Later the following week, Ryder was helping Sophia assemble the burger joint set for Grease, and thinking about their Fourth of July together. It was another holiday they’d spent practically naked, but this time, it was different. This time, it was better. It was more.

More intense.

More amazing.

More everything.

She’d rocked more than the boat, she’d rocked his world. Sharing his space with her, his refuge, had changed things. He discovered he wanted her there. He liked her there. Since then, they spent equal time at each other’s place.

And tonight, after they finished working, he planned to take Sophia back to his house.

He wanted her in his bed.

That normally would’ve had him running the hell away from the woman, but he liked being with her. He liked who he was with her, and he got the impression she felt the same.

So Ryder decided to loosen his hold on the idea he wasn’t good enough for her, because regardless if it was true, she wanted him, flaws and all. She told him, used those very words, not long after she’d straddled him in the hot tub on the Fourth of July, and the fireworks had ceased, both in the sky, and behind his eyes.

Her admission hadn’t been fueled by desire, or euphoric fog. She’d meant it, and he believed her. And damn, he wasn’t opposed to another round of her in that hot tub. The image of her taking pleasure on him was forever seared into his brain. The way she bucked, panting, fingers digging into his arms, breasts bouncing, gaze dark and smoldering—one eye a dark brown, the other a deep navy. He loved that she’d stopped wearing contacts, and liked to think his encouragement to do so helped. Whatever the reason, he was thrilled to stare into her actual eyes, especially when they were full of heat as she cried out his name while he was buried deep inside her.

Ah, hell.

Now he was harder than the damn two-by-fours he’d just screwed together…in a room full of college students.

None of the kids helping out this summer needed much instruction. They were pretty self-sufficient, and for the most part, he was comfortable enough to let them tackle the set jobs on their own. But always happy to answer questions or lend a hand when asked.

Like the young man who’d asked Ryder for help with the miter saw. Standing back, he watched as the boy measured the three pieces of molding that needed to be cut to frame a doorway. With the door measurement in mind, he had the boy lay the two long pieces parallel to each other on the floor, then measure, mark, and cut the top piece to fit over them.

“Good, now measure and mark where they intersect,” he told the boy.

Once that was done, he had him cut off the excess at an angle, then set all three pieces out on the floor again to test the fit.

“Perfect.” Ryder cupped the kid’s shoulder. “See? Not as hard you as you thought.”

The boy smiled, pride straightening his shoulders. “You’re right. Thanks.”

He watched the boy nail the molding in place around the fake door in the fake wall two other students were starting to paint.

Next, the two of them tackled the red counter for the diner. “This is much easier. No angles. Just a rectangle frame of two-by-fours,” he told the boy.

Within ten minutes, they had the frame screwed together, and secured to the top of the makeshift counter.

Once again, Ryder stood back and let the boy take over, watching as he applied the glue to the top of the frame. Then, together they carefully set the pre-cut laminate in place.

“Had this been an actual counter, it would’ve required a ¾ inch thick piece of cabinet grade birch or oak piece of plywood,” he pointed out. “Do you know why we didn’t do that?”

The kid nodded. “That would be too heavy for a set that needs to roll on and off the stage.”

“Exactly.” Ryder slapped the counter and smiled. “Looks great.”

“Thanks.” The student smiled. “Are we done for the day?”

Sophia approached with a grin. “Yes. Thanks so much for your help. This looks amazing.”

Color rushed into the boy’s face as he stared at her. Ryder couldn’t blame the kid for being flustered. The woman didn’t realize how damn beautiful she was, or how sexy.

Today, she had on a white, lacy dress, and he marveled over the fact she managed to work on the set without getting it dirty.

When the boy disappeared off the stage, she stepped closer to him, a wicked gleam entering her eyes. “No one screws better than you,” she said, low enough for only his ears.

A certain favorite body part heard and perked up at the praise. “Yeah?”

She grinned. “Yeah. Are you almost ready to go?”

“Almost,” he replied, putting away his drill and the rest of his tools in record time. “Now I’m ready.”

“Good.” She nodded toward the crew. “As soon as they clean up and leave, we can head out, too.”

