Chapter 4

When Monday rolled around, Devin Matthews was like a dog with a bone where the conflict between Caroline and Regan was concerned. No matter how Sawyer tried to distract him with new design ideas, Devin kept going back to the mother-daughter angle. When Regan threatened to refuse to sign the paperwork, he had backed down, but Sawyer knew he would have to step in to make sure his show didn’t turn into a soap opera.

Sawyer and the crew arrived at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, and Caroline greeted them all in her best work clothes with a great big smile and what seemed like an endless supply of coffee and doughnuts. Introductions were made and soon Sawyer was laying out the plan for what he wanted to accomplish on the first day. Regan was there under protest, but it had been explained to her that there would be times when she was needed for the segment—and the first day of renovations was a key segment.

The scowl on her face told Sawyer how much she was against being there.

Once everyone had their tasks assigned and cameras were set up, Sawyer’s opening remarks were filmed. He introduced Caroline and Regan and what the plan was for their home. “Cut!” Devin yelled.

“What’s the problem?” Sawyer asked.

“We discussed this. I want you to introduce the project, but I want you to refer to the fact that mother and daughter are not in agreement on this job.”

With a low growl of frustration, Sawyer stepped away from the Amersons and pulled Devin aside. “Look, I told you I am not interested in turning this into a damn family drama. If you want to play up that angle, you can find a way to do it during the editing with the voice-overs. I’m not doing it.”

Devin glared at him. “I don’t see what the big deal is, Sawyer. It’s not like I’m asking anyone to play make-believe here—the daughter is clearly ticked off about this.” He glanced over at Regan and smirked. “She’s sexy as hell, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s going to be the villain.”

Sawyer could not even begin to understand where the protective instinct came from where Regan was concerned, but before he knew it he had Devin by the collar. “There are no villains here, Dev. If you try to turn this into some kind of freak show, I’ll walk.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Watch me,” Sawyer snarled and released him. The two men stared one another down, and Sawyer realized they had the attention of most of the crew. “Either we stick to the formula or this is done.” A tense moment followed before Devin finally said, “Fine.” Sawyer wasn’t foolish enough to think this was the end of it, but at least for now they could start filming and begin the renovation.

He led Regan and Caroline into the kitchen. “Okay, ladies,” he said, “most of the cabinets in here are in great shape. We’re going to take down the doors, paint them, and install new hardware, and then we’ll bring in new appliances. This center island, however, does have some issues, so we’re going to take it out.” They were each handed a large mallet and safety goggles. “Since this is your home,” he said with a big grin, “it’s only fitting that you get to take the first swing to get this demo going. So when I count to three, I want each of you to take a turn at knocking this island down and then we’ll bring the crew in to take over. Ready? One…two…three!”

Caroline took the first swing and knocked off a big chunk of countertop; Regan went next and managed to take down a corner of the cabinet. They each got in a few more swings until the island was gone. Sawyer congratulated them both, and then invited the crew in to take over before ending the segment.

“Great job, ladies!” he said. “We’re off to a good start and with the island out of the way, we’ll have more room to work in here.” He started to tell them what would happen next when Regan handed her mallet and goggles to one of the crew, whispering an apology before fleeing the room. Caroline started to go after her, but Sawyer stopped her. “Let me,” he said softly.

It didn’t take long to locate Regan in the far corner of the yard. The landscaping was full of beautiful flowers and mature trees, and his heart nearly broke when he found her back there crying with her arms wrapped around her middle. Walking up behind her, he gently put his hands on her shoulders before turning her into his embrace. “What’s going on?” he whispered.

It took a moment for Regan to compose herself. When she pulled back and looked up at Sawyer’s face she saw genuine concern there, and it just angered her all the more. “You don’t get it, do you? To you, that was just a kick start to a demo, but to me, that island was where I did homework for years and had heart-to-heart conversations. That was the place where I would sit and talk on the phone before my father allowed me to have a phone in my room. We prepared meals there, I learned how to cook there, and with a couple of swings of a hammer, it’s gone!” She pulled free of his embrace. “So I hope you’re satisfied. I hope this earns you ratings, but believe me when I say I will never support this idea, nor will I watch your show again. If this is what it takes for you to get your ratings, then I want no part of it.”

Regan turned to walk away, but Sawyer reached out and pulled her back. “Believe it or not, this is not how I get ratings. Do you think I want to do this job knowing how much this is hurting you?”

“You don’t know anything about me,” she said angrily. “I’m nobody to you. This is just a job and you’re just jumping through the network’s hoops and doing what you’re told.”

