“That was a lucky shot!” Dalton yells from across the net. He doubles over to catch his breath. “And the one before that!”

Faith laughs and walks over to her struggling partner. “With that logic, honey, Quinn’s been ‘lucky’ all game.”

I turn to my doubles partner. “Sorry I bruised your brother’s ego.”

“You kidding me?” Archer says, grinning. “This was the best day of my life. I’d pay good money to see my brother run around like that again.”

“I think we’re going to hit the pool,” Faith calls out, rubbing her husband’s back.

“We’ll join you,” Archer says. He grabs the bags and reaches for my racquet. “Where did you learn to play like that?”

“Jonathan.”

“He must be a good player,” he says as we head down the path after Faith and Dalton.

“Is that a compliment?” I say, laughing as Archer rolls his eyes. “I almost stopped playing at NYU, but I’m glad I kept up with it. Tennis has come in handy with my job. Sometimes a donor wants to meet on the court, sometimes the course, but I never got into golf.”

“It is rather monotonous.”

“You play, then?”

“Of course.” Archer smirks. “I’m one of those donors you’re talking about. The dashing, debonair kind.”

“You mean the annoying, pretentious kind.” I jostle him with my elbow and shove him off the path. He catches himself and turns to me with a wicked smile.

“You just declared war, East,” Archer growls, lunging for me. He grabs me in his arms and lifts me off my feet.

“Stratton!” I shriek, giggling. I could feel the racing beat of his heart as he held me against his chest.

“Do you yield?” Archer asks, holding me tight.

I look up at him and my words die on my lips. Archer’s face was unguarded, his sultry eyes laced with desire. The force of his want took my breath away.

“Well isn’t this adorable,” someone says behind us.

We turn our heads and see Tessa watching us with unveiled disgust. Archer slowly lowers me to my feet.

“Sorry to have interrupted you and your…” Tessa narrows her eyes at me “… date’s little moment, but you’re blocking the path.”

Date? Right, like she hasn’t seen the dozens of articles featuring Archer and his new girlfriend.

I step forward. “We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Quinn, Archer’s girlfriend.”

“I know who you are,” Tessa snaps, pointedly ignoring my outstretched hand.

I sigh. “Normally after someone gives you their name, you give yours back. It’s called an ‘introduction.’”

Archer snorts next to me.

Tessa’s cheeks go pink. “How dare you—”

“Where’s Patton?” Archer interrupts.

“Who?”

“The guy I met at my family’s wing reveal.”

Tessa rolls her eyes. “That was ages ago. We broke up.”

“That’s surprising,” Archer says, clearly meaning the opposite. “Too bad you’re here alone.”

“I’m not alone,” Tessa says, a smug smile tugging at her lips. “My date’s grabbing us towels.”

Archer raises an eyebrow. “Can’t wait to meet him.”

“But you already know him,” Tessa says coyly.

Oh boy. Everything about this situation spells DISASTER. I lean toward Archer. “I think we should go—”

“There he is!” Tessa squeals, waving behind us. I turn to see Zach striding toward us. Archer stills next to me, and I reach for his hand.

“Sorry I’m late, Tessie—” Zach stops when he spots Archer and me.

Archer’s hand tightens around mine. “What are you doing here?” he demands.

“Tessa invited me,” Zach says, avoiding Archer’s glare.

“We’re heading to the pool,” Tessa says, brushing by us to join her “date.” “You little lovebirds should join us.”

I glance at Archer’s clenched teeth and tense shoulders and shake my head. “I think it’ll be too…crowded. Stratton and I want some alone time, if you know what I mean.”

Tessa curls her lip. “Come on, Zach,” she orders. She gives me one last hateful look and then tugs Zach down the path.

I let out a huge breath and turn to Archer. “Are you alright? She was awful, but Zach being her date for the weekend? Wow.”

“Can we stop talking about this?” Archer snaps, stalking off down the path toward the house. I have to trot to keep up.

“Okay, but we’re going to have to see them again,” I say.

“Don’t you think I know that?” Archer hisses, opening the porch door and taking the stairs two at a time.

“I’m trying to help,” I argue, following him down the hall to our room—you heard me right: our single room. It was a shock when Claudette showed us where we’d be staying for three days. Archer had to stomp on my foot to stop me from asking where my room was.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Archer mutters. He peels off his sweaty shirt and tosses it to the floor.

