Lila laughed. “No, you’re right, but I’m standing firm on this. Close friends and family only. Besides, any more than that will probably wear me out, seeing as how I’m pregnant and all.”

Sophie’s breath caught in her throat as the news sank in. Excitement and sheer joy swelled up within her.

“Pregnant? Oh my, that was quick. Congratulations again, that’s wonderful news.”

“Not so quick, actually, I’m just over four months along.”

“You’ve been holding out on me,” Sophie accused her in a teasing tone. “We’ll need to talk this out face-to-face, I think.”

“Definitely. Oh—” Lila hesitated for a moment and Sophie heard her draw in a deep breath “—and it’s twins.”

“Twins! How long have you known?”

“About the twins? Not all that long, although I have known for a while about being pregnant. I just needed some time to come to terms with it. To sort out in my own mind what I was doing next. It’s part of why I came home last month.”

Sophie could easily imagine what it was like to face raising a child on her own. Although Lila’s position, both financial and social, was vastly different from what Sophie’s mother’s had been. Lila would never have been short of support, emotional or monetary, which was a luxury Sophie’s mom had never had. She pushed those sad thoughts aside, wanting instead to give her full focus to her friend’s exciting announcement.

“I’m so very happy for you, Lila. A wedding and twin babies to look forward to? It’s wonderful, wonderful news. You have to let me host your baby shower, please! My mind is already brimming with ideas.”

“Are you sure it won’t be too much work for you? You’ve got so much on your plate already, especially with your boss still gone.”

Sophie made a shushing sound to her friend. “Don’t be ridiculous. It would be an honor to host your shower. You just leave it all to me.”

“Thank you, Sophie.”

“You’re very welcome. It’s the least I can do for you. So does this mean you’ll be staying in Royal?”

“Sam’s offered to relocate to L.A. with me, to set up a branch of Gordon Construction there, but we’re holding off making a decision until after the babies are born.” She gave another breathy laugh. “I still can’t believe it. Babies!”

“It’s going to be amazing,” Sophie reassured her. “But are you sure we’re talking about the same Sam Gordon?”

Sam had vocalized his thoughts about a woman’s place being in the home on more than one occasion. In fact he’d been one of the most vociferous in opposition to the new child-care center at the Texas Cattleman’s Club when it was initially proposed.

“Just goes to show even a leopard can change his spots with the right motivation,” Lila answered, and Sophie could hear the happiness ringing through her voice. “So, tell me. You haven’t done anything silly about what we talked about last month, have you? I’m worried about you.”

Sophie huffed out a small breath and lowered her voice. “To even have an opportunity would be a fine thing. No, don’t worry, I still haven’t been able to do any snooping around Zach Lassiter. I’m quite safe.”

Their conversation turned to more general matters and after Sophie replaced her handset on the cradle, she took a moment to hug Lila’s exciting news to herself. Her friend had been fiercely independent for so long, had carved a strong career for herself against some pretty tough odds, and now here she was—on the precipice of a whole new adventure in her life. Marriage to a man she clearly loved with all her generous heart, and expecting his babies.

Truth be told, Sophie felt a little envious of Lila. What would it be like, she wondered, to carry the baby of the man you loved? Without realizing it her eyes strayed to Zach’s closed office door. She shook her head. She wasn’t in love with Zach Lassiter. Of course she wasn’t.

Sure, she was attracted to him. Majorly attracted to him, even though she had some niggling suspicions that he knew more about Alex’s disappearance than he was letting on. But she didn’t know him. Not really. Certainly not enough to begin contemplating what it would be like to have his child, and certainly not enough to fully trust him. Even so, she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be the sole focus of his attention. To feel not only his gaze upon her, but his lips, his hands, his body, as well. Zach stood a good six inches taller than her own five and a half feet and he had a strong build. How he found the time to stay in shape with the hours he spent in the office or out on business calls she didn’t know, but it was easy to see in the way he walked and in the fit of his clothing that he took care of himself.

