With a mirthless laugh, Ryder shook his head. “Because it should’ve never started. I’m sorry, Sophia. That was my fault.” He made to walk away, but she grabbed his arm.

“The hell it was.” Her chin rose and eyes flashed with indignation. “I was a fully participating…participant in that kiss, too, Ryder.”

Damn, she was beautiful, and that kiss just proved their explosive chemistry had nothing to do with wine or champagne all those years ago. Her gaze was locked on his mouth, and he could tell she wanted his on hers again.

Bad idea.

A piece of her long hair stuck to his stubbled jaw. He reached up to brush it away, but ended up wrapping the silky strand around his finger instead.

Christ, he had no fucking clue what he was doing.

That explained why he kissed her again. Another wild, off-the-hinges, tongues tangling, rock-his-world kiss that left him reeling when they broke apart for air. She leaned against the table, breathing ragged, gaze as dazed as he felt. Working to catch his breath, he stared at her lips, still wet from his kisses, and barely managed to refrain from pulling her in a third time.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He drew in a deeper breath, then another, waiting for the axis to tip back and right his stupid world.

Never fucking happened.

Not good.

It was time to go. “That can’t happen again.”

Her gaze narrowed. “Why not?”

Jesus, now was not the time for her old rebellious nature to kick in. He straightened his spine. “You need to steer clear of me, Sophia.”

“Kind of hard to do when we’re going to be working together.” Her tone was full of the same derision gleaming in her eyes.

Muffling a curse, he scrubbed a hand over his face and stared hard at her. “You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t.” That damn brow lifted again. “Enlighten me.”

Hell, no. No way was he about to discuss their crazy-ass kisses, and the fact his whole world tilted.

“You’re a smart girl. You’ll figure it out,” he said, then twisted around and strode out the door.

***

Sophia screwed the last screw in place, then set the drill down before stepping back to view the corkboard she’d just added to the wall. Perfect. She ordered a whiteboard as well, but it hadn’t arrived yet. For now, though, she was at least able to hang the corkboard so she had a place to pin a copy of her final sketches.

She’d spent the last two days immersed in work, determined to finish all her sketches to scale, as well as the directions to build each set. After pinning a copy of each set design to the corkboard, she put away her drill. Tomorrow morning, she was heading to the college with Ryder. If the professors needed to see the designs to determine if the project was worthwhile, she’d have another copy of them in hand to help ensure the students would get credits for their course.

Working on them the past two days had also served another purpose. It kept her mind off Ryder and his crazy, hot kisses. The ones that knocked her socks off—or would have if she hadn’t been wearing sandals—before he flicked the indifference switch and walked away. Again.

He really needed to stop doing that.

“Hey, Sophia, are you ready for some wine and chocolate?” Phoebe waltzed into the set room, with a big grin on her face. “It’s Thursday night―time for the weekly chocolate fest.”

Oh, hell yeah. She pushed the chair under the table she’d used earlier, and nodded. “Am I ever.”

Phoebe’s chuckle echoed around the room. “I can see I don’t have to ask you twice.”

“Not at all.” She grabbed her purse and was at her friend’s side in a heartbeat. “I need chocolate. Bad. In all forms. Now.”

“Then allow me to take you to paradise.” Phoebe wiggled her keys, and together they locked up the building, before getting in her friend’s car and heading to town. “Lea has the key and is meeting us there. She’s excited to see you again. And to meet Elle.”

Lea was fun and smart, and Brandi’s best friend. The three of them had hung out several times over the years. “I can’t wait to see her again, too. She texted me a few hours ago, during her train ride back from the city.”

“Yeah,” Phoebe said, driving down the country road that led to Main Street. “I think she’s technically still on maternity leave, but had to go in a few days because of a new exhibit.”

Sophie laughed, recalling the conversation. “She said something about sleeping with her baby girl this afternoon, then possibly her husband, before meeting us to refuel on chocolate.”

