I have so much going on in my mind, I can’t think straight. Smiling like everything’s perfect is the only way I can get through it.

I feel like an idiot. Why the hell did I give that guy my number? Oh yeah, I know why … Dani and Adrienne gave me so much hell about it that I had to. It’s not like he’s going to call anyway. It’ll probably be better if he doesn’t. I just lost my virginity in a fucking sex club to a man I don’t know. How will I ever explain that to someone if I ever do get involved in a relationship?

Grabbing my T-shirt and shorts out of my closet, I slip them on and hurry back into my bathroom to dry my hair. I have thirty minutes before I have to be at work, and if I don’t get out in the next five minutes, traffic will be a bitch. Luckily, I only have to work half a day so I plan on spending the rest of my afternoon at Looking Glass Falls and hiking along the trails. I need some peace and quiet.

My phone rings just as I walk out the front door. Glancing down at the screen, I smile. “Hi, Mom. Everything okay?”

She sighs. “Getting a little antsy having to stay home. I really can’t wait to get back to work.”

I laugh. “I bet. How’s your foot?”

“Much better. The doctor says it’s healing nicely. I miss going on my walks at lunchtime though. It looks like it’ll be a while before I can do any long-distance walking.”

Getting in my car, I head toward the shop. “You’ll get back to it eventually.”

“I know,” she says. “Are you driving to work right now?”

“Yep. I just have half a day and then I’m going to Moulton Falls for a bit. Do you need me for something?”

“No, I’m fine, sweetheart. I was actually calling to see how the party went last night. I heard Let’s Get Baked catered the food. Denise said she saw you there.”

Denise is their neighbor and I do remember seeing her. She didn’t recognize me until I told her who I was. “I saw her, too. She didn’t know who I was.”

My mother giggles. “That’s what she said. She also complimented on how beautiful you were, and that city life suited you.”

It was my turn to laugh. “Yeah, she made a comment on how she thought I’d be married by now with kids. Guess I fooled her.”

“Yes, you did. Either way, I’m happy for you.”

“That makes one of you,” I mumble to myself. “All right, Mom, I’m at work. I’ll call you later.”

“All right, honey. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” Hanging up, I rest my forehead on the steering wheel. I’m sure a lot of people back home thought I’d have gotten married and became a housewife by now. I love proving people wrong.

Before I can get out of the car, my phone beeps. I hop out and look at the screen, shocked beyond belief to see who it is.

I start to text back, but I can’t seem to get my fingers to work. Instead, I hurry inside. Sandy is in her office, typing away on her computer, and she doesn’t even look up when I run to Dani.

“Hey,” I say, catching her off guard. Dani squeals and chocolate morsels go flying.

“Oh my God, you scared me.” She holds a hand over her heart. “What’s going on?”

She mixes the morsels into her cookie dough and sets the bowl in the refrigerator. I hold out my phone so she can see the text from Kai. “He texted this morning. What do I say? I wasn’t expecting him to actually call.”

She scoffs. “Seriously? The man couldn’t stop staring at you last night.” Like that makes me feel better. He could be a serial killer or a rapist.

Granted, Kai is very sexy and probably worth a million dollars by the looks of him. Why he’s interested in me, I have no clue. I don’t have the expensive clothes and jewelry, and I’m definitely not famous like his friend, Parker Ward.

“What do I do? I don’t know the guy at all.”

“Take a picture of his license and send it to me. That way, if he tries something funny, I can nail his ass.”

I stare at her like she’s lost her mind. “Seriously? You want me to ask for his license.”

She giggles. “Why not? He’ll understand. Plus, I can Google him. Maybe he just wants someone to show him around like he asked. Doesn’t hurt to at least be friends. Not to mention, he’s super hot and possibly loaded.”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t care about that. I just don’t know why he picked me out. There were a ton of beautiful women there.”

Adrienne squeezes my shoulders from behind. “It’s because you’re amazing and he can see it. Don’t underestimate yourself, Alex. Just because you don’t make over a million a year doesn’t mean you’re not worth it.”

Catering to the elite has definitely given me insight on how a lot of rich people are. Some of them were friendly to me, but others, stuck their noses up like I was nothing. I know my value and I’m happy with what I’ve achieved in life. It’s not like it would work anyway with Kai. It’s clear to see we come from different worlds.

Taking a deep breath, I pull out my phone. “You’re right. There’s no harm in showing him around Portland.”

Dani’s grin widens. “Exactly.”

I text him my address and his reply comes fast.

