Embrace Me (8 page)

Hudson cranked the throttle on the handlebars. The waverunner sped over the water and crashed through the waves as they neared the coast of the secluded island. He glanced over his shoulder at Allie for a split second, but that was enough time to get a look at his beautiful wife. Her long blond hair was tangled in the salty sea air. He wanted to touch it, run his fingers through it, and inhale the scent of it. And that wasn't even the half of it. Her face was filled with excitement, her skin a glowing bronze and the freckles across her nose more prominent from the sun. Her hazel eyes seemed to be memorizing everything, and her perfect lips . . . damn, he wanted to kiss her. And each meter they traveled brought him closer to being able do just that. To touch her, kiss her, bury his cock deep inside her. Hudson shifted in his seat. The damn thing was beginning to strain the front of his shorts. He was such a bastard.

Focus, Chase.

He turned his attention back to their destination. In the distance he spotted a small cabana draped in white fabric that was wafting in the tropical breeze.

Allie lifted her arm and pointed to the beach ahead of them. “That's it,” she said, leaning closer so as to be heard. She nipped his earlobe and a groan that rivaled the roar of the engine vibrated in Hudson's chest. She'd been teasing him relentlessly with subtle touches and gentle nips, but the biggest torment of all was her tight-lipped approach to whatever she had planned to celebrate his birthday. Hudson hated surprises almost as much as he hated his birthday. He wanted it to pass like any other day, without having to blow out candles while being serenaded with that frickin' “Happy birthday to you . . .” horror. Nick had already sent him one of those jibber-jabber e-mails with bobbleheads singing some version of that ridiculous song, but he'd made Allie promise not to utter one solitary note. No “He's a Jolly Good-fucking-Fellow” either. She'd reluctantly agreed, but there was a good chance she'd had her fingers crossed behind her back.

Although as far as birthdays went, he had to admit this one was his best by far. Even the ride out to the private patch of sand had been one to remember. They'd gone screaming fast at first, a stomach-in- your-throat joyride that had Allie clinging to him and laughing her ever-loving ass off. After a while, she took the helm and squealed as the wave runner took off like a shot. She'd zigzagged through the water, leaving whitewash in their wake, then flipped wide donuts at a breakneck speed that left Hudson praying for his life, his head, the family jewels—anything the heavens could protect. But he'd hung in there with a grin plastered on his face because rocking back and forth while sucking his thumb wouldn't have been very romantic.

Once Hudson was back in control he'd kicked it down a couple notches, and the two of them took their time enjoying the scenic route the resort had recommended, which turned the twenty-minute straight shot into an hour-long tour. Not that he gave a shit. Even as impatient as he was, spending time alone with Allie was pure fucking bliss, so he'd cooled his jets and let them enjoy the ride.

The string of islands was a sensory overload of the magnificent kind. In order to describe the place, he'd need to use every word known in the thesaurus and that still wouldn't do it justice. The water was remarkably clear, so clear he could see the rainbow-colored coral reefs beneath them that were home to over a thousand species of fish. They'd bobbed in the open water for a while and watched them ebb and flow in schools—butterfly fish, angelfish, and Oriental Sweetlips fish. Hot damn, that last one looked as if it had gotten its lips stuck in a vacuum. One of the many species of dolphins that inhabited the surrounding ocean glided by, and the gill-bearing schools darted in opposite directions in an orchestrated water ballet. He had wound them around ebony rock, sand bars, and patches of land with coconut palms growing out of any available space. He'd rolled them over sweeping swells with sea life going along for the ride, including a couple majestic sea turtles that flapped their powerful flippers alongside the wave runner. In her excitement, Allie had stood up for a better look, nearly sending them both into the water.

With the exception of the wildlife, they were alone and untouchable, which was just how Hudson preferred it. He didn't want their honeymoon to end. He loved having Allie all to himself, and their impending return to Chicago would mean he'd have to share her with the world again.

