THE QUALITY OF the tenuous dawn light tells me the storm outside has passed. The fantasy exceeded my expectations, but today is a new day. My stomach sinks, emptiness creeping in. I watch Hudson sleep for a few indulgent minutes, my pulse a confused riot.
His long, sooty lashes form dark crescents on his cheeks, giving him an air of boyish innocence at complete odds with the ruthless sex god who pleasured me over and over. I kind of knew he’d be a phenomenal lover, even three years ago. But what I couldn’t know then, what I’ve rarely witnessed since, is how playful and relaxed Hudson can be. I saw it last night in how he ran me a bath full of bubbles and then climbed in too. How he sent out for burgers when my stomach growled at two a.m., how he invented a new game called ‘lick poker,’ the rules of which are still hazy but basically involved his tongue worshipping every inch of me regardless of what cards were dealt.
This new side to him steals my breath.
He spent all night winning his little orgasm game until, spent and exhausted, I conceded the fight, surrendering my body to his whim so he could wring a string of climaxes from me as ruthlessly as he wrangles billion-pound deals.
And now, our one night is over.
Almost.
I want to stave off reality a little longer. Otherwise guilt over Sterling, doubt over the risk we took with Bold and worry for our ongoing relationship will spoil what was a night to remember.
I gently shuffle down the bed, careful not to wake Hudson. He’ll be insufferably smug if I allow him to end our night together on the high point that was my last—almost coma-inducing—orgasm. Just because he’d turned our chemistry into a seduction challenge doesn’t mean I can’t snatch the final victory.
Under the sheets his cock is semi-hard, a sign that he’ll soon be awake and that my time to exact revenge is dwindling. I press my lips to his silky crown and suck in the musky, manly scent of him. His penis is a work of art—proud and thick. His body twitches in his sleep and I fly into action, my determination to win ramping up my excitement.
I grip his length and take him into my mouth. My tongue laves his head as he grows steely in my hand. My command over his powerful body floods me with triumph.
His hand finds my head, his fingers curling into my hair reflexively as he mumbles sleepily and incoherently. I toss the sheet aside and look up. His eyes are still closed as he clings to the last vestiges of sleep. Time to up the ante.
I scrape my nails along his hard thighs and suck harder. His gasp shoots adrenaline through my blood. His eyes fly open, landing squarely on mine before taking a frantic tour of my mouth wrapped around him.
‘Dove... Fuck, what are you doing?’ His voice is thick with sleep and vulnerability. Awake, Hudson would never allow anyone to see him that way. Pangs of privilege shift in my chest. He’s always in control, so to have him at my mercy sends flutters of longing through my core.
I don’t want to stop. I simply smile around him and hum low in my throat to let him know I’m enjoying myself and fully intend to see this through to the end.
He’s alert now, pushed up on his elbows to take in the view. His hair is deliciously bed-rumpled, his sleepy stare shot through with desire. I cup his balls and his hips jerk off the bed. Oh, he’s sensitive. I like knowing his tiny weaknesses, because the Hudson I’ve known for the past five years rarely displays any chinks in his armour.
His thighs spread wider, his cock jerking in my mouth. I grip his shaft and angle him up so I can take him deeper, an act that draws a long, sexy groan from his throat. But his eyes never leave mine.
This power is addictive. This time I’m going to win, and I’ll enjoy every minute.
‘Dove.’ His voice breaks, a husky warning. ‘I’ll come in your mouth...’
I know from watching him come inside me four times last night that he’s close. I answer with my eyes and my determined sucking. I want him undone. At my mercy just as I was at his last night, with his mouth on me, his length inside me and his talented fingers stroking my body into eager submission.
His hips thrust in time with my bobbing head. He can’t keep still. Even when I’m on top, taking charge, he needs to dictate the pace. That’s Hudson. He’s an alpha.
But it’s my turn to out-seduce him.
I drag my nails up the ladder of his abs to his ripped chest and over his tight nipples while my mouth works him. He grunts. His abs contract. His hands fist in my hair. Fire burns in his eyes.
My heart rate starts its victory lap as I moan out my encouragement. He tries to stave it off. I see the fight in his stare. But I’m too good, too tenacious, and it’s too late for him to win this round. He roars my name and comes in my mouth, his climax making every muscle in his body tense.
I flop down beside him with a huge grin on my face, allowing him a few seconds to catch his breath. ‘I win. I think it’s only fair if the loser gets breakfast.’
Who knew the delicious little pleasure game he started could be so much fun?
It’s almost a shame the sexy challenges must end...
But the shift in weather heralds a new day. We had our night. Now it’s time to return to being business partners.
