Reclaim Me

by Ann Marie Walker

  “That’s not helping, either.” He scrubbed a hand down his face as if that would wipe away the utterly filthy image he had of her on her hands and knees, perfectly aligned to take him. He knew how slick, hot, and fucking amazing it felt to slip the head of his cock between her folds, teasing her before he fucked her.

  Allie straightened. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Too late.”

  She shook her head. “What would you like to talk about?”

  “Why, Alessandra, are you at a loss for words? Hell just froze over.”

  “Funny.” Allie rolled her eyes. “Oh! I saw Nick yesterday.”

  “Going from angry sex to the subject of my brother is not the direction I had in mind,” he said in a dry, deep tone.

  “Believe me, I’m right there with you. But I’m trying to work with what we have.”

  “So where did you see him?” he asked in an effort to toe the line.

  “Harper and I had coffee at the Starbucks on Division.”

  “Ah yes, my brother the barista. Did he take good care of my girl?”

  “He did. And my best friend, the recent coffee connoisseur, as well.”

  “Does Harper take twenty minutes to order a coffee, too?” His mouth curved into a wry grin.

  “She spent twenty minutes at the counter all right, but not debating her order.”

  He raised his brows and crossed his arms over his chest. “Is there something I should know about?”

  “Seems your brother and my best friend have become something of an item.”

  “What? When did this happen?”

  “While we were in Europe. One all-night conversation led to a movie and that led to—”

  “I get the idea.” Hudson cut her off. He didn’t need that image sitting front-and-center scratching against his visual cortex. Shit, the notion was already singeing his retinas. “Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I already told him not to pull his crap with your friend.”

  “I don’t think he’s pulling any shit. From what I saw, they really like each other.”

  Hudson looked up at the sky. The forecast was for more snow, which was going to give those pigs that must be flying one hell of a time. “This should be an interesting topic of conversation at dinner tonight.”

  “You can’t say anything.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you can’t tell him that you know. We’re broken up, remember? And even if we weren’t, they asked me not to tell you.”

  He cursed under his breath. “This is ridiculous.”

  “After everything he’s put you through, Nick wants nothing more than to make you proud, Hudson. Surely you can see that. And he’s worried that breaking the no-dating-during-recovery rule is going to disappoint you.” Her voice softened. “Just let him tell you about this when he’s ready.”

  “Fine. Is there anything else I’m not supposed to know?”

  “I think that’s it.” She fought the grin he knew threatened to spread across her face, but the sentiment was definitely in her voice; the kind that told him she was enjoying his reaction to this news flash perhaps a little too much. God help him, he loved seeing her happy, even when it was at his expense.

  “The rest of the time was pretty much their version of an intervention,” she said.

  “Intervention?”

  “Mmmhmm. They don’t understand why we’re not together. Can’t say I blame them, really. After seeing how happy we were at Christmas, I’m sure they think I’m a raving bitch for suddenly breaking things off.”

  “We can’t tell them what’s really going on. For now we have to play it out. It’s for their own protection.”

  “I know.” Allie looked down at the ground. When she lifted her head, he could see the despair in her eyes that came from being in a crappy situation that had no foreseeable end. But hell if he was going to let it settle there. This, them being apart, was temporary. He knew that without question, but it was still a head-fuck.

  “I want to touch you.” On impulse he stepped forward, and at the same time Allie shifted back. “Goddamn fucking hell.” The words came out with sharp edges. “I know that was for the watchful eyes, but it’s killing me, Allie.” He ran a hand back through his hair and fisted the dark waves at the base of his neck.

  “Me too,” she whispered, blinking back tears.

  He let out a resigned breath. “I’m going to work at Chase HQ as much as possible this week.”

  Allie nodded. “Of course. I’m sure you’ve got a lot to catch up on there with the holidays and then all this.”