Now he was pissed. “Now, just a minute,” he snapped. “You’re right, I don’t know you, but I was hoping to change that. You’d be surprised if you had any idea of what I’ve had to go through over this project. They wanted to turn this into a family drama between you and your mother, and I’m doing my best not to let that happen. I’ve been patient with you and tried to be accommodating, but I don’t want to stand here and be insulted on top of everything else.”

Unable to resist the hurt look on her face, Sawyer touched her gently on the arm. “I’m sorry this is all so upsetting for you. I’m sorry you have to sell your home, but I am not sorry that I’m here or that I’ve met you.” He looked deep into her eyes and saw the exact moment of surprise when she caught his meaning. “I’m not the bad guy here, Regan,” he said softly. “If you could look beyond all this and take a little time to get to know me, I think you’ll see that for yourself.”

Then, because he had nothing to lose, he lowered his head and brushed her lips with his. His first instinct was to take and devour, so long had he been thinking about this moment. But once he felt her soft lips under his and heard her quick intake of breath, he decided on slow and seductive. When Regan leaned into him and lifted her arms to loop them around his neck, Sawyer was lost. No longer was he the one in control. Regan nipped at his bottom lip and tentatively touched her tongue to his. Sawyer’s hand glided up into her glorious mane of hair as he anchored Regan to him. Again and again his mouth slanted over hers until he almost couldn’t breathe.

With a growl of frustration, he finally broke their kiss, resting his forehead against hers. Sawyer tried to think of something to say, anything that wouldn’t break the spell and ruin the moment. Just when he was about to ask if she was okay, Regan’s hand snaked into his hair and pulled his mouth back to hers for another searing kiss. It was madness, complete and utter madness as they continued to pull one another closer, until all Sawyer could think about was hauling her behind one of the large oak trees and having her right then and there.

This time it was Regan who pulled away. Her breathing was ragged as she slowly pulled her arms from around him and took a shaky step back. “Wow,” she whispered. “What was that?”

Sawyer chuckled. “If you have to ask, then maybe I should try it again.” He took a step toward her but Regan held a hand out to stop him.

“No, no—I know what that was, it’s just…I wasn’t expecting it.” She looked around the yard, up at the sky, anyplace but at him. “I don’t know what came over me,” she said shyly. “I’m upset over the house, of course, and—”

Sawyer didn’t let her finish. “Don’t think this was about the house! I kissed you because I wanted to, because I’m attracted to you. And if you’re honest with yourself, you kissed me back because you’re just as attracted to me.”

Regan crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him in disbelief. “Geez, conceited much?”

“That had nothing to do with conceit, Regan, and you know it. We’re both adults and I don’t see anything wrong in admitting that there’s an attraction here. I want to get to know you better, to spend time with you.” He waited to see if she would say anything, but she didn’t. “This isn’t about the show.” Carefully, he reached out and took one of her hands. “We won’t even talk about the house or the show. I would like the opportunity to spend some time with you.”

Regan eyed him warily.

“Will you at least give me a chance? Can you at least try to separate me from the guy doing work on your house and just see me for me?” he asked solemnly.

“Today is probably not the best day to be asking me this,” she admitted. “This is all too much for me, Sawyer. I can’t change what just happened between us. I’m not sure I’d even want to, but I can’t think beyond this. I need a little time.”

Sawyer gently tugged her closer, relieved that she didn’t pull back when he kissed her again. “I can spare a little time,” he said, then he reluctantly pulled away and smiled at her. “Just not a whole lot of it.”

Regan returned his smile, and didn’t catch the fact that the camera had been rolling off in the distance.

* * *

A week later, Regan was furious. Her mother was out of control with the house and hadn’t spent more than a handful of hours at the spa. “This wasn’t supposed to be a hands-on project,” she reminded Caroline during one of her rare stops at work. “The show is about the work the crew does, not the homeowner. Why are you spending so much time there?”

“I’m fascinated by the whole process! It’s amazing how much they get done in a day, and Max has let me have a bit of a say in choosing some of the finishes. I think I’m going to High Point with him tomorrow to look at some options for the master bathroom.”

“Sawyer had all that designed,” she patiently reminded her mother. “You signed off on all his designs. There is no reason to go to High Point, or anywhere else for that matter, because it’s a done deal. You jumping in and changing things is just going to drag this job out. Now, in case you’ve forgotten, we have a business to run here—you have clients you’ve pawned off on other people all week. Can you please reel it in a bit and give us a hand?”

Caroline sighed dramatically. “Honestly, it’s not like I’m needed all that much here. None of my clients have complained—I left them in very capable hands. In case you’ve forgotten, young lady, there is going to come a time when you will have to run this place without me.”

