Sam was bewildered. Why was Chloe here? Why was she dressed like that? She’d been buttoned up and professional every time he’d seen her since the day she’d come back from her trip to Cabo—with Ben. Now she was all soft curves and pouty looks.

  Chloe stepped forward. “You and Ben had a little talk about me today, didn’t you?”

  He let out a breath. Of course. Ben had told her tonight that she would need to leave the company. She’d probably been hiding in some corner waiting for him ever since.

  Sam thought of the empty bedroom across the hall. Had she waited for him there? “Ben thought you’d be happier with your own business to run.”

  “Is that what Ben thought?” She put her hands on his chest. Leaned close. “What did you think?”

  He caught her wrists, not knowing what she was up to but knowing he didn’t like it one bit. He let go when she pulled her hands away from him, thinking she’d gotten the point, but she moved even closer.

  “What did you think about Ben’s idea?” she asked again, lifting her palm to caress his cheek. “You and I used to be so close. We used to work so well together. Do you think Ben is right? Should I leave Scholar Central? Go to work somewhere else? Or is Ben the one who should leave?”

  Had Chloe been drinking? Suddenly Sam felt like he’d had one too many. She couldn’t be serious—could she?

  “But you and Ben…”

  She silenced him with a finger to his lips. “Me and Ben. Ben and me. That’s always been the problem, hasn’t it?”

  “Chloe.”

  She went up on tiptoe, braced her hands on Sam’s shoulders and kissed him. Before he could even react, there was a sound behind him on the deck, a noise like something had dropped onto it from the third floor, knocking a chair sideways in the process. Still cradling his face, Chloe stiffened. Pulled away.

  Looked over his shoulder and screamed.

  Sam turned, but he already knew what he’d see—knew this was the end of everything he’d hoped for.

  Ava stood on the balcony, every curve of her body visible through the tiny, silky item she wore, her knees scraped and bleeding, her hands outstretched as if to ward off the vision of him and Chloe in each other’s arms. It was her gaze that cut him to the quick, though. The disappointment and betrayal clear in every slack line of her face.

  “Ava.” He pushed Chloe aside and started for her.

  Chloe opened her mouth and screamed again.

  CHAPTER 10

  “She’s been peeking in everyone’s windows. Climbing from floor to floor like a peeping Tom. I bet there are cameras hidden in our rooms. I bet she’d been filming everything!” Chloe kept shrieking as the rest of their party came running. A knot of men and women crowded in the doorway, trying to see what was happening in the room. None of the men seemed to be able to keep their gazes off Ava, leaving her flustered and humiliated. There was no way through the room without pushing through them, though, and she was afraid Chloe wouldn’t let her pass.

  This had to be a nightmare, Ava thought, still standing on Sam’s deck. The sliding glass doors were open, leaving no barrier between her and the others. She hugged her arms across her chest, knowing how exposed she was in this outfit. Sam grabbed a robe from his bed and thrust it at her. Ava struggled into it gratefully.

  What the hell had she been thinking when she’d blown out her candles, climbed over the balcony and dropped down onto Sam’s deck? She’d ended up tipping over a chair and becoming tangled in it as she crashed to the floor. Her knees ached. So did the palm of one hand and her shoulder, where she’d hit the concrete before scrambling up. She was lucky she wasn’t more badly hurt.

  “What are you doing in Sam’s room?” Ben demanded of Chloe. He turned to Ava. “What are you doing out there?”

  “I was coming to see Sam,” she said faintly. “I didn’t think he’d have company.”

  “I wasn’t supposed to,” Sam said firmly.

  “She’s a voyeur!” Chloe shrieked again, pointing at Ava. “She’s probably filming all of us. I bet she’s uploading it all to the internet.” She turned to the crowd in the doorway for backup.

  “I’m not filming anything!” Ava protested. It was bad enough she’d been humiliated in front of everyone. Every male guest had seen more of her body than any of them deserved. She was the one who should be screaming. “You were coming on to Sam, weren’t you? You wanted to sleep with him. That’s why you’re here,” she accused, forgetting Chloe was her guest, the one paying the bill for all these people.