“Sounds like Lea.” Snickering, Phoebe parked in front of a quaint little shop that had a brown awning, with light blue stripes. “Looks like she’s already inside with Elle.”

Getting out of the car, Sophia stepped onto the sidewalk and was too busy admiring the architecture of the building to notice the man exiting the shop. She walked right into a brick wall of warmth that smelled of soap and cedar and some kind of spice.

Ryder.

“Sorry.” He gripped her arms and used his body to steady her. “Are you okay?”

Heat flooded her belly and funneled south.

Define okay.

“Yeah,” she managed. But, she would’ve been even better if he laid one of his mind-blowing kisses on her.

Shoot. Thoughts like that were going to get her in trouble.

He stiffened—no doubt because he recognized her—and as usual, his indifference did little to lessen her attraction to the man. It was maddening.

Doing her best to ignore the urge to rub against him like a cat, she squashed down the hysterical laughter bubbling up her throat, and pushed free of his hold. Phoebe and the two women inside the shop were way too interested in their collision.

“Sorry. It was my fault,” she said, meeting his gaze. “I was admiring the building and failed to watch where I was going.”

Something unreadable flickered through his eyes.

Then it dawned on her. “You built this, too, didn’t you?”

He shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable. “A few years ago.”

Shaking her head, she smiled. “Well, it’s amazing. I really do love your attention to detail.” And she knew firsthand that attention spilled over into his sex life. Her damn knees wobbled at the memory. “Are we still on tomorrow morning?”

He blinked, as if trying to clear his brain, and she wondered if perhaps some memories from their night together had passed through his mind, too.

“Ah…yeah.” He nodded. “Ten o’clock.”

“Perfect,” she said, and with a nod, she left him on the sidewalk and entered the building, determined to be the one to walk away this time. Once inside, she smiled at the two women staring at her with interest. “Hi, Elle. Lea.”

The latter greeted her with a hug. “It’s great to see you again, Sophia.”

“You, too.” She drew back and raised a brow. “When do I get to see that little girl of yours?”

Happiness flushed the new mother’s face. “How’s tomorrow? I plan to stop by the theater.”

“Better make it before ten,” Phoebe said, coming up behind them. “She’s got a date with Ryder at then.”

Lea sucked in a breath. “You do? That’s wonderful. I was hoping you two would hit it off again.”

She shook her head. “It’s not a date-date.”

“Damn. That’s too bad.” Lea frowned. “My brother is single, disillusioned, and grumpy.”

For a moment, she’d forgotten Ryder was her brother.

“Sounds like another guy I know in town,” Elle said, with an eye roll. “Although, having met them both, Officer Mercer is definitely worse.”

Even though she’d never met Officer Mercer, Sophia joined in the laughter while they all took their seats at a table already loaded with slices of thick chocolate cake.

Her stomach growled.

Yeah, it was time to feed the monster.

She slid a plate closer, picked up a fork, then dug in. Her palate immediately rejoiced. Moist and rich, the cake melted in her mouth, and the deep, rich chocolate taste was to die for. Her moan echoed the others in a joyous melody.

“So, who is Officer Mercer, and how do you know him?” she asked Elle after devouring half her slice. “Did he pull you over for speeding or something?”

“No,” the author snickered. “I’m researching a police procedural. He’s letting me ride along with him for research.” She held up a hand. “Let me rephrase that. He’s being forced to chauffer a bodice-ripper novelist around instead of doing his job. Those are his words.”

Sophia and the others laughed. “You don’t write bodice rippers. You don’t even write historicals. And your books are deep, and layered, and the sex enhances the story.”

“I don’t think he reads anything but newspapers,” Elle scoffed.

Lea smiled. “Man, this is awesome. I wish I could see his face as he’s force to drive you around. Don’t get me wrong, Jeremy is a great guy, but he does take his job seriously. This assignment would definitely disrupt his orderly routine.”

