Reclaim Me

by Ann Marie Walker

  A smile spread across her face as she took Hudson’s hand. “You really have thought of everything, haven’t you?”

  He lifted Allie’s arm above her head and spun her into the middle of the living room. “I wanted tonight to be special for you.” He slid his hand to the small of her back and eased her against him. “For us.”

  She gazed up at him. “Every night I spend with you is special.”

  “Ah, but this is your first night as my wife.” He spun her away and then yanked her back against him. “Had to up my game.” An almost boyish grin lit his face. It was the same one from long ago, somehow both devastatingly handsome and curiously shy. Ten years had done nothing to lessen the effect it had on her, and she knew in her heart no amount of time ever would.

  They swayed in time to the music, sweeping across the living room as Sheeran crooned about never-ending love. Hudson’s arm tightened around Allie’s waist and he dipped her low, slanting his mouth over hers in a passionate kiss. “Hmm.” He hummed against her lips, then in a quiet murmur quoted the song as it drew to a close. “Till we’re seventy.”

  “I want much more than that, Mr. Chase. Ninety is the bare minimum.”

  Hudson laughed, but when he pulled her back up, his gaze was soft on her face. “Forever wouldn’t be enough,” he said. He traced her bottom lip with his finger, then dipped his head to brush his lips softly against hers. It was the briefest of contact, but enough to make every nerve in her body come alive. He teased her with gentle licks, then covered her mouth with his, kissing her long and slow and deep. She moaned softly as his tongue moved against hers in lush strokes, and when his hand slid down her backside, she pressed against him, longing to feel his bare skin against hers.

  The soft click of a camera came from beside her. Allie turned her head to discover Hudson had snapped a picture of the two of them with his phone. “Smile pretty for the camera,” he said. They were the same words he’d spoken when the photographer interrupted their dance at the Field Museum. As the camera flashed, Allie couldn’t help but think about how far they’d come since that chance encounter three months prior. Deep down she knew they still had so far to go, but she pushed those unwelcome thoughts out of her mind. This was her wedding night, and the only thing that mattered was the man with his arm banded around her waist and his temple pressed to hers.

  “I’m sure that the next time we do this, we’ll have enough professional photos to fill your entire tablet,” he said. “But I wanted this one just for me.”

  “Taking that picture reminded me of the one the paper ran back in September,” she said.

  Hudson powered off his phone and tucked it back in the ass pocket of his jeans. “Made you think about how much you wanted me that night, too?”

  This time she did roll her eyes. “Actually, I thought you were a pompous ass that night.”

  He grinned. “But you still wanted me.”

  She bit her lip. “Perhaps.”

  “Well, I thought you were a spoiled, uptight bitch that night.” Allie’s mouth popped open in feigned exasperation but Hudson merely smiled and finished his thought. “And even more beautiful than you were when I first met you. Which, for the record, I wouldn’t have thought possible.”

  “And now?” she asked

  “And now I can’t believe I’m the lucky bastard who gets to see that look in your eyes.”

  “What look?”

  “The one that says you want nothing more than to have me buried deep inside you.”

  A small gasp escaped her lips. “Well, if I’m that obvious, what the hell are you waiting for? Let’s consummate this already.”

  Hudson’s head fell back and he laughed. “Ever the romantic, Mrs. Chase.” In a swift move he grasped her behind the knees and lifted her into his arms.

  “What are you doing now?”

  “We’ve been over this,” he said, striding toward the stairs. “I need to carry you over the threshold.”

  “Of the bedroom?” A small giggle bubbled up from inside her. “I thought that tradition only applied to the front door.”

  “Laugh all you want, but I believe you were the one who pointed out the need for superstition.” He grinned. “Or mojo, as you called it.”

  Allie wrapped her arms around Hudson’s neck as he carried her upstairs to his bedroom. The team of wedding planning elves had apparently been busy on the second floor as well. Rose petals were spread across the white duvet, and a hurricane glass with a cluster of flickering candles rested atop the nightstand.

