“Where is my brother, anyway?”
Lily cleared her throat. “In bed.”
Charlotte handed over the shoe. “Look. I’m all for a woman taking whatever she wants. I just want to be sure that you’re watching out for Lily. I love my brother to pieces, but I guarantee you that he isn’t worrying about your career or your feelings. It’s not on his radar at all. Honestly, I don’t know that he’s capable.”
Lily didn’t want to believe that either. Noah had been the most attentive man she’d ever gone to bed with, by a long shot. Simply thinking about it was enough to send Lily grabbing the wall to steady herself. But Charlotte was probably right. Noah had a horrible track record, one he did not try to hide. Plus, he was her boss and this was technically the last day of their fake engagement. Tomorrow, they would be back in the office working together. No more kisses. No more holding hands. Certainly no sex. Bummer. “Okay. I’ll take that under advisement. Thanks.”
“See you out at the dock in an hour? The boat will be there to take us to the car.” Charlotte turned away for a second. “Oh, Lily. Can you let Noah know that Sawyer and Kendall ended up leaving late last night? She still wasn’t feeling well and the doctor thought it best she get home and see her own physician. Everything’s fine, though. I got a text from him thirty minutes ago.”
“Oh, sure. I’m glad everything is okay.” Noah was going to be so mad he didn’t get that call. “We’ll see you at the dock.” Lily closed the door and padded back into the bedroom.
Noah was on his side, head propped up on his hand, the silky white sheets covering very little of his sun-kissed skin—just everything between his waist and knees. No question about it—Noah was a slice of heaven. That long torso, narrow waist and the alluring trail of hair under his belly button was enough to make her choke on the words she had to say. His come-hither smile and the flicker in his eyes made it so much worse.
“Coming back to bed?” he asked.
Yes. I am. Forever and ever and ever. “No. Sorry. That was your sister. She knows what happened last night.” Lily held up the shoe as proof.
Noah shrugged and patted the mattress. “Charlotte likes you. She won’t say anything to anyone. I promise.”
Lily plucked her dress from the floor, turned it right side out and draped it over her arm. “I’m not worried about discretion, although I definitely do not want Sawyer to know about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because I have to work with your brother and it’s going to be bad enough going into work every day and seeing you, knowing that you know what I look like naked. It’s not professional, Noah, and that’s really important to me.” Every word out of her mouth was a potent reminder of what she was really supposed to be doing at this wedding—securing her professional future, not sleeping with the boss. There was only one future for Lily and it was wrapped up in her 1 percent of Locke and Locke, not with Noah the serial dater. “Last night was fun, but I think we both know that we’re better off if we pretend like it didn’t happen and just move forward.”
He pursed his lips and looked back over his shoulder, out at the gorgeous ocean vista. “You’re right. It wasn’t a good idea. I was serious when I asked if you really wanted to cross that line last night.”
Why did he have to swing so far in the opposite direction? “No. It was my choice and I refuse to regret it. We’re both consenting adults. But I think…” Her voice tapered off as she searched for the right words to say. It was as if the devil was on her shoulder, urging her to ask Noah for one more roll in the proverbial hay. She wanted his hands all over her, his kiss on her lips, his body weighing her down. She wanted him to make her fall apart at the seams again and again.
Noah turned back to her. “Let me guess. What happens in the Florida Keys, stays in the Florida Keys?”
Lily didn’t even bother holding back her sigh. “Trite, but yes. That’s the perfect way to put it.”
He knocked his head to the side and threw back the covers with zero regard for the fact that she now had a full view of everything she wanted so desperately. “Okay, then. I’m taking a shower.” He hopped up from the bed and traipsed into the bathroom. Lily stole her final chance to watch Noah’s perfect butt in motion. She was going to miss that view. She’d rather look at him than the ocean.
“Just start packing,” she told herself. “You had your fun, now it’s time to go back to work.” Lily did exactly that, wondering if she’d ever again wear some of these beautiful designer clothes she now owned. There was no telling when she’d be invited to another event as fancy as this wedding, but now was not the time for pessimism. Knowing she’d never sleep with Noah again was depressing enough.