Not this again. “Yes, yes, yes…you’re going to retire, I’m going to run the place, blah, blah, blah. While I appreciate not getting the extended disco version of how I can make it on my own, until you retire I would love it if you were here to help me.”

Caroline sat down on the office sofa and gave Regan a patient smile. “I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but Sawyer has been getting a lot of grief for not making you appear more on the site. By having me there, at least it’s keeping the producer and the network quiet. Now, I’m sorry if you don’t like the fact that I’m not helping out here as much, but you have to decide which is more important to you—me being here at the spa or you not having to deal with the home renovations.”

Regan rested her head in her hands at her desk and sighed. When had their lives gotten to this point? Things used to be way less complicated, but now it seemed like nothing was the way she wanted it to be. “Fine, go to High Point. Pick out bathroom fixtures and whatnot. I’ll handle things here.”

Smiling, Caroline stood and walked over to hug Regan. “That’s my girl.” With a final squeeze, she walked toward the door. “I think you’d really like what they’re doing on the house. So far it’s much better than I had even imagined. That Sawyer is very talented.”

You’re telling me. “If you’re happy, then I’m happy, Mom.” Just don’t ask me to come over there yet.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you. I made an appointment here for Sawyer for tomorrow morning. He hurt his shoulder on his previous job and it’s still giving him trouble. I recommended a deep tissue massage and he was all for it. He’ll be here tomorrow at ten.” And with that, her mother was gone.

Regan banged her head on her desk. Break time was over. She would be forced to see him and she was certain he was going to ask her about their last conversation, about spending time with one another. Could she go on a date with him? Sure. Could she see herself maybe going out on more than one date with him? Absolutely. Could she see herself having crazy monkey sex with him all over her townhouse?

Oh, yes.

And while yes, all that would be fine and well, the ability to separate Sawyer from his job was going to take a little effort. Not that it was impossible. Regan always hated it when people assumed that all there was to her was a spa owner; she was more than that. She was a woman who enjoyed spending time with her friends or reading a good book, going to the movies, or hiking. When someone only wanted to talk to her about work, it was sort of a turn-off. Couldn’t she then take that same attitude with Sawyer and just not talk about his work?

If ever there was a time to find out, she guessed it was going to be tomorrow.

* * *

“He’s a dude.”

“Yes, he is.”

“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”

Regan sighed. “Todd is capable of doing this.”

“Your mother said you were doing the massage,” Sawyer countered mildly.

“Well, since she hasn’t been here much, she wasn’t aware of my schedule. You need a deep tissue massage and Todd is capable of doing that for you. He has the best hands.”

Sawyer clenched his own into fists. “I do not want to be massaged by a guy, Regan,” Sawyer said, then looked directly at Todd. “No offense.”

“None taken,” Todd said, all six-plus feet of him. He turned to face his boss. “It’s your call, Rae.”

Rae? He has the best hands? What the hell is going on here? Is Regan involved with this guy? Sawyer’s mind was spinning. The thought of Regan being involved with another man had never even crossed his mind! He didn’t relish the thought of breaking up her and her boyfriend, but neither was he able to deny how much he wanted her. Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared Regan down. “Do you have another client right now?”

“Well, no,” she said sheepishly. “But I do have other things to do.”

“I can wait until you’re done,” he said, his lips twitching with a smile because he knew she completely believed him. He would wait all day if he had to if it meant having her be the one to do the massage.

Regan looked from him to Todd and back again. “I’ve got this, Todd,” she said grudgingly. “Why don’t you get Mr. Bennett set up in room three, and I’ll be in shortly. Thanks.” She turned and walked away before Sawyer could see just how uncomfortable she was with this whole situation.

Back in her office, Regan took five minutes to get herself composed. She was a professional, she could do this. She’d massaged her fair share of men since she opened her business and this should be no big deal.

Only it was.

Because it was Sawyer.

Ever since she’d first met him, and especially since their kiss in the yard, Regan had dreamed of touching him. Of course, in her dreams it wasn’t in a professional manner; no, those dreams had them alone at her place—or anywhere she could have him—and they were wild for one another just as they’d been last week. Merely the thought of unleashing that kind of passion and have it not be in a public place sent tingles down her spine.

Then again, unleashing that passion in Sawyer anyplace was enough to send tingles down her spine.

With a sigh, mentally chanting the alphabet backward, Regan headed into spa room three and found Sawyer face down on the table with a blanket draped over his bottom half.

