When the owls lifted off from their perches several minutes later, almost as one, her heart soared with them for a moment, until they were gone and she was left alone with Sam. She turned to him, already knowing what would happen next. His arm tightened around her as he gathered her close, and he kissed her.

  Was there ever a more perfect time for a kiss? Sam mentally thanked the owls for favoring them with their presence. He knew Ava was feeling as blessed as he was to have been given a glimpse into the lives of two such wild, independent creatures. Now she was in his arms, kissing him back, melting against him, and his body was reacting to the soft feel of her in his arms.

  He’d kissed her before, but this was different. He explored her mouth with his own, brushing his lips softly over hers, but soon grew more urgent, his arms tightening around Ava, wanting to feel more of her.

  When Ava pulled back, it was almost painful to let her go. He knew she wanted him as badly as he wanted her, but he recognized her hesitation. She’d been hurt—badly—by a man not so long ago. Sam controlled himself with difficulty, knowing a few more kisses would end up with her in his bed. He wasn’t going to push this woman, though. If they were together, he didn’t want her to regret it.

  “It’s early,” she said, having a hard time meeting his eye.

  He searched her face in the growing dark, although he couldn’t see much. Coming to a decision, he stood up and took her hand again. “What do people do for fun in Seahaven?” he asked.

  Ava thought about that and hesitated so long he was afraid she was going to say she was ready to call it a night. “Live music,” she finally answered. “The Pelican’s Nest is a restaurant and bar on the wharf that also has a dance floor.”

  “Then let’s go there.”

  “I guess we could do that.”

  Back at the car, she drove them to the wharf. On the bar’s rooftop deck, he ordered drinks for both of them. They’d secured a small table where they sat across from each other. Ava still seemed happy to let him hold her hand while they listened to the music play and waited for their drinks. She liked him.

  Maybe too much.

  Sam considered that thought as the band began a new song and people filled the small dance floor. Was Ava afraid she could lose her heart to him? He could see why she wanted to avoid that. So much disruption came with a long-distance relationship. He wasn’t sure he was ready for one. Yet here he was, pursuing her. If he was a gentleman, maybe he’d bring her home right now.

  He didn’t want to be a gentleman, though.

  He moved his chair to the same side of the table she was sitting at and entwined his hand with hers. When their drinks came, he toasted her, but as soon as he could, he pulled her to her feet.

  “Let’s dance.”

  She followed him onto the floor. The music was a fast-paced, upbeat tune, but Sam pulled Ava close into a slow dance.

  “I don’t think this is what we’re supposed to be doing,” she said in his ear, laughing.

  “I don’t care.” He held her close and swayed slowly, keeping them on the outskirts of the crowd so they wouldn’t get bumped by the other, more vigorous dancers.

  Every fiber in his body wanted to take Ava home right now and make love to her. He let himself enjoy being turned on, aware of every place where her body pressed close to his. This is what being alive felt like, he told himself. He’d been sleepwalking his way through life since Chloe dumped him. He didn’t want to go back, but he’d lost track of where he was headed, except for focusing on Scholar Central.

  Sam told himself he could worry about the future another time. Right now all he wanted was to dance with Ava. Song after song, they swayed that way, going back to enjoy their drinks now and then, until Sam felt more intoxicated by Ava’s proximity and his own desire for her than from the alcohol.

  “Sam,” she sighed when he kissed her for the dozenth time. It was a helpless plea. Did she feel like he felt? Was she buzzing with anticipation of the moment they came together? He—

  “Oh.” Ava pulled back suddenly and clapped a hand to her hip. Withdrawing her phone from her pocket, she pressed it to her ear. “I have to take this,” she said. “Hold on.”

  CHAPTER 5

  Ava didn’t know whether to be grateful or annoyed by Marie’s timing. She hurried to the stairs that led to the main part of the restaurant where she could hear better, away from the sound of the band.

  “Marie? What’s up?” It had to be late in Bryn Mawr.

