Her jaw dropped. “You need to leave.”

When she made a move to close the door, Hudson’s palm smacked flat against the wood. “Not until you admit I’m right.”

“Is that what this is about, you being right?”

“No, though I am.” His voice took on a decisive edge. “The road is paved in hard truths, Alessandra, not denials.”

“And you think I’m the one in denial?”

His gaze was rock steady. “I know you are. But fuck if I’ll let you push me away again.”

“It doesn’t matter how I feel.” Her voice thinned. “It’s too late for us, Hudson.”

“The hell it is.” His chest expanded and he blew out an exasperated breath. He needed to connect with the girl she used to be, the girl he knew was still there, beneath the layers of socialite status. “Damnit, Allie. Just admit you feel the same.”

“Admit what? That I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the moment I turned around and saw you at the gala? That I can’t stop picturing what could have happened in your office? Or about how part of me was disappointed you didn’t fuck me on that barstool? Is that what you want me to admit, Hudson, that no matter how many years have passed, I still want you as much as I did back then?”

“Yes, I need to hear you say it.”

“I want you.” Her reply was barely audible, but he heard her loud and clear.

His eyes roamed over her face. “Say it again.”

“I want you.”

A beat of silence passed between them, then his hand fisted in her hair, dragging her mouth to his in a kiss that had Allie moaning her surrender. Her lips were hot, her skin flushed and alive. Her entire body radiated a heat and a need he was more than eager to fulfill.

“I’ll have you shouting it by the time I’m through with you.” Hudson kicked the door shut behind him and in one swift move had Allie pressed against the nearest wall, every inch of her body aligned perfectly with his. If there was a point of no return, he’d just passed it. He was driven by a desire so raw, so powerful, that it frayed the last thread of his control.

With need grabbing the reins and taking over, Hudson impatiently yanked the sash of her robe free and stripped the satin off her shoulders.

Jesus Christ, she really was fucking naked. Beautifully naked.

It was difficult to think straight with that much flawless skin in front of him. Every base instinct told him to worship every inch of her until they were both sated.

His hands slid down the sides of her bare breasts, pausing to brush his thumbs across her taut nipples before smoothing over her waist and the curve of her hips; the contours of her familiar even after all these years.

“I didn’t think I’d make it another five minutes without touching you.” He was way past hiding the effect she had on him, or pretending he had any kind of control over the response.

Allie pushed his jacket over his shoulders. He took a half step back and shrugged it the rest of the way off, one arm and then the other, before flinging it to the side. A lamp toppled over on the table beside them and the bulb popped with a flash. As if he gave a shit.

Her greedy fingers clutched handfuls of his shirt as she yanked it out of his pants. One by one she began frantically working the buttons.

“Rip it,” he growled.

Allie tipped her chin up to meet his challenging stare. She was breathless and her eyes glowed with unrestrained lust. Gathering the fabric with both hands, she split it open with a sharp tug. Buttons scattered, ricocheting off walls and disappearing across the hardwood floor.

A low groan vibrated in Hudson’s chest as he claimed her mouth again, his tongue filling her with deep, searing strokes. His hand dropped between her thighs and he grit his teeth. Christ, she was wet. So fucking wet. The rough pad of his thumb stroked over the top of her sex as his middle finger slid inside. Allie moaned as he eased out then back in with a second finger, her hips circling and rocking against the heel of his hand.

With a shift of his wrist he thrust deeper, all the while imagining how good she would feel sliding over his throbbing cock. He was so hard for her it hurt, the culmination of two weeks of foreplay and ten long years envisioning her just like this. God help him, he had to take her. Right here, right now.

“I need to be inside you,” he murmured against her lips. His voice was rough, carnal, and as desperate as the moment between them.

Her hands wasted no time reaching for his fly, jerking his belt loose and yanking his zipper down. She pushed his boxer briefs just low enough to free his aching erection, leaving his pants slung around his hips.

Hudson bent low and lifted her up in a rush, her legs hooked over his arms, his cock laying hot and heavy at the lips of her sex. “Tell me to stop and I will.”

“Don’t stop.” She was breathing hard, panting with need. “Please . . .”

With that he thrust deeply, entering her on a solid stroke, then stilled. If he moved he was going to be royally fucked. She felt so good, too good. Perfect. Like he was made to be inside her.

“Oh, God.” She sucked in a sharp breath and shuddered. “You’re so deep.”

Holding her effortlessly, he pulled out to the tip, then powered into her again. Picture frames rattled on the wall as he took over and over—harder, faster, deeper—fucking her like a man possessed.

Allie’s head rolled back against the wall. Her eyes drifted shut and her lips parted on a soft moan as her entire body began to quake.

“That’s it, feel it for me.” God, he loved seeing her like this. With her back arched, taking all he gave her, his name breathlessly rolling off her tongue.

Her core tightened around him and she cried out, the sounds of her orgasm a symphony as her nails scored his shoulders. The sweet lick of pain that spread across his upper back made him hungrier, greedier.

“Fuck, Allie,” he growled, unable to think past the sensations. His head dropped and he started to come, his cock kicking deep inside her as he pitched over the edge into his own release. Once the tremors subsided, he stilled, leaning heavily against Allie and breathing harshly against her neck. His broad palm smoothed down her thigh and carefully lowered one of her legs to the floor.

Her body sagged against his as she struggled to catch her breath. “That was . . .”

“Not my best effort.” He lifted his head and brushed her hair away from her face. “But Christ, Allie, you make me lose control like a goddamn teenager.”

Hudson cupped her jaw and kissed her softly, feeling his way across her lips. “I think a better demonstration of my skills is in order.” And this time he wanted to look into her eyes as she came.

Still buried inside her, he lowered his head and flicked his tongue reverently across her nipple before sucking it into his mouth. As he curled his tongue around the taut peak, he watched her teeth sink into her lower lip. Immediately, he felt himself begin to harden again.

Allie’s eyes widened and her breath hitched. “Already?”

“Oh yes.” Trailing both of his hands over the curve of her ass, he picked her up. In one fluid movement, he swept the mail off the console table and laid Allie out on top of it. His hand fell to the back of her thigh, lifting her into a deft roll of his hips as he pushed in deeper. “I have ten years of catching up to do.”

Chapter Twelve

The sound of a phone ringing ripped through the silence of Allie’s bedroom. Hudson slid his arm out from under her, reaching into the darkness to grab it before it woke the whole damn neighborhood. He was about to silence it when he saw the name on the screen.

“Nick?” He dropped his legs over the side of the bed and scrubbed a hand down his face, forcing himself awake. “What’s wrong?”