Authors: N.A. Violet
Livy reached for Hudson’s face. He dove into her harder as their half-naked bodies mingled and their lips locked.
Livy had never felt so wanton in her life. A wild specimen of man ravaged her with animalistic fury and Livy wanted more. Hudson pawed Livy breasts to her core. She wrapped her ankles around his hips trying to draw him in deeper.
Hudson slammed into Livy’s body, making her quiver.
They exploded into shards of ecstasy before Livy heard Hudson’s business partner knocking.
“Hud? Hudson it’s your bro. We’ve got the meeting with the watch people in a couple of minutes—.”
Livy looked up at Hudson, her face pale. She grabbed her clothes and threw them onto her body, wrestling to put on her white goddess sandals, and her naval-style mini-dress. “Oh, what do we do?” Livy whispered.
“There’s a side office. Take it and there’s an exit to the right. Wait—.” Hudson reached over the desk, half-dressed, his erection throbbing hard and boldly for Livy to see.
“I want you again.” Hudson grabbed Livy and he pulled into her arms. He dipped her backwards like they were in a 1930s flick, and he savaged her with a heathenish French kiss.
Hudson set Livy back onto her feet when she realized what they had just done.
“Never!” Livy rasped. She grabbed her red purse and she fled Hudson’s office, promising herself she’d never put her family’s business or her life at risk again.
Hudson’s blond-haired brother entered the office. “Why was the door locked? The business was that important, bro?”
His brother crossed to the desk. “Does it smell like honey in here?”
Hudson smiled. He used his shoe to hide his tie he saw on the floor.
*****
Livy kissed her mom Julia as she looked around the room. “Wow, there are a lot of them, aren’t they?”
“So many. Did you do all this?” Julia Castle peeked around the hospice room where she stayed at Memorial and at the flowers. “Wall to wall flowers and new ones come every day.”
“No,” Livy lied.
Livy knew where all the flora was coming from, and she wasn’t about to tell the purveyor. ‘Thank you’. Not for being such a heel, and certainly not for using sex to try and get the upper hand over her family’s company.
“Maybe we should send some to the children’s hospice too?” Livy smelled a bouquet of yellow roses and smiled. Roses were some of her favorite; even if they were from a lying, scheming, ad man named Hudson… the good-looking and hung jerk.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” said Julia. “You’re always so thoughtful, Livy.”
Suddenly Julia looked worried.
“Mama, what is it?” Julia looked at her daughter. “Nothing, darling. I know how much you’ve had to do since my father died. I worry you are living life for yourself.”
“Mom, please,” said Livy. “We won’t look like sisters anymore if you get crows’ feet and a forehead that wrinkles from worrying.”
Livy hugged Julia.
“My word. What did I ever do to get a daughter as precious as you? You go on with your day. I’ll find someone to come and share some of these lovely flowers. You sure a handsome rogue isn’t behind this?” Julia said toying with a bunch of sunflowers.
“Oh, please,” said Livy. “I think the only thing I should be wondering about is how to help you with granddad’s business.”
“Money isn’t everything,” reminded Julia.
“Tell that to the Foxtail Ad Group. They’re the ones who want to take away the family legacy,” Livy kissed her mother. “Be back in a few,” said Livy.
*****
“What are you saying? How can I possibly find a husband in 23 days, and prove I’m an heir? This is insane!” Livy told Simon Sallow.
“There is another clause you can use during the injunction,” said Simon.
“I’m all ears.”
“The clause about joint partnership says you must remain married for a year. You can marry but you don’t have to stay married.”
Livy looked to the Heavens. “You’re saying I could have something like, some sort of shotgun, marriage?”
“What you do, you’ll do with the understanding you will have fulfilled Donovan Lee’s wishes. Anything afterwards, including starting a family, is negotiable.” Livy listened to Simon.
“Simon Sallow, are you kidding me, or are you straight up, bona fide for real,” asked Livy.
“Straight up,” Simon cleared his throat.
Livy hung up with Simon and she texted Poppy. She told her mom Julia she’d see her in the morning.
*****
Livy sat at a diner with Poppy for sopapillas and honey. “Told you,” Poppy said between bits of the fluffy fried pastry.
“Gosh, Mexican is so good, and you don’t have to think about asking for seconds, because they always come,” smiled Livy.
“You did. You said I could get hitched and it wouldn’t be a thing or a travesty of the institution of marriage.” Though Livy was thinking seriously whether she should be committed into one for considering what Poppy told her.
“Yeppers. You can get hitched with a hubby, then bust it up like a Vegas annul, or irreconcilable differences,” stated Poppy.
Livy looked at Poppy. “How do you know so much about everything, and continue to walk dogs? It’s obvious you know plenty when it comes to relationships, life, and getting along. Why do you do so little, when you know you could do and have so much more..?
Poppy slathered honey onto a sopapilla. “I tell you why—.”
“Oh no,” Livy said starting to laugh. Livy shook her head, tearing off a piece of a sopapilla.
