Release Me (4 page)

Wentworth let out a short, harsh laugh. “Planning events is hardly the same as running a multibillion dollar media conglomerate.”

“And being a three percent shareholder doesn’t necessarily qualify you to sit at this table, yet here you are.”

“Gentlemen,” Ben interceded. “Let’s try to stay focused on the issues at hand.”

“While I don’t agree with Duncan’s approach . . .” James shot his fellow board member a terse look. “The fact remains that Miss Sinclair, although quite successful in the endeavors she’s undertaken on behalf of our foundation, has little to no experience in these matters.”

“I certainly hope you’re not suggesting we turn the reigns over to an outsider?” a woman farther down the table asked.

Allie listened as the members of the board discussed the matter as if she and Hudson weren’t even in the room, let alone seated at the table.

“A member of the Ingram family has sat at the helm since this company was founded.”

“This is a matter of fiduciary responsibility, not nostalgia. There are shareholders to consider.”

“You’re assuming she’s even interested in the position.”

“Despite his obvious success, can we trust someone who came by their shares in such an unscrupulous manner?”

“Can we risk everything on a relative unknown all for the sake of bloodlines?”

The voices blended into a cacophony of chaos until one silenced the rest.

“If I may?” Hudson asked. His voice was calm and level yet demanded nothing short of full authority. “I believe I have a solution that will satisfy your concerns.”

“By all means,” Ben said. He gestured for Hudson to continue.

“I’d like to propose a temporary solution that would appoint Miss Sinclair and me as acting CEO’s.”

Allie had to make a conscious effort to keep her mouth from dropping open in shock. She stared at Hudson in disbelief as he outlined a very well-thought-out plan that would have the two of them working side by side at Ingram. This was no sudden inspiration. It was an ambush.

“We could reconvene shortly before the annual shareholder’s meeting in March,” Hudson concluded. “At that point the board can finalize their decision.”

James Tolman nodded. “It’s important we present a united front at the shareholder’s meeting. There can’t be any sense of dissent.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Wentworth added.

Melanie McCormick cleared her throat. “With the narrow margin of stock between Alessandra and Mr. Chase, they are essentially strangers who have just become business partners. And that would certainly be the case if we adopt this proposal.”

Allie watched Hudson’s eyes narrow almost imperceptively as Melanie referred to them as strangers. The slight kink in his calm exterior was so subtle she was sure it went unnoticed by the others. But not by her.

“What I’d like to know,” Melanie continued, “is logistically, how will this affect the day-to-day operations?” She touched the three strands of pearls at her neck. “And how much can we expect to see of Mr. Chase?”

Hudson placed his elbows on the arms of the chair and steepled his fingers.”I’m quite confident Ben will be able to bring Alessandra up to speed quickly. And she is welcome to use her father’s office, since her base will be here at Ingram Media. I will be maintaining my office across the river at Chase Industries, as there are other interests that will require my attention.”

Allie was so relieved to learn Hudson wouldn’t be moving into an office down the hall, that for a moment she almost felt herself relax. But Wentworth was less than thrilled.

“I’m not sure that arrangement would be in Ingram’s best interest,” he said.

Was he kidding? This from the man who only went to his corporate office to attend the holiday party?

Hudson pinned Wentworth with a shrewd stare as he addressed the board as a whole. “I recognize that some of you may think I’m spread thin in regards to my ventures. But I can assure you Ingram Media will receive the full benefit of my attention. And while my base will remain at my Dearborn location, I intend to take a very hands-on approach and will be a frequent presence in this office.” His gaze shifted to Allie. “I can only speak for myself, but I’m sure Miss Sinclair will agree it’s important that we work closely together to ensure a seamless transition, not to mention taking Ingram Media to the next level.”

Wentworth sat back in his chair with a smug grin on his face. “I’m relieved to hear that, Mr. Chase. And I’m sure Alessandra will be grateful for the chance to learn from your business acumen.”

Allie wanted to tell Duncan Wentworth just where he could shove his business acumen. But unfortunately he was right, at least to a certain extent. She didn’t know anything about running a corporation the size of Ingram Media, or any other for that matter. But she was going to work round the clock to learn everything she could. She might have to deal with Hudson now, but the stronger she became in this room, the less likely he’d still be in her life come March.

“The idea has merit,” Tolman said. “And if Ben agrees to serve as chairman over the proceedings, I think this is a solution that would benefit all parties.”

