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I nod my head at her point. “Yeah … true.”

She smirks and closes the bathroom door. I pull my clothes off and slide my trunks on before neatly folding my clothes and putting them away in the dresser across the room. When I walk over toward the French doors that lead to the balcony, I brace myself for the cold air hitting my bare chest. The air is freezing, but I’m pleasantly surprised when my feet hit the heated deck. I should’ve known.

There’s an outdoor fireplace on the large deck and it’s already lit as if the staff expected we’d come out here after dinner. Walking over to the luxurious hot tub, I place my phone on the side table and slide into the hot bubbly water. It’s heaven.

I sigh and close my eyes, feeling relaxed after that strange dinner. When my phone pings several times in a row, I reluctantly open my eyes and reach for it. I groan when I see a bunch of new messages from my family’s group text.

Windell Family Group Chat:

Mom: Brooks, what are you doing in Vermont?

My eyes widen and I swear under my breath. I completely forgot to disable my location on the Find My Friends app.

Sophie: Vermont? Isn’t that where Molly’s sister’s wedding is?

David: You better not be there with a woman.

Madden: #GardenParty #BirthdaySuit

Brooks: Relax. I’m meeting a business client out here. A male business client. And Mom, you really need to stay off that stalker app.

Dad: So you’re meeting a business client in the same location as the wedding Molly is attending?

“You look serious.” Molly’s voice surprises me, and I nearly drop my phone into the hot tub.

Looking up, I take in her simple black one piece. It’s not a skimpy bikini, but just as tempting. It’s like a tease … an appetizer. Great, now I’m hungry. One filet mignon was not enough.

“Ha, yeah. Find my friends … family chat,” I stumble over my words until I look down at my phone again and steady myself.

She slips into the hot tub across from me and I notice she’s carrying two stemless wine glasses already full of what looks like wine. I avert my eyes before I start ogling her body again, but look back up when I know she’s submerged in water and I can think clearly.

“Is everything okay?” she asks, looking at me with genuine concern and handing me one of the glasses.

I blow out a frustrated breath as I take the glass from her. “Yeah, I just forgot to turn off my location on my mom’s stalker app and now the entire family wants to know what the hell I’m doing in Vermont.”

Molly grimaces. “Oof. And I think I told Drew and Sophie my sister’s wedding is in Vermont?”

“Yep.” I shoot her a tight smile and take a sip of the Pinot Grigio. “But this is my fault; don’t worry about it. I told them I have a business trip out here.”

She looks at me over the brim of her wine glass, which is already half gone. “Seriously? That’s the best you could do? Give me your phone.”

I shrug and hand her my phone. It’s not like this can get any worse. Sipping some more wine, I relax and watch Molly. She bites her bottom lip in concentration, her tongue peeking out as she types a rather long explanation of my location in my family group chat. In an effort to ignore the way her tongue wets her bottom lip while she types, I look at the screen over her shoulder and read what she’s writing.

Brooks: Well, when this client wanted to meet in Vermont, we were able to plan the business meeting to coincide with her sister’s wedding. Two birds … one stone. Her family has even been kind enough to allow me to stay with them in one of their guest rooms. I’ll fly back home tomorrow night, and Molly will stay for her sister’s wedding.

“Not too shabby, Vanderbilt,” I tell her, nodding my head with pride.

She bows her head. “Thank you, thank you very much,” she says in an Elvis voice.

“An ode to the king of rock. I’ve never been so proud.” I clutch my chest where my heart rests and pretend to shed a tear.

She giggles. “Yeah, you’ve thoroughly ruined me. My mother would be offended if she knew I listened to anything besides classical music.”

“Like Post Malone?” I tease, rolling my lips together in an effort to hide my grin.

She pushes her free hand through the water to splash me, and I laugh heartily. “You were supposed to pretend like you never saw that!”

I splash her back and she gasps then yells, “Stop! You’re going to ruin my wine!”