beautiful."

Abby shook her head. "I can't believe that."

"Why?"

Because I'm an ugly Stepp sister, she nearly stated, but caught herself. That wasn't true. She was no

beauty, but she wouldn't think of herself under that label. "I just never thought you'd be offering me a compliment after how things ended the other day." Abby realized she didn't really want to bring up that subject either, but unfortunately it was already out of her mouth. Chase picked up a stick and began drawing in the grass. After a few silent moments, Abby decided she had offended him again. Then he tossed down the stick and sighed. "I shouldn't have acted that way. Nelson is the man in your life. And you were absolutely right when you said we're too different anyway. Our worlds are completely opposite." "They are?" Chase nodded. Disappointment sat heavy in Abby's chest and she could feel an inexplicable wateriness in her eyes.

"But you're still the prettiest girl here tonight," he said with that devilish charm.

The heaviness she experienced only moments earlier dissolved, and her heart soared with the loss of the weight. He was so enticing. He was everything she had imagined he would be as she had watched him from afar in the lunchroom. In study hall. In the bus lines.

The difference was she didn't have to watch him from afar now. He was right beside her.

Abby leaned against the base of the tree, the bark rough against her back even through her shirt. She

tried to concentrate on the scratchiness, but all she could sense was Chase seated so close that she could smell his woodsy scent and feel his warmth. The evening was magical. It was the best time she could remember ever having outside of acing her final in Biophysics of Macromolecular Assemblies. Although she'd have to say the final was less nerve-wracking than this moment. She didn't know what to do or to say. But she did know she wanted this man beside her more than she had wanted anything in her life. Even than that "A" in her biochemistry class.

She twisted toward him and placed a hand on his knee. She felt him tense under her touch, but she didn't move away.

"You said we could overcome our differences. You really don't think that's true?"

Chase looked at her for a moment. His eyes seemed to probe deep inside her, as if he could see all the areas where they differed.

"Abby, it doesn't matter. We are different. And you do have a boyfriend." "But Nelson isn't here." Abby couldn't believe she had said something so... shameless. She wasthrowing herself at him.Note to self: liquor makes you a hussy .

But at the same time, she felt so free. Abigail Stepp didn't proposition men. Yet here she was hitting on Chase Jordan, the very last man she ever thought she would have the nerve to proposition. She felt wild and crazy.

She watched him closely. His expression remained completely blank. The wildness faded.

He did understand that she was propositioning him, didn't he? Had she done it wrong? Was the invitation too oblique?

"Darling, you've had too much to drink," he finally said, his rich voice so soft, she almost missed it. And part of her wished she had. She'd just offered herself to the man, and he was turning her down.

"I have not," she insisted. "Well, I have. But I'm not doing this because I'm tipsy. I want you."

Chase suppressed a grin at the indignant look on Abby's flushed face. She did look every bit the vixen that she was purporting to be. And damn, every inch of his aroused body wanted to say,You're right, honey, Nelson isn't here, and I'm more than willing to scratch any itch you might have .

But that wouldn't be right. He knew that if Abby was thinking straight, she wouldn't be saying any of this. "Sweetheart, I'm very flattered. But I don't think either of us would be too happy with ourselves tomorrow morning."

"Oh, I think I'd be very happy." Her dark eyes were so earnest, Chase had to fight back another smile.

"Believe me," he said, picking up her hand, which was burning an imprint onto his knee. "If there was any way we could work it out, I'd already have you home in my bed." "Really?" "Oh, yeah." Hell yes. He watched as she bit her lip, her white teeth toying with the soft rosy flesh. He wanted to nibble her there too. "Listen, I'm going to go get both of us some coffee." He rose, tugging at the legs of his suddenly too snug jeans. "Stay right here," he ordered and pointed at the place where she sat. She nodded, but she looked as if she'd rather sink into the tree she leaned against. Chase felt sorry that she was embarrassed by her actions. Impulsively, he bent forward and kissed the top of her head. The fragrance of citrus and Abby surrounded him. With much reluctance, he straightened. "Stay," he said again. Again she nodded, and he truly hoped she would.

Summer-Ann watched the couple in the shadows and clenched the straw of her drink between her teeth.

This couldn't be happening. It absolutely couldn't!

She had worked hard to get back into Chase's life. She'd managed to convince him to give her a job as

his office manager. She'd become his right arm there. He couldn't run his business without her. After all, she was the major reason why he could keep his biggest secret hidden from everyone. Chase had always trusted her with that secret. That was a bond no one could break.

She really believed it was only a matter of time before they were back together like the good old days. After all, Chase hadn't shown interest in anyone else for a long time.

Until now.

She watched as Abby Stepp turned toward Chase and placed her hand on his leg. And he didn't push it away.

This was a freakin' nightmare. What was he doing? And why on earth was he doing it with her?

Grudgingly, Summer-Ann had to admit that Abby Stepp did look a lot better than she had in high school. She had lost some weight, and she seemed to have a bit more style. Even her wide-set eyes and large mouth looked more proportionate with the rest of her face.

But she wasn't in Chase's league.

Summer-Ann further mutilated her straw as she watched Chase stand and then lean down and kiss Abby on the head. It was an innocent enough kiss, but there was something disturbingly intimate about it.

Chase left Abby sitting against an oak tree and headed toward the food stands.

Summer-Ann tossed the remainder of her watery drink in a nearly overflowing trash barrel and moved in that direction. She wasn't about to give up this fight so easily. Chase Jordan was and always would be hers.

Chapter 11.

"There you are."

