chase.” She stepped aside, motioning for him to take his turn before retrieving her darts from the board.
“Well done.” Hudson took a drink from his beer before setting it on the bar.
“Thank you.” She waited for him to take his place before continuing. “It’s all in the fingers, you know.” He raised his arm, but his gaze drifted to her hands as she absentmindedly slid a dart between the pad of her thumb and her fingertips. His eyes flared ever so slightly before refocusing on the board. “How you grasp the shaft,” she added when he began to throw.
The dart slipped from his hand, landing haphazardly on the two. Hudson turned to face her and raised a brow. “We’ll test that theory later with a demonstration.” Recovering, he tossed the next two darts with milder success, landing the second on the fifteen and the third on the outer ring of the six. “Twenty-nine points,” he said, pulling his darts out in quick jabbing motions. “You’re up.”
Allie was enjoying every moment of his torment, and when her next turn yielded an inner five, a straight-up three, and a bull’s-eye, she had to fight the urge to break into a happy dance. As it was she clapped her hands together and grinned like a fool. “Yes!” she yelled. “Sixty-eight points.”
“Lucky toss,” he mumbled as she sashayed passed him.
She pulled two darts out of the board and then paused with her hand on the one in the bull’s-eye. Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled innocently. “Do you want to get this one? See what a bull’s-eye looks like up close?”
Hudson moved into position. “Savor it. May well be your last.”
Allie leaned against the bar, sipping her beer and taking a moment to admire the view. Nothing beat the sight of Hudson Chase’s ass in a pair of tight jeans . . . except maybe naked . . . his muscles flexing . . . her heels urging him deeper. . . .
“Like what you see?” he asked.
Her head snapped up to find him grinning at her like the Cheshire Cat, and her cheeks burned crimson. Ignoring his question, she turned her attention to the board where Hudson’s dart had landed on the outer twenty. She heard a low chuckle just before he tossed the next dart. It landed on the inner fifteen, followed quickly by the third, which landed on the eight.
“One hundred and two,” he announced. “It’s all about not jerking the release and following through.”
She smirked at him. “Oh, don’t you worry, I wouldn’t dream of jerking a release.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up and he shook his head.
“Well done, by the way.” She added his score to her mental tally. “Although I’m still in the lead.” She raised her elbow, preparing to take her next turn, when he came up behind her.
“Not by much.” His hands moved over her hips before pushing between her thighs, widening her stance. “Spread your legs for me,” he murmured. Her breath hitched and she felt him smile against her temple. “Thatta girl, now you’re in the correct position.”
The hard ridge of his arousal pushed into her behind and Allie felt a hot rush between her legs. She wanted to push back, grind herself against him, but he stepped away. “Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
She raised her arm, inadvertently shifting her weight to one foot and dropping her shoulder. The dart arched upward and landed so weakly that it barely managed to cling to the board. Allie frowned over the measly three points.
“Your balance seemed a bit off.”
“Oh, really? I wonder why?”
“Try relaxing your legs.”
She raised a single brow. “I don’t think my stance was the problem.”
“Debatable, Miss Sinclair. But either way, I don’t see how this is my fault.”
“If you would behave yourself I could beat you blindfolded.”
“Is that right?” His mouth twisted in contemplation. “Wait here a moment,” he instructed before leaving the room. He returned a few minutes later with what appeared to be an airline sleep mask. As he drew closer he stretched the elastic wide and lifted the mask over her head.
Laughing, she took a small step back. “It was only a figure of speech.”
“Afraid of the challenge?”
She rolled her eyes, but when she made no further protest, he slipped the mask over her head. The room went dark and then his hands were on her shoulders, turning her in a circle.
“I’ll even point you in the right direction,” he said.
On her next two tosses she heard the darts thud against the wall, then clatter to the floor.
“I’m not familiar with all the rules, Alessandra. Does the floor count as negative points?”
She could hear the smug amusement in his voice. “Okay, you made your point. Can we get back to the real game now?” Anxious to put an end to the pointless exercise, she reached for the edge of the mask.
“Wait,” he said. Her hand froze in midair. Hudson was suddenly behind her again, his lips hovering at her ear. “Keep it on.”
“Keep it on?” Why on earth did he want her to keep the blindfold on? Oh . . .
“I want to take you further.” His voice was low and full of dark promise. “Will you let me do that, Allie?”
Her mouth went dry and she swallowed hard. When she spoke it was barely a whisper. “Okay.”
“Good. Don’t move.”
Allie heard footsteps followed by the creak of the door. And then nothing. All she could hear was the sound of her own blood rushing in her ears. When had the music stopped playing? She inhaled slowly, trying to calm her erratic breathing as she waited. And waited. She fidgeted, wondering what was taking him so long. But more importantly, what was he going to do to her? He’s probably a little kinky, too. A tremor of uncertainty ran through her as Harper’s words replayed in her head.