  “Well yes, but mostly if we’re seen together all week, Julian will wonder why you haven’t laid out your terms.” Also because it was torture to see her and not be with her. Even though her cold indifference was a farce, it was too close to the reality he never wanted to experience again in any form.

  “Right.” She dropped her stare once more and toed a small patch of ice with her running shoe.

  Hudson cleared his throat. “We need to afford Max a bit of time for his team to work.”

  Allie’s head snapped up. “Who does he have working on it? Does he think they can find something to connect Julian?” There was a flicker of hope in her eyes that went from spark to full-on blaze in no time flat.

  “The less you know, the better.” She was already in this mess far deeper than he had ever wanted. And if Max was blurring the lines of the law at his request, Allie didn’t need blow-by-blow intel that could pin her to the wall as an accomplice.

  “Don’t give me that crap, Hudson. We’re in this together.” The words slingshot out of her mouth, and he couldn’t stop the slight grin that tugged at his lips.

  “Agreed.”

  “Then tell me what’s going on. I’ve had enough people keeping me in the dark for whatever reasons they felt were justified.” Her eyes clouded. “If Max has any leads, I want to know about them.”

  “He doesn’t. Not yet. But I’ve asked them to use any means at their disposal.” He fixed her with a hard stare. “I won’t involve you with the details of their methods, but I assure you, if they yield any results I will notify you immediately. Now, as much as I hate to say it, you need to leave me standing here, hat in hand. Fortunately your expression is already the perfect mix of frustrated exasperation.”

  Allie rubbed her gloved hand over her face, and he knew it was to hide the smile she’d failed to fight.

  “One more thing,” he said. “A courier will deliver a package tomorrow. It will contain an encrypted phone. Speaking might be too risky given we don’t know who is on Julian’s payroll, but we can text each other any necessary information.” He smirked. “Or Shakespeare.”

  She shook her head. “You’re lucky you’re cute, Chase.”

  Hudson lifted a brow. “Cute? Not the adjective I would have chosen.” He kicked his chin toward the Chicago History Museum. “Now go on before I drag you into that building and show you just how cute I can be.”

  Her cheeks were already red from the chill of the wind, but when the color deepened he knew without a doubt she was blushing. And when Allie turned and took off toward her brownstone as he broke into a run in the opposite direction, he knew she had taken a piece of him with her.

  * * *

  The run back to his penthouse had nearly put Hudson’s balls into hibernation. Nearly. Toeing off his shoes, he stripped naked and let his longsleeve T-shirt and sweatpants drop to the floor in a wet heap. He walked to the shower, cranked on the dual heads, and stepped under the spray. Closing his eyes, he faced the onslaught and was immediately hit with a poignant sadness and a bone-splitting emptiness.

  He tried to concentrate on the heat of the water beating against his chest and rushing over his tired, chilled muscles. Fuck him, it wasn’t happening. Allie and this mess occupied every corner of his mind, and the fact that Max hadn’t turned up shit on Julian was throwing his mood even further into the crapper.

  As he started to run through the vario
us scenarios that could nail the connection between Julian and the Sinclair murders, he felt a soft feminine hand on his shoulder, then felt the warmth of naked skin at his back.

  Hudson turned, and as he did, Allie’s hands drifted over the hard ridges of his stomach. “How did you get in here?”

  “You gave me a key card, remember?” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest.

  “An excellent move on my part.” His hands gripped her waist, then slid up her delicate rib cage. “Not that I’m complaining, but address the how.”

  “I took the tunnel under Lake Shore and cut through the Drake, then came up through the garage.”

  The pads of his thumbs circled her nipples and he felt them tighten under his touch.

  Allie drew a breath before continuing. “Last time I saw the black SUV, it was stuck in gridlock. Now, do you want to discuss the traffic on Michigan Avenue, or do you want me to suck your cock?”

  He cupped her cheek and brushed a thumb across her bottom lip. “I want your perfect lips wrapped around my cock. And when I come in your mouth, you’ll remember who you belong to.”