I stop and stare. Holy God, he was magnificent. I can’t help but let my eyes wander over his sweaty skin and rippling muscles as he lifts his arm to grab a fresh shirt and boxers from the closet. I’ve dated fit men before, but nothing like Archer. He looks like chiseled marble.

I glance away as Archer turns from the closet. “You know,” I say pretending to admire a painting on the wall instead of the Greek god to my left, “I could sleep on the floor tonight.”

“This again?” Archer demands, striding passed me on his way to the bathroom. “First, if anyone’s sleeping on the floor, it’ll be me. Second, I’m not. So suck it up, and share the bed with me like a good girl.”

That’s what I’m afraid of. I can imagine what sharing Archer Stratton’s bed might feel like.

“Fine,” I say, raising my voice as Archer shuts the bathroom door and turns on the shower. The reality that he’s standing there behind that door, naked in all his glory, makes me quiver. “But nothing’s happening, Stratton!”

The water turns off.

Uh oh.

The door opens a moment later, revealing a dripping wet Archer with only a towel wrapped around his narrow hips. My eyes find his perfect V-taper and follow it down and down—

“What’s the matter, East?” he asks. “Afraid you won’t be able to control yourself around me?”

“Yeah, right,” I say, directing my eyes north of his neck. “You’re the one who’s been facing down the barrel of monogamy for the last three months.”

“You make it easy, sweet cheeks,” he says, giving me that shit-eating grin I’ve almost come to miss. Then he steps back and shuts the bathroom door in my bright red face.

* * *

Somehow Tessa manages to wrangle a seat next to Archer at dinner, which means, for four whole courses, I got to watch the brat fawn over my boyfriend. I’m not talking about veiled innuendoes or innocent sleeve grazes. I’m talking about blatant, in-your-face flirting that would make a grown woman (like myself) blush.

It’s not like I could even distract myself with my dinner partner. I’m in the lucky position of sitting next to her date. Zach’s been driving me crazy all night with his insipid comments and inappropriate conversation. They mainly revolve around my tits and ass, and what he’d like to do with them if Archer wasn’t in the picture.

I glance at the hosts of our party, who are entertaining Tessa’s parents (who are lovely, by the way). My only conclusion at this seating arrangement is that I’ve somehow insulted Archer’s parents or let them down.

“I’m disappointed you didn’t join me at the pool,” Zach says to me, leaning in a little too close.

“Why?” I ask, edging away. “You were there with your date.” I’ve had to remind him of that fact no less than five times since dinner started.

“I wanted to see you in a bikini.”

“Zach,” I hiss, “I have a boyfriend!”

“He seems to be occupied at the moment,” Zach says. I glance across the table to find Tessa holding Archer’s gaze with her big doe eyes.

HELP ME! I silently plead, but Archer doesn’t turn.

“We’re in the same boat, you know,” Zach murmurs in my ear.

I flinch away. “Oh really?”

“We’re here as pawns. I know Tessa asked me here to get back at Archer.”

“And why are you okay with that?”

“Tessa and I share one thing in common: we like great sex,” he says.

“You know she cheated on him, right?”

Zach shrugs. “I know, but I also know he’s been a bit of a dick to me lately because of you.”

“Me?”

“Archer’s not the dating type, and neither am I. It made us a good team with the ladies. With that gone, we don’t have a lot in common.”

“So how exactly are we in the same boat?” I ask, throwing Archer another help me! look. But he’s staring at his plate while Tessa chatters into his ear.

“Archer brought you to get back at Tessa,” Zach smirks, leaning back in his seat.

“That’s not true,” I argue. “He’s over her.”

“Sure. That’s why he’s over there having a terrible time…”

I steal another glance across the table. Dammit, Zach is right. Archer seems to be enjoying his chat with pretty little Tessa. Her full lips are pursed in a sexy pout as she leans in to hear whatever fascinating thing my boyfriend is saying.

I drag my gaze away. I didn’t understand Archer. One moment he’s sweeping me off my feet and staring into my eyes, and the next he’s chatting up his ex-girlfriend. This night sucks, and I am totally over it.

I stand up and push back from the table. Archer glances up from across the table, giving me a inquiring look (finally!). I turn away and scoot around my chair.

“It’s been a real treat,” I say to Zach, “but I’m going to skip dessert. I think I’ve had enough sickening sweet-talk for one night.”

Without another glance in my boyfriend’s direction, I turn and walk out of the room. I’m barely three steps up the stairs when I hear my name being called. It’s Dalton.

