There was no putting off the inevitable. Ally strapped in, and drove back to the house. Once there, she opened Abe’s present, poured herself a giant glass of merlot, and called Crystal.

“News?” Crystal sounded businesslike. Detached. A state she couldn’t possibly be feeling.

“There’s a problem.” Nerves twisted in her stomach. This couldn’t end well. “I know him.”

“What the hell do you mean, you know him? I told you his name, you have the file…” Crystal’s voice trailed off. “I don’t understand. Make me understand what you’re talking about.”

“I didn’t know I knew Jace until I saw him.” She swallowed a mouthful of wine, and wished Abe had put a bottle of tequila in that basket instead. “I knew him a long time ago.”

“And you forgot his name?” Crystal’s voice was angry, disbelieving.

“I never knew his name, and he didn’t know mine. We met at a party ages ago.”

“Okay, so did he remember you?”

The memory of his face the moment he’d seen her flashed before her eyes. “He remembered me. We were”—she swallowed—“we were intimate back then.”

“Intimate?” Crystal’s voice rose. “You mean you fucked him?”

Crystal sounded angry, but she had no right to be, this was before they even met. “We spent the night together. I haven’t seen him since.” Ally resented having to tell her boss something she’d never shared with anyone. The memory of their night together was precious, not tawdry and sordid.

“So he was a one-night stand, and he left without giving you his name.” She sounded calmer. “It doesn’t sound like him—I would have thought him more of a gentleman, but I guess it was years ago. He must have matured since then.”

Crystal’s casual assumption that he had been the one to leave burned, and before she could consider the consequences, Ally spoke. “I left while he was sleeping.”

“You left?”

“Yes. And there’s no way I can continue this assignment now. I can’t be the person testing his fidelity when we have a history, it’s against protocol. You’ll have to send Ashley. I’ll pack up, and head back tomorrow.”

“No.” Crystal’s tone was flat. “You won’t. I’ve been expecting a proposal, but he’s yet to even introduce me to his son. I have to know if he’s serious. You have a history, and he likes redheads.” She paused, as if putting together the clues as to why exactly he might like redheads—could it be because of the one who got away? “I need to know if, given the chance, he’d want to rekindle your relationship. You have to stay.”

Everything in Ally rioted at the thought of continuing this charade. “I can’t. It isn’t right. Company policy states—”

“Irrelevant.” Crystal brushed away Ally’s concerns like dandruff from a shoulder. “You took on a private assignment for me. I’m making the rules.”

“It feels wrong.”

“Has he told you about me?”

Ally’s silence told Crystal everything she wanted to know.

“To be honest, we only spoke for a few minutes,” Ally said.

“Do you have feelings for him?”

That’s none of your damned business. Ally clenched her mouth shut and gripped her glass so tightly her knuckles whitened. “I haven’t thought about him since that night. And I walked away without even knowing his name. That should tell you all you need to know.”

“So what’s the problem? I need you to do this, Ally. And if you bail, I don’t think you can continue working for my company.”

“You can’t possibly be serious.” Ally’s heart raced. She had rent to pay. Finding another job before it was due would be impossible, and repairs to her useless car had eaten away at her savings.

“I won’t give you a reference.” The civilized veneer had been stripped away, revealing just why Crystal was such an effective businesswoman. She was a barracuda.

“So what, you want me to lure him into bed?”

“I don’t want you to sleep with him—just to find out if you could. The moment he propositions you, the gig is up. I’ve made a decision. I’m moving to Portland with or without Jace by my side. If you do what you are paid to do, you’ll take over here with no repercussions. I need your answer. I need it now.”

“And if I don’t want to work for Honeytrap Inc. any longer?”

“I’ll kiss you off with a golden handshake and a glittering reference that will get you any job you want.”

Instant unemployment with no way to pay the rent and no prospects. She’d worked too long and too hard to accept that as her future. Crystal was admired in the industry, and had the power to blacklist Ally if she so chose. Ally was under no illusion that she would do what she threatened. ‘I won’t give you a reference,' delivered the way she’d delivered it, hinted that she’d tell everyone she knew not to work with Ally under any circumstances.

Best case scenario? Crystal would move on, and Ally would take over her job. Worst? She’d bail on this assignment and find herself out of work, with no reference to complement the eighteen months she’d poured her heart and soul into her job. The middle road: that she would return to her job, and someone else would be promoted into the position as her boss, didn’t appeal. She’d put in her time on the frontline of this toxic business. Being away from it, even for a couple of days, clarified how much she’d come to hate being constantly proved right, constantly disillusioned at the impermanence of love. Even if she won, and were awarded the position of head of Honeytrap Inc., she’d doubtless have to deal with Crystal in the future, and couldn’t see a way to work with a blackmailer. She needed that reference. Needed a chance of a new future, a new start.

“I’ll do it.” The words left a bitter taste in her mouth. “But I’m only staying for a week. If he hasn’t shown any interest in revisiting our past by then, this assignment is over.”

“Good. That makes sense. If he doesn’t make a move in a week, he isn’t going to.” Crystal sounded satisfied. “Keep me informed; I want to know every move he makes.”