She could only begin to imagine what it would be like to trace the outlines of his muscles from shoulder to chest...and lower. Tendrils of heat spread from the pit of her belly and made her insides clench on a surge of need so intense it almost made her gasp out loud.

Sophie pushed away from her desk and went through to the kitchenette to grab a glass of water. She took a long drink of the chilled liquid, but it did little to quell the turmoil in her body. She was being ridiculous. A woman like her was not Zach Lassiter’s type. She lacked the refinement he’d surely expect in his women. Not that anyone ever saw him out with a woman on his arm. He was as closed and careful about his relationships, if he had them, as he was about everything else in his life.

It made her wonder again just how much he knew about Alex Santiago’s disappearance. Unlike everyone else, he hadn’t openly speculated on where Alex could be. Did that mean that he knew something and was keeping it secret, even from the police? Sophie shook her head slightly. She didn’t want to contemplate it. Surely Zach wouldn’t withhold vital information from what was now a police investigation.

Zach appeared in the doorway, a sheaf of papers in his hand and a worried frown on his forehead.

“Did you w-want me for something?” she asked, her voice a little wobbly.

An inner groan tore through her. Want her? Like she wanted him? She’d have to work harder to guard her tongue. She turned away to reach for a mug from the cupboard so he wouldn’t see the twin spots of color she just knew would be glowing in her cheeks the way they always did when she was uncomfortable.

“Yeah, can you come into my office when you’re finished in here? I’ve been going over the pitch we’re sending out for potential investors in the Manson project. I need you to help me fine-tune some things.”

“Sure, I’ll be there right away. Coffee?”

“Thanks,” he replied, already walking away.

Sophie quelled the sigh that built in her chest. Yes, he wanted her all right. For work, not for play.

* * *

Her nerves were stretched raw by the end of the week. She and Zach had worked late most nights, he even later than she, and he’d beaten her into the office each morning, as well. Even getting half the chance to check around his office was impossible. Lila certainly would have no worries on that score.

Sophie knew it was important that they get their pitch perfect for the Manson project. It was something that Alex had started before he had disappeared. It had become a matter of pride for both her and Zach to deliver no less than Alex would have when it came to sourcing investors for Ally Manson’s start-up. The seventeen-year-old prodigy was an IT genius and Alex had been hugely excited by the opportunity to launch her idea of a nationwide computer-assisted home disability network. Astute investors at the outset would be integral to her success and, by association, theirs, as well.

For all the hard work and long hours they’d been putting in, Sophie was still surprised that Zach was spending so much extra time at the office, and most of it with his door closed. A couple of times she’d entered his office, only to hear him abruptly put his caller on hold or close his laptop so she wouldn’t see what was on his screen. There was something going on that wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

But it wasn’t his hours that had unsettled her the most this week. It was just him. For some stupid reason, Lila’s news had triggered something in her that had begun to blow out of proportion. She’d been able to control her attraction to him without any issues over the past eighteen months, even though they’d started working together more closely since Alex had disappeared. Now, though, the proximity was driving her crazy and affecting her concentration when it was more important than ever that she be on the ball.

It was as if her hormones had gone into overdrive, as if her friend’s pregnancy had triggered a persistent reminder that Sophie was twenty-eight, painfully single and childless—and that time wouldn’t forever be on her side. Her body remained in a heightened state of awareness even when she wasn’t around Zach—but when she was, it was a hundred times worse.

He only had to brush past her for every cell in her body to spring to aching, and embarrassingly eager, attention. And her dreams...she didn’t even want to think about them, or about waking—hot, sweaty and wanting in the worst way.

Several times this week she’d battled with canceling tonight’s dinner but some masochistic inner demon stopped her whenever she found the words to tell him their date was off. But it wasn’t a date, was it? It was a reward, a bonus. He’d made it clear in his invitation he wanted to say thank-you for her work. Technically, she’d earned it. Still, the prospect of an evening in his company was winding her as tight as a spring and her constant battle with herself had worn her defenses ragged.