Heart racing, I go back inside and start on my triple chocolate brownies. A part of me feels guilty, like I’m betraying the man from Society X. Then again, I’m the idiot who chose to lose her virginity to a stranger. It’s embarrassing, and I’m almost thankful I don’t know who the man is. It’s probably best I don’t go back.

* * *

I get home in time to check my hair and makeup before the doorbell rings. Glancing out the window, I have no doubt it’s Kai … especially since there’s a shiny, expensive car in the driveway. When I open the door, he takes off his sunglasses and smiles.

“Hey. Thanks for agreeing to show me around.”

I can’t stop my eyes from taking him all in. He looks different from the night before. Instead of wearing a nice suit, he’s dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt that matches his eyes. His blondish-brown hair isn’t gelled, making it look much lighter in the sun.

“Hi,” I say back. “You’re welcome. Happy to help.”

He nods toward the cars. “Want me to drive?”

Shaking my head, I shut the door behind me. “I will. That way I can show you everything. But first, I need to take a picture of your license.”

He chuckles and pulls out his wallet. “Why?”

When he hands it to me, I finally get a look at his full name. Kai Robicheau. It’s an interesting last name. I clear my throat and take a picture of it. “I have to make sure you’re not a serial killer.” I send the picture to Dani. “You can never be too careful.” I try to hide my smile and fail.

“What about you? Maybe I should see your license. I’m starting to think Dria might not be your real name.”

I meet his blue stare. “It’s close enough.”

His smile widens. “Okay, I trust you. Are you ready to go?”

I nod toward my silver, Toyota Camry. “The doors are unlocked.” Instead of going over to the passenger’s side, he opens my door first. “Thanks,” I say, heat rising to my cheeks as I get in. He then walks to the passenger’s side door and opens it, the scent of his cologne drifting past my nose. It smells familiar and it makes my chest tighten. “Where do you want me to take you?” I ask.

He shrugs. “Anywhere you want.”

Judging by the twinkle in his eyes, I have a feeling it’s not why he asked me out. “You don’t want me to show you around, do you?”

“Oh, yeah, I do. I just mainly wanted to spend time with you.”

I snort. “I’m sure you could’ve asked anyone to do that.”

“True, but I wanted you. You remind me of someone. I just can’t place it.”

“I doubt it. No offense, but you and I don’t exactly run in the same circles.” We get on the highway and I head right into downtown.

His eyes narrow. “Why do you say that?”

“Your car is more expensive than my house, Kai.”

“So. That doesn’t mean a thing.”

We’re going to see about that. I drive by a hole in the wall Italian restaurant and point at it. “Have you ever eaten in there?”

Kai looks over at it and shakes his head. I thought I’d see disgust on his face, but he genuinely seems interested. “They have the best lasagna in town. It’s not the kind of place I see people like you in.”

His lips pull back. “Maybe we can go there together. I’d be happy to try it out.”

“Really?”

“Why not? I trust your judgment. Your food last night was amazing. I have no doubt you know what’s good and what isn’t.”

“Thanks. I take food seriously.”

We drive down more downtown streets and I point out all my favorite spots, including the best art museum in town. I can spend hours in there. “You’ve lived here all your life?” he asks.

I nod. “For the most part. Did I hear correctly that your job is in Sweet Briar right now?”

“Yep. Have you heard about the new developments taking place there?”

“I have. It’s going to be amazing. Sweet Briar’s a cool, little town. I’d love to see it get more attention. Are you a part of it somehow?”

He winks. “I might be the one in charge of it.”

Heart racing, I can feel the sweat running down my back. I didn’t realize how important the man was. Not to mention, his job is to fix up my hometown. “That’s amazing, Kai. Whatever you do, I hope it works.”

“It will,” he states in all seriousness. “I don’t ever take on a project and fail. I’m working with a great team.”

“Where did you move from?” I ask, turning the attention away from Sweet Briar.

“Malibu.”

So that’s why he has tanned skin. “Did you surf?”

He shows his white teeth again. “All the time. I got pretty good at it. What do you like to do for fun?”

“Well, I love to cook, obviously. And when I’m not doing that, I like to hike and be outdoors. That’s what I was going to do today before you called.”

His body turns to me. “You can still do that. I’ll just go with you.”

“You hike?” I ask, doubting it completely.

“I love it. Believe it or not, I was an eagle scout as a boy. My parents were poor so I grew up hiking and swimming in lakes for entertainment. I’ll never forget the hiking trips I went on with my dad.”

I can see the truth on his face. Maybe he’s not the stuck up douche I thought he’d be. “Sounds like fun. If you don’t mind, I’ll take you to one of my favorite places.”

