Anthony’s eyes drift to me. “Hello,” he says. “You must be Sophia.”
“Yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I say and extend a hand. If he knows my name, they must have spoken about me beforehand. “You and your wife have a beautiful house.”
“Thank you,” he says and looks at Isaac. “Well played, man.”
“Think Summer will back off?”
“Most likely,” Anthony says. He looks at me, and his smile turns rueful. “I don’t know if my dear brother has told you, but my wife works as a matchmaker.”
“I’ve heard about that, yes.”
“My brother has been her primary target for a solid year now.”
“Poor Isaac,” I say, and Anthony laughs. “Good thing I’m here, then.”
“Yes, and don’t leave his side,” Anthony says. He gives me an appraising look. “You’re from New York?”
“No, I’m from Marhill. It’s a small town upstate.”
“Oh,” he says. “That’s great.”
I don’t get a chance to ask why that is because a beautiful blonde woman comes up beside him. Her blue eyes dance between me and Isaac.
“Why, hello!” she says. “I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to say hi yet. How are you, Isaac?”
“I’m good.” He leans in to kiss his sister-in-law on the cheek. “This is Sophia, the woman I’ve told you about. Sophia, this is Summer.”
“Welcome,” Summer says. An entirely genuine smile takes up most of her face. “It’s so lovely to meet you.”
“Likewise. You have a beautiful—”
“Where did you two meet?”
“Oh.” I look at Isaac. “It’s a funny story, actually. We were playing tennis at the same time, and he had the court next to mine.”
“She kept hitting the ball over to my side,” Isaac says. His face is neutral, but there’s a tick to his jaw that hints at a suppressed smile. “Great icebreaking technique, I must say.”
I elbow him. “That’s slander. I might not have a slice down, but I can keep the ball on my own court.”
“You’re right,” he says, eyes on mine. “The truth is, I saw her play and couldn’t resist saying hello.”
I nod. “Our trainers got a bit annoyed. I think we spoke more than we played that hour.”
Summer sighs. “Oh, that’s the perfect way to meet.”
I look away from Isaac’s dark eyes and the amused glint hidden within. “Yes, it worked out well for us so far.”
Isaac’s hand returns to my lower back. I like it there, a warm and comforting weight. “Are the others from Acture here?”
Anthony nods and gestures to the far end of the pool. “Tristan and Carter are over there, and St. Clair said he’d show up, but I haven’t seen him yet.”
An icy tendril snakes down my spine. St. Clair, as inVictor St. Clair.The CEO and boss of my company, and the person who had requested that Isaac’s project be prioritized and given the utmost attention.
I suppose being Isaac’s date qualifies for both… but not the way it had been intended.
“We’ll go say hello,” Isaac says, and Anthony nods. “Is Theo inside?”
Summer nods. “He’s in his room with the nanny, happy as a clam.”