Remind Me

by Ann Marie Walker

He gazed up at her with dark, hungry eyes. “I could spend hours between your thighs.” His tongue fluttered across her sensitive flesh. “Teasing you . . . tasting you.”

  She groaned, half afraid he planned to do just that. The stubble of his beard was rough against her skin as he continued his relentless torture. Licking, nipping, sucking. Her head dropped down with a thud and her leg flexed, urging him closer as her stiletto dug into his back.

  “Oh no, baby, not yet,” he murmured. His breath fanned over her warm, wet skin and she moaned. Her fingers wound through his hair, trying to hold his mouth to her, but he kept her on the brink, changing rhythm whenever her body began to quiver.

  “Please, Hudson,” she whimpered.

  There was nothing gradual or gentle about the way his arms circled her hips, pulling her onto his thrusting tongue. She rocked against him, her hips moving restlessly in a desperate need for release.

  “That’s it, come for me.” His deep drawl vibrated against her and she cried out, splintering apart in a mind-blowing orgasm.

  Hudson stood in a rush with her leg still draped over his shoulder. She heard the sound of a buckle and glanced down to see him yank open his fly. Her body still trembled with aftershocks but the sight of his erection springing free had her clenching with need once more. Gripping the back of Allie’s thigh, he lifted her other leg over his shoulders and surged forward, entering her on a solid stroke.

  His breath hissed between his teeth. “Fuck.”

  Her hands gathered the white linen as her fingers curled around the edge of the table, holding herself in place against Hudson’s relentless drives. He leaned closer, bending her legs under him as he worked his length in and out with each possessive thrust. Her grip on the edge of the table tightened and a moan escaped her lips. She felt herself climbing higher and higher. Hudson’s pace quickened and her head arched back as an orgasm rolled through her body, obliterating everything else around her and numbing her senses.

  “Christ, I’m going to come so hard.” His hips jerked in powerful, unforgiving thrusts as he rode out his release. He shouted her name on an explosive breath and then collapsed on top of her, his head resting against her chest.

  She cradled his head in her arms and felt the pounding beat of his heart keeping time with hers. They lay like that for a long time, neither one speaking as their collective breathing slowed. Allie closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of his body draped across hers. She wanted to freeze the moment in time. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew two weeks with this man would never be enough. And when he finally lifted his head and smiled, her heart twisted at the thought of saying good-bye.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  All eyes were on Hudson as he flipped the pages of the contract his lawyers had drafted that afternoon. He could sense their collective flinching with each stroke of his red felt tip. The thing was a fucking mess. It was taking every ounce of restraint to keep from hurling the POS with enough force to defy the laws of physics, making his legal team play 150-page pickup.

  In his peripheral vision, the skirts and suits shifted in their seats as if their asses were in a frying pan. The striped tie checked his watch, the gray skirt her cell phone. His jaw tightened. He was in no mood for bullshit. And it wasn’t just the scrap in his hands that was frustrating the hell out of him, but his personal life as well. As if picking up on his vibe, gray skirt carefully set the phone front and center.

  Good call.

  Reaching the last page, he tossed the phone book–size contract down the length of the glossy conference table. The thing looked like it was bleeding to death as it skidded to a stop in the center. Hudson’s tone was clipped and impatient as he rose out of his chair.

  “I need the amended contract by morning.”

  His lawyer glanced down at the carnage. “Those changes will take hours. Even if I keep the whole department—”

  Hudson cut off the whining. “I don’t care if they’re here till dawn.” This acquisition, more like an assault, would launch Chase Industries to the top. No one was leaving until he was satisfied.

  He leaned forward and planted his palms on the mahogany. “You’re not going soft on me, are you?” He’d hired the guy because he had a pair. But since he’d gotten married he seemed to have handed his nuts over to his wife and tucked his dick between his legs.

  “We’ve been at it for over forty-eight hours, Mr. Chase . . .”