“Well, too bad, so sad for him.” Elle shrugged. “It’s not like I’m keeping him from doing his job, despite what he claims. I’m just there to observe, so I get it all correct in my book. It’s better than letting me misrepresent him.”

“Exactly.” Phoebe nodded. “I had to ride along with the L.A.P.D. when I was researching my movie role last winter. It was amazing, and scary, to see what their daily lives entail. And it was important to me to portray the police force correctly.”

“I told Officer Mercer the same thing,” Elle said. “But he still grumbles.”

“That’s because he has a penis,” Lea said, matter-of-factly, scooping cake onto her fork.

Sophia and the others chuckled. The woman was hysterical.

“It’s true.” Lea shrugged. “And the more alpha they are, the more they grumble.”

“Then Officer Mercer is as alpha as they get,” Elle said, distaste twisting her lips.

“Seems to me he’s kind of getting to you,” she said. “Does he happen to be handsome?”

Color increased in the author’s face as she shrugged. “If you go for the blue-eyed, muscular type of guy.”

Considering Ryder had blue eyes and a nice array of muscles, Sophia figured she was guilty. It was best to keep her mouth shut.

“So, Sophia…if it’s not a date-date, then what exactly are you doing with my brother tomorrow morning?” Lea asked, curiosity sparking in eyes the same blue shade as Ryder’s.

“It’s a work thing,” she replied, frustrated to have the subject resurrected. “He’s taking me to the local college so I can see about getting some students to help with the sets.”

“Do your bodies know it’s not a date-date?” Elle asked, lazy smile on her lips. “I’m a people watcher. It’s great research for my books. So I’m pretty good at reading people, and, well, your bodies were definitely speaking an intimate language.”

“It’s because they have a history,” Lea said.

Interest sparked in the author’s eyes. “Oh, really?”

Phoebe nodded. “I believe it was a New Year’s Eve, several years ago.”

Elle pushed an auburn strand of hair behind her ear, and cocked her head. “No, what I was reading was something a lot more recent.”

All three women stared at her now. Great.

She sighed. “What?”

“You tell us?” Lea narrowed her gaze. “Did something happen recently?”

“And did it have anything to do with his weird departure from the restaurant the other day?” Elle asked.

Phoebe reeled back. “You saw that too?”

“Yep.” The redhead winked. “People watcher.”

“Well? Go on…tell me, what did you see? I wasn’t there.” Lea huffed.

Stuffing more cake in her mouth, Sophia continued to eat while the others filled the anxious woman in on her brother’s strange behavior.”

“He’s definitely still feeling you.” Lea grinned. “I was beginning to think he’d never feel anything for a woman again.”

Her heart squeezed. “What do you mean?”

A deep sigh filled the air. “Several months before that New Year’s Eve, Ryder came home from deployment a different man. A broken one,” Lea added, sadness deepening her tone.

“Did he lose someone over there?” Elle’s question echoed the one in Sophia’s mind.

Lea nodded. “I believe so. But, it wasn’t anyone from his unit. They all came back, thank God.”

“What made you think Ryder suffered a loss?” she asked, her chest tight at the thought of him going through that type of pain.

“He returned home with the same dark, devastated, guilt ridden look in his eyes that he’d had after our mother died,” Lea replied. “I asked him what happened, but he just shook his head and said he didn’t want to talk about it.”

The tightness in Sophia’s chest increased. She’d felt that way when her Nona had passed.

“I don’t know. I think it had something to do with a woman. But six months later, you came in with Brandi for the holiday, and bam.” Smiling, Lea slapped the table. “There was life behind his eyes again. Although, the past few years it’s been gone.”

“Not anymore.” Phoebe winked. “There’s definitely a spark.”

Elle pointed her fork at her. “Like I said, something has happened recently.”

“Oh my God.” Lea blinked. “Did you two go up in flames again?”