While waiting, Ryder pulled out his phone to check for missed calls. One. The office. Since there were no voicemails, he hit call, hoping to catch Cathy before she left for the day. “Hey, Cathy, what’s up?”

“Hi, boss. Sorry to bug you, but you told me to call whenever I got news on a bid.”

Something in her tone made him stiffen. “And?”

A sigh rustled through the phone. “We didn’t get the ice cream place.”

“Are you kidding me?” He swallowed down a curse. “The ice cream parlor? Who got it? Don’t tell me Colarusso outbid us again?”

Sophia’s head snapped in his direction, so he forced himself to calm down. This wasn’t the time or place to lose his shit.

“Okay,” Cathy said. “I won’t tell you, but it was. Sorry. I hope you’ll forget about it tonight and enjoy yourself.”

Just when he thought he was gaining some ground, out of the blue, Colarusso snagged a job out from under him. He had no fucking clue how they got this one.

Even though the job was on the outskirts of the county, he’d gone low. So low, he’d practically be doing it for free. But the location was sweet, so was the visibility for the company.

Or, at least it would’ve been if he’d gotten the damn job.

Sophia touched his arm. “I’ll be back. I need to go make sure I turned off my computer.”

He nodded and watched as she walked off the stage. His chest tightened. He hoped she wasn’t put off by his aggravation.

“Did you hear me, Ryder?” Cathy asked. “Go home and enjoy yourself. You still have a few other bids out there.”

He blinked, having momentarily forgotten he was still on the phone. “True.” He blew out a breath, releasing what was left of his frustration. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Not too early,” Cathy said. “I mean it. Enjoy yourself.”

A smile tugged his lips as he hung up the phone. She was right. He wasn’t going to let some sleezeball conglomerate ruin his evening, too.

Tonight was about Sophia, not Colarusso Construction.

***

Happy to find the design room empty, Sophia closed the door behind her and pulled out her phone. Three missed calls—all from Gino—along with three voicemails. Deleting them without even bothering to listen, she breathed an inner sigh of relief that she wasn’t in the city to put up with him showing up at her door uninvited.

Everything inside Sophia had frozen when Ryder mentioned her family’s company. God, where they really the ones underbidding him all this time?

Her grandmother’s maiden name was Colarusso, and it was her grandmother’s father—Sophia’s great grandfather—who’d started the construction company several generations ago.

When Sophia’s father was a teenager, he’d started working there before he and her mother were married. After her grandfather had passed, her dad became the CEO.

Her stomach clenched. How in the world was she ever going to tell any of that to Ryder? Sure, he was a reasonable man, but would he still want to see her? Would he still give them a chance, even though the conglomerate encroaching on his business—possibly causing him to lay of his workers—was her family?

He only just recently opened up. Took her to his house. Let her in a little. Things were still fragile. If he found out, he’d might possibly use her heritage as an excuse the close up again.

She didn’t want to give him that excuse. Didn’t want him to shut her out. She didn’t want to lie to him, either.

Dammit.

Everything was screwed up. But, she knew, no matter the outcome, she had to do something to help Ryder. To fix the mess her family made for him and his business.

She swiped the screen, selected favorites, then hit call.

“Colarusso Construction.” Her father sounded tired.

“Dad? What are you doing answering the company phones?”

“Sophia! Hi!” His tone brightened. “When are you coming back? We haven’t found a good replacement for Elle, and your mother refuses to help.”

Despite the anxiety crushing her chest, she smiled at the idea of her mother sitting behind a desk answering phones.

“I’m desperate. I need your help, Sophia,” her father said.

She straightened her shoulders. “Sorry, Dad. I won’t be finished here until the end of the summer. I was calling to ask who is in charge of the jobs in the Poconos?”

“Poconos? No one is in Pennsylvania,” her dad said.

Someone had to be. She blew out a breath, keeping an eye on the door. “Who’s in charge in southwestern New York?”

“Tony? Why?”

“Just wondering,” she replied. “Thanks, Dad. Got to go.” She hung up and quickly called her brother.

Tony answered on the second ring. “Yo. Sophia, what’s up? How’s things at the theater?”

