Instead Hudson found himself kissing his new bride good-bye. Allie’s lips lingered on his for a moment, and a single tear slid down her cheek.
“Hey.” His voice was soft. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I know.” She lifted his hand and kissed his wedding band. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Mrs. Chase.” He mustered a reassuring smile. “Call me when you’ve arrived home.”
“Of course.” Allie slid into the backseat, and Hudson leaned down to press one last kiss to her lips before shutting the door. He knocked his knuckles against the roof, then watched as the car pulled away, taking his heart with it.
Chapter Twenty-two
Allie kept her head down as she made her way to the back of the conference room. Since they’d returned from Paris there had been plenty of occasions where she’d had to pretend Hudson meant nothing more to her than any of the other board members. But this time it was her husband who had just strolled into the room. The sight of him dressed in a navy pinstripe suit and wearing her favorite crystal blue tie hit her like a brick wall. Every instinct told her to go to him, to touch him, to kiss him, or hell, to even just talk to him. But she couldn’t, not without raising suspicion. So instead she turned on her heel, seeking refuge at the small breakfast buffet Colin had ordered for the morning’s meeting.
She felt Hudson’s presence as he drew closer, and by the time he was standing next to her, every nerve in her body had sprung to life. In a subtle move his fingers brushed the back of her hand as he reached for a coffee cup. “I missed my wife this morning,” he murmured, his voice caressing her heated skin.
Allie’s lips parted on a sharp intake of air. Hearing Hudson call her his wife was bittersweet, a double-edged sword that both warmed her heart and pierced it. Her gaze met his for the first time, but Ben Weiss walked up behind them before she could reply. Not that it mattered. The look in Hudson’s eyes told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“I believe we’re ready to begin,” Ben said.
Hudson and Allie took their seats at the opposite ends of the conference table. At times it felt as though they were in a scene from an old Western, locked in some sort of standoff at high noon; but Allie loved every minute she spent sparring with Hudson across the glossy mahogany. He would grumble about how she was the proverbial thorn in his side, but she knew he loved it, too. They challenged each other, brought out their best, and then took it to an even higher level.
If only the other board members saw it that way.
While Allie had enjoyed a sweet victory when it came to preserving the print edition of their flagship paper, most other votes hadn’t gone her way. For that she had two people to thank. One was Duncan Wentworth, a man with money older than most anyone else in the Chicago. Wentworth wielded an undeniable influence despite never having worked a day in his life, and he never missed a chance to patronize Allie’s efforts.
The other member blocking her at every turn was Melanie McCormick, a woman who’d earned her seat on the board through a string of successful divorces. To Melanie, the climb up the corporate ladder had come in the form of wedding vows spoken to men with ten times her net worth. Previous targets had been twice her age, but if her unabashed appreciation for Hudson was any indication, this time she’d set her sights on a much younger man.
Melanie slithered up to Hudson the moment the meeting ended. Having seen the same less-than-subtle maneuver played out at nearly every gathering, Allie had expected nothing less. But there was something different this time. Allie could see it in her eyes. Melanie was upping her game, and Hudson Chase was the coveted prize.
Allie took her time gathering her belongings until she and Hudson were the only two who remained. “What was all that about?” she asked as he strode across the now empty conference room.
“It seems our fellow board member has found herself without an escort for the Ingram Gala this weekend. She asked me to do the honors.”
“She asked you out on a date?” Allie squeaked.
“Don’t look so horrified, Alessandra.” Hudson smirked. “I’ve been told I’m quite a catch.”
“You’re a married man.”
He chuckled. “She doesn’t know that. But I doubt in her case it would make much difference.”
“That’s not making me feel any better.”
“I’m sorry.” His eyes were lit with amusement. “Although jealousy is quite becoming on you.”
Allie glanced down at her bare left hand. When she spoke her voice was barely a whisper. “I hated taking my ring off this morning.”
His gaze softened. “As did I.”
For a brief moment the world around them fell away and they were back in the candlelit barn. The intimacy that passed between them made her chest tighten to an almost unbearable ache. Hudson lowered his head, his lips inching closer to hers.
Behind them someone cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt,” Colin said.
Allie stepped back. “It’s fine. Just going over a few additional items,” she turned, giving him her full attention. “What’s up?”
Colin’s eyes darted to Hudson then back to Allie. Her assistant was far too perceptive to have missed what was going on. But he was also proving to be fiercely loyal. She felt confident he would never breathe a word of what he now surely suspected. “Detective Green is here to see you.”
“Show her to my office and offer her something to drink. I’ll be there in a minute.”
“Will do.”
“What’s that about?” Hudson asked once they were alone. The frown that creased his handsome brow revealed his unease.
“No idea. This meeting wasn’t scheduled.”
He gave a tight nod. “She has news then. She wouldn’t stop by to tell you things were status quo.”
“Do you think they’ve connected Julian to all this?”
“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. See what the woman has to say first,” he cautioned. “And call me as soon as she leaves.”
“Absolutely.”
They stared at each other for a moment more until Hudson blew out an exasperated breath and ran a hand back through his hair. “These platonic good-byes are growing tiresome.”
Despite her agreement, his frustration actually made her smile. “And if people knew we were married you’d what, push me up against the wall? “
“For a start.”
“I think I’m going to like working with my husband. With any luck this charade will be over soon.”
“One can only hope.” Hudson’s words echoed in Allie’s head as she made her way back to her office. Hope. It was what got her through the past few weeks. Hope they would finally be free of Julian’s threats; hope her parents’ murderer would be brought to justice; and most of all, hope that she and Hudson would finally have the future they never thought possible.
But when she stepped into her office, all hope faded. Detective Green sat in one of the chairs in front of Allie’s desk, her back straight and her expression grim. As had been the case every other time they’d met, the middle-aged woman was dressed in a conservative suit, and her sandy brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her green eyes still cataloged every detail of her surroundings, but when she met Allie’s questioning stare, her gaze no longer possessed the confident reassurance that had carried Allie through the darker moments of the investigation. This time her gaze was filled with nothing but apologetic disappointment.
She stood the moment Allie entered the room. “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”
“Not a problem.” Allie shook the detective’s outstretched hand, then rounded her desk. “I was hoping your visit meant there’d been a break in the investigation. But judging by your expression I’m assuming that’s not why you’re here.” She gestured toward the empty chair. “Please sit.”