“That’s right. I’m an independent woman, and I do what I want—.”
Livy mimicked Poppy in tandem. “I know. ‘I’m an independent woman, and I do what I want—.’
“So are you going to?” Poppy chewed on her pastry.
“Oh…my mother thinks I’m doomed to live with cats, and I made dirty sex with a man who’s planning to steal my family’s agency. I dunno. Is a fake marriage without love any crazier? So, what’s the address?”
Poppy texted Livy in the middle of the restaurant. The name ‘Happily Ever After’ matching service popped up, and Livy frowned.
“Oh, come on,” Livy said.
Poppy looked at Livy and she wriggled her eyebrows.
“Oh, gosh. I’m going to be doomed to riding the Irish plains as a Pooka, terrorizing innocent faerie folk wherever I go—.”
“Would you stop with the Irish gloom? You’d think we were in Ireland and you were the notorious,
Fionn mac Cumhal
,” Livy looked up from her head she’d started to rap against the table.
“Poppy, you said ‘Finn mac Cool’. You said it properly! You’ve been paying attention to the Celtic tradition all along!”
“Yeah, and what do I get for it? A friend who seduces men by telling them she never wants to see them again,” replied Poppy.
“You and Geoff are still split up,” asked Livy. “I’ve been so wrapped up in my world, I almost forgot about yours. I’m sorry Poppy.” Livy touched Poppy’s hand.
“It’s no big ‘thang’,” replied Poppy. “Believe me, not big at all.”
Poppy and Livy burst out laughing.
“Unlike somebody else whom you know I’m just hearing about,” said Poppy.
“I know,” said Livy.
“I just didn’t know things would be so incredibly—oh, I’m about to find a man and marry him because of money.”
“Hey, J-Lo is playing,” said Poppy. “She did the split thing. Didn’t hurt her and she’s done it publicly thrice—.” Poppy nudged her hand under Livy’s head near her plate.
“You gonna eat that?”
“No—.” Livy shoved her sopapilla to Poppy.
Livy dropped her back onto the table in the Mexican restaurant and moaned.
*****
What do you mean you slept with the heir to an agency—?”
He hadn’t planned anything to happen, Hudson thought as he looked out of the corner window of his brother’s office. “It just, did,” Hudson said.
“It did. That’s all you’ve got to say?” Hudson’s brother stood between him and the window. Dad hasn’t been gone two years, and you’ve done nothing but screw around—.”
“I’ve brought in more money and clients than this entire agency has combined,” Hudson glared. “You’ve been after the chief exec position since dad died. You want the company to go IPO when you know Dick Fox wanted us to share it hand and hand, as a private biz.”
“That’s isn’t true and you know it.” Hudson stared out office window as his half-brother joined him. “So was she hot?” Hudson’s brother finally said.
“When you meet her, you’ll see why I couldn’t keep my hands to myself.”
Hudson’s brother ruffled his mop of dark hair and he laughed.
*****
Livy took a seat at the conservatory and waited. She thought a place that was neutral ground was better than meeting at the matching service. Livy had finished the questionnaires and filled out the proper consent forms, and personal info.
Poppy had explained to Livy that she was entering into a consensual agreement between two consenting adults. No harm at all. Poppy made all of it seem so ethical.
Livy wondered if she was doing the right thing.
“Hi,” Livy looked up to see the man she had agreed to meet in the online portfolio she had reviewed many times and more. Wow, if he wasn’t more stunning in person each time they met.
Livy hoped her dark pantsuits and flats weren’t too off-putting. She figured modest ensembles were more befitting for a girl learning how to wheel and deal.
“Hi,” Livy smiled.
The blond gentleman kissed Livy on her cheek and the air sparked when they connected. The music from the philharmonic played and Livy fiddled with her hair at the nape of her neck that she had fitted into a chignon for Logan. She didn’t know why, but Logan seemed to flirt with her more, when she dressed primly and proper. She couldn’t stop staring into his eyes. They were golden and shined in the moonlight, given Logan an almost leonine air.
Livy hoped her body would somehow show she felt attracted. Livy had come on to one stranger already; certainly she did not want to repeat the past again!
Except the man was incredibly fine. His large chest filled out his white knit sweater magnificently, and the look of his long legs and nimble fingers in his slacks whittled at Livy resolve. Logan opened up a wicker basket and he pulled out two glasses and a jug of wine.
“I hope an evening picnic isn’t out of the question,” Logan filled a glass with the burgundy and Livy waited for him to pour himself one.
Livy and Logan sat, sifting their wine to let it air as the orchestra played an adagio. Livy thought she heard Mozart.”
“Very good,” Logan sipped his wine. “It’s good to know you have a taste for music.”
Logan smiled.
Livy sipped her wine. “It’s really neat of you to do this. I mean, arranging to marry someone isn’t something you do every day.”
“We’ve been going out for how many dates now?” Logan inched closer. Livy took another sip from her wine and she turned to the orchestra. “Three, I think.”