He waves toward the road. “I’ll go anywhere you take me. I don’t have anything I have to do.”

It feels crazy to take this man to my secret spot, but in a way, I’m excited to. I’ve never been able to take anyone there. “All right, but it’s kind of a drive.”

Sitting back in the seat, he almost looks like a normal guy. “I don’t mind.”

Our destination is a forty-minute drive outside of Portland, but it goes by quick. We talk about my job and what he has to do in Sweet Briar. The next thing I know we’re in the trailhead parking lot to Looking Glass Falls.

Kai focuses on the sign, a smile lighting up his face. It’s hard not to smile when he looks at me like that. “Hiking, huh? That’s what you wanted to do on your afternoon off?”

I shrug. “I’ve had a lot on my mind. Being here helps me think.”

We get out of my car and I tighten up my laces. He walks over to my side and I’m thankful he’s in tennis shoes as well. “What’s on your mind?”

I stand and we’re so close I can feel the heat from his body. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I look up at him. “I don’t want to bore you with my personal life. I’m sure there’s other things more important to talk about.”

His brows lift and I hurry past him to the trail. “Okay, I’ll take the hint,” he calls out behind me. It doesn’t take him long to catch up to me. “Where does this trail lead to?”

I happy sigh escapes my lips. “To the most beautiful waterfall in the whole state. It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“I miss seeing places like that,” he confesses. “It’s hard to when you work all the time.”

“Is that why you’re single?” I ask, sneaking a glance at him.

His smile slightly fades. “For the most part. I was seeing someone casually in Malibu, but when the Sweet Briar job came about, we decided to split ways.”

“I can understand that.”

“What about you?”

A laugh escapes my lips and I shake my head. “My life is complicated right now. I’m kind of involved with someone, only I’m not. I know it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Actually, it does,” he cuts in.

“And then I ran into my ex at the store. He wants to go out some time.”

“You’re a very attractive woman, Dria. Any man would be happy to have you.”

I playfully bump into his shoulder. The reaction comes out of nowhere, but Kai seems to find it amusing. “Thanks,” I reply sweetly. The sound of the waterfall draws closer and I pick up my pace. “We’re almost there.”

Once we climb up the rock face and turn around the bend, the waterfall comes into view. It’s twenty-five feet of pure bliss. The spray from the water coats my heated skin and it feels amazing. There’s a large rock partway into the water so I take off my shoes to get there. Kai does the same and joins me. The rock is big enough for us both to spread out on.

Lying on my back, I lean up on my elbows and watch Kai skip rocks across the water. “How long will you stay in Portland?”

He reaches into the water for more rocks. “Until the job is done, probably a couple of years, depending on how it goes.”

“What about settling down? Do you not want to stay in the same place and start a family? You have to be pushing thirty.” It’s a bold question, but I’m curious.

Chuckling, he skips another rock across the water and sits down. “And you’re what, twenty-five?” I nod and he shrugs a shoulder. “One day I’ll settle down … when I meet the right woman.”

“You will. I have faith.”

His eyes lift straight to mine. “I have to say, you’re different from any woman I’ve ever been with. It’s so easy to talk to you, almost like I’ve always known you.”

I wink. “I’ve been told that before. I tend to make friends easily.”

“Hopefully, you’ll consider me as one. I don’t have any around here. Every time I move, I start all over.”

I can’t imagine that. “What about your family? Where do they live?”

With a heavy sigh, he throws the last of his rocks into the water. “Arizona. With my schedule, I see them maybe four times a year. It’s hard. I miss them.”

“At least, you get along with yours. My father and I don’t exactly see eye to eye these days.” I bite my tongue, hating that I even confided in him.

“Why not?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I answer with a shake of my head. “It’s not something I want to talk about.” Getting to my feet, I wade through the water back to my shoes. “We should probably get back. The sun will be going down soon.”

By the expression on his face, he can tell he struck a nerve. The last thing I want to do is talk about my family drama with a man I barely know. When we get to the car, he rests his forearms on the roof and peers over at me. “I had a good time today. Do you think you’d like to grab dinner one night?” I open my mouth to say no, but he holds up his hands. “As friends. I can sense you’re not ready for anything more than that. I’m not either if that makes you more comfortable.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I nod. “It does. Nothing against you, Kai, but I can’t see anything happening between us. We’re too different.”

He shrugs. “I beg to differ.” With one last grin, he gets in the car and shuts the door.

The butterflies I’ve been trying to deny come back with a vengeance. I can’t let another man into my life.