A violent hollowness rips through my chest. I hide my disappointment by burying my face against the side of his neck. Great sex coming to an end is regretful. But I’ll survive.
He scoops an arm around my waist, hauls me over him and cups my face. I’m pulled down to his kiss, which is as deep and passionate as if he hadn’t just come like a freight train.
‘That was a fantastic way to wake up.’ His sexy voice buzzes against my lips, the tingle transmitted to my nipples.
‘You’re welcome.’ I bite my lip to stop myself from kissing him, hoping to wean myself off quickly and painlessly. ‘I couldn’t have you thinking you’re the only winner around here. It’s not healthy for your ego.’
He chuckles. ‘Ah...the lengths you’ll go to keep up with the pack never ceases to amaze me.’
I drop my chin to my crossed hands, which are on his chest, and laugh. ‘I grew up fighting to keep up. Besides, maybe I lead the pack. Did you think of that?’
‘When it comes to wake-up head, I’d say you do.’ His deep voice rumbles through his chest.
The same urge to snuggle that I had in front of the fire last night roars to life.
To banish the sensation I cannot indulge, I pinch his ribs and roll off him, glancing at the clock on the bedside table. ‘Want to join me in the shower? We’re tight on time.’
Nothing to do with how you’re struggling to keep your hands off, or the fifty-nine minutes we have left before usual business resumes.
He nods and we pad there together, sharing a series of goofy grins. An unforgettable night will do that. And that’s all it can be.
I flick on the shower and swallow the hot ache in my throat I hadn’t expected. Maybe it’s just endorphin addiction. All good things must end, especially this. We’re business partners. There are three of us in that relationship. We can’t afford to allow sex to disrupt the good thing we’ve built together.
And yet it already feels complicated. I don’t want to hurt Sterling and I know Hudson doesn’t either. But in the cold light of day this deception feels somehow seedier. It negates the years of hard work, compromise and communication Sterling and I put in to keep Bold together after our divorce.
No. It was just one storm-bound night. Temporary madness never to be repeated or confessed.
I glance at Hudson, his glorious body wet and his hair slicked back. Does he too have regrets?
I shiver, helpless to resist him when he reaches for me and drags me under the spray, crushing me against his solid body. Even his cock is impressively hard again. His desperation to squeeze the last minutes of pleasure from our time together is perhaps as fierce as mine. He backs me up against the glass and kisses me until I’m gasping and light-headed.
Who knew Hudson could be the whole package? Attentive and caring as well as a first-class lover. His commitment avoidance is the only downside.
Shit, I need to pull myself together. I don’t need dangerous thoughts like that in my head. I know how hard it is to find the one. I’ve been searching for my Prince Charming ever since Mum first read me Cinderella. I’ve already had my fingers burnt in love.
I gently shove him away and reach for his luxury body wash, which smells heavenly and is clearly the source of his usual yummy scent. I douse myself, noting the brand so I can purchase some when I’m back in London—a reminder of this insanely hot night. I tip some over his chest and we massage the suds over each other’s bodies in slow, sensual swipes that feel more like foreplay than washing.
But there’s no time. I can’t chair a meeting flushed with arousal and wearing last night’s clothes.
‘I need to pop back to my hotel before the meeting,’ I say, my body reacting to his caresses with disconcerting eagerness. ‘I can’t meet with Kunosu Tech wearing my ripped skirt.’ I don’t mind chairing the meeting—funding start-up companies is my favourite part of investing. There’s just so much drive and potential.
I clear my tight throat, telling myself how much I value my business and both of my partners. I need to stay grounded. That’s what I tell my greedy body, which pulses with need for one last dose of Hudson’s addictively good touch.
He steps close again, pressing his soap-slicked body to mine and his lips to my neck. ‘Don’t worry.’ His mouth moves over my skin, enticing more ripples through my core. ‘I had your suitcase brought over from the hotel.’ His fingers latch between my legs and he strums my clit so I forget today’s schedule, forget the ticking clock, forget how to breathe.
‘You think of everything.’ I gasp as he centres that ferocious need between my legs.
He cups my cheek, directing my eyes to his, which are intense with hunger. ‘I was thinking of you. All night.’
‘Thank you for the suitcase,’ I whisper, shocked still by his admission. I tell myself it’s only the same consideration I’d show him.
‘My pleasure, Dove. Anything I can do to make your trip memorable and comfortable, just ask. Day or night.’
My throat closes, a stinging sensation building behind my eyes. He keeps this side of himself well hidden. Is that because my history with Sterling makes us an established team? When the three of us are together, Hudson often withdraws, leaving Sterling and me alone. Or has his caring side always been there and I’ve never looked hard enough?
