I felt a low tug in my belly, and a smile played at my lips. “Where to?”
“It’s a surprise,” he said.
“Hmmm…” I deliberated. “Does this surprise include dinner?”
“Indeed it does,” Ford said with a grin. “And I know how much you love sushi.”
“Done,” I said. “Just let me put on something nicer than sweatpants. Give me a minute.”
So much for that quiet night in, but I was still buzzing and exuberant from our day out on the ocean. And how could I insist on calling it a night when every part of me wanted to keep up the good vibes we’d built back up between us? Sure I was exhausted, but this was my honeymoon. Fake or not, I should take advantage of it. Especially if good sushi was involved.
I whipped off my loungewear and changed into one of the many beautiful dresses I’d brought with me, which was a rich shade of teal, short and tight and totally not my usual style. While shopping for this trip, Tori and Brooklyn had insisted I buy a few things that were outside the box for me.
“You can’t wear all black on the beach in St. Barts,” Tori had said. “You’ll roast.”
“Plus you need to mix it up a bit,” Brooklyn had said. “Surprise yourself.”
“Surprise Ford!” Tori had added and the two of them had giggled.
I’d taken their advice and picked out several flashy little dresses in actual colors, dresses that could be worn to a nice restaurant or out to a club depending on how I accessorized. The one I had on sported a deep neckline and no sleeves. I paired it with strappy heeled sandals and my favorite gold bangle, then tugged my hair out of its ponytail and shook it out into damp waves. I didn’t do too much with my makeup, just a simple smoky eye and clear gloss over my lips.
When I came out of the bathroom, Ford’s gaze swept appreciatively over my body.
“You look good enough to eat,” he said, his voice husky. Then he cleared his throat, as if snapping himself out of his lust trance. “You ready?”
“Ready,” I said, feeling myself blushing.
I didn’t know how much longer I could resist him—or if I even still wanted to.
The place Ford chose was one of the island’s most prestigious bars, a harborside night club with live music and, he swore, a killer sushi and tapas bar at its center. Walking through the doors, I could tell instantly that it wastheplace to be in St. Barts.
It was an intimate venue, crowded with an eclectic array of beautiful people dancing to the Caribbean jazz, drinking brightly colored cocktails, and having a great time. I knew the island was a haven for the rich and famous, so it wasn’t a surprise to see what looked like a few models and a young male pop star amidst the revelers, a mix of locals and tourists. Warm red lighting gave the ambiance a sensual haze. It matched how I was already feeling.
Once we were seated at the bar, I was dazzled by the array of options on the menu. Windsurfing had given me an insane appetite, but I couldn’t decide on anything.
“What’ll it be?” Ford asked.
“Gah! I want it all,” I blurted.
“We can swing that,” he said with a laugh, motioning over a waiter and telling him to bring us a sushi boat for two.
“An entireboatfull of sushi?” I gasped.
“It’s a small boat,” Ford said, a gleam in his eye. “I’m sure you can handle it.”
As we downed our first course of hot miso soup, I tried not to stare at my husband. He just looked so delicious in his crisp white shirt, and my stomach did this little flip whenever I glanced over at him. Occasionally, our eyes would meet, and I’d feel the heat from his gaze spread through my entire body. It was impossible not to blush, though I was certain he couldn’t tell in the red light of the bar.
And then the boat arrived.
Hot damn.
The huge platter was oblong and held a selection of sushi, sashimi, maki, and seaweed. Salmon, yellowfin tuna, mahi, smoked eel (I’d been late to the eel party, but once I’d given it a shot in my early twenties, it had quickly become one of my favorite types of sushi)—everything was fresh, and the sweet, salty, tangy flavors exploding on my tongue had me dancing in my chair. Or maybe that was the music.
I liked jazz generally, but the energy of this band was something else. The drums, the guitar, the saxophone, the thump of the bass that was so strong I could feel it vibrating from the floor up through my barstool. As the songs washed over me, I soaked up the vibrant sounds and let loose a series of shoulder shimmies that had Ford laughing and joining in.
We ate until we couldn’t stand another bite, getting tipsy on sake all the while. I was sure we’d be heading back to our villa afterward. We’d just spent the entire day pushing our bodies to their limit, and I knew we’d both be sore in the morning. But as Ford signed the check, he began nodding along with the music, looking over toward the stage area where people were cheering and writhing together on the dance floor.
He slapped the pen down, tucked his wallet away, and held out his hand.