  Hudson’s blue eyes narrowed. Lawyer guy seemed to relocate his brain and snapped his mouth shut. Riding a crest of aggression, Hudson pivoted away. With his back to the door and his muscles coiled tight, everything about him resonated get-the-fuck-out. “You have work to do.”

  In the window, Hudson watched his lawyer’s reflection as he grabbed the decimated file from the center of the table and fled with the rest of his staff. When the room was empty he went over to the bar, poured himself a few fingers of scotch, and loosened his tie. Making his way back to his desk, he eased into his chair and swiveled toward the tireless view. He gripped the glass and stared out the window at a city that was his for the taking. The move to Chicago was proving beneficial. The deal that had brought him here was ahead of schedule, his name was blasted into stone on the goddamn building, and the press couldn’t keep their lips off his ass. Hell, he’d even pushed Rahm off the front page of Crain’s.

  But when he thought of Allie, he felt like his life was spinning out of control.

  That woman was a distraction that left him perpetually hard. And he had no time for distractions when a multibillion-dollar deal was on the line. But fuck, he wanted to see her, and the fact that she was attending a pretentious gathering her mother was throwing in the name of charity was riding him raw.

  Of course she couldn’t take him with her. Not that he’d wanted to subject himself to another glad-hand event, although he would have. To see her in her element. To watch the secret blush color her cheeks when he whispered all the ways he wanted to possess and pleasure her. To stand beside her and support her. He wanted that privilege.

  This was his time with her. A fucking two-week window to prove their connection extended far beyond the bedroom.

  The ultimatum he almost gave her when she broke the news of her mother’s little party would have laid it all on the line. He’d been so tempted to put an end to this bullshit and make her choose. But he’d made the conscious decision at the start of this to wait the two weeks.

  And timing was everything.

  So he choked on his words to avoid ruining a night that started with dinner and ended with her for dessert. She’d been so beautiful spread out on his dining room table, her skin flushed with arousal and her body bowing off the surface. He tossed the rest of his drink back and the liquid slid sinuously over his tongue and down his throat. As it did, he thought of how his tongue had teased her swollen flesh and pulsed inside her as she came against his mouth.

  Hudson let out a curse and tugged his shirttails out of his pants. With his free hand he reached for the phone and dialed Allie’s number, waiting to hear her voice before his palm fused to his cock.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Only Allie’s mother could convince Chicago’s A-list to drive all the way to Lake Forest on a Tuesday night, let alone get the weather to cooperate. But when Victoria Sinclair decided to throw a party at Mayflower Place, no one dared decline. Not even Mother Nature.

  She’d determined a gathering was in order—“something intimate, a dinner perhaps”—when the final numbers revealed that the museum gala had far exceeded expectations. The target of a spring groundbreaking was all but guaranteed and Allie’s mother thought the board of directors at Better Start should be thanked for their efforts.

  What had begun as a simple affair for the board and a few key staff members had turned into a full-blown event. Valets greeted guests as they rounded the fountain court. Tuxedo-clad waiters passed hors d’oeuvres on silver trays. And a string quartet played under the glow of tiny lights strung above the limest
one terrace.

  So much for an intimate dinner.

  Victoria had relented at the last minute and, at Allie’s urging, extended invitations to the entire Better Start staff. They’d spent countless hours ensuring the event’s success and deserved a show of appreciation far more than someone who simply lent their name to the program. Of course Allie knew they would have never exceeded their goal without one very generous donation pledged in exchange for a dance.

  Her heart sank as she pushed through one of the many French doors spanning the rear of the house, and in a moment of clarity she realized why. It wasn’t because she was dreading the customary small talk with board members or her mother’s constant attempts to work Julian and the wedding into every conversation. It was because she already knew the person most deserving of thanks, the one whose face she suddenly longed to see, would be nowhere in sight.