As if reading his mind, Allie pressed in against him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. He could feel the warmth of her skin and smell the coconut from her sunblock. Hudson gripped the handlebars and hit the gas, propelling them toward the beach. He cut a path through the water, steering into a crystalline lagoon. A tropical vista appeared as if curtains had been pulled back to reveal a paradise of swaying palm trees and a sugar-white beach.

Hudson downshifted and smoothly careened them toward the shore. With a slight tap of the gas he accelerated and beached the wave runner. After killing the engine, he reached down and took Allie's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. At the same time, she pressed a tender kiss between his shoulder blades.

“Well, here we are, another island,” Hudson said dryly.

“Getting island fever already?” Allie swung her leg over the waverunner and planted her feet onto the ground.

“Never, baby,” Hudson said as he dismounted the craft. The fine grains of white sand were soft as silk beneath his feet. He ran a hand back through his hair, sweeping a few pieces out of his face as he took in his surroundings. The smell of the ocean and the exotic flowers were intoxicating. In fact, the islands were quickly becoming his drug of choice, second to his wife.

Mental note: Follow up with the realtor ASAP. He was where-do-I-sign sold.

Hudson deliberately pressed his hips against Allie's body and brushed his lips across her mouth. “Unless you're tired of being trapped in paradise with me. Or seriously unimpressed with my bedroom skills.” He knew she was bound to get distracted, and with any luck her brain would be wiped clean of all the birthday crap. So far he'd escaped the day without any mention, let alone party hats and balloons.

Allie looked over his shoulder at the cabana, then met his stare. Her mouth curved into a wry grin. “Maybe you could refresh my memory.”

“With pleasure.” He dropped another kiss to her mouth. “I'll get the bags.”

Allie started up the beach while Hudson pulled the waverunner farther up on the sand so that it wouldn't drift out with the tide that slowly rolled around his feet.

“Oh,” she hollered from halfway up. “I almost forgot. Happy birthday.”

“Ah, shit,” Hudson groaned under his breath. Like hell she forgot; he was on borrowed time when it came to delaying the inevitable. Any hope that she'd ditched the birthday efforts was flushed down the toilet.

“It's just another day on the calendar,” he shot back, then flipped opened the compartment underneath the wave runner's seat. Inside was a small cooler that held a couple bottles of chilled white wine and some water, along with what appeared to be a picnic meal prepared by the resort's staff. Other than that all he found was a mesh bag containing snorkeling gear.

Hudson shut the compartment and made his way up to the thatched roof cabana where Allie was surveying the setup, no doubt running through a mental checklist of everything she'd specified: rustic cabana with daybed, pillows and cascading curtains; white, plush towels rolled up in a wicker basket. There was a silver wine bucket in close proximity and a picturesque view in three hundred and sixty degrees. It was perfection. He couldn't have mastered the details any better himself. Except . . .

“Seems you've thought of everything”—he lifted a brow—“but the swimsuits.” He set the cooler on a small bamboo table and dropped the snorkel gear on the ground.

Allie tried her best to act nonchalant, but she lost the battle and her mouth turned up in a mischievous smile. “We won't be needing any.”

“Is that so?”

“Not a stitch.” She swept her linen blouse over her head. Her bra was next in line. “The island is ours for the day. The best diving, snorkeling, and . . . underwater adventures.”

“Decency laws, Alessandra.” But damn if he didn't want her to become more indecent.

“Don't extend to private islands.” Her hands went to the top button of her shorts and down they went. “Besides, we're all alone.”

Fuck. Hudson stood there with a case of the struck stupids while his hard-on kicked behind his fly. Dropping trou was going to turn his cock into a sundial, but to hell with it. In one swift move, he stripped out of his shorts and kicked them aside. His cock sprang free and jutted out from his hips. Yeah, it was about half past one.

Allie's gaze raked over him and her jaw went slack. Sweet hell, he could practically feel her mouth wrapping around his dick. With his eyes locked on hers, Hudson took a slow predatory step forward. Allie's lips curved. She let out a giggle, turned on her heel, and made a run for it toward the water.

“Oh, Alessandra, you know what happens when you taunt me.” Quick as a flash, Hudson lunged forward, hot on her trail.

