“The room doesn’t get much use unless Nick’s here.”

She looked up at him, surprised.

“If I’m home, I’m working.” His mouth curved into a knowing smile. “With the exception of this weekend.”

Hudson leaned his hip against the side of the pool table, casually crossing his arms as he watched her move farther into the room. She smiled back at him before turning her attention to the mahogany bar. A flat screen television was mounted to a stone-covered wall behind the bar, flanked on either side by glass shelving with enough high-end liquor to stock Tavern for the weekend. In front of the bar two leather chesterfield sofas sat facing each other, and on the wall across from them hung a dartboard worthy of any Irish pub. A giggle escaped her lips as she pictured the boy who’d tried to impress her by besting a game of carnival darts on his brother’s behalf.

“Something funny, Alessandra?”

“I was just remembering that carnival dart game. The look on your face every time you had to hand over another dollar.” She giggled again. He must have gone through a week’s worth of tips that night.

“You think you could have done better?” he asked, pushing away from the pool table and sauntering toward her.

She shot him a teasing grin. “Well, I think I could have popped three green balloons in less than an hour, that’s for sure.”

Hudson cocked his head to one side. “Less than an hour, eh?” It was a rhetorical question, one he considered for a moment before strolling over to the board and lifting the six darts from their holes. “A game of Five-O-One?” He smirked as he approached, offering her three of the darts, feather tip forward. “You don’t even have to beat me in less than an hour.”

She tilted her chin up, holding his stare as she took the darts from his hand. “Challenge accepted.”

He smiled down at her, his eyes shining with amusement, before tucking his darts into the back pocket of his jeans and heading for the bar. “Would you like another glass of wine? I can open a bottle.”

“Trying to get me drunk? Compromise my abilities, perhaps?”

“Simply being a good host.” He feigned politeness, but she knew it was an act. If there was one thing she’d learned about the modern-day version of Hudson Chase it was that he would go to any lengths to get what he wanted. But he was about to find out that he wasn’t the only one who played to win.

“I’ll take a bottle of whatever you’re having.”

Hudson’s brow shot up. “Well, you’re full of surprises today, aren’t you?” He yanked open the glass door of a fridge displaying rows of every beer imaginable and grabbed two Heinekens. “Would you like a glass?” he asked, popping the tops off the green bottles.

“Nope, bottle’s fine. Maybe some music?”

“Won’t break your concentration, will it?”

She could see he was fighting a smile. We’ll just see who’s laughing when this is over. “Appreciate the concern, but I think I can manage.”

“U2 okay?”

“Perfect.”

He reached for a remote control and a moment later “Mysterious Ways” filled the room. She watched him move toward her, Allie’s senses bombarded by the seductive beat of the music and the mesmerizing swagger of his walk. By the time he was standing in front of her, she’d completely lost her train of thought. He offered her one of the bottles and she took a long sip.

Hudson gestured toward the dartboard. “Ladies first.”

Allie nearly choked on her drink as she recalled Harper’s oh-so-tactful mention of that same phrase. After wiping her mouth, she set her beer on the bar and took her place in front of the board. She planted her feet solidly on the floor and raised her elbow to take aim, only to have Hudson walk up behind her and snake his arm around her waist.

“Oh no, baby, from back here,” he said, tugging her farther.

She couldn’t say for sure, but she suspected he’d pulled her far beyond the regulated distance. A devious smile formed on her lips. Perhaps she’d give him something to think about during his first toss, even the playing field a bit. Her hips swayed in his grasp as she shimmied against him to the beat of the music.

Hudson groaned. “Keep doing that and this is going to be a very short game.” He gave her ass a quick smack before strolling over to the bar and sliding onto one of the padded leather stools.

Once again, she positioned her feet. Raising her right arm, she released the dart in a smooth motion, breaking out in a wide grin when it landed in the inner ring of the ten. She tossed the next two in quick succession. One landed on the outer ring of the eight and the other squarely in the nine. “I believe that’s fifty-five points for me, Mr. Chase.” She stepped aside, motioning for him to take his turn before retrieving her darts from the board.

“Well done.” Hudson took a drink from his beer before setting it on the bar.

“Thank you.” She waited for him to take his place before continuing. “It’s all in the fingers, you know.” He raised his arm, but his gaze drifted to her hands as she absentmindedly slid a dart between the pad of her thumb and her fingertips. His eyes flared ever so slightly before refocusing on the board. “How you grasp the shaft,” she added when he began to throw.

The dart slipped from his hand, landing haphazardly on the two. Hudson turned to face her and raised a brow. “We’ll test that theory later with a demonstration.” Recovering, he tossed the next two darts with milder success, landing the second on the fifteen and the third on the outer ring of the six. “Twenty-nine points,” he said, pulling his darts out in quick jabbing motions. “You’re up.”

Allie was enjoying every moment of his torment, and when her next turn yielded an inner five, a straight-up three, and a bull’s-eye, she had to fight the urge to break into a happy dance. As it was she clapped her hands together and grinned like a fool. “Yes!” she yelled. “Sixty-eight points.”

“Lucky toss,” he mumbled as she sashayed passed him.

She pulled two darts out of the board and then paused with her hand on the one in the bull’s-eye. Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled innocently. “Do you want to get this one? See what a bull’s-eye looks like up close?”

Hudson moved into position. “Savor it. May well be your last.”

Allie leaned against the bar, sipping her beer and taking a moment to admire the view. Nothing beat the sight of Hudson Chase’s ass in a pair of tight jeans . . . except maybe naked . . . his muscles flexing . . . her heels urging him deeper. . . .

“Like what you see?” he asked.

Her head snapped up to find him grinning at her like the Cheshire Cat, and her cheeks burned crimson. Ignoring his question, she turned her attention to the board where Hudson’s dart had landed on the outer twenty. She heard a low chuckle just before he tossed the next dart. It landed on the inner fifteen, followed quickly by the third, which landed on the eight.

“One hundred and two,” he announced. “It’s all about not jerking the release and following through.”

She smirked at him. “Oh, don’t you worry, I wouldn’t dream of jerking a release.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up and he shook his head.

“Well done, by the way.” She added his score to her mental tally. “Although I’m still in the lead.” She raised her elbow, preparing to take her next turn, when he came up behind her.

“Not by much.” His hands moved over her hips before pushing between her thighs, widening her stance. “Spread your legs for me,” he murmured. Her breath hitched and she felt him smile against her temple. “Thatta girl, now you’re in the correct position.”

The hard ridge of his arousal pushed into her behind and Allie felt a hot rush between her legs. She wanted to push back, grind herself against him, but he stepped away. “Whenever you’re ready,” he said.

She raised her arm, inadvertently shifting her weight to one foot and dropping her shoulder. The dart arched upward and landed so weakly that it barely managed to cling to the board. Allie frowned over the measly three points.