  “Just calling to remind you about Mom’s birthday.”

  Sam joined her in the stairwell and ushered her down the steps as she spoke. “Again? We already talked about this.”

  “I know, but it’s almost here. Did you put that gift certificate in the mail?”

  “I didn’t have to mail it. I’ll forward the email on her birthday, and she can print it out.”

  “That’s kind of tacky, don’t you think?” Marie asked. “I mean, you’re sending a card, right?”

  “Marie, look,” Ava said in irritation. They were on the first floor now, threading through the restaurant. “I’ve got things under control. Okay?” Sam opened the door and led her out to their parking spot on the wharf.

  “Okay. Didn’t mean to overstep.” Marie sounded offended.

  “I’m actually out with a friend. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Ava hung up, not sure if she was more irritated with Marie or Sam. “What are you doing?” she asked him.

  “Heading back to the Blue House.”

  Ava swallowed her disappointment. She’d been enjoying the music and dancing with him. Liked the sensation of being close to him in a situation where there was no danger of things going any further. She drove home in silence. She parked behind the house, grateful to see the passenger van wasn’t there. Chloe and the other guests were still out.

  When Sam took her hand, she pulled it away quickly.

  “Can I come up?” He indicated the walkway that led to the stairs to her top-floor suite.

  “No.”

  Sam looked surprised. “No?”

  Trepidation filled her as she wondered how to say what she needed to express to him. This was probably the end of their wonderful flirtation, and she couldn’t lie to herself—she was going to miss it. “You live in Chicago. You’re leaving in less than two weeks, and I don’t do flings. If I sleep with you, I’m going to fall for you, and then you’ll be gone. It’s too much.”

  After a long moment, Sam heaved a sigh. “I want to argue with you, but I can’t. You’re right—I am leaving, and there’s not much time for us to get to know each other. I’ve had a great time with you so far, though. The hike, the kayaking, the owls, the dancing. Today was the best day I’ve had in a long time.” He hesitated, as if he was searching for something else to say, something that would put off the end of their good time together. “Are you sure?” he finally asked. “Maybe a short time together is better than nothing?”

  “That’s not the way I’m made,” she told him reluctantly. God knew she wished it was different. Her body was aching to lead him upstairs and take him to bed. She knew she was going to regret sticking to her principles.

  He sighed. “Guess it’s time for me to say good-night, then.” He leaned in for one last kiss, and she allowed it, nearly moaning as their mouths met a final time and her fingers clutched the fabric of his shirt. She wanted him so badly.

  All she had to do was say so. She was a big girl. She could have a fling if she wanted to.

  Ava waited a beat too long, though. When the kiss ended, Sam got out of the car and made his way into the first-floor entrance. Ava gathered her things, rounded the house and walked up the two flights of stairs, which tonight seemed endless. She let herself into her suite, kicked off her shoes, padded to her deck and slid open the doors. Maybe the ocean breeze could soothe her tortured soul—

  “Guess great minds think alike,” Sam said, from the deck below her.

  Ava groaned. She couldn’t get away from this man.

  Sam chuckled, a low, heady sound in the dark. She wished she could climb over the railing and jump right into his arms.

  “You know, when it was clear things were over with Chloe and me, I was sure I’d never find another woman I could fall for,” he said. His back was against the railing, his arms crossed over his chest. “I was wrong.”

  Ava swallowed. Nodded. “When Todd left, it was like my life was over. I kept going through the motions but couldn’t seem to catch my breath. It got easier over time, but I thought I’d had my one chance at love. That I’d never feel anything like the way I felt when I first met him, but…” She wasn’t brave enough to finish the sentence, but she figured it was obvious what she meant to say. Sam made her breath catch every time she saw him. His touch made her crave him. “Sam—”

  A car door slammed. And then another.

  Sam swore under his breath. “They’re home.”

  Ava stared down at him helplessly. “They’ll go to sleep.” But it was only half a minute before someone was knocking at Sam’s bedroom door. She could hear the pounding from where she stood.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ava.” And he was gone.