Sophie shut down her computer at five-thirty and slid her backup drive into the side pocket of her bag. She planned to have a long, hot, invigorating shower and take her time over getting ready for this evening. She was going to enjoy herself, dammit. He was an attractive, well-educated and erudite male. Tonight was a reward for her hard work. She had earned every second of it and would savor every bite of what would no doubt be a delicious meal.

“Everything still okay for this evening? I thought I’d pick you up at your place around seven-thirty.”

Zach’s voice cut through her resolve like a hot knife through butter. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t sit opposite him over an intimate meal and not be driven totally crazy with wanting him. She’d be hopelessly uncomfortable and make some stupid mistake, like letting him know how she felt, and no doubt he’d end up embarrassed for her. It would be a kindness to both of them to avoid being in that situation altogether.

“About tonight,” she started.

“I’ve made our reservation for eight,” he continued before stopping to give her a sharp, assessing look. “You’re not pulling out on me, are you? Thinking about dinner at Claire’s tonight has been the only thing that’s kept me going through the TV dinners and takeout all week.”

“Yes, I... Oh, um, no,” she vacillated. “There’s no need to pick me up. I can meet you there.”

“What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn’t collect you? My mama would be ashamed.” He gave her a cheeky smile, then rattled off her address. “That’s right, isn’t it?”

She gave a brief nod.

“Good, I’ll see you at seven-thirty.”

He was gone and out the door before she could say another word. The faint chime of the elevator in the outer reception area galvanized her into action. If she didn’t hurry, she wouldn’t have time to gather her wits together for tonight, let alone present herself respectably.

Forty-five minutes later, she surveyed the underwear she’d chosen to wear for tonight. Respectable was the last word on her mind. She’d bought the tiny scraps of fabric during a girls’ day out with her friend Mia Hughes, who worked as Alex’s housekeeper. The pale-green silk had looked stunning against her ivory skin and the texture had felt deliciously sinful. The half-cup bra made it the perfect piece to wear beneath the deep-V-necked teal dress she’d bought for a “sometime” special occasion but hadn’t yet had the opportunity to wear. Like the underwear, she’d bought it on impulse—something she rarely did after a childhood of poverty—and tonight seemed perfect to wear it for the first time. Armored with the expensive threads, she would feel like a million dollars—and right now she needed all the strength she could get.

Sophie luxuriated as long as she could under the stinging-hot spray of her shower, lathering her body twice with the expensive scented shower gel Lila had sent to her on her last birthday and which she saved only for special occasions. As she dragged her washcloth over her breasts, she felt her nipples pebble in anticipation of the evening ahead.

As conflicted as she felt about tonight’s dinner, she knew one thing very clearly in her mind. She wanted Zach Lassiter with an ache that went straight to her core, and if all she could have of him was this meal together, then she was going to make the most of it.

By the time she’d toweled off, styled her hair and applied her makeup, she felt almost bulletproof. It felt decadently wicked sliding into the tiny panties and hooking the bra before stepping into her dress and shimmying it up her body. She cast an eye at the clock beside her bed. Darn, she was cutting it close. Sophie reached for the zipper and started to tug it upward while slipping her feet into the killer heels she’d bought with her dress, but the zipper halted in its tracks.

She squirmed, trying alternately to tug it down or ease it up. Blasted thing was stuck fast and no matter how much she wriggled, it just wouldn’t budge. She tried to ease the gown off her shoulders but quickly gave that up as a bad idea. The dress was designed to be a skintight fit. There was no way she was going to get out of this one easily. What to do, what to do? She gave the tab on the zipper another jiggle, but still no luck.

This kind of thing did not happen to her. She was the consummate swan, gliding effortlessly across the lake of her life—outwardly, anyway. Control was the foundation of her life. Being at the mercy of something as inane as a stuck zipper was not something she was used to, not from this end, anyway.

But then again, the past week had been an exercise in levels of frustration she’d never experienced before. She huffed a sigh of exasperation. Zach would be here any minute now and, of course, right on cue, the doorbell rang.