A motion was made and seconded, and within minutes a vote made it official. She and Hudson were co-CEOs of Ingram Media. Congratulations were offered and hands were shook.

Allie smiled and grit her teeth. This was his plan all along. Hudson could have made a play for sole control of the company. The board knew he had more experience than she did; his track record at Chase Industries was testament to that. But instead he took the high road, and in doing so had basically backed her into a corner. She’d have no choice but to play nice, at least in front of the board and their employees. If she was resistant to working with him and fell flat on her face, she’d appear to be nothing more than a bratty heiress who wouldn’t share her new toy. Thanks to his proposal, and their new titles, she’d have to work side by side with him.

Bottom line, if she wanted a future at Ingram Media, then there was no avoiding Hudson Chase.

“Where’s the mountain with the crew cut?” Harper asked as soon as Allie swung open the door. She was holding a brown paper bag in one hand and a bottle of red wine in the other.

“Who?”

Harper nodded to the empty hallway. “The storm trooper who’s been your shadow for the past week.”

“Clayton? I let him go.”

“Why would you do that?” She lifted the bag and bottle so they were in Allie’s direct line of sight. “And are you going to make me stand here all night or are you going to invite me in?”

In spite of her crap day, Allie laughed. “Since when do you need an invitation?”

“True.” Harper brushed past her and headed to the kitchen with what smelled like Chinese takeout. From the looks of it she’d come straight from work. Under her cropped jacket she was wearing what Allie could only refer to as “business funk,” a bold black-and-white striped skirt paired with red Dr. Martens lace-up boots. The result was the perfect combination of quirky sophistication. Allie would have never been able to pull off such daring choices, but on Harper they totally worked. “And Weiss was okay with you ditching the bodyguard?”

Allie shut the door and followed Harper into the kitchen. “The man is head of security at Ingram, not my personal babysitter. It was ridiculous for him to spend all his time following me around.”

“Where’s the opener?” Harper asked after searching through a few drawers.

Allie frowned. “Not sure.”

“I got this.” Harper reached inside her purse and pulled out a small bottle opener. She smiled when she met Allie’s bewildered stare. “What? You never know when there will be a wine emergency.” She pointed to the bottle of Merlot on the counter. “Case in point.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. This is a full-service delivery. Just park it on a stool.”

Allie pulled out a barstool and sat while Harper grabbed two wineglasses from the overhead cabinet. She filled them each with a generous pour and slid one across the granite counter. Allie wrapped both hands around the goblet, watching in amazement at the buffet currently being assembled on her breakfast bar. “How much food did you order?”

“I couldn’t decide so I went with a little bit of everything. Potstickers, fried wontons . . . damnit, they forgot one of the egg rolls.”

“You can have mine,” Allie said. She was well acquainted with her friend’s motivation: when all else fails, show up bearing comfort food. And wine. But as grateful as she was to have Harper in her life, with or without fried carbs, there was no way she could eat half of what she brought. The way she was feeling, she’d be lucky to stomach plain rice. Seeing Hudson that morning had been harder than she’d expected. And to realize, on top of everything else, that they’d be working side by side nearly every day was the cherry on top of the shitstorm that had become her life.

“Mongolian chicken or kung pao?” Harper asked, pulling Allie back into the conversation as she pulled the last two containers out of the brown paper bag.

“Either’s fine.”Allie picked up a set of chopsticks and split them apart. “You didn’t need to do this, you know.”

“I know, but it’s your first night back here since . . .” Harper’s voice trailed off but she didn’t need to finish her sentence for Allie to know what she was thinking. It was written all over her face. A moment of silence passed before she asked the question that seemed to be on everyone’s mind lately.”Do the police have any leads yet?”

Allie realized people meant well when they asked, and certainly no one wanted answers more than she did. But words like “investigation” and “evidence” triggered images of blood and violence, even when spoken by a concerned best friend. “No. But Detective Green said she’d be in touch as soon as she had an update.” She mustered a reassuring smile. “Thank you for letting me stay with you this week.”

“You know you’re always welcome.”

Allie saw the tears welling in Harper’s eyes. Knowing if she started to cry, Allie wouldn’t be far behind, she quickly changed the subject. “Now get me a plate or I’m going to go all caveman on you and eat right out of the carton.”