Now, that’s a damn shame, she thought and then realized she needed to get her professional shield back in place. She went through the questions she asked all her clients—was the temperature in the room okay? Did he want to use an aroma candle? Why was he here?

“I hurt my shoulder last month on a project and it’s been acting up again,” he said without looking at her. “It’s my right shoulder.” Regan nodded wordlessly and went to work.

It took less than a minute for her to realize she was in trouble.

He felt even better than she’d imagined, and as soon as she saw her hands on Sawyer’s back, all thoughts of professionalism went out the window. It was too easy to imagine her hands on him in a more intimate way, and when he let out a low growl, Regan had to scramble for a way to clear her mind. Unfortunately, her mind wouldn’t cooperate.

When she tried to think of her mother’s house, she saw the two of them kissing in the yard. When she tried to get angry at what he was doing at her mother’s house, she could hear his kind words as he whispered to her. She couldn’t remember the damn alphabet—backward or forward—to save her own life. How was she supposed to get through the next…fifty-five minutes! Had time simply stopped?

Staring at the clock, Regan worked on Sawyer’s shoulder until her fingers started to go numb, and that’s when she heard it. Her hands stilled for a moment before she went back to massaging him, and heard it again.

“No sex noises,” she hissed.

Sawyer raised his head and sleepily looked at her. “Excuse me?”

“You were just making sex noises. Stop that. It’s not allowed.”

He flashed her a wicked grin. “Regan, you have no idea what kind of noises I make during sex, but I’m glad to see where your mind is heading.”

She stepped away from the table and stared at him. “That is not where my mind is heading! I was working on your shoulder and you started…you know, moaning.”

“What can I say? You hit the sweet spot.”

“The sweet spot?” she croaked and prayed he wouldn’t raise himself up anymore. As it was he was braced on his elbows, so now she had a fine view of his chest and yes, it was mouthwateringly good.

Making a tsking sound, he shook his head. “Regan, certainly you are aware of sweet spots,” he said with a voice that melted over her like butter.

Oh, she was aware of them all right. As a matter of fact, he had several of hers tingling with just the sound of his voice. This is bad, she thought. Bad, bad, bad! “That’s neither here nor there—the fact is that if a massage seems to be getting a client…aroused, then we stop.”

“The only one who thinks I’m aroused is you,” he said sweetly and put his face back on the pillow. “But if it makes you feel better, I promise not to make a sound.”

Regan watched as he got back into position, cursing herself. She should never have agreed to this; it was totally unfair that he seemed unaffected by this while she was practically standing in a puddle of her own drool.

Charming.

With a good mental scolding, she went back to the task. Fifteen minutes later, she needed him to roll over so she could work on the shoulder from the front, and then it was her turn to let out a small sound.

“Excuse me?” Sawyer asked, not opening his eyes. “What was that noise?”

“I don’t know… I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about,” Regan lied and went right to work on his shoulder, hoping to distract him.

“Now, I’m no expert in the noises you make during sex, but I’m pretty sure that sounded like a sex noise.”

Regan instantly removed her hands from him and stepped back. “I think we’re done here.”

Slowly, Sawyer sat up, looked at her and then at the clock. “I believe I still have another thirty minutes scheduled.”

“Well, if you want to use them, I’ll send Todd in to finish,” she said tartly. Why was this happening to her? She never made purring or sex noises outside of the bedroom. Why did it have to be here and now with Sawyer?

“Okay, okay,” he said, sensing her discomfort. “That was out of line and I’m sorry. I was just kidding with you. It was a little too quiet in here and I just thought I’d say something to break the tension. It was in poor taste and I’m sorry I offended you.”

“I just don’t think—”

“What you’re doing is really helping,” he said. “Please, Regan. I won’t utter another word until you’re done. Scout’s honor.” He held up his hand and gave her his most innocent smile.

Her lips twitched with the urge to smile back. “How do I know you were a Scout?”

“You can ask my dad, he’ll tell you. I went from Cub to Eagle, and he’ll be happy to share with you some of the adventures we had.” Remembering his promise to stop talking, he lay down and pretended to zip his lips.

And then Regan’s soft laugh was the only sound in the room.

* * *

The sound of Regan’s chuckle made him feel good.

The sensation of her hands on him again left him feeling more than that. As a matter of fact, this position left him rather…vulnerable. If he didn’t do something to distract himself, he wouldn’t have to worry about sex noises but the tenting of the blanket. His mind scrambled for what to do and he was relieved when Regan chose to talk.

“Speaking of your father, I was wondering why he needed my mother to go with him to High Point today.”

“What are you talking about?”