  “Why were you in Sam’s room, Chloe?” Ben asked again in a quiet voice that somehow cut through everyone else’s exclamations.

  Chloe turned on her fiancé. “I’m not the one coming on to anyone. Sam’s the one who dragged me in here. He’s the one who—”

  She didn’t get any further before Ben lunged for Sam. Ava shrieked. She wasn’t the only one. Ben landed a punch on Sam’s shoulder. Sam got him hard on the jaw. The two men crashed against the dresser together, grappled and fought and then lurched the other way.

  Ava was afraid they’d go right through the glass. They’d already knocked everything off the dresser. “Stop them!” she shouted to the other men crowded in the doorway. A couple of them jumped into the fray, struggling to get the two men apart, without much luck. Sam landed another punch square on Ben’s cheekbone. Ben retaliated with a blow to Sam’s gut.

  “If you touched Chloe, I will kill you!” Ben growled.

  “I wouldn’t touch her if she was the last woman on earth.”

  As Sam grappled with Ben and fought to land another punch, he knew there was no way this could end well. Fighting Ben, being caught alone with Chloe, took the tension between the three of them to a whole new level. Why the hell had Chloe come to his room in the first place? Did she really want him back? Or was this…?

  “Hell.” Sam let go. Ben, caught off balance, nearly knocked over the men trying to pull them apart before he caught himself, straightened and lunged at Sam again. Gabe and Carter followed after him, but this time Sam was ready for Ben. He stepped aside at the last moment, leaving Ben to crash into the wall, Gabe and Carter only just managing to avoid slamming against him. Muttering a curse as Carter extended him a hand, Ben got up, but before he could come at Sam, Gabe blocked his way. Sam took advantage of the pause. “Chloe’s getting back at me because you told her to leave Scholar Central!”

  Ben pulled up, breathing heavily. Some part of him must have realized it could be true, because he turned to face his fiancée. “Is he right?”

  She shook her head vehemently. “That’s ridiculous. But so is choosing him over me. He’s the one who should leave, if anyone should. You know that.”

  Ben frowned. Uncurled his hands. “Sam is the one who came up with the idea for Scholar Central.”

  “Ideas are a dime a dozen. I’m the one making the kind of connections that will make the company profitable. You two would be lost without me.” Chloe picked up speed. “And if I leave, you can be sure I’ll take half the company with me.”

  “You’re about to marry me,” Ben pointed out. “Why would you do that?”

  “Why would you choose your stupid friend over your future wife?” Chloe cried. “I’m the one you’re sleeping with at the end of the day. I’m the one who deserves your loyalty. I’m the one who’s about to—” She cut off. “The one who’ll take this company to the next level.”

  Sam knew this confrontation was going to damage company morale. This whole argument should have played out behind closed doors. He opened his mouth to say so, but Ben spoke up first.

  “Listen, Chloe, you’ve done a terrific job laying the groundwork for a deal. I can carry it through. Meanwhile, I’ll back you in your own company one hundred percent. I don’t understand why you aren’t jumping at the chance to start your own business.”

  “Are you kidding me?” Chloe clenched her hands into fists. “I do all the ground work, and you want to walk my deal across the finish line and take all the credit for it?”

  “What deal?” Sam demanded. “What are you talking about?”

  Chloe turned on him. “I’ve found a buyer for Scholar Central. One ready to pay top dollar for your stupid little company, and Ben here thinks I should quit so he can steal my glory.”

  “I think you should step away because it isn’t appropriate for us to work together anymore,” Ben said. “I’ll make sure you get all the credit you deserve. You’re going to be my wife—you’re going to share all the proceeds I earn from Scholar Central’s success.”

  “My success,” she countered. “You won’t earn anything without me, and you know it. I’m the one making the deal.”

  “What deal?” Sam asked again. “We never said anything about selling Scholar Central.”

  “What do you think we’ve all been working for?” Chloe cried.

  Sam couldn’t believe what she was saying. He looked to the others for backup, but they were no help. Gabe and Cooper had slinked away to the doorway. Julian and the women remained out in the hall. Was that really how they all felt about Scholar Central? “We’ve been working to solve a problem,” Sam said. “To help people.”