  He lay her on the king-size bed, then joined her, and together they began to remove each other’s clothing. Frantic hands and fumbling fingers blended with anxious groans and soft laughter to create a scene more in keeping with the two teens in the backseat of a car than a couple on their wedding night.

  When they were both naked, he moved over her body with a measured control that was a complete contradiction to the frenzied pace in which they’d undressed, not to mention the erection pressed against her thigh. All laughter faded and the only sound that remained was their deep, stuttering breaths.

  Hudson brushed her hair away from her face, his thumb lingering to caress her cheek.

  “If ever any beauty I did see / Which I desired, and got / ’Twas but a dream of thee.”

  Tears welled in Allie’s eyes as John Donne’s words washed over her heated skin like a caress. Hudson wasn’t the type of man to quote poetry, which made the gesture all the more moving. And the words he’d chosen to whisper to his new bride were not only beautiful, but appropriate. To the outside world Hudson Chase had everything he could possibly desire, and yet he’d made it clear time and time again that Allie was the only dream that ever mattered. The poetic reminder that the man she loved cherished her above all else took her desire for him to an almost debilitating level. She couldn’t wait any longer. She needed his hands and lips and tongue on her. She needed to be one with him through the most primal connection. She needed her husband. “Love me, Hudson.”

  “I do,” he murmured. His voice was thick with emotion. “Those words will never be enough, but God help me, I do.”

  With that, Hudson lowered his mouth to hers. She moaned, and when her lips parted he deepened the kiss, his tongue claiming her with an undeniable possession. “I’ve been waiting for this all day,” he rasped. His body arched over hers as he sucked and licked his way down her throat. “The moment when I make you mine.”

  He dipped his head and his tongue flicked across one nipple before catching it between his teeth. Her body shuddered as he tugged hard, the sensation echoing through her core. Then he kissed his way to the other side, laving the hardened peak with lazy circles before sucking it deep into his mouth.

  Allie’s fingers trembled against his skin as they skated over his shoulders and across his chest. His stomach muscles tensed as she smoothed over the ripples of his abs, and when she took his hard length in her hand, he drew a sharp breath.

  “I love touching you,” she whispered. Her fingers curled around him, gently squeezing and stroking from root to tip. The feel of him throbbing and pulsing in her hand drove her wild, and before long her hips began to move in a silent plea.

  Hudson gazed up at her with dark, hungry eyes. “Not yet,” he murmured. “First I need to taste my wife.” The delicious promise held in his words made her entire body clench with need. Or maybe it was just the sound of Hudson calling her his wife that caused a soft whimper to escape her lips. Either way, anticipation thrummed through her veins as he shifted fast and smooth between her thighs. He lifted one leg over his shoulder, spreading her wide, and dragged his tongue up her center. Allie’s breath hitched and the air rushed out of her lungs as his tongue lashed across her most sensitive flesh. There was nothing gentle about the way he devoured her—licking, nipping, and sucking her as if consumed by a desperate need to bring her pleasure.

  “Oh God,” she moaned. Her fingers dug into his hair, holding him against her as she began to quiver.


  “That’s it, come on my tongue. Let me taste you.” His words vibrated against her and she cried out, splintering apart in a mind-blowing orgasm.

  He kneed her legs apart. “Spread for me. I need to be inside you.” The weight of his body settled over hers and his erection lay hot and heavy just where she needed him most. He gazed down at her as he brought their bodies together. Once he was buried deep, he stilled. “Mine.”

  “Yours,” Allie whispered in return, relishing the feel of him and knowing their connection was complete. He brushed his lips against hers as he began to slowly move, pulling back and then flexing into her with a deliberate, unhurried rhythm.

  She groaned, needing more, needing him. “Please, Hudson . . .”