* * *

Sunday. A day to kick back and do absolutely nothing. Before this thing with Rory, he’d planned to spend the first weekend without having to worry about his son by traveling to Seattle for another hot hookup with Crystal. But Ally’s arrival had knocked that plan on the head. Her appearance was so unsettling he canceled his plans with a lame excuse and stayed home instead. Which turned out to be a good decision. Because last night he’d been plagued with dreams of Ally again—for the first time in months.

Unfortunately, she was still in his bloodstream. And in all conscience, he couldn’t fuck Crystal while thinking of another woman. That was just skeevy.

He padded down to the kitchen, fixed breakfast and took it out onto the deck. The sky was clear, and the heat was pleasant rather than stifling. The whole day stretched out before him, a day where he could do exactly what he chose. What he chose was to see Ally again. To find out more about her. To try and break this hold she had over him. She was no longer the mysterious redhead; she was a woman. With a name. A job. A life. If he knew her better, maybe he could purge her from his system, stop dreaming of her as some fantasy woman. Get his love life back on track.

She was new in town. On holiday. It was only polite to offer to show her around. Not that there was ever anything to do in Shepherd’s Crook on a sleepy Sunday.

But there was always the water. Maybe he could borrow Adam’s boat and take her out for a sail on Crook Lake. That could be fun.

He called Adam. “Hey, man. How’s it going today?”

“I was sleeping, you bastard.”

Adam smiled. There was no anger at being woken in his friend’s voice. “I’m calling to see if I can take Bang Bang out on the lake today.” The yacht was named after one of Cher’s more memorable hits back in the day. It had been a joke name he and his wife, also Cher, had christened the sailboat when they bought it.

“You going fishing?” Adam’s tone perked. Hopeful. As though he’d be on for heading out onto the water too. Shit.

“I was thinking of taking Ally out for a sail.”

“Hot redhead?” Adam made a sucking-air-through-his-teeth noise. “Bad idea. Bad idea, man. Take it from one who knows. You have a girlfriend...”

“It’s just a sail. There’s nothing illicit about the idea.”

“You think that now. But when you’re alone in the middle of the lake in Bang Bang, and she’s got her curves wrapped in a tiny black bikini, and the heat is blazing down, your thoughts are going to shift to banging in Bang Bang. That’s just life.”

“I want to see her.”

“We talked about this. You need to stay away from her if you want to stay faithful.” Adam’s laugh was tinged with bitterness. “Unless you don’t want to stay faithful, in which case, I’m not going to be a partner in your crime.” He was silent for a moment, as if considering. “The other option is to take a buddy along. Keep things clean. I’m prepared to be that buddy.”

“You just want to see what she’s like.”

“Damn right I do. She had you tied up in knots for months. I’d like to meet the woman with those skills.” There was the sound of bedsprings creaking. “I’m getting up. Call her, then call me back. I’ll get the fishing rods out.”

Ben was right. At present, he was in danger of doing something stupid. Of going somewhere he shouldn’t. He’d confronted Ally about the lie that she was in a relationship, but something inside him stopped him telling her that he was. That he had been dating a woman in Seattle for the past three months. That it wasn’t just sex, that she was perfect for him. On paper anyway. He didn’t like to examine his motives for not telling her, but whatever they were, they weren’t honorable. Since they met again, he’d been acting as though he was available. And inviting Ally to spend time with him alone would just back up that impression.

He wasn’t a cheater. He wasn’t the type of guy who took advantage of any opportunity to bed a willing woman. Even if he’d given her that impression the first time they met.

He searched his phone for her number. “Ally.”

“Jace.” There was surprise in her voice.

“I hope I didn’t wake you?”

“I’ve been awake for hours. I’m topping up my tan in the back garden.”

Instantly his mind went there. Imagining the tiny bikini Adam talked about. Bad idea. His body was responding already, just at the thought and the sound of her husky voice. “It’s a beautiful day.”

“Yes.”

“I thought maybe you’d like to go out on the lake. My friend Adam has a sailboat.”

“Uh...yes. I guess.” She didn’t sound that delighted.

“He is coming with us. We’re bringing a couple of rods, and maybe we’ll do some fishing too.”

“Oh great! That sounds fun. Shall I make us a picnic?”

“No, there’s an excellent restaurant on the lakeshore where we can go for lunch. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

Thank god for cock-blocking good friends.

* * *

Jace’s call stirred up a cauldron of different emotions. She had her orders: to impassively watch and wait to see if he would try to reignite something between them. Not going through with it meant the possible loss of her job, or a barrier being placed firmly in the path to future career success. They’d only had one night. She should be able to look at this whole thing dispassionately. But she couldn’t. She spent her life pretending to be someone else. Hiding her ulterior motives. But with strangers. Not someone with whom she had a past relationship. If you could call hot, anonymous sex a past relationship. She’d been attracted enough to go to bed with Jace at New Years—and that was when she knew nothing about the guy. Now, she knew he was a caring father. A single dad working hard to provide not only financial but emotional support for his son. She liked him. There was no denying that. Or the attraction snaking through her veins like wildfire every time they were together.

