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“No married women, no women tangled up with some other guy—that’s just stupid. No problem with a one-nighter if things fall that way. She says no—and there’s more ways to say no than a two-letter word—you suck it up and take no. And I’m not going to have sex with a woman who’s going to bounce off me to someone else. I’m not going to roll off her and roll onto someone else. Either way, that’s just insulting.”

Jones walked over to sit beside him, like a wingman.

“If I’m reading this right,” Owen continued, “you’re saying no to me climbing in your bed tonight.”

“I am.” She gave him a long look out of amber eyes. “Regretfully.”

“But not no altogether.”

“I like you. I liked you right off. You never pressured Sonya, never made her feel guilty about coming out of nowhere to inherit this house and all the rest.”

She held up a hand when he started to speak.

“You could have, if you were someone else. But that’s not you, so I liked you. And I know a true friend when I see one, because I’m one. You’re a true friend to Trey, and loyalty ranks high with me. I’ve got a lot of respect for the no-bullshit types, which you seem to be.

“But what went beyond that, for me, is the way you went with Sonya, no hesitation, through that damn mirror.”

“Look, I’ll take credit for that if it cuts down on thea while, but what the hell else was I supposed to do?”

She smiled at that. “And that you’d ask that, have that mildly annoyed attitude when you do is exactly why I like you and find you attractive.”

“Then why aren’t I climbing into your bed tonight?”

“Because once we start, it’ll be hard to stop if either of us decide to.” She spread her hands. “Friendships. Yours to Trey, mine to Sonya, mine to Trey, yours to Sonya. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to stay friendly with an ex. On the surface, maybe, but not underneath. Because, well, they’re an ex for a reason.”

“You got me there. Trey and Bree manage it, but I think that’s an exception.”

“So a while.”

“Deal,” he said, and put his hands on her again.

She laughed. “Sneaky. I like sneaky.”

He hadn’t been wrong about the simmering, and if he was any judge, it wouldn’t be long to flashpoint.

So he could wait. A while.

Sonya stepped into the doorway just as they broke apart. And immediately stepped back. “Oh, well. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Cleo told her, her eyes still on Owen. “We were just sealing a deal.”

“You were up here longer than I… I thought I should check. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Cleo repeated. “Come take a look at my boat.”

When Cleo walked to the worktable, a clearly flustered Sonya followed.

“Maybe I’ll just… Oh my God! This is the boat? Mermaids! Oh, this is so you, Cleo. Owen, this is so absolutely Cleo. It’s perfect.”

“Say that again when I finish building it. Got any beer?”

“Yes. Oh, I love this. It almost makes me want one of my own.”

“You’re getting a doghouse.”

Smiling, Sonya looked over at him. “Am I?”

“We made a deal.”