Chase ground his molars to keep from groaning out loud. He tried to pretend he didn't hear and keep walking, but he couldn't believably ignore the hand grasping the sleeve of his shirt. "Summer-Ann," he said with little enthusiasm. "Are you having fun?" He nodded. "I'm actually off to get a couple drinks."

"Is one for me?" She smiled and hugged his arm with both of hers.

Chase fought the urge to shake her off. He didn't have any interest in listening to Summer's come-ons, but he also didn't want to hurt her feelings.

"Sure," he said in a subdued manner. "What are you drinking?"

"A Curvy Crab with a twist."

Chase made a puzzled face, and Summer-Ann giggled, squeezing his arm tighter. "It's a rum and diet Coke with a lemon."

"Of course," Chase said and started to the closest stand. She still clung to him, easily keeping pace. Chase recalled having Abby tight at his side earlier. He wished it was her body pressed close to him now.

"I saw you with Abby Stepp," Summer-Ann said as if she had read his thoughts. She kept her voice light and conversational.

Chase knew Summer well enough to know that her casualness was a put-on. She wasn't the type to carelessly accept another woman being with the man she had designs on. And he would have to be damned near dead not to notice that Summer had designs on him-despite his multiple attempts to discourage it.

"Yes, I was talking with Abby."

"And kissing her." Her voice hardened slightly.

Chase nodded. "Yes. Although I don't think that's any of your business."

"It is my business if it affects Willy."

Chase gritted his teeth again; Summer-Ann was hell on his dental work. He hated it when she tried to use Willy to control him. And she did use that little trick quite often. "Summer, I can't possibly imagine why my friendship with Abby would affect Willy. In fact, I think Willy rather likes Abby." As soon as he made his last comment, he realized his mistake. Not only was Summer-Ann possessive, she was blindly jealous.

"I don't want that woman having anything to do with my son," she said, loud enough that several people turned to look in their direction.

Chase offered a weak smile to the spectators and then leaned in to hush her. "Abby and I are just friends. That's it."

She stared at him for a moment, then blinked her lashes coyly. "That's it?"

He nodded his head once. "So can we drop the subject?"

She smiled broadly. "That, I can do. "

Abby's first instinct alter Chase left was to slink back to her co-workers. But she still felt a bit dizzy, and she had promised Chase she would wait for him.

So instead, she leaned her head back against the tree and closed her eyes.

She had just made an absolute fool of herself. Hitting on Chase-what had she been thinking? They needed to stop having these odd encounters, or she was never going to survive her stay here.

This last weird incident was solely her fault, but she was making a pact with herself right now. From this moment on, nothing this disastrous was going to happen again. If it killed her, and it very well might, she was going to act like a sane, rational human being in Chase's presence. Starting now.

Be normal. Listen to the music. Enjoy yourself. Don't hit on any more men, she chanted to herself and then opened her eyes.

The band still bounded around the stage, albeit with a bit less energy. But the upbeat music did take her mind off her humiliating behavior. She sat up and swayed slightly to the tune.

Abby clapped her hands with the music, and she turned to see if she could find Chase in the crowd. It seemed like he'd been gone for a long time. She probably scared him away.

Then she spotted him, being cuddled by a curvy blonde. Summer-Ann.

Even alter her earlier pep talk, something akin to jealousy gripped her stomach. She watched them, noting the way Summer-Ann smiled up at Chase so prettily. She was stunning, and together they really were the perfect couple.

Abby folded her arms around her bent knees and rested her chin on them. After a night of completely new experiences and sensations, this was a feeling she was familiar with-watching beautiful people from a distance.

She wondered what had happened between them. The way they stood together, Abby got the feeling they were still close, that there was a connection between them. Some thing that even a bad breakup couldn't totally destroy.

Willy. Abby straightened. Of course, Willy. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it earlier. She must have been so unnerved the other day after being discovered by Summer-Ann kissing Chase, and then Chase's abrupt dismissal that it just never occurred to her.

But that had to be Chase and Summer-Ann's lasting connection. Willy must be their child.

Abby rested her head on her knees again and speculated what might have happened between them. Chase didn't seem like the type to not marry the mother of his child. But truthfully, how well did Abby really know the man?

All she knew was that he had a real talent for renovation, he liked seafood and coffee, and he could kiss like a son of a gun. None of those things revealed much about his paternal side.

But that wasn't true. She did know that Chase adored Willy Ellie said they had ended badly. Maybe it was Summer-Ann who hadn't wanted to settle down.

She studied the other woman's demeanor with Chase. She certainly seemed interested in him right now. Of course, she was also familiar with him.

Abby sighed and turned to look back at the band. She understood sticking with what you know. After all, she was doing that with Nelson, wasn't she?

When Chase finally got away from Summer, he was relieved to see Abby was still waiting for him. Although from her expression, she was only there physically. Her mind was a million miles away.

"Hey," he said softly so as not to startle her.

She blinked up at him and smiled.

He was astonished that such a simple gesture could affect him so strongly. He sank down beside her and held up two steaming Styrofoam cups. "They're called 'Caffeinated Crabs.' But I'm fairly certain they're just coffee with creamer."

Abby accepted the cup and peered into the slot torn in the plastic lid. "No gummy crab floating in it?"

"I really hope not."

They shared a smile and each took a sip. The music was softer, slower. They both seemed lost in the melody, content with their crab coffee and each other's company.

"I'd like to be friends," Abby said suddenly.

"I'd like that too. "

"That means we can't kiss anymore. "

"How about just not on the lips?" Chase teased.

"Not anywhere."

"Damn."

Chase could tell that Abby was struggling not to smile as she added sternly, "And we can't talk about kissing or-or any other non-platonic things. "

"Okay, but I have one question. "