Embrace Me by Ann Marie Walker Page B

thirty thousand feet.” Her bright red lips curved into a knowing grin. “Twice.”
    Allie could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. On the upside, at least she’d managed to be a bit quieter the third time.
    â€œHey, no judgment here.” Harper held her hands up, palms out. “Seems those Chase boys are both a bit gifted when it comes to bringing out our more . . . vocal side,” she added with a giggle.
    â€œThanks, babe.” Nick came strolling out of the suite’s bedroom cocking a proud grin. He wore a white T-shirt along with a pair of tan cargo pants that hung loose around his hips, and his hair was still damp from the shower. In his hands he held a guidebook with several of the pages dog-eared. “Did you guys know this villa is where they filmed
Casino Royal
and
Ocean’s Twelve
?”
    â€œReally?” Harper asked.
    â€œYep,” Allie said. “And it was used as the planet of Naboo in the second Star Wars film.”
    Nick shook his head. “My brother, the Star Wars nerd. Has he asked you to wear the gold bikini yet?”
    Harper elbowed him in the ribs.
    â€œOww,” he said, playfully rubbing his side.
    â€œThere are some things we don’t need to know, Nick.”
    He chuckled to himself as he made his way to the wet bar in the corner of the suite. Harper waited until he was out of earshot before leaning closer to Allie. “You can tell me later,” she whispered.
    â€œSo where is that brother of mine anyways?” Nick asked. He cracked open a bottle of water and flopped on the sofa next to Allie.
    â€œNot sure. He said he had a few last-minute details to go over with the catering director.”
    â€œYou know, if world domination ever gets old, Hudson could always come work with me at Better Start,” Harper said. “The man definitely knows how to throw a party.”
    â€œYeah, about that,” Allie began. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.” She’d barely gotten the words out of her mouth when her phone sounded with the alert she’d designated as an incoming text from Hudson.
    Meet me on the dock in 5. Bring my brother and the redhead.
    Allie rolled her eyes. So formal. But she’d no sooner had the thought when her phone chimed in her hands.
    What are you wearing?
    She smiled. Hudson Chase could do romance like nobody’s business, but he was still a red-blooded male with a one-track mind.
    Jeans and my Wellesley sweatshirt , she typed in reply. While some might have called her favorite sweatshirt faded and worn, Allie preferred broken in and well-loved. Ninety-five perfect of her life was spent in skirts and heels. When she could let her hair down, or in this case pull it up into a ponytail, she went full tilt and her cozy Wellesley sweatshirt was her go-to choice.
    Bubbles filled the screen as Hudson began to type. I see. Seems it’s true what they say about old married couples. Next you’ll be telling me you have a headache.
    She knew he was teasing, of course. There was nothing Hudson liked more than seeing her lounging in comfortable clothes, except maybe peeling her out of them. Still, he drove the point home with an emoji that had one eye closed and its tongue sticking out. Hudson texting naughty versions of Shakespeare was one thing, but when he used acronyms, or god help her, emojis, she couldn’t help but laugh. This was his playful side, the one others so rarely glimpsed. But while to the outside world Hudson remained the sometimes overbearing, often over-the-top yet always in control CEO, with Allie he had the chance to let his guard down, to relax and to be himself, even if that meant amusing his wife with ridiculous emojis. Well, two could play that game.
    I didn’t say anything about what I was wearing underneath , she typed, adding a purple devil emoji.
    The reply came almost instantly. Tell me more.
    She had him hooked; now it