Chapter 96

I wake up in my bed alone and naked and immediately sit up, afraid that Marcus has changed his mind and decided to return to the ship.

He brought me home last night because I told him I needed to sleep in my own bed, and at that point he was so exhausted he didn’t argue. But the friction—the fight, or whatever it was—about the paparazzi and the boat is still there between us.

I know we’ll have to talk about it, especially since today we’ll need the yacht to go to the island. Of course, we could take one of the Dermont International ships, or even—God forbid—a helicopter. But Marcus has his office on his ship, and if he wants to get the most out of the trip, he needs his computers, software, and all his other gadgets and tools. Still… he can’t already be gone. Can he?

My body tenses as I throw back the sheets. I hug my knees to my chest and focus on the star tattooed on my ankle. I trace it absentmindedly, as if by doing so I can make it mine again. I want it to be