But instead of the comfort of her husband’s arms, she would have to settle for a hot shower and a mug of her favorite green tea. She bent to pull a T-shirt and a pair of flannel sleep pants out of the dresser drawer, and when she turned toward the bathroom, she had to stifle a scream.

Hudson stood just inside her bedroom door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He’d changed out of his jacket and tie and now wore a quarter zip fleece along with a baseball cap pulled down low over his brow.

“You just . . . you changed . . . and I wasn’t expecting you . . .” Her heart and mind still raced from the shock. “How did you get in here?”

He tossed the cap on her nightstand and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “I came up the back. Julian’s guys aren’t hard to spot. Their car is right out front.”

“I think obvious is the point. He wants me to know he’s watching me, which is why you can’t stay.”

“The hell I can’t. I haven’t slept with my wife since our honeymoon, if you can even call it that.” He yanked both the fleece and his shirt over his head in one move, revealing the hard contours of his pecs and the ripple of his washboard abs. “Once this mess is over, I’m taking you on a proper honeymoon, somewhere warm and tropical. No clothing required.”

The sight of Hudson’s bare chest combined with the thought of lounging naked with him on a sandy beach distracted her, and before she even realized what was happening, he was completely naked. She drank him in from head to toe, her gaze lingering on the erection straining toward her in a mouthwatering display of virility and desire.

“See something you like, baby?”

She looked up to find his brow arched and his mouth curved into a wry grin. “You know I do, but . . .”

“I’ll leave in the morning after your tail has followed you to work. But for now, I want to make love to my wife and fall asleep in her arms.”

There was no point in fighting him. Not when what he was offering was exactly what she needed. “You’re a persuasive orator, Mr. Chase. A master of linguistics, one might say.”

He licked his lips as he sauntered across the bedroom. “Oh, Mrs. Chase, you have no idea.”

Chapter Twenty-six

Allie had never liked Monday mornings. Not as a little girl being chauffeured to school, and not as a grown woman commuting to work. But Monday mornings were especially brutal when you had to leave Hudson Chase asleep in your bed. Naked.

The image of him sprawled across her mattress had stayed with her all day. With one arm thrown over his head and one leg bent to the side, all six foot three inches of him were a sight to behold. But it was the nine inches laying heavy across his lower abs that had her wanting to crawl back into bed. She would have given anything to draw the curtains, turn off the phones, and spend the entire day showing her new husband just how much she craved him. But instead she merely pressed a soft kiss to his forehead as she was about to head out the door.

He’d blinked up at her, his gorgeous blue eyes cloudy with sleep. “Come back to bed,” he’d drawled.

“I need to head to work so the dynamic duo out front will leave their post.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost seven. I wanted to clear out so you’d have time to stop at the penthouse before your first meeting.”

A slow, sexy smile had formed on his lips. “Which isn’t until nine.” He’d reached for her but Allie held her ground, knowing if she indulged in even a moment, she’d have been there for the day. He’d reluctantly agreed when she reminded him that he needed to add a meeting with Max to his morning agenda, but made her promise they’d find a way to spend at least part of the evening together. The naughty words he’d growled on her way out the door had her counting the hours, and when the clock finally read six, she was more than ready for a secret rendezvous.

The phone on her desk rang as she was packing up her things. After the third ring she called out to Colin, but when he didn’t reply, she picked up the line.

“Alessandra Sinclair,” she said, her own name suddenly sounding all wrong. It had only been a little over a week since she’d married Hudson, and even though no one else knew, she already thought of herself as Alessandra Chase. Allie Chase, if truth be told. Hudson had told her he wouldn’t argue if she wanted to hyphenate, but taking his name suited her just fine. As soon as they went public with the news, she planned on changing it.

“We need to meet.” The sound of Julian’s raspy voice sent a chill down her spine.

“Fine,” she agreed. As much as she hated the idea of seeing Julian, she had been wondering what excuse she was going to give him for meeting. He was too clever to ever implicate himself in her parents’ murder over the phone. The fact that Julian was requesting a meeting meant there was one less piece of the puzzle that needed to fall into place. She cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder and opened the calendar on her laptop. “When?”

“Now.”

“Now?”

“I spoke English, Alessandra. Surely you understood.”

“I just thought—”

“I don’t need you to think,” he interrupted. “I need you to do as you’re told. There is a car in front of the building. Don’t keep me waiting or I may use the time to renegotiate our terms.”

The line went dead. Allie’s mind raced. She and Hudson had agreed Max would orchestrate the meet with Julian, and she’d promised to follow his instructions to the letter. But she hadn’t expected Julian to contact her again so soon, and his less than subtle threats didn’t really leave her much choice in the matter. She had to meet with him. There was no guarantee they’d have another chance to speak privately.

Allie drew a deep breath through her nose and tried to focus. She needed to be ready in case Julian implicated himself. Her phone had the ability to record audio, but the last time he “requested” her presence, his goons had confiscated it. In all likelihood they’d do the same thing again. She needed another option.

A thought occurred to her as she gathered her belongings and headed for the door. When she reached the reception area, Colin was back at his desk.

“Everything okay, Boss Lady?”

“Yes, I just have a late appointment and I’m in a bit of a rush.”

He frowned at his computer screen. “I don’t have anything on your calendar.”

“Yeah, sorry, forgot to mention it.” Allie shrugged into her coat. “Don’t know where my head is these days. Hey, do you have your digital recorder handy?”

“Sure.” Colin slid his desk drawer open and pulled out the device. It was even smaller and thinner than she remembered. Perfect.

“Oh, and a pair of scissors?”

He grabbed them before closing the drawer. Curiosity was written all over his face as he handed her both items.

“Thank you,” she called over her shoulder while hurrying down the hall. If she’d lingered any longer he would have asked questions she neither had the time nor ability to answer.

In the elevator she fired off a quick text to Hudson, cringing when she pressed send. There was no doubt he was going to be livid. But there wasn’t time for him to set a plan in motion, and she didn’t even know where the car was taking her. She would have preferred calling him, to have heard his voice and reassured him with hers, but she had to stash the burner phone before she reached the lobby.

She used the scissors to make a small slit at the bottom of her purse, concealing the burner phone beneath the lining and piling her wallet and makeup on top. She slid her other phone into her coat pocket, keeping it easily accessible should the driver ask for it.