  With a growl he slid deeper. Allie gasped, her swollen flesh tightening around him as he drew back. Their kiss deepened as he began to really move, his tongue fucking her mouth in time with each possessive thrust of his hips. Allie felt her insides begin to quicken as his body rolled against hers with measured determination. Her hand clutched the white sheet, her grip tightening with each relentless drive. She felt herself climbing higher and higher, then Hudson changed his angle, hitting a spot deep inside her, and a keening cry escaped her lips. Her head tipped back and her eyes drifted shut.

  “Open,” he grunted.

  Her gaze met his as a fiery orgasm rolled through her body, obliterating everything but the man moving hot and slick above her. “Fuck, Allie. That’s it. Look into my eyes as I come inside you.”

  He came long and hard, his hips jerking in a powerful, unforgiving thrust as he poured himself into her. “I love you,” he whispered as he collapsed against her. The weight of him, pressing her into the mattress, soothed the aftershocks that racked her trembling frame.

  “I love you, too,” she said. Her voice quivered as her body shuddered.

  Hudson rolled onto his back, pulling her with him without ever breaking their connection. Allie nuzzled against his chest as he cradled her in his arms, and felt the pounding beat of his heart beneath her cheek. They lay in silence, neither one speaking as their collective breathing slowed, and all thoughts left her but one. Hudson was right: a lifetime would never be enough.

  She wanted forever.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Sunlight streamed through the window, waking Allie from the most amazing dream. Snow and candles and vows and tears and whispered words of love. Except it wasn’t a dream at all. It was her life, and she would spend the rest of it with the wonderful man asleep beside her on the bed.

  He was draped across her with his head on her chest, one arm wrapped possessively around her waist and his legs entwined with hers. Allie stroked her fingers down his back and a ray of sunlight caught the facets of the diamond on her engagement ring. She lifted her hand. The ring Hudson had given her was absolutely perfect. An understated yet flawless oval solitaire set on a thin platinum band covered with smaller stones. It was simple and elegant and exactly what she would have selected.

  “Do you like it?” Hudson asked, blinking up at her.

  Allie met his gaze. The love reflected in his clear blue eyes took her breath away, leaving her momentarily speechless.

  “If you’d rather something else,” he said, propping up on one elbow, “we can go back to the store together and—”

  Allie pressed her fingertips to his lips. “I love it.” She leaned forward, replacing her fingers with a soft kiss. “But I love the man who gave it to me even more.”

  “Mmm.” A low sound of approval vibrated in the back of his throat and his arm tightened around her waist. “And I you, Mrs. Chase.”

  Warmth bubbled up inside her and a soft giggle escaped her lips.

  Hudson reared back to look at her, lifting one brow. “Are you going to have that reaction every time I say your name?” The amusement in his voice made her smile widen even more.

  “I just might.”

  “Then I will have to make a point to keep saying it.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Every day for the rest of my life.”

  “I like the sound of that,” she said, leaning into his touch. “So tell me, what’s the plan for day one of the rest of our lives?”

  Hudson settled back on the pillow and pulled Allie across his chest. “I’m fine staying here all day.”

  “Well, we have to eat at some point.”

  He exhaled a heavy sigh. “Married not even twenty-four hours and already I’m second to food.”

  “Hardly.” She laughed.

  Hudson’s brow knit together. “To be honest, I hadn’t really given today much thought. I was so focused on the proposal and wedding, I didn’t plan anything for the rest of the weekend.” He smirked. “Aside from the obvious.”

  “Sounds like the perfect honeymoon,” she said, her finger trailing over the defined slope of his pecs.

  “Indeed. But you’re correct. We will need to eat something besides leftover wedding cake, which means we’ll need to go out.” He sucked in a sharp breath when she brushed over a particularly ticklish spot she’d recently discovered just below his ribs. He caught her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. “I’d take you into town, but—”

  “But we can’t risk being seen.”

  “Precisely.”

  “Motorcycle helmets would make for a nice disguise, but it’s not exactly the weather for taking your bike out.”

