Hudson had been vague about their plans, saying only that they would be going to his lake house and that he would take care of the rest. She’d assumed he’d give her some sort of instructions during the week, but so far she hadn’t heard a word from him, much less the details on how or when they were escaping the city for the peace and tranquility of his Lake Geneva cabin.

Allie’s thoughts drifted to the time they’d spent there in October, and all at once memories bombarded her senses. The sight of Hudson straddling his motorcycle, looking every bit the bad boy she once knew; the scent of pine trees mixed with the rich smell of leather as she rode on the back of his bike; the feel of the sun on her face and his muscles flexing beneath her palms; the sound of his laughter mixed with her squeals. The day had been perfect in every way, but it paled in comparison to the night. Because there, on the floor in front of a roaring fire, Hudson had let his guard down. He’d opened up to her and shared glimpses of his past; his thoughts, his fears, his emotions. It was the night she’d always longed for. The night she knew they’d have.

“Big plans for the weekend?” Colin asked, interrupting her daydream.

Allie looked up to find him standing at the door to her office holding a large box in his hands. “What? Um, no. I mean, why do you ask?”

“Just figured with three days blocked off, you must have something exciting planned.”

“Not really.” She shrugged. “I just need a few days to unplug and recharge.”

“So you’re not going anywhere?”

“The only trip I plan on taking is from the bed to the couch and back again. Eat, sleep, repeat.” It wasn’t a total lie. She merely omitted the part about it being Hudson’s bed. The one she’d been tied to while he teased and tormented her with his fingers, lips, and tongue.

Jeez, snap out of it Sinclair.

“What’s in the box?” she asked, attempting to refocus her attention on the here and now.

Colin strode toward her. “No clue. It was just delivered via messenger, marked ‘personal and confidential.’ Again.” He set the box on her desk and lifted a brow. “If I didn’t know better I’d say you have a secret admirer.” An audible gasp escaped his lips, and a look of conspiratorial mischief lit his bright green eyes. “Is it the guy from Asylum?” he asked in a dramatic whisper.

“Who?”

“That hunk of handsome you were pressed against Friday night.”

“He didn’t even know my name.”

“I could enlighten him if you’d like?”

“Don’t you have a memo to type or something?”

Colin laughed. “Okay, okay. Consider it dropped.”

Allie waited until he’d closed the door behind him before tearing into the package. Inside the box was a camel-colored top coat along with a pair of Chanel sunglasses and a red knit hat and scarf. One by one she placed the items on her desk. She even removed the tissue paper but found nothing underneath. No note, no instructions. While she was fairly sure who was responsible for the mysterious delivery, she had no idea the purpose of its contents.

The burner phone. The thought had no sooner occurred to her when she heard a soft ping. She opened her bottom drawer of her desk and dug the phone out of her purse. A text from Hudson lit the screen.

Did the package arrive?

She smiled as she typed. The eagle has landed.

Amusing yourself, Miss Sinclair?

Have to distract myself somehow, Mr. Chase.

From?

Thoughts of you.

Anything specific?

Specifically naked, she replied.

I like where this is going.

All weekend.

I’ll pack light, then.

In fact, I may tie you to the bed.

That’s my line.

Fine, she typed, you can tie me to the bed.

Fuck.

What?

I’m hard.

She giggled. Let’s leave now then.

We can’t.

Why not?

Because the plans I have for smuggling you out of the city won’t be in place until this afternoon. So as much as I’d love to have my face between your thighs...

Fuck.

His reply was immediate. What’s wrong?

I’m wet.

There was a pause while she waited for his reply, during which she imagined him cursing as he adjusted his trousers. Behave.

Not sure I can.

Did you growl before you typed that? Because you know what that does to me.

Work, Alessandra. Get back to it.

Yes...sir.

That’s not helping.

She smiled. It wasn’t meant to.

Payback will be swift and decisive.

A wave of heated anticipation rolled through her and she found herself pressing her thighs together in an effort to find some relief. It was her own fault, really, since she’d been the one to start their little game. So instead of protesting the fact that she had to wait several hours for said payback to begin, she simply answered with the truth. I can hardly wait.

4:00. Wear the items from the box. A taxi will be waiting. Further instructions then.

She almost made a joke about how very 007 this all sounded when she realized that the team Hudson had working for him might very well have been former MI6. With that sobering thought in mind, she got back to work, trying her best to remain focused on the e-mails and contracts and conference calls that filled the rest of her afternoon. When four o’clock rolled around, she did exactly as she’d been instructed, donning the coat, hat, and sunglasses in Ingram’s lobby before pushing through the revolving doors.

The sun was still shining as Allie stepped out onto Michigan Avenue, making the sunglasses seem less out of place in January, but the bite of cold wind stung her face. She pulled the scarf up over her mouth as she scanned the row of cabs idling at the curb.

A driver climbed out of the one directly in front of the door. “Miss Sinclair?” At Allie’s nod he hurried round the front of the car and opened the back door for her. Allie slid inside, then pulled the burner phone out of her purse. She’d dialed Hudson’s number before the driver was even back in the car.

“Anxious to see me?” he asked. She could hear the smile in his voice.

“Says the man who answered his phone on the first ring.”

“I’ve never claimed to be anything but when it came to you.” A warmth spread through her at the gentle caress of his voice, dampened only by the realization he was speaking over a Bluetooth system.

“You’re driving?”

“The Range Rover, yes. Why do you ask?

“No reason.”

“Alessandra?” She could tell by his tone he was expecting an answer.

“I just had a different picture in mind, that’s all.”

“Did you now?”

“Mmmhmm. You, me, the back of the limo.” She cut her eyes to the front seat of the taxi. The driver seemed far too busy maneuvering into traffic to pay her much attention, but she still turned her head and lowered her voice. “Something about your face and my thighs.”

“Believe me, I’d like nothing more than to start the trip by spreading you out on that bench and fucking you with my tongue until we reach the state line.”

A jolt of pleasure arrowed straight to her core, and she let out a frustrated groan. “You’re an evil bastard, do you know that?”

He chuckled softly. “Yes, but I’m your evil bastard. And I’ll make it up to you when you get here.” His voice dropped to a sexy rasp. “Thoroughly and repeatedly.”

“That’s not helping,” she said, echoing his words from earlier.

This time he didn’t even bother to temper his laugh. “It wasn’t meant to.”

“Wait,” she said, his words registering, “When I get there? Where are you?”

“At the moment I’m at a red light in front of that little candy shop you were so fond of last time.”

Allie remembered it well. She could picture the charming pink and white building clearly, right down to the woman spreading velvety chocolate across a cool marble slab. And while her mouth watered at the thought of the creamy fudge, her heart sank at the thought that Hudson was already in Lake Geneva.