Rinsing quickly, she turned off the water and reached for a towel. She wrapped it tightly around her and wandered over to the vanity, examining herself in the mirror. Not as bad as she expected considering she’d hardly slept the night before. In fact, her cheeks seemed to have a nice glow to them. She pulled the clip from her hair and ran her fingers through her curls. She could survive without makeup or hair products, but she would kill for a toothbrush. She opened the top drawer and eyed Hudson’s. Oh, what the hell, after everything else they’d done, what was the harm in sharing a toothbrush?

When she was done she put it back in the drawer, idly taking note of the other items. Toothpaste, floss, a travel-size bottle of mouthwash. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to suggest a woman stayed over on a regular basis. Then again, Hudson didn’t strike her as the type to have a pink toothbrush lying next to his. No, if anything, he probably had a supply of extra toiletries on hand like the front desk of a five-star hotel. Without thinking she opened the tall cabinet to her left. More of the usual suspects—shaving cream, razor, deodorant—and all of the male variety. No tampons, eye creams, or scented lotions. She shook her head. Get a grip, Allie. She needed to stop acting like a jealous girlfriend and find something to wear.

Hudson wasn’t exaggerating when he said he had a closetful of shirts for her to choose from. Dozens of crisp dress shirts hung on racks above a row of dark suits that stretched from one end of the closet to the other. She selected a white linen button-down and rolled the sleeves to her elbows. The shirt fit her like a dress, but she wasn’t entirely comfortable running around Hudson’s apartment without panties despite the pleasurable outcome when making breakfast. She found a pair of his boxer briefs in one of the drawers and slipped them on. Great. Now what?

Allie wandered back into Hudson’s bedroom, wondering how much longer he’d be tied up on the phone. She sat on the edge of the bed and her eyes shifted to his nightstand. Harper’s voice echoed in her mind. I bet he’s kinky, too. Unable to help herself, she casually slid the top drawer open, bracing herself for what she might find.

Exhaling, she almost laughed at herself. What was she expecting, a crop and a flogger? Damn Harper and her crazy books. There was, however, a rather large box of condoms. Allie felt an unexpected pang of jealousy before telling herself in no uncertain terms to get over it. The man obviously entertained his fair share of women and he swore he’d always been safe. At least until it came to her. She should have been relieved to see the proof of his precautions stored conveniently at his bedside. So why did the thought of it bother her so much?

Her gaze drifted around the room and a door she hadn’t noticed before caught her eye. Curious, she opened it to find a fully stocked wet bar that connected to Hudson’s office. Like his bedroom, the office was decorated in dark, oversize furniture. A polished mahogany desk sat facing a marble fireplace and two wingback chairs, while floor-to-ceiling bookcases lined three of the walls.

Hudson sat in a black leather chair facing a breathtaking view of North Michigan Avenue. With his back to her, Allie was afforded a quiet moment to observe the CEO in action. She was certainly no stranger to powerful men, having been around them her entire life, but as she listened to him she realized there was something inherently different about Hudson Chase. It wasn’t so much the actual words he spoke—she’d overheard talk of mergers, deadlines, and stop orders more times than she cared to remember—but the way he said them. When Hudson issued a directive there was an indisputable finality. As if the person on the other end of the line had no choice but to follow his instructions to the letter. And it was in the way he carried himself. Yes, he was gorgeous, sophisticated, and undeniably sexy. But that was what you saw on the surface. Allie had only known this new version of Hudson for a few weeks, yet already she could tell there was something deeper, something darker even, that commanded the respect of most everyone he encountered.

His chair spun around and his eyes met hers, tracking her every move as she slowly crossed the room and rounded his desk. She drank him in from head to toe. Feet bare and hair still damp from his shower, he looked relaxed and casual in jeans and a gray cashmere sweater, a total contradiction to the person speaking instructions into the phone.

Hudson reached for her and ran his hand up her bare thigh, his eyes flaring when he realized she was wearing a pair of his boxer briefs. He smirked and shook his head. Pressing the phone between his shoulder and his ear, he leaned forward and swept the underwear down her legs. She watched him with a growing fascination, seeing both her playful lover and the powerful executive. The combination took her breath away.

His hand glided up the inside of Allie’s thigh, his fingers teasing her as they slid back and forth between her silky folds. She stifled a moan as first one finger and then another moved in and out, again and again. With his eyes locked on hers, he removed his hand from between her thighs and sucked his fingers into his mouth. Allie’s lips parted on a silent gasp. His eyes gleamed wickedly as he responded to someone on the other end of the line. “I want to double those numbers by the end of next week.”

Oh, so that was the game he was playing? Allie took his smug grin as a challenge. Turned on and wanting more than just the brief touch of his fingers, she climbed into his lap. Her feet barely touched the ground as she straddled him. She reached for the button of his jeans and toyed with it, searching his face as she tried to gauge his reaction. His eyes darkened, giving her all the encouragement she needed to unzip his fly and free his erection.

Allie never broke eye contact as she positioned herself above his thick length. Hudson swallowed hard as he watched her grasp the back of the leather chair and lower herself onto him, inch by delicious inch. The feel of him filling her was incredible and she had to resist the urge to groan at the sweet invasion.

Leveraging against the back of the chair, she rose up and down in a slow, fluid movement. Hudson bit back a hiss and gripped her waist. He tried to hold her in place but she rocked her hips, riding him with each silent glide of the chair. Up and down. Over and over. He glanced down to where they were joined, struggling to maintain his composure and keep a level voice as she tortured him with each measured stroke.

“Update me on Monday,” he bit out, grinding back on his molars and practically throwing the phone in its cradle. “Fuck, Allie.” He groaned and took her mouth with a furious need, his tongue moving fast and hot as it slid over hers. His hands were splayed, palming her behind as he rocked her in a strong and dominating rhythm.

Capturing Hudson’s face between her hands, Allie held his mouth to hers as he worked her up and down. Her hands raked into his hair and she cried out into his mouth, her muscles clenching as an intense orgasm rolled through her. A groan vibrated in the back of his throat, mixing with her cries as his hips pumped up, riding out the spasms of his release.

Allie collapsed against Hudson’s chest for the second time in as many hours. She lay there for a long while before regaining the ability to speak. “Sorry to interrupt your call,” she finally said, her breathing still erratic.

“Don’t be.” He buried his nose in her hair. “You can top me like that anytime.”

Confused, Allie lifted her head. “What?”

“What you just did, always a welcome interruption. Encouraged even.”

“Are you finished?”

He flashed a salacious grin. “For a few minutes anyway.”

“No.” She rolled her eyes. “I meant are you finished with your work?”