The first thing I do when I wake up is check my phone for any missed calls or texts from Lynne. I don’t find any, so I try calling her twice only to end up catching her voicemail. Instead of bothering to leave any messages, I hang up and search the local arrest reports online. It wouldn’t be the first time I had to use such resources to locate my sister when she was missing, but today, I don’t find her name listed. My best guess is that she is pissed off I wasn’t able to keep Jane last night, and this is her way of punishing me.

I am pulled from my thoughts when I hear a knock on my door. Removing myself from the comfort of my bed is a struggle, but I manage to get up and throw on some clothes. On the other side of the door, I am greeted with Claire’s cheerful face.

“Hey, Brenna. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, I have been up for a little while. What’s up?” I ask, opening the door wider to invite her inside.

“Emma wants to make homemade chocolate chip cookies, and I don’t have enough butter. Do you happen to have a stick you can lend a neighbor?”

I smile at the mention of her five-year-old daughter, Emma. She is a little older than Jane, and they love having playdates. She is an adorable little girl with blond ringlets and baby blue eyes that match her mother.

“I do, but only if you bring me a few of those cookies.”

Claire laughs and agrees as I get the butter from my refrigerator. I am handing her the stick when a head of blond curls comes bouncing through my apartment.

“Mama, Mama! Jordan keeps eating the chocolate chips. I told him we needed them for the cookies, but he won’t listen to me.” Emma stands with her hands on her hips, tapping her little foot against the floor.

Jordan and Claire began dating when Emma was just a small toddler, and she has had Jordan wrapped around her tiny finger from the moment he met her.

“Looks like I have a chocolate thief to stop. Thank you for the butter. You’ll have a plate of cookies when they’re finished.”

The two girls leave my apartment, and suddenly, the space becomes too quiet for me. I have the entire day free with nothing planned, and the last thing I want to do is spend it locked away inside this apartment. I don’t usually get a Saturday off, so this free day is welcome.

After a quick shower, I throw on a pair of shorts and loose tank, and sliding into my sandals, I bolt out the door. Unsure what to do with my day, my first stop is at my favorite coffee shop a couple of blocks away.

The weather is beautiful today—sunny with a slight breeze—and it would be a shame to waste it indoors. Ordering my customary tea-lemonade, I stand to the side to wait and consider traveling to the beach and relaxing in the sun on this gorgeous day.

Before long, my name is called, and I step over to the counter. Grabbing my beverage, I reach for a straw, but my hand collides with another, and a jolt runs through my veins.

Already knowing who is standing beside me, I turn to meet Logan’s deep blue eyes. “I’m sorry,” I say.

“No worries. How are you, Brenna?” he asks with a smile that throws me a little off balance.

“I’m good. Just out enjoying this amazing weather.” I do my best to act nonchalant while I stand so close to him.

Today he is dressed in navy board shorts and a light blue shirt. It appears he hasn’t shaved by the sprinkling of facial hair across his jawline. I think I am beginning to like his casual wear more than business. He also seems more relaxed today than he was last night, which is a pleasant surprise.

“Yeah, it is beautiful out today,” he says, sparing a glance out the wall of windows in the front of the building. “Well, I hope you have a nice day.”

His name is called, ending our short conversation, and I toss him a wave before turning for the exit. The door opens right as I reach for it, and I am surprised to see Tanner holding it open on the other side.

“Fancy seeing you here,” he says, staying outside and letting the door close after I pass through.

“Getting my Saturday morning fix,” I joke, holding up my drink. I have never been a coffee drinker, so tea is typically how I get my daily dose of caffeine.

“Are you working today?”

“Nope. First official day off in what feels like forever.”

“Perfect,” he exclaims. “My buddy is having a pool party, and you have to come.”

“I don’t know, Tanner.”

All Tanner’s friends have always been nothing but nice to me, but I come from a different world.

“Stop it. I won’t take no for an answer.” Tanner places his finger across my lips to keep me from speaking. “I’m going to text you the address. We’re headed there now, so I want you to run home and change into the tiniest bikini you have and come to the party.” Leaning forward, he kisses my cheek and walks inside the coffee shop.

Tanner has already sent me the address along with a friendly threat as to what will happen if I don’t show up before I even make it back home. After much consideration, I change into my new black bikini and pull a sundress over my head. Grabbing one of my hobo bags, I toss in my lip balm, sunscreen, and a beach towel. Once I have everything I need, I lock up and jump in my car, inputting the address in my phone’s navigation.

