Charlotte’s mention of Audrey caused me nothing but distress.

I couldn’t stop thinking about how Dad would react when I showed up to the family fundraiser without Audrey hanging off my arm. Because that was exactly what was going to happen, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. Even with him out of town I’d see the disappointment in his face, hear the whispers follow me around the room But, still, I couldn’t do it.

My arms paddled and my legs kicked through the warm pool water.

I pushed myself harder, needing to glide through the water faster, as if running away from the dilemma I faced.

Diving my head under the water, I flipped around and pushed off the wall for what felt like the hundredth time. Tonight, I wasn’t counting my laps. I just needed to swim. Clear my head and come up with a better alternative than the one I had hinted at to Charlotte.

Audrey presented a huge problem for myself—to my entire family, really.

My history with her was complicated. We’d known each other since we were teenagers and our tangled relationship through the years was a series of starts and stops that began far too early—and during a time when neither one of us knew how to properly channel our hormones that were, at the time, totally out of control.

I gulped back a large breath of air and dove my head back under the water.

It wasn’t that Audrey was bad looking, or anything like that. In fact, she’d grown up to be a rather attractive woman. It was just that when I was with her, I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing.

My legs kicked harder as I thought how it wasn’t going to be easy to shed Audrey from my life. Especially since my brother Cooper needed her family’s endorsement in his run for the governor’s seat.

Unfortunately for me, I was the link to keeping Audrey happy—to keeping Coop on my good side.

Finally, I had enough. Calling it quits, I stopped at the edge of the pool and peeled my goggles and cap off my head. My chest heaved as I caught my breath and I let my head just hang for a minute.

I didn’t know what to do. Either decision would leave someone feeling disappointed.

Rooting my palms into the cool concrete, I pushed myself out of the water just as my cell phone started ringing. Taking my time, I reached for it on top of my towel, grabbing them both at the same time.

Glancing to the screen, I didn’t recognize the number but was quick to answer anyway. “This is Nolan.”

There was breathing on the line, but a reply was slow to come. “Nolan. It’s Sophia Monroe.”

I lifted my head and looked around, feeling a smirk form over my lips.

“The guest staying in your family’s condo—”

I thought about the angle I wanted to play with her. She had been so confident in giving me a hard time earlier, I debated whether or not I should give her a taste of her own medicine. “I didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow.”

The line was silent.

“Either you’re desperate for company or you forgot that washing delicates in the dishwasher does, in fact, harm the machine.”

That got her to snicker.

“I can assure you that I didn’t wash my delicates in your dishwasher.”

I dabbed my body dry as I smiled.

“But I am desperate.”

My brows shot to the top of my head, surprise taking over. Then I murmured, “Normally that’s not a quality I find attractive, but with you I’ll make an exception.”

She laughed. “Let me rephrase before you get the wrong impression.”

I furrowed my brow, intently listening, hanging on her every word.

“I’m locked out of the condo and I was hoping you could let me inside.”

I rubbed my hand over my face, feeling my smile hit the corners of my eyes. “If that’s all it is.”

“That’s all it is.” Her voice led me to believe she was also smiling.

“I’m not far.”

“Then you’re coming?”

“Give me ten minutes,” I said.

“Make it quick.” She ended the call.

Running my hand through my wet hair, I gathered my belongings by the poolside and found myself inside another of our family’s townhouses a minute later.

Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly jumped in the shower to wash off the chlorine from the pool, finding myself getting hard just thinking about Sophia.

I didn’t want to assume that this was anything other than what she said it was, but I wasn’t going to take any chances either. Once I was convinced I had fully showered, I quickly brushed my teeth, dabbed on some cologne, and stepped into my giant walk-in closet, searching my many racks of clothes for the right attire.

I thought about what she was wearing earlier— a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and boots. After several agonizing minutes of indecisiveness, I settled on a cranberry collared button-up and freshly pressed khaki slacks with brown leather shoes and belt to match.

Grabbing my keys by the front door, I stopped to look at myself in the mirror and said, “You got this.”

It was silly to drive, but I didn’t like the idea of not having my truck if something did materialize. When I arrived, I backed into an empty parking spot and checked the time. I had taken a little longer than I’d promised, but I also didn’t want her to think that I was as desperate to see her again as I really was.

Bounding up the steps, I found her with her back against the door, eating a slice of pizza.

She eyed me and took another bite. “I thought you said you’d be here in ten minutes.”

Smiling, I wiped my sweaty palms on my thighs, admiring her casual look. I felt silly for dressing up just to let her inside. She had changed since I’d seen her last, and as my eyes drifted up her long, bare legs I couldn’t stop thinking how dang cute she looked tucked so neatly inside her large hooded sweatshirt. “Was that not ten?”

She arched a brow. “Times two.”

Diving my hand inside my pants pocket, I pulled the extra set of keys out and jangled them in the air.

Embarrassment scrunched her face as she did a once over of how I was dressed. “Did I steal you away from something?”

“Don’t worry about it.” I unlocked the door, not wanting to talk about why I was dressed up. “The elevation and lack of oxygen makes people act funny. You’re not the first to have locked themselves out.”

She stood, throwing the half-eaten slice into the box as she picked it up along the way. “I think it was all the wine.”

Our eyes met and I swore she was tempting me. She was much smaller than I was, and I could handle her no problem, but she wasn’t afraid to square her shoulders and step up to me as if challenging my dominance. I liked that about her. It was what made her interesting.

“You can blame your friend for that,” I said, pushing the door open.

“How did she do it, anyway?” she asked as she skirted by me.

“We handle special requests all the time. Having a nice bottle of wine waiting upon arrival was easy. It’s the more obscure items that make my job more difficult.”

“Like what?”

“You don’t want to know,” I said, deadpan.

She offered me a slice of pizza. And as she rocked back and forth on her heels, I measured her status, finally deciding that she was most definitely single. I just couldn’t see her here, alone, if she wasn’t.

I rolled my shoulders back and looked her directly in the eye. “How about I take you to a fun bar in town instead?”

Her eyes swayed with mine. Then she angled her head to the side, keeping a quizzical look on her face. “That sounds nice—”

“C’mon. It will be fun.” I smiled, taking a small step forward to close the gap that kept me from her.

Finally, her eyes cast to the floor and she turned her back saying, “Maybe some other time. I’ve had a long day.”

Suddenly, my body felt heavier than only a moment ago. I nodded and turned to leave, not wanting to push her into doing something she didn’t want to do. But before I could get out the door, Sophia said, “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime, Nolan Foster.”