Page 85 of In Case You Didn't Know

And I do get it. Business dinners are the most boring things in the world. I’ve been through enough of them while growing up to know that. Small talk and one-upmanship, mixed with a splash of passive-aggressive bragging and the occasional ‘my kid got into Yale’ humblebrag. It’s not exactly my idea of a fun night out.

Sensing weakness, Skyler bats her eyelashes at me. “Martin is catering. And he’s making a chocolate volcano dessert.”

I groan at the thought of Martin’s cooking. The hotel chef has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world. “Fine, I’ll come. But only because you bribed me.”

She beams. “I knew chocolate would tip the scales.” She grabs my hand. “Thank you. I might not die of boredom tonight after all.” She shrugs. “And if you want to put Hudson off your sex scent, you can be all flirty and giggly with his guests.”

I narrow my eyes. “I’m not flirting with anybody.” That wasn’t in the agreement. And I can’t flirt anyway. I’m more likely to end up looking like a scary stalker.

“Not even a little?” she asks slyly. “Just a flash of thigh and a toss of your hair to keep Hudson distracted?”

“I’m not tossing anything. Especially not my hair. In case you didn’t notice, I can barely walk.”

She sips her tea, entirely unbothered. “Limp seductively. Just enough to sell the ‘I’m totallynothaving hot secret sex with your brother’ lie.”

I swallow hard. “You’re going to completely spill the beans to Hudson.”

“I’m not,” she promises. “I just need your help to keep my mouth shut. Distract me. Entertain me.”

“I’ll be there,” I tell her. “But no hair tossing, limping, or flirting.”

“Of course not.” She grins. “You’re a star. This is going to be so much fun.”

ASHER

“Are you okay?” Hudson asks. “You seem distracted.”

I’ve been working from his office all day, trying to focus on the upgrade. We’ll run the new system overnight Sunday, their quietest time for the hotel. In between, I’ve been getting constant updates from Brad. Once the system's live, we’ll manage it remotely from New York.

Not that I’m in any rush to get back.

New York feels like another lifetime, even though I left it yesterday. Here on the island, everything is quieter, calmer. Or maybe it’s not the island at all. Maybe it’s her.

Francie.

Not that I’m going to explain that to Hudson.

I shrug. “I didn’t sleep well.”

He gives me a dry look. “Yeah, I kind of figured. Playing nurse to your kid sister’s best friend isn’t exactly restful.” He grins. “You’re a good guy.”

My mouth goes dry. I’m not the good guy. I’m the one who can’t keep his hands off the one woman he should stay away from. But I can’t stop.

Hudson checks his watch. “I gotta go. Skyler’s already pissed I’m late for dinner. Everyone else is there. She’s threatening to feed my dinner to the dog.” He wrinkles his nose. “On the plus side, at least you’re off the hook tonight. Francie’s at ours for dinner with the others.”

“The others?” My voice tightens.

She’s not waiting at the lighthouse, not curled up on the couch where I left her, not texting me, because I didn’t text her. I buried myself in work all day like it would keep me from thinking about her, and now I’m checking my phone like she owes me something. Like I didn’t vanish the second I walked out the door this morning.

“You’re having a dinner party?” I ask.

He rolls his eyes. “Yes, I told you earlier. I asked if you were coming and you said no. Why doesn’t anybody in my life ever listen to me?”

“You didn’t say Francie was going to be there.” I try to keep my tone light, but the words come out sharper than I intend.

Hudson grabs his jacket, oblivious. “Yeah, Skyler insisted. Said she was worried about her. She wants to make sure she’s okay.”

He pauses. “And then she said something about one of my associates being the perfect guy for Francie. You remember Ben? She’s trying to matchmake them or something.”