  Allie walked to the edge of the terrace and leaned against the stone balustrade. The grounds of the estate were still in full bloom thanks to the unseasonably warm weather, and the sweet scent of jasmine hung in the air. Copper lanterns lined the stone steps, their flickering candlelight leading to an expanse of perfectly manicured grass. In the distance, Allie could make out the silvery shores of Lake Michigan just beyond the esplanade. She took a deep breath. Watching the water ebb and flow usually soothed her, especially on nights like this when her mother was in high gear. But as the small whitecaps crashed on the sand, she couldn’t help but wish she was enjoying the view of the lake from Hudson’s penthouse.

  She needed to get a grip. It was only one night. But if this was how she felt spending one night without Hudson Chase, how would she ever endure a lifetime?

  “I have to hand it to Vicky, she certainly knows how to throw a party.” Harper was suddenly behind her. She was wearing a tailored floral sheath dress that would have surely caught Don Draper’s eye, and from the looks of it, had just relieved a waiter of several salmon crostini. “Find out what caterer she used and let’s call them for our next event.”

  “Food’s that good?”

  “No, the waiters are that hot.”

  Allie laughed at her friend’s ability to see every situation as her own personal version of match.com. “I thought you were planning to marry the waiter at Tavern.”

  “Found out he was still in college,” Harper mumbled as she crammed an hors d’oeuvre in her mouth. “I’m all for dating younger men, but I have to draw the line somewhere.” Allie could practically see the lightbulb turn on over her head. “Hey, Mr. Moneybags doesn’t happen to have a younger brother, does he?”

  “Harper!” Allie checked to see if anyone was in earshot.

  “Oh relax. No one knows which Mr. Moneybags I meant. Look around,” she said with a snort. “The place is crawling with them.” Harper grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. “You can’t keep dodging me. Sooner or later I’m getting the scoop,” she said before taking a sip.

  “I haven’t been dodging you.”

  “Please, for the past two days every time I’ve come near your office you’ve either been conveniently on the phone or dashing out the door to some mysterious meeting.”

  Allie didn’t mean to hurt her friend’s feelings. But how could she explain her roller coaster of emotions when she didn’t understand them yet herself? She was about to assure Harper it was nothing personal when she heard someone call her name. The unmistakable voice sounded like fingernails on a blackboard. Oh great.

  Allie and Harper turned as one to find Hillary Prescott, heir to the country club throne.

  “There you are! Your mother told me you’d be here.” She greeted Allie with an air kiss to each cheek. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

  “Well here I am.” Trapped. Allie caught sight of Harper smiling over the top of her champagne glass as she drifted away.

  Hillary reached for Allie’s left hand. “Let me see that ring your mom keeps bragging about.” She cursed under her breath and yanked the ring closer. “So you’re really marrying a duke?”

  Allie would have corrected her former classmate if she’d given her half a chance.

  “How are the plans coming? It must be horrible trying to balance wedding planning with a full-time job. No wonder you look so exhausted.” She lowered her voice. “I have a face guy who works miracles. Call me and I’ll give you his number.”

  “Thanks, but—”

  “Oh my God, that reminds me. Have you seen Meredith since she got back from the spa?” Hillary emphasized the last word with a harsh laugh. “Right, a spa that doubled her cup size.”

  “How was your game this summer?” Allie asked, desperate to change the subject. A smile spread across Hillary’s face. “Club champion again this year. You know, if we team up next summer, I bet I could take the doubles title, too.”

  “Oh thanks, but with work I couldn’t—”

  “Work?” Hillary grimaced as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. “After the wedding? I just assumed—”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Allie said, a smile plastered across her face. “But I see my boss and there’s something I really need to discuss with him.”

  “Oh, sure. Call me, we’ll do lunch.”

  As she walked away, Allie almost felt bad for lying. Almost. And besides, it wasn’t a total lie. She had seen her boss. He was standing off to the side shifting his weight from one foot to the other and looking as uncomfortable on her mother’s terrace as he had at the museum gala. Bob Ellis was a man committed to seeing underprivileged kids get the education they deserved, and as the director of Better Start, he knew that fund-raising was essential. But that didn’t mean he had to like it. In fact, he once told Allie that even after decades of working for nonprofits, he’d still rather have a root canal than talk a prospective donor into parting with their cash. When Allie came onboard as the head of fund-raising, he’d welcomed her to the team with open arms.

