Release Me

by Ann Marie Walker

  Allie looked across the living room to where Hudson stood, hanging the last of the ornaments on the tree. They’d spent the first half of the day trimming the tree together, but after lunch she’d left him to his own devices and set up an impromptu wrapping station in the middle of the floor.

  “Behave. We are seriously behind schedule thanks to this morning’s delay.”

  He paused with his hand in midair and lifted a brow. “Delay?”

  “Granted it was an amazingly mind-blowing delay, but still.”

  He chuckled. “Are you familiar with the television show Friends, Alessandra?”

  “I’d think long and hard about making a Monica joke if I were you.”

  “I wouldn’t dream of it. Especially not after that obvious innuendo.” His back was to her as he hung the last ornament, but she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling. She loved this side of him, so relaxed and playful. And for the hundredth time that day she vowed to do anything to ease the suffering she’d witnessed that morning.

  “Would you like to put the star on top?” he asked.

  “It’s your home, Hudson. You should do the honors.”

  “Yes, but it’s our tree.”

  Our tree. She liked the sound of that. So much so she couldn’t hide the ridiculous grin that spread across her face as she clamored to her feet and made her way to where he stood, holding the gold star.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “You. Us. This.”

  “How very specific.”

  “I’m happy. An emotion I didn’t think was possible this holiday.”

  He handed her the star and went to fetch one of the dining room chairs. “Speaking of the holidays,” he began. His tone was meant to be light but it sounded almost nervous. “I was wondering . . .”

  “Yes?”

  Hudson set the chair down beside her. “I was wondering if you’d like to spend the holidays with me and Nick. I mean, it won’t be anything as elaborate as what you’re probably used to, but we could go out, or have dinner here, open presents.” He shrugged. “That sort of thing.”

  She’d never seen him so flustered. It was downright adorable. “Sounds perfect. I’d love to spend the holidays with you and Nick.”

  He smiled, then offered his hand to steady her as she climbed onto the chair. She still couldn’t reach the top. The tree hadn’t looked nearly this big at the lot. Of course there it had been in the shadow of one that stood fifty-feet tall. She stretched on tiptoe to reach the top and had no sooner set it in place when she lost her balance. Hudson caught her as she fell back into his arms. He held her cradled against his chest, rather like a groom carrying a bride across a threshold. She laughed at her own clumsiness and braced herself for Hudson’s inevitable quip.

  But when she met his gaze she found his expression somber. “It would have killed me if you’d married him today.”

  His ardent declaration and the thought of how close she came to losing him forever caused a lump to form in her throat. Her fingertips stroked his cheek. “I love you, Hudson.”

  He dipped his head, kissing her sweetly, almost reverently, before setting her on her feet. “So, what’s next on the never-ending list?”

  She smiled. In spite of his Grinchlike exterior, Hudson was enjoying himself. He was just too proud to admit it. Or maybe he just enjoyed teasing her. Either way, she was having more fun than she’d had in years. “I need to put the last batch of cookies in the oven. Why don’t you build the pyramid?”

  “Bossy little thing, aren’t you?” he said dryly. “Perhaps I’ll put that ribbon to good use after all.”

  “If that was supposed to be a deterrent, it failed.” She sashayed to the kitchen, swinging her hips in an exaggerated motion. The groan from the dining room confirmed it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

  Allie shook various colors of sugar crystals onto the last batch of cookies and then placed the tray in the oven. When she turned back around Hudson was sitting at the dining room table, sorting the delicate wood carvings now piled in front of him. As she watched him assemble the base of the pyramid, she was struck by how the scene would look to any outsider. Hudson working on a project while she fussed about in the kitchen. It was downright domestic, and so. . . . so . . . She searched for the right word to complete her thought before finally settling on normal, because this was what normal couples did on the weekend. It felt right, the two of them spending a quiet Saturday together, and yet strange. They had an undeniable connection, but there was still so much they didn’t know about each other. Even more she didn’t know about him.