“Hi, Tony. Things are good.” Or at least, she hoped they would be by the time she got off the phone. “I’m actually calling to ask you to back out of the bid you just won tonight.”

He was silent a moment. “What bid?”

“An ice cream parlor,” she replied, hating what she was about to do. “I need you to call them back and cancel.”

“Sophia.” His tone was borderline scolding. “First of all, that’s not good business.”

She stopped pacing and scowled. “I don’t care. You’re supposed to be working in New York. Why are you dipping down in Pennsylvania?”

Of course, she knew they had the proper licenses, because she’d been in the office when they’d arrived in the spring.

“Are you telling me Colarusso bid on an ice cream parlor in Pennsylvania?”

She frowned. “Yes.”

Tony muttered a curse. “I’ll take care of it.”

It was weird. Kind of sounded like her brother had no clue.

“Now?”

“Yes, now. Bye, Sophia.” He hung up.

She slipped her phone into her back pocket, and hadn’t even come close to digesting what just happened when a knock sounded at the door. “Yeah?”

Ryder walked in. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She smiled, secure in the knowledge that when Tony Nardovino said he was going to do something, he did it. So Ryder should definitely get that ice cream parlor job. “Is everyone gone?”

“Yep.” He stepped close brush her cheek with his knuckles. “Sure you’re okay? I’m sorry about that call. I got angry. I didn’t mean t—”

“It’s okay,” she said, covering his hand on her face with her own. “No need to apologize. Honest.” She used her free hand to palm his chest. “So, are you ready to go?”

He dipped down to kiss her softly on the lips. “Now I’m ready.”

“Good.” She patted his chest. “Because I have a special project we can work on at your place. Are you game?”

Need flickered in his eyes. “I’m all in.”

God, she hoped so. Because he hadn’t sounded playful. No. He’d sounded serious, like he was talking about them—as a couple, an actual relationship—not just no-strings-attached sex.

Butterflies were still fluttering in her stomach on the drive to his house. He didn’t have the truck today. Instead, he drove a gorgeous sports car. The confines were closer. Intimate. It was strange, but she swore she could almost feel him breathing.

“I’d like to show you something,” he said, and turned onto a long, secluded, dirt road that dead-ended near a cliff. “I come out here to think sometimes.” He cut the engine and faced her.  “Thought maybe you might like it.”

Like it? “I love it,” she said, and got out to lean against the car and look out over the whole valley. “This is breathtaking.” It was as if they were nearly as high as the clouds.

For several minutes, she stood next to him, leaning against the car, gazing at the view as the sun slowly started to set. Peace settled over her. A contentment too strong to name. She did her best to catalogue the feeling, in order to draw on it when life was less than harmonious.

Which, okay, could be every day. Unless she was with Ryder. He was her anchor. Even when he took her out of herself. He was always there, right beside her.

She turned to him and placed her hand on his thigh. “Thanks for bringing me here. I’ll never forget it.”

He had one hand on the hood of the car, and the other on his leg, as he leaned in to lightly brush his lips to hers. It was the briefest of connections, and yet, by far the strongest they’d ever shared. Heat skittered through her body, spreading out both north and south, zinging straight to her core.

“Ryder…” she breathed, scared by the depth of emotion and excited at the same time.

He lifted a hand to skim his finger down her cheek. “I know,” he said, lips brushing hers as he spoke.

Then he was kissing her again, longer, deeper, and the current intensified, steeling her breath while he zapped her strength. No one kissed like Ryder. It was like heaven on earth.

When they drew apart for air, he kissed her forehead, her nose, his mouth hovering above her. “I want you, Sophia.”

A tremor shook through her body. “I want you, too, Ryder.”

He brushed his lips over hers briefly again. “Let’s go.”

With a hand on the small of her back, he helped her into the car, before climbing into the driver’s seat. After they began to head down the road, he set his hand on her leg, his thumb brushing her knee as if he needed the connection. Needed to touch her.

They didn’t say a word on the drive to his house. Didn’t need to, because as Elle had once pointed out, their bodies spoke their own language.

Once inside his house, he bent slightly and swept her off her feet.

She looped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss his throat. He sucked in a breath, and his hold tightened, and when he entered the master bedroom, he let her slowly slide down his body.