The party is less than ten miles from my apartment, but the moment I enter the community, I realize I am way out of my element. Each house—more like mini-mansion—sits on a perfectly manicured and landscaped yard; so nice that you don’t even want to walk on the grass.

When I reach my destination, I know I am in the right place by the luxury cars lining the circular driveway. I am surrounded by every top-of-the-line car make you could imagine—Lexus, Mercedes, BMW, Land Rover, Porsche—making my six-year-old Honda stick out like a sore thumb.

As I near the door, I can hear the music coming from around the back of the house. I am unsure of proper protocol in situations like this, so I ring the doorbell to play it safe.

The massive wooden door opens right away, and Bethany welcomes me. She is a cute blonde I had the pleasure of meeting through Tanner.

“You made it. Tanner said he invited you. Come on in, girl.”

Bethany pulls me into the house and gives me a quick tour on our way to the back patio where the party is in full swing. The massive house is gorgeous, and each room is more amazing than the next. What I like most about the house is even with all the money I imagine is invested inside, it still feels homey. You can tell it’s lived in and a family grew up within these walls. This is the home where Bethany and her brother were raised. After their parents had passed away unexpectedly, the house was willed to them and neither one could bear to leave. I envy Bethany. Not because she grew up in such a beautiful home and had all these extravagant things, but because I can tell just from the way she speaks of them, she had loving parents. They shared so many fond memories within these walls that the thought of moving kills both her and Bradley.

Sliding open her floor-to-ceiling glass doors, we leave talk of lovely memories and enter the party zone. Looking around, I would estimate close to thirty people are milling around the patio. A few girls lie in the poolside lounge chairs while several guys are finishing a game of pool beer bong with a floating table. Tanner makes a winning shot, and jumping up and down, he high fives his partner. He looks up, wanting to make sure everyone witnessed their victory, when his eyes find me. He says something to his friends and climbs out of the pool, making his way over.

I catch myself admiring the way the water rolls down his skin, taking notice of every defined line of muscle.

“Eyes are up here, sweetheart,” Tanner says, and I’m embarrassed he caught me checking his body out. “I’m fucking with you. Please keep looking. We can even take this inside, and I can give you a private show.”

His eyes are full of mischief, and he’s wearing his panty-dropping smile. It has been a long time since I have allowed myself to enjoy the pleasure of a man, and I know if given the opportunity, Tanner would rock my world.

“Keep dreaming, Tate.” I slap him playfully, hitting his solid abs.

He grabs my wrist and pulls me closer. “Of you, I always will.” His lips brush against my ear as he whispers his foolish promise, and a shiver runs across my skin. “Now, let’s get you a drink.”

I shake my head in an attempt to clear the images of me and Tanner away and follow him to the tiki bar. Luckily, I have met the majority of people here at some point throughout the years and each one is extremely good looking. Just as my car sticks out in the driveway, I feel the same surrounded by all these beautiful people.

When Tanner finishes working his magic behind the bar, he hands me a strawberry margarita that tastes divine. His friends are calling him back into the pool, and after I assure him I am fully capable of being alone, he runs and cannonballs into the water, splashing the girls lying out. They all squeal in unison before laughing it off as one of Tanner’s wild antics.

I am hanging out with a couple of the girls talking about an upcoming wedding while sucking down my margarita as they casually speak about dropping tens of thousands of dollars left and right. Before I know it, my glass is empty, and I’m excusing myself from the group to walk over to one of the coolers in search of water. Reaching in to grab a bottle, I feel a familiar jolt when I bump into another arm, and I pull back swiftly, feeling as if I have been electrocuted.

“Twice in one day.” His voice is smooth, and the chuckle that follows does something to my insides.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just on a roll today.” I look up as he hands me a water from the cooler before getting himself one.

“No worries.” He repeats his response from earlier today. His mood still seems to be lighter, and his eyes are back to being softer. “So what are you doing on the sidelines? Why aren’t you out there with the rest of the bunch?”

His arm moves to the direction of the pool, and I follow the motion, laughing when I see the guys wrestling around in the shallow end like a bunch of teenage boys.

“This is more my speed,” I say, motioning to the empty lounge chair next to me before sitting down.

Logan follows suit and takes a seat on the chair next to me. “Same with me. Tanner always managed to have enough fun for the two of us.”

