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Hypocrite, much?

I snap my laptop shut. Nope. Not going to do it. Only three million people live in Denver. I’m sure I’ll run into her. Maybe she’ll even take me up on my suggestion of role-playing as strangers.

I fall asleep daydreaming about the possibility.

CHAPTER NINE

AUDREY

Willa and I are in the break room of Fourteener Sports, getting coffee to fortify ourselves for our introductory presentation with the company executives. As we’re leaving, I’m talking to her over my shoulder and don’t see the person walking through the door and straight into me until coffee is splashed all over my white silk shirt.

“Shit,” I say, and jump back as if that will save me from the scalding liquid.

Then it’s all commotion. The person who ran into me says, “Oh my God I’m so sorry,” and the next thing I know they’re using their flannel shirt sleeve to wipe off the coffee, which sticks the wet shirt to my skin.

“Thank you, I’m fine,” I spit out and immediately regret it. This is our first day as outside consultants for Fourteener Sports and the last thing I need to do is be rude to one of the employees. That’s when I look up and see her. Sky-blue eyes. Dark curly hair. Skin that smells like the forest after rain.

Toni.

My one-night stand. The woman who gave me the best night of my life, the woman I haven’t stopped thinking about since I walked out her door on weak legs, the woman whose scent I waited until the last possible minute to wash off and have been trying to recreate with my essential oils since, is staring at me in wide-eyed confusion. My eyes go immediately to her arms, which are covered by the aforementioned flannel shirt. Damn it.

Wait. What am I thinking? I can’t be ogling at Toni’s arms at work.

And hang on just a fucking minute. What is Toni doing here?

I dare to meet her eyes and see her staring at Willa, then looking back at me, then back at Willa, who didn’t decide to cut her hair into a pixie cut on Saturday, when Toni finally says to my sister, “Audrey?”

And I immediately want to crawl into a hole and die.

“No, I’m Willa Adams. Audrey’s sister. We haven’t met.” She holds out her hand, though Toni is now staring at me.

She hates my hair, I can tell. I decide to do my best to salvage this in the faint hope that Willa won’t put two and two together.

“Yes, this is my sister, Willa. Good to see you again, Toni.” I hold out my hand.

Toni takes my hand, and I almost jump at the shock that runs up my arm and down to…other parts of my body. The part of my body that’s been aching with need all weekend. I never would have thought that you could feel panic and passion simultaneously, but that’s exactly what I feel. The last thing I need is for this project, our first project as independent consultants, to go south because I’m distracted by Toni. I’d counted on this project to take Toni off my mind. Yet here she is, looking like a sexy mountain woman and smelling scrumptious and, holy shit, I’m thinking about Friday night and the way she growled, Audrey, come with me.

Get a grip, Audrey. You’re a professional, and you have a job to do. I try to make my expression neutral. If Toni’s furrowed brows and ghost of a smile are any indication, I’m failing miserably. I angle myself away from Willa because she can read me in seconds.

“Nice to see you again, Audrey.” Toni then shakes Willa’s hand. “I’m Toni Danzig. Nice to meet you…?”

“Willa. Adams. I said before, but you were distracted.” She sweeps her hand toward me in an overly grand gesture. “This is Audrey Adams. In case you didn’t catch her name.”

Shit. Has Willa already figured out Toni was my one-night stand? How does she do that?

“Of course,” Toni says. “I didn’t know Audrey was an identical twin.”

I guess I had failed to mention that.

“Besides a regrettably placed tattoo”—Willa shakes her head and sighs—“we’re the same.”

Toni raises her eyebrows and looks highly amused. She also, very discreetly, gives Willa a once-over.

“I’m the youngest, which means I’m the fun one,” Willa says.

“Which means I’m the smart one,” I say, giving Willa what I hope is a good imitation of our mother’s death stare. Going by the smirk on her face it needs some work. I turn back to Toni. “So, you work here?”

“Yes. Family business, remember?”