I shivered as he caressed my clit with a long velvety stroke.

His head popped up suddenly. “Or would you rather I let you sleep?”

“No! Don’t stop.” I pushed him back down and stretched my arms above my head.

Hudson chuckled lightly. Then he attacked my nub with earnestness, in turns sucking and licking and swirling his tongue, exciting every nerve in my body. My insides clenched, and a trickle of moisture pooled in my channel. Overcome with pleasure, I wriggled underneath him, but his hands grasped under my thighs, keeping me still and at his mercy.

My breath came out in soft, jagged moans, and then in a gasp as his tongue moved lower, plunging into my hole. “Oh god, Hudson.” My hands flew to his hair. Though I’d never dream to control his actions—he’d do a much better job than I would—I loved pulling and tugging at his strands while he drove me mad with oral attention. While he fucked me with his tongue.

Then his mouth was back at my clit, flicking and dancing along my tight ball of nerves, and it was his fingers inside me, rubbing along my wall, stroking me in just the right place.

“Fuck yeah, right there.” My leg muscles tightened and my lower belly tensed as the pleasure built within me. The first wave of climax washed over me unexpectedly, much faster than I wanted it to.

“It’s not enough,” Hudson growled. “I need you quivering and out of your mind.”

I couldn’t argue if I wanted.

He renewed his assault with invigorated passion, adding a third finger, stretching and filling me with skilled strokes. He reached his other hand up to massage my breast through my clothes. I ached to feel him skin-on-skin but didn’t want to interrupt his rhythm to undress. Instead, I arched into his kneading palm while my hips bucked under his artful ministrations.

Damn, I was soaring again, so soon. My legs shook, my knees knocking against Hudson’s head as I tried to hold on. Then, with a half-sob, half-yelp, my orgasm burst through me. Stars shot across my vision and my entire body trembled while I came and came over Hudson’s hand.

He fed on me while I settled, teasing my pussy until the last waves of my release shuddered through my system.

“You’re welcome.” Hudson was up and off the bed before I could regain thought process.

I reached after him. “Where are you going? I need to return the favor.” Though my limbs were mush, and my mind already skirting the line between consciousness and post-orgasm coma.

“That wasn’t part of the deal. And besides, as incredible as that sounds, I have an early meeting to get to.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead. “What time did you get in last night?”

“Three-ish,” I mumbled, still in a haze.

Hudson pulled the covers over me. “Go back to sleep, then. I’m sorry I woke you.”

“I’m not.”

I must have dozed because Hudson had already showered when I finally got up and padded into the bathroom. I yawned a, “nice view” as I passed Hudson shaving in a towel at his sink.

“You slept in your clothes.”

“But I somehow seem to be missing my panties.” I flashed my bare ass to remind him. “And yeah, I was too tired last night to get undressed.”

He grinned. “You should have woken me. I would have helped.”

“Nah, you looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Trust me, it wouldn’t have been disturbing. It’s disturbing now because I can’t have you the way I want you.” His dark gaze met mine in the mirror. “I thought you were going back to sleep.”

“I will. Nature called.” And I wanted to see him. His phone call to Norma nagged at me, and, in an effort to take Lauren’s advice, I thought I should communicate my feelings about it. Hell, even without Lauren’s advice, I’d still be eager to confront him.

I started past him, figuring I’d talk to him when he was done in the bathroom. Or at least when he was dressed and the sight of his body with a measly towel around him wasn’t such a distraction.

But Hudson reached his arm out and caught me. “Hey.”

I could never resist his touch. I settled into his embrace, inhaling his just-washed smell.

He lowered a clean-shaven cheek to my head. “I missed you.”

I smiled against his chest. “I missed you too.” So much. Missed being in his arms, missed touching and cuddling, missed feeling like we were completely together and safe from the world.

My fingers trailed against his bare skin, and I felt the towel tent up between us.

“Christ.” Hudson pushed me away with a reluctant groan. “I want you, but I really don’t have time to deal with you properly this morning.”

“I wasn’t the one who woke me up.” I sighed, recalling the good-morning delight. “Not that I’m complaining.”

Hudson looked after me with clouded eyes. “Maybe I can be late.”

“No, no. You be on time like a good businessman.” I waggled a finger at him. “How about I follow you around while you get ready and we can just talk?”

