Chapter One
On any other day, Zach Monroe would avoid the very tempting, sexy Sophie Allen for several very valid reasons. First, she looked too damn good in her little skirts hugging those round hips. Second, she was dating some prick who didn’t deserve her, so Zach had no business lusting.
Most of all, though, he’d ruined her life years ago. He’d been cocky when he should’ve been responsible.
In a move that shocked him, Sophie had called earlier in the day and asked him to come by her office. Actually she’d called his work line, which rang to his cell. Apparently she wanted to keep this impromptu meeting professional. Whatever. The sooner he figured out what she wanted, the sooner he could leave and get back to his work. A career in construction meant limited time talking to people and plenty of time hammering out frustrations.
Zach tugged on the old oak door of the little town house where Sophie’s real estate office was located in Haven, Georgia. A single bell chimed, indicating his arrival.
The second he stepped over the threshold the scent of something floral hit him in the gut.
Sophie. Anytime he’d been around her she’d always smelled like flowers, like freshness and summertime.
Great, now he was sounding like a damn woman describing Sophie’s signature scent. He totally lost all control of his thoughts when he was anywhere near her.
A penance for his crime much worse than the year he’d spent in jail.
The small office space with the pale yellow walls, various green plants in colorful pots adorning the waiting area, looked inviting the way he imagined Sophie would want. Sunlight flooded through the wide front window, casting a beam directly into her little space in this world.
The woman he’d once considered a good friend, and possibly something more, rounded the end of the hallway, a document in one hand, pen in the other. She had one of those damn body-hugging skirts that stopped at her knees, this one in dark purple, paired with a simple gray sleeveless sweater and little flats in some animal print. Her golden hair spiraled down around her shoulders in soft curls he’d give anything to feel over his body. She never failed to steal his breath. That instant punch to the gut happened every single time she came near.
Sophie probably just saw him as a scruffy construction worker who drove a beat-up old truck that sounded worse than it looked.
Whereas he saw her as everything his life wasn’t: polished, beautiful, and pure. His childhood demons alone were enough to prove how different they truly were.
But it was her limp that got him in a stranglehold and tightened a vise around his chest. Some days her gait was more pronounced than others, but her handicap was always there, always twisting that knife a little deeper into his gut. Visual reminders of his screwups gutted him quicker than anything.
Sophie’s bright green eyes came up to meet his. “Zach.” Her shoulders stiffened, the grip on her papers tightened. “I’m still waiting on the others, if you want to have a seat in my office.”
Attention on her physical beauty and all he’d thrown away held him speechless. Then her words penetrated through the haze. “What others?”
“Liam and Braxton.” She turned and disappeared back into what he assumed was her office.
What the hell was this about?
Like the proverbial moth to a flame, Zach followed her. His mood plummeted from intrigued over the meeting to irritation with the impending get-together with his brothers.
Sophie’s office was just as inviting as the lobby area. The cheery yellow curtains, the fresh, vibrant floral arrangement in a small vase on he
r desk, and the picture in a silver frame. Zach’s eyes immediately went to the photo of Sophie standing with Zach’s late sister, Chelsea.
Chelsea, who was taken from them all too soon. She’d been vibrant, full of energy and life, and always seeking the next adventure. The fact that she’d died in a freak skiing accident was enough to give him some warped sense of peace. She hadn’t suffered and she’d been doing what she loved. Still . . .
“Seems unreal, doesn’t it?” she asked, her eyes traveling to the photo as she stood behind her desk. “I don’t know how many times I’ve started to text her or I’ve turned down her street and caught myself. I miss talking to her, miss her laugh.”
Zach swallowed hard. Yeah, he’d done the same. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to not having his full-of-life sister around. She was the only one out of all four adopted siblings that ever “got” him.
Pausing at the two chairs in front of Sophie’s desk, Zach opted to stand against the wall. No need to get cozy here when he was damn near a panic attack at being so close to Sophie in such a small space.