Harper snorted. “Yeah right, like that would ever happen.” She turned, still shaking her head as she pulled two plates out of the cupboard. But Allie knew better. And for a single moment she wished she could go back in time to the night she and Hudson sat in his penthouse kitchen, splitting a bottle of wine and eating pizza straight out of the box.

Cut it out, Sinclair
. After the day’s strange turn of events, it was more important than ever that she keep her head clear when it came to Hudson Chase.

Allie watched as Harper heaped piles of rice and chicken onto each of the plates, then added an assortment of appetizers. When she finished she carried them both to the other side of the counter and took a seat on the stool beside her.

“Where’d you get this food? It smells great.”

“New place over off LaSalle. If you like it we should definitely try the dine-in option. There was a hunk of perfection working at the bar.” Harper gave a little shudder. “If I didn’t love you so much I’d have parked my ass on his barstool for the night instead of yours.”

“And pass up a carbfest like this? He must have been pretty hot.”

“What can I say, it’s been . . .” A crease formed between Harper’s brows. “Well,
that’
s depressing. Let’s just say it’s been a while and leave it at that.”

“No cute waiters lately?” Allie teased. Harper had a knack for combining her two favorite topics, men and food, turning even a simple lunch into a chance to find her perfect match. Problem was, she also had a tendency to be attracted to all the wrong guys. Allie wished just once Harper would find a guy deserving of her affection. Someone who would appreciate her quirky style, her dry humor, and her loving heart.

“Actually yes, and this one is a med student by day. We’re having dinner this weekend.”

“Really? Tell me more,” Allie said before taking a sip of the Merlot.

“Not much to tell yet. His name is Scott, he’s twenty-four, from Milwaukee originally.”

“Has brown, perfectly mussed hair and dark, brooding eyes?”

Harper’s mouth dropped open.

Allie laughed. “Don’t look at me like that. You have a type.”

“And you sound like you’ve been reading a few of my favorite romance novels.”

“Hardly.” Allie wrinkled her nose. “And don’t think I’m buying this ‘not much to tell’ crap. I know you, Harper Hayes, and I’d be willing to bet that last wonton you know everything from his shoe size to his underwear preference.”

“Well, I did catch a glimpse of a Calvin Klein waistband when he bent over to pick my purse up off the ground.”

Allie raised a brow.

“Okay, I
may
have dropped it on purpose. But it was just to start a conversation, not to gawk at his backside.”

“And the shoe size?”

Harper lifted her wineglass to her lips. “Twelve from the looks of it,” she mumbled before taking a sip.

That was more like it. Allie popped a water chestnut into her mouth and smiled.

“Speaking of hot men with ridiculously sexy hair . . . did you see him today?”

“Yes,” she said, the smile slipping from her face.

Harper paused with a broccoli crown suspended between two chopsticks. “And?”

Allie exhaled in a rush and sagged against the back of the barstool. “And it was worse than I imagined.”

“Start talking,” Harper said. She grabbed the wine bottle and topped off both their glasses, then listened as Allie recounted the details of the morning’s board meeting, everything from her initial reaction to seeing Hudson to the details of his co-CEO proposal. “So you think that was his plan all along?” she asked.

Allie washed a bite of food down with a large gulp of wine. “I don’t know for sure. But he could have made a play for the whole thing, and probably won. Sympathy and nostalgia was only going to get me so far. They all know he’s more qualified for the job.”

“Maybe he really is sorry for the mess he created. This could be his way of apologizing.”

“How, by backing me into a corner? I told him I didn’t want to hear any of his excuses, and I meant it. There’s no justification for lying to me every moment we were together.”

“So what did he have to say for himself when it was all done?”

Allie poked at the food on her plate. “Nothing.”

“
Nothing
? The man who tried to set the
Guinness Book of World Records
for number of voicemails left in a single day had nothing to say when the two of you were finally in the same room?”

“He didn’t have a chance.” When the meeting had finally ended, Allie couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. But Hudson lingered, chatting with a few people and occasionally glancing in Allie’s direction, all the while strategically placed between her and the door. “I caught Ben’s attention just as he was about to leave and asked if he had a moment to discuss a few items. Hudson had no choice but to step aside and let us pass.”

“You won’t be able to avoid him forever.”

No, but she could sure as hell try.

“I’m actually surprised he wasn’t waiting outside your door. That is one determined man. And when he locks those baby blues on you . . .”

“Well, he was gone by the time Ben and I finished,” Allie said, interrupting Harper before she had a chance to point out everything Allie was trying her best to forget. “And I spent the rest of the day interviewing new assistants.”