Overcome with a frenzy of confused emotions, I grip his face and bring his mouth back to mine.
‘I can’t stop touching you.’ He nuzzles my neck and palms my aching breast.
‘Me neither.’ I sigh, my hands roaming his strong back and tight backside. But we’ll need to find the strength to stop soon. Sterling will be in London next week for Mum’s memorial, which Hudson wouldn’t normally attend. He’s joining us there for a few days, given Sterling couldn’t make Tokyo, so we must appear normal when all three of us are together.
Fresh guilt grips my stomach. With any other man apart from Hudson, my ex-husband would never enter my mind after a one-night stand. But our past, our secret little triangle, complicates things.
I drop my head to Hudson’s chest and hold him tighter. Sterling can’t know about this. I can’t hurt either of them like that, because I’m certain there’d be a devastating fallout. Things could never be the same again. I might lose them both.
‘We have about fifty minutes until our meeting.’ I’m not sure which of us I’m reminding.
He pulls back and looks at me as if this hasn’t occurred to him. As if he’s forgotten last night was stolen time. My heart thumps with urgency. There’s a big part of me that wants to do it again and again. The fire between us is in no way extinguished. Can we pretend that we don’t burn? Pretend that we haven’t explored every inch of each other’s bodies? Pretend to work alongside one another with only professional and platonic thoughts?
‘Well, in that case...’ Hudson drops to his knees and guides one thigh over his shoulder. His mouth covers me, his stare blazing with that ruthlessness he applies to every challenge.
I surrender one last time.
Shingo and Yumi Kunosu, the brother-and-sister team at the head of a Tokyo-based tech company, impress me the minute they enter Hudson’s office. As they pitch their business to us through an interpreter on Hudson’s staff, I listen with admiration at what they’ve achieved alone, which has earned them a chance to share their ideas for expansion with Bold. The company develops technology algorithms directed at machine learning, language processing and deep learning. I can never hope to understand those concepts beyond a basic level, but their enthusiasm is contagious.
Only Hudson seems immune.
Kunosu’s directors won’t be aware, but his usual energy has dropped. Surprising, given this type of company is where his interest lies. It could be a result of how little we slept last night. Perhaps he’s just testy because he’s struggling to move on, as am I. Just one more time has been playing in my head all morning. But I know Hudson well enough to see it’s something more.
He glances my way and all traces of warmth—professional or otherwise—are absent.
‘We’re looking to invest in high-demand products,’ he says to Shingo and Yumi. ‘What kind of traction has Kunosu Tech had so far in the market and how do you differ from other companies in the field?’
His perfectly reasonable questions are standard, ones the duo would be expecting and no doubt are prepared to answer. Questions I’d ask myself, if Hudson hadn’t.
He rolls a pen between his fingers, a tiny tell that speaks to his tension. Prickles of apprehension buzz over my skin. Something’s bothering him, even though he invited Kunosu here. It’s as if I can hear the cogs of Hudson’s mind working at about ten percent their usual level. Where’s his enthusiasm? His instinct? We’ve both read the company portfolio—Kunosu is on the rise and we’d be stupid not to play a role in its assent.
We normally find a way to iron out any professional differences of opinion with clear communication. Only we shunned ‘professional’ last night.
This feels personal.
I half listen to Yumi and Shingo answer, my spirit dampened by my partner’s apparent reticence. I adore helping people achieve their dreams. My mother founded her own company when I was a young girl of eight. She’d spent many years raising her large family, so when her own aspirations came to fruition it brought her to life in new ways.
I still recall the celebration dinner we had as a family the day she secured an investor to help get her organic wholefoods business off the ground. The smile on her face as we’d toasted her success is one of my most cherished memories, along with the countless afternoons helping out at her shop after school. Coming from my big family, and Mum giving me my first job, helped me to discover my sense of belonging. It gave me the confidence to fail, knowing I had a safety net under me.
I slide a glance Hudson’s way, my mind sparking with the possibility that his hesitancy may be linked to regrets about last night. Because, where this morning in the shower he was the most emotionally open I’ve ever known, now he’s not only the ruthless, calculating businessman I admire, but it also feels like we’re no longer a team. He’s withdrawn. I’m on my own.
This was the risk involved in crossing that line.
To banish the I told you so in my head, I ask my own question, letting my partner see my interest. ‘How do you work as a team? Any sibling rivalries that get in the way?’
The air between Hudson and I on the opposite side of the conference table crackles with discordant energy. Vetting Tokyo business is his turf, but he allowed me to sit in on this interview. He even invited me to lead the meeting with his sexy stunt. Why is he letting what happened last night interfere?