Regan continued to work on Sawyer’s shoulder, and then his neck, and up to his temples as she spoke. “Mom said she wasn’t coming in today because Max invited her to go to High Point with him to look at bathroom fixtures.” Sawyer frowned and Regan removed her hands. “I’m sorry, was that too much pressure?”

“What? No, it’s just…well, Caroline called off the crew today because she said she had a migraine. She called late last night and asked if we could take the day off.” He opened his eyes and saw the confused look on Regan’s face. “Does she normally get migraines?”

She nodded. “They don’t happen very often and it’s been a while since she’s had one, so I guess it’s possible. It just seems weird that she would have made the call last night. Normally if one hits at night, she’s fine the next morning.”

“Maybe she needed a day of no noise in the house just in case,” he suggested but could tell Regan wasn’t totally convinced. “Do you think she’s lying?”

“No, it’s not that, I’m just concerned. Normally when she’s not feeling well, she calls me. When she was here yesterday, she was pretty excited about looking at bathroom fixtures. If she wasn’t feeling well, she should have called to let me know she wasn’t going.”

“She knows you’re busy, Regan. Maybe she didn’t want to bother you.”

A laugh escaped before she could stop it. “Clearly you don’t know my mother very well. She keeps me up to date with everything going on in her life whether I want to know about it or not. Did your father mention taking her with him to High Point?”

Sawyer thought for a moment. “No, he never mentioned going to High Point because we have all the fixtures ordered. It would be a pointless trip.” The look of worry on Regan’s face had him sitting up and adjusting the blanket around him. “I don’t think you have anything to get upset about, Regan. Dad didn’t mention anything to me, but maybe Caroline misunderstood where he was taking her?”

“Something’s not right.”

“Okay, okay, let’s just say something’s not right. What exactly are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking your father is hitting on my mother!”

Sawyer laughed. “Are you kidding me? If anything, Caroline has been flirting with Max! And even if they are flirting or whatever, why is it such a big deal?”

“Have you talked to your father today?” she asked instead of answering his question.

“No. After he called me last night to say Caroline wasn’t feeling well, he said he was going to take the day to get caught up on paperwork. He knew I was coming here, so there was no reason to talk this morning.”

“I don’t like it.”

Sawyer raked a hand through his hair and sighed. “Look, if it makes you feel better, I’ll take a rain check on the rest of the massage and you can go check on Caroline.”

The look on her face told him she’d rather do anything but give him a rain check. It was really a little amusing how well he was getting to know her, but he knew she’d never admit it out loud. “Fine,” she said grudgingly. “Rain check. I recommend you go back to your hotel and soak in a Jacuzzi if they have one. It will help with the muscles. Drink a lot of water and take it easy for the rest of the day. We’ll figure out later when to reschedule.” She was speaking fast and was about to spin out of the room when Sawyer grabbed her hand and gently pulled her toward him.

“Hey,” he said quietly, seriously. “I’m sure everything is fine. You need to relax, okay? I don’t like the thought of you driving when you’re upset.” He gently tugged her hand to get her to step into the space between his blanket-covered thighs. “Do you want me to go with you?”

The sincerity of his words and the silk of his voice were nearly hypnotic, and for a moment Regan forgot what they were talking about. The heat coming off his body combined with the clean, masculine scent of him had her putting a hand on his shoulder—and not for medicinal purposes. He whispered her name as he reached up and cupped the back of her head and brought her lips to his.

* * *

There was no hesitation this time; they had been here before and it was everything Regan remembered and more. She stepped in as close to him as she could get and loved the way it felt when his free arm banded around her waist to keep her there. This time she did purr. She didn’t care if he heard it or what he thought it was, because she was needy and turned on and hoped he felt the same way.

A quick wiggle of her hips told her he did.

Her hands raked through his hair and it felt glorious. Sawyer wore it a little longer than conventional style, but it was silky and wonderful and made him look all the more rugged. His name was a breathless sigh as he moved his mouth from hers and traveled the expanse of her throat. The hand at her back began to work its way under her shirt—the feel of his hands on her skin made her knees buckle.

“You never answered my question the other day,” he said between kisses.

Question? He could think about questions right now? “Refresh my memory.”

He chuckled deep in his throat and continued to torment her with his mouth and his tongue. “Time together. You. Me.” He gently bit down on her earlobe and felt her body shiver.

“Oh, that,” she said, angling her head back to capture his lips with hers again. It didn’t take long for the conversation to come to a halt while they feasted on one another. Sawyer lifted her so she straddled his lap on the massage table, his hand settling on her bottom and gently squeezing.

“I want you,” he murmured.