The door shut behind her and she jumped. Hudson was in the room. She couldn’t see him but she could feel his presence. It made her skin tingle. The sound system hissed to life and a few seconds later the hypnotic rhythm of U2’s “Moment of Surrender” wafted down from speakers above her. She listened intently, trying to decipher where he was, what he was doing. The unknown was driving her crazy.
Something brushed her hair aside and her head jerked. His fingertips—no, his lips—touched her shoulder, then her neck. “I won’t push you any further than I think you can handle.” His words sent a mixture of anxiety and excitement coursing through her veins. “If it gets to be too much, all you have to do is tell me to stop. Do you understand, Allie?”
Her heart pounded in anticipation. “Yes.”
“Then let’s start by getting you naked.” He ran his fingers down the buttons of her shirt, unfastening each one at an excruciatingly slow pace. When he finally finished he pushed it off her shoulders and tossed it aside. His fingertips traced the edge of her bra cup and she shuddered. Her nipples tightened against the white lace, eager for his touch, but he left them bereft and straining against the rough fabric.
“I already removed these once,” he said, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her borrowed boxer briefs. She felt him drop to his knees in front of her as he swept them down her legs. “Don’t make me do it again.” Reaching out blindly, she steadied herself on his shoulder as he lifted one foot and then the other. “I want you ready for me to have anytime and anywhere I wish.” He gripped her hips with both hands and yanked her closer. She gasped as he nuzzled the apex of her thighs, inhaling deeply. “Turn around.”
She complied immediately and felt his knuckles brush the length of her spine. It was as if every nerve in her body sprang to attention. He unclasped her bra, then let his fingers skim her shoulders, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake as he slipped the straps down her arms.
The blindfold might have denied her the sight of him, but her other senses were keenly aware as he pressed in close behind her. The sound of his breathing, the smell of his skin, the heat radiating from his body. All of it was brought more sharply into focus.
His hand fisted in the hair at the nape of her neck and he pulled. Angling her head to the side, he ran his tongue up the side of her exposed throat before softly kissing the skin beneath her ear. “I want you to think of nothing but what I’m doing to you,” he whispered, his voice hot and impassioned. “Don’t feel anything but me.”
Everything below her waist tensed with need as a wave of lust and want seized her.
“Do you trust me?” he asked, releasing her hair.
“Of course.” She answered without hesitation, and as she spoke the words she realized that, despite her earlier concern, she did trust him. Completely.
He cupped her elbow and led her across the room, turning her so that her back was against the wall. “I’m going to cuff you now.”
Allie inhaled sharply. Cuff me? This was so beyond anything she had ever experienced, or even imagined. And yet she couldn’t deny the excitement pulsing between her legs.
“Give me your hands.” She held them out and he took her right hand in one of his, kissing the inside of her wrist before securing the cuff. “They’re soft, so they won’t hurt.”
She had expected some sort of metal handcuffs, but what Hudson strapped around her felt like a wide band of fabric. Leather, maybe. Something hung from the end of the cuff and she felt it brush against her naked thigh. She assumed it was the other cuff but there was something else as well; something cold, like metal. A chain? Her breathing grew shallow as longing and desire mixed with nervous anticipation.
“Hands above your head,” he ordered. His voice had taken on a hard, authoritative edge. She quickly did as she was told, and whatever was attached to the other end of the chain now dangled by her shoulder. She felt him reach for it and a moment later heard the sounds of something rough sliding over wood. The image of the beams spanning the ceiling before arching down to meet the walls flashed through her head, and at once she realized she was being chained to one of the trusses. She pressed her thighs together, shocked at the dampness she felt there over the thought of being chained to Hudson’s ceiling, completely at his mercy.
Hudson took her left wrist and brought it to his lips before lifting it back above her head and securing the second cuff. He was standing closer now, so close she could feel his warm breath on her face. So close she could lean forward and run her tongue along the soft stubble on his jaw. So close her lips could find his. She inclined her head ever so slightly but he stepped back, leaving her feeling vulnerable and exposed.
The sultry beat of the music was the only sound in the room and yet she knew he was still there, watching her. Even blindfolded she felt the heat of his stare. The thought of those piercing blue eyes drinking in every inch of her made a warm blush wash over her skin.
“You look beautiful like this,” he said. Then his arms were around her, hauling her against him as his mouth claimed hers in a deep, possessive kiss. “Remember,” he rasped over her lips, “all you have to do is tell me to stop.” He kissed her again and she went lax in his arms. “Do you want me to stop, Allie?”
“No.” Her answer was more breath than voice.
“Good.”
Allie felt him pull back and she longed to wrap her arms around him and keep her chest crushed against his. She tugged on her restraints but it was no use, and just like that, he was gone again. She heard the slow metallic sound of a zipper opening, followed by the shuffling of fabric, and she knew that he was naked. Her heart thudded faster as she waited for his return.
“You teased me endlessly for one hundred and forty-three minutes. It’s only fair that I return the favor.”