  He smiled as she approached, his warm brown eyes crinkling around the edges. “Now there’s a familiar face.” For a moment he looked as though he might try to extend his hand, awkwardly juggling a small china plate and a glass drained to only ice. Allie came to his rescue by way of launching into conversation.

  “Did you try the beef Wellington?” she asked. “Harper was raving about the caterers.”

  “Wonderful. Everything is just wonderful. And very kind of your mother to invite the entire staff.” A waiter passed by with an empty tray and her boss handed him his plate and glass. Realizing too late that he still had his napkin, he crumpled it and shoved it into the pocket of his khaki pants. “The gala was a lot of work. You should be very proud of how well it turned out.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Ellis.”

  “You’ve done a terrific job, Alessandra. And not just with the gala. We’re certainly going to miss you.”

  “Miss me?”

  “Yes, your mother said you wouldn’t be returning after the wedding. At least not on a daily basis.” He tugged on the knot of his knit tie, loosening it ever so slightly. “I must say, I was sad to hear it.”

  Allie’s face flamed. Overruling her on wedding details was one thing. Allie couldn’t care less what flowers were in the centerpieces or if the ballroom chairs were covered in silk. But tendering her resignation? That was a step too far, even for Victoria. “Will you excuse me, Mr. Ellis? I just remembered my mother asked me to check on the wine. Can’t have the caterers running low, now can we?”

  She tried to mask her anger with the same saccharine smile she’d used on Hillary. She’d had a lifetime to perfect the expression and yet struggled to keep the facade in place as she weaved through the crowd in search of her mother. She found her chatting with one of the ladies from the club—Hillary Prescott’s mother, to be exact—her delicate laughter barely audible above the quartet.

  “Mother,” Allie interrupted, not caring if she’d think her rude.

  “Oh, Alessandra, perfect timing. I was just telling Elizabeth all about the wedding plans.” />
  “Your mother tells me you’ve moved the wedding up to the beginning of December.” Allie watched as Mrs. Prescott’s gaze swept over her, tensing when it lingered a bit too long on her stomach. “It sounds like it will be lovely, dear. Late enough for the decorations to be up but still plenty of time before we all flee the dreadful cold on holiday.”

  Victoria nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly what I was telling her. The lights on Michigan Avenue are beautiful that time of year, and wouldn’t it be perfect if the park in front of the hotel had a fresh blanket of snow?”

  Allie gaped at the two women as they discussed how much snow they’d like to see—enough to cover the grass, but not freeze the lake—and when they’d like it to fall—so enough time has passed to clear the roads, but not so long that it turns black at the curb. When she could take no more, she cut them off with a crisis sure to attract her mother’s undivided attention. “The caterer needs to speak with you, Mother. Something about a substitution on the brand of caviar.”

  Her mother sighed. “Honestly, if it isn’t one thing it’s another.”

  “Always something,” Mrs. Prescott said. She brushed cheeks with Victoria before joining another group of women.

  “Did he say what brand, because I specifically ordered—”

  “Relax mother, there’s no caviar emergency.”

  She looked utterly confused.

  “Did you tell Mr. Ellis I was resigning after the wedding?”

  If it weren’t for the recent injections, Victoria’s eyebrows would have shot up in surprise. “That’s what all this is about?”

  “You had no right to speak on my behalf,” Allie snapped.

  Victoria turned to ice. “Watch your tone.” Her voice was much louder than Allie expected, but she regained her composure quickly. The smile returned to her face, and when she spoke again her tone was hushed, though just as lethal. “I’m your mother. I will not have you speaking to me in that manner.” Taking Allie by the arm, she led her away from the crowd. “I’m sorry you didn’t get the chance to tell Bob about your plans. The subject came up and I mentioned it. Simple as that.”