“This is crazy,” she whispered back. “I barely know you.”

“There’s a solution to that.” He pulled his head back and did his best to put a little distance between them. “I’m serious, Regan. I can’t believe how much I want us to spend some time together, to get to know each other.”

She looked at him as if he was speaking a different language. Here she was trying to think of a way to lock the door and have her way with him without her staff hearing and he was talking about generally spending time together. Couldn’t they go for the two birds, one stone option? “I kind of like the time we’re spending right now,” she said in her sexiest tone, and was rewarded when Sawyer pulled her in for a kiss.

“Come back to the hotel with me. It’s not far from here.” He leaned in and licked a trail down the side of her neck to her collarbone, where he gently sucked. “We can be there in ten minutes. We’ll even check in with Max and see what’s going on later.” Regan stiffened in his arms.

Dammit.

That was the slap of reality right there. Regan scrambled down from his lap and righted her clothing. “What the hell am I doing?” she asked herself out loud, turning and pointing a finger at Sawyer. “You! I cannot believe I forgot about checking on my mother because of you!”

Sawyer stood and pulled the blanket around his waist with one hand while the other reached out to her. “Okay, I think you need to calm down. We can still check on your mother—”

“No, we can’t. I will. I can’t do this with you, Sawyer. Every time I’m around you, I seem to forget myself.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. Please, Regan,” he said softly as he stroked her arm. “Call Caroline, make sure she’s okay, and then…come with me back to the hotel.” He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes searching hers. “Please.”

She’d never had a man beg for her before, and while she should have been pleased, she was too distracted. “I can’t,” she said apologetically. “This just isn’t the right time. I need to go and…and do this.” And before he could stop her, she fled the room, leaving him standing there wrapped in a blanket, with a raging hard-on and his world turned upside down.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Regan pulled up in front of her mother’s house and was relieved not to see any construction vehicles. Her last visit had involved her parking on the street and wading through a sea of power tools and men in hard hats. There are worse things for a single girl to have to wade through, but still.

“Mom?” she called out as she let herself in. Caroline’s car was in the driveway, so unless she had gotten over her migraine and gone with Max to High Point after all, she should be home. Regan walked around and marveled at all the work that had been done. As much as she didn’t want to like it, things were coming together beautifully. She called out half-heartedly one more time while she ran her hands over the granite countertops in the kitchen. It was stunning, absolutely stunning, and her heart ached that some other family was going to get to enjoy all this.

Off in the distance she heard her mother’s voice and let out a sigh of relief. If her mother was talking, then she no longer had a headache. Slowly, Regan made her way to the master bedroom, stopping to admire the new paint colors and the way the hardwood floors were refinished.

Caroline giggled, and Regan smiled as she wondered who her mother must be talking to on the phone. Reaching for the door handle and pushing it open, she said, “Hey, I heard you were down with a—OH MY GOD!” Regan didn’t know who was more surprised by her appearance—Caroline, herself, or…Max Bennett. “Mom?” she said with disbelief.

To their credit, Max and Caroline did their best to cover up as Regan cringed and walked out, hyperventilating. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod,” she chanted as she made her way quickly back to the kitchen to grab her purse and keys.

“Regan! Wait!” Caroline called as she came into the kitchen. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Regan asked incredulously. “What exactly are you doing here?”

“I live here, Regan. And don’t be cute.”

As much as she wanted to, Regan couldn’t bring herself to look directly at her mother. “Believe me, I am not trying to be cute. You told me you were going to High Point today, and then Sawyer comes into the spa and tells me you called off the crew because you had a migraine. So, since I was concerned about you, I decided to stop by and see if you needed anything.”

“Well, that was sweet of you,” Caroline said calmly and Regan looked at her in shock.

“Yes, I think it was sweet of me to come and check on someone who blatantly lied to me! What are you doing, Mom? What is going on with Max?”

“Regan, please. I may be old but I’m not stupid. You’re no virgin, so stop with the outrage. You know exactly what Max and I were doing. I really don’t want to have the birds and the bees talk with you again.”

Yes, death would be preferable to this, Regan thought. “I’m not looking for the birds and the bees, Mom. I’m wondering when you got…involved with Max and why you were keeping it a secret.”

Caroline shrugged. “It wasn’t anyone’s business. We’re both consenting adults and in truth, Regan, it has been a long time since I’ve had sex.” She giggled shyly. “I had forgotten how wonderful it could be.”

“Ew, gross, Mom!” Regan slapped her hands over her ears. “I do not want to hear this.”

Caroline knocked her hands away. “Cut that out, Regan. You’re a grown woman and I think you can handle hearing that your mother had sex!”