  “Enjoyed that, did you?”

  “I did.”

  An almost childlike enthusiasm lit Hudson’s face. “Get up,” he said, flinging the covers back. “Dress warm.”

  With that, he climbed out of bed. The sight of his very fine, very naked backside as he strolled into the closet had Allie wishing she’d never mentioned food in the first place. And dress warm? What was that all about? Allie was positive Hudson wouldn’t risk a ride on his bike in the dead of winter. He’d been emphatic about safety when talking to Nick. So where the hell was he taking her?

  A moment later Hudson emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of dark jeans and a blue sweater that did crazy things to his eyes. “Meet you out back,” he said as he strode out of the room.

  Allie scrambled out of bed and sifted through the closet for the warmest clothes she could find. Once she was dressed, she made her way downstairs and out onto the deck that circled the house.

  The backyard, as Hudson called it, was acres of Wisconsin wilderness. Gently rolling hills stretched out as far as she could see, dotted with pine trees and covered with several inches of fresh white snow. Allie found her new husband at the foot of the rear staircase, just outside the garages that made up the first level of the three-story home. He was wearing a fitted black parka and a black motorcycle helmet with the tinted visor flipped down. If it weren’t for the fact that he was straddling a snowmobile instead of a motorcycle, she would have sworn she was living her very own Grease 2 fantasy.

  “Where did this come from?” she asked.

  Hudson flipped up his visor. His blue eyes sparkled in the late morning sun. “I purchased it when I bought the Harley. Wasn’t sure I’d have much use for it, though, until today.”

  Allie smiled. “Guess it’s true what they say about boys and their toys.”

  “That word evokes something entirely different in my mind,” he said, holding her gaze until the heat of his stare had her shifting on her feet. “Why Alessandra, is that the wind turning your cheeks pink, or have I made my wife blush?”

  “You’re a naughty boy, Hudson Chase.”

  “Hmm, you don’t know the half of it. Yet.” The rough timbre of his voice sent a shiver of desire through her. But instead of elaborating, Hudson merely reached for the extra helmet on the back of the Ski-Doo. “Here,” he said, as though he hadn’t just reduced her to a puddle. “These ought to keep anyone from recognizing either of us.”

  She took a deep breath. “Where are we headed?”

  “There’s a little ski town not too far north. We can follow the trails through the back
woods.” Hudson turned a key, and a second later the snowmobile roared to life. “Hop on,” he yelled over the engine. He held his hand out to help her climb on, then waited while she secured her helmet. “All set?”

  Allie nodded, then squealed as the snowmobile took off like a shot, kicking up a plume of snow in its wake. With her arms wrapped tight around his waist, she snuggled against his back, partly to protect herself from the wind and partly just to be closer to him. She molded herself against his body, absorbing the hum of the engine as it vibrated through his frame. Everything Hudson Chase did was an aphrodisiac to her, but there was something particularly sexy about riding behind him on his bike. Turned out the same applied to a snowmobile.

  After cutting through the field behind Hudson’s cabin, they veered into a more wooded area, zigzagging between trees and snow drifts until they reached the trails. The ski resort Hudson mentioned was bustling with tourists, none of whom paid any attention to one more couple on a snowmobile eating lunch in the lodge and purchasing supplies at the general store.

  The sun was setting over the lake when they finally arrived back at the house. Hudson pulled alongside the front staircase and held her hand as she climbed off the back of the snowmobile. “Go on in and get warm. I’ll put this away.”

  Allie pulled her helmet off, her loose blond curls cascading over her shoulders. A smile curved her lips as she scurried up the stairs, already knowing exactly how she planned to warm them both up.

  * * *

  The cold cut through Hudson’s clothes as he moved across the driveway. His heavy boots crunched into the layers of snow, and when he hit the stairs leading to the front door he stomped them against the wood to avoid tracking the nasty mess all over the floor.