  Images from earlier that morning flooded her mind. To the rest of the world Hudson Chase might have seemed the always-in-control CEO, master of not only his own destiny, but so many others as well. Underneath that perfect exterior, however, was a man with demons that surfaced when he was asleep and at his most vulnerable. Having seen the effects firsthand made her desperate to help him. But to do that, she’d have to get him to open up to her, and that would take time. Based on what little she knew, she suspected it had to do with some trauma from his childhood, something even worse than what he’d already shared. But what could be worse than losing his mother to a drug overdose and his younger brother to a system that shuttled him from one foster home to another?

  “What are you thinking about over there?” he asked.

  Allie met his curious stare. “Hmm?”

  “You’re frowning. Is there some kitchen crisis that needs to be averted?”

  She gave a small laugh and shuffled the decorating supplies on the granite counter. “No, just wondering if I bought enough icing for the cookies.”

  Hudson shook his head and smiled as he turned his attention back to the small pyramid taking shape on the table in front of him. The second tier was in place and he was about to add the third. “You do realize there will only be the three of us?”

  “Yes, I know that.” She rolled her eyes, knowing full well he couldn’t see. “I just want to make this special for Nick. And you,” she added quietly.

  His gaze flicked up to meet hers and his eyes softened. “It will be special because you’re here. The rest of this,” he waved his hand vaguely through the air, “while appreciated, is inconsequential.”

  A feeling of warmth spread through her. “Thank you, but I happen to like all of this, so get building,” she teased.

  “Ribbon, Alessandra. Plenty of it left.”

  “Bring it on, Chase.” She laughed. “But after you’ve finished your work.” Leaning her hip against the counter, she watched as he placed tiny figurines on each level. As he did, the expression on his face changed. Gone was the devious grin that had accompanied his delicious threat, and in its place was something much more innocent. Hudson had always seemed so much older than his twenty-nine years, but in that moment it was if he were a young boy again, marveling at the decoration his parents had put on display.

  “Is it like the one you used to have?” Her voice was hesitant. As much as she wanted to know about his past, she didn’t want to push him to a place he wasn’t ready to revisit.

  “I have no idea,” he murmured.”I have a picture in my mind, but I’m not sure if it’s accurate. My mom stopped putting it out after my dad was gone. She stopped celebrating Christmas altogether.”

  Allie’s chest tightened at the thought. Hudson had never mentioned his dad, much less why he wasn’t in his life, but clearly that had been the case for quite a while. It was hard enough to imagine two little boys growing up without their father. But picturing them with a mother so despondent she couldn’t bring herself to celebrate the holidays caused tears to prick the backs of her eyes. She was about to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and tell him he’d never be alone again, when he surprised her by saying more than just those few initial words.

  “Nick and I would sit at the table, watching, while my dad built it,” he said. “He’d let us play with the little guys until he was ready for them. Nick would cr
y if he didn’t get to hold Santa Claus, even though my dad told him the most important one was the baby in the manger.” He gave a half smile. “But that baby wasn’t the one bringing presents, so Nick couldn’t care less.”

  One by one Hudson began adding the thin propeller blades to the top of the pyramid. Allie held perfectly still, not wanting to interrupt the moment in any way. Hudson was talking, sharing a memory from his childhood, and a happy one, no less. Which only made her all the more curious as to what had happened to so devastatingly alter their lives.

  “When he was finished he’d let me light the candles.” When the last blade was in place, Hudson gave them a gentle push and the levels began to spin in alternating directions. He sat back in his chair, watching it turn.

  The oven timer chimed and Allie jumped. Hudson looked up and all traces of the young boy vanished. “Better not let them burn,” he teased. “The woman in charge around here is a real nightmare.”

  “Only when her elf is slacking on the job,” she shot back, relieved to see his mood hadn’t taken a dark turn. “But since he’s completed everything on his list, he’s in the clear. Might even get a reward.” She grabbed a hot mitt and bent over to pull the last tray of cookies out of the oven.

  Hudson was suddenly behind her, his hands cupping her backside. “I can think of a few rewards I’d like to claim.”

