Page 82 of Must Have Been Love

I start to work out the logistics in my mind. Not tonight, that’s for sure. Ayda is usually exhausted after therapy. And I’m also wary enough to know that Skyler probably still doesn’t want the whole island knowing that I’ve been having bedless sex with her every chance I can get.

“Next week? Wednesday. I have a business thing on the mainland so Autumn is keeping Ayda that night instead of Tuesday. Come with me.”

“Bed sex in a hotel?” Skyler murmurs, her eyes catching mine.

“All damn night. And then again in the morning,” I tell her. “You should probably bring some Tylenol.”

She laughs hard, her head tipping back. “Oh God, what am I letting myself in for?”

I lean forward, my lips brushing her ear. “The best damn night of your life.”

twenty-five

SKYLER

“Are you sure you have this covered?” I ask Jesse. He’s standing behind the bar looking like he owns the place, which he will very soon. We’ve spent the last week really getting to know each other and it already feels natural to be spending time with him.

But tonight I’ll be sleeping in a bed with Hudson Fitzgerald. The thought makes me feel strange – excited and scared at the same time. Bedless sex with that man I could handle. A whole night in bed with him? Only time will tell.

“Of course I have it covered.” He looks over at Maud, who’s working the shift with him. I offered for Jesse to stay over in the apartment, but he demurred.

“Now go sort this thing out with your lawyer,” he tells me. “Not that there’s any need for it.”

Okay, so I told Jesse a little white lie about why I’m heading over to the mainland. Not that it’s really a lie – or at least that’s how I’ve justified it to myself. Iwillbe meeting with Hudson’s lawyer tomorrow morning, so that I can move the bar into mine and Jesse’s joint control. But of course I didn’t tell him about staying the night with Hudson.

It feels too weird right now.

The ferry blasts its horn, which means its coming into port. “That’s your cue,” Jesse says, because he knows the schedule by heart. “Now stop worrying, I have this under control. Do you know how many times I’ve worked behind this bar? And at least Hudson and I won’t have to carry Dad to his bed when the night is over.”

I blink. “You used to have to do that?” And Hudson helped? Gah, this man needs to stop making my legs go weak, even when he’s nowhere near me.

“Only sometimes. Now go, before you miss the ferry. You know it won’t wait for you.”

I lean across the counter to kiss his cheek, then pick up my overnight case, which is stupidly full because I have no idea what to wear tonight. Tomorrow was a cinch. I actually have a pretty blouse and skirt to meet the lawyer.

But Hudson has been completely evasive about the plans for tonight, which is very annoying when you’re a woman. He’s probably used to having partners with extensively suitable wardrobes – a designer dress for every occasion. I’m a Stevie Nicks wannabe with a few dirndl skirts and tops that expose way too much skin.

I hate that I’m doubting myself. I never doubt myself. This is what happens when you give in to a man who’s desperate to get you into bed. The whole of your psyche gets messed up.

And yet I still hurry to the ferry, the warm early-summer wind whipping through my hair as I make it to the dock. I can see Hudson’s car lining up at the gate. It’s sparkling beneath the rays of the sun like it’s been buffed to an inch of its life.

It takes ten minutes for the boat to offload the visitors, then reload the return passengers. I climb aboard with one other foot passenger, then make my way to the front, where I lean on the rail and look toward the mainland in the distance.

This is the first time I’ve been off the island since that rainy day I arrived. It feels like a lifetime ago. Back then I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with Liberty, or that I’d find out the reason why my dad wanted me to be here. And never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be hooking up with a grumpy rich businessman who fills out a suit like nobody else can.

There are footsteps behind me. I don’t have to turn around to know who it is, because every cell in my body seems to vibrate. I can smell the low notes of his cologne. Even the cadence of his footsteps is familiar.

“Hi.” He kisses my cheek. “What a surprise seeing you here.” I turn to look at him, and am stupidly turned on by the smirk on his lips.

“Mr. Fitzgerald,” I say, playing along. “Are you sure this boat is big enough for the both of us?”

“I think we can be civil to each other for the next twenty minutes,” he muses. “Although it could be a challenge.” The ocean breeze lifts up his hair, and he looks almost carefree. He’s wearing a suit – of course – this one is a dark blue wool, cut perfectly to fit his broad, muscled body. He’s teamed it with a lighter blue shirt and a pale red tie. His jaw is sharp, freshly shaven. Everything about this man draws me in.

My own clothes are very different. A pair of vintage flared jeans and some old sneakers, along with an old, faded band t-shirt and a thin sweater tied around my waist. Hudson follows my gaze and a smile pulls at his lips.

“You look spectacular,” he says.

Oh. I grin at him. “So do you.” I tip my head to the side. “Do you wear suits to bed, too? If so I might need to prepare myself.” My tone is teasing, and he rolls his eyes. We both know I’ve seen him in jeans, but still.

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