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“Slow down. This is supposed to be a stress buster not a stressor. I’m sweating like a horse that just passed the finish line at Pimlico. I’m out of breath, and you’re red like a lobster. Are you trying to kill me and yourself?”

I blink a few times at Lauren. She does look a little worked up, sweat beginning to form near her hairline, hardly out of breath, though.

“Sorry. I have a lot on my mind, and Big Apple staff is either bending over backward to grant all my wishes or being downright petty. They text me to ask my opinion about everything, including the paper we’ll be featuring on my desk. They hate how much they had to give in to keep me.”

Lauren chuckles. “They should’ve known when they saw Cam’s lawyer and your agent together.”

“So true.”

We resume walking—at a moderate pace this time.

“That’s not all that’s bugging you,” Lauren asks. “I mean, the phone pinging constantly is annoying, but this is not the kind of stuff that bugs you. You would just ignore it.”

“It’s not. I didn’t sleep well. I had to block Mateo and his sister this morning. Not to mention, I’m stressed out because I need to find a new contractor.”

It’s out of my mouth before I can control it, but I don’t look at her. Maybe she’ll latch on to the asshole ex talk and forget I said?—

“It was high time you blocked his ass and his number-one enabler—I’m sorry. Wait a second. Did you just say you need a new contractor? What the hell happened to Ollie?”

I shake my head. “I can’t talk about it with you. He’s your friend of many years, and I’m?—”

“My sister.” She doesn’t add the word in-law and seems to have no plans to do so. “Now spill.”

I smile anyway because who would’ve thought I would get another sister through Chase after all the friendships I lost because the girls were interested in him. “Ollie and I got into an argument. I’ve canceled a few appointments with him, and I know it was terrible, but I couldn’t avoid it. Getting this contract ready has been a big thing. Then, I had him waiting for an hour, and he got pissed off. I don’t blame him for that. I would’ve been too if someone kept me waiting.”

I go through the story, and all she does is nod and listen.

“Two things set me off. One, he kept mentioning Cam’s opinion and making insinuations that my brother’s opinion would be valid because he was footing the bill.”

“What?” She laughs.

“It’s not funny. He basically called me a spoiled rich girl.”

She presses a fist to her mouth. “Your brothers probably let him believe that.”

“Why would they do that?”

She rolls her eyes. “Because they see the chemistry. Everyone does. The two of you sizzle.” Lauren’s finger touches the skin of my arm, and she pulls it back quickly like it burns her.

She’s not wrong. We do sizzle.

We sizzle so bad my body feels hot, like I ran a 5K, when I’m in the same room with him. All my thoughts go to our night together—the one we promised each other wouldn’t affect anything but changes so much. I yank my thoughts from the memories. He was such an asshole yesterday, and maybe we just need to stay away from each other. It’s for the best, since we can’t seem to keep it strictly professional.

“We have to fix this,” Lauren says.

“Fix what?” I ask.

“This whole mess. Ollie is a great contractor, and he’s a good guy. And he makes you all flustered. We all need a guy that makes us flustered by walking in a room or just talking.” She pins me with a gaze. “It’s just talking, right?”

I look at the water, but she steps into my line of vision and latches onto my arms. “What are you not telling me?”

I shove my eyes closed. “We slept together on Christmas Eve, and now things are super awkward.”

Her mouth drops open. “And you didn’t tell me?”

I shake my head. “We agreed to keep it to ourselves.”

She gasps. “Oooh, secret great sex is the best…well no, engaged sex is the best. It was the best, right?”