Three

Zach pressed the doorbell again. He had said seven-thirty, hadn’t he? He checked the TAG Heuer on his wrist. Yep, he was on time. He stepped back from the door and checked the side window. Lights were on inside and, yes, right there he saw a flash of movement through the crack in the drapes.

The door slowly opened.

“I’m sorry to keep you waiting,” Sophie said, her light-brown eyes looking bigger and sexier than ever with the smoky makeup she wore.

“No problem, we have half an hour until our reservation.” He hesitated, waiting a second for her to invite him in, but when no invitation was forthcoming he continued, “So, shall we head out?”

She gave him an awkward smile. “Yes, well, maybe in a minute or two. I’ve got a bit of a problem with my dress.”

“Anything I can help with?”

Her dress? Maybe that explained why she wasn’t opening the door fully and was talking to him with just her head popped around its edge.

Sophie sighed. “I think you might have to.”

Huh. Well, there was no need for her to sound so eager, he thought. He waited again for her to open the door wider and to invite him inside. Still, she didn’t move.

“Is this something we can fix here on the doorstep?” he inquired.

“Oh, no. No, of course not. You’d better come in.”

She looked flustered, something he wasn’t used to seeing in her. He raised his eyebrows slightly and, taking the hint, she finally eased the door wide enough for him to pass through. She closed it behind her, keeping her back to the door.

She was as skittish as a newborn colt. He wondered what had gotten her so riled up.

“It’s my dress,” she started, then stopped just as suddenly and worried her lower lip with her teeth.

His eyes were caught and mesmerized by the action. Sophie’s lips were slick with gloss, several shades richer than what she normally wore to the office, he noted, and the color made him think of candy apples and all their sugary sweetness. Would she taste like that, too, if he nibbled on her lip the way she was doing right now?

Zach dragged his gaze from her mouth and from the forbidden thoughts she incited in him. She was strictly off-limits. What had she been talking about again? Yeah, that was right. Her dress.

“What’s wrong with it? You look great to me,” he said, letting his eyes skim over her.

Oh, yeah, she was the full package tonight. Her hair sat smooth and sleek in its unassuming bob. Fine, pale-blond hair that made his hand itch to reach out and feel if it was as silky soft as it looked. Desire hit hard and hot, driving a surge of lust straight to his groin. He fought to control it. This wasn’t what tonight was supposed to be about. He firmed his jaw and wrestled his libido back under control, right up until she turned around, exposing the long ivory column of her back.

“My zipper. It’s stuck. I think I’ve caught it on the lining. Do you think you can work it loose for me?”

Think? The woman expected him to think? Without realizing it, his hands moved to her back. One knuckle grazed against her warm skin. He felt her flinch beneath his touch.

“Sorry,” he muttered and forced himself to concentrate on closing his fingers on the delicate tab of the zipper.

“Do you think you’ll be able to work it loose?” she asked over her shoulder. “I’d hate to have to rip the dress.”

He quelled a groan at the image of doing just that. Of ripping the dress from her slender form and exposing more than the hint of sheer green confection that was masquerading as underwear beneath her gown. If that was the back of her bra, he could only begin to imagine how alluring the front would be. On second thought, better not to imagine it, or his current discomfort would be nothing compared to what his body would do next.

“Sure,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “Just give me a minute.”

His knuckle brushed against her skin again. This time she didn’t flinch, but he could see the reaction to his touch as tiny goose bumps rose in a scatter across her skin.

“I’m going to have to pull your dress down a bit,” he said, warning her of his intention to hold the fabric firmly against her as he pulled the tab gently up.

There, he could feel the teeth letting go their grip on the smooth silk lining of the dress. He was almost sorry when the tab pulled free and he slid it up, closing that enticing view of her back and the band of her sheer bra.

“You’re all set,” he said, dropping his hands to his sides and stepping back from her. “And you look amazing.”

