She felt her face turn bright red, although for the life of her she had no idea why she was suddenly so embarrassed “Oh, um . . .”

Realization dawned and Hudson grinned from ear to ear. “Why Miss Sinclair, you didn’t come to my penthouse wearing nothing but your birthday suit and a cashmere coat, did you?”

Her hands went instinctively to the lapels, pulling them more tightly closed. “Well . . . I . . . you . . .”

His blue eyes glowed with mixture of amusement and astonishment, but that wasn’t what drew her stare. It was the hard ridge of his arousal straining against the front of his drawstring pants that commanded her full attention. “Why the hell didn’t you say something sooner?”

Before she could form an answer he pounced, tackling her to the bed.

Allie laughed as he rolled her beneath him. “I take it you approve?”

The buttons of her coat opened one by one under his dexterous fingers, and within seconds she lay exposed to his hungry gaze. “Damn right I approve.” He dipped his head and fluttered his tongue across her nipple.

Her breath caught as the sensation echoed throughout her core. “I thought you were hungry?”

His eyes flicked up to hers. The look he gave her could have scorched timber. “Starved,” he said, before sucking the taut peak into his mouth.

***

Allie sat on the floor amid rolls of foil paper, ribbons, and tape. She’d just added the finishing touches to the box that held Harper’s gift and was taking a moment to admire her handiwork.

“You know I had an entirely different idea for that ribbon when I bought it.”

Allie looked across the living room to where Hudson stood, hanging the last of the ornaments on the tree. They’d spent the first half of the day trimming the tree together, but after lunch she’d left him to his own devices and set up an impromptu wrapping station in the middle of the floor.

“Behave. We are seriously behind schedule thanks to this morning’s delay.”

He paused with his hand in midair and lifted a brow. “Delay?”

“Granted it was an amazingly mind-blowing delay, but still.”

He chuckled. “Are you familiar with the television show Friends, Alessandra?”

“I’d think long and hard about making a Monica joke if I were you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Especially not after that obvious innuendo.” His back was to her as he hung the last ornament, but she could tell by the sound of his voice that he was smiling. She loved this side of him, so relaxed and playful. And for the hundredth time that day she vowed to do anything to ease the suffering she’d witnessed that morning.

“Would you like to put the star on top?” he asked.

“It’s your home, Hudson. You should do the honors.”

“Yes, but it’s our tree.”

Our tree. She liked the sound of that. So much so she couldn’t hide the ridiculous grin that spread across her face as she clamored to her feet and made her way to where he stood, holding the gold star.

“What are you smiling about?”

“You. Us. This.”

“How very specific.”

“I’m happy. An emotion I didn’t think was possible this holiday.”

He handed her the star and went to fetch one of the dining room chairs. “Speaking of the holidays,” he began. His tone was meant to be light but it sounded almost nervous. “I was wondering . . .”

“Yes?”

Hudson set the chair down beside her. “I was wondering if you’d like to spend the holidays with me and Nick. I mean, it won’t be anything as elaborate as what you’re probably used to, but we could go out, or have dinner here, open presents.” He shrugged. “That sort of thing.”

She’d never seen him so flustered. It was downright adorable. “Sounds perfect. I’d love to spend the holidays with you and Nick.”

He smiled, then offered his hand to steady her as she climbed onto the chair. She still couldn’t reach the top. The tree hadn’t looked nearly this big at the lot. Of course there it had been in the shadow of one that stood fifty-feet tall. She stretched on tiptoe to reach the top and had no sooner set it in place when she lost her balance. Hudson caught her as she fell back into his arms. He held her cradled against his chest, rather like a groom carrying a bride across a threshold. She laughed at her own clumsiness and braced herself for Hudson’s inevitable quip.

But when she met his gaze she found his expression somber. “It would have killed me if you’d married him today.”

His ardent declaration and the thought of how close she came to losing him forever caused a lump to form in her throat. Her fingertips stroked his cheek. “I love you, Hudson.”

He dipped his head, kissing her sweetly, almost reverently, before setting her on her feet. “So, what’s next on the never-ending list?”

She smiled. In spite of his Grinchlike exterior, Hudson was enjoying himself. He was just too proud to admit it. Or maybe he just enjoyed teasing her. Either way, she was having more fun than she’d had in years. “I need to put the last batch of cookies in the oven. Why don’t you build the pyramid?”

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?” he said dryly. “Perhaps I’ll put that ribbon to good use after all.”

“If that was supposed to be a deterrent, it failed.” She sashayed to the kitchen, swinging her hips in an exaggerated motion. The groan from the dining room confirmed it hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Allie shook various colors of sugar crystals onto the last batch of cookies and then placed the tray in the oven. When she turned back around Hudson was sitting at the dining room table, sorting the delicate wood carvings now piled in front of him. As she watched him assemble the base of the pyramid, she was struck by how the scene would look to any outsider. Hudson working on a project while she fussed about in the kitchen. It was downright domestic, and so. . . . so . . . She searched for the right word to complete her thought before finally settling on normal, because this was what normal couples did on the weekend. It felt right, the two of them spending a quiet Saturday together, and yet strange. They had an undeniable connection, but there was still so much they didn’t know about each other. Even more she didn’t know about him.

Images from earlier that morning flooded her mind. To the rest of the world Hudson Chase might have seemed the always-in-control CEO, master of not only his own destiny, but so many others as well. Underneath that perfect exterior, however, was a man with demons that surfaced when he was asleep and at his most vulnerable. Having seen the effects firsthand made her desperate to help him. But to do that, she’d have to get him to open up to her, and that would take time. Based on what little she knew, she suspected it had to do with some trauma from his childhood, something even worse than what he’d already shared. But what could be worse than losing his mother to a drug overdose and his younger brother to a system that shuttled him from one foster home to another?

“What are you thinking about over there?” he asked.

Allie met his curious stare. “Hmm?”

“You’re frowning. Is there some kitchen crisis that needs to be averted?”

She gave a small laugh and shuffled the decorating supplies on the granite counter. “No, just wondering if I bought enough icing for the cookies.”

Hudson shook his head and smiled as he turned his attention back to the small pyramid taking shape on the table in front of him. The second tier was in place and he was about to add the third. “You do realize there will only be the three of us?”

“Yes, I know that.” She rolled her eyes, knowing full well he couldn’t see. “I just want to make this special for Nick. And you,” she added quietly.

His gaze flicked up to meet hers and his eyes softened. “It will be special because you’re here. The rest of this,” he waved his hand vaguely through the air, “while appreciated, is inconsequential.”