“Oh, I not only heard it, I saw it too. Let’s not forget that!”

“Well, if you can’t be mature about this, then maybe you should leave.”

Regan’s eyes grew wide. “Me? I should leave? How about asking Max to leave? I’m pretty upset here!”

“Yes, yes, poor you,” Caroline cooed. “I don’t mean to be rude, Regan, but…you really, um…interrupted us and I’d like to go back inside. We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

“Talk about what, exactly?” Regan asked, her voice nearing hysteria. “Your sex life?” Caroline guided her daughter to the door. “You can’t be serious.”

“As a heart attack,” Caroline said as she gently shoved Regan out the door.

It was hard to describe which emotion held the top spot at the moment: shock, anger, outrage, disgust, or…jealousy. For crying out loud, was it possible she was jealous because her own mother had a sex life and she didn’t? Was that too twisted to consider? And the fact that not only did she have a sex life, but she had one with a Bennett hit a little too close to home.

Regan should be having sex with a Bennett right now, but instead she’d walked away from that possibility to check on her liar-liar-pants-on-fire mother! Storming over to her car, Regan refused to look back at the house. She climbed into the vehicle and pulled out of the driveway as if the hounds of hell were after her.

Where to go? Where to go? Regan’s mind was racing. The responsible thing to do was to go back to the spa and run the business her mother clearly had no interest in. The irresponsible part of her wanted to track Sawyer down and finish what they had started earlier.

Except she was mad.

Really mad.

Really, really mad.

Ever since the Bennett men had come into her life, nothing had been the same. Regan liked things simple and predictable. Surprises were never her thing. And yet, ever since Caroline had met Max in the home improvement store, life had been one surprise after another, and not all of them were good. Well, that didn’t matter; the fact remained that Regan hated surprises and she wasn’t sure if she could take many more. Between the changes at the house, her mother’s affair, and Regan’s own out-of-control feelings for Sawyer, she didn’t think she was capable of making any kind of rational decision on anything at the moment.

So instead of following her heart and going to the damn hotel and throwing caution to the wind, she headed toward home. “Well,” she said out loud, “it wouldn’t hurt to call him and rant a little about what I just saw.” Upon all the contract signings, Sawyer had given her his business card with his cell number on it. While stopped at a traffic light, she hit the Bluetooth and dialed his number. His sleepy voice greeted her.

“Hey,” he said. “Is Caroline all right?”

Regan debated for all of five seconds on that one. Hell, if she had to witness what she did, he was damn well going to hear about it. “As a matter of fact, she is,” she responded with a hint of sarcasm.

“What’s going on, Regan? You don’t sound right.”

“No? You don’t think so?” she asked snappishly.

“Regan…”

“So I got to the house and was all set to make some tea or something light for Mom to eat and I was admiring the granite countertops—”

“They came out great, right?”

Regan ignored his request for praise and continued on with her story. “—when all of a sudden I heard Mom talking. I figured she was on the phone and I took it as a good sign, that maybe she was feeling better.”

“And?”

“I had called out to her twice and she didn’t answer, but I figured that was because she was on the phone. You know, maybe she didn’t hear me. Well, imagine my surprise when I opened the door of the master bedroom and found your father in bed with my mother!”

“No!” he said with disbelief. “Oh, geez, Regan, what did you do?”

“What do you think I did? I turned and ran from the room. But not before I got quite the view of naked limbs all wrapped around one another!”

Reagan heard Sawyer sigh in exasperation. “Are you okay?”

“No, I’m not okay. Dammit, Sawyer, I told you something was up! Now I’ll have to stab out my own eyes to get that image out of them!” A shudder racked her body and her stomach roiled at the thought of it. “I just cannot believe—”

“That your mother has sex?” he asked.

“Don’t say that! She said that too and I just don’t want to think about it or hear it because then I start seeing it again!”

“Okay, okay, clearly you’re upset. Why don’t you come over and we’ll grab something to eat and you can calm down?”

Didn’t he realize that if she showed up at his hotel, the last thing she’d want to do was calm down? Did earlier today leave no impression on him at all? If she actually did show up, it would be with the sole purpose of stripping him naked and having her way with him!

Hmm… The idea had merit. Maybe that’s what she needed: a night of wild, animalistic sex to help her unwind. She could do a more intimate massage than what she’d done earlier, and then she’d let Sawyer have his turn running his hands over her, and maybe then—

“Regan? Are you still there?”

“Huh? What?” Damn dirty mind. “No, I think I’ll go home and do my best to…forget this day ever happened.”