  “It’s late,” Sam said to Ben after he’d closed the sliding glass door to his balcony and opened the one to the hall to let Ben into his room. He was struggling to suppress the desire he felt for Ava and his disappointment that she was holding back. “You’ve been drinking. Why don’t we talk tomorrow?” He didn’t have patience for another confrontation.

  “Let’s talk now.” Ben closed the door behind him and moved farther into the room. Sam wondered if he’d fortified himself with alcohol before coming to find him. The Ben he’d known before Chloe came onto the scene would never have needed to do such a thing. Once upon a time they’d thought of themselves as brothers.

  “You’ve had a problem with me and Chloe since the start,” Ben said.

  “Gee, I wonder why?” Sam bit off the rest of what he wanted to say. Sarcasm wasn’t going to help anything.

  Ben pulled back. “Okay. You’re right—the way I got together with Chloe wasn’t cool, but the thing is I always loved her and you never did.”

  “I got engaged to her, didn’t I?” Sam pointed out.

  “That doesn’t mean anything. You were going through the motions. You never really listened to her. She came to work and told me about it day after day. Do you know how hard it was to listen to that, knowing she’d chosen you over me?”

  “You and Chloe talked about me while I was still with her?” That made things even worse. Ben was supposed to have his back. Why hadn’t he mentioned Chloe was bringing their personal business to him?

  Any sympathy he’d felt for his old friend was slipping away fast.

  Ben dropped his gaze. “We worked together on projects all the time. We had business issues to discuss, but yeah, life came up—the way it does with people you care about.”

  “So you were angling for her right from the start.”

  “No, I wasn’t,” Ben said. “I was being her friend. You weren’t there for her. You never even helped with the wedding. You wouldn’t pick colors or talk about flowers or table settings, the things that matter to a woman. After a while, she started coming to me for advice.”

  Sam couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “She never once asked me my opinion about any of those things. She was Chloe the conqueror. She had everything figured out. When I printed out a playlist for the reception, she balled it up and threw it at my head.”

  Ben scrunched up his face. “Why was she asking me about china patterns all the time, then?”

  “Because she was making sure she had a backup plan in case I refused to give her shares in Scholar Central.” Chloe had dropped hints for months about becoming an equal partner in the company before they had their blowout fight. He’d rebuffed every one of them. She must have known there was a good chance she wouldn’t manage to convince him.

  Had she been playing them both for fools?

  He stared at Ben as the truth sank in. All this time he’d thought Chloe had changed her mind about him after their big fight. That wasn’t how it had happened, though, was it? She’d been hedging her bets all along, making sure that no matter what, she’d still have a pathway to becoming a partner.

  “She set both of us up,” he told Ben. “She kept you on hold until she was done with me.”

  Ben shook his head emphatically. “You’re way off base. Chloe’s not a player. Besides, that’s not what I’m here to talk about.”

  “What are you here to talk about?” Sam wanted him to see what was right in front of his nose, but he knew if he tried to force it, Ben might refuse to talk to it at all.

  “Respect. We all have to work together, which means you need to be okay with Chloe and me being a couple. You have to get over her.”

  Sam nearly laughed, remembering how hard he’d been trying to get Ava into bed fifteen minutes ago. “I am over her,” he assured Ben.

  “Good. Because Chloe is integral to the future of Scholar Central.”

  Sam stilled. Integral. That was a loaded word. “In what way?” he asked cautiously.

  “What do you mean, in what way?” Ben sounded exasperated that he had to spell it out. “She’s the one putting feelers out to get us customers.”

  “She hasn’t got us any yet.” Maybe he shouldn’t feel happy about that, but right now he did. As far as he was concerned, it was time for Chloe to move on from Scholar Central.

  “She will soon. She’s ambitious, Sam. I don’t think you appreciate that about her.”

  Ben was right. Sam knew all about Chloe’s ambition, and he didn’t appreciate the way she wielded it like a club. “She’s replaceable.”