  Allie gave her hips a little shake and he smacked her on the ass. She yelped as she stood. “You’re lucky I didn’t drop these,” she said, setting the tray on the counter to cool.

  “They smell delicious.”

  “Thank you. But don’t be too impressed, I only baked them.” Allie had never been much of a cook, but she’d found a box of pre-cut, ready-to-bake Christmas cookies at the store that were allowing her to fake her way through it quite well. At least so far. She’d baked half of them with colored sugar and left the other half plain for decorating with icing. It had seemed simple enough at the time, but now that she was faced with covering a dozen or so cookies with decorative icing—and having them resemble something slightly appetizing—she wasn’t so sure.

  Hudson reached past her to steal a cookie off the tray, but she batted his hand away. “Those are too hot to eat.” She turned and offered him one from the cooling rack. “Here, try one of these.”

  He took the cookie and settled back against the counter. Crossing his ankles, he watched her as she arranged several cookies on a piece of parchment paper. Pulling off a Martha Stewart routine was going to be hard enough. Doing it with Hudson watching her every move was going to be damn near impossible.

  “Don’t you have an empire to run or a football game to watch?” Something. Anything.

  “Nothing more entertaining than this.” He finished the last of his cookie and brushed the crumbs from his hands. “Can I help?”

  “You want to decorate cookies?

  “Yes.” His expression was sincere.

  “Okay.” She placed a piece of parchment paper in front of him and set a star-shaped cookie on top of it.

  “Lacking confidence in my abilities?”

  She laughed. “Start with the star and we’ll work you up to the snowman.”

  He stared at the tubes filled with various colors of frosting for a moment before reaching for the blue one.

  “Just hold it with both hands and squeeze,” she said, without looking up. Beside her Hudson stilled and she had to bite her lip to hide her smile. If she played her cards right, perhaps he wouldn’t notice her lack of culinary skills after all.

  Allie reached for the green icing and began piping it onto a cookie cut into the shape of a tree. When she finished she added a few multicolored sprinkles. Not too bad, she thought. It actually resembled a Christmas tree. And not one decorated by a four-year-old.

  “How did I do?’ Hudson asked.

  Allie gaped at his cookie, perfectly decorated with an intricate snowflake pattern covered with sparkling sugar crystals. Seriously? “Umm, not too bad.”

  “Hmm. Once I found the right spot to exert the perfect amount of pressure, it came quite easily.” His description made every nerve in her body come alive. And judging by the smirk on his face, he knew it, too. “Am I ready for the next level?”

  Complicated household appliances like overpriced espresso machines might have been more than Hudson could handle, but clearly he harbored some previously unknown, at least to her, artistic ability. Allie tucked that bit of information away to ponder at another time. Right now her competitive streak required she focus all of her attention on cookie decorating.

  Hudson lifted a brow as she placed a snowman on each of their parchments. “I do believe I sense a challenge.”

  “Just frost your cookie,” she muttered.

  He chuckled. “Keep it up, Alessandra, and I’ll take you on the kitchen floor. Although if memory serves, you quite enjoyed it the last time.”

  Ignoring his comment, Allie set about the task of decorating her snowman. But her mind was far from thoughts of corncob pipes and button noses. All she could picture was their first morning together and, more specifically, how they’d ended up a sweaty, panting mess on the kitchen floor. She was so consumed by the thought, she forgot all about keeping an eye on the competition.

  When she finally stole a sideways glance, an involuntary giggle escaped her lips. On the counter in front of Hudson lay a very voluptuous snow . . . woman wearing a red bra and panties. “You did not just draw boobs on a Christmas cookie.”

  “I most certainly did.” He gazed at her impassively for a moment before sucking a bit of frosting from his fingertip. “And they’re quite delicious.”

  Hudson’s eyes flicked down to where her nipples pebbled beneath her thin sweater and then to the tube of icing he held in his hand.

  Allie narrowed her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  He didn’t answer, but the wicked gleam in his eyes told her he absolutely would.