“Not keeping your dad’s?”

Allie shook her head. “It would feel like my grandmother was my assistant. She’s going to work in Mr. Weiss’s office.”

“Any promising candidates?”

“One. And I think he’d give you a run for your money when it comes to snarky jokes and collecting the phone numbers of hot waiters.”

“I am not snarky,” Harper said, feigning offense. She pushed a stray curl out of her eyes and tucked it behind her ear. “Although I could use a wingman. Especially since my BFF is a hardworking CEO now.”

“Co-CEO,” Allie corrected. “And you cannot start hanging out with my assistant.”

“Why not?

“Because my personal and professional lives are complicated enough.” Allie yawned before she could even finish the sentence.

“You must be exhausted,” Harper said. She stood and started gathering the paper cartons.

“Leave it. You cooked, I’ll clean.”

“Yeah, I slaved all day over a hot stove.”

“You know what I mean,” Allie said. “And thanks again. This was just what I needed.”

“What are friends for if not to binge on Chinese food and borrow your designer handbags?” she said with a laugh. “Hey, do you want me to spend the night?”

“No, I appreciate the offer, but I’m a big girl—I need to start acting like one. But there is something you can do for me.”

“Anything. Name it.”

“My mother was supposed to be presented with some humanitarian award at a black-tie gala at the Art Institute Friday night and they’ve asked me to accept it on her behalf. Will you go with me?”

“Not sure if I can get a tux on such short notice,” Harper teased.

“Oh wait, what night is your date with Doctor Hottie?” Allie asked, using the opportunity to tease Harper with a nickname for once.

“Friday, but I’ll just see if we can reschedule for his next night off.”

“No way.”

“Yes way. Chicks before dicks and all that.”

“Well, this chick has let you sacrifice enough of your own time to sit and hold her hand at some miserable event.”

“Fancy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar? You’re right, that does sound miserable.” Harper rolled her eyes. “You can’t uninvite me. It would be rude.”

“Watch me. I’ll take my new assistant. Technically it’s a work event anyway.”

Harper cocked her head to one side. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” She pulled Harper into a hug.

“If you change your mind about the sleepover . . .”

“Go.” Allie pushed her friend out the door and closed it.

“Fine, be that way,” Harper said with a laugh from behind the door.

Allie waited till she heard the outside door open and close before making her way back to her bedroom. It was barely nine o’clock, but after the day she’d had a hot shower and an early bedtime sounded like heaven.

On her way to the bathroom she noticed the duffel bag she’d taken to Lake Geneva still sitting in the corner of her room. With all that had gone on since the night she’d returned, unpacking a bag of hiking clothes had been last on her list of things to do.

No time like the present.

She hauled the bag onto the bed and began dumping items of clothing into the laundry hamper. The bag was almost completely empty when she pulled out a pink lace nightgown.

“
This is definitely making the trip. A survival necessity.”

Hudson’s words echoed in the very room where he’d first spoken them. Allie closed her eyes and just like that, unbidden and unwelcome images flooded her mind. They were in the bedroom of his cabin and he was behind her, sweeping her hair to one side as his lips found the curve of her neck.

“Put this on.” He held out his arm and her baby-doll nightgown dropped down from his hand. “And when you return, I want to tie you to my bed.”

A soft moan escaped her lips as he ran the tip of his tongue up the column of her throat.

“Look at the bed, Allie.” Her heart raced with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. “Imagine yourself completely at my mercy. Now go change.”

Turning, she met his heated gaze, so full of dark, delicious promise that her knees went weak.

“Don’t make me wait.” His voice was gentle but commanding.

Allie took the lingerie from his hands and made her way to the master bathroom. She changed quickly, her fingers trembling from the thought of what lay ahead. She would have never considered it a turn-on to surrender control, but there was no denying she loved it when he was like this.

When she stepped into the room, she paused at the doorway, taking a moment to enjoy the view. Through the French doors Lake Geneva shimmered in the distance, but that wasn’t the sight that held her totally spellbound. It was Hudson, standing with his back to her wearing only his faded jeans, that held her gaze. His stance was relaxed as he stared out across the water, and in that moment Allie realized that this cabin was more than just a vacation destination—it was the one place he considered home. Hudson was a man of few words when it came to his feelings and emotions. But the fact that he’d brought her here, that he wanted to share this side of himself, told her all she needed to know.