  “Oh, spare me the theatrics. I am helping people. I’m helping all of us to a payday that will change our lives. Tell him, Ben.”

  Ben opened his mouth. Closed it again. “What… do you want me to say?”

  “’What do you want me to say?’” Chloe mimicked in a falsetto voice. “I want you to tell your idiot friend to keep quiet and let the grown-ups get the job done. Tell him no one needs him anymore. Tell him I’m going to call the shots from now on, something everyone else in the company understands except him. Tell him to shut up, sign the paperwork to make me an equal partner and be grateful we’re not kicking him out of the company altogether.”

  “Chloe.” Ben straightened, his brow furrowing. “You’re going too far.” He darted a glance to their audience still clustered by the door. Sam wondered if he was really going to let her talk to him that way in front of his employees.

  “Too far? Too far?” Chloe laughed disbelievingly. “Are you kidding me? I’m not going far enough. I’m the only one in this operation with any brains or foresight. What did you think you were going to do with your software? Give it away? Why are you always so stupid?”

  “Stop it, Chloe,” Sam said. “You’re way out of line.” He couldn’t stand still and listen to this, even if Ben had tried to beat him up a moment ago. The rest of the group retreated farther into the hall.

  “I can say whatever I want,” she said. “Because I’m this tight with the owner of the company who wants to buy Scholar Central.” She crossed her fingers and held them up. “Ah, you didn’t even think about that, did you?” she said to Ben. “You truly thought you could tell me to leave and I’d tuck my tail between my legs and run away, letting you be the big hero. You’re so damn dumb it didn’t even occur to you I’d take the deal with me. I set it up,” she reminded him, “and I can shoot it in the head any time I want to.”

  “I’m not dumb,” Ben said quietly.

  “Baby, you are worse than dumb. You’re the kind of dumb who doesn’t even know you’re dumb.”

  Sam wanted to throttle Chloe. Ben had gotten plenty of that talk from his dad when he was a kid; he didn’t need it now from the woman who was supposed to love him. He felt rather than saw a couple of the women edge farther into the hall toward the stairs. He could tell the others wished they were anywhere but here.

  Before he could say anything, Chloe turned on her heel. “I’m not staying in this dump another night. I’m leaving. And I’m going to give this place a crappy rating—because it sucks.”

  Spurred into motion by her sudden retreat to the exit, the rest of the group backed down the hall to get away from her. Ben watched Chloe go, unmoving. Sam waited. Was he angry? Hurt?

  Scared?

  Just when he thought she was safely gone, Chloe reappeared in the doorway and pointed to Ben. “If you don’t want me to leave you and take the deal of a lifetime with me, you’ll pack your things and be in the van in ten minutes.” She turned to call down the hall. “That goes for everyone. In the van in ten minutes!” she repeated and disappeared again.

  There was a long pause before Ben faced Sam.

  “I’m staying right here,” Sam said to him, fury burning in his gut. He swallowed hard to steady his voice. “You should, too. We don’t need her.”

  “I need her,” Ben said. “She’s the woman I’m going to marry.”

  “Are you serious?”

  Ben cut him off. “I’m not walking out because things are hard. Chloe’s right; it was wrong of me to ask her to leave when she’s been working so hard to make a deal. She’s got a right to be mad. When she calms down, we’ll figure things out.”

  “She talked to you like you were a child.”

  “She talked to me like I chose an old friend over her,” Ben countered. “She’s going to be my wife,” he said again. “I’m supposed to put her first.” He walked out the door, leaving Sam alone with Ava.

  Sick to his stomach, he turned to her. He wished he could pull her into his arms and erase what had happened from his mind, but he couldn’t. He had to face it. “I’m sorry for all of this. I’ll pay for any damage we caused.” When she didn’t answer him, his gut twisted with alarm. “Ava? What’s wrong?”

  She let out a disbelieving laugh. “What’s wrong?” She lifted her hands. “Everything’s wrong. You’re fighting with your best friend. You’re kissing your ex-fiancée. You tell me what’s wrong.”