“Look, I really don’t think going home and being alone obsessing about it is the answer. If you don’t want to come to the hotel, let me come to you. We’ll get a pizza, watch a movie…whatever you want to do to distract yourself.”

Oh, if only he knew how much she wanted to say yes. Regan had no doubt in her mind that Sawyer could distract her. Hell, he could probably distract her for days, but was jumping into bed with him while she was upset the right thing to do? Or would she wake up tomorrow feeling worse than she did right now?

You’ve seen the man half naked, Regan! There is no way he can leave you feeling worse. While her inner voice no doubt had a point, Regan was not one to do something so wild, so impulsive…so tempting that it was all she could think about! She heard Sawyer clear his throat and realized there had been nothing but dead air for several moments.

The devil in her reminded Regan of how hot they had been this afternoon in the massage room, whereas the practical woman in her reminded her that sex was not a cure-all.

She hated her practical side, because it spoke louder to her.

“I really do appreciate the offer, Sawyer, but I have to pass.” There. She’d said it. Now he’d probably be a gentleman and wish her a good night, maybe offer to let her call later on if she needed someone to talk to, yadda, yadda, yadda.

“I guess I understand,” he said mildly. “After all, the way you threw yourself at me earlier, you probably don’t trust yourself to be alone with me. No worries. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around before the reno is done.”

Regan thought that surely she must be hearing things. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

“You heard me. I don’t blame you, really. We’re attracted to one another and you tend to…you know, lose control with me whenever we’re alone. I’m sure that’s not what you need right now after such an upsetting incident at your mom’s, so I completely get why you think it’s…safer…to be alone.”

Regan looked around her car in disbelief and hoped someone else was hearing this, because she certainly couldn’t believe what Sawyer was saying! What a conceited, arrogant jackass! Which was exactly what she called him because she couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment.

“You can call me all the names you want if it makes you feel better. I don’t mind. But right now, I’m going back to soak in the Jacuzzi like you suggested. It works wonders. I should follow up with a hot shower, too, you said, right?”

Now he wanted professional advice on his injury? Did this man have no decency at all? Did he think everything was about him? Regan was still at a loss for words. “Yeah, sure,” she mumbled. “Whatever.”

“Have a good night, Regan,” he said silkily, and it had Regan’s teeth on edge. She may have wished him a good night in return, she couldn’t be sure. Once the call ended, she punched the steering wheel. She called him every name in the book and still couldn’t believe the ego on him. Did he honestly believe she was the one who couldn’t control herself when they were alone? Didn’t he realize that he always made the first move? That he was the first one to reach out and find an excuse to touch her?

She drove on, replaying the few short times they had been in one another’s company, from the first time when he couldn’t take his eyes off her breasts to the way he’d pulled her onto his lap when he was practically naked.

Bastard.

If anything, Regan had no choice but to respond to his…mauling her! Yes, that’s what it was. He. Mauled. Her. Repeatedly. And she had no doubt she could easily be in his presence without touching him or kissing him or even wanting to rip his shirt off just so she could marvel at the pure male perfection.

She was better than that.

She was the strong one.

She was…pulling up in front of his hotel.

What??? How had that happened?

Putting the car in park, Regan sat there and contemplated her options. No one had to know she had mistakenly shown up here; Sawyer certainly didn’t need to know. It was still a mystery how she had gotten here, when clearly she had wanted to go home to be by herself. That was her plan. It was a good plan.

Well, she thought, as long as I’m here…

With a sense of pure determination, Regan got out of the car and walked boldly into the lobby. Without stopping at the front desk, she immediately went in search of the pool. Sawyer had said he was going back to the Jacuzzi, so it made sense she’d find him there.

But she didn’t.

Now she had no choice but to go to the desk and ask for his room number. With more bravado than she actually felt, she got the information from the clerk and headed up to the sixth floor. The entire way up in the elevator, Regan reminded herself of Sawyer’s cocky words and let herself ride the wave of anger all the way to his room. It would do her good to hold on to that feeling so she wasn’t distracted by her attraction to him and find herself doing exactly as he claimed—throwing herself at him.

Sawyer’s room was at the end of the hall. She knocked forcefully on the door and nearly fell through into his arms when he opened it up. Luckily she caught herself in time and found herself staring at six-plus feet of wet male in clingy black swim trunks. Her mouth went dry, and she searched her brain for some kind of witty or snarky comment to make to prove she wasn’t here to throw herself at him. But she never got the chance. Before she knew what was happening, Sawyer snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her flush up against him, slamming the door behind them.

“It’s about damn time you got here,” he muttered before covering her mouth with his.