From what I have gathered by listening to Tanner discuss his brother, Logan has been fully committed to his career since the moment he landed it. Even during their time growing up, Logan always wanted to be the best at what he did while Tanner was happy just to coast by.

Reaching down, I lift my sundress and pull it over my head, stuffing it into my bag. “I can definitely see how that would be true.”

I turn to look at Logan, and his eyes are roaming up and down my body, making me glad I picked this bikini with the extra lift in the top. His gaze meets mine, and I am locked in a trance with his navy irises. My body heat rises as the outside world seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us. Logan begins to inch his way closer when a squeal comes from the pool, bringing the moment crashing down.

We turn our attention to the pool and find Tanner midair with Bethany wrapped in his arms. Her screaming continues even after they hit the water. I laugh, watching Bethany go into instant attack mode when she comes up from the bottom by hitting Tanner against his chest. He grabs her hands and pulls her into a tight embrace, whispering something in her ear. I don’t know their exact history, only that they grew up together, but I can see some sort of connection between the two of them.

“So that doesn’t bother you?” Logan asks, bringing my attention back to him.

“No,” I say, confused, wondering what he means. “Why would it?”

His eyes begin to harden, much like they were last night, and he is about to respond when a girl drops herself into his lap.

“Logan, take this shot with me,” she whines in a drunken baby voice that might as well be nails scratching a chalkboard. In her hands, she has two shot glasses with limes resting on top and a shaker of salt.

The drunk girl leans down and licks his neck before sprinkling salt across the trail she left. I am a forgotten memory as Logan focuses on the girl seated on his lap. Seeing enough, I stand, heading off in the direction of the bathroom Bethany pointed out earlier. I sure would like to know what is constantly crawling up Logan’s ass because I can’t keep up with his constant mood changes lately.

Washing my hands, it dawns on me that I left my bag outside. I wish I had thought to grab it because I am no longer in the mood to stay and hang around McGroucho. With any luck, he will have wandered off with the tequila girl and won’t be around to shoot daggers at me. Then again, this is my day to relax, and I shouldn’t allow Logan’s moodiness to ruin it for me. Plenty of other people I can hang out with are here, and I will make it my goal to avoid him.

With my head held high, I exit the bathroom, and as fate would have it, I collide with Logan, losing my footing. His hands grip my waist, keeping me upright while causing a burning sensation where his fingers press into my bare skin.

“I thought you left,” he says through his teeth, and I don’t have to look up to see that he is pissed off that I am still here. I also can’t miss the disdain in his voice.

Asshole.

“Nope, just needed to use the ladies’ room,” I say, wondering why his hands are still on me if my presence is such a bother to him. I don’t dare comment on that because I am enjoying his touch too much. “I’m surprised you even noticed my absence.” I meet his glare and witness his eyes soften just a tad.

“Of course, I noticed,” he says. Stepping closer, he pushes me back against the wall. “I shouldn’t, but I did.” His lips are mere inches from mine, and it takes all my strength to keep myself from making the desired connection.

“Why shouldn’t you?” I ask, my heart rate increasing by the second as my gaze flitters from his navy eyes to his full lips and back again.

“You know, I’ve always had this pull to you, Brenna. Even when I was with Melody, my eyes always had a way of finding you in a crowded room. You’re so different from everyone else. You’re so real.”

My breathing picks up, and I notice the rise and fall of his chest under his snug shirt. His grip tightens against my waist, and his thumbs begin to move in light circles on my bare skin.

“And now?” I ask, barely recognizing my own lust-filled voice.

Logan caresses my cheek with the tip of his nose and softly grazes the edge of my ear with his lips, causing my eyes to close.

He abruptly removes his hands from my body, and I am afraid to open my eyes and have the moment be over. “I don’t poach on my brother’s territory.”

I don’t register what he whispered into my ear right away because I am so turned on that I can’t even think straight.

“I’m not,” I say, opening my eyes to an empty hallway.

What just happened?

And why does Logan think I’m Tanner’s territory?

Yeah, we flirt a lot, but guys talk, and I’m sure Tanner has told him that’s all it is. Nothing is going on between us.

After getting myself under control, I finally make it back out to the patio, and thankfully, Logan is nowhere to be found. Everyone seems preoccupied, so I use it to my advantage and grab my bag, escaping before anyone notices.

When I get to my car, I send Tanner a text letting him know I was not feeling well and headed home. There is no way I could relax after what happened in the hallway, and I was shamelessly left hot and bothered from Logan’s touch.