  Sam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Chloe burst in here. I didn’t invite her. She’s the one who kissed me. You yourself said she was hitting on me.”

  “But you didn’t stop her. I saw you, Sam.”

  “You saw me surprised. A moment later I’d have pushed her away. I didn’t know what she was going to do until she did it.”

  Ava only stared at him. She dropped her hands to her sides. “You’re going back to Chicago on Sunday, right?”

  “Right.” That’s when the trip ended, but—

  “Then what the hell are we doing anyway?”

  “We’re figuring it out as we go along. Forget Ben and Chloe. I’ll stay here tonight. We’ll talk this out.”

  “What is there to talk about?” When he didn’t answer, she laughed again. “Really, Sam? What could we possibly have to talk about?” She turned to go.

  “We could talk about the fact I care about you.”

  Ava stopped, but only for a moment. Then she walked right out the door.

  They were gone.

  Ava could tell by the complete silence in the house that her guests had all left, but she snuck down the stairs, took in the empty spot where the passenger van had been parked, let herself into the main house and walked the rooms to be sure. No one remained. Not even Sam.

  She’d told him to go. Not in so many words, maybe, but she’d made it clear enough she was done with their relationship. Maybe he hadn’t kissed Chloe, but he hadn’t stopped her, either. Even if everything that had just happened had been Chloe’s doing, he was still leaving in a matter of days. It was madness to hope they could be together.

  She locked up and wearily climbed the stairs to her apartment. She’d already changed into sweatpants and a T-shirt, disgusted by the sexy lingerie she’d put on to seduce Sam, but now her head was pounding and her mouth was dry from the combination of alcohol and fear. She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders and went out onto her deck.

  “Ava?” Penelope called from next door. “Are you okay? I heard shouting a while back.”

  “I’m okay.” But she wasn’t, and she didn’t know when she would be. If this was what a fling felt like, she wanted no part of it. Of course, she hadn’t done much better with a long-term relationship. She bent her head and began to cry.

  “Ava?” Penelope called again. “I’m coming over. Let me in when I knock, okay?”

  Ava did so a minute later when Penelope knocked softly on her door. She was surprised to see Emma with her. “It’s so late. You have guests, don’t you?” she asked them. She’d dried her eyes, but they still burned.

  “Friendship trumps sleep,” Penelope said. “Sit down. Tell us what happened. I’m going to make us some chamomile tea.” She bustled around Ava’s tiny kitchen while Emma got her settled on her bed, tucked under the covers. She shut the doors to the deck almost all the way, letting in just a touch of the breeze.

  “There are more blankets in the closet,” Ava said. Emma fetched a couple of them. Penelope brought tea, and they wrapped themselves up and sat in chairs they brought close.

  “What happened?” Penelope asked when she was settled in her seat.

  Ava told them everything, including her fall from the upper deck and Sam kissing Chloe.

  “He was kissing her?” Emma asked. “Are you sure? Or was she kissing him? It makes a world of difference, you know.”

  Ava lifted her shoulders. “I couldn’t really tell. Sam’s back was to me, but they were definitely kissing.” She wanted to believe it was all Chloe’s doing, but she’d never forget the look of triumph on Chloe’s face before she opened her mouth and screamed.

  When Penelope began to protest she couldn’t possibly be sure, Ava set her tea down on her bedside table. “It doesn’t matter. Sam’s leaving in a week. One way or another, it’s over. So’s my business, probably. Chloe said she was going to leave a terrible review, and she can probably make the rest of her friends do the same. No one’s going to want to rent the Blue House after that.”

  “You have dozens of wonderful reviews,” Emma assured her. “A couple of bad ones won’t change that.”

  “Bad ones that say I was spying on them late at night? Peeking in windows? Sneaking onto their balconies? I think that will change a lot.” A tear slid down her cheek. “What on earth am I going to do?”

  Penelope and Emma exchanged a look. “I don’t know,” Emma said slowly.

  Ava’s heart sank because it was clear Emma had an idea but was afraid to voice it. “Yes, you do. Tell me.”