  “No, she’s not,” Ben said sharply. “She’s going to be the making of us.”

  Something was off here. Why did Ben sound so sure about that? Chloe hadn’t produced any deals yet. She was young, like the rest of them. Untested. “Is that your assessment of the situation or Chloe’s?”

  Ben dropped his gaze again, and Sam’s gut tightened.

  “Come on, Ben,” he said. “We had a hundred applications for the position you hired Chloe to fill. She’s not that special.”

  “Yes, she is.”

  Couldn’t Ben see how toxic this all was? Sam paced a few steps before facing Ben again. “This is my fault. I should have asked Chloe to quit when I proposed to her. I screwed up, but that doesn’t mean you have to.” He figured he was going to regret saying what he needed to say next, but this trouble had been brewing for months. “You should tell Chloe she can’t work for Scholar Central anymore, and you should do it before the wedding.”

  “No way.” Ben straightened. For once he looked like the man he was before he got tangled up with her. “I’m not asking Chloe to quit. Not when she’s so valuable to the company.”

  Was Ben going to ask him to make Chloe a partner right now? Sam steeled himself against the possibility. There was no way he’d do that. It was bad enough Chloe was still an employee of the firm, given their circumstances. There were a dozen other people they employed who deserved to become partner more than she did. People who’d joined Scholar Central long before Chloe.

  “Can you really not see how uncomfortable it is for me to work with her?” Sam asked evenly. He knew he needed to keep his anger in check. Ben loved Chloe, for better or for worse. He wouldn’t stand for Sam attacking her.

  Ben pulled back. “Yeah, I can,” he said quietly.

  Sam wasn’t going to let him off the hook. “Don’t you see how awkward it is for everyone in the company?”

  Ben frowned. “It isn’t any of their business.”

  “Of course it is. I kept things professional at work when Chloe and I were together, but the two of you are all over each other. She’s by your side half the day. Everyone thinks she’s running the show now. They think she’s getting favorable treatment.”

  “No, they don’t,” Ben said. “Everyone loves Chloe. That’s why everyone she invited jumped at the chance to come on this trip. And when they find out—” He cut off. Turned away as if transfixed by the view out the sliding glass doors.

  “When they find out what?” Sam’s anger turned to alarm. What had Chloe cooked up with Ben?

  Ben took a deep breath. Met his gaze again. “When they find out she’s going to take this company to the next level, they’ll love her even more.”

  Sam laughed. “I won’t hold my breath.”

  Ben leaned toward him. “I know you think I’m a big joke for picking up what you put down, but you’re underestimating Chloe, and you’re going to be sorry when you find out what she’s capable of.”

  “Is that a threat?” Sam asked. “Is she going to kill me in my sleep?”

  “She’s going to show you who really deserves to run Scholar Central,” Ben said and walked out the door.

  “Are you sure everything is okay?” Ava asked Sam when they stood on the Blue House’s stoop early the next morning. He’d appeared silently in the Cliff Garden when she’d come to walk with her friends and had accompanied them, but he hadn’t taken part in their conversation, which had faltered after a while in the face of his preoccupation. She’d told her friends she’d talk to them later and ushered Sam back to the house.

  Sam kissed her cheek absently. “It’s fine,” he said.

  “Sam.”

  He glanced her way and then seemed to come back to himself. Ava thought he hadn’t heard two words she’d said to him so far today.

  “Sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Ben gave me a bit of a dressing down last night about—” He broke off and shrugged. “About everything. Chloe. Our business. I haven’t decided what to do about it.”

  “Sounds like a lot to process,” Ava said.

  He stepped closer. “Look, could we get out of here?”

  “Here he is.” Ben stepped out of the door, calling over his shoulder to someone inside. “You’re not trying to slip away, are you? We’re driving down to Monterey to go to the aquarium and spend the day. We’ll eat lunch and dinner there, too. I’m counting on you to come along. Understand?”