His fingers flexed at his sides, but other than that he remained perfectly still. “This won’t be gentle,” he warned.

The rough, barely reined timbre of his voice made her core clench with greedy anticipation. She loved him gentle but she might have loved him wild even more. Because in those moments she knew he craved her with the same overwhelming desire she felt for him; knew he needed to be with her, against her, inside her, more than he needed his next breath. It was that knowledge that made the intensity of the feelings she had for him bearable. And it was what allowed her to trust him completely.

She lifted her chin. “Do it.”

He reached her in two strides, shoving both hands into her hair and tilting her head to the angle he wanted. His mouth covered hers, his skilled tongue invading, exploring, dominating. She clutched his hair with both hands and kissed him back, holding him to her as if he could somehow vanish into thin air.

“Too many clothes,” she breathed between desperate kisses. She shoved his jacket from his shoulders as he backed her against the wall of the small cabin. But when she reached for his belt he grabbed her hands, pinning both of them above her head with one of his while his other hand reached between her legs. With a tug he tore the scrap of lace away and then thrust two fingers deep inside her. Allie’s head fell back against the window on a low moan. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensations. The pulsing click of the wheels on the tracks, the howl of the wind rushing by the glass, and Hudson’s fingers pumping hard and quick into her quivering flesh.

“You want me.” The roughly spoken words were more statement than question, but she answered anyway.

“Yes. Now,” she panted.

He spun her, his weight pressing her against the cold glass, and she gasped from the feel of it on her overheated skin. It was dark outside the windows, nothing to see but the shadowed countryside lit by a sliver of moon. And no one to see them. Still, the thought of how they must look with Hudson’s body caging hers against the glass sent a thrill through her body.

“Ask me,” he growled.

“Please, Hudson, fuck me. Hard.”

He reached between them to unzip his fly and a heartbeat later he was grasping her hips and plunging forward, filling her in one long, punishing thrust. He groaned as he pulled out, then drove deep again and again. As promised, the sex was hard and fast. And exactly what she needed. The whole time his voice rasped against her ear, telling her how good it felt to push his cock into her, how he’d never been so hard, and no matter how many times he fucked her, it would never be enough.

His hand slid around her, his fingertips giving her the friction she craved. But still she wanted more. Mindless in her need to come, she arched into the glass, the rumbling motion of the train moving through his hand as he pressed hard against her sex. The rhythm of the metal moving beneath her while Hudson moved inside her was too much. Her legs shook and her fingers clawed at the glass, grasping in vain for something to steady herself as she spiraled into an orgasm that had her entire body quaking.

Hudson’s arm banded around her waist, supporting her weight as he drove to the hilt once more, then stilled. “Allie,” he cried out, her name a passionate plea as he emptied himself inside her. His head dropped to her shoulder, his breath heavy in her ear, his heart thudding against her back.

Unable to move, Allie lay limp against the window, her ragged breath fogging the glass. When she found the strength, she turned her head and pressed her lips to his temple. “You’re still dressed,” she murmured against his damp skin.

A deep chuckle vibrated in his chest. “Well then,” he said, turning her in his arms. “What are you waiting for?”

Chapter Twenty-seven

The early morning sunlight streamed through the window, waking Allie. As her eyes fluttered open she became aware of her surroundings: a too-tiny bunk bed in a small cabin, the floor cluttered with frantically discarded formalwear and the air heavy with the lingering scent of sweat and hard sex. A slow, sleepy smile formed on her lips. She couldn’t think of more decadent accommodations if she tried.

Hudson was still sound asleep with his head on her chest, one arm wrapped possessively around her waist and his legs tangled with hers. Allie loved these quiet moments before he woke. It was a rare occasion that she was up before him, but when it happened she relished the chance to focus on nothing but the feel of his body against hers, the warmth of his skin, the easy rhythm of his breath and the steady beat of his heart.

“Hmm,” a low sound vibrated in his throat as he began to stir. His arm tightened around her waist and he nuzzled her chest. “Something to be said for close quarters after all.”

Allie stroked her fingers down his back. “Good morning. Sleep well?”

“Surprisingly yes,” he murmured against her skin. His voice was rough with sleep, but his body was wide awake, an impressive erection already prodding against her hip. One hand palmed her right breast, his thumb brushing back and forth across the nipple, while his lips and tongue paid homage to the other. Allie’s back arched as his teeth nipped and his fingers tugged. When he bit down she groaned, the sweet sensation echoing through her core. He’d only been awake for a few minutes and already she was melting in his hands.

The solid weight of Hudson’s body shifted over hers and she spread her legs for him, wanting to feel him inside her despite the lingering soreness she still felt from the night before.

There was a knock on the door and Allie stilled. Hudson raised himself on one arm, no doubt ready to tell whoever it was to get lost. But after a second knock it became clear the sound was coming from the cabin next to theirs.

“Just a minute,” said a muffled voice on the other side of the wall.

Hudson looked down at her, clearly amused. “They didn’t invest much in sound insulation back in the roaring twenties, did they?”

Allie had expected Hudson to be annoyed, aggravated, or maybe even angry. But certainly not amused. She frowned, confused by his reaction until realization dawned.

“Oh, shit!” She clasped her hand over her mouth for a moment, then whispered, “If we can hear them, then . . . that means they heard . . .”

Hudson’s blue eyes gleamed as he nodded slowly.

Allie felt her face heat. “This is mortifying.”

He dipped his head to press a soft kiss to her shoulder. “Perhaps they just think you’re very religious.” She felt him smile against her skin as his lips drifted up her neck. “All those shouts to God and whatnot.” He chuckled.

Allie swatted him on the shoulder. “That’s not funny.”

“Oh, but it is.”

She pushed him back so she could look him in the eye. “And it doesn’t bother you in the slightest?”

The sound of squeaking cart wheels could be heard through the wall, followed by more muffled conversation.

“No, but the thought of our ever efficient steward interrupting for a breakfast delivery does.”

Oh jeez, as if she wasn’t already embarrassed enough. The last thing Allie needed was another “in flagrante delicto” moment with poor Andrew. “Let’s get dressed and head to one of the dining cars.” She managed to wriggle out from under Hudson, but when she tried to scramble out of the bunk his arm banded around her waist, pulling her back.