  “As if I could ever forget.” Her smile was absolute wickedness as she dropped to her knees and into every man’s shower fantasy in flawless HD.

  Water hit the back of his neck, sluiced over his shoulders, and dripped off the head of his cock as it jutted out from his hips, begging for attention. Anticipation shot down his spine, going straight between his legs and making him painfully hard. Goddamn, the bastard was pounding.

  Allie kept her eyes locked on his as her fingers curled around his thick shaft. She licked her lips, then leaned forward and took the wide head into her mouth—so slick, warm, and wet. The sensations of her drove him half crazed. His stance widened as her hands slid up his thighs to his ass. Her fingers splayed, pulling him deeper until she’d taken all of him.

  “Fuck,” he hissed. The sight of her, on her knees before him while she deep throated his cock, almost had him losing it.

  Hudson’s palm slapped against the marble and his hips flexed, thrusting himself in and out of all that silky wetness. She pulled back, her tongue stroking his length and her teeth grazing his tip, then her cheeks hollowed as she sucked him back in again.

  “Rougher.” His breath punched in and out of his lungs, and when she cupped his heavy sac, a groan ricocheted off the walls.

  Fuck him, he could spend eternity working her mouth. Her skill was downright deadly. His arms dropped, his hands seeking, finding, and fisting Allie’s hair. Need surged in him, and he thrust himself even deeper, the drive to fuck overriding all else. An approving hum escaped Allie’s lips as if she were savoring every inch of him, and the sound vibrated up his length. He knew how wet it made her to suck him off, and Jesus Christ, what a turn-on. He wanted to return the favor and go down on her, to taste her and feel her pulse around his tongue as she came. But her punishing rhythm and the graze of her teeth yanked him back into the present.

  She fluttered her tongue along the underside of his cock, then her lips closed around the head and she sucked. His grip on her hair tightened and the muscles in his neck chorded. He was dangerously close to the edge, but she didn’t ease up in the slightest. And like hell if he was going to slow things down.

  He stole a glance at her as the water beat down around them. No makeup, her skin flushed, her lashes fanned against her face—she couldn’t have been more beautiful. Add to that the visual of him moving in and out of her mouth, her cheeks hollowed, her hands gripping his thighs . . . his breath caught and his body locked as his orgasm shot down his spine. Allie moaned as his release filled her mouth in spasms. “Swallow it,” he grunted. “Take everything.”

  Her throat worked his cock while her hands milked him, and damn it to fucking hell, even as his orgasm barreled out of him, he wanted her again. He wanted to press her tits against the cold glass and fuck her hard and fast, pulling her hips back and driving into her until she was shouting his name. And he would. He’d spend the rest of the day inside her. She was there, in his house, and every damn surface would be used without apology.

  He had no idea what tomorrow held. But for now, she was his.

  Chapter Eleven

  Allie looked up from her computer as Colin plopped a brown paper bag on her desk. Whatever was inside smelled delicious and her stomach growled in agreement.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s called lunch,” he deadpanned. “Traditionally served somewhere between breakfast and dinner.”

  “I know what lunch is.” She rolled her eyes. “I meant why is there a bag of it on my desk?”

  “Because when two o’clock rolled around and you hadn’t so much as poked your head through that door, I figured you weren’t going out for lunch. So,” he said, snapping a paper napkin open with an exaggerated flourish and spreading it out in front of her, “lunch came to you.”

  “That’s very sweet, but you really didn’t need to do this,” she said, although he was right about her skipping lunch. Again. In an effort to take her mind off Hudson, she’d spent the past week working round the clock. And while her frantic pace hadn’t done anything to lessen the emptiness she felt inside, it had managed to make her forget a few meals.

  “Oh, but I did. You’re wasting away to nothing right before my eyes.”