Yumi and Shingo smile and make appropriate answers that leave me thinking about my own siblings and the ongoing working relationship I have with my family, given we now collectively run the business our mother loved.
I’m keenly aware of Hudson’s stillness, which seems brittle to my highly attuned senses and drags me from my memories. He has no faith in the family unit, and my chest aches for what he’s been denied in life.
But this is business.
Kunosu Tech is exactly the sort of company we can take global with the right management and with Bold’s connections.
The meeting comes to a close and we say our goodbyes—warm and encouraging on my part and stilted and awkward on my partner’s. Hina, Hudson’s personal assistant, escorts Yumi, Shingo and the interpreter from the room.
As the door closes behind them, I spin slowly to face Hudson, my stomach knotted with anticipation of a confrontation.
‘I like them. A lot.’ I return to the conference table and gather their company portfolio together for something to do with my hands. ‘What did you think?’
I wish I didn’t need to ask.
He retreats behind his desk, unbuttoning his jacket and hanging it over the back of his chair. ‘Mmm... I think their turnover projections made no sense. That makes me wonder what they’re trying to hide.’
I knew his heart wasn’t in it. My energy drains away, my body dragging. ‘Seriously... Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid? Why would they waste our time like that? We’re not naive amateurs. They’d know we’ll do due diligence before making a decision to invest. I think we could squeeze them a little on the equity stake too, and the growth potential is obvious.’
He watches me in silence, his expression blank. My ire grows, heat rising like mercury in a thermometer.
I push on with my argument. ‘I respected their determined passion. Loved that it’s a family business. This is exactly how I want to spend my investment dollar, because with sufficient funding they’ll grow as a company and grow together as a family.’
Just like we did after Mum died. We might have lost her guiding light, but we still had a part of her to give us a common cause. I believe my brothers and sisters needed that as much as I did after her sudden death. Continuing her work strengthened us.
Hudson’s eyes narrow, razor-sharp. ‘You know I’m not sentimental in my business approach. The risks need to be stacked in our favour or there’s no point investing, in my opinion.’
I snort. No one could accuse Hudson of sentimentality. But I bristle at his inference. ‘I’m not being sentimental. Allowing my emotional intelligence into my decision-making process is what gets me out of bed in the morning, what makes me love my work. I go with my gut. There’s nothing wrong with that. And you’re usually the person taking the biggest, ballsiest risks.’
I can’t help but think he’s being more bullish and uncommunicative than usual. What’s changed?
‘There’s nothing wrong with trusting your gut, but I prefer to put my faith in the figures.’ His mouth tightens with obstinacy. ‘Families argue. Become dysfunctional. Grow estranged. I’m not interested in watching that kind of dynamic sabotage what, as you point out, could otherwise be a highly profitable business venture for Bold.’
I understand his viewpoint, given his childhood. He’d once hinted at the number of foster homes he’d bounced between growing up—Sterling and I had been horrified and frankly a little speechless. But now his hesitance forces me to read between the lines. Would this perfectly standard business discussion, this minor difference of opinion, have mattered as much yesterday? Before we introduced sex into the mix?
I soften my tone in deference to his past experiences. ‘Many family-run businesses are hugely successful. Family loyalty can be their strength. This one has the clear and impressive management structure we normally look for.’
From where I’m standing, Hudson is being unreasonably prejudiced. It’s as if he’s determined to restate his commitment avoidance for absolute clarity and he’s using his reluctance to invest in Kunosu to make his point.
I stare him down, my pulse leaping. ‘Is there something you’re leaving unsaid? Are we just talking about business, or is there some hidden meaning I’m supposed to decipher? I’d rather you just spit it out. You’re acting weird.’
He rolls up his shirtsleeves and loosens his tie as he paces towards me with barely leashed purpose.
‘Weird?’ His face is a cool mask.
‘Yes.’ I fist my hand on my hip. ‘All morning you’ve been unusually quiet. Hesitant. Withdrawn. Is there something you want to get off your chest? About the sex, perhaps?’
He steps closer. I’m hit with the warmth from his body and his familiar scent. My mind helpfully provides images of him in the shower: on his knees, his mouth between my legs, and then later thrusting into me where I was pressed against the tiles.
‘Nope.’ His sensual lips emphasise the ‘p,’ drawing my attention to his mouth and the hundred kisses we shared last night. ‘I’m perfectly happy with the sex.’
I look away. ‘Good.’
I’m determined not to think about it. As great as it was, look where it’s brought us. ‘Because for a minute during that meeting it felt as if you were reminding me you’re a lone wolf.’ I snort. ‘I get that, believe me.’
Were we naive to think we could continue as if it had never happened?