Splish-splash
,
splish-splash
. Allie's feet hit the water first, then his. It was shallow for a few feet then dropped off, plunging them both into the water. The warm rush hit his cock, and sweet hell if it didn't feel like a lover's hands. Her hands, or her soft lips. He began to rethink this whole naked thing as his erection just wasn't cooling its jets. Not to mention he was liable to keep Allie on her back and knees, or have his face buried between her legs, all day and night.

Hudson emerged from the water and caught Allie around the waist as she popped up. He took her mouth and thrust his tongue between her lips, their kiss flavored with the salt of the sea. Her arms looped behind his neck and her fingers teased the hair at his nape. He pulled her closer and she made a soft moan as she went lax against his body. She was his wife, his best friend, his lover, and his most valued treasure. She was the one who gave him strength in his most vulnerable of times, and who silenced the memories that haunted his mind. She had in a sense freed him from the darkness. They had freed each other.

“What's next on your agenda?” Hudson asked when he broke their kiss. Allie's lips were swollen and her cheeks flush, and not from the warm water.

“To see if things really do look larger under the water,” Allie teased as she shifted a hand down between his legs.

“Funny, Mrs. Chase. Perhaps we should see if I could fuck you while treading water.”

“We'll get to that. But first . . .” Her hand fell away. “This island is supposed to be the best place to snorkel in all the Maldives.”

“Snorkel?

“That's right, Birthday Boy,” she said before swimming toward the shore.

“What's with the sudden fixation with sea creatures?” He watched the sway of her hips as she made her way onto the beach, then added, “And we are not observing my day of birth.”

“Too late,” Allie called out over her shoulder. She ducked into the cabana, and when she returned she was—yup, still buck-ass naked. Wearing nothing but a suntan and a smile, she strolled back toward the water with the mesh bag of gear in her hands, and all at once snorkeling sounded a lot more appealing. Amazing how even the simplest activity took on a whole new pleasure when done naked.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the clear cyan-blue water admiring the life thriving beneath its surface. The richness and variety of color was astonishing; coral walls, magnificent caves, and schools of brightly hued tropical fish. In the deeper waters lurked manta rays, and Allie's new favorite animal, the sea turtle. But while their underwater habitat was beautiful, it paled in comparison to his beloved. The late-afternoon sun's flickering glow highlighted her naked curves, making her impossibly breathtaking.

Once back on dry land, they feasted on the picnic the resort had packed and lounged on the oversize cabana bed, greedily touching and kissing each other as the setting sun turned the Indian Ocean into a shimmering waterscape. Bathed in the soft glow, Hudson and Allie were stretched out in a tangle of sheets, arms, and legs. In front of them the tide surged onto the beach in a luminous foam while a warm breeze rustled the palm trees and sent petals from exotic flowers scattering across the sand. His hands worshipped her as they caressed her soft skin—from the gentle slope of her breasts to the curve of her hips—with a control that was in direct contrast to the erection pounding between his legs.

Allie's body began to tremble with anticipation as Hudson kissed his way down her neck, nipping and licking his way closer to the taut peaks of her breasts. He brushed his lips across the tips, then tugged a straining nipple between his teeth. A soft gasp escaped her mouth and her hands raked over his back, pulling him closer as he savored one nipple and then the other—sucking, lapping, and biting.

Hudson lifted his head and stared at Allie with an intense focus. “Today has been amazing, but this is all I wanted,” he said. In the light from the setting sun he could see the depth of her emotions written all over her delicate features. Sometimes “I love you” could be said without speaking a single word. Just one look or a small touch was all that was necessary to express a feeling that stirred the deepest part of your soul. The scary part was how the intensity could fill you with joy or damn near break you in half.

His broad palm swept down her legs. “I want every inch of you.”

“I'm yours, always,” she whispered.

Sealing his mouth over hers, his tongue dipped into her mouth with deep, lush glides. He wanted to take his time, hold onto this moment, and commit every detail to memory. But he was also an impatient man with a primal and emotional need to connect with her on the most intimate of levels. With necessity fueling his desire, he entered her on a solid stroke, then stilled.