“Everything alright?” I ask, instantly think of Faith and the baby. I had given them a workout on the tennis court earlier.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” Dalton says. “Faith and I saw you talking to Zach. Don’t let him get to you.”

“Oh, I knew he was an asshole the first time I met him.”

“Then was it Tessa talking to Archer?”

Well, aren’t we a little too perceptive.

“Don’t you mean Archer talking to Tessa?” I say bitterly.

“Nonsense. Tessa was falling over herself to get Archer to listen.” Dalton sighs. “Did you know she broke his heart a couple years ago?”

I nod. “I know the whole sad story and that your parents think they should get back together.” I rub my temples. “Was that the reasoning behind the seating arrangement? Did I upset them?”

Dalton shook his head. “No, Quinn, everyone loves you. We consider you family now.”

My heart dies a little at those kind words. I hadn’t considered how our breakup would affect our loves ones.

“They didn’t seat Tessa next to Archer,” Dalton continues. “Faith saw Tessa eyeing the place cards during cocktail hour but didn’t think anything of it until we sat down.”

“Oh…I didn’t realize.”

“Wanna come back in with me?” Dalton offers, smiling. “You can switch places with me and talk to Ms. Bessley about her beagles.”

I bite my lip. “Thanks, but I’m tired. I think I’ll save my beagle-talk for tomorrow.”

“Are you sure? I was looking forward to letting Zach simper at me for a while.”

I laugh. “Very. Say goodnight to Faith for me.”

I slip upstairs and into my room. Finally, I have some peace and quiet. No acting, no chitchatting, no fending off Zach. Just me, a book, and a cup of tea—

The door flies open, and Archer strides into the room. His eyes find me immediately, and my thought of snuggling up in bed with a good book goes flying out the window.

“Are you sick?” he demands.

“Um, no—”

“Did you forget something, then?”

“No. Why the twenty questions?”

“I’m trying to figure out why you’d leave dinner halfway through and insult my parents by not saying goodnight.”

“I-I can explain,” I say in shock. This is the Archer I remember from three months ago, not the man I’ve grown fond of.

“You left me with Tessa fucking Clifton. Do you have any idea what I went through tonight?”

No way. He is not turning this on me. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself,” I say, crossing my hands over my chest.

“Enjoying myself? I kept trying to get your attention, but you were so enthralled with my backstabbing friend to even notice!”

I glare at him. “Well, while you chatted up Miss Fake-Tits, I had to fend off a man who can’t keep his hands or eyes to himself!”

Archer goes still. A thick, tense silence settles over us. “Did Zach touch you?”

“I…um—”

“Did Zach touch you or not?” Archer asks again, his voice low and dangerous. I take a small step back.

“Answer the question, Quinn,” he snarls.

Blood pounds in my head. I’ve never seen him so angry.

“No,” I whisper. I try to hold his gaze, but I’m overwhelmed by the fury burning in his bright blue orbs. “But if he had, I would have slapped him. I can handle a creep like Zach.”

“I know you could, East,” Archer grumbles. He rakes his eyes over me, taking in every detail of my tight-fitting cocktail dress and its low neckline. I’m stripped naked beneath his gaze.

“Archer—”

“You look beautiful tonight, East,” he says, closing the gap between us in one step. Archer takes my face in the palm of his hand and tilts it up toward his. We’re inches apart now, closer than we’ve ever been before. The heady musk of alpha male fills my nostrils as Archer draws in one labored breath after another. Unfettered want dances across his eyes.

Archer Stratton is about to kiss me. Not a calm, measured peck on the lips, but a life-altering, knock-me-on-my-ass kiss. The kind that complicates already complicated relationships…

Like a very public fake romance.

I tense and turn my head, pushing against Archer’s steely arms. “Archer,” I whisper.

I tumble out of his arms as Archer loosens his hold. I clutch the side of the bed to catch my breath. Archer turns away and braces himself against the wall with one arm.

“W-what were you about to…” I trail off, unsure if I want to know; I can’t withstand another embrace like that if he decides to show me.

“I’m sorry, Quinn,” Archer says hoarsely. He straightens and gives his head a quick shake. “It won’t happen again.”

He strides to the door and throws it open. “I’ll make your excuses to my parents,” he snaps. “Don’t wait up.”

I hold out my hand. “Archer, wait—”

I’m cut off as the door slams behind him.

What. Just. Happened!? It looked like my fake boyfriend just tried to kiss me. What would have happened if I hadn’t turned away?

I sink down onto the bed. Oh, I know what would’ve happened. And there’s no going back once you’ve crossed that line.