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CHAPTER ONE

"RETURNING TO THE scene of the crime?" Dellina Hopkins asked as she stared at the dark-hairedon her porch She supposed the polite response to his presence was to invite hi to e, all six feet of dark-eyed, arrogant handso to make this easy, are you?" he asked

Dellina smiled "No Would you, if you were rin "No, I wouldn’t"

"An honest man" She bumped the door open wider with her hip and stepped back to let him in "It’s a miracle"

He moved into the house Dellina let the screen door slam into place, but left the thick wooden door open It was summer in Fool’s Gold, and plenty warm The breeze would be nice Plus―and this was the part she would never ad the door open meant they weren’t totally alone Okay, they were alone, but it didn’t feel so intimate And based on what had happened the last ti

Sa roohtly and she had a feeling he was glancing down the hall--toward her bedrooo

Dellina wanted to say it hadn’t been her fault--that everyone was allowed to be stupid on Valentine’s Day Or in her case, on Valentine’s Day night Only she had known exactly what she was doing and it had been as wonderful and disastrous as anyone could have i to have to deal with the consequences

He turned to face her, then motioned to the sofa "We should probably have a seat"

"Will that s easier for you?" she asked

"If I say yes, will you sit?"

"Probably"

"Then yes It s easier"

Dellina settled in one of the club chairs while Sam took the sofa

He moved with controlled power It was the for hiroupie, she had firsthand knowledge that the man kne to use his body Of course, the last time she’d been in his presence, she hadn’t been interested in sitting Or talking But then neither had he They’d practically tumbled over each other in their race to her bedroom He’d--

Dellina pushed the very visceral memories away Yes, Saone downhill She needed to remember as important He was here about a job Not his unrequited lust for her Based on how he’d been avoiding her for the past several months, when it came to her, he was plenty requited

But he was also in a bit of a pickle

The old-fashioned phrase made her want to smile Yup, Sam needed her Not in a delicious take me now kind of way, but for business She was a party planner and he wanted to plan a really big business event He was stuck and she was his way out Sometimes, not often, but someti able to ignore her and that single night, he’d been forced to face her Was it so very wrong of her to enjoy the ht perhaps not

She rested her hands flat on her thighs and looked at hiaze settled on her face "Really? You’re not going to admit you knohat any of this is about?"

She blinked deliberately, then opened her eyes wide "When you made your appointment to speak with me, you didn’t ain, a little eht kind of payback

A ht We’ll play this your way I’rinned "I knoho you are, Sam We don’t have to pretend that much Just tell me what you want and we’ll move on from there"

He swore under his breath "You’re friends with Taryn You’ve done work for her How long are you going to punish ht about Taryn She and Dellina were friends and had worked together several times Score, the PR firm in question, had moved to Fool’s Gold just after the first of the year Three of the partners were forlue that held the co you should be punished," she adain would be too over-the-top

He sighed heavily "Fine We’ll do this your way Now that we’veparty for our clients We’ve booked a hotel, but that’s as far as the planning has gotten"

"A party," she breathed, and pressed her hand to her chest "That sounds really nice"

IN TRUTH, BEING a neurosurgeon or the person who used to land the space shuttle probably ive a person an ulcer Sa in Tihts But he would add that being a kicker for an NFL team had its moments of stress When he’d been with the LA Stallions, he’d been responsible for twenty-six wins, including three during play-off games and one Super Bowl victory He knehat it was like to have everyone watching him, both in person and on TV, and have his job performance critiqued endlessly

He’d always known the outcome the instant his foot connected with the ball and he was fa the sounds froht He was used to pressure He’d lived it and breathed it But he’d never faced down anyone like Dellina Hopkins before, and the worst part about it was, she was right to give hiive I rong"

Her brown eyes twinkled "Wrong about what?"

"That night Leaving the way I did It was just" He motioned toward the hallway "Those dresses and that list All of it I’et married"

"Neither aowns"

Her full lips pressed together Sam tried not to notice, but her ht his attention, back on Valentine’s Day

He’d been staying at Ronan’s Lodge for a feeeks, until escrow closed on his new place He’d gone down to the bar for a drink only to realize it was Valentine’s Day and the place was crawling with couples As he’d recently sworn off woo back to his room