“Care to enlighten me?”

“No.”

Allie gaped at him as he casually set the wine bottle back in the ice bucket and went about the business of finishing his meal.

So it’s like that, is it?

Deciding the best reaction she could give him was no reaction at all, Allie chose to feign complete indifference, despite the fact that every nerve in her body had sprung to life wondering what he had planned for their transatlantic flight.

Very slowly she wiped her mouth with her napkin and piled it in top of her plate, along with the silverware.

Hudson paused with his fork in midair. “Did you not enjoy it?”

“It was delicious. I’m just not very hungry,” she added with a sweet smile. “But take your time. I’ll read up on some of the sites.” She leaned down to grab the tote bag stowed under her seat and pulled out a guidebook on Italy. Settling back against the soft leather seat, she flipped through the pages, not even sure exactly what she was looking for until she found it.

Oh yes, this will do nicely.

“Too bad we’re not staying in Venice for New Year’s Eve,” she said as nonchalantly as possible.

One dark brow lifted. “Why’s that?”

“Sounds like they have a pretty amazing celebration at the Piazza San Marco.” She turned the book toward Hudson to show him the page that had caught her eye. In the picture, hundreds of couples were shown locked in a steamy embraces as fireworks exploded over a clock tower in the public square. “Apparently the Venetians take their midnight kisses very seriously.”

“So it would seem.” His eyes were lit with amusement.

Allie reached for her glass and took a large sip of the dry white wine. Knowing Hudson was watching her every move, she purposefully licked her lips before turning her attention back to the tourist guide.

“They call it the communal kiss,”she said, then began to read the description from the book. “The communal kiss in Piazza San Marco hosts hundreds of visitors filling the square to enjoy music, toasts, fireworks, and the midnight kiss! What is more fun than kissing amongst strangers? Plus, the body heat is a quick way to get warm.”

“Body heat?” Hudson chuckled. “All things considered, I’d prefer to enjoy your body heat in a hotel room with a bedside view of the fireworks.”

“But then we’d miss out on the other tradition.”

“And that would be?”

Allie lifted the book high enough to hide the smile that tugged at her lips as she continued reading. “And don’t limit yourself to just one kiss. Grab a stranger and embrace other die-hard romantics in this gesture of brotherhood on the last day of the year.”

From the other seat came nothing but silence. Allie lowered the guide and peeked over the top of the pages. Hudson was staring at her, his expression unreadable.

“Are you trying to make me jealous?”

“Not at all.” Allie pressed on, even though she knew she was playing with fire. “But you know what they say, ‘When in Rome.’” She gave a small laugh. “Or I guess in this case, Venice.”

He very precisely and methodically set his knife and fork on his plate. “Do you really think I would share you?” The scorching look in his eyes told her it was a rhetorical question. He held her gaze as his fingers found the clasp of her seat belt. After releasing the latch, he leaned closer until his lips brushed her ear. “I want you to go back to the bedroom,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll join you in a moment and when I do, I want you naked and waiting for me to fuck you.”

Allie’s breath caught at his unexpected command. It was demanding, authoritative, and hot as hell. Very slowly she rose from her seat. Her body hummed with anticipation as she made her way down the narrow corridor to the rear of the plane. As she suspected, the back of the aircraft contained not a boardroom, but a bedroom. It was small, the bed only a double, but it was luxurious, with a décor that reminded her of a five-star hotel. Crisp white linens covered the bed, and in the middle a long bolster in silvery blue and chocolate brown sat propped against white euro pillows. But as inviting as the bed looked, what caught Allie’s eye were the slats on the dark wood headboard. As she undressed, she wondered if Hudson’s plans included her cuffed or tied to them. The thought alone sent a shiver of desire down her spine.

She hung her clothes in the small closet and climbed onto the bed. The duvet felt cool against her bare skin, making her acutely aware of how exposed she was as she lay naked on the bed, waiting. And waiting.

It seemed like an eternity had passed when the door to the bedroom finally clicked open.

Hudson stepped into the room, closing the door and locking it behind him. His eyes glittered in the soft light, but he didn’t say a word as he slowly and deliberately worked the buttons on his shirt. Allie took the opportunity to drink in every detail, from the way his abs rippled as he pulled his shirttails free of his pants to the way his biceps flexed as he shrugged out of the sleeves. Watching Hudson Chase undress was its own unique brand of foreplay. But when he reached for the buckle of his belt, the show came abruptly to an end.

“Turn over.”

Without hesitation, Allie rolled onto her stomach. Behind her she heard the slow drag of a zipper and then a rustle of fabric. She knew he was naked and no doubt heavily aroused. Was he stroking himself as he watched her? The thought of him pleasuring himself while gazing at her caused a rush of warmth to pool between her already slick thighs.

“On your hands and knees,” he said in a voice so low and rough she could almost feel the vibration against her skin. “I want to fuck you facedown, ass up.”

The blunt, crude way he told her what he wanted set her blood on fire. As much as she loved when he was gentle and romantic, she couldn’t deny the effect it had on her when Hudson took total control. When he was like this he was the ultimate bad boy, every dirty fantasy brought to life.

The bed shifted behind her. “So beautiful,” he whispered. She felt his hands on her, smoothing up the back of her thighs and over her ass before coming to rest on her hips. He pulled her further down the mattress until her knees were at the edge and he was standing behind her.

Leaning in, his hand swept her hair to one side. She felt his open mouth drag across her bare shoulder, and when his lips pressed against her throat, she wondered if he could feel her pulse hammering inside her neck.

“Have you been thinking about me while you were lying here waiting, imagining all the things I might do to you?” He pushed her legs further apart and then his finger skimmed her sex. She heard his breath hiss when he discovered how wet she was. “Oh, I think you have.” His fingers circled her in a slow, measured caress. “You’re soaked for me.”

She didn’t need him to tell her. She could feel how wet she was by the way he slid through her slick folds. When his hand fell away she heard a quiet sound of appreciation. “And you taste so sweet.” The image of him licking her arousal from his fingers made her long to feel his tongue against her wetness, tasting her in wide, sweeping strokes.

But instead he continued teasing her quivering entrance with his fingers until her core clenched with need. She felt so empty, her body actually ached. Desperate to feel any part of him inside her, she pushed back into his hands. “Please, Hudson.”

“Hush,” he purred. “It’s a long flight, baby. We have hours.”

Allie couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her lips.

Hudson bent over her again and this time she closed her eyes, trying to focus on the sensations of the moment—his lips drifting over her skin, his hair tickling her back—and not the persistent throbbing between her thighs.

“Tell me, what is it that has you so greedy for my cock?” he whispered against her overheated skin. “Is it the anticipation that turns you on, Alessandra? Or is it being poised at the end of this bed, so open and exposed, knowing I’m about to fuck you good and hard?” His teeth grazed the shell of her ear. “Or is it both?”