Sophia made the mistake of sucking in a breath while she still had a mouth full of cake. She began to cough, and tried not to think about going up in flames with Ryder.

That would be a mistake. A big mistake. Like sucking in a breath with a mouth full of cake.

“Was that shock? Or confirmation?” Lea studied her through narrowed eyes.

“Shock,” Phoebe said, pushing a glass of water her way.

Elle nodded. “Yeah. Shock.”

“Because you want to go up in flames.” Lea grinned. “I’m an expert on that. Lord knows I pined after Ben most of my life, longing for that to happen.” The astute woman tipped her head. “So, if not flames, then what? A kiss?”

A snort rippled up her throat.

“I think we have a winner.” Elle smiled.

“You and Ryder kissed already?” Phoebe asked. “Is that why he left the restaurant the other day?”

This was getting out of hand.

She pushed her plate away. “No. We kissed after that. And I have no idea why he keeps throwing up this wall. One minute he’s friendly, the next minute he’s rude, then walks away.”

“Wait.” Lea blinked. “Did he also walk away after he kissed you?”

Now she sighed. “After the second kiss.”

“There were two?” Phoebe’s eyes widened.

Knowing the women were not going to let it rest, Sophia filled them in briefly on everything that happened that week. “I kind of feel like a yo-yo.”

“He definitely has feelings for you,” Elle said, sitting back.

“Yeah. He’s in denial.” Lea nodded. “Ben was like that with me. He was afraid to open up, and it caused him to do some stupid stuff, but it worked out in the end.”

She held her friend’s gaze. “I’m glad. But…I didn’t come back here to reconnect with your brother. I’m here to help Phoebe. I’m here to work.”

Sophia was getting tired of having to explain that to people. Just last night, she had to remind her mother of it again during their phone conversation.

“But you did reconnect, didn’t you?” Phoebe asked.

She shrugged, not wanting to get into it.

“Well, then, ask yourself this.” Lea leaned closer. “Do you like Ryder?”

“I…” She blew out a breath and recalled the laughter and heat they shared years ago, and how she’d returned to the city empowered. Her attitude had changed. Her outlook had changed. And because of that, her life had changed for the better. Ryder never pressured her, or complained. He seemed to like her for who she was, and it had been refreshing. She straightened her shoulders and nodded. “Yeah. I do like him. But, I wish he’d stop walking away.”

“Then give him a reason to stay,” Elle said, placing another plate of cake onto her empty one.

“What?” She blinked.

“Make him not want to leave.” Lea set a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to talk sex, because this is my brother and…you know…eww. But, from what I just witnessed, and what you’ve just told us, he is fighting his attraction to you.”

“Even if that were true, why bother? I’m only here for the summer,” she said. “My life is in New York. His is here.”

Laughing, Lea shrugged. “So? That’s exactly how it is for me and Ben. But we’re making it work. Quite well, actually.”

“There’s a difference though,” she felt obliged to point out. “You and Ben love each other. Ryder and I, well, it’s more of a physical type attraction.” The kind where she wanted to rip his clothes off and lick every ridge, every muscle. Every inch. Twice. But, she couldn’t tell his sister that, although, she was pretty sure, by the smirk on the woman’s face, she knew.

“All the more reason for you to confront him the next time he tries to kiss and run.” Lea grinned. “Pin his ass down.”

A small flicker of disappointment fluttered through her belly. “I doubt there’ll be a next time.”

After the three women exchanged an amused look, they burst out laughing.

Why was that funny?

“Trust me,” Lea said when she sobered. “There will definitely be a next time.”

“Count on it.”

“Definitely.”

The other two said at once.

Sophia had no idea what made her friends so sure, and she couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps they were right. Just the thought of locking lips with the guy again sent a delicious shiver down her spine.

Maybe she should consider their advice. After all, what harm could it do to go up in flames again?

Perhaps tomorrow, she’d test that theory.