“Oh, thank you,” Sophie said, turning around to face him.

“Shall we go?” he suggested, eager now to put them in a position where they were surrounded by other people and where he wouldn’t have to continually fight this urge to reach out to pull her to him and find out just how good those candy-apple lips tasted after all.

“Let me get my bag.”

He looked around the apartment as she went into what he assumed was her bedroom. He liked what she’d created here. Despite its compact size the apartment had a light, airy feel to it—the furnishings combining a few good pieces with what were obviously refurbished yard-sale finds. It felt like a home. More so than his expertly furnished mansion on the outskirts of town. He loved living there, but it lacked the small touches that made a place more than just somewhere to eat and sleep. Mind you, for the amount of time he’d spent there lately, what did it matter? Besides, it was a prime investment. One he wouldn’t hesitate to flick off when he was ready to move on or when the market was right. He didn’t like to attach sentiment to assets the way his parents did. You never got ahead that way.

“I’m ready. Sorry for the delay, Zach.”

She’d replenished her lip gloss while she’d been in her room and looked so incredibly perfect from head to toe it was difficult to equate the woman in front of him with the slightly nervy creature who’d greeted him when he’d arrived. Women. He’d never understand them fully, nor did he really want to. Who had the time? But he certainly was in the right frame of mind to appreciate this one.

He guided her outside and waited on the path while she locked the front door, then escorted her to his gleaming black Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.

“New car?” Sophie inquired as he held open the passenger door for her.

“Not so new, but it’s my fun car. For weekends and special occasions only,” he said before closing the door on the inviting view of her slender legs.

He settled himself in the driver’s seat and started up the engine, allowing the growl of the 6.2-liter V8 engine to course through him for just a moment.

“You like it?” he said with boyish enthusiasm.

“It certainly looks and sounds sleek and fast, but somehow I would never have pictured you driving something like this,” she commented as she fastened her seat belt.

“No, why so?”

“With your reputation, I’d have picked you for European flash.”

“My reputation?” He raised an eyebrow.

“For being a risk taker. I would have thought your idea of a fun car would be some imported speed machine.”

He smiled. “No, proudly American all the way, that’s me.”

She was easy company on the drive to Claire’s, not being one of those women who felt the need to fill empty space with constant idle chatter. By the time they entered the restaurant, he felt it safe enough to lay his hand at the small of her back without worrying that it would trigger a wave of heat and desire. He couldn’t have been more wrong.

The instant his hand rested against the fabric of her dress, he could sense the warmth of her skin through its fine weave. The effect was more of a tsunami, threatening to swamp him. This was ridiculous, he thought as they were promptly shown to their table. He worked with Sophie every day. She was attractive, he’d always found her so, but he’d never had this kind of trouble keeping his attraction under control before.

He’d also never been quite this close to her before, never touched her, never smelled the light fragrance that trailed her now—a scent that reminded him of summer and roses and long hot aching nights. Maybe this was the real reason he’d envied his friend his capable assistant. Maybe it had nothing to do with her efficiency and all too much to do with the fact he hadn’t been laid in far, far too long. He’d have to remedy that. For now, though, he had to exert his self-control—and remind himself that Sophie was off-limits.

They sat at the table, Sophie refusing an aperitif when the waiter offered.

“Did you want to have a glass of wine with dinner?” Zach asked as he perused the menu once the waiter had left.

“Sure, just one.”

“Not much of a drinker, then?”

“No, I don’t like losing control.”

For a second there she looked surprised that she’d admitted as much. Zach gave her a nod.

“I know what you mean. It can bring out the best and the worst in people.”

She smiled back at him, relief evident in her eyes.

“I’m glad you understand. Most people just think I’m some kind of control freak.”

“I’ve seen you at work. I know you’re a control freak,” he teased gently.

A light flush colored her cheeks and she ducked her head, her short blond hair swinging forward to obstruct his view of her face as she put her attention to studying her menu.

“Anything in particular take your fancy?” he asked. “I know the steak is always good here.”

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