“I am,” he assured me, his hands sliding under my blouse, warm against my bare skin.
The annoying phone rang a third time.
Hudson groaned, resting his forehead against mine. “It might be important.”
“More important than this?” I gestured between us, our bodies still pressed together.
He laughed softly. “Nothing is more important than this. But if it’s the Votos calling back with an issue...”
“Fine,” I sighed dramatically. “Answer it. But make it quick.”
He pulled out his phone, still standing between my legs, his free arm wrapped around my waist. We were nose to nose as he answered without looking at the screen.
“Hudson Gable,” he said, his voice impressively professional considering the circumstances.
I could hear a tinny voice on the other end but couldn’t make out the words. Whatever they said, though, made Hudson’s entire demeanor change in an instant. His body went rigid, his expression shifting from desire to shock to something like dread.
Well shit. I definitely shouldn’t have let him answer that phone.
CHAPTER 10
For Research Purposes
HUDSON
“Mother,” I spoke in a flat tone as Mari went still against me.
Of all the people who could have called at that exact moment—of all the calls I could have answered while Mari’s legs wrapped around my waist—it had to be my mother.
“Hudson, darling, I’ve been trying to reach you all evening. Are you busy? Why didn’t you answer?”
I pulled slightly away from Mari, though I kept one hand on her thigh. “No, I’m... at the office. Working late.”
“On a Saturday? Well, at least you’re dedicated.” There was a pause. “Your father and I have been discussing the Kussikov-Martin wedding.”
My stomach dropped. “Oh?”
“Yes. It’s quite an opportunity, isn’t it? We’ve decided it’s time we came to see your operation in Chicago.”
“You’re what?” I couldn’t keep the shock out of my voice. A whole host of swear words filled my thoughts, thankfully not making it past my lips.
“Coming to Chicago, darling. For the wedding. We’ll arrive a few weeks before, of course, to be around if you need help with the final preparations. Your father thinks it would be beneficial for you to have our expertise, especially for such a high-profile event.”
“When?” I managed, aware of Mari watching me.
“We’ll fly out in a couple weeks. That should give us plenty of time to... assist.”
My parents didn’t assist. They took over. They critiqued. They “improved,” which meant dismantling everything I’d built—everything Mari and I had built—and rebuilding it in their image.
“That’s... not necessary,” I said carefully. “I have everything under control.”
“I’m sure you do, darling, but this is an exceptional opportunity for Gable & Gable to establish a presence in the Midwest. And the publicity would be invaluable.”
“It’s not a Gable & Gable event,” I reminded her.
“Details,” she dismissed. “The Gable name will be associated, regardless. We should coordinate our approach because we wouldn’t want little errors to reflect badly on what your father and I have built.”
Translation: they wanted to take credit.