  Allie snorted. “Hardly. And flattery won’t get you a raise,” she teased. “You haven’t been here long enough.” While it was true Colin had only been her assistant for a little over a month, he actually did deserve a raise. He’d already proven himself to be a trusted and invaluable member of her team. The scope of his duties seemed to expand almost daily to matters far more important than arranging lunch, although his thoughtfulness, not to mention the food, was certainly an added bonus. She made a mental note to speak to Ben about offering Colin a contract, something that would not only increase his salary but also secure his position. At the very least, she wanted to insure he was given adequate severance should push come to shove. Regardless of what lay ahead in terms of her future at Ingram, Allie wanted to make sure Colin’s career wasn’t affected by any fallout from corporate maneuverings.

  He pulled a clear plastic container out of the bag. “Hope salad’s okay.”

  “Perfect,” she said. “And thank you. What do I owe you for all this?”

  “Nothing. I charged it to your card.” He dug into the bag for a second box. “And you bought one for me as well.”

  Allie lifted a brow but she couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips. “How generous of me.”

  “I thought so too.” He returned her smile with an impish grin and held up the two containers. “Asian Veggie or Southwest Chicken?”

  Allie reached for the Asian salad.

  “We can make it a working lunch,” he said as he took a seat across from her. “Go over your schedule for next week, maybe?”

  “Great idea. But let’s talk about the gala instead since it’s only two weeks from tomorrow.”

  Colin passed her a can of lemon LaCroix and popped the top on his Diet Coke. “Can take the girl out of the event planning business but can’t take the event planner out of the girl?”

  She laughed. “Something like that.” But truth be told, a lot was riding on this event, and Allie wanted to make sure it went smoothly. The annual Ingram Foundation Gala was the single largest event the company held, both in terms of fund-raising as well as community relations. The event she’d organized in the fall for Better Start had been small in comparison, and whereas the proceeds from the dinner at the Field Museum had benefited only that one charity, the annual gala would fund all twelve of Ingram’s charitable interests. With the board scrutinizing her every move, Allie needed to make sure the event was not only a success, but that it went off without a hitch. She was quite sure her father never took a hands-on approach to such matters, but given her background in fund-raising, she knew the board would hold her personally accountable if the evening was considered a fail
ure, despite the fact that the planning had begun long before she ever joined the company. Which is why she’d handpicked her team, bringing both Harper and Colin in to oversee the final stages of preparation.

  Colin wiped his hands on a his napkin and flipped open the cover to his tablet. For the next thirty minutes they munched on salads while he gave Allie a detailed rundown on everything from the crab claws the hotel was having flown in from Alaska to the color of the tablecloths.

  “And each couple will receive gift bags with a pair of his and hers UGG slippers and a box of Godiva truffles as a thank-you gift when they leave,” he added at the end.

  A box of candy for the limo ride home and some comfy slippers to change into after hours spent networking and dancing was a very nice finishing touch. It seemed as though he and Harper had truly thought of everything. Allie was impressed. She was about to tell him so when he hit her with one last detail.

  “Speaking of couples,” he said, trying and failing to sound nonchalant. “Shall I put you down for a plus one?”

  She decided to ignore the question behind the question and instead merely answered the one he’d asked. “No, I won’t be bringing anyone. Between the board and the donors, I’ll barely have a free minute. Plus, I want to be available if anything comes up last minute. If I brought a date he’d just end up feeling neglected.”

  “Harper and I can handle any issues that pop up.”

  “I’m sure you can.” She gave him a genuine smile. “But I still won’t be bringing a date.” Without missing a beat she segued out of that minefield. “Thank you, by the way. I realize working with Harper on this event isn’t technically part of your job description. I really appreciate you jumping in with both feet.”

  “Not a problem. And Harper’s great. Planning this with her doesn’t seem like work at all.” Colin leaned back in his chair. He crossed one ankle over the opposite knee, giving Allie a prime view of his Gucci oxfords. No wonder he and Harper got along so well. They both had a penchant for shoes that cost them a week’s pay.