  She took a step back. “I’m serious, Hudson. Don’t even think about it.”

  His lips twitched into a lascivious grin. “Oh, it’s much too late for that, Alessandra.”

  A frisson of exhilaration ran through her as Hudson took a slow, predatory step forward. Allie chewed on her bottom lip, trying to anticipate his next move. She shifted to her right and he followed, mirroring her movements, all the while never taking his eyes off hers. With one more step she was past the breakfast bar. The dining room table was in her peripheral vision. Two or three strides and she’d make it.

  “Well, you’ll have to catch me first,” she challenged, knowing full well she was raising the stakes of their game.

  “Count on it, baby.” Quick as a flash, he lunged for her. Allie squealed as she turned and made a run for the table, only pausing once it stood between them. Hudson shook his head, his eyes blazing with excitement. “And you know what will happen when I do.”

  Adrenaline spiked in her veins. She watched him, pacing the length of the table as she shifted back and forth along the opposite side. He wanted her, and damn if she didn’t want him, too. In fact, right there on the table would do just fine. But she’d started this thrilling game of cat and mouse, and now she had to finish it.

  She backed toward the living room, her smile growing wider as she dashed around the couch. “Bring it on, Chase.”

  Hudson’s eyes flared. “Taunting me?” he asked. But he didn’t wait for an answer. Instead he lurched forward in a few powerful strides, palming the back of the couch with his free hand and leaping over it.

  Shit.

  With her heart pounding, Allie took off in the only available direction. When she reached the stairs, Hudson was right behind her, taking them two at a time. She gasped as his fingers grazed her hip before dropping to catch her ankle.

  He yanked her down as he prowled up her body, his hips surging against her backside as he lowered his mouth to her ear. “I’ve caught you, baby.” He buried his hand in her hair and pulled her head to the side. She moaned when his lips
found the spot on her neck that never failed to drive her wild. Pleasure shot through her as he sucked on the sensitive skin and she writhed beneath him, her sex clenching and releasing in response to his hardening arousal. “Now, what shall I do to you?” he growled, grinding against her.

  Her lips parted on a ragged breath. “Whatever you want.” And she meant it. In that moment she was on fire for him, desperate to have him anyway he wanted.

  Turning her on her back, Hudson leaned in with one hand pressed into the stair behind her head. When his eyes met hers they were full of dark intent. “I believe there is the matter of some decorating.” She watched as he squeezed a small bead of red frosting onto her bottom lip.

  “You like the frosting, do you?” Her chest heaved but her voice was nothing more than a whisper.

  He licked his lips. “I might need another taste, just to be sure.” The tip of his tongue traced her lower lip. “Hmm, even better on you.”

  She lifted her head in an attempt to deepen their kiss, but he reared back.

  “Would you like to try some?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she breathed. His eyes flared when she added a breathy, “Please.”

  “As you wish.” He arched over her, sealing their mouths. She moaned as his skilled tongue slid over hers, hot and velvety and tasting of a delicious mix of sweet sugar and Hudson Chase.

  Allie heard the tube of frosting drop on the stairs, and then his hand was beneath her sweater. He wrenched it up and over her head before tossing it aside, then jerked down the lace cups of her bra. One of the straps broke, but she didn’t care. She was too busy watching with coiled anticipation as Hudson reached for the discarded frosting. A moment later a thin line of icing circled one of her nipples. “Even better this way, I’m sure,” he said in a husky voice.

  She arched her back. “Perhaps you should take a taste.”

  Hudson groaned his agreement against her skin as he latched on to her nipple, sucking it gently before releasing it and blowing a stream of cool air across the glistening tip.

  Allie’s hips began to move of their own accord, gyrating against him as he dragged his tongue across her chest, leaving a smear of red icing in his wake. His teeth closed around her nipple and it was almost more than she could bear. She couldn’t wait any longer. She needed him to take her, right there on the stairs. Her fingers twisted into his hair, tugging his head up to hers. “Hudson . . .”