So she wouldn’t lead him on. She wouldn’t be the instrument of Crystal’s betrayal. Not because she gave a fuck about Crystal’s feelings; the woman had revealed herself as a stone cold bitch, but because she couldn’t bear to mislead him. Wouldn’t play Crystal’s game. No. She’d stay in Shepherd’s Creek for a week—keep her cool—and let Jace and Crystal’s relationship flounder of its own accord, not because she had been added into the mix.

I hope it fails.

The thought sneaked in, like a thief in the night. She’d never wished that for someone else’s relationship before, and the thought felt small, mean. But everything Jace thought he knew about Crystal was wrong. She ran a honeytrapping agency, and hadn’t told him. She’d sent someone to test his fidelity and never intended to reveal that fact. Shit, she even planned to keep her colleagues away from her wedding, if she eventually had one. The whole thing made Ally nauseous.

Where was honesty, in all this? Where was love? Sure, she and Jace had hooked up without revealing anything about each other, but their motives were honest. Pure. They hadn’t hidden anything except their identities.

So when he called to propose the trip to the lake, her heart sank at the prospect. It sounded like a trip on the Love Boat, or the Lust Boat. She’d imagined both of them alone on the water. A waterborne seduction scene—glasses of champagne, and a cozy cabin below decks with a double bed.

Something that should have been abhorrent, but instead, formed a potent temptation. Who’d know? Alone, with the waves lapping against the boat’s sides, and his skin slapping against hers...

Stop. She flattened her palms to her heated face. Stop. Don’t go there.

She pulled on a pair of jeans, and chose a long-sleeved shirt that did absolutely nothing to emphasize her figure. Buttoned it up so no hint of cleavage was visible. There was no way in hell she was stripping off to a swimsuit—if there was swimming, she’d stay on deck.

At the last moment, he’d renewed her faith by telling her that they wouldn’t be alone. That his friend Ben would be joining them.

He wasn’t planning to cheat. So neither should she.

She was outside waiting when he drove up twenty minutes later. Jace climbed out of his Jeep to open the door for her.

“Where’s your friend?”

“We’re picking Ben up on the way.” He looked great in worn jeans and a plain black T-shirt.

“He should sit in the front.”

“He’s fine in the back.” His eyes crinkled when he smiled. She had to brush past him to climb into the Jeep and caught a whiff of his aftershave—something masculine and woodsy—on the way past.

He closed the door, rounded the vehicle, and climbed back into the driver’s seat. “It’s Ben’s boat. I hope you don’t mind him coming with, but I couldn’t say no. He’s a bit miserable at the moment.”

“Oh?” She had a thing for arms. And the sight of his forearms flexing as he turned the wheel while reversing out of her drive was beyond distracting. He was looking behind him, and wouldn’t notice, so she didn’t even try. He had good arms. A discreet curve of biceps, a faint dusting of dark hair on his forearms, strong hands.

With a swallow, she forced herself to look out the window, to take in a less dangerous view.

“He’s having a few problems in his marriage.”

Ah.

“Anyway, enough about that. Ben’s my business partner, as well as my oldest friend. You’re taking to the waves with the entire board of Carter Coffee Roasters.”

“Lucky me.” She grinned. “I love coffee too.” She glanced pointedly into the back. “Have you brought a flask?”

“Sacrilege.”

God, dimples. Kill me now.

“Nobody puts Carter Coffee in a flask,” he said, in much the manner as Swayze saying ‘nobody puts baby in a corner.’

“Now I’m interested.”

“Only now?” He cast her a glance, flirting like a pro.

If only she were free to flirt back. If only they were two strangers spending time together with no knowledge of each other getting in the way. “I’ve never caught a fish before.” I’ve caught plenty of sharks and a flounder or two, but only the human kind. “You going to show me how it’s done?”

“Sitting in a boat fishing is boring business. You have to be quiet so as not to frighten the fish away. I know Ben plans to, but I’m hoping to distract him from that idea. I thought we could sail out onto the lake, visit Crook Island, and then sail over to the other side to The Eye for lunch.”

“The Eye?”

“It’s the restaurant I told you about. They’re one of our customers. It’s very high class—but I told them we’d be sailing in, so they’ve relaxed the dress code for us. As long as we sit at a table outside.” He laughed. “Probably out of sight too.”

“It’s a weird name for a restaurant.”

“The owner’s an Egyptophile. It’s short for The Eye of Horus.”

“I wonder what the menu’s like.” She pulled a face.

Jace laughed again. “Five-star. Fancy. More French than Egyptian. Cleo has her quirks, but she’s a businesswoman first. She wouldn’t vary too far from her customer’s tastes. They’re a traditional lot in Shepherd’s Crook. If you haven’t already gathered that.”

“I haven’t been here long enough to know.” Something he’d said came to her suddenly. “Wait. Cleo. Seriously?”

“Yep. I guess with that name an Egypt fixation’s a given.” He turned off the road and stopped outside a wood-faced cabin in the trees. “We’re here. I’ll go get Ben.”