It was obvious he didn’t want to talk about her, but he was willing so I pressed on. “Why does she want to be here so badly?”

“Maybe she wanted to see if we were still together. I don’t know. You know more about that kind of obsession than I do.” He didn’t say it to be hurtful. It was honest. I did know about that kind of obsession. Very well.

I let myself remember the reasons I’d been attracted to the men I’d stalked. “Somehow your attention validates her. Makes her feel alive.” I felt my tone get heavy with years of sadness. Recalling those emotions of my past was not pleasant.

Hudson narrowed his eyes, trying to read me. “Do you think I’m being too cruel to her by cutting her out of my life?”

“No.” Though if I were right—if she really did feel the way I suspected she did about Hudson—then I understood the pure devastation that she had to be going through at his dismissal. “Does that make me a shitty person?”

“No.”

Whether he was right or wrong, I accepted his absolution without debate. Besides, just because I understood how she might feel didn’t mean I could soften the blow in any way. Even if she had Hudson, she’d never really think she did. I’d never believed the men who were with me were really with me. Believing Hudson actually cared for me had taken a great deal of healing on my part. Those were steps Celia would have to take on her own.

But if Celia truly were obsessed with Hudson in the ways I used to be…

I shuddered to think of the lengths she might go to in order to win him. I voiced the nagging concern that had been tugging at me the entire night. “She’s never really going to be out of our lives, is she? She’s always going to try to destroy us.”

Hudson rolled to his side to face me. “It doesn’t matter.” He cupped my face, lining his eyes with mine. “You belong to me, precious. You belong with me. I won’t let anything come between us. I won’t let anything hurt you. Especially not her.”

The man couldn’t say I love you, but somehow he knew how to make declarations that struck right into the core of my heart. And his eyes—they backed up every word he said. I had no doubt that he would fight for me, fight for us. He hadn’t before. Now was a different story. Warmth spread from my chest throughout my body and I felt dangerously close to tearing up.

But I didn’t want to get emotional. I wanted to tell him how I felt in the way he understood best. With my body. I flashed a suggestive smile. “Now I’m turned on again.”

Hudson’s jaw relaxed and he pulled me flush with him. He leaned in until his mouth was a mere inch from mine. “So we can stop talking about her?”

He smelled of sex and champagne and Hudson, and my desire flamed instantly. “We can stop talking period.”

He covered me with his body, teasing me with flicks of his tongue along my jaw. At my neck, he nibbled and sucked, likely leaving a glaring hickey. Which was fine. Perfect, actually. He could mark me in any way he wanted. I was his. I wanted to be known as his.

I arched my back and pressed my breasts to his chest. God, I loved the feel of his skin against mine. My hips writhed underneath him, urging him to stop teasing and get on with it already.

He lifted his head to meet my eyes. “Stop rushing me,” he chided. He was always very conscientious about varying the moods of our lovemaking. The last time had been driven and furious. This time would be slow and sweet. Always, it was he that decided how it would go.

I didn’t prefer one tempo over another. Didn’t care if he made it fast or if he took all night. But as it was occurring, whichever way we were fucking, I always thought it was the best.

At his own pace, Hudson took me to where I wanted and needed to go. Loving me thoroughly with his body. Loving me entirely without words. Loving me completely.

And as we spun into the intoxication of our passionate interlude, I said to myself, this time. This time is the best.

The boat docked while we’d been lost to each other in our stateroom. The drunken crowd had dispersed and The Magnolia was quiet—as if we were the only ones on Earth. Enveloped in Hudson’s arms with the gentle rocking of the water underneath, I slept better than I had in ages. I guessed he did too, if his mood had anything to say about it. His jet lag seemed to have finally been relieved. Oh, the power of great sex and a good night’s sleep.

We left before dawn, slipping off soundlessly. Jordan was waiting at the Maybach when we reached the top of the boardwalk. This time there were no reporters, no flashing bulbs—it was just the two of us and our driver as Hudson and I climbed into the back of the car.

Once on the road, I sidled up to Hudson, or as close as the restraints of the seat belts would allow. With his improved spirits, it was time to talk about the future. “I’ve been thinking about who’s going to manage The Sky Launch.”

“You.”

My head was tucked under his chin, but I could hear the smile in his voice.

I chuckled. “No pressure.”

“Yes, pressure. Lots and lots of pressure.” He stroked his hand down my hair. “I want you to run the club. I’ve always wanted you to run the club. I’ve told you that.”

I sat up to look at him. “I know. And that’s what I’ve been thinking about.”

“Go on.”

“I want to do it. I do. And I think I have the ideas and the marketing sense to pull it off.”

“You do.”

I’d only received my MBA a little more than a month before. I’d never been in charge of an entire business by myself. Hudson was being overly optimistic about my qualifications, especially when he intended to have very little to do with the day-to-day operations. “I adore that you think so highly of me, H, but I’m still lacking practical experience. Which was what I was looking forward to learning from David.”

Hudson rolled his eyes—an odd gesture on such a solemn face. “David would have held you back. You have more genius in your little pinky than—”

I cut him off with my finger to his lips. “Stop it. Your perception of my abilities is tainted.”

He kissed the top of my finger before he covered my hand with his and moved it to his lap. “It’s not.”

“Anyway.” There was no use arguing the subject. It was partly what had kept us at a standstill since he’d first brought up the idea. He believed I could do more than I believed I could do. It was endearing and empowering, but also overwhelming.

Still Hudson’s faith in me had worn me down. “I want to run the club. And I’m telling you yes to running the club—”

His eyes lit up. “Yes?”

“But on one condition.”

“That I also give you my body and soul? If you insist...”

I smiled but otherwise ignored his flirting. “I want to hire another full-time manager to share the load. Someone with the experience I don’t have.”

He considered. “I don’t see a problem with that. But I’d still want you to be the point person. And, hell, I’ll still throw in my body and soul.”

“Fine. That’s what I want.” I corrected myself before he could turn my words on me. “I mean I want to be the point person.”

“You don’t want my body and soul?” He twisted my words anyway. Of course.

“Shut up,” I scolded. “I already have that.”

“That you do.” He wrapped his arm tighter around my waist and kissed me on my forehead. “Go ahead and put an ad out today. Unless you already have someone in mind?”

“That’s just it.” It was hard for me to ask this. I’d been so insistent about me doing my job without Hudson interfering, but now I needed him to.

“What?”

I pulled away. It felt too odd to be in his embrace while discussing business. Too much like some form of nepotism. “Well, there’s no one at the club qualified. No one who knows more than I do. And if I put an ad out and got resumes…I just don’t think I’m going to find the type of person I’m looking for. Especially not as quickly as I need them. But maybe you, with your connections and everything…”