‘Just because I’m thorough about the numbers adding up?’ Mild irritation narrows his eyes but he smiles. The effect is so Hudson, who does whatever the hell he wants. ‘That’s just good business. The reason you and Sterling came to me in the first place when you wanted a partner.’ His inflexible stare shifts over my face.
He’s right. We’d used the trust fund Sterling inherited when he turned twenty-one and my nest egg from the dividends of my shares in Mum’s business to make our first few investments. We were young, enthusiastic and smart enough to see the benefits of a partnership with a man making a name for himself.
‘I agree, and if that’s all this is about then we have no quarrel.’ It’s usually easy to laugh off his arrogance or calmly fight my own corner. I’m a sole woman in partnership with two big dogs. But, today, his attitude is grating on my nerves. It seems like a front to something deeper.
And, despite what he’s just said, the only thing that’s changed is the sex. It’s as if, having given in to our chemistry last night, he’s determined to retreat to a place of comfort and safety, even if it’s professional caution.
My stomach pinches with regret. Things are awkward now, muddy and murky. I feel as if I need to check myself before challenging him in business. I wonder if his motives around the investment are purely profit-driven, which normally I wouldn’t question.
His decision-making process invariably boils down to maximum growth potential for his equity share. It’s what makes him so successful. But sometimes I wonder if he misses the human angle. The potential in people.
‘I just don’t want us to write off investing in any company that happens to be family run. My family is a good example of how to work together successfully.’ I swallow hard, defensive. I’m proud of us. ‘Claire and Jeremy run the day-to-day side of things and Elliot, Brie and I are silent shareholders. We all manage to act in the best interests of the company our mother loved. Not everything is about the bottom line.’
I’m not expecting the wobble in my voice. I blame fatigue and the constant ache of missing my mum. She kept our family together, was both a wise and sympathetic shoulder to cry on and our biggest advocate. I tilt up my chin and hold his stare to hide my vulnerabilities from the man I’ve just shared an intense night with. Am I surprised he won’t believe that sometimes the best things come out of relationships between people who share a common goal? I’ve known him for five years. He’s always lived alone. He holidays alone. He’s never once accepted an invitation to spend Christmas with Sterling or me.
Acknowledging my part in ruining what was yesterday a perfectly harmonious business partnership, I take a deep breath and back down. ‘I think I need some fresh air. We’ve been cooped up in here for too long.’ I tuck my laptop into my bag and offer my most Zen-like smile. ‘Let’s park this discussion until we can patch in Sterling for his input.’
At the mention of our third partner, the room falls into an uncomfortable silence. I shove my arms into my coat, cursing my timing at mentioning my ex’s name. Bringing him up—a reminder that any investment over seven figures into a single company requires unanimous sign-off by all three of us—feels as though I invited him into the bedroom last night.
‘Yes.’ His tone is brittle. ‘Thank goodness there are three of us.’ His eyes glitter, as if he’s no longer talking about business.
I stare, my body doused in chills. Our trio has never attracted personal tensions before. Sterling will surely put two and two together as soon as he sees Hudson and I together, given that a simple everyday business discussion is awkward as hell.
Should we keep our fling a secret or come clean?
I clear my throat, desperate now to get some air, and some perspective on the implications of our changed dynamics. ‘As you say, perhaps Kunosu’s financial reports will remove the need for further discussion.’ I sling my bag over my shoulder.
‘I’ll organise my car to take you to the hotel,’ he says, retrieving his phone from his pocket.
‘Please don’t. I want to walk.’ I smile, regret driving me to get away from him. Perhaps I’m just tired. Jet-lagged. Stir-crazy.
He looks as if he wants to argue, but only says, ‘Are we still on for saké tonight?’
I breathe through the tightness constricting my throat. I want to nod, to declare I’m looking forward to some downtime during my remaining four nights in this fabulously vibrant city. Instead I hold back. Each second I delay pulses through me to the tips of my toes. Can I spend platonic time with him, or have we broken our easy friendship and camaraderie too?
My silence has stretched way beyond comfortable.
‘We didn’t sleep much.’ I button my coat. ‘I’m going to have a long soak in the bath. Can I let you know after that?’
No one is more disappointed by my hesitation than me, but I need some time away from him and his uncompromising masculinity to gather my thoughts. To reset my mind to our post-sex reality. To refocus on work and to detangle personal feelings from our professional relationship.
‘Sure.’ He shrugs. ‘I’ll be here.’ He presses a chaste kiss to my cheek and moves back behind his desk.
On heavy feet, I wheel my small case to the lift, wondering where, in the short time from the shower this morning to now, we went so horribly wrong.