“I’d like that. I’ve missed talking to you too.” He returned his focus to the mirror, applying cream to the still unshaven cheek. “Oh, I got your note you left with Celia’s business card. My lawyer said we should save anything we find like that. As potential evidence. So if you get anything else, let me know.”

“Believe me, I’ll tell you.” I sat on the edge of the tub and braced both of my hands on the porcelain at either side of me. “There’s nothing he suggests we can do about it, though?”

“No. Not yet.” His tone was more serious than I liked. “Are you sure you don’t want to leave town?”

“I’m sure.” But I did think about it for half a second. Getting away had its appeal. But being apart from Hudson was the last thing I needed at the moment. Especially with all the women in his life that wanted me gone.

My thoughts flashed again to the name I’d seen on his call log. “Though I bet Norma wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t around.”

“Norma again?” He grimaced. “What’s brought her up?”

“You’re going to laugh.” Or he was going to be pissed off. Taking a deep breath, I let it spill. “You fell asleep with your phone and I checked to see if you had gotten my text. Then…oh god, don’t hate me.”

“What did you do?” His tone was curious.

I lowered my gaze. “I checked your recent calls. I saw you talked to Norma.”

When I peeked up, I found he was smiling. “Let me guess—that bothers you?”

His amusement erased my hesitation. “You called her at eight-something at night. From your bed.”

This time, he laughed. “Come here.”

I didn’t move, infuriated by his response.

He composed himself and turned to face me, holding his hand out as he had before. “Alayna, come here.”

Sighing, I went to him. “I told you I was always going to ask about her.”

“Yes, you did.” Hudson wrapped his arms around my waist and settled his forehead against mine. “It was business. I needed to get some figures together for the meeting this morning, and the ones she’d sent me earlier in the day didn’t add up.”

“It was business,” I repeated, relaxing into him. “Always business. Always the excuse.” Asking him didn’t really make a difference. I knew what he’d say. But it would nag at me whether I voiced it or not. Speaking up gave me the chance to hear his story stay the same, one of the bonuses of communicating.

I pulled my head back to see his face and found his grin was back. “Why are you smiling at me?”

“Because I adore it when you’re jealous.” He circled my nose with his. “You know this.”

“Shut up. I hate it. I can’t believe you like seeing me crazy.”

“I like seeing that you care.”

I didn’t know if I should laugh or be concerned. Why would he need my reassurance? “I love you. You know that.” Hadn’t I proven that time and again?

“Yes, I know.” He tightened his grip around me. “Your jealousy shows me your words are true. It’s nice. Keep being jealous. Or crazy, if that’s what you want to call it.”

“You’re so weird.” I ducked away as he bent to kiss me. “You’re going to get shaving cream all over me.”

“I don’t care.” This time when he came toward me, I met his lips. He kissed me sweetly and tenderly, yet I could feel he was holding back, trying to not get carried away with his passion when he had a schedule to keep.

I wasn’t on a schedule though, and I liked kissing him. I put my hands around his neck and pulled him closer, deeper, moving my tongue in further to play with his.

He had to push me away. “I can’t have you this close anymore.” He swatted my behind as I walked back toward my spot at the edge of the tub.

“I’m sorry I snooped.” But I wasn’t all that sorry. Not anymore. It had earned me a fabulous make-out session that I didn’t regret in the least.

Hudson turned back to the mirror. “Don’t be sorry. You know I have no secrets.” He paused. “Well.” He kept his eyes down as he washed his razor. “You know I don’t care if you snoop.”

My stomach dropped, as if I was coming down the hill of a roller coaster. “What do you mean by that?” I moistened my suddenly dry mouth. “Do you have secrets you aren’t telling me about?”

Without looking up, he shook his head. “Of course not.” He turned to face me. “I simply meant that we can never know everything about each other. Can we?”

“But we can try.”

“Yes. We can try.”

We sat a few seconds in awkward silence with him leaning against the back of the counter and I on the edge of the tub. There was something more beneath his statement. Something dark and heavy. I was both drawn to it and turned off all at once. Maybe he was referring to the details of the things he’d done to people in his past. I’d heard some of his stories—none of them pretty. I never expected he’d share each and every past guilt. It would be cruel to want him to relive his pain. I certainly hadn’t told him every one of my past indiscretions.